Just a short notice in the world of "how can you say that?" Director Spike Lee was dissed by some Italians about his recent WWII film, saying that it wasn't telling the exact truth by dilluting the actions of Nazis behind a massacre. The Yahoo/Reuters reports:

"I would not allow anybody to tell me how to make a film, be it a partisan or the president of the United States," Lee told a news conference in Florence on Wednesday after a preview screening, according to Italian media.

"This simply shows that in Italy the wound is still open. ... It is up to Italians to come to grips with their past, not up to me or James McBride or the film," he said.

Funny how Lee was recently complaining about Clint Eastwood and his film not accurately portaying blacks in WWII.... It's ok to tell other people how to make a film, but not for people to tell Spike Lee how to make it. Reminds me of a song...

And you should know that the lies won't hide your flaws
No sense in hiding all of yours
You gave up on your dreams along the way

Good god, you're comin' up with reasons
Good god, you're draggin' it out

I liked a few of his movies and felt he was a stong filmmaker, but man this latest thing just keeps rubbing me wrong about his dis of Eastwood's Flags of Our Father and then this quote where he got the history wrong.

Going on Vacation Friday until next Thursday. Will not be by any computer, so it looks like I will not be able to check the queues. Cheers!

I can't say I'm the biggest fan of the Catholic religion, but when you put out a hit against your major detractor (other than Satan of course) it seems a bit spiteful you know. Yeah, he wasn't too much into the "God" thing, but seriously, the Pope has got to give love a chance. Just because you put out a book saying that Jesus ate pork doesn't mean you get to be taken out and make it look like a natural cause. Claiming you have as much authority as the Pope (just not enough followers) does not make you evil. Saying that all children are not beautiful makes not a sinner. Bad Pope, Bad!

As most people have heard, some of us lost a hero today. In a world where many people no longer think for themselves it was refreshing to hear someone with a look on life that was different. While many considered it spiteful and rude, All he did was tell the truth and make you think. Language was a comical tool, behaviors were to be pointed out, opinions were to be questioned. Above all he was a thinker, a philosopher of our time. He pointed out how our society is slowly going away from the truth and uses euphemisms to carry out it's happy little needs to make us feel more important or nice. He pointed out that it is no longer Shell Shock but it is PTSS. Nursing Homes become Adult Care Providers. Sales Clerks are now Associates or Department Specialists. He showed us that as the world evolves so does the titles we give. And we all know what his view on religion was, one of logic and of pointing out a religion shouldn't harbor pedophiles and preach Hate. And for that alone, should be enough to like him. While I enjoyed his humor, there was on thing missing from him that places him just under Bill Hicks as my favorite modern philosopher. He was a thinker and confronted many aspects of society, but he was missing just one thing in many of his philosophies - Hope. We may be screwed up as a society in many aspects, (Mothers killing their children, Priests abusing children, the daily accounts of killings, war for religion, one child per family tickets) but there are many people out there that deserve to be on this Earth. They give us support, they help others and most of all through their actions they give us Hope that we deserve to be here. And those people you can probably tell that they are good because you just know it. I'll end with the last segment from his last book, but know that even if God doesn't care, there are some of us who still do.

The Secret News

Here is the Secret News

All people are afraid.
No one knows what they're doing.
Everything is getting worse.
Some people deserve to die.
Your money is worthless.
No one is properly dressed.
At least one of your children will disappoint you.
The system is rigged.
Your house will never be completely clean.
All teachers are incompetent.
There are people who really dislike you.
Nothing is as good as it seems.
Things don't last.
No one is paying attention.
The country is dying.
God doesn't care.

George Carlin
You will be missed

So I'm updating info for the people guides I edit and come across a website that just so happens to have a bio I wrote back in 2005 copy/pasted from tv.com along with trivia listed at the site. I go and check the site to see when they registered....2007. I thought this stopped with the tvrage stuff many moon ago...guess not.

