I just got back from Die Another Day, the 20th entry in the James Bond series. I went with Mary Belle, Erin, and Logan.
Now I've been a James Bond geek since I was around ten and I saw Diamonds are Forever on TV. Now while that was my introduction to 007. I didn't stop there. I saw as many of the movies as I could on broadcast television. In 1983 I started reading the Ian Fleming books (in order) starting with Casino Royale. I've seen all the movies of course. Including the silly Casino Royale The original Casino Royale and Never Say Never Again.
My personal favorite Bond film is
On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Not so much because of the actor playing Bond (George Lazenby) but more because Peter Hunt (editor of most of the Connery Bonds) directed it. I’m just assuming that he also was around for the editing of this one. It also came closest to the Bond I knew from the books story wise. Although Bond didn’t get to nail the bad guy (Blofeld) until Diamonds are Forever, well technically not until For Your Eyes Only.
Unlike most Bond fans I actually liked Timothy Dalton. I thought (once again) that he was quite like the Fleming Bond. So while Sean Connery (my namesake) will always be the definitive James Bond for me I continue to go the new movies when they come out. Die Another Day was easily the best of the Brosnan Bonds for me. Lots of inside geek stuff like the ornithology book that Fleming initially pinched the name “James Bond” from. A nice little sequence with John Cleese (“Q”) and a lot the old Bond gadgets from previous movies.
Also Halle Barry was really good. The least annoying Bond girl ever, in my opinion, and in many ways she stole the show. The plot was rather interesting as well, something of a departure from last 19 movies. Not to give anything away but there is this guy trying to take over the world and Bond has to stop him, it’s just that getting there was more fun this time. Were there lots of explosions and lots of witty repartee?
Indubitably, but it was a smashing good time.
I've spent years being appalled at the injustice of the world. From non-insured hungry children to the insanity of gay bashing homophobes and racial prejudice of morons. Well I'm fed up trying to be the right guy at the right time any more. Mary and I have decided to use our powers for evil.
I'm not an RKO Picture villain though. I won't tip my iniquitous plans before hand. You’ll just have to wait and see. Bwhahhahahah….
Ahem…Actually I’m just really bored.
I probably won’t turn to evil (again). I just need a change. I’m tired of being a half ass animator and artist would like to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Ideally I’d like to be somebody that could wear suits every once in awhile.
On the upside Mary Belle and Erin here and we are having a really fun time. It’s funny that after Mary’s fifteen year ordeal looking for her that after finding her only two months ago, she’s here. I’m so extremely stoked for them. It’s a real “happy ending” story.
For years now I've been trying to find this song. All I had was the first verse and a half.
Lost in a life of luxury
Livin' out all your fantasies
I've been down since you went away
It wasn't love, but it felt okay
My head is numb; I've been up all night
I stood there seein' the mornin' light
I would try and sing it and of course that just got me those odd cocked head dog looks. Mary pretty much had me convinced that it was some drug-induced hallucination from my younger days. I hallucinated a power ballad? Is that possible?
Well, it seemed to make sense in context.
Anyway I found the song by doing an advanced google search of the key lyrics that I had... Turns out it was on a solo album by one of the guys in Boston. The song is called "Dreams" track 06 on the self-titled Barry Goudreau Release: 1980 (Re-released: 1996).
So I feel a little better now. It's not that I didn't want to look back at my teenage drug use and think that I couldn't have written an imaginary power ballad, I just didn’t think I would've wrote that one.
"As my "what would happen if Saddam auctioned off his oil fields tomorrow and just became another Middle Eastern despot like the rest of them" example demonstrates, we're not just going to war for oil; we're going to war for the "security" of profit.
While profit is a fine value for a corporation to hold, it's not the prime value of humans and it's definitely not one of the values that drive or preserve democracy. "
-- from the Dan Millman Newsletter November 2002