If You Really Loved Me You'd Let Me Eat Your Brain

Not much to report lately. Today is cleaning day at Casa Mueller. I'll be going to see HHGTTG later this afternoon. I'll be sure to post a review later.

Two minor items caught my eye today:

First, the ACLU is getting all verklempt over the potential use of surveillance drones. How surveillance drones, which are basically cameras on an inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicle, violate my rights is unclear to me. As long as I'm in public, pretty much giving up any "right" to privacy (and I use the quotes because privacy ain't in the Constitution or Bill or Rights), then I fail to see the difference between a camera on a pole, a camera on an ATM machine, a camera on a State Patrol vehicle, or a camera on a flying machine.

Second, check out these images if a massive sandstorm in Iraq. Cool stuff.

Late last night I heard that the US had satellite footage of the March 4th 2005 incident involving journalist Giuliana Sgrena and army checkpoint in Baghdad.

Sgrena claims the car was going at most 30 MPH. She hasn't explained how she arrived at this figure. I find it highly doubtful that she's a reliable source of measurement considering she was being shielded by another person, probably wasn't looking at the speedometer, and lives in Clowntown where they use kPH, not MPH. Is assessing the speed of moving vehicles by sight at nighttime while under fire standard training for a leftie journalist in Clowntown? I don't know, but I suspect it isn't.

From a CNN article:

Sgrena, who was wounded in the shoulder, wrote in an article published in her newspaper, Il Manifesto, that the "car was driving slowly" and "the Americans fired without motive."

Now that we've got the satellite footage the statements of the two sides become moot. According to an AFP article the vehicle was going over 60 MPH, more than twice Sgrena's stated maximum. I think it's time for the Italians to STFU on this one.

Oh yeah, the Italians also complained that the checkpoint wasn't properly marked. The US soldiers say they used hand signals, flashed bright lights ,and fired warning shots. I'm not sure if the satellite footage backs up their account. Still, you'd expect the driver of the Italian vehicle to have more sense than to rush an armed checkpoint. Maybe the fatal flaw was as simple as having a panicky driver.

Please sign the petition to tell WB to get their heads out of their asses with regards to the proposed Loonatics series.

A story from E! Online reports that Lucas is planning on a Star Wars TV series to be set between Episodes III and IV.

Let's consider his track record with SW spin-offs:

1984 The Ewok Adventure
1985 Ewoks: Battle for Endor
1985 - 1987 Ewoks cartoon series
1985 - 1987 Droids cartoon series

Those spin-offs were so bad that I'd wiped them from my databanks. Damn you, E! Online, for making me remember.

I predict a short, sucky life for Star Wars 90210.

CNN reports that Syria has finished withdrawing its troops from Lebanon.

Ten weeks after the mass protests started and they left without firing a shot. That's a pretty sweet conclusion to the problem.

In an effort to better inform and protect you, dear reader, I've installed a state-of-the-art Terror Alert Level indicator. The level, as set by the Department of Homeland Security, is indicated in the graphic just below the calendar in the right hand column. The terror alert level can change many times a day, so be sure to visit often, especially before venturing outside or opening suspicious packages.

Please refer to the handy graphic below to see how much you should worry.

Remember, check early and check often! If you don't read Manual Override at least once a day...the terrorists have already won!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Mayor Dave as he presented Bat Boy with a proclamation, which is reproduced below. He even shook my hand! I'll never cast multiple votes for a Democrat with this hand again!!

You can find photographs of the ceremony here, larger originals here.