So, like last time, I'm going on record here stating the bio I have for Jade Raymond was last edited in November of 2005 by me and the website http://jade-raymond.com/bio.php has lifted it from here at tv.com. A website created on May 09 of last year. Granted there isn't much you can do except complain, tell tv.com about it, and have a nasty little letter fly their way...even though I doubt they will have much to say since they still have links offline. So just letting it be known that it's my stuff, not the other way around.

It's everywhere, and it will soon be finished. I can hear the sighs of all the fan-boys as they spend their hard earned $$$ tonight as well as the collective cheering heard at Micro$oft. Halo 3©, one of the most publicly hyped video game releases of late will hit the stores tonight in just a few more hours and take over the world...for a day. No matter that some people got it early through accidental/illegal means and are already playing it, people will be getting it tonight...alot of people. And before someone mentions Gears being bigger, note that you couldn't get Marcus Fenix on your Slurpee © cup. Now everyone's grandmother knows about Master Chief © and his exploits. Now I don't know about you, but if had either of my grandmothers been alive to see this and mentioned this to me, I would have wondered just what is up with that?

Why is this game so cool? I have no idea. It's about the same as all the other, you shoot some aliens in a FPS. You can play 16 other people in a match online, which is better cause if you screw up maybe no one on your team will notice. It had some cool graphics and the AI was impressive. Maybe it was the mystery behind the mask of the protagonist, maybe it was the anticipation for the ending, maybe it was cool cause you were supposed to like it. Either way I have to admit thatthis game has made for a lot of funny user videos out there. Master Chief scaring people in Korea, Master Chief holding up a Gamestop after humping a display of PS3s, and don't ever forget Halo Kitty.

Yeah, I'll check it out since I've played the first two games, but really do you have to have a flavoured soda for a video game? I'm not a Halo Hater, nor am a Halo Lover. It's a fun game, but you know, I like Shadowrun, I will love Assassin's Creed, I like Guitar Hero, but don't have to be the first to play or have to get all the cups at 7-11, I just want to play when I can and have a fun time. I have a job and can't stay up late just to get a game I can get tomorrow. But for those out there that have to be first, by all means go for it. That same excitement you get tonight I will get tomorrow. I guess Microsoft has finally figured out what NASCAR hasknown for a long time. So soon the hype will be over and the world will back to normal and many, many gamers will have finished the fight that started a long time ago. Me, I think I'll celebrate tomorrow with a fun game of Pac-Man and maybe even play a little Halo because you never know when the Hype might be real.

Alternative Title: Flight Com! I can't hold it! She's breaking up, she's break...

Just finished watching the 4 minute clip of the new Bionic Woman series, guess I can say I've seen the entire first episode. Seems the preview shows enough of the series in a recap format that you don't really need to see the episode...but I will. Plus it was cool to see a few familiar faces in the series: Dr Macy from Crossing Jordan, Faith from Third Watch and the one and only, er..ok there were two of them...Starbuck from the new Battlestar Galactica.

My hopes for the series is high, especially if they recognize a few things from the past series as well as any subtle nods to Steve Austin's story. Small little things will be cool, especially if they throw in things that fans of both series would recognize, just don't over do it. I like the little flashbacks they give in these series, but they have to do it with style: Fraiser had guests from Cheers, Enterprise reunited Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell from their Quantum Leap days, Law & Order: SUV occasionally reminded us of Det. Munch's history in Homicide, The A-Team had a Cylon walk by Dirk Benedict in reference to his old show Battlestar Galactica, and Richard Hatch (the original) guest starred in the new Battlestar Galactica.These nods allow the creators of these new shows a way to show fans that we are important and they know we are listening...or maybe it's just a way to make us watch....Just hope we see some Bionic "Kung Fu" slow motion at one point.

Got word from my local friendly Blockbuster employee that the 50% off certain games (including some Xbox 360 games) will be ending soon...next week or the week after that.  She wasn't for sure on the exact date.  She also said that her store would NOT be marking down the games any further, and that those discounted will be going back on the shelf at regular price, or shipped to another store (Movie Trading Company?). Don't know how other stores will handle it since I've found out that each store is different: One still has late fees, one doesn't have the clearance items, one rents out box sets only by the whole season.

