Ranking War Films:

Most war films contain questionable material, whether it is the actions of a single solider or the commands for a whole group. While watching a war film I must ask myself did the writer add some of this information just to keep the audience interested. As you check the film clips below, ask yourself do men response this way under the pressure of war. I have placed the most believable one at the top of the list and continue down to the most unbelievable one last.






















#1 The Big Red One (28 May 1980 France) Written and Directed by: Samuel Fuller
Stars: Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill and Robert Carradine
This is a about story of a sergeant and the inner core members of his unit as they try to serve in and survive World War II. The first strange thing in this film is that the sergeant will visit a place and encounter the enemy on the same site in both wars. The main four men under this sergeant never get shoot or wounded. For three years these men never went home or were reassigned different from the others. The sergeant does get shoot but survives and regroups with his four remaining men. When they came ashore on French soil, the French attacked them for awhile until the French were being defeated then they surrendered but were told to join the American troops.


#2 Full Metal Jacket (26 June 1987 USA) Director: Stanley Kubrick Writers: Gustav Hasford (novel), Stanley Kubrick (screenplay)
Stars: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey and Vincent D'Onofrio
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow Marine recruits from their brutal basic training to the bloody street fighting set in 1968 Hue, Vietnam. The drill sergeant pushes a recruit referred to as Gomer Pile to far. This soldier after passing basic training kills the sergeant and himself. This movie shows some soldiers being sent by helicopter on which the gunner is shooting at any person on the ground he sees. He did not care which side they were on.





















#3 Saving Private Ryan (24 July 1998 USA) Director: Steven Spielberg Writer: Robert Rodat
Stars: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon and Tom Sizemore
Following the Normandy landings, a group of US soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action. The unbelievable thing, after several soldiers have been killed trying to find Ryan, he refuses to leave his post. He disobeys orders causing most of the platoon stays and dies defending the bridge that he refused to leave. Ryan does survive, while the tough Lt. dies.


#4 The Thin Red Line (15 January 1999 USA) Director: Terrence Malick Writer: James Jones (novel
Stars: James Caviezel, Sean Penn and Nick Nolte
This film focuses on the conflict at Guadalcanal during World War 2 where the Japanese held a strong hold. The unbelievable part, after most of the men were killed by the Japanese hiding under the huts, the remaining soldiers were told they could go back behind the lines. They chose to attack the rock fortress known as the elephant. They did over take this point and defeated the Japanese.




#5 We Were Soldiers (1 March 2002 USA) Director: Randall Wallace Writers: Harold G. Moore (book), Joseph L. Galloway (book)
Stars: Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe and Greg Kinnear
This story of the first major battle of the American phases of the Vietnam War and is the account of Colonel Harold G. Moore of the soldiers on both sides that fought. The colonel was always comparing his battalion to General Custer. The amazing thing was that the soldiers were dropped into enemy held territory in groups of 60 men and it would take at least 30 minutes to get more soldiers there. They did not know the number of enemy soldiers in the area until they captured an enemy soldier. He told them there were over 4,000 soldiers in the nearby mountain. Col.Moore had a total of 395 men under his command. When the Colonel was order out without his men he defused. He had told them he would be the first to set foot on enemy soil and the last to leave which he proved. The Colonel went back to Vietnam a second time for a term of 235 days. During the days of this war his wife took on the task of delivering the western union telegrams to the wives and families of the soldiers killed.





















#6 Hamburger Hill (1987 USA)
The unbelievable thing that stands out was why they were trying to obtain this Hill 937. Over 70% of the soldiers were killed, and the battle took 10 days. This film showed footage of American soldiers being shot by our own men in helicopters. They used maypom to set fire to the top of the hill but it show how the enemy had caves dug into the hills to protect them. It seems we could have surrounded the bottom of the hill and waited until their supplies ran out.






















#7 To Hell and Back (18 October 1955 Japan) Director: Jesse Hobbs Writers: Gil Doud, Audie Murphy (autobiography "To Hell And Back")
Stars: Audie Murphy, Marshall Thompson and Charles Drake
This is a true story about Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in U.S. history. This film was hard for me to believe because Audie was only 19 years old when he received his medals. He was discharged because he had been wounded. As a soldier he seemed to take chances, while tell the other older soldiers to stay down. They thought they would need to protect him from being killed but he ends up being the hero. He even captures an enemy tank and uses it against them.

