Back to where this all began...

When I first created my blog, over 2-1/2 years ago, my first post wasn't about politics. Heck, I wasn't even living in Tucson at the time. It was a rant about the lack of originality of movies coming out of Hollywood. I was sick of seeing trailers for remakes of movies and movies based on old tv shows.

Well, everyone must return to his/her roots every once in a while.

I heard this morning that they are going to remake one of the greatest guy flicks of all times: The Dirty Dozen. That just goes too damned far. How in the heck can you remake that classic without completely f-ing it up? You can't! That movie is a timeless classic with a great cast, ok storyline, and great action. It is such a classic that it is even referenced in one of the greatest chick-flicks of all time, Sleepless in Seattle.

The Dirty Dozen has some classic lines that just won't sound the same with someone else saying them:

-Killin' generals could get to be a habit with me.

-Shoot any officers you see in there.
-Who? Ours or theirs?

-Doesn't give me anything. But along with these other results, it gives YOU just about the most twisted, anti-social bunch of psychopathic deformities I have ever run into! And the worst, the most dangerous of the bunch, is Maggott. You've got one religious maniac, one malignant dwarf, two near-idiots... and the rest I don't even wanna think about!
-Well, I can't think of a better way to fight a war.
(from IMDB)

Worse than remaking the Dirty Dozen is word that they are making a movie based on Land of the Lost, a campy Saturday morning tv show from the 1970's. You remember, Marshall, Will and Holly, don't you? Surely you remember the Sleetaks!


Didn't these morons in Hollywood ever read a book? How many great, or even mediocre books have never been made into a movie?? I bet there is a library full of them.

I know that remakes of movies is nothing much when one thinks about 4,000 dead soldiers and countless dead Iraqi civilians, but I feel that the issue is a reflection of a serious problems we face in America: laziness, no originality and a lack of creativity, and/or a fear of trying something new.

Maybe instead of remaking an old movie like the Dirty Dozen, we could learn something from them. Let's take a bunch of thugs and ne'er do wells,, give them guns, and send them to Iraq!
Oh, wait, we already did that. They just call it Blackwater instead....

borrowing an idea from the old USSR..

One federal agency was working to create their own news agency, not unlike TASS. Seems FEMA can't be bothered with calling in reporters for a press conference, so they brought in their own employees to ask questions the other day: FEMA under fire for faking news conference. Softball questions, Pollyanna answers, and stress-free time for all involved.

The White House chastized the effort, but said they don't think there was any "mal-intent"
Really, now???

-Press Conference called with only 15 minute notice
-reporters could listen in via phone, but not ask questions.
-employees asked the questions.

No, no attempt at deception attempted here. All that was missing was a 'great job, brownie'.

I guess having fake reporters is better than jailing real ones. Wonder if Sherrif Joe and his buddy Thomas up in Maricopa will try and follow this example for their pressers in the future...