« November 2004 | Main | January 2005 »
December 15, 2004
New Trailers
Trailers for next year's summer movies are starting to trickle out. Aside from the very cool "Revenge of the Sith" trailer, there are a couple other ones worth noting:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Not sure this was a movie that needed to be remade, but Tim Burton is probably the guy to do it. It's a funny trailer, if only for the bizarre little tune and Tim Burton looking kinda like Natalie Merchant in a top hat.
Batman Begins - Uh, okay, now this is pretty cool. No sign of the Scarecrow, but as long as the origin sequence doesn't take up the whole movie (though Qui-Gon looks pretty cool fighting with the Batman gauntlets), this more realistic take on the Batman mythos should be great.
War of the Worlds - Spielberg's sci-fi stuff is usually pretty reliable and as long as he doesn't go all kiddie, this one should be a good time. No sign of Tom Cruise in the trailer, and I'm not sure if this is an action movie, a horror movie or something else. The other question is, will it take place in the present day and will they still have everything center around Grovers Mill, NJ? One would certainly hope so.
Posted by Lee Clontz at 12:59 PM
December 9, 2004
Good Novak/Plame Piece in WaMo
Just read a really good piece in the Washington Monthly about Bob Novak's career and his role in the Valerie Plame CIA outing. It's really frustrating to me that Novak outs a covert operative and ends her career, but acts like it's just part of the game. Why wouldn't he let the reporter ask about it? People ask Bob Woodward about Deep Throat every time he's interviewed -- he laughs them off. Novak is under no obligation to answer, but by having his handler say that the interview was over if he asked about Plame, he's saying a lot about the way he operates.
Posted by Lee Clontz at 2:01 PM
December 7, 2004
You Can't Make This Stuff Up
Found this at Atrios and DailyKos.
A Des Moines youth pastor that Bush held up as one of the normal, values-drenched folks who will benefit from his tax credits just turned himself in for having an affair with a 17-year-old in his youth group. Truly, it boggles the mind.
Bush introduced Mike and Sharla Hintz, a couple from Clive, whom he said benefited from his tax plan.
Last year, because of the enhanced the child tax credit, they received an extra $1,600 in their tax refund, Bush said. With other tax cuts in the bill, they saved $2,800 on their income taxes.
They used the money to buy a wood-burning stove to more efficiently heat their home, made some home improvements and went on a vacation to Minnesota, the president said.
"Next year, maybe they'll want to come to Texas," Bush quipped.
Mike Hintz, a First Assembly of God youth pastor, said the tax cuts also gave him additional money to use for health care.
He said he supports Bush's values.
"The American people are starting to see what kind of leader President Bush is. People know where he stands," he said.
"Where we are in this world, with not just the war on terror, but with the war with our culture that's going on, I think we need a man that is going to be in the White House like President Bush, that's going to stand by what he believes.
A Des Moines youth pastor is charged with the sexual exploitation of a child.
KCCI learned that the married father of four recently turned himself in to Johnston police.
Rev. Mike Hintz was fired from the First Assembly of God Church, located at 2725 Merle Hay Road, on Oct. 30. Hintz was the youth pastor there for three years.
Police said he started an affair with a 17-year-old in the church youth group this spring.
Posted by Lee Clontz at 5:03 PM
December 5, 2004
Slap Cheek
So it looks like Riley has something called "Slap cheek Syndrome" or "Fifth's Disease," which is actually much less awful than it sounds. It's a virus that makes his checks go bright red (hence the "slapcheek" name), accompanied by low-grade fever and a mild rash. Luckily the fever has reacted well to Tylenol and apparently he didn't pass it on to us, as the adult version is typified by intense joint pain.
He came home early from school on Friday, but he was fine. Now, after a couple of days, he seems to be doing really well, with no significant fever in about 48 hours.
Posted by Lee Clontz at 10:51 PM
Riley's Colic Revisited
Found some video we shot back in May of Riley while he was still having colic. Just playing the video gives us involuntary facial tics, but it's fascinatng to remember how he was just a couple of months ago. Those were some long, bleak nights, but he's doing vastly better now.
To see the video, turn your speakers down and click the link:
Posted by Lee Clontz at 10:39 PM
Riley Visits Santa
Riley went to see Santa Claus today at the mall. He didn't seem to enjoy the experience very much, but that's pretty typical for his age. I put together a little video from the experience. It's 15MB in Windows Media format. Hit the link to see it:
Posted by Lee Clontz at 10:24 PM