Schrödinger's Cat Is . . .

In the same spirit as the previous translation I thought I'd translate a few 'Conservativisms' for everyone else, since there also seems to be some confusion going on.

America,
A·mer·i·ca [ ə mérrikə ]
noun
Definition:
1) The best thing in the fucking world, you don't even know!
2) Not capable of being wrong.

Capitalism,
cap·i·tal·ism [ káppit'l ìzzəm ]
noun
Definition:
1) A word they like to use, but don't really understand the meaning of.

Democracy,
de·moc·ra·cy [ di mókrəssee ] (plural de·moc·ra·cies)
noun
Definition:
1) The right thing to do, even if the majority of people are being stupid.

Human Being,
hu·man be·ing (plural hu·man be·ings)
noun
Definition:
1) "Are you gay?"
2) "No, I don't have any change."
3) "You'd better not be one o-them queers."

Hypocrisy,
hy·poc·ri·sy [ hi pókrəssee ] (plural hy·poc·ri·sies)
noun
Definition:
1) They also don't know the meaning of this word. (see also "Prohibition".)

Music,
mu·sic [ myzik ]
noun
Definition:
1) Ted Nugent.
2) Doesn't really matter as long as some one is wearing a flag on them, and it helps if they have a cowboy hat.
3) Anything you can dance to while drunk off your ass, or sway to slowly while thinking of Jesus/The Military/America/Sports/Not being gay . . .

So I thought I'd translate a few 'Liberalisms' for everyone else, since there seems to be some confusion going on.

America,
A·mer·i·ca [ ə mérrikə ]
noun
Definition:
1) Pure fucking evil.

Capitalism,
cap·i·tal·ism [ káppit'l ìzzəm ]
noun
Definition:
1) Pure fucking evil.

Democracy,
de·moc·ra·cy [ di mókrəssee ] (plural de·moc·ra·cies)
noun
Definition:
1) Anything anyone left of center says or does.
2) Whatever anyone left of center defines as democracy.
3) Anything as long as it's not "conservative".

Human Being,
hu·man be·ing (plural hu·man be·ings)
noun
Definition:
1) The worst thing in the world, responsible for all of the world's problems, should probably just die off . . . especially Americans.

Hypocrisy,
hy·poc·ri·sy [ hi pókrəssee ] (plural hy·poc·ri·sies)
noun
Definition:
1) They don't know the meaning of this word. (see also "Irony".)

Music,
mu·sic [ myzik ]
noun
Definition:
1) Neil Young.
2) Doesn't really matter, as long as some one on stage is openly gay and hates George Bush. (see also "Dixie Chicks".)
3) Anything you can dance to while wearing goofy looking sandals.

Wow what a stupid country we live in . . .

So too many people ask me for mixes or playlists of the odd stuff I listened to, so I decided to make my YouTube channel into a sort of "Radio Cyberpunk". I'll be adding playlists every week or so. I just posted the first "official" one today. The videos are a mix of alternative/electronic/industrial/ebm/trip-hop/post-punk/electro/etc . . . spanning the last 30 years of alternative music. Hopefully some one gets some enjoyment out of it, I know I have been.

Taken from comments surrounding the Evanescence video "Lithium".

-Conversation #1-

selmaET21 (2 months ago): i could cry

thecyberpunk (11 hours ago): I could fart.

-Conversation #2-

nataliiiiee (3 weeks ago): She's not singing about a battery.. Lithium is a drug that is used as so called ''happy pills''.

thecyberpunk (2 weeks ago): Yeah because Amy Lee is just so sad and misunderstood with her millions of dollars and retarded fans. Oh she's such a tragic Ophelia, draping herself across the landscape like a pale table cloth. Give me a break, she sucks.

