There's Always Money in the Banana Stand

North Korea announced an army exceeding 150,000 troops ready to attack should the US decide to impose force on Kim Jong Il to release or destroy any hints of nukes.

It's not scary to me to think that North Korea is poised for war, but it freaks the life out of me to think that the US is still pressuring them to live up to the US or UN's standards.

And I get it. I do. But it's not our fight and I don't understand why we keep poking the rabid dog with a stick and we don't just let him lay there in the back yard undisturbed. Maybe it's our ever-present fear that that crazy little man could push the button if he was simply having a bad day. Hey, he's just crazy enough.

But we'll never be able to regulate and control every country or leader (err..dictator) that runs a country differently than we do. And every time we try it's an expensive disaster. I guess the job of the world police is never done.

What Have You Become?

After watching Vicky Christina Barcelona I longed to be in Spain again. The colors; all of the tones that come with a burnt-colored earth and the sepia and blue skies, the Castilian Lisps, the architecture of Gaudi. All of these piece perfectly represent the Barcelona I once visited. It's gorgeous and engaging and has an allure unique to only that part of the world.

Alongside these beautiful vistas of land and sea, the movie's script - although engaging enough to keep you watching - left something to be desired. The story lacks depth, but is packed full of emotion (maybe this is typical for a Woody Allen film. I'm not sure).

The acting, however, is wonderful. Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz portray their characters flawlessly. Cruz, in particular, was perfectly cast for the insane ex-wife of Bardem's Character.

The movie - aside from the visual aspect - will not blow you away, but it's enough to make you glad you watched it on a boring Tuesday night

Bend it 'til it breaks

I'll start by stating that I'm in support of certain levels of government regulation. I think faulty regulation or maybe a lack of regulation is a portion of the cause for all the crap that's taking place today.

I don't, however, in any way support the White House passing that regulatory power to the US Federal Reserve. It's no secret my thoughts on the Fed and I make no apologies for thinking that Geithner and Bernanke (even Greenspan) are un-trustworthy snakes with an agenda that doesn't line up one bit with public interest.

If our Federal government wants to apply regulations to certain free-market organizations...go for it. But we're in for some shady workings to have the Fed imposing Federal regulation as an organization that is private, not a branch of government and is not required to provide public documentation or audits.

But hey, they've been making the decisions on many things for years. Really great decisions like printing copious amounts of paper money and inflating the US Dollar, so what could possibly go wrong?

When All The Trees Have Lied

There have been many films recently that have impacted me in serious ways. A few that come to mind are Last of the Mohicans, Glory, Saving Private Ryan and Beaches (ok, maybe not that last one. Although, it may choke you up).

The film, Bella, is a film that hit me like a ton of bricks. Coming from a family that kept, supported and (in some cases) partial raised foster babies that were born of mothers who were initially considering abortion, this film hit a nerve close to my heart.

Although fictional, the story is presented in a way that involves you in the lives of the two main characters as though it were real. The main character, José, is a man tortured by his past, but who possesses a soul and a passion that any sane man or woman would long for. A passion that will inspire you and give you more than a glimmer of hope in the capacity of the human heart.

Watch this film and let's chat. I'd love to hear others' feedback.

I don't want to recycle revenge

I don't have much and I know it's been a week since my last post, but I thought I'd pass along an interesting breakdown of Obama's speech in Cairo.

Note: I have little to no knowledge of the importance or impact that a speech like this can hold, so I'm not agreeing with him on all points. I simply found it interesting and informative.

Metal on Metal

Anvil! The Story of Anvil. I honestly don't have a lot to write. This film blew me away and I will own this as soon as it's on DVD. The is most certainly a movie that you have to see. Every bit of hype is well-deserved.