Bob and Harvey Bet Big on Their Golden Boy

Bob and Harvey Weinstein have some ground to cover if they want to regain their 1990s golden touch; a run of films that brought in 249 Academy Award noms, 13 best picture noms and 3 Oscars for best picture. For their next big bet, they brought in their Golden Boy: Quentin Tarantino.

According to a New York Times article from August 15, the Weinstein boys have stretched themselves too thin among other ventures including fashion, TV and social networking websites. Somewhere along the line, the Hollywood wonder brothers forgot about what they do best, filmmaking.

With the opening weekend of “the new film by Quentin Tarantino,” The Weinstein Company saw an above-estimates $37.6 million take at the domestic box office with another $27.1 million abroad. The PR/marketing blitzkrieg leading up to the August 21st release certainly helped amp up anticipation, not to mention the hype over torture-horror prince, Eli Roth’s, supporting role, and of course Brad Pitt bringing back the goatee.

Is this the pure genius of Harvey and Bob orchestrating a comeback from the man who gave the world “Pulp Fiction”? Or are they riding on the coattails of a director who speaks to the generation of today’s 20 and 30-somethings?

All of the ingredients are in place. Brad Pitt as the lead. A World War II revenge story. The Jews taking names and scalping Nazis. And of course all of this in a time when fans drool for the Tarantino who gave us “Reservoir Dogs”. I can’t count “Death Proof;” “Grindhouse” was made for two people. Tarantino made “Death Proof” for Robert Rodriguez and Rodriguez made “Planet Terror” for Tarantino.

At the midnight showing of “Inglourious Basterds,” the theater at Sunset Place in Miami was packed with Tarantino lovers. With cheers as soon as the titles hit the screen and when the titles ended the film, this movie was about getting our Tarantino fix for the next 3-5 years. Though critics have been mixed, love it or hate it, the fans came out to support and the fans are who Bob and Harvey care most about (they pay the bills).

In “Inglourious Basterds,” instead of the gratuitous death count in “Kill Bill,” Tarantino opts for a small amount of violent, graphic kills. We knew this was coming from the trailer but had no idea how much we would squirm. Tarantino roles out his predictable story in a no-frills linear fashion without the joy of uncovering characters, interconnecting relationships and multiple story lines as in his previous efforts. He had his fun title fonts and contrasting music. He had his doses of comedy with violent absurdity.

This Tarantino film was like Tarantino on auto-pilot; Tarantino without soul. Depth to the characters was lacking and for a film about the “Basterds,” there could have been more time with them on the hunt. Regardless, Tarantino didn’t keep me guessing. Where was the moment when Butch Coolidge runs into Marselius Wallace on the street in “Pulp Fiction”?

“Inglourious Basterds” will give The Weinstein Company the boost they needed. We saw this coming. And after this film’s run at the box office, fans will agree that Tarantino still has “it”. The real question is whether Bob and Harvey Weinstein still have “it”. And they do, as long as you consider “it” to be Quentin Tarantino.

I'm back

After nearly a year long hiatus, it is time to get back to writing. I'm feeling good about what's to come. I got commentary coming on movies, politics, social issues, personal annoyances. Keep coming back.

John McCain...More of the Same

A political video created by my father and I.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH3sENpaT2o

A Sein of Change

Barack Obama is not a Muslim, and as George Costanza and Jerry Seinfeld would say, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

There’s a general misconception–a 10-12% misconception to be specific–among registered American voters that Barack Obama is a Muslim despite factual evidence from the media, interviews, barackobama.com, and not to mention from Barack Obama himself, that he is not and never has been. Still, some people need convincing.

Obama, a Christian, was born to a Muslim-turned-atheist Kenyan father and a Christian-turned-secular mother from Kansas. His parents divorced when he was two. He lived in Indonesia from 1967-1971 where he attended both a Muslim and a Christian school. The media as well as the Obama campaign have debunked claims that the Muslim school was a “madrassa” or radical Muslim fundamentalist place of learning.

Raised in a secular home by his mother and stepfather, he was attracted to Christianity by the Trinity United Church of Christ by his own accord in the ‘80s.

As we know in this post-September 11th heightened state of fear, any possible connection to the Islamic faith often immediately labels one with the scarlet letter of “M” for Muslim. More than a few of the good people of America have presumed a couple of bad apples equate the entire law abiding Islamic faith to radical extremists.

Given this country’s xenophobia and worsened foreign relations, under the current presidential administration, this type of malevolent misconception will turn a percentage of voters over to the other presidential ticket out of fear. In a tight race according to the current polls–worth as much as TV clairvoyant Ms. Cleo’s predictions–Obama cannot afford to lose any votes over religion.

When there are more important issues facing our country, religion should not be the number one concern for any voter. It appears that tolerance and compassion have been left along the wayside for these religious citizens who are supposed to follow the philosophy of “love thy neighbor.”

Disregarding the spin put out by those who alter the truth to win, who will lead our country in the opposite direction from where we are headed? The concerns of Iraq, Afghanistan, global warming, the economy, gay rights, housing foreclosures, job layoffs, and the rest of our country’s laundry list of real woes have become tired and mundane. Changing the focus from the real issues to the insignificant ones brings more negative attention to the Obama-Muslim smear campaign and less to the new McCain/Palin Variety Show.

It is so difficult to convince those who refuse to open their minds and heart and listen. Straight from the man himself, Obama has set the record straight about his faith multiple times in what appears to be a man correcting the false claims about his childhood and background, not a man distancing himself from a religion on some citizens place on Uncle Sam’s unpopular list.

Regarding personal issues between the two presidential campaigns, Obama has publicly established himself as sticking to the many troubling issues facing our country not the distracting issues or Sarah Palin’s daughter. You may never change the minds of some people, so how do you get the 10-12% of voters living under a veil of false illusion of religious differences to begin putting the issues of true concern at the forefront?

Like the Obama campaign, one has to hope for change when voters journey to the polls. Come November 4, hopefully Americans will put aside their religious prejudices and select the candidate qualified to lead America into a new decade.