JoyfulWolf (1 week ago): it's not like she was famous from birth. she's still human and obviously has had a hard life. and it's not like just because she's famous she doesn't have emotions.

thecyberpunk (20 hours ago): Yes, she's exactly what the landscape of this country needs. Another white person whining about how sad and unfulfilling it is to live in the richest most powerful nation on earth where she enjoys more freedom than women have ever enjoyed in the history of mankind. Amy Lee should try living in Pakistan as the wife to man who is legally allowed to beat her for looking at another man before she sits there and waxes melodramatic about how sad she is with her millions of dollars and adoring fans.

-Conversation #3-

grimmnel3x6walz (1 day ago): Oh, just shut that god forsaken trap of yours and do us ALL a favor. Nobody wants to hear you bitch. You're obviously just a jealous twat. If all you have to do is say bad things about talented artists, I seriously pity you. Tell me.
Are you lonely in that pathetic existence you call a life?

thecyberpunk (20 hours ago): Consider reading a book or two before perpetrating another crime against the English language like the one you committed with that travesty of a "paragraph". If not for yourself; then for your elementary school teachers who are obviously weeping at the thought of inflicting another semiliterate adolescent burger-flipper on the bloated American workforce. What you should be asking me is "please, will you teach me to be less of a moron and to appreciate better music?"

grimmnel3x6walz (17 hours ago): Answer my question. Or are incapable of processing the simple request? And you dare to call me a "burger-flipper"? You are speaking to a seventh grader with the intelligence of a college student. Oh, and you know what you have in quotation marks?It should be capitalized,genius.

thecyberpunk (15 hours ago) Your question does not apply to me, burger flipper. Since I'm neither lonely or pathetic I refer you back to the question I suggested you pose, to which I answer "no, you're too much of a moron". While I do believe you're a 7th grader, it's interesting that your profile lists you as being 18. You're one old 7th grader, wait, no that actually makes sense. Also my capitalization is perfectly valid, while your use of a conjunction to start a sentence is less so, burger flipper.

grimmnel3x6walz (14 hours ago) I lie about my age.Dipshit.I'm done talking to you.

thecyberpunk (11 hours ago): That figures since I pegged you at around 11 to 13 by your terrible grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure. I don't know why you think that you could pass for having the "intelligence of a college student". I've met some pretty dumb college students but most of them are at least able to form a proper sentence. Well I guess your mascara is running so you're "done talking", quickly now, run out and download some Fallout Boy to the iPod your parents got you for Christmas.

Viagra3636 (6 hours ago): Ah. That is... well, fantastic for you. I'm sure that you're really pleased with yourself. It seems "I'm done talking to you." wasn't strong enough a sentence. I'm almost certain that you enjoy to waste everyone's time with this pointless argument, but I, however, have a life. I really see no reason to continue this, so don't even waste your time replying. I got the iPod for my birthday, dick, not Christmas. Yes, there is Fall Out Boy on it. Oh, and remember this: I win.

thecyberpunk (29 minutes ago): So did you register another account just to continue this? Your join date is August 7th 2008. Just so you know, when you say "I'm done talking to you" generally that means YOU are done talking to the other person, not the other way around. Maybe in the magical land of fairies and wicca magic that sort of logic has a place, but not out here. I should also point out that the whole thing kind of loses its authenticity if you go ahead and keep talking. Lastly emos never win; that's why they're emo.

Conversation #4

EvanescenceFanNo1 (2 weeks ago): she has a fantastic voice, not everyone might like the music but her voice is amazing!!!!

thecyberpunk (2 weeks ago): Yes amaizing . . . FOR ME TO POOP ON!

EvanescenceFanNo1 (1 week ago): to poop on?? wat are u 5?? grow up a bit and don't listen if you don't like.

thecyberpunk (1 week ago): I guess your parents don't let you stay up late enough to understand the Conan reference. You'll understand that when you're 15.

