Last updated 6-28-2022
Spiderman, Spiderman,
Doin' the things a spider can...
Couple must-see movies coming out in the near future: "Spiderman" (opening tonight!), "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" (still an awkward name, but it promises to be a killer movie), "Men in Black II," "Eight Legged Freaks..." What can I say, I like the classics.
I've been re-reading Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale," a bleak vision of a possible near future, and it's rather chilling that her description of how this thing came to be doesn't sound nearly so far-fetched now as it did the last time I read the book, a few years ago.
David L. Smith, the creator of the Melissa virus, was sentenced to 20 months in prison. While he seems apologetic enough, and perhaps a bit bewildered by the damage his virus caused, I don't think he was punished enough. Well, perhaps a civil suit will hurt him further... but the script kiddies, who are responsible for most viruses out there, need to be sent a clear warning: tampering with someone's computer via malicious code is a crime, and violators will be prosecuted. Unfortunately, it's still difficult to catch many of the perps...
The one word that Dubya is finally uttering regarding the dangerous situation in the Middle East is the one the Arabs have been using all along, and the one that Americans don't seem to understand: occupation. As far as the Palestinians and the other Arabs (and, in fact, much of the rest of the world) are concerned, Israel is illegally occupying the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Sharon's claim that Israel is in a war for its survival, that its existence is threatened, would be laughable if it weren't causing so much death and destruction. While there are undoubtedly some Arabs who would rather see a world without Israel in it, they must certainly all recognize the fact that, barring some kind of nuclear strike (which would result in hot retribution in kind), the Jewish nation is not going anywhere. The Palestinians, however, are fighting for survival and for identity. Sharon's idea of justice involves killing several innocent Palestinians for every innocent Israeli killed, not unlike the U.S. bombing campaign in Afghanistan, which slaughtered more thousands than did the horrendous airplane attacks in New York and Washington. I don't understand why they don't understand that all they're doing is breeding more resentment and more desperation. If the day ever comes that the Palestinian government and the Palestinian people agree with Hamas and Hezbollah unequivocally that Israel will never make peace with them, that Sharon will never let them achieve true statehood, then woe be to the Israelis, and the Arabs, and the rest of the world. "When you got nothin', you got nothin' to lose..."
Speaking of which... I've been promoted. Heh-heh... My boss, Robert, is leaving the Company, and I will be assuming his title; say hello to the new MIS Manager of AA World Class! "Punker goes corporate; film at eleven." Well, no, I don't think I've 'gone corporate' or 'sold out.' I'm the same boy I used to be, as little Stevie Winwood would say. I'm just being recognized and appreciated, that's all. I haven't done anything differently than I ever have...
Well, tomorrow night, Dawn, Barbara, and I are going to
see the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band whose members currently include
Dave Barry, Stephen King, and Amy Tan. By all accounts, they write
much better than they play.
Heh-heh... Nonetheless, it promises to be a fun time. Later...!
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Last updated 6-28-2022
