I needed a break from fiction so this is a path that crosses the chasm...
I looked at the news yesterday and aside from the Queen feeding some bananas to an elephant in a zoo it was all bad. Is my problem that I get most of my news from Google News feeds perhaps there another news feed out there that is only good news who knows. Okay so there was the announcement that NASA is going to say something profound about the two "water" planets in our solar system tomorrow. I wonder did NASA make a deal with Trump that every now again they would make a big announcement to distract the public in exchange for less of a budget cut? Does not appear to be working to me.
I find it somewhat curious that Trump wants China to deal with North Korea since it is:
...naturally abundant in metals such magnesite, zinc, tungsten, and iron; with magnesite resources of 6 billion tonnes (second largest in the world), particularly in the Hamgyeong-do and Jagang-do provinces. ... Coal, iron ore, limestone, and magnesite deposits are larger than other mineral commodities.
And yet he is happy to attack Syria on the grounds that Assad is a bad leader that kills his own people considering Trump is all about profit. This attack smacks of an opportunistic gamble to grab some limelight for his failing presidency. There is the rumour that the airbase had been cleared because someone in Trump's admin had tipped off the Russians which just adds to the theater of the whole affair. Plus there is possibility that Assad do not have any gas left although Syria is a big place so anything is possible. Women and children died but what did they really die for? Trump's presidency or Russia's support or Assad's need to feel like he is control of Syria. I very much doubt if any of them considered the dying people except as a tool of publicity.
This is the world we live in everything is designed to distract us from the horrors of the middle east and war torn countries. The problem is they have become bored and have started on destroying the countries of the west. Trump is dismantling America piece by piece, Putin is the new Stalin putting Gay men into concentration camps, does the Road of Bones need resurfacing I wonder. If France's Marine Le Pen wins the election in May then that could be another nail in the EU coffin.
We appear to be on a slippery slope, I am just waiting for the Aliens to turn up and say "We told you so!"
Rogue One (SPOILER ALERT)
Finally watched it and it was good, a Star Wars movie that contained almost no Jedi aspects. It was a refreshing change from the constant light sabre effects and deep things about the force. Essentially this is a war film, it happens between episodes three and four. The story of how the plans to the Death Star were stolen in the first place and its origin story.
It does become obvious however what the likely ending is going to be and that wars are won by soldiers. And in this case there is no concept that war is glorious, if anybody out there still believes such nonsense try reading some World War I poetry. I have had the good fortunate not to live through or experience war first hand but its effects are everywhere.
Like all Star Wars movies there is an element of comedy which worked much better than in the film The Force Awakens. K-2SO the new droid voiced by Alan Tudyk delivers his lines with almost British deadpan quality far better than C3PO's slightly snobbish voice ever could.
What I found curious is that when the Death Star is first fired it hits the target perfectly and wipes out a desert town however the second time it is used they miss the Empire base by miles despite being told to fire at the base. Okay so it did destroy it from the resulting blast but did they miss on purpose so we can have the final death scene?
Yet again this film proves that being dead does not mean you cannot still be in a film Peter Cushing's CGI I have got say is quite awesome and the voice was almost spot on. Carrie Fisher's CGI is also very good although she was in it very briefly at the end.
Overall a very good film and I will be watching it again.
