Reynolds
He's a little tough on the immigration issue, but he's right, isn't he, to make benefits, we should also receive some....shit, I'd love to be able to drive through Eastern Mexico without fear that I'll be jacked or hustled.
Monday, April 10, 2006
You'd Have To Be Pretty Cynical
To not support this picture.
I wrote last week about how odd it was that the protesters were waving Mexican flags, especially if the message is: we want to be American citizens. I guess they read my blog, because now they are only waving American flags.
Given how many people are using America as a rallying point of hatred, it is refreshing to see people yearning to be good citizens of this country. These are our friends.
These are our enemies.
To not support this picture.
I wrote last week about how odd it was that the protesters were waving Mexican flags, especially if the message is: we want to be American citizens. I guess they read my blog, because now they are only waving American flags.
Given how many people are using America as a rallying point of hatred, it is refreshing to see people yearning to be good citizens of this country. These are our friends.
These are our enemies.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
This Isn't Really News, Is It
The London Times is reporting that the White House is developing plans on how to bomb Iran. No, duh. That's their job, isn't it?
Bombing Iran will certainly provoke a response. If I were Iran, I'd send hundreds of Hezbollah suicide bombers to America to wreck havoc in response. Of course, if they did that, we would opening declare war on both Iran and Hezbollah, remove the mullah regime and try to eliminate the Lebanese organization. That would be nasty, but at least our enemies would be out in the open.
Am I the only one a litle confused about why Iran is supplying the insurgency in Iraq weapons? The insurgency is lead by a variety of Sunni groups who want to oppress the Shiite majority. The Iranians are Shiite. Are they supplying weapons to the Sunni to keep their fellow Shiite oppressed? Or are they estimating that the more chaos in Iraq, the less likely the US will be able to influence the region, and they intend to fill the vaccum? It's a little confusing to me. Or, are the Iranians supporting the Shiite militia death squads going around killing the Sunnis? It's all rather confusing. I'm not sure anyone in the Middle East really knows what they want...other than power.
On another note, Al Queda is a growing presense in Palestine. One reason is to begin attacking Israel in the next few years, as outlined in the Al Queda ten year plan. The second reason is that IF Hamas moderates (ie recognizes Israel), Al Queda plans to recruit disgruntled jihadis from Hamas to their organization.
The London Times is reporting that the White House is developing plans on how to bomb Iran. No, duh. That's their job, isn't it?
Bombing Iran will certainly provoke a response. If I were Iran, I'd send hundreds of Hezbollah suicide bombers to America to wreck havoc in response. Of course, if they did that, we would opening declare war on both Iran and Hezbollah, remove the mullah regime and try to eliminate the Lebanese organization. That would be nasty, but at least our enemies would be out in the open.
Am I the only one a litle confused about why Iran is supplying the insurgency in Iraq weapons? The insurgency is lead by a variety of Sunni groups who want to oppress the Shiite majority. The Iranians are Shiite. Are they supplying weapons to the Sunni to keep their fellow Shiite oppressed? Or are they estimating that the more chaos in Iraq, the less likely the US will be able to influence the region, and they intend to fill the vaccum? It's a little confusing to me. Or, are the Iranians supporting the Shiite militia death squads going around killing the Sunnis? It's all rather confusing. I'm not sure anyone in the Middle East really knows what they want...other than power.
On another note, Al Queda is a growing presense in Palestine. One reason is to begin attacking Israel in the next few years, as outlined in the Al Queda ten year plan. The second reason is that IF Hamas moderates (ie recognizes Israel), Al Queda plans to recruit disgruntled jihadis from Hamas to their organization.
Inside Man
Fun movie. I particularly liked Denzel playing a sleezier version of his normal self. I found the caper plot a little bit of a letdown, but the movie was still enjoyable. Quite a bit of irreverent humor, my favorite exchange between Denzel and Clive in their first meeting, Denzel complains about not having enough money to get married.
"Money shouldn't matter if you love one another."
"Oh, well, thank you Mr. Bank Robber for the advice."
Fun movie. I particularly liked Denzel playing a sleezier version of his normal self. I found the caper plot a little bit of a letdown, but the movie was still enjoyable. Quite a bit of irreverent humor, my favorite exchange between Denzel and Clive in their first meeting, Denzel complains about not having enough money to get married.
