March 17, 2003

Michael Cassutt writes in Sci Fi.com on the failure of Joss Whedon's science-fiction western Firefly.  He states that Firefly’s components science fiction which is based on the promise of the future and westerns which have nostalgia for a lost frontier do not overlap and it could not appeal to either’s fans enough to draw the required audience. 11:31:32 PM

In an article on the possible quick liberation of the southern Iraqi city of Basra, the New York Times forgot about World War Two. The article states: For Britain a successful campaign to liberate Basra would be a vindication of its last war in Mesopotamia, when British forces suffered devastating losses in their campaign to claim Iraq and its oil wealth during World War I. The Ottoman Empire was collapsing, and after taking Basra in 1914, a small British force under the command of Maj. Gen. Charles Townshend marched up the Tigris to within 25 miles of Baghdad, only to fall back in the face of Turkish counterattacks. British losses were 23,000 dead and wounded, with another 7,000 British prisoners dying after Townshend's surrender. Firstly the British eventually did take Mesopotamia, secondly in World War Two the British swiftly captured Iraq when a pro-Axis government took power. So the British succeeded in both wars in taking Iraq. 11:30:40 PM

Michael Moore has complained that Oscar-nominated film; Bowling for Columbine is losing the chance to win the Best Documentary category because the rival nominee, Winged Migration had so few showings in the United States. The LA Times explains that unlike other most other major categories, the academy requires voters to prove they have seen all the nominated films in the category. Moore is accusing Winged Migration’s Sony Pictures Classics of deliberately reducing the number of its screening so that only the most devoted fans of that movie – who would likely vote for it will see it. Even in a good year only a few hundred people vote in the Best Documentary category. 9:21:56 PM

The LA Times looks at the various reasons behind the slow introduction of digital video recorders such as TiVos and Replay boxes. Neither of which is available in Canada which is odd, since we do have TVs up here! 9:21:18 PM

Hopefully if Canada was on the Security Council or the General Assembly takes a vote then Canada would support action even if it was not passed. 8:47:32 PM

No Canucks in Iraq Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien has announced that Canada will not take part in a war against Iraq without authorization by the United Nations. This decision is basically giving control of Canada’s foreign policy to France, Russia and China, and in the future the UK and the United States. Certainly in the future Canada will wish to take action an the international area but one of this countries will disagree, and then Canada will have to either give up its sovereignty or decide that UN approval is not that important after all. 8:41:08 PM