Tag Archive for 'Thomas Huynh'

Nobel Peace Prize Politiku

Published
by
s000z
 on October 11, 2009
. 7 Comments

On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee made an surprising announcement.  Was it the fact that the news came only nine months into The President’s first term that made the news so shocking or was it the conceptual nature of the Nobel Committee’s kudos that caused so many waves to bristle?

From Blog Archive

Are Obama’s, “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” deserving of such a distinguished acknowledgment?

Submission deadline has already passed.  Click here if you’d like to read it on The Huffington Post and/or add commentary.

Want to submit for the November politiku post?  Click here to get the topic.

More context for how this decision was made -
Here’s the Nobel Committee’s announcement
Here’s the Reuters’ run down on what earned Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter their Nobels.
Saturday Night Live’s Obama acceptance speech sketch
Read what Maureen Dowd, channeling Bill Clinton and W, has to say -or-
Check out my friend, Thomas Huynh’s Sun Tzu based commentary on the topic.

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Pre-Oscar Facebook Dialog-ing

Published
by
s000z
 on February 9, 2009
. 0 Comments

Been having some great film conversations via Wall to Wall Facebook posts.  Liked them so much I decided to post them on my blog.  Oh, and yes, I got permission from the posters to post their commentary…

Susanna’s Slumdog Millionaire Wall Post

Susanna enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire. Is surprised its in the running for best picture, though.

Dan Keefe Sez:

especially considering The Dark Knight was snubbed. ;-)

Jason Rosenbaum Sez:

Why are you surprised? Which five movies would you place before it? I think it’s certainly in the top five and has a good chance to win as the underdog.

Susanna Speier Sez:

I my opinion, Gran Torino, Nothing But the Truth and The Duchess more Oscar-worthy than Slumdog Millionaire was. Were I making the decision, I’d keep Benjamin Button on that nominee list. Also, I’m like, the only person who hasn’t seen Milk, Nixon/Frost and The Reader and therefore can’t really comment on those. I’d nominate Slumdog Millionaire … Read Morefor cinematography. A.R. Rahman’s soundtrack and Anil Kapoor’s supporting actor nomination were nomination worthy, as well. Danny Boyle’s directing was phenomenal and deserving of a nomination as well. Simon Beaufoy’s script, however was really lacking. While the general structure of the narritive (exposition given through interrogation regarding gameshow) worked, the details within that exposition were difficult to follow. Why exactly, for example, did he know the name of the inventor of the gun? Okay, so he saw the gun used, so? Why did his brother kick him out? It was sloppy and brought the entire picture down.

Jason Rosenbaum Sez:

The differences of opinion are what make this season interesting. I haven’t seen the three you mentioned, could go either way on Button, and will see The Reader this Friday. Frost/Nixon and Milk are strong contenders for best film, but will likely lose to the underdog Slumdog.

Susanna Speier’s Benjamin Button Wall Post

Susanna just finished reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Benjamin Button.” Was funnier and sadder than the film but really different, also. She loves them both!

Thomas Huynh Sez:
Just saw the Benjamin Button movie. Very good, reminds me a lot of Forrest Gump. The hummingbird to me was the captain’s reincarnation because he wanted to be an artist and tattooed a hummingbird on his body probably because he liked the hummingbird, especially given the fact he has such a good knowledge of the bird, even lecturing on it. Now that he has a new beginning (at, ironically, his end) he chose to become a hummingbird, the first out of many lives.
Susanna Speier Sez:
Funny, but I hadn’t thought of the Forrest Gump connection till you mentioned. Couldn’t really get the connection initially. I mean, I’d always hated Forrest Gump. Then I found this online:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/1d76506803/the-curious-case-of-forrest-gump-from-fgump44
Does this mean I have to stop liking Benjamin Button now? Hmmm. Like your hummingbird analysis, btw.

Thomas Huynh Sez:
LOL! Funny video! Perhaps it’s the Southern dialectic. Another movie that it reminds me of is Titanic with the old woman recalling her earlier days. So it’s a mix between Forrest Gump and Titanic. Pop culture at its best! To me, Forrest Gump is a classic, especially if you saw the movie when it first came out. If you watch it now, there are so many copies that you’d think it’s rather ordinary but back then it broke convention. Thomas
Susanna Speier Sez:
I didn’t like Forrest Gump’s veneration of passivity and ignorance. Yes, I suppose it’s an attitude more acceptable in the south. Though, all over the country it’s acceptable in certain communities. In Forrest case, of course, it all turns out okay in the end. In most cases, however, lack of active involvement makes one vulnerable to humiliation and manipulation. Example – Intelligent Design. How in the world does it get considered for any public school curriculum? It’s pundits prey on -ie- build alliances with the unworldly, good-ole-boys who fancy themselves to be the Forrest Gumps of the world. Y’know?

Thomas Huynh Sez:
Intelligent Design has nothing to do with the South and everything to do with faith and religious fanaticism. That happens everywhere, especially in the Middle East. You know, killing women and children and yet calling themselves the people of God? Even though I’m against Intelligent Design, that seems rather innocent compared with the world at large. About Forrest Gump, he is intelligent. He is intelligent physically (Alabama football, ping pong), kind and selfless (saving other people, forgiving even when wronged), hard working, never gives up, and loves his Mom. From my experience, too many people “smarter” than Forrest Gump can’t even get those basic lessons right so what makes them so “smart”?

Susanna Speier Sez:
I appreciate what you’re saying, Thomas but I still don’t think that making light of Intelligent Design is a good idea. Many manifestations of ignorance are innocent—at least they start out that way. That doesn’t make it okay for them to deny individuals their constitutionally protected separation of church and state and I’d rather be cautious in this manifestation of religious fanaticism, rather than wait for it to get out of control the way it is in so many Theocracies around the world. I realize that the character, Forrest Gump had his admirable traits –ie loyalty, courage, integrity. In my experience, however, those traits are best supported, cultivated and nurtured through education.