300 The Movie

I saw 300, the film adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel (read: long comic book), recently. For those of you who don't understand 'graphic novels', or their screen adaptations, you may not like it. A 'graphic novel' is, essentially, a long comic book; thus, a film adaptation will include some animation, as well as some peotic license. Frank Miller also wrote Sin City, adapted for the silver screen in 2005.

300 is the story of Leonidas, one of two Kings of Sparta, leading 300 Spartans into battle against roughly 100,000 Persians, led by King Xerxes I in 480 B.C. This epic battle took place at the Thermopylae Pass, also known as the "Hot Gates" (so named because of hot springs nearby). As is implied by the name, Thermopylae Pass was chosen for its geography: bound by the sea on the South and cliffs to the North. By choosing this place for battle, Leonidas reduced the effectiveness of Xerxes' much larger force. So much so, that the Spartans (and Greeks) were able to hold the Persians off for three days.

The reason behind the choice of Leonidas to go to war with only his personal force of 300 Spartans is thought to be twofold: Spartan religious custom did not allow mobilization of the army at the end of the fighting 'season' (warring usually was not undertaken at the onset of winter). Second, the Oracle at Delphi most likely prophesied that Sparta would be saved if the life of one of its kings was given. The history reads a little differently.

Anyway, on to the movie: I loved it on several levels. First, it is a cinematic epic on the scale of Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator, et al. Like those movies, the heroes are larger than life, their exploits are those of legend, and the thematic scope is vast. The key that sets this movie apart from others is that the battle at Thermopylae actually took place. Certainly, Frank Miller took some liberties by adding monsters; as well, the screenwriters exhibited some license. It is movies such as this for which the silver screen was created. The creators deserve a large canvas on which to paint their cinematic masterpiece. The breadth of the Persian hoard can best be felt displayed upon the theater screen.

300 is an ancient and epic tale of honor, bravery, sacrifice, and courage. Massively outnumbered, 300 Spartan warriors marched, with roughly 10,000 Greeks, to meet the oncoming armies of Xerxes, the god-king of Persia. It's an underdog story. The script carried a perfect balance of action and plot/character devel0pment. The battle sequences were intense and bloody. In keeping with the graphic novel genre, the blood was a stylized anime; you knew it was bloody, but the gore factor was low.

I found the political and ideological messages underlying throughout the movie interesting. Freedom. Liberty. Honor. Fighting for what you believe in. Walking an unpopular path to follow your convictions. All of these were played out in the decisions of Leonidas, his wife, and the 300 Spartans. Did this come from Hollywood? I though to myself in the theater. Each one of these principles are in direct opposition of the Leftist Socialist Hollywood "Elite".

"SPAR-TAAAAA..."

UN Watch Shows the Light to the Blind

UN Watch shows the truth to the UN Council on Human Rights, and they refuse to see. It is interesting that the President of the Council is more concerned about the "harsh" language used in the speech than he is about the content.

www.unwatch.org

The John Doe Manifesto

Once, again, Michelle Malkin nails it...HARD:

The John Doe Manifesto
By Michelle Malkin

www.jewishworldreview.com
Note: Earlier this month, six publicity-seeking imams filed a federal lawsuit against US Airways and the Metropolitan Airports Commission in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The Muslim clerics were removed from their flight last November and questioned for several hours after their suspicious behavior alarmed both passengers and crew members. Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten reported last week that the imams, advised by the grievance-mongers at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also plan to sue "John Does" — innocent bystanders who alerted the authorities about their security concerns. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., has introduced legislation to protect John Does who report suspicious behavior from legal liability. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty; talk show host Michael Reagan; Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, who heads the American Islamic Forum for Democracy; and Minnesota lawyer Gerry Nolting have all stepped forward to offer free representation to the imams' targets.

Dear Muslim Terrorist Plotter/Planner/Funder/Enabler/Apologist,

You do not know me. But I am on the lookout for you. You are my enemy. And I am yours.

I am John Doe.

I am traveling on your plane. I am riding on your train. I am at your bus stop. I am on your street. I am in your subway car. I am on your lift.

I am your neighbor. I am your customer. I am your classmate. I am your boss.

I am John Doe.

I will never forget the example of the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 who refused to sit back on 9/11 and let themselves be murdered in the name of Islam without a fight.