New promotion also is the rent 2 next gen games (360, PS3, Wii) for $12.  Save yourself about 4 bucks picking up two. Also note that not all stores are doing the "Rent a 360 game and get 2 days online free" promotion.  Why can't we all be the same?

Alternative Title: Jif Lube Conspiracy

After all these years of product recall (food or mechanical) I finally hit upon something that effects me - stupid peanut butter addiction. Something I eat every other day or so and found out today I am one of the contaminated.  I guess I shall go the way of outcasts...you may start shunning me now. Good thing is that I'm not sick, and because of my "youthful" immune system wich a bunch of stomach acid and high metabolism I should 1) not get sick or 2) get sick in the next 12 hours.  And since I love The Prisoner so much, I'm pushing for 1

I heard about it and checked my stock. Sure enough, Peter Pan was on sale at the store recently, plus with the double coupon I saved some bank on those buy two get more off.  Too bad my frugality caused me to be one of the luck lotto winners of not one but two jars of the exclusive "2111" labled cans, one which was opened and a portion was consumed early this morning.   Good thing no one has died from this. I'd hate to get an MIA editor call

Statistically, I doubt I'll get sick.  These things have a way of scaring many people in believing that they will get sick and report getting sick when in fact it was something else.  I'll just get my refund and go and get some Jif.  Besides I'm thinking Jif has something to do with all this anyway. The Truth is Out There.

Alternative Title: You can add me to the list

Well until the update tomorrow jumps me up a % point for posting this blog entry.  For some crazy reason I wanted to hit Level 50 and 0%.  I didn't know if I could do it right or not since I did a few to many submissions than expected last night.  But it was fun to hit it.  It's that same feeling that people get when they roll the odometer in their cars....wait, that's not quite right.  How about when they reach a '00' number. 

So it's been just over a year and a half for me to get to this level.  Could have gotten it a month or so earlier but most of the shows I edit are on some serious hiatus and I've been spending a little more time reading things over at GameSpot and checking out the new FlimSpot...sorry mp3.com, not enough love to you right now.

So it's been a fun ride so far, and it looks like it will take me well over another year to even think about getting to level 60.  I guess I should say something reflective and seemingly important......I've never been that good at that.  So thank you to all of you who make this place more interesting.  Everyone's blogs make great reads and just know that even though I don't blop all the time in them, I'm still reading them.  They are the things I think that keep people here.  You can have a regular old site with a bunch of information, or you can have a site where the people actually care about each other and like keeping in touch. 

And for those of you yearning to reach this level, just know it really isn't as fullfilling as you think it might be.  It just means we are just the "older" people on the site with a higher chance as getting some sprained wrists due to all the submissions, and it means you get to be a helmet, whoo hoo how exciting....

Just a notice that my level has got back to normal and that my queue is back for editing.  Big thanks to the staff! Even though it just means more work...

Really hate those Level bugs that reset your level to level 1 leaving us nothing to do but forum posts and blogging.  That bites.  Oh well, I guess it lets us do things in the real world. 

Blockbuster has recently reduced it's regular price for the Xbox 360 Prey game.  Two Blockbusters had new copies of the regular version of Prey at $19.99.

And for those of you who didn't get it for $9.99 from Best Buy at Christmas, you can pick up The Outfit for the Xbox 360 from Target at a newly reduced price of $19.99.

Also, you might want to check out Target's Clearance areas (red price tag) cause there were too many to list PS2, Xbox, GC, DS and GameBoy games reduced by 15%.  You can get them at that price or wait and risk it and see if they go down further. 

With the new releases of the Complete Series tv box set DVD releases, I've noticed that they have done away with any type of hard support for the discs. I don't like this at all.