EvanescenceFanNo1 (1 week ago): Fuck Off. It IS amazing. And i bet you can't sing anything as good as her. Plus you can't even spell amazing. Theres no "i" you thick dipshit.

thecyberpunk (1 week ago): You honestly want to bring spelling into this after you murdered three sentences in a row? News flash genius, "fuck off" does not qualify as a sentence. Also, starting a sentence with a conjunction is spurious at the best of times, much less in that travesty of grammar.

EvanescenceFanNo1 (1 week ago): i dont know wat the conan reference is but that means nothing. and i dont even have parents, they passed away when i was 7 so if ur gonna bring them into it then fuck you.

thecyberpunk (11 hours ago): Oh what a sad story . . . FOR ME TO POOP ON!

In this review I will attempt to keep my personal political views out of it as much as possible. It’s obvious to anyone who knows about the film that it is heavily political and expresses a strong anti-war and anti-US sentiment. Although this sort of thing is nothing new as films like Platoon and Casualties of War have expressed strong political sentiments about another unpopular war – especially anti-American sentiments, the subject matter of this film sets it apart from those and other war films as the events depicted are supposed to be based on real events that took place in Haditha one tragic day in November of 2005 where 15 non combatants were allegedly shot and killed by Marines in retaliation for a marine being killed in a roadside bomb. The event is now called “the Haditha Killings” and sometimes even “the Haditha Massacre” by the media. This is not to say that the film is an accurate retelling of what happened even if it would have you beleive otherwise. In fact the film is equal parts fact, rumor, speculation and outright fiction and because of the style it is presented in it is difficult to distinguish between these things. The writer/director Nick Broomfield is famous for his documentaries such as “Kurt and Courtney” where he attempts to investigate the death of Kurt Cobain, and “Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer” documenting the life, trial and execution of female serial killer Aileen Wuornos. I’ve always enjoyed Broomfield’s documentaries and the way he breaths humanity into his larger-than-life subjects, especially “Aileen . . .” for its unflinching look at an obviously insane woman and the equally insane justice system that is about to execute her. But because of its documentary style, there is a certain amount of dishonesty in “The Battle for Haditha” that I find difficult to accept.

From a technical standpoint the film is poorly done. The scenes involving the Marines show many technical and procedural inconsistencies, especially in regards to the scenes where they are clearing hallways and rooms in Iraqi homes or reacting to an IED attack on a humvee. The film was shot on location in Jordan, and most of the American equipment was probably rented from the Jordanian military which purchases much of its equipment from the US. I saw many M16’s (they looked like A2’s or A3’s with older or maybe even civilian models with older upper receivers and foregrips) with atypical setups, together with some M4’s it looked like they were using mostly older, civilian or perhaps Taiwanese AR-15’s. Most of the weapons, uniforms, combat webbing and even the body armor weren’t consistent with real US equipment, and the Humvees looked old, there's no turret shield for the M2 gunner which is pretty much standard on any US humvee these days, especially those operating in a combat zone like Iraq. The insides were also missing much of the gear you’d find in a real military vehicle in active use.

There is also a scene where a staff level officer approves a request from a helicopter pilot to fire on an Iraqi carrying nothing but a garden hoe. This is highly unlikely, and although there have been incidents of US helicopter pilots mistaking farming implements for weapons, a pilot would never request permission to fire on a person he knew was obviously only carrying a shovel or a digging implement until he saw the person actually touch or pick up what he thought was a weapon or an IED. On top of that the footage shows the man with the shovel walking casually down the road, shovel over the shoulder, and then quickly cuts to different footage of a hellfire missile hitting a target to make it seem as though the pilot engaged the target with a missile. You’d never see that, no one is going to waste an eighty thousand dollar missile on a single man walking down a street even if the guy is Osama bin Laden himself. If they even chose to engage, it would have been with guns.