In closing I would like to suggest if you have not seen any of these films to do so because I could not rank them according to my favorite because they were all good. You may rank them differently.

Computer Systems Analysts

To make a career choice you must begin by understanding what the job entails. Knowing what a computer systems analyst does is important part in being prepared. What leads me to making a decision about my future was a job layoff. When ask if I had any desire to try a new line of work the area of computers seems to have a large choice. There are several different fields dealing with computers. The one with medium pay range was called compute systems analysts. The information I received was that this field could be entered after only a two year degree. After learning that it makes take longer than I thought it will become a long term goal.
A systems analyst must be willing to do research on the project he plans to pursue even before doing the actual job. He must know hardware and software used in the computer fields. The analyst gives advice to the uses about which software or hardware devices would work the best in some cases the analyst helps with the development of a new system. There are four talents person that does this work develops and fine tunes throughout his career. First he need to understand the companies and what is its purpose. With technical skills comes an understanding of the potential and the limitations of information technology. An analyst develops management skills to be able to perform projects, manage the resources, and handle risk he must take in the choices he makes. Lastly he should work well with the system users and other personnel.

Systems analysts may act as liaisons between vendors and the organization they represent. They may be responsible for developing cost analyses, design considerations, and implementation time-lines. They may also be responsible for feasibility management. Basically a systems analyst performs the following tasks. Interact with the customers to know their requirements, interact with designers to convey the possible interface of the software, interact /guide the coders/developers to keep track of system development, perform system testing with sample/live data with the help of testers, implement the new system and prepare high quality documentation.(Cashman 1) Some aspects of those working with computers can be confusing. There are those who study computer science but enter a different field like designing or upgrading the hardware used in the systems. There are areas of networking that overlap the computer analysis job, but he does not need a degree in that field. There are more general titles or names used to fit the exact job, all analysts do not use that title.

When a system is approved, systems analysts oversee the implementation of the required hardware and software components. They coordinate tests and observe the initial use of the system to ensure that it performs as for computer programmers to follow; then they work with programmers to “debug,” or eliminate errors, from the system. After the system has been implemented, tested, and debugged, computer systems analysts maytrain its users and write instruction manuals. Because they are responsible for both programming and systems analysis,these workers must be proficient in both areas. As this dual proficiency becomes more common,analysts are increasingly working with databases, object-oriented programming languages, client–server applications, and multimedia and Internet technology. (US Dept. 1)
The outlook for growth shows that the industries which use technology are growing faster than any other. This growth is forecasted through 2014. Many analysts are moving into the field of specialized consultants. A computer systems analyst should specialize in businesses that depend on information technology to keep growing. An analyst must keep himself update in their skills. Now we will look at the education and training needed for this career. Business enterprises generally prefer individuals with information technology, business, and accounting skills and frequently assist employees in obtaining these skills. Employers usually look for people who have broad knowledge and experience related to computer systems and technologies, strong problem-solving and analytical skills, and the ability to think logically.
Instead of a degree, some employers other job qualifications vary greatly by employer, but generally include. Knowledge of a specific computer system, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, good interpersonal and communication skills, background in the employer's industry, empathy for the financial bottom line, typical experience required is two years or more. But, some employers accept advanced degrees instead,while others offer entry-level jobs and internships that require no experience. Certain systems analyst jobs require a security clearance, such as those at government agencies or corporations that serve the government on contract. (Niznik 1) One reason for wanting to enter this field of work is the working environment. Many jobs must be done working with the weather. Some people work outside in the rain, heat, cold and in the snow. The people you work around also effects the way you feel and on how you perform. This tells the drawbacks to working with computers. Computer systems analysts work in offices or laboratories in comfortable surroundings. Many work about 40 hours a week, but some work more than 50 hours a week. Some analysts telecommute, using computers to work from remote locations. Injuries in this occupation are uncommon, but computer systems analysts, like other workers who spend long periods typing on a computer, are susceptible to eyestrain, back discomfort, and hand and wrist problems systems analysts vary depending on the job. (US Dept. 1)The job duties change according to the business of the company. On the most part the analyst keeps the system updated and working to meet information technology needs. Sometimes revamp a system to do a new task or networking computer systems. The coordinating of information with programmers, network-security specialists and software engineers is a part of the job. The employment of an analyst and advancement are important to those who are willing to work their way up higher.
Career advancement for computer systems analysts with leadership skills includes promotion to middle-management positions, such as project manager or manager of information systems, or even executive positions such as chief information officer (CIO). (Niznik 1)
Computer systems analysts held about 532,200 jobs in 2008. Although they are employed in many industries, 24 percent of these workers were in the computer systems design and related services industry. Computer systems analysts also were employed by governments; insurance 30,300 computer systems analysts were self-employed in 2008. (US Dept.1)