Whether Obama or McCain takes the presidency for the next four years, let us at least hope that their administrations will guide this country toward more compassion and acceptance and less division. The religion of the candidate should not be an issue, and if a qualified candidate was a Muslim, the founders did not think there was any thing wrong with it.

The Real World of Social Networking

As little as ten years ago, it seemed average teenagers matured into adults after earning a college degree and entering the “real” world.

Entering the “real” world today, for that same teenager, now appears to be one-click away at LinkedIn, the online networking site that “strengthens and extends your existing network of trusted contacts.”

Plaxo is another online site “meant to be a better way for you to stay in touch with the people you actually know and care about — your family, your real-world friends, and the people you know from business.”

And let’s not forget Tagged.com that professes itself as “a premier social-networking destination” that “helps people keep in touch with their friends and make new ones” through “a fun media experience.” Tagged has 70+ million registered users, but the competitor, Hi5, has 80+ million registered members and is “one of the world’s largest social networks and a top 20 website globally.”

MySpace. Facebook. They are still around too.

Recently, my Gmail inbox has been flooded with requests to become a “contact” or “friend” or “linked-in” with friends, old classmates, business associates, and family. As my luck would have it, each person is on a different social networking site that basically provides the same online service with minor differences. Staying in touch now requires five online accounts and time spent updating profiles.

This world of online friendship is familiar territory for teen, young adults, and college co-eds. And now adults of all professions, who once dared not swim in these unchartered Internet waters, are starting to flood the online friend zones.

A couple of months ago, it seemed foreign for a person I met at a business meeting to request to connect via a networking site. An occasional social network user since 2004, I have come to equate social networking sites to areas where countless hours are wasted browsing the profiles and sometimes-scandalous pictures of friends and people you wanted as friends.

Despite my association of online networks as a breeding ground for publicly visible Internet debauchery, I have slowly begun to ease into the idea that the lawyer I met at a networking event for my film making endeavors is now my social network buddy.

Are these same adults with successful business careers updating their profiles and tracking their friends at three in the morning before going to bed?

I ran into a business associate at a South Beach event that lasted past one in the morning. We both left around the same time, and I returned home around two to go to bed but not before a little Facebook nightcap. To my surprise, that business associate had already updated their Facebook status twenty minutes earlier alerting the online world of their upcoming day.

I will contend that as more adults and business contacts create Facebook accounts and artists and entertainers create MySpace pages, it appears these online social networking sites are becoming “professionalized” and accepted for all.

So whether you decide to get “LinkedIn,” “Tagged,” or “poked” on Facebook, these sites provide a means of staying connected with people and a way to indulge your inner voyeur. And now that college students are not the only ones scanning profiles, our elders can indulge in the pleasures that come with creating an enticing profile and finding that person you have not spoken with since the summer of 6th grade.

A guilty pleasure? A revolutionary communication tool? Whatever you use it as, it seems having at least one social network account is a must to keep us all interconnected and entertained.

And So the Gas Goes...

I stared at my car’s gas meter, the needle hovering in the last quarter ready to engage the “low gas” light at any moment. The closest Exxon-Mobil had regular gas at $4.09 a gallon, but I had seen gas as low as $3.99 in some parts of Miami, just not in Coral Gables where I was.

After my Blackjack PDA’s Internet failed me while browsing websites for cheap gas in the area, I took matters into my own hands, driving along US-1 hoping for a deal. The possibility of saving five to seven cents at the pump overcame my thought of wasting additional gas. After passing three stations in a span of a couple miles, I was forced to turn around as the “cheap stuff” was at the original Exxon-Mobil.

A recent graduate of the University of Miami paying some bills with freelance film and video work, I, like many Americans, have become “fuel efficient”. The metrorail and metromover have quickly become my preferred method of transportation for frequent trips from South Miami to Brickell and downtown and Omni areas.

What was once solely used for trips to the Orange Bowl during my days as a UM undergraduate now is an economic solution for not only myself but also several friends; not to mention a perfect way to avoid Miami rush hour.

With constant talk of paying around $80 at the pump, I realized I was not alone with my gas conscious obsession. Friends working in the Brickell and downtown areas have opted for the metrorail in place of their fuel unfriendly cars.

Suddenly, I was envious of my friend’s Toyota Prius, and it seems my generation is as well. The June 29th New York Times article, “As Gas Prices Rise, Teenagers’ Cruising Declines,” detailed a growing trend for both high school and college-aged drivers to find new commuting solutions and to make smarter decisions when it comes to everyday activities.

This nationwide concern has trickled down to the generally apathetic, young-adult generation who now appear to be taking a proactive stance. Whether parents are forcing their children to be gas conscious or the teens and twenty-somethings are maturing, the gas crisis is hitting the pockets of all Americans.

This consciousness is becoming an obsession, hopefully a good obsession. With movie ticket prices around $10, a Friday night at the movies is better spent at home exploiting your Netflix subscription.

Eating out has lost its appeal as well. Eating on a limited budget, spending an average of $20 for a decent meal, plus the gas it takes to get to the restaurant, does not help keep money in your pocket. My roommates and I now opt for the healthier and more financially conservative option of cooking at home.

And so it has come down to cutting back on some of the luxuries the young adults of my generation have grown accustomed to and settling for less costly options. If there was something besides turning 30 that could crush the “I just wanna party” attitude of young adults, it would be a downturn in the economy fueled by the rising oil prices.

My day ends a little easier knowing that I share a similar economic sentiment with my peers as well as my elders. My generation is transitioning into working-class adulthood. The realities we only thought our parents faced now become our problems. With both young adults and the older generations becoming greener and more financially frugal, perhaps change is on the horizon.

Big Ross and Me

With the deaths of Tim Russert and George Carlin, the nation is now without two people to hold us accountable for our national actions and decisions.

NBC and HBO have a little less spring to their lineup. But beyond how George Carlin transformed our public vernacular with “Seven Words You Can Never Say on TV” and how Tim Russert was in many respects, NBC News, these two men bridged a gap between a generation of fathers and sons. Fathers saw the emergence of each one’s career and their sons became fans by following in the footsteps of their dear ‘ol dad.

