Happy Father's Day

I Watched X-Files 2: I Want To Believe

[For those who care, there are spoilers here.]

Scully is a physician.

Mulder is in hiding.

FBI brings them back to work with a psychic pedophile priest to solve an abduction.

They figure out that this Russian dude is the bad guy, harvesting body parts for Frankenstein-like experiments in rural West Virginia.

There are no aliens.

6.8 out of 10 stars.

Politicians Overwhelmingly Deserve Their Reputation.

Why is it that so many politicians can't uphold the most basic tenets of honesty, integrity and morality?

The latest example of broken promises is Sen. John Ensign (R), Nevada, who admitted to having an affair with a staffer after being extorted for money.

John Ensign with his clearly repulsive wife.

This is one of the tamer admissions in the past couple of years. Recall John Edwards who repeatedly denied having an affair before being forced to come clean and end his presidential bid. Or Larry Craig, who was prosecuted for soliciting sex in a Minnesota bathroom. Or...well, I could go on for hours.

Now I'm breathtakingly far from perfect, and I'm glad I won't be the one with the gavel on Judgment Day. But is it really that hard to keep a promise? Is it really that hard to keep your hands out of the cookie jar? Is it really that hard to deliver on campaign promises while avoiding trickery or clever wordplay?

What is it about people who run for office that makes them so corruptible? I'm surrounded by people at work and church who display much more integrity. I'd choose any number of them before voting for any of my current elected officials.

I Watched Gran Torino

So Gran Torino was about as interesting as the filthy language throughout.


Clint Eastwood is old and lives in a bad neighborhood.


An Asian gang picks on people.


Particularly this dude and his sister.

So Eastwood gets himself killed by the gang in front of witnesses so they'll be locked up.

And a bunch of stuff about family, culture and regret. Plus, it's in Detroit.

6.6 out of 10 stars.

I Rented The Day the Earth Stood Still

Basically, it goes like this:

Keanu Reeves is an alien visiting Earth to pass judgment (in the form of death) on the human race in order to save the planet.

Jennifer Connelly is a scientist who tries to convince him to give humans another chance. So he does.

Oh, and stuff gets destroyed before he's convinced.

Plus, there are big swirly balls.

Really, there's nothing else worth mentioning.

5.2 out of 10 stars.

Public Healthcare? The Doctors Say NO

President Obama's rhetoric often anchors itself on meaningless rhetoric and twisted half-truths. But now there's one talking point he can't make any more – that most doctors favor government-run healthcare.

According to the New York Times:

the American Medical Association is letting Congress know that it will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan, which President Obama and many other Democrats see as an essential element of legislation to remake the health care system.

Not being a doctor, I'm very unversed in the intricacies of medicine, economics and politics, but the A.M.A.'s position makes logical sense:

“The A.M.A. does not believe that creating a public health insurance option for non-disabled individuals under age 65 is the best way to expand health insurance coverage and lower costs. The introduction of a new public plan threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers, which currently provide coverage for nearly 70 percent of Americans.”If private insurers are pushed out of the market, the group said, “the corresponding surge in public plan participation would likely lead to an explosion of costs that would need to be absorbed by taxpayers.”

It will be interesting to see if Obama's gift of salesmanship can overpower the nation's most powerful and respected voice in medicine. It will be tragic if it can.

Black Clouds and Silver Linings

Welcome redemption

I had almost lost the faith. Dream Theater's previous album, Systematic Chaos was appropriately named; it was a formulaic descent into an uninspired, chaotic (albeit technically masterful) mess.

Black Clouds and Silver Linings is a complete reversal. Welcome back melody, solid structure, moving harmonies and emotion-laced composition to the hard-hitting riffs we know and love.

All the songs on the album are outstanding. My favorites include The Shattered Fortress, which satisfyingly concludes the 12-part recovery saga by touching on elements of the previous journey.

Wither is the most radio-oriented piece on the album, and for me is a highlight. Full of feeling, LaBrie's soaring harmonies offer a welcome break between the heavier pieces on the album.

The true masterpiece of the album is The Count of Tuscany. The epic 19-minute piece combines all the most progressive flavors we've seen from DT, and it stands shoulder to shoulder with their other great epic one-piece, A Change of Seasons.

This is not an album I had to work to get into. It hooked me from the first measure and continues to delight. Consequently, I give it a very solid five stars.