Tiger...Tiger...

Tiger...Tiger burning oh so bright...
Tiger...Tiger lying lying thru the night...
What immoral hands & thighs
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes
On who do you oh so perspire?
Whose hands grasp you while on fire?

And what shoulder & what art
could twist oh poor Erin's heart?
And when her heart began to beat
Oh how she beat you with hands & feet!

What the hammer? what the chain?
Where exactly was your brain?
What the anvil, what dread golf club in her grasp
Dare her deadly terrors clasp

When the stars get thrown down by their peers
and water the newspapers with their tears
Did He smile over His works to see?
Did He who made the babes make thee?

Tiger...Tiger burning oh so bright...
Tiger...Tiger lying lying thru the night...
What immoral hands & thighs
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Please find my inspiration from the orginal by William Blake http://www.bartleby.com/101/489.html

Jews, Muslims, Buddists, Hindu's, Zoroastrians,Wicans, for Christmas...

I have never understood for the life of me why "progressives" need to make such a big deal & stink about Christmas & it's various symbols over the last few years. Do they really have nothing better to do? Are they just jealous & bitter? What part of "freedom of religion" do these people not understand? Is Santa Claus that offensive?!? The manger scenes?!? Rudolf?!? While the holiday is based upon a significant event to Christians, Christmas to me has always been for everyone(I've yet to be corrected otherwise). You would have to blame this on my Father. As kids we were given Christmas presents, & next to our Menorah my father put up a miniature tree, Santa Claus, & Rudolf. He considered Christmas the celebration of brotherhood among all men (it was the 60-70's so yes you can add in Sisterhood & women if you like). I have always viewed it that way as well.

I like Christmas windows in stores, decorations on peoples homes, Christmas parties, Christmas shows & songs (many written by "the people of the old book" http://www.interfaithfamily.com/arts_and_entertainment/movies_theater_tv_and_music/The_Jews_Who_Wrote_Christmas_Songs.shtml) & the festive mood. It generally is a happy time of year that puts people in a good mood(we would all be better off if the Christmas season lasted all year long). No one has ever excluded me or anyone else I know from enjoying the holiday. I like wishing people "Merry Christmas" if I know they celebrate Hanukkah I wish them a Happy Hanukkah, Good Kwanzaa, etc... What's the problem with putting up lights & a Santa, a Menorah in the window, a Mazoa basket out on a table?!?

If you really hate Christmas & it's symbols soooo much that you have to ruin it for the rest of us...please leave the country. Seriously...now!No one is holding you here...this isn't Iran, North Korea etc...leave, go there (have you started packing yet?) I'm pretty sure they don't celebrate Christmas in N. Korea...they might in Iran though...not sure. So..either deal with the holiday cheer, smile when you see the decorations, wish someone a Merry or a Happy..or please leave the rest of us alone to observe our "silly" holidays & enjoy your superior enlightened progressive ways somewhere else (are you still here? do you need help with a flight? bus ticket to the airport...goodbye...good riddance!) For those of you who do enjoy the holiday season...Happy Holidays to All(the holiday season for me starts on Thanksgiving...do progressives celebrate Thanksgiving or is that next on the hit list?)!

What do you get when you combine 3 Navy SEALS,1 Army Army psychiatrist ...

Here's a brain teaser for you...

Q. What do you get when you combine 3 Navy SEALS,1 Army Psychiatrist, I "alleged" Terrorist, 12 dead & 31 wounded US Army soldiers? Well while the jury is still out...no pun intended you get

A. 3 Courts Martial & an Insanity plea!

While I'm sure most of you heard about the attack at Ft Hood in Texas by a US Army Psychiatrist who was responsible for working with US Army personal to deal with their issues & upon receiving orders to deploy went on a killing rampage murdering 12 in cold blood & wounding 31 (his Lawyers are planning on going with an insanity plea to get him off. Of course he's insane...he also needs to be executed for treason along with manslaughter) have you heard about the "mastermind" behind the murder of 4 Blackwater contractors who "claims" he received a bloody lip from being beaten by his captors on the battlefield? Yes, the guy who killed, tortured, lit on fire, & strung up 2 in Fallujah is claiming he got a bloody lip from his Navy Seal captors. Plus, it's unclear if it happened in the first place or when...while they were trying to apprehend him, transport him, while in captivity...

First off...Navy Seals are trained to kill with their bare hands. To get a bloody lip, at best one of the SEALS would have had at best given the "alleged terrorist" a light slap. Anything else would have done far more damage. Again, we are talking a bloody lip...not sodomized & burned with a hot pipe...a bloody lip..Even if they did the above he would have deserved it & worse...but if the SEALS did that I could understand an inquiry for doing something that stupid. But...a bloody lip...I don't know even if it did happen which I'm guessing it didn't...did he spit at them after he threw feces at them while saying things about their Mothers?!? (like the innocent freedom farmers do in Guantanamo while we cloth, feed,allow prayer, & provide full health care benefits) Have we gone completely insane? For the record it seems the SEALS turned down what is called a Captains Mast...it is a non-judicial punishment. It is also considered to be admitting guilt even if you are innocent. Which is why they requested the court martial. This is disgusting beyond the pale. The trial date is December 7th. I will save my judgement for now & wait for this case to unfold. It is stories like these that are making me question if we have completely lost sight of our countries values & rules of law. Our laws are to prevent the innocent from tyranny...not to protect cold blooded killers from our justice system so we can come across as politically correct to illiterate religious fanatics on the street or pseudo intellectuals living in ivory towers with no grasp on reality!

