So I saw the above picture today and couldn't resist the urge to guffaw uncontrollably. They play about as anemically as Cleveland himself sounds. Might as well change the uniform now, and that helmet has needed a logo - heck, the team itself needs a logo, and don't even talk to me about the impish elf creature they had as their logo several years ago. That would never work in today's NFL, these gentlemen are the laughingstock of the league as it is.
In any case, it's time for me to bring up something I long ago forgot to write about. Well, not long ago, more like two weeks ago - and I was reminded again today, when stopped at a red light, I donated a few dollars and all the change in my car to a Veterans for Veterans collector at the side of the street. The event this actually reminded me of occurred those two weeks ago, when again, stopped at a redlight, I saw your typical homeless man on the side of the street asking for donations. Usually, I just ignore them - personally, I don't believe in helping out the poor/hungry/homeless (Woah! Now that's a radical opinion. I'll blog about why I believe these things in the future. For now, don't get all touchy, I actually have a defense of it.) - so I just ignored him when we walked by on the passenger side. When he returned back on the left hand side (it was a slow light) - he stopped by my window, yet not to ask for money. He asked me,
"Were you a helicopter pilot?"
"Oh, the decal on the back of my car? No, that's out of respect for my father, he was an Army helicopter pilot."
"I see - I jumped out of those more than my fair share of times back in the day."
"You were in combat? Vietnam?"
"No, Grenada, Panama and Desert Storm."
"Ohhh, back in '83."
I was incredibly interested. It's almost impossible to find a Grenada war veteran. Most people don't even have a clue about that invasion, or the Panama one. I wouldn't expect anyone to, honestly, outside of me and a few of my colleagues with a history bent, so I'll give you a short synopsis before I continue with the story.
Now, the US was still pre-occupied with the Communist threat in the Caribbean - and area that they still viewed under their control as per the Monroe doctrine many decades prior (or even Teddy's Big Stick policy) - and when Grenada obtained independence from England in the 70s, it went through several years of political turmoil, ending in a socialist coup in the early 80s led by a man named Maurice Bishop, if I remember correctly - which also raised some concern in the US. However, the military wasn't going to have any of that, and there was yet another coup d'etat - Bishop was placed under arrest, and summarily executed. This raised all sorts of hell in the region - especially for the US, which had a few hundred students in a medical school on the island, and was concerned for their safety - fearing they might be used as bargaining chips. The US moved quickly to act, along with a few other Caribbean nations. Despite a UN condemnation (so what else is new - and I thought Woodrow's League of Nations was ineffective - go figure), the US had already made up its mind - and proceeded to coordinate a joint-forces (Navy, Air Force, Army) attack with several thousand troops. The entire operation lasted less than two months, and succeeded in completely overwhelming the Grenadan soldiers. The pre-coup government was re-established, and the students and other American citizens were moved from Grenada.
...now, we spoke for a bit about his experiences there - I treated him to a meal - and to me, it was the sort of morale boost that the people needed following the vastly unpopular and unsuccessful Vietnam fiasco a decade prior - and he was happy to have played a role in it, but he wasn't done. We didn't reminisce too much about the details (as much as I would have wanted to, I was in a bit of a rush) - but we did go over the Panama invasion in '89 (no, this time I'm not doing you the favor of telling you what it was about - let's just say Noriega had pissed off enough people and should never have suspended Panama's constitution) as well as his involvement in Desert Storm. I was impressed, but also wondered how he ended up on the side of the street.
Personally, I have an incredible amount of respect for soldiers, past and present. Now, whether that comes from reading too many books and historical accounts; or perhaps too many Hollywood movies that glorified the camraderie of combat, I'll never know. I respect any combatant, from the German paratrooper in WW2 (the popular notion that every German in WW2 was a Nazi is completely ludicrous - and as preposterous as saying that every soldier we have abroad is a Democrat in agreeance with Obama's policies) to the French sailor during the Napoleonic era. But moreso in the present day, when our veterans of this century fought not only to protect our own sovereignty but that of other people - I can't help but have the utmost reverence for them. We can't understand what they have gone through, not even in the slightest, unless we were there with them - simply watching "Saving Private Ryan" is not enough. If you know a veteran, thank them. If you see veterans asking for donations, give it to them. If you personally know a soldier, talk with him or her. Understand their side of the story. You'll feel all the better for it. I would've killed to have been alive in the 70s to correspond with former Großadmiral Karl Doenitz. Alas, I suppose that's what books are for.
