This police thriller is possibly the best in Hollywood. The plot features Colin Farrell as SWAT officer Jim Street, partner to Brian Gamble, thwart a bank robbery, but at the cost of their jobs. Gamble is suspended from the LAPD, while Street only gets suspended from SWAT. The plot seems to be very confusing for the first half of the movie, but as the second half progresses on, the plot relaly takes flight, climaxing with tons of action and edge-of-your-seat drama. Street later gets recruited back into SWAT by Sgt. Hondo, played by Samuel L. Jackson. When Alex Montell, a fugitive drug dealer wanted in more than ten different countries attempts to bust out of the LAPD jail, Hondo and his team are charged with the difficult task of escorting Montell to a federal prison to await prosecution. The task gets even harder when Montell offers $100 million to save him. The movie's action scenes are perfect, though camera angles are sort of all over the place, breaking the "180 degree rule" in filming, thus rendering the audience disoriented at times. The intro is long, tedious, and not required. It seems like a waste of time for the first half, but as soon as the second half kicks off, the plot is amazingly spectacular and well-thought out. 4 stars given for bad camera angles, okay plot, and EXTRAORDINARY action scenes.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Feds Lone AIG $85 Billion
Yesterday marked a dark day for the stock market, with the Dow Jones crashing 500 points following news of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. Now the biggest insurance company in the nation, American International Group Co., or AIG, is failing as well. In order to save the ailing company, the U.S. government agreed to fund $85 billion to the company in order to prevent a chaotic stock market crash. The failure of AIG could lead to more destruction in the already fragile economy, as well as "substantially higher borrowing costs, reduced household wealth, and materially weaker economic performance." In return for the loan, the Fed will receive a 79.9% equity stake in the company.
"It might not just bring down other financial institutions in the U.S. It could bring down overseas financial institutions," said Timothy Canova, a professor of international economic law at Chapman University School of Law. "If Lehman Brother's failure could help trigger AIG's going down, who knows who AIG's failure could trigger next.*"
*Taken from Yahoo!
"It might not just bring down other financial institutions in the U.S. It could bring down overseas financial institutions," said Timothy Canova, a professor of international economic law at Chapman University School of Law. "If Lehman Brother's failure could help trigger AIG's going down, who knows who AIG's failure could trigger next.*"
*Taken from Yahoo!
Schwarzenegger Making History
The state of California, run by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has been in turmoil over it's state budget plan for a while now. California is the only state with out a state budget plan this late in the fiscal year. Schwarzenegger and lawmakers have been battling it out since the beginning of the fiscal year, with Schwarzenegger threatening to veto any legislature until a state budget bill is passed. California is now about $15 billion in debt. Lawmakers finally approved a $143 billion dollar budget plan on the 78th day of the fiscal year. The delay has costed many state employees their jobs, with Schwarzenegger cutting 20,000 state jobs and making 200,000 other state employees being paid at the federal minimum wage. The cuts have yet to be made, since authorities have not yet acted, determined to undermine the governor's plans.
Yet even with the budget plan, Schwarzenegger announced today that he will veto the state budget plan, claiming that the long-overdue spending plan lawmakers approved lacked long-term fiscal reforms and would burden taxpayers. Senate leaders have already announced that they will override the governor's veto.
If Schwarzenegger follows through on his threat, it would mark the first time in modern history that a California governor would veto a state spending plan.*
*Taken from Yahoo!
Yet even with the budget plan, Schwarzenegger announced today that he will veto the state budget plan, claiming that the long-overdue spending plan lawmakers approved lacked long-term fiscal reforms and would burden taxpayers. Senate leaders have already announced that they will override the governor's veto.
If Schwarzenegger follows through on his threat, it would mark the first time in modern history that a California governor would veto a state spending plan.*
*Taken from Yahoo!
HP To Cut Jobs
Among news of the financila crisis in the stock markets today, Hewlett-Packard has announced that it is making plans to cut 24,600 jobs within the next three years, 8% of its workforce. The plans were announced today after the stock market closed. The move is designed to cut costs as HP combines with newly bought Electronic Data Systems Corp.
The cuts represent the Palo Alto-based company's most aggressive move yet to streamline its operations under Chief Executive Mark Hurd, who engineered the $13.9 billion acquisition to challenge IBM Corp. for more of the lucrative, long-term business of helping companies manage their computing infrastructure.*
Most job cuts will be within EDSs ranks, though half of the jobs will be from the U.S. HP projects that it will save nearly $1.8 billion a year with the cuts. They are however, planning to refill half of the positions after the restructuring. Before the merging, HP had 178,000 people and EDS had 142,000, a total of 320,000 workers.
The cuts represent the Palo Alto-based company's most aggressive move yet to streamline its operations under Chief Executive Mark Hurd, who engineered the $13.9 billion acquisition to challenge IBM Corp. for more of the lucrative, long-term business of helping companies manage their computing infrastructure.*
Most job cuts will be within EDSs ranks, though half of the jobs will be from the U.S. HP projects that it will save nearly $1.8 billion a year with the cuts. They are however, planning to refill half of the positions after the restructuring. Before the merging, HP had 178,000 people and EDS had 142,000, a total of 320,000 workers.