Employment of computer systems analysts is expected to grow by 20 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for these workers will increase as organizations continue to adopt and integrate increasingly sophisticated technologies and as the need for information security grows. (Niznik 1)
The topic that will be shared is the salary of those that are using skills as analysts. Some have different titles but they all link with Information technology.According to Robert Half International, 2005 starting salaries for systems analysts ranged from $61,500 to $82,500. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 2005 starting salaries were from $44,417 to $62,727, depending on the degrees .(Niznik 1)Systems Analyst in 2009 earned from $67,500 to $93,250. In 2010 the projected earnings were $ 65,250 to $ 92,250. CRM Business Analyst earned $65,250 to $ 90,500 in 2009. Data Warehouse Analyst earned in 2009 was 8100,500 to $108,750. E-Commerce Analyst earned $ 66,250 to $96,250. (Messmer 10 -11)

NASA-funded game

From www.digg,com I was sent to the following website http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/07/nasa-funded-game-aims-to-make-science-more-appealing.ars. It contains an article about how NASA has started backing and making video games about space which could increase the interest in true science. I think this is long over due. Space has been turned into a science-fiction story. The real facts are after you leave the ground your life could suddenly end. Movies have made space seem like normal life down here on earth. I have not played the game but hope it shows the danger when something could go wrong like the “Apollo 13 Mission.”The first game is called Moonbase Alpha. I f it catches on the next game will be Astronaut: Moon Mars and Beyond. There is a free download at the site.

New Bond Movie Shelved

This is about a movie that MGM has shelved, because MGM has 4 million dollars of debt. The movie is a James Bond movie called” Bond 23”. Most of the talk around this article was about should they quit making Bond movies? The world of a spy seems to no longer exist in the minds of most people. Viewers watching Bond movies can almost believe they are real. Other movies make the hero unbelievable, whether by their strength or their talents. These made Bond dull to watch because he is predictable. This article made a reference to the character, of Jason Bourne, who has abilities greater than a normal man. We want an adrenaline rush from the beginning to the end of each movie. The site was http://theweek.com/article/index/204868/should-mgm-kill-james-bond

15 Quotes Out of Order

A link at dig.com led me to another web site which I have never visited ..Www.womansday.com/articles/family-lifestyle/ where there was an article titled “15 Most Memorable Movie Quotes”. This article had movie clips just in case you have forgotten or never seen the quotes. I watch a lot of movies and had seen all of these. I think they were in the wrong order of popularity. I would like to suggest that maybe you visit this site and decide for yourself, which quotes should be at the top. It was funny that people could remember these quotes.

A Writer’s Recovery

An article from www.digg.com titled “the writer who could not read” attracted my attention. A Canadian writer woke up one morning and could not understand the words on his newspaper. It was later learned, he had suffered a stroke that disabled a part of his brain. The article went into detail explaining how he relearned to use another part of his brain to take the read and write. Although part of his brain is still damaged he can carry on a normal life.

Boeing 787

An article caught my interest this week about a new Boeing airplane. The article is found at wired .com. This was a new test airplane that was struck by lighting which showed no damage. I have always believed that anything that was not grounded would not receive a lighting strike. The plane being struck makes me think maybe it is not a good idea to fly in bad weather. I have also believed that rubber acts as insulators like wheels on a car to protect it during a storm, but I could be wrong.

