"Selling It" - By Tarzana Joe

I wasn’t there but I believe
That Leonidas lied
The Persians didn’t mean any harm
300 Spartans died

Yes, Leonidas lied
300 Spartans died

He sold the war to citizens with
Flummery and flake
And gullibly the Grecians
Thought their culture was at stake

But clever Romans wouldn’t buy
What Caesars had to sell
“The Vandals are a peaceful group…”
The Roman Empire fell.

War is such a dreadful thing
That truly I am told
Everyone who goes to war
In someway must be sold

He must be convinced his future
And his country are at stake
To understand the sacrifice
He might be called to make

And those in charge must make the case
As they’ve been picked to lead
Use every means and every word
To illustrate the need.

Disagree? Then make your case
That’s what debate is for
You’ve got the edge
As there’s a lack of folks I know who want a war

So next time you reach to get that Brand X from the shelf
Pick me up that modern myth, the war that sells itself.

Movie Summer

I've got plans to see The Incredible Hulk today and it just put me in the mood to review my summer movie plans:

May 2nd: Iron Man (excellent movie - a little more humor than some of the other Marvel films, but with a ton of fantastic visuals.)
May 9th: Speed Racer (haven't seen it yet. Just don't know what to think of this one.)
May 16th: Prince Caspian (thanks to my buddy Rob for giving me a fresh perspective on this one. I really like this movie now.)
May 23rd: Indiana Jones 4 (Good movie, but "it ain't the mileage honey, it's the age.")
June 13th: The Incredible Hulk (stay tuned!!)
June 20th: Get Smart (Looks like classic Steve Carell hilarity)
June 27th: WALL-E (I'm probably the most excited about this movie).
July 4th: Hancock (I'm second-most excited for this one. Looks hilarious.)
July 11th: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (the first one was great but this one's "from the maker of Pan's Labyrinth"... that's enough to hook me.)
July 18th: The Dark Knight (Okay... this one's tied for first place in the "excited to see" category)
August 15th: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Ironically, I'm not as jazzed up for this as I was Ep's 1-3, but I'll definitely check it out.)
November 7th: Quantum of Solace (Yep... Bond is back, but what's with that title?)

Other 2008 releases that I'll definitely see (but most likely on DVD):
Kung Fu Panda
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
The Love Guru
Wanted
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Step Brothers
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (I might have to go see this in theaters to maintain Eric's and my Mummy record.)
The Rocker
Tropic Thunder (this looks really funny...)
Righteous Kill (De Niro and Pacino - best thing since Heat!)
Burn After Reading
Eagle Eye
Yes Man (Jim Carrey back in pure Liar, Liar form!)

Let me know what you think if you see any of these.

A New Face (book)

My brother has found a way to get me to join Facebook - something I have kept at arm's length for as long as I've ever known of it (roughly 8 months, perhaps?). I think I just figured it was another "myspace" or an online cross between classmates and hotornot. But my brother has me convinced that I won't be subject to an endless stream of people asking me to be their online "buddies" or whatever, I won't be spammed, or flamed, or any other verbs that have been invented in the past decade I haven't learned yet, and anything I add to my profile will be kept private. So, I've sunk deeper into the digital age today.

My hope is that it will let me stay in better touch with my Midwest Family. And since they - through the link I provided on my Facebook page - can now find this blog I will take this opportunity to say Welcome!

I sometimes find myself really struggling to get any real work done because my mind has wandered off into some corner that I can't get out of. So I find this blog is a good way to sort out whatever I've been turning over in my head. Usually it's just to vent (or gush) over a movie that I have either just seen or am waiting to see. Sometimes I stray into religious or political topics. And yes, I tend to ramble on most of the time.

In any event, if you're new to the blog poke around and let me know what you think!