The performances were mostly improvised, and it showed. It appeared few of the actors had any real dramatic training, and I understand that some were former servicemen, which was also puzzling because of the aforementioned amateurish methods used in room clearing. The soldiers would proceed down hallways in teams of two, both men spraying wildly and seemingly at random down hallways and into rooms. You’d never do this in a real firefight or building clearing. Spraying over the shoulder of the man in front of you presents two problems: first of all your muzzle is right next to the head of the man in front of you, so you’re going to deafen him temporarily or even permanently, plus if you drop the muzzle even a little you just shot a man in the back. You’d think a basic technical advisor would have mentioned something about this.

The film starts off with Marines driving around listening to heavy metal, and then goes into a sequence of ‘interviews’ in the style of Full Metal Jacket on what the soldiers think of the conflict. It is unanimous that the soldiers don’t want to be there, and don’t understand why they are fighting. Their training is portrayed as extremely brutal, and meant to encourage violence. “Kill kill kill!” is chanted many times. One soldier shows another solider a war wound that he says could have gotten him discharged with 10% pay, but decided to remain in the service so that he could collect his full pay, even though he apparently hates the war and feels his country is neglecting him. I don’t understand this logic; it’s not like leaving the marines with an honorable discharge would have prevented him from getting a regular job. Why would one risk their life for low pay in a conflict they didn’t believe in for a country they resented, rather than simply take an out when it is offered and go get a job in the civilian world? Even a low paying job you don’t like would be better than a low paying one that you don’t like and is incredibly dangerous. Surely his physical injury could have qualified him to finish out his service in an inactive unit, or even a reserve unit where he could have at least gotten himself an education. I can’t think of a single war in the 20th century that didn’t result in the disillusionment of thousands and thousands of veterans. Regardless of the nation they are fighting for, veterans rarely get fare treatment by their government once the conflict is over – this is one of the many ugly aftereffects of war, and a lesson no government ever seems to learn. But every time it is portrayed in film it is shown as phenomenon unique to whatever conflict the film explores.

The most interesting part of the film is the portrayal of the Iraqis. While the Marines are demonized, and so to are the “foreign Al-Qaeda fighters”, the Iraqis on the other hand are played as innocent victims. We’re introduced to a young Iraqi insurgent who by day runs a video store that sells DVDs to US soldiers while leading a double life where together with his uncle (a disgruntled former Iraqi soldier) he smuggles weapons and plants roadside bombs. The uncle is “pissed off” by checkpoints, war and the damaged infrastructure of Haditha left by the 2003 invasion. Most of all though he seems angry that when the US disbanded the Iraqi army (a move that is still generating controversy today) all he was given was fifty US dollars for his years of service. And so instead he decides to work for another group of foreigners who’ll pay him one thousand dollars every time he successfully blows up an American vehicle with a primitive IED. The other character we’re introduced to are a young couple and their child who are on neither side, and are simply trying to live their lives as best they can in the midst of war and chaos. They see the insurgents planting a bomb, but instead of warning the Americans, they tell their Sheik, who tells them to pray. They are afraid that if they tell the Americans what the insurgents are planning that they will be targeted and executed by the insurgents.

Ultimately the morality of this film portrays the Americans not only as ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ types but also as plain bloodthirsty. They march and chant “kill kill kill” they sit in their bunks plotting vengeance, they’re rude to the Iraqis whose country they have invaded, they don’t understand or care about the cause they are fighting for and they blare heavy metal music everywhere they go. As anyone who’s ever served in the military will tell you, this simply isn’t the case. Most soldiers are highly dedicated, highly motivated and highly professional. American patrols spend far more time handing out food, water, medical supplies and gifts to the Iraqis than they do shooting at anyone. I’m not saying there aren’t tragedies happening, and that there aren’t’ soldiers getting out of line, but what I am saying is that these are exceptions. This film tries to portray the exceptions as the rule while ignoring the fact that insurgents routinely and as a matter of policy target civilians in market places and funeral processions. The worst part of this film though is that the tragedy that took place in Haditha is still under investigation, it is only a few years since blood was spilled there, lives are still affected by it on the part of both the Marines on trial for the crimes committed there and the Iraqis who live there. This film presents an explanation and a verdict before the smoke has really even cleared, and it stirs up sentiment that will not help end the conflict in Iraq. Even if there is a full US withdrawal from Iraq, the insurgents will still be there. If the US leaves Iraq in the state it is in right now, would the Iraqi people be better off living under a group that routinely slaughters innocent men, women and children as a matter of policy? This film doesn’t bother with questions like this while at the same time making implications that really demand such questions be asked. This injustice to everyone involved in the Iraqi conflict is compounded by the fact that it is shot in a documentary style in an attempt to present itself as the truth when it is simply, like any other dramatic film just one point of view.

