27 July 2005

Two Exciting Bits of News I Just Learned!

Hey, check it out--a post I didn't write at work!

1. So, like, so far this year I've watched Pirates of the Caribbean on DVD about ten times. So far. I love that movie. And guess what I just learned? There's a sequel on the way! Man, nothing gets the ol' juices flowing like a good sequel! I hate having to learn some new plot and new characters!

Actually, this is one of the few times when I'm actually looking forward to a sequel. Consider: same director; same writers; same composer; Depp, Knightley, Bloom, Davenport, Pryce, and even Rush all return. Let's face facts: this movie wasn't just gorgeous scenery (and people); the actors did a damn fine job. This was the best pirate movie since Errol Flynn, and possibly the best pirate movie ever. And you're telling me they're getting the old crew back together for another go? Hey, Spiderman 2 was better than the original, and the original was damned good. Damned good! So I am perfectly right to have very high hopes for this sequel. The movie is filming now, due out next year. I'm way more excited about this than I was about this year's Star Wars movie. Call me a dork if you like. I'm happy. (And I had a truly shitty day at work so I'm going to gloat.)

2. I have a new favorite underdog country. I wouldn't quite call it third-world; in fact, in my particular rank structure (about which there will be several posts in the coming days), it's what I'd call a "failed state." But you gotta like this line:

"The government eventually suppressed or came to terms with most political-military groups, settled a territorial dispute with Libya on terms favorable to Chad, drafted a democratic constitution, and held multiparty presidential elections in 1996 and 1997."

Think about this. Chad. Chad, one of the poorest, crappiest, least militarily powerful countries on the face of the earth, got into a territorial dispute with Libya, which had numerous chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons programs through much of the last two decades and a steady source of petroleum-related income, and settled the dispute on terms favorable to Chad.

I don't know how in the hell they managed that, but damn. And can I get some. So, go Chad. Of all the Failed States, you're definitely in my top five.



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My favorite lost cause country right now is Zimbabwe.

I just finished "Our Votes, Our Guns" by Martin Meredith. Great book.

Chad is cool too, the lonely planet guide says that all the buildings in the capital still have bullet holes in them from the 70s.