My father, Ross, an avid news and politics buff, reserved Sunday mornings for his news shows, including “Meet the Press.” At the insistence of trying to educate me on current events, he always encouraged his children to watch or listen with at least one ear. In a household where even the most minor of disagreements with political analysts or news anchors often meant tuning out, it was my father’s unwavering respect for Russert’s objectivity that told me this was a man worth listening to.

Passages from his book, Big Russ and Me, were recited in the car, at dinner, while doing my homework; wherever my father found himself to be reading it. Even though my father was reading from Russert’s book, it was clear he could have easily been reading from a passage in our own book, “Big Ross and Me,” and my father was proud of that.

In middle school, I asked my father to recommend a book to read from his impressive collection. With my budding comedy obsession, he gave me George Carlin’s first book, Brain Droppings, realizing I was old enough for this introduction. Something about his exploitive-laced rants made him more appealing than old Abbot and Costello shorts from the ‘50s that started my comedy foundation.

The natural progression from Carlin’s books was his live albums. My mother did not approve of these “parental advisory” CDs. My father ended this short disagreement by telling her, “It’s George Carlin, modern philosophy.” My father’s insistence on allowing George Carlin to expose the idiosyncrasies of our culture meant Carlin came with my father’s approval.

The appeal of Carlin and Russert to a wide range of ages and multiple generations strengthened the bond between fathers and sons, sons and grandsons; it was an opportunity to reach a common ground, to sit and enjoy something together, to create conversation.

Among the many people, movies, music, and books my younger self ignored for being “old or boring,” Carlin and Russert were never part of the recommendations I brushed off. And at their deaths, my father and I had little to say but how sad it was and how much our collective consciousness has lost.

This is a generation of men who transcended their respective generations; men who brought together a nation under comedy and political news. On the day of Russert’s death, his entire network was brought to tears as Tom Brokaw and Andrea Mitchell anchored with heavy knot in their throats.

Without my father, I would not have felt the loss of Russert and laughed with the rest of the country as we watched the endless amount of Carlin retrospective clips. Russert guided his viewers with the strong parent and child relationship that was instilled in him; he was the father carrying us through the complicated and often turbulent political landscape.

And George Carlin was right there to inform us that we are all diseased (see his 1998 HBO special). In a country so intent on sensitivity and political correctness, Carlin, in his affirmative raspy voice, was there to slap us back into reality and tell us we all die and do not simply “pass away.”

Russert was a voice of reliability and credibility, one that goes a long way in news. His son, Luke, is 22 like myself. Luke and I both graduated from ACC conference colleges in May; Luke from my University of Miami rival, Boston College. Our fathers and mothers both shared in this proud moment.

I If I am privileged to one day have a son, he will know of Carlin and Russert from the history of our nation and will hopefully share in the joy and knowledge that these men brought me.

My father and I will always share the memories of Russert and Carlin unfolding before our eyes. George Carlin and Tim Russert made us watch and pay attention. They made us listen. They transcended their own generation.

The Final Four at the OB

As a senior going to my last game in the Orange Bowl, I am proud to say that I was part of the last class to enjoy four years in the OB. For myself and my fellow classmates, we began our freshman year on September 10, 2004 with a triumphant overtime win against FSU; probably the most memorable game for the class of 2008, the second possibly being this year’s win against FSU.

For that being the first game, it set a mighty high precedent. Though it has come close, never has my voice been so raspy the next day after my first game as a ‘Cane. Never again did I see fans bring down the house with more chanting during a regular season game. The metrorail was never again quite as loud as it was the night we beat FSU in ’04. Never have I felt so many people crashing down on me with high fives, fist pounds, and chest bumps. Maybe this game was truly the most exciting over these past four years. Maybe it is an indication of how our team has been playing. Whatever the reason, there is no experience like the magic of one’s first time. And on that hot night in September, the class of 2004 learned just how great it is to be a Miami Hurricane.

It is time to say goodbye to the good times in lot E4. There will be new parking lots to tailgate in and new police to “arrest” fans drinking underage. It is time to put to rest the old “light bright” scoreboard (a toy reference to children of the ‘80s). It is time to say hello to real parking and goodbye to “Twenty dollars, no block.” So long Little Havana. Hello Dolphin Stadium. Like George Harrison said, “All things must pass.”

For those freshmen who will enter UM next year, I say enjoy the new possibilities of your Hurricane football team with a new season and a new stadium to play in. Though many of you will never know what it is like to experience a game in the historic Orange Bowl as a student at UM, we have to believe that our memories in the OB will be passed along from those who chanted all the way down the concrete ramps at a game’s end.

The class of 2008 is privileged to have enjoyed their last four years in the Orange Bowl. We will usher the OB into the history books with glorious tradition and rich history. Regardless of how well we play next season or whether or not fans like Dolphin Stadium better, there will only be one Orange Bowl. There will only be one place where I saw my first UM football game. There will be only one place where I remember exactly where I was sitting and who I was sitting with. Was it the sweet taste of victory that made that first FSU game so memorable? Was it the kid sitting next to me chanting voodoo in the fourth quarter? Was it being a freshman not yet in college one month? This was all part of that winning atmosphere, but most of all it was the magic of the OB.

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The Wellness Center Staph

Symptoms: Pimple-like red bumps that become large abscesses on the skin with the potential of joint, bone, blood, lung, and heart infections that can become fatal.

Some well-informed people may already be taking the necessary precautions to stay healthy and avoid these symptoms, while others may be unaware of the increasing drug-resistant bacteria called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. MRSA is a skin-dwelling strain of the staphylococcus aureus infection. It is making headlines after the Center for Disease Control released a report a month ago stating this infection caused 19,000 U.S. deaths in 2005, nearly 2,000 more than AIDS caused the same year.

With the October deaths of a Virginia high school and New York City middle school student, the overall awareness of this “super bug” is growing like the strain itself. It is reported that MRSA dwells in communal areas like gyms and can be transferred through sharing personal hygiene products like towels, a profile that UM’s Wellness Center fits perfectly.

