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Ok the big news is the new filibuster deal that was just reached. If you want in-depth analysis, go else where. If you want details, they aren’t here.

Here you will only find my ranting incoherent response to the news:

Ahhhh, crap! Stupid asshead. You sold us out you pricks!

God damn it. I’ve had it. Find another way to make money, because my wallet is closed.

If you can’t accomplish something with a majority then you deserve whatever you get. Unfortuanately, WE don’t deserve it.

To hell with the lot of you.

[Warning - It would probably be best to read this after you saw the movie. But heh, your choice]

Overall, my opinion of the movie was “It was better than the last two”. Which isn’t saying much.

I mean sure it was fun to see how all the pieces fell into places. But really we already knew how it ended, and we knew how it started. The middle was the only mystery. And even in that case if you are a big fan, you already knew how the middle played out.

But I couldn’t help but think that this is really what the first two movies were building towards. Why does it take two whole movies just to build to this. And considering how busy and hectic most of the scenes, I think George Lucas might have done well to have spent two movies on this and condense the first two movies into one.

Alot of this movie was the progression of so many plots and the evolution of the characters. Yet in happens in the span of a couple days (movie time). These leaps of position seem far-fetched as a result.

Probably my biggest complaint is the style of all three movies in general. One of the reasons the original trilogy was so good was he had a story to tell. And so he told it. And he added in special effects and technology as an afterthought.

Ever since the opposite seems to be true. It started with his re-finishing of the original trilogy. Went horrible wrong with Phantom Menace and has gone down hill since. Not it seems like he wants to show off all these fancy special effects he’s discovered and he loosely wraps a plot around them, almost as justification for including them in the film.

There were so many instances of that through this movie.

The saber fights for example. In the original trilogy the saber fights were part of the story. A story was being told as the fight progressed. Vader vs Luke on Death Star II was a great example of that. In Sith, the saber fights were…well, saber fights. No story, no plot advancement. Basically just a chance for Lucas to show off some fancy special effects. Now don’t get me wrong. They are cool, but after 20 minutes it’s the same thing over and over. Yes Yoda’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” spin move is great, but after the 99th leap even it gets old.

R2-D2 is another example. Suddenly he’s been pimped out. This despite that fact that with all his weaponry and his rocket boosters the original movies would have been completely different. Anyone else thing R2 would have had to have been lifted out of the sand of the Dune Sea after battle by the Sarlaac?? So why add in all these features that will need a hell of alot of explaining, unless you have a very good reason to?? But no…it doesn’t advance any plot feature, but it gives Lucas a chance to add all sorts of fancy special effects.

So what was good?? Well Hayden Christiansen does alot better in this one. He definitely does the darker side better. His scenes with Natalie Portman (Padme) still seemed very forced and awkward. I felt like I was watching a middle school dance during a cooties epidemic.

Ewan McGregor has got to be the one character that was consistently good through the whole trilogy and he has done it once again. I thought his performance after his fight with Anakin was especially good.

I did like seeing the progression of some of the weaponry throughout the trilogy and it is more obvious in Sith. We start with essentially rudimentary fighters and capital ships and ground assault transports. You can slowly see the evolution from the clones armor to the proto Star Destroyers to the early versions of the AT-AT and AT-ST.

And of course it was nice to finally have the details filled in of how Anakin became Darth Vader. Although it was a bit like watching Titanic to see how many wine glasses got spilt when the iceberg hit.

If you are a fan of the Star Wars saga, Sith is almost a required viewing. If you aren’t, eh, don’t bother. And it’s probably not worth seeing more than once. I’ll probably buy the DVD…but more to complete the collection than anything else.

The dreaded day has come to pass. Awhile back I apparently volunteered to be interviewed by The Nightwriter as part of the Interview Me meme. Time passed and I had hoped he would forget. Alas, I think after I gave him much grief about his daughter, his desire to make my life a living hell reminded him he still was suppose to torture interview me. And he has finally come up with some questions, which I will answer here. And if anyone out there is interested in being interviewed by me indicate so in the comments.

1. You have been referred to by some as “Young Jedi.” Are you really like Luke Skywalker, or are you more Han Solo or … Boba Fett?

Wow…what a tough question…I blame Cathy. I’d say you could see Luke Skywalker in me. I’m stubborn and impatient. I always like to believe I’m part of something bigger than myself. Although I admit that I’ve never wanted to go into the Toshe station to pick up power converters. At the same time I think you could also find some Han Solo in me.

2. What is the first book you read that affected the way you look at the world, and how? What type of books do you seek out now for your own entertainment or self-directed education?

I would have to say the Bible. I was raised Catholic but I started having major doubts when I was younger. I read the Bible in an effort to find justification for continuing in the church. In the end I was disappointed and did not find what I was looking for and the search continues to this day. To those who would try to bring me “back into the fold”, I would like to point out that I tried and unlike most Catholics I know, I have actually read the book that is the basis for your beliefs.