I will never forget the passengers and crew members who tackled al Qaeda shoe-bomber Richard Reid on American Airlines Flight 63 before he had a chance to blow up the plane over the Atlantic Ocean.

I will never forget the alertness of actor James Woods, who notified a stewardess that several Arab men sitting in his first-class cabin on an August 2001 flight were behaving strangely. The men turned out to be 9/11 hijackers on a test run.

I will act when homeland security officials ask me to "report suspicious activity."

I will embrace my local police department's admonition: "If you see
something, say something."

I am John Doe.

I will protest your Jew-hating, America-bashing "scholars."

I will petition against your hate-mongering mosque leaders.

I will raise my voice against your subjugation of women and religious
minorities.

I will challenge your attempts to indoctrinate my children in our
schools.

I will combat your violent propaganda on the Internet.

I am John Doe.

I will support law enforcement initiatives to spy on your operatives,
cut off your funding and disrupt your murderous conspiracies.

I will oppose all attempts to undermine our borders and immigration
laws.

I will resist the imposition of sharia principles and sharia law in my taxi cab, my restaurant, my community pool, the halls of Congress, our national monuments, the radio and television airwaves, and all public spaces.

I will not be censored in the name of tolerance.

I will not be cowed by your Beltway lobbying groups in moderates' clothing. I will not cringe when you shriek about "profiling" or "Islamophobia."

I will put my family's safety above sensitivity. I will put my country
above multiculturalism.

I will not submit to your will. I will not be intimidated.

I am John Doe.

'The Protector', starring Tony Jaa

Simply put, this movie is awesome.

Tony Jaa puts on a Muay Thai clinic as he delivers serious ass-kickery all across Sydney, Australia. A big part of the excitement associated with this picture is the display of Muay Thai; a more brutal cousin to the martial arts displayed by Jackie Chan in recent films. The fierceness and purity is reminiscent of Bruce Lee's big screen offerings. With the interest in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) on the rise, a movie showcasing Muay Thai is just what the doctor ordered. Tony Jaa serves up elbows and knees about as often as McDonald's serves up Happy Meals.

Enjoy.

1098 Delivery Party

February 9th, I had the opportunity to attend an event celebrating the arrival of the first Ducati 1098 to Ducati Seattle. It is actually a 1098S, and the new owner was there to twist the throttle for all of us to hear. David Roosevelt, Owner of Ducati Seattle, puts on a great party with food from Outback Steakhouse and champagne (for this IS a celebration). There was a great display of Superbike history, from the 851 and 888, to the Original, the Classic: 916, and forward to the 996, 998, and 999. With minimal ceremony, a bike tech rolled the new 1098S out onto the sidewalk and pressed the starter...

I must say, here, that there is no sound like the beautiful symphony that comes from a dry-clutched Ducati motorcycle - a symphony with one section: Percussion. Regardless of exhaust choices, the Ducati L-Twin engine puts forth a low, musical energy liken to the combination of base and tomtom drums. Switch out that stock exhaust for some sweet Termignoni carbon fiber cans, and the bass drum/tomtom duet is joined by kettle drums - the sound is just deeper, fuller, and puts forth an expansive range. You feel it in your chest. It makes my wife, a dedicated Ducatista, swoon. At the other end of the percussion section, holding its own rhythm, is the sweet 'tang, tang' of the dry clutch; a holdover from Ducati's racing roots. From the factory, the dry clutch is muted behind a solid steel clutch cover. But, as so many of us do, replace that with an aftermarket open cover, and you've just turned your Clutch Section up to '11'. Sitting in neutral, you are treated with the sharp rimshots of a snare drum. Engage the clutch and that snare is joined by an equally sharp set of cymbals. Ah, heaven!

But, I digress. The 1098S, with Termignoni carbon fiber slip-ons, delivered as only Ducati can...that beautiful pompone sound. The owner stepped up and twisted the throttle several times. There are only two words I can use to describe it: crisp and musical. The clutch was understated; give it a few thousand miles, they get louder with age. Back inside, it was easy to look the bike over and see the roots of its design. As a nod to Sr. Massimo Tamburini, and The Classic 916, Ducati returned to dual horizontal headlights and a side-by-side exhuast. The single-side swingarm, as well, harkens back to 1994, when the 916 was released on the motorcycle world. In keeping with the advances brought forth with the Art Deco-inspired 999, the 1098 bares crisp lines, modern features, and pragmatic accoutrements. In all, something for every dedicated Ducatista.