For anyone, like myself, who enjoy daily trips to UM’s Wellness Center, lack of appropriate hygiene precautions puts all of us at risk of MRSA every time we step onto the elliptical machine or pump out ten reps on the bench press. Wellness Center patrons are greeted at the entrance to the gym with a sign reminding them to bring towels and wipe down machines to avoid the spread of germs. I have observed, like George Costanza, that the majority of people don’t separate their skin and sweat from the machine with a small hand towel (some use washcloths, read: useless), and when a towel may be a carrier of MRSA, no one here is truly cleaning up after himself or herself.

At least the Wellness Center usually has two, maybe three nearly empty bottles of what they claim to be the disinfectant, Virex, accompanied by wet, dirty towels –staph breeding grounds. Cardio equipment users often wipe down their machines with the dirty water-looking chemical, but no one seems to realize the weight machines and benches need constant cleaning as well; the occasional cleaning by the “Can I Help U?” crew proves worthless the second someone uses the machine.

Where are the dozens of spray bottles and towels next to the weight machines? What about tubs of disposable disinfecting wipes?

Here is an idea: Let us get one of our bright infectious disease specialists from the medical school to organize a plan to use the appropriate disinfectants and cleaning treatments that will help prevent the spread of MRSA from lurking in our athletic locker rooms, the Wellness Center, and wherever else this dreaded bacteria may lurk on campus.

With MRSA on the mind and skin, it is becoming clearer to medical professionals and well informed citizens alike that necessary precautions must be taken to keep our exercise, learning, and working environments as clean as possible. Implementing a larger cleaning plan will help prevent the Wellness Center from becoming “MRSA central.” In her February 2007 Hurricane article, Amy Sofka voiced some complaints about the Wellness center including the relatively nonexistent cleaning precautions. Since nothing has changed, I suggest we work on this as soon as possible. Despite the Wellness Center promoting health and fitness with exercise classes, yoga, and nutrition courses, clearly cleanliness is not next to wellness.

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Information provided by:

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00735.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032076/

http://www.webmd.com/news/20071024/mrsa-experts-answer-your-questions

Our President the ‘Toon

We went around the room in my public speaking class, each person offering a topic for an upcoming group project. After hearing some interest in current events, I thought it would be appropriate to offer the most obvious topic: the war in Iraq and its global and national effects. I was hit with responses of, “Does anyone care about the war?” and “Do people in the class even know what the war is about?” After a show of hands exposed nearly half the class knew about the war, I was asked to explain our military occupation. I suggested my classmates Google it. This short discussion that my topic sparked did not surprise me. News polls show that a large percentage of American citizens do not have a clue; anything is possible in a country run by a president who has become the nation’s quintessential “dumbass.”

For nearly eight years, our president has given America countless amounts of comedic material. Saturday Night Live showed late night television the idiocy and childlike behavior of President Bush through Will Ferrell’s mastery of impersonation. Frank Caliendo mastered the dim-witted Texas twang on MADtv. Comedy Central is no amateur at creating Bush related humor with the short-lived That’s My Bush! and the latest Lil’ Bush. This summer’s blockbuster Transformers portrayed Bush as the bed-lounging, Ding-Dong craving president aboard Air Force One. And Bush’s likeness has appeared on South Park, The Simpsons, and Family Guy; clearly not the smartest gun-slinger in the Lone Star state.

It is heart breaking to realize that our country is being managed by a caricature of a walking cartoon. Good observers will always find fault or the idiosyncrasies in people, but never has a president been the brunt of so many comedic jokes. Our president’s portrayal as an incoherent buffoon is far from adoration. He has transcended mockery as a form of flattery. Now the joke is on the American people who felt it necessary to reelect him.

Despite the many laughs Jon Stewart gives us on a nightly basis with his updates on “Messopotamia,” any person who is not clouded by a rightwing endearment must realize the great embarrassment our country is suffering and the suffering our country’s actions are causing. Over the past seven years, our actions have slowly isolated ourselves from the rest of the world. As the rest of the world keeps watch over our every move, the fact that we have a cartoon portraying Dick Cheney as a little boy who grunts and eats live animals does not help our international image. If Osama gets cable in his cave, he is certainly being entertained at our expense.

For the existence of this presidential entertainment, our country must thank the first amendment. Attempting to alter the amendment to remove all public tomfoolery at President Bush’s expense sounds like an episode of South Park or Lil’ Bush. Hopefully, our President would have the decency to never amend the first amendment; then again, would he?

Fortunately and unfortunately, time is dwindling for George W. Bush related humor as his second term slowly comes to an end. Depending on the next elected president, one may lend himself or herself to more comedic antics; we have to wait two years to find out. No candidate will ever be safe from Matt Stone and Trey Parker, Jon Stewart, and David Letterman with Stone and Parker having already made Hillary, nuclear missiles, and her private parts the joke of an episode. If nothing good has come out of President Bush’s tenure in the white house, at least many of us have shared a lot of laughs. Unfortunately, these laughs come with great pain and suffering for our country and the rest of the planet.

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This Movie is Rated "Hard R"

The MPAA is looking to lose the stigma surrounding its NC-17 rating as it attempts to differentiate between films considered a “hard” or “soft” R. The term “hard R” is the MPAA’s own in-house description of films such as “Saw” or “The Hills Have Eyes” that push the limits of graphic content and border on an NC-17 rating. With such horror pics stretching the R-rating, the MPAA is looking to tell viewers that this material may not be suitable for anyone under 17, as opposed to the “soft R” films like Chris Rock’s latest adult comedy, “I Think I Love My Wife.”

The problem with trying to sell NC-17 as a legitimate rating like its G, PG, PG-13, and R brethren is that it has a small track-record of films like “Showgirls” and “Henry & June.” Additionally, commercial exhibitors are unwilling to show such films. Media publications sometimes will not run advertisements for NC-17 films and Blockbuster will not carry them, which is a reason why customers must stay loyal to the uncensored Netflix internet rental site.

It seems the NC-17 rating gives people this idea that it is the next closest thing to pornography. This rating was eventually added after Miramax Films, not wanting to be categorized with adult entertainment, brought an unsuccessful lawsuit against the MPAA protesting the X rating given to Pedro Almodovar’s film “Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down.” If the MPAA wants acceptance of its adult oriented rating, it may take the commercial success and acceptance of one film to lead the way.