New Job Careers

In todays world, many people have been layed off from their jobs. Now they are seeking new ones. I came across this article on www.msnbc.msn.com titled” 5 high paying low stress jobs”. This could be of interest to those who are undecided about what type of work they want to do. I’m a person who does not like to be stressed , but I have already chosen my line of study. The list included a computer software engineer, a civil engineer, a massage therapist, a physical therapist, and a technical writer. Most of these jobs range in pay from $45,000 up to $130,000 per year.

New Technology Performed on Digital Recordings

I would like to comment on an article from www.digg.com titled “met lab claims biggest breakthrough since Watergate”. This was about a new digital forensics tool that can be used to tell if recordings both audio and video are authentic. It took months to check the Watergate tapes to prove there were gaps in them. With this new technology the same test can be done in 10 to 12 minutes. If authenticate a recording could be used as evidence in court. This technology has been made possible by the move to digital recording. We should be aware that this technology can also invade our privacy.

Extraordinary Measures

During this week I watched a movie that moved my emotions. It was about a family that had three children two of which had a disease called pompe. The father had a good job with insurance that paid around $40,000 a year in medical bills. The doctors could not give the parents any hope because the life expectancy of children was only 9.This is heart breaking to know that all they could do was watch their children die. The father shows faith, courage and love for his children by risking everything to help develop a drug. He was also told the new drug would be only for infants. This movie should be watch by everyone because if was a true story.

2012 Movie

There are several issues in real life which are brought out in this film. If our government has knowledge of an event that could destroy, part of our nation, should we know? I would like to know. I do not think a way of escape should be made for just the rich. Lastly I come to the issue of death, if I could chose my death as in the film I do not think I would run. They made out like this was heroic but in real life we would protect the ones we love by trying to shelter them. I though the guy in the park was nuts, but he really enjoy life to the end.

OIL spill

“How big is the Deepwater Horizon oil spill?” is the article from www.digg.com that is read this week. An explosion which took place on April 20 caused the oil to spill into the ocean. The rate is estimate at 200,000 gallons a day and has not been stopped yet. This spill now covers 2500square miles. The oil companies will make more money in the long run because this lets the consumer see the loss of this oil. There must be a way to suck up this oil and use it. It may not make the best quality products, but a lot of things are produced from oil.

Are families different?

I read an article titled Red Family, Blue Family which I would like to discuss. This article centered on three issues, first was marriages, then children born out of wedlock and last was about abortions. These two law professors wrote a book dividing people in groups. They then gave each group a title. It concluded that people with a college education or degree normally have the best family life. Many wait until later in life to marry and only have a few children. It seemed to imply that middle income family do better that higher or lower levels. The webs address iswww.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/opinion/10douthat.html.

Are Street Cops Becoming Street Gangs?

