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War College Gets Critical

On the local tip, it looks like some scholarly folks at the Army War College in Carlisle have put together a critical account of Bush Jr.’s war in Iraq , labeling it "a strategic error" and "an unnecessary preventative war [which] diverted attention and resources away from securing the American homeland against further assault by an undeterrable Al-Qaida."

The global war on terrorism as presently defined and conducted is strategically unfocused, promises much more than it can deliver, and threatens to dissipate US military and other resources in an endless and hopeless search for absolute security…

And if this still sounds like so much more hooey to be thrown to the wayside, consider the source. On their website, the prestigious military institution outlines a noble mission.

In the words of Elihu Root, the founder of the USAWC, our grand purpose is:

Not to promote war, but to preserve peace by intelligent and adequate preparation to repel aggression…to study and confer on the great problems of national defense, of military science, and of responsible command.

Hulk

Hulk bad.

Nawh, this movie really does deserve a bit more than that.

Let me say that despite the fact that I was sick while watching the DVD, I really wanted to like Ang Lee’s interpretation of the Hulk. It seemed ambitious enough to start and in many ways it bravely went into unexpected places. Sadly, though, I think it took things a bit too far and fell off track at various points, which is a bummer when you think what it could have been.

For instance, we’re never really explained what makes the Hulk turn green and monstrous. We’re given a set of mysterious scenarios occurring from before Bruce Banner’s birth to his adult research as a scientist, but you’d need a degree in bio-engineering yourself to put it all together and make sense of it. To my surprise, though, I found within the bonus material an outtake that succinctly explains how the various events came to create the Hulk. Unexplainably, this 30-second scene was cut. Not that it would have made the movie a winner, but I certainly felt that it needed a bit more logic glue (not to mention comic relief) to hold it all together.

But again, I’m going to end on the happy footnote I seem to be reserving for all Marvel movie adaptations being made these days and I’ll say that Hulk 2 (if there is such a beast) may very well have gotten the most difficult parts out of the way.

Hopefully, the next film will move on to greener pastures.

Frida

I get the feeling that Frida Kahlo would have liked the movie portraying her life, Frida, now available on DVD. Salma Hayek gives a memorable performance as the chronically pained, if not tragically disjointed, Mexican artist known to be married to the famed and irreparably womanizing Diego Rivera. Perhap not mentioned enough in the movie, she also achieved notable success as a painter in her own right.

The supporting cast, including Geoffrey Rush as Leon Trotsky, Alfred Molina (soon to play Dr. Octupus in Spider-man 2) as Rivera, and Ed Norton as Nelson Rockefeller all perform quite compatibly with each other.

The film itself paces along rhythmically throughout and serves in the end both as a twisted love story and a tale of life’s bittersweet torment. It has all of the elements of a passionate art biography, yet remains lighthearted enough to be enjoyed, despite the heavy burden of depicting one of the art world’s most internally pained female forces.

Final Thoughts on MacWorld (I Think)

As mentioned on MacSlash, El Gato software has just announced their first attempt at a media conduit device very similar to the one I had been hoping Apple would announce.

EyeHome allows you to access the digital content you have stored on your Mac – photos, music, video, movies – and enjoy it on your TV and home entertainment system.

Sounds like $250 well spent, if you ask me. Uh oh. There I go being one of those agitators again.

In fairness to what I think was actually a very good keynote, I failed to even mention GarageBand, which I think shows some real promise. It’s likely going to give both musicians and music appreciators alike a lot of incentive to go Mac. Though I’m somewhat put off to point this out, I have a feeling that the new music mixing application will appeal most successfully to the American Idol-watching generation.

Yeah, just what we need.

Huffing Over Howard Dean

Perhaps in reaction to all of the media Dean doubting happening this week, Arriana Huffington of all people has hitched a ride on the anger management express.

I swear, if I hear one more Democratic honcho say that Howard Dean is not electable, I’m going to do something crazy (maybe that’s what happened to Britney in Vegas this weekend).

The contention is nothing short of idiotic.

Consider the source. The folks besmirching the good doctor’s Election Day viability are the very people who have driven the Democratic Party into irrelevance; who spearheaded the party’s resounding 2002 mid-term defeats; and who kinda, sorta, but not really disagreed with President Bush as he led us down the path of preemptive war with Iraq, irresponsible tax cuts and an unprecedented deficit.

Dean is electable precisely because he’s making a decisive break with the spinelessness and pussyfooting that have become the hallmark of the Democratic Party.

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Unelectable My Ass