The MPAA might be fighting a winless battle in trying to rebuild the reputation of the NC-17 rating. Like Hollywood stars Mel Gibson and Michael Richards who have had success with humanly troubles, their creative work cannot be denied and should be celebrated but their personal mishaps will not be forgotten. The MPAA might need to invest in another rating and change its description of R. There may need to be an age restriction no longer at 17 but at both 16 and 18. For both of these ratings, anyone under the age must be accompanied by an adult. The 18 and older rating, though not as restrictive like NC-17, should have similar implications and warn parents that children and teens should be wary of viewing such content, but the parents should still have the deciding factor.

Part of the problem of the NC-17 rating is that films will lose the cash cow of the strong teenage market. If such films are not outright restricted from teens but given access as long as with a parent or guardian, this still leaves access to teens with their increasing appetite for sex and violence. Even with an alteration to the current ratings system, it is going to take cooperation and man power on the exhibitors’ part to enforce the rules. In high school, the only time I had trouble sneaking into an R-rated movie was during the opening week and sometimes the second. After that, no one was making sure that I was actually going to see “Finding Nemo” because after a couple weeks there was a new R-rated film to enforce.

The discrepancy between films that receive R ratings is misleading to the public. If films continue to push content boundaries, there will likely be a necessary revision to the current ratings system in the near future. Is cleaning the reputation of NC-17 the best route for the MPAA? If history repeats itself, another rating will likely be created and NC-17 will find itself next to its outcast brother X. As violent horror pics continue to create the next big shock factor—and it takes a lot to shock audiences today—the R rating is becoming too tame. As film content evolves, the rating system must inevitably evolve as well. Hopefully, we do not have to go through a series of “copycats” that occurred in the “Natural Born Killers” aftermath before the MPAA decides to make a commanding decision.

Information provided by “Indecent Proposal” by Pamela McClintock for the March 12-18, 2007 issue of Variety.

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President Shalala: She Keeps Going and Going…

It is a great time to attend and study at the University of Miami under the leadership of Donna Shalala. Asked to co-head a commission to investigate problems at the Walter Reed Medical Center with Senator Bob Dole, President Shalala returns to the political spotlight.

As former secretary of health and human services in the Clinton administration, President Shalala has always been an individual working for the people. She continues to demonstrate this quality as she leads UM through each semester. Last year when UNICCO workers were protesting for higher wages, she and her staff recognized the workers’ needs and created a positive, rational solution.

Along with her great leadership, she comes with her political connections and her vast friendships with people in influential places. Throughout my time at UM, President Shalala has consistently used her personal ties to benefit the students. With the first presidential debate of the 2004 election held at the Bank United Center, President Shalala put the university at the forefront of the political scene. Students did not hesitate to take advantage of watching “Hardball” live from “The Rock” as well as some even having the privileged opportunity to attend the debate.

Students, who today lack a general political fervor, could not help but take part in all of the events that took place on campus to promote election awareness. Now with the 2008 presidential election already taking shape, we are sure to have our share of respected political guests as election time nears, courtesy of our president. President Shalala’s commitment to keeping her students engaged in today’s politics is obvious by the recent appearances of Vice President Al Gore and President Bill Clinton.

President Shalala’s willingness to lead the Walter Reed investigation to help correct a national disgrace proves her everlasting commitment to public service and the American people. It is a huge honor for her to be selected among her other capable peers and this high honor reflects on this university. Having a president that is so respected and admired throughout the nation is an invaluable asset to this school.

Those students past, present, and future who have the good fortune of studying under the leadership of President Shalala have an opportunity to develop in an educational atmosphere that not all students are privileged to. We have the guidance, leadership, and example that President Shalala offers by her service. Over the next few years, it is going to be a great time to be a Miami Hurricane.

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Protesting in the "Can"

As it is reported in the media, presidential disapproval is increasing and concerns about the Iraq War grow. I have often wondered how much of this anti-Bush sentiment exists in my generation and college age adults, and what is being done to vocally demonstrate anti-war beliefs? I can only speak of first hand experience from the University of Miami campus and information I gather through the internet, television, or my Newsweek subscription.

Unlike in Washington, there has been no picketing or protesting here on campus in Coral Gables. There are no anti-war tables staking a claim in the breezeway. The topic of conversation is usually not the state of our country. I had a bumper sticker that said, “January 20, 2009-The End of An Error,” until it faded, and I removed it. I had some anti-war pins on my backpack last year until they either fell off or were pilfered.

When it comes to print media at UM, The Hurricane prints a variety of political commentaries which means students are using their keyboards to voice their opinions.

But recently I have found a cry for anti-war protest from UM male citizens in an unlikely place: the men’s bathrooms around the UM campus. Urinal and toilet stalls have long been the canvas for verbal epithets about mothers, sexual pleasures, good times, who to call for a good time, and male genitalia, but now I’ve noticed a sixth category: political protesting.

Phrases such as “Bush lied,” “War sucks,” “Peace is the answer,” can be seen in UM men’s bathrooms like the one in the UC and the one next to Starbucks. Why have people chosen the public toilet as the venue to voice opinions especially since only the male population will ever read it? (I have to hope the women are as politically active. Since I never visit the women’s facility, I hope someone writes in to enlighten us.) It appears we have little time in our increasingly busy lives to organize a protest or a display table in the UC breezeway. But during this rare moment in the day of five minutes of relaxation, it appears that some male students take the opportunity to do something we wish we had more time to do: protest our current political and military displeasures. Not everyone is able to write a newspaper article or orchestrate a demonstration, so this toilet graffiti might be one’s preferred method of expression.

The fact remains that there is an increasing public outcry throughout many age levels against the president and his leading our country into war on what appears to be more than increasing suspicions of false pretenses. We all express our feelings in different ways. As long as one can offer one’s opinion publicly, it does not matter the venue. Keep in mind that political graffiti was a staple of ancient Rome and was put up everywhere.

We are in a time of uncertainty with many of our questions either unanswered or answered with the current solution of deploying additional troops. Maybe the bathroom protestors have the best method of voicing this concern. A ball point pen or permanent marker can leave an imprint that lasts until it is painted over or the building is destroyed, but the potential exists for the writing to last for an exceedingly long time. A well placed phrase of “Bush is the devil” (an actual piece of toilet graffito) can be seen by hundreds of people in a given week. For the work of one to affect such a large group of people is a very powerful way and non-violent way to voice disagreement.

