The Ten Best:
2005’s most important occurrences/events/products, for better or for worse.
2005’s most important occurrences/events/products, for better or for worse.
"Corruption is our protection. Corruption is what keeps us safe and warm. Corruption is why you and I are prancing around here instead of fighting each other for scraps of meat out in the streets. Corruption is why we win."
-Danny Daulton (Syriana)
10. For Better: Bright Eyes: I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning


The best tracks, in my arrogant opinion, are: Landlocked Blues, Lua, Road to Joy, We Are Nowhere and It’s Now.
9. For Worse: Still Fighting for Oil
While the fact that the United States military is fighting a war based on lies is nothing new, the fact that we are still fighting it, all the way into 2006, is significant. And awful, and repugnant, and shameful, and catastrophically isolating our nation from the rest of the world, and so on and so forth…I will say only one more thing on this subject. Hopefully, most of you have this already figured on your own. It goes like this: Every single thing uttered by this administration (that includes Fox News and its contributors) about the war in Iraq, from its conception, until now, has been, and forever will be, a lie. That includes the current mantra spewing from their mouths, claiming we are winning the war. Read the paper, any paper, in the morning, and read every article regarding the war in Iraq and tell me if it sounds like we are winning. You don't even have to read the entire article; you can probably get away with just reading the death toll.
8. For Worse?: Supreme Mishaps and Evangelistic Lawyers
Now, I can’t seem to absolutely decide if the whole Supreme Court nominee debacle is for better or worse. We went from one crazy lady, Harriet Miers, who we knew thought the world of President Bush-now that doesn’t give me much confidence-and whom we knew absolutely nothing else about, to a well known, moderately conservative judge. We will never know what Harriet Miers would have brought us, and seemingly, at first glance, we could have done much worse than Alito, thus maybe I should switch my ‘for worse’ to ‘for better.’
Oh, and not only that, but he got, not just one, but two appointments. ‘He” being, George Bush, our president. I don’t particularly like to address him formally. Due to his constant abuse of our language, why bother—will he even know the difference? (And plus, I have heard he does not read. True statement.)
I realize this was a harsh diatribe, but it needed to be said by someone, as we Americans feel our civil liberties slipping away.
7. For Better: The Sundance Movies and my First Trip to Park City
This past year, I was fortunate enough to attend the festival and take in a whole bunch of films right in the electrifying confines of Park City, Utah. Throughout most of the year, Park City is a quaint mountain town, bringing in a few snowboard enthusiasts, but otherwise remaining isolated from the hustle and bustle of its neighbor, Salt Lake City. However, for ten days in late January, Park City receives an exciting injection of organized chaos in the form of, young and old, small-time Hollywood players, looking for their big break.
The 2005 Sundance Film Festival, stressing its independent filmmaking roots, provided festivalgoers with a great time and a long list of much appreciated films. Fortunately, for those who missed the event, an enormous amount of these small, but great pictures, survived the week and made it to local cinemas. The following are the ones dearest to me; the 10 best:
Brick (2005) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt
10. The March of the Penguins
tie. The Ballad of Jack and Rose
9. The Chumscrubber
8. Saving Face
7. Murderball
6. Hustle & Flow
5. Brick
4. Me and You and Everyone We Know
3. Twist of Faith
2. The Squid and the Whale
1. Junebug
10. The March of the Penguins
tie. The Ballad of Jack and Rose
9. The Chumscrubber
8. Saving Face
7. Murderball
6. Hustle & Flow
5. Brick
4. Me and You and Everyone We Know
3. Twist of Faith
2. The Squid and the Whale
1. Junebug

Junebug: Ben McKennzie, Amy Adams | The Squid and the Whale: Owen Kline, Jesse Eisenberg
6. For Better: Self Plug—My first CD and Live Performance