"Money shouldn't matter if you love one another."
"Oh, well, thank you Mr. Bank Robber for the advice."
V for Victory
Soccer victory over the first place team today, 5-2. We had ringers, but our team has been steadily getting better the past four games, anyway. We are now at .500 and looking to get in the playoffs. The other teams likely will fear us now...not always a good thing...because we've lost the element of surprise that benefitted us today.
Soccer victory over the first place team today, 5-2. We had ringers, but our team has been steadily getting better the past four games, anyway. We are now at .500 and looking to get in the playoffs. The other teams likely will fear us now...not always a good thing...because we've lost the element of surprise that benefitted us today.
Olvera St.
I finally checked out Olvera St this weekend after meaning to for the last two years. It was pretty much a tourist trap. Hispanic nick knacks and overpriced Mexican food. The most interesting aspect was the super long line of people waiting for these organizers to help them apply to become citizens. Tons of people.
I finally checked out Olvera St this weekend after meaning to for the last two years. It was pretty much a tourist trap. Hispanic nick knacks and overpriced Mexican food. The most interesting aspect was the super long line of people waiting for these organizers to help them apply to become citizens. Tons of people.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Bouncing Back
The A's were clobbered opening night, 15-2, but bounced back nicely to win the series against those bastard Yankees. F--- yeah.
The A's were clobbered opening night, 15-2, but bounced back nicely to win the series against those bastard Yankees. F--- yeah.
Someone Disagrees With Me, And They Might be Right
I wrote last week about immigration and how no one thinks illegal immigrants actually have the Right to immigrate. But this TCS article disagrees. In fact, it is the subject of the article, that people ought to have the right to immigrate to other countries to improve their own lives, and by doing so, tacitly consent to following the laws of the new country. Law-abiding immigrants therefore have the right to be Americans. This right, therefore, trumps the potential economic harms (or benefits) to the US.
Hey - why not?
I wrote last week about immigration and how no one thinks illegal immigrants actually have the Right to immigrate. But this TCS article disagrees. In fact, it is the subject of the article, that people ought to have the right to immigrate to other countries to improve their own lives, and by doing so, tacitly consent to following the laws of the new country. Law-abiding immigrants therefore have the right to be Americans. This right, therefore, trumps the potential economic harms (or benefits) to the US.
Hey - why not?
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Types of Gamers
In designing a game, you need to create game play that appeals to different types of players. Research on types suggest there are four:
1. Achievers: People who want to be "the best."
2. Explorers: People who take pride in knowing everything about the system.
3. Socializers: Interested in participating, making contact with other players.
4. Killers: Interested in dominating, will break rules, and use brute force.
I actually don't think players necessarily conform to a single one of these characteristics. For instance, in our poker group, I think I generally am an Explorer, but that sometimes I turn into a killer. Wooohhaaahhaaah. I guess sometimes I am also an Achiever and sometimes a Socializer...
Melissa is a clear Socializer. The Wolf plays like a Killer. Phil is an Achiever. Chuck is socializer/achiever. Luke and Andy, I'm not sure about...
In designing a game, you need to create game play that appeals to different types of players. Research on types suggest there are four:
1. Achievers: People who want to be "the best."
2. Explorers: People who take pride in knowing everything about the system.
3. Socializers: Interested in participating, making contact with other players.
4. Killers: Interested in dominating, will break rules, and use brute force.
I actually don't think players necessarily conform to a single one of these characteristics. For instance, in our poker group, I think I generally am an Explorer, but that sometimes I turn into a killer. Wooohhaaahhaaah. I guess sometimes I am also an Achiever and sometimes a Socializer...
Melissa is a clear Socializer. The Wolf plays like a Killer. Phil is an Achiever. Chuck is socializer/achiever. Luke and Andy, I'm not sure about...
The Plan
First note: Nate need not be self conscience about our online goodwill. I like debate. I just haven't always responded to his critiques, for lack of time and energy. The fact is, believe it or not, things other than blogging about Iraq interest me, and sometimes I decide to spend time doing those things.
