Chundles

I'm baffled by the bipartisan uproar over Barack Obama's recent comments that he might "refine" his strategy to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home. The exact quote is as follows:

“My position has not changed but keep in mind what that original position was. I have always said that I will listen to commanders on the ground; I’ve always said that the pace of withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain stability," he said. "That assessment has not changed and when I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I’m sure I’ll have more information and will continue to refine my policies.”

First of all, what's so controversial about what he said? He'd be a complete moron to say that he was going to bring troops home immediately without regard to the broader situation on the ground. Second of all, he's never said that he would actually do that. So what's the big deal? The big deal is the fact that people think Obama is above politics, that he's a figure akin to Ghandi, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, or some of the other revolutionary change-makers throughout history. And that he can wave a magic wand and fix the mess in Iraq that we created. Neither are true, but that's not necessarily a knock on Barack.

Barack Obama is a politician. So far, he's shown himself to be a pretty good one too, although he hasn't been put to the test yet (a good campaigner and fundraiser does not a good leader make). Politicians change their mind all the time. They have to. The world changes constantly, and any policy maker who doesn't change with it will get left behind (at least that's that way it should be). So it's smart and responsible of him to say what he did. On top of that, the "system" requires politicians to do so to stay alive.

Our country and our government are not things from a fairy tale that can be changed at the drop of a hat. They are real, made up of flawed individuals (like all of us), and neither is easy to change. I support Obama's campaign, but let's be honest. The US is not a dictatorship, so the amount of change any one person can implement (without the support of the Legislative branch) is very, very limited.

It seems that Obamaniacs have created an image of Barack that he can never live up to--that he is capable of waving a magic wand and affecting the kind of change he's been campaigning about. I'm sorry to say that anyone who thinks that we can just up-and-up leave Iraq has no grasp on reality. You think our international reputation is bad now? Imagine what it would be if we did that and left the Iraqis, and the thousands of terrorists who've entered the country over the last 5 years, to fend for themselves. That would be stupid and irresponsible. We can develop and implement an exit strategy, but we can't just turn our backs and go home.

As I said, I support Obama. We need some new blood in Washington, and McCain is too close to the current administration for my liking. I just hope that the unattainable image of Obama created by his followers doesn't make it impossible for him to succeed. He's real, our problems our real, and it will take a lot of hard work to make even some of the changes he's talking about.

Wanted
(c) 2007 Universal Studios
Starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common and Angelina Jolie

With a toddler running around the house, I don't get to the movies frequently. I didn't want to blow my wad on a crappy movie, so I had to choose carefully. Indiana Jones and Ironman? Those are DVD movies for me. Wall-E? Maybe that'll be the first movie I take Hannah too. Don't Mess with the Zohan? I probably would've enjoyed that, but it wasn't playing at the theater I wanted to go to. I've always been a fan of (good) Summer blockbusters, so I chose Wanted, a special-effects laden action flick with a good cast.

Since Angelina is a such a big star, and her hotness has the power to sell tickets, the previews made it seem like she (and her sex appeal) was the star of this movie, but that wasn't the case. She had an important role, and she looked good (if a little skinny), but this movie wasn't about her. Regardless, I made the right choice.

James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland) plays Wesley Gibson, an unhappy, unfulfilled, paycheck-to-paycheck numbers cruncher at an unnamed corporation. The only eventful things happening in his life are his best friend banging his girlfriend, and his dump of an apartment that sits within a few feet of the subway tracks.

Early in the movie, Gibson is approached by Angelina's character, Fox, and told about a fraternity of assassins that Gibson's father (who was allegedly killed in the first scene of the movie) was a part of. Gibson, with his pathetic existence and low self esteem, doesn't believe it. Ultimately, he's convinced that he's the only person on earth who can avenge his father's death, so he decides to join the fraternity.

Through a series of brutal training exercises, Gibson hones the skills that lie deep within his DNA. As the ensemble cast trains Gibson to become a killer, the story of the Fraternity unfolds: thousand years old, carries out assignments to restore order to the universe, guided by fate, etc. When his training is complete, Gibson becomes a member of the Fraternity and is given the assignment to find and murder his father's killer.