Full Speed Aheadis the title of my first, self-produced CD. It contains 8 original songs on an acoustic guitar. I have not yet managed to get them uploaded, so, I suppose you’ll have to trust me that its decent. As soon as its available for a listen, I’ll certainly bring another post. This has been an exciting accomplishment for me, and I just thought I would share. The end.
5. For Better: An Uncertain Future
2005 has been a year of uncertainty, for me, as well as for our country. The chance for things to get better and to get worse and then better again, yet not knowing exactly where I or our nation will be in the coming days, months, and years, is frightening, yet ultimately exhilarating. It is what makes life, and life in America, so great; anything is possible at any moment. So for better, are all of the uncertainties of 2005.4. For Worse: Natural Disasters and National Failures
In the aftermath of the tragic events in the South Asian island nations caused by one of the worst Tsunami’s ever to reach landfall, one might hope that America, “the biggest and brightest of them all”, might be better prepared for a disaster of its own.
The other important note Katrina brought to us, is our vulnerability as a nation. Are we prepared to handle a natural or human attack on our soil? It does not seem so. Now, it’s easy to blame Bush and Nagin and other government officials for their slow response to the disaster. And it’s true that it was a bi-partisan effort that dropped the ball in the aftermath of the flood. BUT, lets think about this for just longer than a second and maybe come up with a better answer than: George Bush doesn’t care—which may very well be true…possibly—but lets give him the benefit of the doubt and say he does care.
So, why then would there be such a slow response, to get people into that submerged city and help those people in need? Money? No. I’d say America has plenty of that and there is no problem with just adding it to the tab Bush has been running since 2000. Hmmm, so could it be manpower? Did we not have the troupes to send in to help? Well…no, but they are fighting our worthy cause over in Iraq. We can’t count on our noble military, when we have wrongly deployed them to another country. So that wasn’t the answer. Oh, wait, I know who could have helped; our National Guard should have been immediately flying into New Orleans. After all, that’s precisely what they are here for: to save us in case of an emergency. So, just as George Bush was picking up the phone to call our National Guard into New Orleans, he remembered that he had deployed most of them overseas. Oh, shit! So, we have no one here to defend us at home?
Isn’t that scary!?
3: For Better: Politics at the Movies in 2005

In a year absent of Michael Moore, the film industry marched out an array of quiet, subtle, poignant, and best of all, wonderful pictures of semi-fiction, imparting sharp commentaries on our nation and the world. While I am probably leaving out some, these are the 8 best:8. Good Night, and Good Luck.
Clooney co-stars and directs this elegant tale of the “Red-Scare”, taking aim at the quality and validity of our television news, past and present
7. Brokeback Mountain
It should go unsaid that the widespread appreciation for this film is a step in the right direction for a society struggling to maintain itself as free, just, and equal.
6. Munich
Spielberg’s most searing and unrelenting film to date (including Schindler’s List), recounts the Israeli governments’ retaliation to the brutal kidnapping and murder of their country’s 1972 Olympians by a group of Palestinian terrorists called Black September.
5. A History of Violence
A harsh, honest look at our culture’s obsession with guns and violence. And also, lets think about what draws us, the audience, so strongly to this dark film.
4. Crash
Crash examines humanity with an intricate, brutally honest, interwoven plot, filled with complex characters from diverse backgrounds. Its most important, and often overlooked theme, I believe, is the idea that the world over, we are all one; that we are all interconnected.
3. Syriana
Clooney and Soderberg produce this haunting take on the global oil situation. It’s a wildly confusing plot, yet simultaneously forceful and emotional; it does not take sides but merely shows us how bleak things are, while we continue to rely on foreign oil.
2. Capote
Capote takes an invigorating look at the downfall of one of the most brilliant gay figures in American pop culture history. Rarely arising in conversations about this film is its willingness to sympathize with the felons and take a stand against their execution and the death penalty.
1. The Constant Gardener
Taking on the pharmaceutical companies with urgency and love! The best love story of the year and the best political film of the year.
2. For Worse: Thursday, January 20, 2005
This one will be short. If you don't know what happened on January 20, 2005, or if you cannot make an educated guess, then stop being apathetic!If that was harsh, my apologies. But seriously, stop! If you still don't know what I am speaking of, Google the date yourself. It'll be the start of your emergence from apathy. Wait. Okay. Hold on. I'll give you a hint before you go do your search. It all started with the first Tuesaday in Novemeber, the previous year (2004). Okay. Got it. If not, now you can go do your search.
1. For Better: America

I would like to thank America and its founders for allowing this to be possible. "This", I realize, is vague, but I mean it to be. I would also like to thank George W. Bush, for not reading this website and for being strong and resolute, in the toughest of times, no matter how many times he may be wrong. There is one thing for sure about him: he loves his job. I think I know that.And finally, I would just like to say, for all my rants and raves and betters and worsts, I believe, at the end of it all, the betters slightly outway the worsts.
America,
Good night, and good luck...
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home