Overall this film is poorly acted, poorly filmed and its politics are some of the worst kind of popular anti-American propaganda. A much better and far more realistic portrayal of a modern American war is definitely Blackhawk Down, which chooses not to delve heavily into the morality of the conflict it portrays, but rather focuses specifically on what happened on that day in Mogadishu, and less on the series of military and political missteps that lead to catastrophe that took place there.

Honestly, this was never a good film, it sucked in the 1970's when it was made, and it still sucks today when it is worshipped. How it ever passed for a good film is beyond me, but somehow millions of people still flock to screenings of this stinker while the Catholic Church continues to be outraged for some reason. The honest truth of this film is simple: it is not a great film, and it shouldn't be a controversial film. Its portrayal of the Church is if anything rational and progressive; "What do you mean your little girl is possessed, what are you, stupid? This is the 20th century." Face it people, the emperor is naked. There's barely anything passing itself off as a plot, just a series of sad, scary and sometimes silly scenarios that are largely unrelated to each other and a rather ridiculous premise when you actually examine it. Not to mention the lamest portrayal of a character in film history; that of the Devil. It is established that young and unfortunate little Regan is possessed not just by a demon, but (oooh insert scary music) the Devil himself . . . because she played with Ouija board . . . Right . . . Honestly, this is the best the Devil can do? His major forays into the world of mortals consist of puking green slime and making lewd remarks? When did the devil become little more than a drunken frat boy at a kegger? I mean sure when it's a little girl doing it, it's kind of odd, but throw a backwards hat on her and a baggy Lakers Jersey and she'd fit right in at the next Kappa Beta Gama pledge night. Why didn't he do something creative and take over the president and start a nuclear war, or take over a Georgia Prosecutor and then get her to leave law after a string of misconducts only to start her own lousy talk show? If I was Father Merrin I'd be relieved that this is the worst thing the Devil could come up with, pull up a chair next to the bed, throw on a Cheech and Chong movie and have some laughs, and then wonder if the reason Lucifer was actually cast out of heaven was for being obnoxious and lighting his own farts while everyone was trying to watch UFC.

Meanwhile all of the other supporting characters have an emotional range that spans the vast gulf of human expression ranging from "concerned" to "disturbed", oh there's a few party scenes but those get spoiled too and everyone goes back to "concerned". There's a sort of half-assed side plot involving a priest losing his faith because his mother dies, a half assed side plot involving a movie actress, and another of a sort of wandering exorcist priest wandering through poor countries looking to cast out demons (apparently demons don't hang around in country clubs or boardrooms, but only in those Sally Struthers countries). The widest range of emotions come from Regan/Satan who goes from looking uncomfortable while being probed by doctors to grinning like an idiot while she grosses everyone out with her cooky demonic antics.

If you're going to watch this film for the first time, watch it objectively. Ask yourself what exactly is scary about the premise for this movie. Ask yourself why the devil couldn't come up with anything better than freaking some people out and making a big mess of a little girl's room. Then after you've done this, go and pick up a copy of the only good Friedken movie: The French Connection.

Well it looks like Guillermo del Toro's "At The Mountains of Madness" is burning in development hell and most likely won't happen. After seeing the shitbox that was Hellboy 2 I don't know weather to be relieved or mournful about this development.

Wait, who the fuck cares. I'm a grown up. This shit shouldn't matter to me.