With each passing day and more Iraqi citizens and coalition forces killed and wounded, the concern grows about the escalating violence. So far presidential candidate Barack Obama is the only one to provide us with a solution to the Iraq War, a solution that will have all American troops redeployed by March of 2008. Obama was also against the war from its inception.

Will we see demonstrations like the US saw during the Vietnam era? I hope our current political and military situation does not reach a point to necessitate such outcry, but if our country must, we will take our fight from the bathroom stalls to the streets and hopefully into the halls of Congress and the Oval Office.

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The Iraqi Groundhog Emerges

The United States is stuck in “Groundhog Day” the movie, where the American people play Bill Murray's character, the frustrated weatherman Phil Connors. We are waking up only to realize that yesterday is today over and over again. American soldiers in Iraq are killed, Iraqis are killed in sectarian bombing that adds to a series of more bombings, and another bloodiest day in Iraq occurs. The American people are looking for an exit strategy out of Iraq, and President Bush wants to increase troops escalating the war declaring that this surge is now our only option for success. It is Groundhog Day, over and over again.

When Bill Murray's character, Phil Connors, first realizes he is awakening to the same day, he uses this “invincibility” to his advantage by engaging in risky behavior. As he continues to wake up on February 2^nd over and over again, he adapts to his situation and attempts to better himself and use his knowledge of the upcoming events to help himself and others around him. The US, on the other hand, is trapped in a “bizzaro” Groundhog's Day. After four years without success and a seemingly endless cycle of violence, lies, and political rhetoric, our government is not changing its course of action to get us out of this cycle; instead it maintains the same course. For Phil Connors, life and the lives around him kept getting better, but for the US, the occupation in Iraq continues to worsen with loss of life and suffering on all sides of the fighting.

As we have to adapt to the new pressures that this war places on both the US and Iraq, it may be necessary to alter the definition of success in favor of pulling out our troops. If the situations and the circumstances do not change around us, then we have to start changing around them. The joke must be on us, the American people, as we continue along the path paved since March 20, 2003, and yet we have had little success in the Iraq War and the river of blood keeps flowing. Congress may help block President Bush from sending an additional 21,000 troops into Iraq to help end this repeating cycle, however the president does not seem too willing to give in to Congress and the American people's wishes.

If we wake up in the morning and no longer hear, “It's another bloody day in Iraq,” blaring on the radio like Phil Connors no longer heard Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe,” then we will know an exit strategy out of Iraq has begun, and then we have seen the last of Iraq's Groundhog's Day. On the eve of the war we should have headed the advice of the nutty insurance agent in the film, Ned Ryerson, “Watch out for that first step. It's a doozy.”

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Message of wartime America not found in new music

What do Kelly Clarkson, Nickelback’s “Photograph,” and Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” have in common? Little except that they were all released during wartime America in the ‘60s with Vietnam and in the ‘00s with Iraq. Two wars fought under different yet similar conditions; however, pop culture and the youth culture have been slow to react toward the war. With over 2,300 military casualties, 17,000 reported wounded, and a thirty-seven percent approval rating for President George W. Bush, Americans are growing restless with our country’s occupation of Iraq. Despite public disapproval, the entertainment industries have yet to speak out against the war at the level as witnessed during Vietnam.

With the release of “The Constant Gardener,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” and “Syriana,” filmmakers are putting their antiwar feelings on the big screen for the public’s viewing pleasure. In James Risen’s “State of War” and Noam Chomsky’s “Hegemony or Survival,” authors have published books for several years trying to expose where our country went wrong and how we can turn things around. Puff Daddy threatened people to vote in his “Vote or Die” campaign. Music artists, unlike filmmakers or authors, are not yet producing the volume of antiwar inspired songs like those artists of the ‘60s.

The fear of political backlash is lessened as the majority of the country sees no end in sight to the president’s “Messopotamia.” If the Dixie Chicks had confessed their shame for the president’s Texas residence today, radio stations would now likely give them more airplay instead of a blacklisting. Green Day grabbed Grammy Awards with their anti-Bush/ anti-War rock album, “American Idiot.” The Dave Matthews Band jammed out to “American Baby” in last year’s “Stand Up.” Kanye West began his crusade with “Jesus Walks.” These are successful artists, yet a stronger message is waiting to be heard as the nation’s youth and caretakers of the ‘60s flounder as they come to grips with the seriousness of the current war.

A sentiment similar to that demonstrated by The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, CSNY, Scott McKenzie, Joan Baez, The Beatles, and John Lennon is absent in today’s music scene. Is the nation waiting for a military draft or until American casualties reach 58,000? As civil war nears in Iraq and the US maintains its occupancy, D4L raps about “Laffy Taffy,” Nelly sings about his “Grillz,” and Fall Out Boy just wants to “Dance, Dance.” All catchy songs, but it seems trivial to think the gold in our mouths is the best subject for a song.

Perhaps the nation is so disturbed with the state of our country that we remove ourselves from reality by listening to the chorus lines and rhymes on our iPods. Music artists play to the public. If the public is not demanding that our current administration take responsibilities for their actions, then artists might hesitate to make a statement on their own.

If it is antiwar feelings that artists secretly have, it is not conveyed when they try to produce the next pop radio hit or nightclub remix. The public’s lack of awareness goes beyond the war and the administration. The clueless apathy could be a result of our culture of greed which causes deception.

One can only hope that the small stand in the entertainment industries will grow in favor of a more proactive stance. It has been three years since we entered war with Iraq; Vietnam took ten years to end. There is little reason to believe we will not occupy Iraq for any shorter a period of time than we spent in Vietnam. As the artists of the ‘60s proved, provocative, lasting music is written when there is an invested emotion. And war leaves enough emotions to last for several generations, but where is this emotion today?

