Heads in the sand

Rarely political in this blog, but sometimes when I laugh out loud at news reports, I just have to post it.

In yet another demonstration of the iron-willed stupidity that continues to have Israel beating down on Hezbollah, the terrorist organization is refusing to leave Southern Lebanon. Well, not exactly. They are prepared to remove men and weapons, on the condition that Lebanon remain oblivious:

Hezbollah indicated it would be willing to pull back its fighters and weapons in exchange for a promise from the army not to probe too carefully for underground bunkers and weapons caches, the officials said.

In other words, if you close your eyes, I am not there. In other words, if you turn around, I am invisible. In other words, we promise to continue to do the same thing as we have been doing for years. In other words, we are assholes.

Vacation's all I ever wan-ted

Posting will be extremely light over the next week, and by light I mean non-existent as I will be at the Outer Banks. Please direct your positive 'chi', thoughts of envy, and hate mail here. I'll be waiting. On the beach.

Note: Acts of God such as tropical storms and hurricanes are DISALLOWED.

Natalie: Gangsta Style

Natalie Portman is the epitome of what geeks want in a woman; cute, smart, and the mother of Luke Skywalker. But what is Natalie really like? This Saturday Night Live skit reveals she might be a little too much for you to handle.

Update: If you can't get it on youtube, you can see it on MSN video.

Getting hit with a fish

How many times have you wondered "what is the most fun I could have with this dead fish?". Before you mull it over too long, in England, the question has long since been answered: Conger cuddling:

Conger cuddling is a traditional event in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England, in which a dead conger eel is thrown at members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Part of the town's "Lifeboat Week", the eel is attached to a rope and thrown at nine people standing on flowerpots in a manner similar to skittles. There are two teams involved in a last man standing competition.

The event, which attracts around 3,000 people annually, was used to raise funds for the RNLI. It has been called the "most fun a person could have with a dead fish".

The event started in the early 1970s when Richard Fox, a retired publican, organised the first event. It became a tradition of the town, drawing numerous spectators. However, in 2006 the RNLI made the decision that the event was "inappropriate" after a complaint was made. When it was next held (28 July 2006) the eel had been replaced by a buoy, but there are talks of a replacement, plastic eel being made for 2007.

So, in the tradition of Monty Python's common bit of getting smacked in the head with a fish, which came first, the sport or the comedy skit? This will surely inspire debate and research in only the most dedicated/dorky. And lo, I've thrown down the gauntlet by gleefully writing about it. Dork, indeed.

A Knight's Tale about The Dark Knight?

Cinescape has reported that Warner Brothers has named Heath Ledger as the Joker for the sequel to Batman Begins:

Warner Brothers has sent out a press release announcing that the upcoming sequel to BATMAN BEGINS will be titled THE DARK KNIGHT and feature Heath Ledger as the Joker.

"I'm excited to continue the story we started with Batman Begins," Christopher Nolan said in a statement. "Our challenge in casting the Joker was to find an actor who is not just extraordinarily talented, but fearless. Watching Heath Ledger's interpretation of this iconic character taking on Christian Bale's Batman is going to be incredible."

The script will be written by Nolan's brother, Jonathan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David Goyer. Christopher Nolan and Goyer co-wrote last year's BATMAN BEGINS. Filming on THE DARK KNIGHT is expected to get underway in early 2007.

First, let's just go ahead and say the title of the sequel is as good as Revenge of the Sith was for that series. Nolan has set the standard very high with his reboot of the Batman series, and he's started off on the right foot with the simplest, yet important step.

Regarding Heath Ledger, I haven't seen a lot of his work. I've seen parts of A Knight's Tale, and I have to admit the only other films he's worked on that I've seen in their entirety were The Patriot and, well, 10 Things I Hate About You. That said, I have no complaints about the casting choice. In fact, I'd have to say I'm actually relieved that Nolan decided to go with an actor as opposed to a comedian (Robin Williams, a name tossed about), a freak (Crispin Glover) or a scene-stealing ham (Nicholson in Tim Burton's original).

Nolan's Batman series (funny calling it a series after only one) has set the tone as being as reality-based and dark as possible. I think Ledger can bring a lot to the role, mostly based on a gut feeling I have about him. Clearly it can't be based on my incredible library of roles I've seen him in. I just think there's something about him that could make for a very interesting portrayal of Gotham's most insane murderer. Or maybe it's because his natural smile already resembles Nicholson's sans makeup.