Anyhow, the Drum post is good, but nothing that hasn't been raised before. The left (if we need these distinctions for terms of debate) is always critizing the right (in this case, my position on winning the Iraq war), for not having a plan to win the war. But a question worth asking is upon who is it incumbant to define a plan? I could argue that not invading Iraq was just as bad a plan as invading, that the "low level" Civil War and high Iraqi casuality rate are happening right now was an inevitablity in Iraq at some point down the line.
There is still a presumption by the left that if we had ignored Iraq, left the failed sanctions and Saddam's terror state in place, that somehow we would be LESS responsible for the atrocities that were bound to happen. I'm not sure that is morally defensible. At best, it is practically defensible, because atrocities in Iraq could not then be blamed upon us (although Islamacists had already been blaming the UN/US on starving Iraqi children with the sanctions, although this was not a widely supported or popular view with most of the world).
So, while the war in Iraq is only part of the larger war on Islamic Fascism, I'll try to say as little about the larger war as possible and focus on the Iraq issue. But as basic conceit, that we are all probably willing to make, is a democratic Iraq would be preferable to a Saddam ruled Iraq, both from a moral and strategic point of view. The strategic, perhaps even more valuable than the moral, because the theory is that one example will lead to the "domino" effect across the rest of region, liberalizing country after country - hopefully, Iran, Syria, Palestine, and eventually Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, I believe the only way to eliminate the Islamicist threat to provide an alternative form of government from corrupt autocrats and a fascist, fantasy, Islamicist state (which is the only current alternative in the region because the one institution even the autocrats couldn't eliminate was the mosque - hence all the fasicsts use it as cover.)
All right...enough...the plan:
FOR the US:
1. Kill Zarqawi. Killing the A-list terrorists, I think, is fundamental to demoralizing the organizations. So, get Zarqawi, OBL, and Zawahri. Obviously, we've done a shitty job of this so far...so I say, get creative, listen to plans, hire Leon the Professional, pay the money, I don't give a shit. Make a truce with the lower level guys, something, anything. I don't think it should be as hard as it's been. The guy is running around war zone, for Chrissake.
2. Bring other countries on board. I think we need to renew our efforts to make Iraq a multinational effort. This is one of the reasons I voted for Kerry, that I thought we'd be in a position to make a "peace" offering to France and Germany and get others on board. We need, if nothing else, the illusion of cooperation. What's done is done, there's no use in crying over spilt milk. This should be the second most important issue to the State Department. The first - no Iranian nukes.
3. If the generals think we need more troops, let's get 'em. If this means a draft, so be it. If it means paying soldiers, more so be it.
4. Create a multinational police force. I think it's obvious our enemies recognize a weakness in our military capabilities - battling insurgents/criminal gangs in highly populated areas. Our army is not trained as police. We cannot train native police forces fast enough. We need to develop a multinational police force, skilled in the post-war militia and insurgent type battles we've seen in Mogadishu, Bagdad, etc. This organization could be part of the army or the FBI, or even the UN, but it needs to be trained to deal with a specific type of fighting that our regular army is not equiped to do. The force should be multilingual, un-uniformed, be able to assimilate into countries/areas, work with and support native police, train native police forces, etc. In short, we've seen trends of the ways our enemies are choosing to fight us, and we need to adjust...it's like when defensive coordinators starting using the 3-4 defense and were dominating offenses, the West Coast offense developed, short passing game, to react to the development. Same thing here. We will use this force to combat genocides in the future.
FOR IRAQ:
Our goal in Iraq is to develop a community. In my game class, we talked about online community development, but these are ideas that apply to any sort of real or virtual community. There are 9 elements of community development. Iraq, under Saddam for 30 years, had many of these elements demolished. We need to help them rebuild it.
1. Purpose: Iraq needs a simple, stated purpose that everyone can buy into. Iraq, I don't think we should have any bones about it, should strive to be a model for a peaceable, multi-ethnic, democratic state that will shatter the myth that Muslims/Arabs are not suited for modern democracy.
2. Flexible Places: There need to be FLEXIBLE places for people to congregate. The mosque, community centers, coffee shops, cinemas, I don't know the details of Iraqi social life, but there need to be MANY of these options and they need to reflect how Iraqis like to gather.