Reduce IAEA cooperation?

When exactly did the Mullah's (notice I say Mullah's, not the people of Iran...their interests do not seem to align)cooperate with the IAEA ( International Atomic Energy Agency) in the first place? They fully intend on developing nuclear warheads because they want to be the major power broker in the region. So big deal if they no longer adhere to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. From the views of the Mullah's it's simply not in their national interests. Now maybe if they were ruled by a Democracy(ie India) vs a Theocracy(Iran) who believe that chaos & civil war are necessary to bring forth their savor (for the record, they are not the only ones) we might not be as adamant about stopping them.

Of course if they get nukes their Arab neighbors (who hate Persians(Iranians) & vice versa will lead to numerous countries loaded with oil & religious fanatics armed with WMD. Most likely...not a great combination for anybody, anywhere regardless of your political or religious beliefs & views. So when exactly are our "friends" the Chinese & Russians going to get it though their heads that there might be better ways to find leverage against the Yankee Imperialists (USA!USA!USA!) then letting the Mullahs get their hands on nukes which could lead to Terrorists (not freedom fighters) getting their hands on dirty bombs which could go off anywhere at anytime?

The Road...review

If "Jaws" when you break it down is really just an exaggerated fish tale that buddies would tell each other while drinking then I guess you could say that "The Road" is just a story about a father & son's camping trip that a kid would brag about to their friends. However like Jaws you simply cannot escape the tragedy that surrounds their stories. I did not read the book The Road before I saw the movie, even though I usually do because I am a voracious reader. When I heard that they were making a movie I decided for a change of pace to see it first. For a brief synopsis it is the story of a father & son trying to survive & make their way south after an Apocalypse. It is not stated in the book(to the best of my knowledge) or the movie what happened, or if it was natural or man-made. After seeing the movie, it could have been done by either or both.

This is a somewhat difficult movie to review for a couple of reasons. It is a very well acted, adapted, filmed, imagined, & directed movie. It is also very, very bleak (exposed and barren and often windswept, cold, raw, lacking in warmth, life, or kindliness : grim, not hopeful or encouraging, depressing outlook>, severely simple or austere) movie. I use the dictionaries definition because it really hits home on this one. This movie will be a particularly difficult movie to watch for the father's of sons. The story is of their attempt to survive in a world gone dead inhabited by few...& those few look for meat the only place they can find it (hint...there are not a whole lot of animals left). The lessons the father teaches his son can be brutal at times.

This brings us to the second reason it is tough to review. My father was an old school guy who liked to camp, hunt, & fish. He was an NRA instructor. While he did have his soft side, he had his tough hard side as well. This would have been a difficult movie for him to watch. And knowing the types of movies he liked, I wouldn't recommend it to him, yet I would have wanted to watch it with him (most likely at home via DVD...followed by a cigar & port to relax him). I do recommend seeing this movie to most, but if you only go to the movies purely to be entertained by comedy or special effects...this might not be for you. Otherwise, with all the problems we face in today's economy, unless you are dealing with some real life & death situations...this movie may just put in perspective that as difficult as you think you have it...you really don't. If it's grey & rainy tomorrow, the sun will shine the next day or day after that...& you will continue to make your way along your own road...

Serious Man/Broken Embraces Reviews

Serious Man- The Coen Bros. latest is more or less a somewhat modern (takes places in the Midwest in the 1960's...which would make it 1990's here in the tri-state area) take on the Old Testament story of Job. A married father of two who is a teacher finds everything falling apart from his wife leaving him, his tenure being questioned, his brother the math genius/social retard driving him nuts to the trials & tribulations of getting his antennae to work so his son can watch F Troop. All this goes on days before his son's bar mitzvah. It is pretty funny, not one of their best...but still good. Thing is...unless you're Jewish & have been bar-mitzvahed I just wonder how much you will get of a lot of the humour. So...if you're Jewish & were at least a kid in the 60's or are a big Coen Bros fan go out & see it...otherwise give it a try on Net-Flix or HBO

Broken Embraces - Pedro Almovars latest is awesome, especially if you really love cinema & Penelope Cruz. It is basically a story within a story with 2 movies going on within the stories. While this might sound confusing, especially since it's in Spanish with subtitles it was not whatsoever. A screenwriter is approached by a director to write his latest movie. He doesn't want to do it & it opens up a major chapter from his past. He was making a movie & fell in love with his lead actress...while this is going on the actresses "sugar daddy" boyfriend has his son film the making of the movie...primarily to spy on his lover. It's a great movie...& no it's not a chick flick. Again Penelope Cruz is great, I'm a huge fan of hers as an actress & think she's beautiful(not only does she look great..you see her done up as Audrey Hepburn & Marilyn Monroe). If only ever Director could be this talented & every muse so stunningly photogenic & equally talented you & your "significant other" would have a lot more to choose from then the next crap romantic comedy with she of the "Friends" or big blow up robot adventurer starring Hollywood latest leading - boy...

Fear not loyal readers...my next review will likely be for Ninja Assassin...so stay tuned...same bat-time...same bat-channel...