(2004) dir Kevin Macdonald – w/ Nicholas Aaron as Simon Yates and Brendan Mackey as Joe Simpson; also with Joe Simpson and Simon Yates Synopsis: Based on the true story of two climbers (Joe Simpson [who wrote the book Touching the Void] and Simon Yates) who attempt an ascent of an unclimbed mountain in South […]
Touching the Void (****)
Posted by Ben on May 22, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/touching-the-void/
A kangaroo named Lulu (and don’t forget the cockles!)
It’s enough to warms the cockles of your heart: “A kangaroo named Lulu is to receive a national bravery award after raising the alarm to save an Australian farmer knocked unconscious by a fallen tree branch. “Hobby farmer Leonard Richards was checking for storm damage on his property at Tanjil South, 150 km (93 miles) […]
Posted by Ben on May 21, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/a-kangaroo-named-lulu-and-dont-forget-the-cockles/
But today isn’t about how my presence here devalues this fine institution
“Thank you Mr. President, I had forgotten how crushingly dull these ceremonies are. Thank you. “My best to the choir. I have to say, that song never grows old for me. Whenever I hear that song, it reminds me of nothing. … “Today is the day you enter into the real world, and I should […]
Posted by Ben on May 20, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/but-today-isnt-about-how-my-presence-here-devalues-this-fine-institution/
Rappitz
Varmint trouble in a small town.
Posted by Ben on May 20, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/rappitz-2/
Sailor mongers, the lot of ’em!
It’s not too many times you can skim through the news and see the phrase ‘sailor mongering’ tossed around like a beach ball. In a positive sign for society as a whole, the ‘sailor mongering’ case was thrown out by a Miami judge. Though I’m not saying it’s necessarily a bad thing that maybe a […]
Posted by Ben on May 20, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/sailor-mongers-the-lot-of-em/
Rundown: Age, NYT, and Corporate-financed studies
How Old Do You Think I Am? A project where people post their picture online to have others guess at their age. The possible benefit (and potential detriment) being that you get a more or less objective answer to the question, “how old do I look?” via the composite (i.e., average of guesses) that shows […]
Posted by Ben on May 19, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/rundown-age-nyt-and-corporate-financed-studies/
10 Stories You Need To Know More About (Or Do You?)
In a long, tired tradition of trying to bring important, underreported stories to the forefront, the UN’s put together a web page of “10 Stories the world needs to know more about.” Needless to say, you should probably take a least a couple minutes to skim over the details of various catastrophes and humanitarian crises […]
Posted by Ben on May 18, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/10-stories-you-need-to-know-more-about-or-do-you/
Red Barn, Red Barn
Delicious (the quote starts slow, but the end’s worth it): “The intellectual position of Jackson, Venturi, and Lewis vis-a-vis the American landscape illustrates how the discontinuities of our everyday surroundings are mirrored by the discontinuities of the university. … “Thus, a Jacksonian student of landscape can observe a Red Barn hamburger joint, he can remark […]
Posted by Ben on May 18, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/red-barn-red-barn/
Rundown: Abu Ghraib, The Passion of The Christ, etc
The National Security Archive at GWU is kinda like a combination research institute plus a library of declassified national security documents (hence the title). Everything from the August 6, 2001 PDB to documents pertaining to the US and genocide in Rwanda to more light-hearted things, including a pretty remarkably comprehensive online ‘exhibit’ of the meeting […]
Posted by Ben on May 17, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/rundown-abu-ghraib-the-passion-of-the-christ-etc/
Natural Born Killers (***1/2)
(1994) dir. Oliver Stone – Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey, Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, & Tom Sizemore Synopsis: ‘Natural Born Killers’ presents the story of Mickey (Woody) and Mallory (Juliette), lovers and killers, enamored of their frenetic and blood-spattered lives; of M&M, media pets; of M&M, mass-murderers loved and reviled by the public; and […]
Posted by Ben on May 16, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/natural-born-killers-12/