Terrorists, bombs and spies Oh my…



Well somehow in between the hectic schedule of work and running around like a… something that runs around a lot, was able to watch a couple of spy action movies. Now I’m sure you’ve all heard of the first one “Quantum of Solace” the latest in the Bond series known for nifty gadgets and witty dialogue… though there wasn’t too much of that in the new movie, meh, whatever.
Quantum delivered what I suppose the movie going audience expects these days, lots of action one liners and explosions. To be honest, I did enjoy the film as a regular action movie but for me Bond represented a sophisticated spy, a well-blended mix of brain and brawn. The franchise owners must have taken a look at Bourne and thought they needed to spice up the action a bit, so that is pretty much all this new Bond does throughout the film, shoot at things and kill people, no subtle manoeuvring that is really the essence of being a spy, which means he’s just a Rambo type mercenary that wears a suit. Still for all it is a good movie and I think it is interesting how they are building the evil organization in the background. However I saw another movie that make me think the Bond franchise needs a rework or should really be put to rest.

The other movie is “Traitor”, a somewhat more realistic movie that explores the world of terrorism and the Islamic faith. This was not a movie I looked for or indeed wanted to watch, but was instantly drawn into the feel of the film as it started playing. ‘Traitor’ showed the more unglamorous side of spy work, where moral ground becomes tricky and the strength of character (not skill with weapons) needed to carry through a mission.
Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Crash) gives a believable performance of a man devout in his Islamic faith. The movie challenges some perceptions but in a subtle way, considering the events leading up to the US election (especially in the McCain rallies) this movie is probably something most Americans would benefit from watching – though I doubt that would happen. This movie doesn’t seem to have gotten a lot of mainstream coverage as compared to the aforementioned Quantum of Solace. To illustrate this point, the wikipedia pages on these two films is a bit different, “Traitor” has one screen of information while “Quantum” has about five times that.

All said and done both movies were entertaining in their own way but, at least with “Traitor” one can feel like they are not just wasting time watching mindless entertainment, by no means is watching a movie equivalent to understanding – but if it can get a couple of people to challenge their preconceived perceptions that it’s value is far greater than “Quantum of Solace” even if it doesn’t bring in the big box office cash.

While I am happy...





By now I believe everyone in the world has heard the news, the junior Senator from Illinois Barack Obama has become the President-elect of the United States of America. To say that this is an historic event is a bit of an understatement, if not already a cliche. As I see the amount of joy and excitement created around the world by Obama coming to power... I can't seem to shake a few doubts that seem to surface whenever I want to join in on the festivity.

Don't misunderstand, I'm still happy that Obama won... it just seems that people may be placing a bit of an unrealistic expectation on this man to change a system that is ingrained in policy and economics. One also has to question how he gained the funds for his campaign, to have an impressive record breaking bankroll is quite a feat, yet I can't help but wonder who he would be indebted to. The more I ponder the subject in general the more I realize that aside from the color of his skin, Obama really is like most other politicians.

There is a message of hope and change that was used to bolster his campaign, but in all honesty if you take a look at the policies and stances on issues there really isn't anything different that what another candidate might bring. So I have to go further and ask myself, if Obama ran the same platform with the same message of change and hope but was white... would he win? Actually in all probability I think so, at least to me Obama doesn't represent the first black candidate but just a more intelligent and savvy leader especially in comparison to the previous one, the message he brought was what people needed. In a way Bush paved the way for Obama's election to the Presidency, would an America in an economic boom happy with the status quo also elect Obama... a point to ponder.

Still I can't shake this feeling that something isn't quite right, perhaps it's the blind devotion that his supporters seem to have. I've always had issues with people giving support for superficial reasons without looking into the root causes of problems or even trying to learn different aspects of an issue. As well seriously, as much as the American people might complain about how they suffered under the reign of Bush for 8 years... they were the ones that voted the guy in.

Perhaps I also have this fear that one day we'll all wake up to find that Obama was actually some 'Manchurian' candidate that was groomed by corporations to mesmerize people into blindly step in line and repeat more of the same policies keeping the rich richer and the middle class in debt.

Meh, what do I know anyway, so congratulations to Obama and the United States of America, I truly wish the best for the newest President. How much change he can bring is something only time will tell, and even for all my cynicism - I am hopeful.

Thoughts of Guinea pigs…

For an odd reason the funny furry creatures known as Guinea pigs has been on my mind quite a bit lately, I seem to take some comfort in pondering the existence of the odd little mammals. To those who have not had the good fortune to have one as a pet they are probably the most useless animal in creation. They are about the size of a grapefruit, loot a bit like a rodent though with a more vacant expression. There are several different types that come in a variety of colours, I’m not going to take the time to describe them all so an excerpt from the dictionary will have to suffice, Guinea pig: a big fat harmless rat.
Quite appropriate I think, having had three Guinea pigs as pets it is without any reservation that I can remark; they are perhaps the dumbest mammals in existence (four legged ones at least).
However, all said and done I find them to be quite fascinating and there is indeed something comforting about the creatures. Aside from the obvious aesthetic features of being incredibly cute, and that they purr when petted (not quite like a cat but similar), they seem to have some quality that it quite endearing.
Perhaps it is because even though they are basically a food source for natural predators lacking any defences or special abilities except for running… err…waddling away, they retain an innate sense of curiosity. It is amusing to watch them investigate new environments, waddling, bleeping and nibbling around everything in their path.
In a way I admire the little things, which some may find odd... actually to relate a funny story; I had decided to take lessons in Kung-Fu and after the first month they had a group interview to determine if I was mature enough to learn more techniques. One of the questions asked was;

“What is your favourite animal?”

I replied, “Guinea pig.”

There was a moment of silence and the sensei said, “Pick another animal.”

Looking back (with humour) I regret not taking the opportunity to explain my choice. Guinea pigs are creatures that neither have the intelligence nor abilities to do anything other than fearfully run from anything bigger than they, yet are not paralysed by fear. They always retain that inquisitiveness that may cause them to be the midday meal of another animal, but could also lead to the discovery of something new and interesting.
I guess, it is a kind of fearlessness that I admire in them… though it might be the stupidity… oh well, either way they at least look cute. (I’m so tempted to add analogies to the last statement, but I’ve been trying to behave myself lately).