MAYORAL PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, the City of Madison recognizes its rich history and variety of performing arts, and particularly the numerous community theater companies within the City of Madison and Dane County; and the contributions those theater companies make to the entertainment and education of its citizens; and

WHEREAS, the City of Madison acknowledges that StageQ, one of the City’s community theater companies, is presenting BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL at the Bartell Theater, April 14-30, 2005; in which an unusual creature/person, named Bat Boy, seeks to be one of the citizens of a small town; and

WHEREAS, the City of Madison recognizes and celebrates the wide diversity of its population, including people from many cultural and ethnic backgrounds, people of color, people of differing political and religious views, and people of all sexual orientations; and

WHEREAS, the City of Madison wants to be known in these United States of America and, indeed throughout the world, as a City that is tolerant and accepting of all people; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor of the City of Madison, Wisconsin does hereby proclaim April 14-30, 2005 as BAT BOY DAYS in the City of Madison and bestow upon Bat Boy honorary citizenship.

(signed)
Mayor David J. Cieslewicz

Signed and sealed this 15th day of April 2005 at City Hall.

My, my! Looking at the size of this thing you’d think a young hippie chick would have been able to outrun a lumbering Israeli Defense Force armored military D9 bulldozer. The thing is the size of a frickin’ house! Look at it!

I Hunger! Run! Run!

The play My Name is Rachel Corrie recently opened at the Royal Court Theatre in London. As Steven Plaut mentions in his April 15th, 2005, blog entry, there is no mention in the play of Corrie burning American flags or defending suicide bombing.

He continues:

Well, we thought we would mention some other Rachels who have NOT been similarly commemorated in the London posh theaters yet (with thanks to Tom Gross). Here are the names of some plays that have not yet been produced in London:

1. My Name is Rachel Levy (Israeli girl age 17, blown up in a grocery store)
2. My Name is Rachel Thaler (Israeli girl aged 16, blown up in a pizzeria)
3. My Name is Rachel Levi (Israeli girl aged 19, murdered while waiting for the bus)
4. My Name is Rachel Gavish (killed with her husband and son while at home)
5. My Name is Rachel Charhi (blown up while sitting in a cafe)
6. My Name is Rachel Shabo (murdered with her three sons aged 5, 13 and 6 while sitting at home)

It would be interesting knowing how many of THESE Rachels were murdered with explosives smuggled in through the same tunnels that Rachel Corrie and her ISM pro-terrorist friends were "defending"!

A small avian just chirped me the 411, yo. At 1:30 PM today Mayor Dave Cieslewicz will make Bat Boy an honorary citizen of the city of Madison.

Bat Boy is a fictional character in Bat Boy: The Musical, a StageQ production, currently running at the Bartell Theatre through April 30th. Shows are Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM.

Now I’m torn here, dear reader, because on the one hand, I despise these kinds of empty acts. IMHO legislative bodies spend far too much time declaring special days, weeks, months, and years for odd causes; resolving to oppose vague notions like hatred, war, crime, or global climate change; debating the adoption of sister cities in distant lands; and giving honorary titles or citizenship to people, real or imagined.

On the other hand, I founded StageQ back in 2001, served as the first president of the board, currently serve on the board as the secretary, and helped with the and construction and painting of the Bat Boy sets. I want people to see our plays so we can fulfill our artistic mission.

If I were the Mayor I wouldn’t spend much time on these kinds of issues because you’d end up with every nut with a gripe or microscopic cause (Persons-of-Color-Operated Vegan No-Kill African Striped Frog Shelter Week!) bombarding you with their insipid requests.

In this case I’ll take the free publicity but I do so under protest.

The Wall Street Journal today reports on upcoming video games based on darker, grittier fare.

Electronic Arts will release "The Godfather" in November. Robert Duvall, James Caan, and Marlon Brando contributed their voices and likenesses to the game.

Vivendi Universal is working on a game based on "Scarface."

Warner Brothers Interactive has tapped Clint Eastwood to reprise his role as Dirty Harry Callahan for a title under development.

Take-Two Software Inc. is creating a game version of 1979's "The Warriors." (Note to Take Two: I do a pretty bad "Warriors! Come out and play-ay!" if David Patrick Kelly is busy. ) The company also plans to publish a game based on "Reservoir Dogs."

Majesco Entertainment Co. is considering making a game based on "Taxi Driver."