US Economy Plunges
Today was a hectic day on Wall Street, with the Dow Jones plunging more than 500 points. The stock market estimated a $700 billion dollar loss for shareholders today, among news that the third biggest mortgage company Lehman Brothers has filed for bankruptcy, as well as a forced sale by Merrill Lynch to Bank Of America for $50 billion. This day is marked as one of the worst for the stock market since 2001. Wall Street investors are now holding their breaths for the American International Group Inc., also known as AIG. Investors are worried that troubles at AIG and the bankruptcy of the Lehman brothers will set off another chain of events with in the financial market, causing more uproar and devastation to the already plunging US Economy.
The Dow fell 504.48, or 4.42 percent, to 10,917.51, moving below the 11,000 mark for the first time since mid-July. It was the worst point drop for the Dow since it lost 684.81 on Sept. 17, 2001, the first day of trading after the terror attacks. The Nasdaq composite index fell 81.36, or 3.60 percent, to 2,179.91; that was its worst point loss since Jan. 4.*
*Taken off Yahoo!
The Dow fell 504.48, or 4.42 percent, to 10,917.51, moving below the 11,000 mark for the first time since mid-July. It was the worst point drop for the Dow since it lost 684.81 on Sept. 17, 2001, the first day of trading after the terror attacks. The Nasdaq composite index fell 81.36, or 3.60 percent, to 2,179.91; that was its worst point loss since Jan. 4.*
*Taken off Yahoo!
NBA News
This week has been hectic for the National Basketball Association, who is now faced with the possibility of a star player ending his career to early and a former player being documented and known to the world.
Saturday, September 13th, 2008, marked the day that Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal foreshadowed his retirement. He has already put a deadline on his retirement, at the end of his contract, which is the 09-10 NBA season. Shaq's career, which has taken a turn for the worse since he left the Lakers, has been somewhat diminished to that of a lower status NBA player (if there is a such thing.)
Also in NBA news, a documentary on another NBA player has got the nation hyped. Fairly unknown NBA star Wat Misaka played for the New York Knicks for a short time, breaking one of the racial barriers of the NBA. In a time when the NBA was dominated by whites and Americans, and at the peak of an anti-japanese era, Misaka was able to play in the NBA and show the world that you don't have to be american to be good at basketball. The new documentary, titled “Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story,” is about how this son of two japanese immigrants lived, and the hardships he faced because of his ethnicity. Misaka played for the Knicks for the first two weeks of the season, before he was cut early. He set this milestone 61 years ago, 3 years earlier then when the NBA started accepting blacks. The documentary took two years to film, and will be showing next week in San Francisco, Sacremento, and Los Angeles.
Saturday, September 13th, 2008, marked the day that Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal foreshadowed his retirement. He has already put a deadline on his retirement, at the end of his contract, which is the 09-10 NBA season. Shaq's career, which has taken a turn for the worse since he left the Lakers, has been somewhat diminished to that of a lower status NBA player (if there is a such thing.)
Also in NBA news, a documentary on another NBA player has got the nation hyped. Fairly unknown NBA star Wat Misaka played for the New York Knicks for a short time, breaking one of the racial barriers of the NBA. In a time when the NBA was dominated by whites and Americans, and at the peak of an anti-japanese era, Misaka was able to play in the NBA and show the world that you don't have to be american to be good at basketball. The new documentary, titled “Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story,” is about how this son of two japanese immigrants lived, and the hardships he faced because of his ethnicity. Misaka played for the Knicks for the first two weeks of the season, before he was cut early. He set this milestone 61 years ago, 3 years earlier then when the NBA started accepting blacks. The documentary took two years to film, and will be showing next week in San Francisco, Sacremento, and Los Angeles.
Metrolink Crash Kills 18
Early Friday a Los Angeles Metrolink train crashed into a freight train, killing 18 and injurng 135 more. Rescue workers are still searching the rubble for survivors. Many injured are in serious or critical condition. They crashed in Chatsworth, a suburb near Los Angeles. Among the crash was a LAPD officer as well. Metrolink has said that the crash was caused by the train Engineer when he had failed to stop at a red light. The engineer had worked for a subcontracter that has been used by Metrolink since 1998.
Fire chief Mario Rueda said the finding of any survivors left in the crash is "very remote." The last survivor was pulled out Friday night. The impact rammed the Metrolink engine backward into a passenger car, which rested on its side with the engine still inside it early Saturday, and accordioned the freight train cars. Two other Metrolink cars remained upright. Crews had to put out a fire under part of the train.*
*Taken off yahoo!
Fire chief Mario Rueda said the finding of any survivors left in the crash is "very remote." The last survivor was pulled out Friday night. The impact rammed the Metrolink engine backward into a passenger car, which rested on its side with the engine still inside it early Saturday, and accordioned the freight train cars. Two other Metrolink cars remained upright. Crews had to put out a fire under part of the train.*
*Taken off yahoo!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