I've always been a fan of the hard shelled DVD cases, for me they have always been the best for protecting the discs in the long run.  Then came the Sliders S1 & S2 set with "Multidimentional Packaging" - discs supported in soft styrofoam. I hated this.  Sliding the discs in and out the the sponge made me worry about a piece of dirt getting in there and scratching it.  At least they changed it for the next DVD release. Then came the special edition for the Evil Dead, a replication of the book of the dead with the movie in a sleeve in the back.

And now we have gotten to the point where the Series releases have become popular.  M*A*S*H, Friends, and Alias, three sets where the discs come in sleeves. Granted some would argue that the pressure you apply to the disc in the cases could also cause wear, sliding them in and out of sleeves seems to be more of a risk.  Yeah, I know they have to do something to keep the price down, but I like my protection.

I'm angry.  Angry that there are gamers and non-gamers out there getting violent over the PlayStation 3 release.  Already someone has been shot in a robbery in Connecticut, a drive-by BB shooting in Kentucky, Fights breaking out in California, some guy runs into a pole while rushing for a place in line...where does it end?  Sad how this will all be forgotten after Christmas.  And its weird how everyone is getting upset over this piece of tech, when the 360 came out there was not nearly as much violence...in fact, I don't recall anything save for a few angry line jumpers.  Then again there was enough 360s to go around. Will the same happen with the Wii? Doubtful. But the Wii is about fun isn't it?  Maybe the name change was good.  Revolution just screams horrible condidtions on release day. 

But it all goes back to wanting things now. This whole behavior of needing to be the first to own it, or the first to see it.  When does it stop?  People have gotten hurt over this thing. And just wait until next week when after Thanksgiving more people will be trampled on and have to go to the hospital.  Buying events aren't like they used to be.  I remember the day after Thanksgiving as a busy time, yes, but never heard until recently people getting injured just to save a buck for your family on Christmas. 

For me, I never buy things at launch. There are too many problems with things when they first come out.  Gotta let the bugs be worked out.  Plus there is a lack of games out there at launch, so you have to wait for other games else you will be playing the same game over and over.  Plus, when the system is out longer, the games start to go down quicker.  I waited to get a 360 until recently because I had the patience to save and wait so I could get and play the games I really wanted....Gears, ah.... And with the Wii, I'll be waiting a little now because of the 360 purchase.  Practical, yes...but I'm happy to play be playing Pac-Man on the 360.  But I wonder what it says about our society in that for the preparaton for a holiday based on giving and being kind, the beginning result is harming your fellow human.

You might have to do some searching since the two Blockbusters I went to had different prices on the same games (lack of computer update/employee notification?).

Store #1 had Perfect Dark Zero:Limted Edition for the 360 at $19.99 new and $14.99 used.  15 bucks for a used non-sport 360 game! No others that cheap, save for sports games.

Store #2 had Far Cry Instincts: Predator also for the 360, new for $19.99.  However, their used copy rang up for $34.99.  Guess which one I got. This store still had PDZ ringing up as $29.99 new. 

Both stores had Gun for the Xbox1 used for $6.99.  But with the recent markdown for that game you can pick it up for $9.99 new at Wal-Mart and other stores.

So Sony has released their "targeted" unit release for the PS3 at 2 million units for this year.  These 2 million units will be spread out across the US and Japan. So not only are they making it impossible for common folks to purchase (You can get a Xbox 360 and a Wii for the price of a PS3)  but now they are making it so only an elite few can own this product - across two areas.  Basically don't promise your kids you'll get them one this year.  Bad Marketing or Good Publicity?  I really don't know, and finally I've gotten to the point where I don't really care anymore.

Looks like the "Show us your inner Hero" video contest has been cancelled.  The one contest that required some thinking and activity on the part of the contestant (meaning not just trivia oriented) isn't happening.  I had already put some effort on some test run video shots and was already to film it this weekend and edit it before the Monday deadline - and now it was for nothing.  Well it wasn't that much effort, just video of me doing stuff. The only good thing is that I'll keep my idea just incase the contest is offered in the future....or another contest shows up.  Too bad really, I was gonna have fun with this one.