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A post-spring break bonus, for all of us

It appears there could be an end to the UNICCO strike and a positive one at that. After several weeks of marches, protesting, and classes held outdoors, the University “adopted and implemented a new policy that sets minimum standards for service contractors doing business on the University’s campuses.” This minimum was raised around two dollars and in some cases nearly three dollars. Despite the protesting, this writer always had the feeling that President Shalala would do the right thing in terms of a living wage for the workers.

Knowing our president’s history in politics and leadership, I felt a decision to improve the UNICCO employees’ pay rate would be dealt with as she has governed in the past. After a period of deliberation, President Shalala and the group that she “appointed to study wages and insurance benefits of the employees of outside service contractors” created a plan appealing to the employees and the students. Additionally, the tuition rates published for next year will not change. Time was taken to assess the situation for all involved. Nothing was done in haste; likely to ensure that all sides were respected.

The voices and outcry from the school community were heard and continue to be heard. Coordinating the relocation of classes was done despite the difficulties placed on students and professors. Then, the school went on spring break. After a week-long hiatus, the thought of UNICCO workers pushing for higher wages was buried under memories of beaches and cruises. Though many students may have forgotten, some classes remained vacant but most of all, President Shalala and the school administration had not forgotten. School returned with a surprise email in everyone’s mailbox from the president herself.

In a country that sees the effects of war and the suffering it creates, that is subjected to globalization and global warming, that has higher numbers of unemployed, it is the goal to make life better not harder for those who are struggling at the bottom of the pay scale. Everyone on this campus is part of the UM community and as President Shalala proves, everyone will reap the benefits that this decision has to offer. The current strike caused a disruption to the school, but it was an honorable one. Without the wise leadership of our president, the school could have witnessed a larger disturbance placing great hardships on students, parents, faculty members, and employees.

Because we have a leader with the experience, integrity, and compassion of President Shalala, there was little worry that the University would leave any parties unsatisfied and not treated fairly. Now that the school made a decision, it remains up to UNICCO, its employees, and their union. As has been stated, the school remains neutral. With this first positive step underway, we look forward that an agreement will be made to give the UNICCO employees a living wage allowing the University to get back to normal.

Quotations taken from President Shalala’s letter to the school.

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Wild tales from spring break? UM does it year-round

As colleges get back to the daily grind of classes and push toward finals, some students may still be recovering from a week of various forms of debauchery, a few mistakes, and hopefully many good times remembered between black outs. For some students at the University of Miami, spring break is a little more unconventional. There are of course the groups of students who fly off or set sail to the Caribbean, Mexico, or home, and for others, it is a week of nothing.

Students at UM have the distinct pleasure of maintaining the spirit of spring break throughout the year. The warm weather, the sunny beaches, the clubs of South Beach, and the bars of Coconut Grove are available to us throughout the school year. A typical Thursday night spent in Coconut Grove then sleeping away Friday at the beach is routine for a Cane but likely a warm dream for many snowed in New Englanders.

As spring breakers invade our local spots, we retreat. The familiar faces are replaced with pale Northerners stretching the waiting lines and temporarily raising prices. While walking through Coconut Grove during one of the few nights I ventured out with a group of friends, a car full of college girls told us to “Go home spring breakers.” After my friend whipped out his cane card to prove his local identity, the girls drove off in what I like to think was an embarrassing mistake.

After almost run out of town like a fox from his hole, we ventured to Fort Lauderdale to check out its scene. The city was surrounded by beer, bars, and babes; debauchery on the beach. I had to act like a real spring breaker for at least one night.

The rest of the week was spent hiding from the crowds. It was welcomed relaxation after the droves of tourists forced you to your home. This past week was a time to unwind and recharge the batteries from the demanding and hectic first two months of the spring semester. For those college students who have not felt warm weather since August, spring break is the week to go all out and capture the spirit of spring to hold them over until summer.

I stopped experiencing seasons eight years ago when my family moved to Florida. This spring break, however, had a new feel. Walking through Coral Gables as one of the sore-thumb tan locals had never felt more gratifying. I was the local. The city of Miami is where I call home. What excites some for a week is another day in paradise for South Florida residents.

Why would anyone want to leave Miami during spring break when everyone comes here? If it is the endless amount of spring breakers, then I can understand why one would want to flee. Spending every spring break in Miami during your years at UM, whether you did anything, is the cheapest way to be in one of the ultimate spring break hot spots.

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One Nation Under Bluetooth

If we had more limbs and ears, we could take multitasking to a new level and take advantage of everything that the world of technology has to offer. With the latest technology in hands-free headsets for cellular phones, one of our iPod earbuds will have to move aside so our Bluetooth wireless headsets can take over.

Now that the geeky, antiquated, wired, hands-free headsets have given way to the sleek and stylish Bluetooth headsets, talking to yourself has officially become normal. Until Bluetooth headsets become the standard method of cell phone conversations, many people will have some adjusting to do the next time someone is seen arguing with themselves.

As a frequent Bluetooth wearer, I often get awkward stares as I stroll through the aisles of Publix or Target talking on the phone. Passersby often start answering my questions thinking that I am talking to them. Then, they notice that shiny silvery gadget in my ear and laugh at their confusion. It has been a slight adjustment to regulating my cell phone to my pocket, but as I find typing a paper or cooking dinner without having to wedge my phone between ear and shoulder or bother with the annoying earpiece wire, the benefits of Bluetooth technology have never been so rewarding.

Many users keep their comfortable ear pieces in throughout the day. Why waste time putting it on your ear every time a call comes through? Bluetooth headsets, freeing our hands from the constraints of cell phones, now invade activities where cell phone use was often physically impossible. The increase of Bluetooth headsets into the UM gym surprises me. A place to release stress, listen to music, and ignore the world for a few hours, the gym becomes an ideal time to talk on the phone while in an extreme set of bicep curls or an intense treadmill run.

It is not bothersome that someone is on the phone next to me kvetching about their relationship woes, but it saddens me to think that we have become so busy and attached to our cell phones that not even during rigorous exercise can we ignore our phone calls. In many hectic college lives, it is not often during the day that we have time to ourselves.

I am not one to judge when a call is important or where a call should be received, but for now, Bluetooth technology creates more ease than disruption. The verdict is still out on how safe extended cell phone use is for the brain when the phone is kept by the ear. Now, perhaps, we have a way in which we can prevent the possible harmful waves that may cause brain damage.

