In Utah (Everything is Fine)

My short film, "Hunting Game" (website to come), is playing at this very small Asian American film festival in Salt Lake City, Utah this weekend. It's a bit po-dunk, but hey -- you have to start somewhere... why not Salt Lake City?

My CPA just gave me my tax return back. My first time attempting to deduct the costs of being a struggling writer/filmmaker. My first time using a CPA to do my taxes. It's pretty cool. I know I haven't made a red cent yet, but I'm trying. It makes it feel more official that it's on my tax return and that I'm declaring expenses... which are all VERY VALID.

I feel like I have been holding back from diving into my vocational swimming pool. Testing out waters. Splashing around in the shallows. Things change, this year. Everything will change...

Iraq & Roll

I am really appalled by the numbers of (idiot) Americans who actually believe there's a link between 9/11 and Iraq. There are all these pro-war country songs that are just shitty as all hell. (Clint Black has one called "Iraq & Roll" or something. There's another one that just goes on and on about "do you remember what happened on 9/11?") The Bush administration has *implied* a link, but it's never been able to come up with hard evidence, but most Americans feel that this is what that's about, and that's why it's justified. Some people think there were Iraqis hijacking those planes.

I swear, it's like "1984". The government rewrites history and tells the people who they should hate.

Yes, Saddam is a really bad guy, and there are a lot of anecdotes to show how bad he is, but there are a LOT of bad people in the world. We act as if we're the sheriff of the universe. [The Onion posted this headline: " OPERATION: PISS OFF THE PLANET"]

We're just courting terrorism. I'm sure we'll end up *creating* Iraqi terrorist groups out of this, which would be a backwards way of defending the war.

I hate that so many people are so gung-ho about this.

There's a difference between supporting our troops and supporting the policies of our government.

I hear a lot of people complain about the war protests springing up all over the country, saying that their efforts are pointless because what they do will not change anything, but I think that's short-term thinking in its most egregious. What the protesters are doing is ensuring that the media and consequently the history books record that this was NOT a popular war. That the country WAS divided. And would hope it would show the rest of the world that all Americans are not gunning for the war.

I'm not even saying I'm against war of any type. I'm just against an unjustified war. Our country does whatever the hell it wants, and no one in the world can stop us. How is that not going to give birth to "rebel forces" throughout the world?

(I hear the Bush Administration is developing a "death star" just in case...)

That's the end of my rant...

Go with god.