Another book with a big impact was Mein Kampf by Hitler. I read it on a whim and to better try to understand the man. I came to think that his original intentions may have been pure but when taken to there logical conclusion, become horribly evil. I took away from that book the importance of understanding someone’s motives. And also to closer to examine your own motives and whether you have strayed from your own path in life.

Currently I tend to like non-fictional history books. Especially military history. Especially regarding submarine warfare and the beginnings and evolution of carrier warfare. Obviously WWII is a big part of that. Otherwise I’m a big Clancy fan.

3. How long have you been blogging and what were your objectives when you started? Have your reasons for blogging changed since you began? What has been the most surprising thing to you about blogging?

The original site went online on January 28th, 2002. Which was really before blogging was a thing. Moveable Type and Blogger and the others weren’t around. So it was just me and my domain. I’m not sure I really had objectives at the time. Mostly I think it was an outlet for my frustrations. I like to bitch rant. It’s amusing. I tried standing on a soapbox outside my local gas station but the audience if fairly limited…plus certain legal proceedings said I had to stay 200 feet from the station. And I was fresh out of college…a liberal one. I had written letters to the paper before and they never got published. Now I publish them myself. Even if nobody reads them, they are out there.

I guess my reasons have changed quite a bit. I no longer do it just for myself….for better or worse. I have regular readers, which is both a curse and blessing. And alot of times I find myself trying to find topics which I know my readers will enjoy. Plus there are so many bloggers out there now…and so many of them are better writers, so there is the pressure to do more than a selfish half-assed rambling rant. The most surprising thing is the people I “meet”. Widely differing views yet all conversing more or less in a very civil manner. And considering that most of these people have only met over the Internet, they are alot less nerdy than I expected.

4. If you could have been an actor in any movie you’ve seen, what movie would it be and what character would you have played?

I’m assuming we’re discounting porn movies?? Eric Draven from The Crow. It’s such a dark movie, but he was given the power to set the wrong things right with impunity. It would be so easy if life were that simple and things were that cut and dry. And there were no questions. No grey areas. No woulda, coulda, shoulda. He has his mission, he knows without doubt the righteousness of it. To know one’s path with such certainty would be very appealing.

5. Describe the best day of your life so far.

Well my life is alot shorter than yours so this is a bit unfair. I don’t have as many days to choose from!! Besides, I’m not sure I can describe a “day”. I can’t really think of an entire day that stands out in my mind. My memory tends to be more fragmented. So I do have alot of moments that for whatever frequently explicable reason, became fond memories.

Opening deer hunting one year. Sitting at the edge of a grove overlooking a grassy field. It’s chilly. Two field mice are playing tag on my boot (I’m being quiet and still). Watching the sun come up and the world come to life. For that one moment, the world was perfect.

The phone call with my doctor a little over a year ago confirming that test results came back negative, so no cancer for me.

Sitting in my dorm room trying to study, while 4 of my college buddies are screaming on the couch behind me playing Bond : Goldeneye.

Standing outside in a snowstorm and turning around just in time to see the dumpster my friend pushed disappear down the stairss outside my apartment.

Overhearing my dad telling some of his friends how proud he is of me.

Pheasant hunting on the plains of North Dakota (read: middle of absolutely nowhere) during a big snowstorm. We stopped for awhile (reason unknown). Me and a buddy decided to seek shelter in a rocky outcropping nearby. I remember huddling down between two boulders and then looked over at my buddy and we both starting laughing hysterically at ourselves.

Ok hopefully that satisfies my interviewer. That wasn’t so painful. Actually it was sort of fun. So if you wish to continue the meme and be interviewed by me, leave a comment below and I’ll procrastinate write up some questions.

What military aircraft are you? F-15 Eagle You are an F-15. Your record in combat is spotless; you've never been defeated. You possess good looks, but are not flashy about it. You prefer to let your reputation do the talking. You are fast, agile, and loud, but reaching the end of your stardom.

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

[Hat Tip : Bogus Gold]

Sitting here at Granite City in St. Cloud waiting for the waitress to bring me a new beer. Attending the latest official MOB event “hosted” by King Banian

A very large crowd here. Far larger then I expect. And fortuanately it’s almost void of all Northern Alliance Members. We do have the King here as our gracious host…and also Mitch Berg, although he’s our unofficial expert on the concealed carry laws so he’s more than welcome.

So far I’ve managed to stay out of trouble. Jo tried to get me in trouble with Cathy, fortuanately Cathy was too busy live-blogging on King’s website to really absorb it. If she ever hears the real story, I’m not going to regain my head jester status.

Night Writer has the whole family here. I’m strictly forbidden to talk with his daughters. Such a shame.

Mitch Berg….he was blogging awhile ago. And he is the most intense blogger I’ve ever seen. He was blogging for about 30 minutes and didn’t blink once. That and the homicidal look in his eye combined to be something belonging in Apocolypse Now.

Cathy has decided to show her liberal side by fighting for the stadium. All because her business would profit. What a pro-business capitalist bastard.

Marcus is whining about smoke. Over and over and over. Holy cripes. You’d think he breathed monoxide. But they have smoke here in St. Cloud, so his eyes have glossed over and he’s curled up in the corner now. Much better

Ok, King is whining about his laptops battery. So I should sign off. Any MOB members not here are missing a great event. Plus my beer just arrived.