3. Member Profiles: People need the opportunity to grow, be creative, have reputations, etc.
4. Roles: Vistor, citizen, leaders, regulars, etc.
5. Levels of Leadership: leaders of groups, mosques, mayors, businessmen, etc.
6. Etiquette: rules of behavior considered right and wrong. Suicide bombing would be considered bad etiquette.
7. Cyclic Events: oscars, superbowl, etc, iraqi style
8. Integrate Rituals: marriage, graduations, quinceanera
9. Member run Sub-groups: probably ethnic groups, but hopefully cinema clubs, etc.
Anyhow, those are some of my initial ideas.
First note: Nate need not be self conscience about our online goodwill. I like debate. I just haven't always responded to his critiques, for lack of time and energy. The fact is, believe it or not, things other than blogging about Iraq interest me, and sometimes I decide to spend time doing those things.
Anyhow, the Drum post is good, but nothing that hasn't been raised before. The left (if we need these distinctions for terms of debate) is always critizing the right (in this case, my position on winning the Iraq war), for not having a plan to win the war. But a question worth asking is upon who is it incumbant to define a plan? I could argue that not invading Iraq was just as bad a plan as invading, that the "low level" Civil War and high Iraqi casuality rate are happening right now was an inevitablity in Iraq at some point down the line.
There is still a presumption by the left that if we had ignored Iraq, left the failed sanctions and Saddam's terror state in place, that somehow we would be LESS responsible for the atrocities that were bound to happen. I'm not sure that is morally defensible. At best, it is practically defensible, because atrocities in Iraq could not then be blamed upon us (although Islamacists had already been blaming the UN/US on starving Iraqi children with the sanctions, although this was not a widely supported or popular view with most of the world).
So, while the war in Iraq is only part of the larger war on Islamic Fascism, I'll try to say as little about the larger war as possible and focus on the Iraq issue. But as basic conceit, that we are all probably willing to make, is a democratic Iraq would be preferable to a Saddam ruled Iraq, both from a moral and strategic point of view. The strategic, perhaps even more valuable than the moral, because the theory is that one example will lead to the "domino" effect across the rest of region, liberalizing country after country - hopefully, Iran, Syria, Palestine, and eventually Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, I believe the only way to eliminate the Islamicist threat to provide an alternative form of government from corrupt autocrats and a fascist, fantasy, Islamicist state (which is the only current alternative in the region because the one institution even the autocrats couldn't eliminate was the mosque - hence all the fasicsts use it as cover.)
All right...enough...the plan:
FOR the US:
1. Kill Zarqawi. Killing the A-list terrorists, I think, is fundamental to demoralizing the organizations. So, get Zarqawi, OBL, and Zawahri. Obviously, we've done a shitty job of this so far...so I say, get creative, listen to plans, hire Leon the Professional, pay the money, I don't give a shit. Make a truce with the lower level guys, something, anything. I don't think it should be as hard as it's been. The guy is running around war zone, for Chrissake.
2. Bring other countries on board. I think we need to renew our efforts to make Iraq a multinational effort. This is one of the reasons I voted for Kerry, that I thought we'd be in a position to make a "peace" offering to France and Germany and get others on board. We need, if nothing else, the illusion of cooperation. What's done is done, there's no use in crying over spilt milk. This should be the second most important issue to the State Department. The first - no Iranian nukes.
3. If the generals think we need more troops, let's get 'em. If this means a draft, so be it. If it means paying soldiers, more so be it.
4. Create a multinational police force. I think it's obvious our enemies recognize a weakness in our military capabilities - battling insurgents/criminal gangs in highly populated areas. Our army is not trained as police. We cannot train native police forces fast enough. We need to develop a multinational police force, skilled in the post-war militia and insurgent type battles we've seen in Mogadishu, Bagdad, etc. This organization could be part of the army or the FBI, or even the UN, but it needs to be trained to deal with a specific type of fighting that our regular army is not equiped to do. The force should be multilingual, un-uniformed, be able to assimilate into countries/areas, work with and support native police, train native police forces, etc. In short, we've seen trends of the ways our enemies are choosing to fight us, and we need to adjust...it's like when defensive coordinators starting using the 3-4 defense and were dominating offenses, the West Coast offense developed, short passing game, to react to the development. Same thing here. We will use this force to combat genocides in the future.
