A History Of Violence was a disappointment. First one of the year movie wise. Viggo Mortenson was fine, Maria Bello (I had to double check to remember she was out of Coyote Ugly) was good as well, the plot started off well, but by about half way through it just kind of drifted. It was a bit distracting also to think of the son character as Seth off the OC LOL.
And then by the time William Hurt came along, trying to make it into a comedy - a Best Supporting Actor nomination for five minutes maximum in the film? Come on - and each lovingly crafted, meant to send a message act of violence was met with Pulp Fictionesque giggling by most of the audience, it was all falling apart. And then that limp ending, what was up with that??
Maybe I should have gone to Hustle and Flow, or perhaps Match Point. Eh, two hours I can't take back of my life. And one of the previews was for a Mel Gibson film, Apocalypto, looks like it's the Fall of the Mayan, Aztec or Inca Empire. After all that Aramaic in the last one he did, oh I can hardly wait for all the tribal dialects of this one.
On my wander around town at lunchtime today, I came across a crowd of kids and parents, standing outside a bus with defence personnel standing nearby. Obviously the newest recruits, to be flown off to Townsville (I am guessing) for basic training.
And it hit me, as it hasn't hit me in a long time - Australia is at war. With troops both in the current hot zones of Afghanistan and Iraq, even though we hardly ever hear of them in civvy steet, except when politicians drop in on them to have a barbeque and play some cricket - inside, with bullet proof vests and behind blast proof shields of course.
New Zealand is at war as well, or at least I think we did have some troops in Afghanistan last time I looked. And 99% of normal, everyday, civilian life goes on as per usual - apart from increased security at airports, and higher oil prices because Iran may have nukes in a year or two.
And seeing all these seventeen or eighteen year old recruits milling about, saying goodbye to Mum and Dad, it got me to thinking what motivates kids to join the armed forces, when we aren't in a situation of Total War, and it's very likely if you last a couple of years, or however long basic training takes, that you will get posted to some very ugly warzones. Australia has been lucky, with only a handful of fatalities in the 'war on terror' that I know of, but all it could take is a suicide bomber in your barracks - thinking of the Italians in Nassariyah two years or so ago.
Do the recruiters make it sound like it is a big adventure? That you may get to see the world, or that it is all a self awareness see what you can do yourself kind of thing? Or is that small percentile of eighteen year olds who join up especially bloodthirsty, or alternately uber patriotic? Things to ponder.
I would have signed up to the New Zealand forces if they had requested a general mobilisation after September 11. The shock, disgust and outrage I felt in those first months after the attacks made me feel like I wanted to do something. I was all for the removal of the Taleban and ousting of Al-Qaeda from Afghanistan. Luckily for me, I guess, all that NZ was sending at that time was special forces, and there ain't no way I would ever get to that level even in a tinpot military, let alone New Zealand - oh...
When it came to Iraq though, was totally against it. Believe it or not, I wrote an email to K at the time outlining the whole happiness at getting rid of Saddam but annoyance at the occupying forces thing that has generally played out since. Even though I can no longer find a copy of such email - maybe it was a dream.
But I wouldn't have joined up in a general mobilisation for an Iraq stint, that's all I'm meaning I guess. Afghanistan was a just war, Iraq less so.
And what I felt I think is a minor version of what the international community felt as well - all solidarity with the US after 9/11, pissed off at hearing about WMDs and Saddam and just Bush pissing away all the earlier goodwill by the time of the Iraqi invasion. If not six months before even - remember, it was a long long process trying to get authority from the UN for the war... yawnworthy, if it hadn't cost tens of thousands of lives since.
Rant rant LOL.
Okay, have run out of ideas for now - well, I haven't, but after Iraq whinging, I don't think the reaction to baby pictures in the office somehow would cut across subjects well at all. Leave that for tomorrow I think.
Pauly
And then by the time William Hurt came along, trying to make it into a comedy - a Best Supporting Actor nomination for five minutes maximum in the film? Come on - and each lovingly crafted, meant to send a message act of violence was met with Pulp Fictionesque giggling by most of the audience, it was all falling apart. And then that limp ending, what was up with that??
Maybe I should have gone to Hustle and Flow, or perhaps Match Point. Eh, two hours I can't take back of my life. And one of the previews was for a Mel Gibson film, Apocalypto, looks like it's the Fall of the Mayan, Aztec or Inca Empire. After all that Aramaic in the last one he did, oh I can hardly wait for all the tribal dialects of this one.
On my wander around town at lunchtime today, I came across a crowd of kids and parents, standing outside a bus with defence personnel standing nearby. Obviously the newest recruits, to be flown off to Townsville (I am guessing) for basic training.
And it hit me, as it hasn't hit me in a long time - Australia is at war. With troops both in the current hot zones of Afghanistan and Iraq, even though we hardly ever hear of them in civvy steet, except when politicians drop in on them to have a barbeque and play some cricket - inside, with bullet proof vests and behind blast proof shields of course.
New Zealand is at war as well, or at least I think we did have some troops in Afghanistan last time I looked. And 99% of normal, everyday, civilian life goes on as per usual - apart from increased security at airports, and higher oil prices because Iran may have nukes in a year or two.
And seeing all these seventeen or eighteen year old recruits milling about, saying goodbye to Mum and Dad, it got me to thinking what motivates kids to join the armed forces, when we aren't in a situation of Total War, and it's very likely if you last a couple of years, or however long basic training takes, that you will get posted to some very ugly warzones. Australia has been lucky, with only a handful of fatalities in the 'war on terror' that I know of, but all it could take is a suicide bomber in your barracks - thinking of the Italians in Nassariyah two years or so ago.
Do the recruiters make it sound like it is a big adventure? That you may get to see the world, or that it is all a self awareness see what you can do yourself kind of thing? Or is that small percentile of eighteen year olds who join up especially bloodthirsty, or alternately uber patriotic? Things to ponder.
I would have signed up to the New Zealand forces if they had requested a general mobilisation after September 11. The shock, disgust and outrage I felt in those first months after the attacks made me feel like I wanted to do something. I was all for the removal of the Taleban and ousting of Al-Qaeda from Afghanistan. Luckily for me, I guess, all that NZ was sending at that time was special forces, and there ain't no way I would ever get to that level even in a tinpot military, let alone New Zealand - oh...
When it came to Iraq though, was totally against it. Believe it or not, I wrote an email to K at the time outlining the whole happiness at getting rid of Saddam but annoyance at the occupying forces thing that has generally played out since. Even though I can no longer find a copy of such email - maybe it was a dream.
But I wouldn't have joined up in a general mobilisation for an Iraq stint, that's all I'm meaning I guess. Afghanistan was a just war, Iraq less so.
And what I felt I think is a minor version of what the international community felt as well - all solidarity with the US after 9/11, pissed off at hearing about WMDs and Saddam and just Bush pissing away all the earlier goodwill by the time of the Iraqi invasion. If not six months before even - remember, it was a long long process trying to get authority from the UN for the war... yawnworthy, if it hadn't cost tens of thousands of lives since.
Rant rant LOL.
Okay, have run out of ideas for now - well, I haven't, but after Iraq whinging, I don't think the reaction to baby pictures in the office somehow would cut across subjects well at all. Leave that for tomorrow I think.
Pauly
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