I remember in movies where there were two officers question a suspect, one was a good cop and the other pretended to be a bad cop. The bad cop was harsh and used force to make the person fear him. Today on the streets many cops use force, while trying to pretend to be good. I respect the officers of the law because without laws the world would be much more violent. People get angry and frustrated even police officers but they can use their position of power to release their anger. I truly hope there are only a few bad apples in law enforcement. In February of 2010 a North Caroline officer was shot while tries to serve a warrant. The Rock Hill man that shot the cop could have killed but instead the officer only wounded the man. The Rock Hill man faces new charges along with drug related charges which the warrant was for. This officer kept his job ahead of wanting to harm others. In Hemet, California, a city south of L.A. the police have been dealing with a motorcycle gang. The police have cut back the number of officers by a quarter leaving on 68 on duty. The size of the motorcycle gang numbers over 200. Members of the bike gang have tried to blow up the police station by piping a natural gas line into the building. An officer smelled gas before anyone was hurt. Then someone rigged a gun to shoot an office that opened or closed a fence around the station, the gun went off only missing an officer by inches. An explosive device was plant on an unmarked car but fell off. Hemet Police has set a reward of $200,000 for the arrest and conviction for those responsible. These officers continued to do their job while being cautious. There were also 4 trucks set on fire at Hemet City Hall which were used by city code enforcement. Now I would like to share a few examples of bad cops. There was a woman striped naked by several male officers while at least two female officers were standing by. The article said there was no proof that the woman was an assaulter and should not had been striped searched. Another aspect of this case is she was left naked for 6 hours. This case is going to trial but a lot of the crucial evidence is missing except the video.
A 64 year old man was beaten by a group of officers during his arrest for being drunk. A video show the group punching and kicking the man several times. A college student , John McKenna, at the University of Maryland was filmed being by several officers. The Prince George County Park Police which ride horses attacked students after a basketball game with Duke in March. They arrested 28 students including the one that was beaten. The charge against the student that was filmed being beaten was dropped. This case also will go to court along with other charges from students who say they also were beaten As my final example I would to share about the street cops in L.A. joining a secret gang. The story started about one cop that had a gang related tattoo. This officer over the years moved up in rank now he holds a key position in the L.A. County Sheriff Dept. The officers that are asked to join this gang take a vow of secrecy. They can not share with anyone the things they see the other cops do. These cops get away with anything from blackmail, thief, dealing drugs or take them to kill innocent people. These bad cops talk their family and friends into joining the police force..< One of the high ranking officers wants to enter politics and has said he would remove the tattoo. The WFI editor was quoted as saying,” the attitudes that led to (the tattoo) being implanted can not be removed so easily.” He also said, “The criminal world is virtually a mirror image of the police state, both relying on violence for power.”

Fraudulent Tax Returns

I want to share on an article from wired.com. called” Identity Thieves Filed for $4 million in Tax Refunds” These case took place from January 12005 to April 2008.. The reason this article was in the news is because there were at least men involved and only two were caught in 2008. Third man was a 43 year old man from Arizona. If a person with this knowledge could still do a lot of damage. I think the government should find a better way of checking tax returns because some of these claims were from dead people. The social numbers should be drop if someone dies.

Seagate Hard drive

Seagate, a computer hardware company, formulated an idea of preloading a small external hard drive with about 21 movies. The company negotiated a deal with Paramount for the movies. A pocket-size 500GB hard drive served their purpose with only 20GB of space required for these movies. The drawback, the company wants from $9.99 to $14.99 to unlock each movie using the Internet. I think the price should be lower. There are a lot of people who only watch a movie once, so this would be a waste of space or would not appeal to them. There was no price for the hard drive mentioned. This was from www.engadget .com.

National ID Cards

An article from www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/two-id-cards/ site shared the opinion of two Senators. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York) and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina) claim that a new identification card would combat illegal immigration. I must say their proposal is stupid because whatever we try, they can forge also. I think what these senators are after is more control over the people. We need to enforce the policies we now have and fine companies who knowingly use this help and do not pay the taxes required.

$10,000 Pentax Camera

I was reading an article about a new camera, Pentax 645D camera which cost $9400. This article said that it was cheap for one of this quality. People that make their living using cameras could appreciate the features of this one. It has 40 mega pixels which should produce a great picture. It looks a lot like older film style cameras which had interchangeable lens. This has a sensor of 33 x 44mm, and a 3 inch LCD screen. Maybe you’re not into pictures, but it would be good to know why professional cameras cost so much.

Testing of Bulletproof Vests

I read an article this week on wired.com about the testing of bulletproof vest. It started by asking some questions, and saying nothing is bulletproof only bullet resistance. The bullets do penetrate the vest, so a question followed. How much damage is done, while the vest still saved a life? The test involved using 220-pounds of modeling clay to wear the vest and a machine (pictured) to fire the bullets. The goal was to see the result of more than one bullet hitting the same spot. This machine shot six .44-caliber, and six .357 rounds into the vest. I think we should try to make the police and army as safe as possible.

Lotus’s prototype Electric Vehicle

Lotus, a name associated with fast cars, is now working on a hybrid prototype. This vehicle can travel from zero to sixty miles per hour in less than four seconds. A rear wheel drive car that surpass the Toyola’s Prius for efficiency. Two electric motors output 207 horsepower each, and produces speeds of 35 mph on batteries along. It also carries a 187 pound engine that generates 35 kilowatts of power, which charges the batteries and moves the car. To read more go to http.wired.com/images,blogs/autopia2010/2.