FOR IRAQ:
Our goal in Iraq is to develop a community. In my game class, we talked about online community development, but these are ideas that apply to any sort of real or virtual community. There are 9 elements of community development. Iraq, under Saddam for 30 years, had many of these elements demolished. We need to help them rebuild it.
1. Purpose: Iraq needs a simple, stated purpose that everyone can buy into. Iraq, I don't think we should have any bones about it, should strive to be a model for a peaceable, multi-ethnic, democratic state that will shatter the myth that Muslims/Arabs are not suited for modern democracy.
2. Flexible Places: There need to be FLEXIBLE places for people to congregate. The mosque, community centers, coffee shops, cinemas, I don't know the details of Iraqi social life, but there need to be MANY of these options and they need to reflect how Iraqis like to gather.
3. Member Profiles: People need the opportunity to grow, be creative, have reputations, etc.
4. Roles: Vistor, citizen, leaders, regulars, etc.
5. Levels of Leadership: leaders of groups, mosques, mayors, businessmen, etc.
6. Etiquette: rules of behavior considered right and wrong. Suicide bombing would be considered bad etiquette.
7. Cyclic Events: oscars, superbowl, etc, iraqi style
8. Integrate Rituals: marriage, graduations, quinceanera
9. Member run Sub-groups: probably ethnic groups, but hopefully cinema clubs, etc.
Anyhow, those are some of my initial ideas.
Places to Try
Michelangelo Pizzeria
Javan Restaurant. Iranian.
Echo Park Walking Tour.
Festival of Fun Trailers.
Labyrinth Project at Occidental.
The Academy of Motion Pictures, etc.
Michelangelo Pizzeria
Javan Restaurant. Iranian.
Echo Park Walking Tour.
Festival of Fun Trailers.
Labyrinth Project at Occidental.
The Academy of Motion Pictures, etc.
That Sounds Like Something I Would Do
NBC is looking for Muslims to go to Nascar events, etc, to see if anything racist happens against them. Hmmmm.
I wanted to go ask Muslim groups questions about terrorism, Hamas, etc, and I get questioned by my teacher about ethics...but NBC can do this?
As my friend says, "there's no ethics in filmmaking."
NBC is looking for Muslims to go to Nascar events, etc, to see if anything racist happens against them. Hmmmm.
I wanted to go ask Muslim groups questions about terrorism, Hamas, etc, and I get questioned by my teacher about ethics...but NBC can do this?
As my friend says, "there's no ethics in filmmaking."
CENSORED
Kinda. I should have known...writing about the FUN (which is my code word for LAFF movies). The rule that keeps proving itself, is that when writing about a subject on a blog, people WILL find it. I wrote some comments on short films, thinking, stupidly, that no one who would be hurt, would find it, but of course, they did.
It is absurd that I should think I have a RIGHT to publish this stuff. Obviously, film festival expects confidentiality from it's screeners. I won't act like a victim of censorship, there needs to be systems in place that ensure discussion and opinions can be voiced in private. But alas, I'm a blogger, and so when I have thoughts, I blog.
Anyhow, as a filmmaker, I'd appreciate the candid feedback. I get so sick of phony praise or self-censored remarks. But alas, many don't want to hear what, as Eminem says, "What people say in their own living rooms."
Kinda. I should have known...writing about the FUN (which is my code word for LAFF movies). The rule that keeps proving itself, is that when writing about a subject on a blog, people WILL find it. I wrote some comments on short films, thinking, stupidly, that no one who would be hurt, would find it, but of course, they did.
It is absurd that I should think I have a RIGHT to publish this stuff. Obviously, film festival expects confidentiality from it's screeners. I won't act like a victim of censorship, there needs to be systems in place that ensure discussion and opinions can be voiced in private. But alas, I'm a blogger, and so when I have thoughts, I blog.
Anyhow, as a filmmaker, I'd appreciate the candid feedback. I get so sick of phony praise or self-censored remarks. But alas, many don't want to hear what, as Eminem says, "What people say in their own living rooms."
Monday, April 03, 2006
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