Coming soon... tickbitechili.com
I'll explain later
Space... The next generation
Yep, it happened. A while ago I wrote about the test flight of SpaceshipOne. Today, SpaceshipOne captured the X Prize
We are now in the generation of private, commercial space flight. Wonder who the first one in my family will be to take a "tourist" flight beyond the atmosphere.
I guess we'll start to see more details being worked out such as who regulates space. Can a U.S. company harvest raw materials from the moon? What if a Japanese company wants the same material. Who keeps the moon from looking like swiss cheese? :)
Still, extremely cool stuff. Wow.
I wonder if I could get a job as a spacecraft firefighter?
OK, Maybe I need an "I'm Pissed" or "Ranting" category for some entries.
WTF is someone doing posting online roulette and craps adds to my blog? @#$!@%!
Who asked them? What makes them think they have the right to free advertising? @$#@
Anyway. If you see them, ignore them. I'll clean them when I have a chance. The comment section is too important to block, but this is ridiculous...
Ugh :)
OK, I haven't seen Ladder 49 yet. I have had an ongoing internal debate on whether I really want to.
The plusses:
1. Fire
2. Fire
3. Brandon loves fire movies
4. Fire
5. Fire movies generate good feeling toward firefighters
The minuses:
1. John Travolta
2. Movies never get firefighting right
3. John Travolta
I've never cared for John Travolta too much. Or Nicholas cage (on a completely unrelated side note). For me, Face Off is the worst movie ever made: Stars are Travolta and Cage, and a 4-year old boy is shot in the first 5 minutes. I can't fairly judge it otherwise, because that's when I stopped watching.
Anyway, I'm watching CMT (don't start) this morning and Travolta is doing an interview. And, danged if he doesn't come up with the best quote I've ever heard about people in the fire service.
I'm paraphasing everything here, because I'm too lazy to get up and write down the exact quote:
Q: ... What impressed you most about these people [firefighters]?
A: They are who they promise to be... You know how people can disappoint you? These people don't disappoint you.
Now, here I am, a nice healthy dislike of an actor, sitting around just not liking him for any particular reason, and I'm pretty content wth that. Then he comes along and makes a movie relating to a large part of my life. And then he shows he actually understands something about it. And comes up with a great quote. Truly Distressing.
This is an interesting review/inteview. I may have to see this movie yet.
It brings out an interesting point. I've had an instructor bemoan the fact that there are very few movies or shows about firefighters, as compared to police officers, for instance. The only ones I can think of are... Hmm, what's the name of the one where they guy walks around talking to his dead buddies? Well, anyway ,that one, Third Watch (which is about police officers too), and Backdraft. In the last few years anyway.
For the movies that there are about firefighting, such as backdraft, it's almost impossible to film real firefighting conditions. A movie where you hear "Darth Vader" breathing, see an occasional glow in an otherwise completely dark room, and nothing else would not be exciting. But that's what a real fire looks like.
And, firefighting is for the most part boring. The most important things you do have nothing to do with being on-scene. It's maintenance on trucks and equipment. Imagine a fire truck pulling up on scene and no water coming out of the truck. That actually happened on one department I was on. Lack of maintenance and training.
Going to classes. A lot. Then reviewing what you've learned, and going back to learn it again, because someone's come up with a better way.
Most calls are far from life-threatening, but are still critical for whomever is involved. All of which makes for a rewarding personal experience, but far from movie material.
So, I'd like to see more movies about firefighters, but I also understand that it's a tough nut to crack if you want to be realistic and interesting.
Ouch, when will I ever learn not to read reviews? I just saw one that said "This is an extremely realistic movie, perhaps only 1991's Backdraft by Ron Howard can beat it for realistic fire effects"
UGH.... There was nothing.... let me repeat that... nothing realistic about the fire effects in Backdraft. They fillmed fire UPSIDE DOWN for that film because the smoke ruined the shot.
OK, I know they're making a movie, but fire generates smoke. That is realistic. I also read another account of firefighters standing up and yelling at the screen during backdraft because so much was wrong. Mind you, I still own a copy, but realistic?!?!
Yikes.
Anyway.
I feel I'm preaching again, and I promised I wouldn't do that.
I do like that quote though...