Dell’s Tablet

When Apple came out with the I-pad everyone was talking about it. Now Dell introduces it’s version called the Mini 5.It has a 5” touch screen, a 1GHZ processor, a 5 mega pixel camera on back and a separate front facing one for video conferencing, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, This is not as big as the I-pad at 9.7 inches but it will cause the price of the I-pad to drop, which now cost from $500 to $830. Dell plans to make larger screens later. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/02/dells-tablet-aims-to-stick-it-to-apples-ipad/#ixzz0ga7w5Qcc

solar phones

Solar phones

There are two things that upset people with cell phones. The first is running out of minutes if you use a prepay plan, and the second is if the battery dies. While browsing the www. engadget com site I read about a new cell phone call GS 109. This phone was solar powered which has a video camera, color display, micro SD slot, mp3 player and Bluetooth 2.1 all on a solar phone. The phone is priced at only $40. The solar cell continually charges from 70% to 80%. My phone stays on charge. I like the GS 109 phone, and maybe I will purchase one.

Housing Market Crash
http://www.wired.com/autopia/

I read this article which questioned if cars could have caused a part of the housing crash. It gave reference to Jacksonville, Florida. The article talked about lack of public transportation. The writer probable has never seen the bus station downtown, it stays busy. Stops are all over Jacksonville. Many people buying homes do have newer cars. The reduction in hours and the freeze in wages over the last several years have caused incomes to go down. When people plan to buy a home they could only hope to be able to make the payments.

Tires How Long Do They Last

Tires how long do they last? With the costs of a car, insurance, taxes and tags you would think that would be enough. However, maintenance and tires play a large role in how much you enjoy your car. Tires determine fuel economy, comfort of the ride and overall safety of your automobile. Many people change the size of the rims to larger ones, and buy larger tires. The larger tires cost more. In the picture of the truck “burning rubber” the article said he blew both back tires. It could have been titled burning money. The link was http//auto how stuff work.com/how-long-car-tire-last.

Small Helicopter

Discovery com/ military is a site dealing with new technology. . The latest is an unmanned small helicopter .Labeled MQ8D Fire scout. This helicopter is 6 feet long and 10 feet tall. It flies behind enemy lines or unsecured territory and land. It deploys a small robot that collects information. This helicopter is also call the eye in the sky because it does not need to go up very high. When I first read about this I thought of it like a toy, maybe it could prove itself useful. The cost could not equally that of larger helicopters and this could save lives if it were shot down. It would take a better shot to shoot down something that small ,The use of technology will open the doors for even greater inventions .which will help save soldiers lives .I think tax payer should know what their tax dollars are buying. This is the third thing I have seen and all are worth investing in.

Science And The Soldier

Science and the elite soldier is what I have chosen to write about. Lockheed Martin have developed something new for the military. It is called “exoskeleton. This is a back pack containing a battery and a hydraulic pump. A metal frame is shaped to from down the legs and under a soldier’s feet. The pump forces fluid to the knees where the frame bends exactly like a person. A soldier with one of these packs loaded to 175lbs, could do knee bends all day long. The full weight is placed on the frame so the soldier will have energy after a long hike. I think that the soldier can confront the enemy better and be more alert if he is not exhausted. This would allow a soldier to carry more than he normally could. The only two drawbacks I can see with this is if the battery should go dead, or the pump would malfunction while on a hike.

Military Technology

Military technology is the subject of this report. When it comes to guns, whether hand guns or rifles precision is what matters. The military has developed a group of firearms which do not shoot bullets but a laser. The guns still have the same weight, sounds, smell and recoil like the real gun. They can be used indoors to shoot at small targets. The targets make a 15 foot shot equal to about 300 meters. I found this interesting because they were talk saying the police would use these same training guns. I am all for advances in technology that may help save lives. The streets of most large cities are become war zones. Gangs will not stop even when the police have caught them .Unless the police shoot them. This way the cops can direct their shoot s more accurately. They may save the life of the criminal, or the person they are trying to arrest.