Just when it was thought that cell phones would never come unglued to ears, Bluetooth headsets made the glue even stronger. What about the dangers of driving while talking on your cell phone? If Bluetooth headsets came free with a purchase of a new car, then perhaps more people would keep their eyes on the road or will they?

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And the War Burns On

The search for weapons of mass destruction has ended on the home front. The latest US recruit, Willy Peter, appeared in Iraq using chemical weapons against the Iraqi insurgency. This is Willy Peter’s second tour of duty. He made his first appearance in November 2004 during the battle of Fallujah in what the US called the “shake and bake” missions to force out insurgent positions.

Willy Peter, the military nickname of white phosphorus, has again become the latest military tactic in the US’s attempt to bring democracy to Iraq. White phosphorus is a chemical weapon similar to napalm, except the 800-1,000 °C burns of white phosphorus penetrate through to the bone.

Two reports revealed the Pentagon regarded the use of white phosphorus as “an incendiary weapon against enemy combatants.”* A March 2005 magazine article in Field Artillery and reports from embedded US journalists conflicted with the Pentagon’s original message of “we don’t use napalm or chemical weapons.”*

In a war that was never meant to last years and was to liberate persecuted people, the line between oppressors and oppressed is blurred. Using chemical force to drive the enemies “out of their holes*” is a tactic that should be unfamiliar to most Americans.

As our country attempts to establish who can and cannot have weapons of mass destruction, the Pentagon claims the use of white phosphorus as an illumination tactic should in no capacity categorize this compound as a chemical weapon. The use of white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon skirts the boundaries of the Geneva Convention on Biological and Chemical Weapons of 1980. The US has yet to sign this agreement that bans using incendiary weapons in civilian regions.*

Clearly our country, with its great wisdom, has decided to become not only the weapons inspector but weapons enforcer. And as the weapons czar, the US has the power to use any weapon it deems necessary to complete a military mission, despite such weapons outlawed by countries of potential terrorist capabilities.

With a global agreement in place to reduce the stockpiling of weaponry and withhold the use of chemical and biological weapons in civilian areas, the US should not rise above international law. If white phosphorus is not considered a chemical weapon, despite phosphorus as one of the most volatile periodic elements, the US again enters the rhetorical war as the self-proclaimed weapons czar who decides what is correct and not correct.

The Iraq War has been a battle of rhetoric since the first bombs destroyed Iraqi homes. The public must understand the chemistry and the barbaric effects of this pyrophoric substance so that considering white phosphorus a non chemical weapon is meaningless.

The reports of torture, clandestine prisons, and now the questionable use of white phosphorus should make everyone wonder about the mission our country has undertaken. The most powerful and technologically sophisticated country in the world uses warfare tactics that were only thought capable by the enemy? What country sets these examples for a burgeoning democracy?

The trenches have grown so deep that the current government seems to now turn to any means necessary to dig itself out. A country of such wealth and privilege should have the ingenuity and wisdom to save itself while saving the lives of others, for power is useful if one knows how to use it and not abuse it.

*Quotes and facts provided by “Chemical Weapons: Willy Peter” by Danny Mayer for the January 2006 issue of Z Magazine.

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The Pen is Still Mightier

As dissent grows from our occupation in Iraq, it appears the pen is no longer mightier than the sword or in 2006, the automatic weapon. For Wall Street Journal reporter Matt Pottinger, taking action against inaction, his pen no longer holds the might it once did. This 32-year-old journalist joined the US Marines knowing the strong chance he will be deployed to Iraq. This change of occupation comes as part of his plea to America to "Get off our sofas and get involved. Start improving ourselves. We're competing now.”

After returning to the US from assignment in China, he returned to a country that did not seem at war. "I was surprised by that … and that disturbed me. It gave me a sense that we were being a little bit too complacent."

He served his country for nearly a decade as a reporter, and now takes, as what he feels, is the next step in serving his country. "I wanted to actually be participating in an incredibly important period in our history as opposed to just observing and reporting events. … I didn't want to watch the movie and not have a part in it."

As the president’s line of reasoning for this war is gradually refuted, the public’s disapproval for the imperialism under the banner of “spreading democracy” grows. And as the US wonders how far to dig the war hole, our men and women fight a government’s war of a seemingly endless struggle against religious extremists seeking the riches of martyrdom.

In a war that now appears to be a quagmire, the media is beginning to find its backbone and expose the injustice that is committed daily. For Pottinger, his voice at the news power house of the Wall Street Journal (a conservative news organization) was apparently not enough in a country where the majority of citizens is against the war and has a national voice via the Internet. Though we are now able to have our voices heard through blogging, those with instant national recognition have an obligation to open the eyes of the country to the true facts, positive or negative.

Now is not the time to add another body to the death count if it can be avoided. If it is complacency that one detests, call your fellow Americans to action through the many means this country offers from Congressional letters to blogs to non violent protests.

It is going to take more than Pottinger to help bring democracy and stability to Iraq. With the information that comes out of Iraq regarding the insanity, the mounting deaths on both sides, and the turmoil this war has caused at home and abroad, it is difficult to believe that one would voluntarily enlist in the Marines during this war of needless aggression when you had a media outlet behind you that published your voice.

Fueling the violence in the Middle East will not create peace. If we want to right a wrong, uncovering injustice is the first step. Losing a journalist to fight in the war, rather than going overseas to cover the war, may prove counter productive when many at home are crying for their family members to return to the US from the war.

On top of the mounting concerns in Iraq and the corruption on Capitol Hill, the state of the union is not reassuring. The media have enlightened the public for decades to social and political scandals. During this time of possible executive government malfeasance, the media should place our current government on a public trial exposing the dishonesty in the court of public opinion thereby forcing chance.

If our society has not lost its sense of ethics and law, justice will overcome injustice, but this will not be accomplished with a gun. You can save more lives with your pen than with violence. Matt Pottinger you may be a naive conservative ideologue who has imbibed too much kool-aid from the neoconservative trough. Violence only breeds more violence. I hope you come home safe, and you learn war and violence cause much suffering.