While McAvoy does a great job playing the unassuming assassin, the real star of Wanted is the special effects. There were some amazing chase scenes, the methods used by the assassins was flat-out cool, and they used some nifty little tricks like making bullets curve like a Barry Zito curveball. I'm no special effects expert, but Wanted brought some new things to the table that will no doubt be copied by others in the next few years.

The story held my interest as well, although the background story of the Fraternity seemed to have borrowed a few elements from The Priory of Sion, detailed in Dan Brown's book The Davinci Code. The Fraternity's history was detailed by Sloan (Morgan Freeman), and even though pieces of it seemed familiar, Morgan Freeman stately voice and stage presence makes it easy to suspend disbelief.

All in all, I enjoyed Wanted, would recommend it to others and look forward to seeing it again when it comes out on DVD. It's a well-made, action packed Summer movie with a good cast, great special effects, and a story that will hold your interest. If you go in with the right expectations, you won't be disappointed.

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 4)

If you haven't seen this video, it's a must watch. You will never think of Kevin Garnett the same way again. It makes you think that without his basketball talent, he'd be in an insane asylum somewhere, rocking back and forth, sucking his thumb, dreaming of long-ago battles in a far away land.

The Celtic's demolition of the Lakers on Tuesday night was impressive. Their defense was just impenetrable. Period. Sure, it would've been a different game if it was 3-2 (had the Lakers not choked in Game 4), or if Gasol and Odom thought to show up at all throughout the Series. But it was 3-1, and the Celtics were returning home with a chance to win the franchise's 22nd championship. They showed up and played great basketball. The Lakers did not.

The Celtics deserved to win because they played hard and played well. But that's as far as it goes in my mind. I could care less that KG, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce finally got their titles. Who gives a shit. These guys make $20MM a year playing a game. And I care even less that the storied franchise finally returned to glory after 22 years in the crapper. They already had 16 friggin titles. And I care even less about the fans, because they've had enough to cheer about this decade.

Sure, I'm bitter, because I'm from Philadelphia, and we haven't seen a title in any major sport in 25 years. But I'm mostly bitter because of the sense of entitlement that Boston fans feel. If you don't root for them, you're part of the evil empire. Is this sense of self loathing and insecurity ever going to stop? The Sox have won twice this decade, the Celtics now have 17 titles, and the Patriots have 3 Super Bowl titles under their belt with a great chance for more. Enough is enough. Face the facts Boston--you aren't the underdog any more. Your teams are among the elite (at least in all the sports that I care about), and your buying titles puts you in the same category as the Yankees. So please, get over yourselves.

I've been waiting for the right moment to finally start this blog. After what I witnessed the past few days, I figure now is as good a time as ever.

To be clear, I'm not a fan of golf. I don't think I could name more than 10 or 15 players who've been on tour throughout my entire life. Tiger, Jack, Lee Trevino, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickleson, Vijay Singhg, Rocco Mediate, and... Maybe I can't even name 10. I also haven't picked up a golf club since I was in High School, and may never again in my entire life. As a sports fan, I've of course followed, at least from afar, Tigers career, and I have vague memories of Jack and Arnold battling it out on TV when I was a kid. But I've never been engaged in the sport. At least not until now.

Something clicked in me this weekend and today watching Tiger win his 14th Major. Save for a few clutch strokes, and one lucky one, he didn't play particularly well. But for some reason, I was totally riveted and rooting for him like I was his biggest fan. Perhaps it's the fact that he did it on one leg. Perhaps it's the fact that the tournament was in San Diego, where I lived for a few months before moving to Northern California. Or maybe because Rocco Mediate seemed to be a genuinely likable foe. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but it was great to watch.

When all is said and done, Tiger will probably go down as the greatest golfer in history. You could probably make the argument that he's already reached that level, but it's unfair to those who came before him to grant him that title before his career is finished. He may also go down as the most dominant professional athlete ever. The gap between him and the rest of the field, even when he's not anywhere close to 100%, is just huge. As a sports fan and admirer of those who excel in their professions, I feel lucky to be able to watch Tiger in the prime of his career. And I'm pretty sure that the best is yet to come. Here's to Tiger getting healthy and continuing his march towards history.