So Mr. Polanski is out on bail awaiting his extradition hearing. He's on house arrest, and wearing a monitoring bracelet.
Hopefully 4 million dollars bail is enough to keep him from fleeing, but I'll be VERY surprised if he doesn't.
And the way things are going, I'll be surprised if he ever even has to face his own charges.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Prisoner, conclusion
Heh. I was right about it being a virtual reality, but wrong about what kind. It was BOTH a drug-induced hallucination AND a digital virtual reality.
And the holes in that explanation (so to speak) leave me feeling "meh". The Village is a drug-stabilized dream/fantasy in the mind of Curtis' wife, but the people are computer simulations somehow projected into that dream.
And if someone ELSE in the fantasy takes the magic pills, THEY become the one dreaming the Village in the real world? What happens to their meat body? Who's taking care of it?
And Six abandons all his moral outrage if HE can be "the boss"? Gee, nice to see that the hero of the story has such strong, enduring standards.
Overall, I call it a waste of time. Six hours that I could have been doing any number of other things.
And the holes in that explanation (so to speak) leave me feeling "meh". The Village is a drug-stabilized dream/fantasy in the mind of Curtis' wife, but the people are computer simulations somehow projected into that dream.
And if someone ELSE in the fantasy takes the magic pills, THEY become the one dreaming the Village in the real world? What happens to their meat body? Who's taking care of it?
And Six abandons all his moral outrage if HE can be "the boss"? Gee, nice to see that the hero of the story has such strong, enduring standards.
Overall, I call it a waste of time. Six hours that I could have been doing any number of other things.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Prisoner, 3 & 4
Now I predict it's going to be like Twin Peaks: "Just throw in a bunch of weird stuff that we're never going to explain, because the viewers will accept anything."
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Prisoner
Okay, after two episodes, it's . . . interesting.
But I want to get my prediction in right now: it's all some kind of virtual reality. I don't know if it's a chemically/psychologically induced hallucination, or an actual computer simulation, but it's all going to turn out not to be real.
I know, there are flaws with that explanation, like "well, why did they have to chase the old man down with guns, then?? And, "What's the point of Rover, then?"
***Spoiler Alert***
But how else do you explain the disappearance of the ocean? It has to be some kind of "not really real" reality that the people in charge can manipulate.
And where do the food and supplies come from? If they're brought in from "outside", then there obviously IS an "outside". If it's not real, they can just "appear" in place, and no one questions it.
I also predict:
The towers are a red herring.
#2 is as much a "victim" as anyone else there.
But I want to get my prediction in right now: it's all some kind of virtual reality. I don't know if it's a chemically/psychologically induced hallucination, or an actual computer simulation, but it's all going to turn out not to be real.
I know, there are flaws with that explanation, like "well, why did they have to chase the old man down with guns, then?? And, "What's the point of Rover, then?"
***Spoiler Alert***
But how else do you explain the disappearance of the ocean? It has to be some kind of "not really real" reality that the people in charge can manipulate.
And where do the food and supplies come from? If they're brought in from "outside", then there obviously IS an "outside". If it's not real, they can just "appear" in place, and no one questions it.
I also predict:
The towers are a red herring.
#2 is as much a "victim" as anyone else there.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
What am I not understanding?!?!
Okay, the health care bill passed.
Medium and Large companies will be required to provide health care to their employees. I forsee a lot of companies going more to the "contractor" rather than "employee" mindset.
EVERYONE will be required to have some kind of health care. If they don't get it from their employer, they will HAVE TO BUY IT THEMSELVES. If you're working for a small company that doesn't have to provide it, and doesn't, you MUST buy some out of your own pocket.
Anyone who doesn't have qualifying health insurance will pay an additional 2.5% income tax. If you can't afford it, they're going to take even more money out of your pocket.
Insurers will NOT be allowed to disqualify pre-existing conditions. Rates will go up to compensate for the increased costs.
Small and Medium income families will have subsidies to help them purchase health insurance. Great. Bet it doesn't cover the whole, increased cost.
I foresee:
• Additional financial burden on companies that are currently struggling due to the economy. Especially on small, privately owned companies.
• Increased insurance costs to cover increased expenses. And increases to take advantage of the forced purchases.
• Reductions in benefits to compensate. And more workers being hired as "contractors" (with no benefits at all).
• People who can't afford insurance now either buy it anyway, or lose MORE of their income.
This is "reform"?
Medium and Large companies will be required to provide health care to their employees. I forsee a lot of companies going more to the "contractor" rather than "employee" mindset.
EVERYONE will be required to have some kind of health care. If they don't get it from their employer, they will HAVE TO BUY IT THEMSELVES. If you're working for a small company that doesn't have to provide it, and doesn't, you MUST buy some out of your own pocket.
Anyone who doesn't have qualifying health insurance will pay an additional 2.5% income tax. If you can't afford it, they're going to take even more money out of your pocket.
Insurers will NOT be allowed to disqualify pre-existing conditions. Rates will go up to compensate for the increased costs.
Small and Medium income families will have subsidies to help them purchase health insurance. Great. Bet it doesn't cover the whole, increased cost.
I foresee:
• Additional financial burden on companies that are currently struggling due to the economy. Especially on small, privately owned companies.
• Increased insurance costs to cover increased expenses. And increases to take advantage of the forced purchases.
• Reductions in benefits to compensate. And more workers being hired as "contractors" (with no benefits at all).
• People who can't afford insurance now either buy it anyway, or lose MORE of their income.
This is "reform"?
The Berlin Wall came down 20 years ago
Wow. I grew up with it in place, knew it was there, figured it would ALWAYS be there.
I was thirty-mumble when it came down. A full adult, and never even considered the possibility that it would ever come down. Yet it did.
And that was TWENTY years ago.
Sheesh.
I was thirty-mumble when it came down. A full adult, and never even considered the possibility that it would ever come down. Yet it did.
And that was TWENTY years ago.
Sheesh.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Trick 'R Treat
If you like horror movies, real ones with actual stories and not just a flood of fake blood, go read this write-up of "Trick 'R Treat", and then rent it and enjoy.
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