Once again, Ducati has set the bar a notch higher. In a small factory, outside of Bologna, where craftsmanship takes precedence over production, a small Italian manufacturer does battle with the motorcycle 'Big 3': Yamaha, Honda, & Suzuki. Taking the World Superbike Championship in 2006, and making it to the top 10 in the MotoGP Premier Class for the past four years, Ducati is definitely giving the rest of the world a run for its money. And, now, the 1098 hits the world stage. Weighing in at 377-lbs. and producing 160-hp with 90 ft-lbs of torque, the 1098 puts the 'Super' in Superbike. I will leave you to calculate the power-to-weight ratios.

Rainier Sunrise

Descending from the entrance to the Gib Ledges just after sunrise. Poor snow conditions turned us around at 11,000'; we sat out the night huddled on a ledge. Photo taken in April 2004.

Looking back on 2006

2006 was an eventful year for our little household.

Anastacia finished her didactic year in the University of Washington Physician Assistant Program. To say that she was stretched in every way possible, is an understatement. She finished with great grades. The summer was a welcome respite for her, and a chance to visit family back East.

I took up mountain biking and had the great opportunity to ride with my friends Ray & Mike. Mike was headed overseas mid-summer so, we hit as many rides on his "list" as we could. Ray and I hit some great rides down off of 410, near Mt. Rainier, and over the pass near Lake Wenatchee, as well as some good local mid-week riding.


June 29th, we picked up the latest addition to our family: MARJAN's Happiness is a Warm Gun, aka "Reagan". He was 18# of joy when we brought him home at 8 weeks; at 9 months he is pushing 70#, and still growing. He has been a joy for me to train, as he tries hard to learn and responds very well. I've taken a more serious, comprehensive approach to training Reagan than I did with Sasha; partly, because I am more serious about birdhunting, and I also see the value of skills that I didn't train in Sasha. It has been a challenge having two Chesapeakes in the house, but we love them both, and wouldn't have it any other way.

In July, I had a wonderful opportunity to travel to both Romania and Michigan to work on some incredible projects as an International Trainer for ECO-Block, LLC. In Romania, I worked with ICF ECO Construct (Bucharest) to build the first ECO-Block house in the country of Romania. It was an interesting challenge to work with a non-English speaking crew. However, I found that the fundamentals of construction are universal (and they gave me a wonderful translator, Oana Valeria Jancu). My clients were wonderful hosts, showing me the sights of their beloved country, of which they are so proud. Their hospitality worked: I fell in love with the country, the people, and the food! I left feeling like I had made some great new friends. On to the U.P. of Michigan for a week working with a crew on 16" thick walls at the Bay College, West Campus Building in Iron Mountain, MI. We poured on the fifth day, and I considered the training a success, not without challenges.

Over Labor Day Weekend, we found ourselves winging to Springfield, MO, for the Howell Family Reunion. This was my chance to meet many members of Anastacia's extended family. It was a fun-filled weekend with family; a great chance to meet some of the characters Anastacia has told stories about.

In September, Anastacia and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary, happy as ever was. Soon after, Anastacia started her clinical year of her P.A. program. To date, she has worked a month each in hospice, emergency medicine, psych., general surgery, and (of this writing) is in neurosurgery. This fall also held new challenges for me. I have been working on a $4M renovation of the Mercer Island Country Club as the Project Engineer. The superintendent I had been working with decided to relocate his family to Colorado. Looking at my career goals, my boss and project manager decided to turn the remainder of the project over to me in the field. So, I am the project superintendent now; it has been a great challenge, and a wonderful learning experience.


Sasha and I did some pheasant hunting, without much success. We got our first bird in Goldendale. Reagan got to tag along on the hunt, as well. Pheasant hunting in Washington can be a somewhat frustrating affair, as the bird populations are declining and the planted birds can get harvested rather quickly. Late in the season, it really struck me that duck hunting would be a fun activity, and a lot more productive. Besides, I own the hardiest breed of waterdog on the planet: Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.

Thanksgiving saw us in elk camp outside of Seneca, OR, again, and we had a nice, quiet Christmas at home with our friend, John. At the end, it was a great year.