So long…don’t do anything I wouldn’t do….which includes nothing.

UPDATE: Cathy just hit me. Hard. I may be bleeding. To come next Live Bloggin from the hospital.

Blogging will be light (read: non-existant) over the weekend. Got a busy schedule this weekend and will be essentially living out of my vehicle until Sunday night.

Fortuanately I get to spend most of it at the range breaking in and sighting in my new Savage .223 rifle with my new Leopold scope, on top of my new shooting bench. And I get to keep shooting various types of ammo until I find a brand that my rifle likes in particular.

Of course, I’ll also fit in the First Official Out-State MOB Gathering at Granite City in St. Cloud. An official thanks to Cathy for letting me dump all my shooting gear at her place during that time.

And somewhere during this weekend, I’ll be seeing the new Star Wars.

I’m sure you’ll hear about it all more when I return.

Oh dear, nothing like that dreaded word outsourcing right?? Well here’s the scoop:

In one such instance, U.S. Marines at 2 a.m. were at the front of a building that contained a “person of interest,” Cash said. In the back was a “maze of alleys,” so a UAV was dispatched to loiter over the rear, he said. As Marines approached the front of the building, they were alerted that the person was in the building and a Marine sergeant gave the order to “eliminate the target.” A laser was shot from the UAV identifying the target, an F-16 flying overhead launched a missile, and “the target was neutralized,” Cash said. “The UAV was being piloted at Nellis AFB, 7,000 miles away, real time. That is extraordinary,” he said.

That’s right, they probably could have used a local soldier, but no, they outsourced this precious job to someone on the other side of the world. Outsourcing.

Now is that cool or what?

If this is true, I’m fairly certain all Catholics will take the oppurtunity to riot.

And really no worries…we can just blame the Powerball.

Here is just one reason we so frequently have cost over-runs on government programs

LAWMAKERS AGREE TO RESTRICT FUNDING FOR PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTER FLEET: A House committee on Wednesday placed a small roadblock in front of the Navy’s plans to have Lockheed Martin build the next fleet of presidential helicopters. The HASC added a provision to a defense bill that would make the Navy’s top official go to Congress before spending money to build early versions of the aircraft. Connecticut lawmakers and others on the committee had pushed for the change, which would require the SECNAV to certify that the helicopters can be made without significant design changes. Lawmakers said they are concerned that there have been discussions about needed changes in the helicopter’s design since the contract was awarded. The 2006 budget request now being considered includes $935.9M for the Marine One development program. Also, in a letter to the committee leaders, Rep. Rosa DeLauro asked for a reduction in research funding for the coming FY, because some of the production facilities may not be completed until next April. She also asked the panel to include a provision adopted by the Senate that would not allow any European company to do business on the presidential fleet if they are doing business, or plan to do business in the next five years, with a country that supports terrorism. (Associated Press)

So DeLauro�s state�s company didn�t get the contract, so what does she do?? She retaliates legislatively against the winner. She starts to throw on the red tape. She�ll block every proposal, stir up every debate, and point out every little nitty gritty fault from here on out. All with the goal in mind of making the winner look bad.

Then when the next big contract comes around, not only will the previous winner be covered in mud, but she can point at how that company has all these problems performing on the previous task. The company from her home state is obviously the better of the two companys.

And this road goes two ways. Politicians pretending to care but really just out for retribution, so they can say they are doing good for their constituents so she can suck up for more campaign funds. In reality, they are costing them money in wasted taxes as the contractor attempts to navigate around the silly red tape they�ve had thrown at their feet.

Of course, Hillary is fighting it…since the Lockheed team is from her state. But I think we’re all intelligent enough to recognize that she’s fighting it for purely selfish reasons. But Rosa DeLauro is pushing it for the same reasons. But it’s all yet another reason for the big cost overruns in many government projects.

Is this is the same government you want responsible for your health care?

Capt Ed has been discussing the Not One Dime movement. The MAWB Squad is offended by the snub from Minnesota’s Republican Governor and is refusing further donations.

Hell, I’ve been conducting my own “Not One Fucking Penny You Pansy Waisted Assholes” campaign for awhile. It started about mid-November, once I knew the election was secure.

I’ve received many a plea for funds since then. But I’ve steadfastly refused.

Why??

Illegal Immigration. In fact, I may go so far as to make this my own personal litmus test. You gonna protect our borders??? No?? Fine, no greenbacks for you.

You think the Minutemen are vigilantes? Fine. Saves me the work of writing out a check.

It was Reagan himself that said �A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation� and I completely agree with it. If we can�t even keep people from tramping across our border and blatantly defying our laws, what are we?

Our current president apparently has no problem with illegal immigrants and their mass invasion of our country. He apparently is unwilling to heed the calls of our citizens along the Mexican border. Fine, I�m also unwilling to heed the call for donations.

I got plenty of other things to spend my money on. You get money when you please me. Right now you are not doing that. So try again when you grow a backbone and decide to stop running for the President of Mexico.