johnbowman.net

I was kinda disappointed after I got my brown belt last week. I didn’t exactly blow them away at my grading. I got Bs in everything.

But, I must say, I do look pretty bitchin’ in my new black uniform.

It’s hot, though.

I just realized the irony.

CNN, NBC, CBS, BBC and ITN all sent reporters to the Broadcasting Centre to report on the WHO travel advisory not to come to Toronto.

It’s amazing how helpful this dramatic situations generator isn’t.

It’s based on Georges Polti’s idea that all stories can be boiled down to 36 dramatic situations. I think there is some validity to this, especially when you see how similar some episodes of the different incarations of Star Trek start to look.

I just think it’s odd Polti saw the need to have separate categories for crimes of love and involuntary crimes of love (these are more Greek tragedy than romantic thriller), and for adultery and murderous adultery.

Seems he could have trimmed down on his number of situations by not splitting the hairs so finely.

Creepy. That scarecrow is gonna give me nightmares.

(Found on Penny Arcade.)

The memo obviously didn’t get down to the rank-and-file.

Don’t go flying the Stars and Stripes every time you take over an Iraqi buildings. Not in Umm Qasr, not in Baghdad.

And certainly don’t go draping the flag over the face of Saddam’s statue.

CNN says the gesture was met with a “muted” response from the Iraqi crowd. I would interpret that, given CNN’s coverage lately, as a response just short of a barrage of shoes.

I think there was a mix-up in the wardrobe department of CNN this morning.

They forgot to issue the anchors their letter sweaters and pom-poms.

Is it unhealthy to wish my life were this boring?

I don’t. I’m just asking.

Yeah, this Peter Arnett thing.

Donna had a pretty good blog entry on this.

Basically, this NBC reporter goes on Iraqi state-run TV and said the U.S. military’s plans are for shite and they’re starting from scratch.

It’s all over the American news and all over the blogs. (No, I’m not gonna say blogosphere or Blogistan. Silly neologisms.)

Now, whether you agree with what he did or what he said, going on the “enemy’s” broadcast to slam your country’s military is a pretty bonehead move.

Especially when the U.S. media have an “obligation” to look patrotic for the sake of their sensitive American audience.

Or is that for the sake of their sensitive American advertisers?

Anyway, dude got picked up by a Brit tabloid, so it’s all good. Move along.

(Update: IMDb has a brief on the Arnet situation with some illuminating quotes. Also, check out the Geraldo story just below it. Funny stuff.)