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On this note, I just want to say that, if you don't workout for whatever reason, I strongly believe you should start somehow. Personal fitness is greatly ignored in this country for some reason or another - and I don't even want to hear the "I don't have the time or the money" excuse. Eating healthy and staying fit is something almost anyone can do. Just takes a little determination and self-control. Anyway, moving on - don't make the picture make you feel bad!
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Since I haven't done a movie review in a while, I felt I should drop one more off before I conclude for today - and I decided to review my favorite movie since I saw it once again recently.
Now, when it comes to historical movies, I'm excessively picky. Whether it's a WW2 picture in which soldiers are holding their MP40s correctly or P-40s are flying like X-Wings (I'm talking to you, Pearl Harbor) - or ancient epics where the dialogue is excessively bad (Troy - I still love the movie but...seriously?) - I always quested to find the ideal historical picture.
By now, of course, I have found it. Brimming with historical accuracy, terrific acting, a thrilling story, outstanding sound and set design, yet cursed to have the misfortune of being released around the same time as the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is truly a spectacular epic that deserves merit as one of the most brilliant period pieces to come from Hollywood. While it was up for a considerable amount of Academy Awards, it would lose all the ones in which it had to face off against LotR: RotK, which again, relegated it to relative obscurity to all but the most enthusiastic film connoisseurs (i.e. - your humble writer).
Set at the turn of the 19th century, in which Napoleon had begun his conquest of Europe and was proceeding to threaten England with invasion - Master and Commander takes its war to the oceans - where French vessels are raiding British merchant commerce. The HMS Surprise, under the command of the stubbornly tough Captain Jack Aubrey (brilliantly played by Russell Crowe), are given orders to intercept the French privateer Acheron, and either sink, burn, or capture her. When the vessel appears out of nowhere in the early morning and devastates the Surprise, the two ships engage in a daring cat-and-mouse game that tests the nerve every soul onboard.
The story is not just a one-trick pony about naval warfare - no, the premise is deeper than that. It searches into the very depths of a man's personal conflict between duty and his friends, between choosing the lesser of two evils, and keeping his crew calm. Russell Crowe's character is also expertly countered with Paul Bettany's Doctor Stephen Maturin, the voice of reason aboard the vessel, and never one to back down from Captain Aubrey. But it is also the parts played by the other members of the ship, from the youngest midshipman to the cook and Royal Marines that makes this such a strong film. You feel for the troubles of each character as they sail through the oceans.
Two things that make this film stand out from the rest, at least for me, is the attention to historical detail. Every aspect of a 19th century man-o'-war is detailed intricately - every part of the ship properly identified, from the mizzentopgallant to the taff rail, to the uniforms of the young officers (accurately casted as being teenagers, from fourteen to seventeen, if I remember) and the personas of the enlisted men. The dialogue was also scripted beautifully - placing you right on the quarterdeck of the ship. What actually takes you from your couch right onto the waters though, is the brilliant sound design. Not a single stock sound was used for the movie - from the muzzle blast of an eighteen-pounder cannon to the whirling gales around Cape Horn, the sound designers in charge of this movie gave it their best. With each creak of timber to a pouring rain, you find yourself transported onto the Surprise. Everytime I watch this film I can't help but smile at the brilliance of the sound. This isn't a movie you watch - no, this is a movie you experience.
Of course, I must note that the movie isn't for everyone. Those easily amused by teen slashers and mindless action flicks will find themselves occasionally bored by Master and Commander, and it is them I pity. Go see Pearl Harbor instead, where the Japanese, apparently, laid attack to an American love triangle. But if you do enjoy an incredible adventure, then, by all means, ask me to come over and watch this. I certainly won't mind seeing it again. I can guarantee you that watching it here is an experience like no other. You'll be glad I recommended it - and you'll understand why it is my favorite film of all time.
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No science tidbits for today, as I'm off to work out, but as usual, I will leave you with a hilarious image.
I know you remember Duck Hunt. That gun couldn't fire fast enough. Until next time.
