2005 RAD Conference's Theme Is "I Bite Your Ass If You Try To Ask Questions!"

Few weeks ago, I wrote an entry about the questions surrounding the RAD 2005 Conference in Washington, DC.

I got in touch with RAD Board and the 2005 Conference Chairpersons, Bill Terrell and Ricky Drake about the questions surrounding the conference. I simply wrote an email to RAD Board with three questions that I listed:

1. Why $350 registration fee? According to some, it was massive increase from 4 years ago -- economy has not been going very well in the last 5 years, why bother to increase the two-fold prices?

2. Why move to Grand Hyatt Hotel? What's wrong with the one at Washington Plaza Hotel -- why change to Grand Hyatt Hotel? Someone said that the hotel cannot meet the accomodations but wait a minute, this is the same hotel that hosted the annual International Men's Leather which has more than 1,500 registrants! If there are not enough rooms, there are 4 or 5 hotels around Thomas Circle -- Washington Plaza Hotel has the accessibility to 4 gay bars and several gay-owned restaurants. Grand Hyatt Hotel is in downtown, way far from the DuPont Circle or its connections with gay bars. Why change the premise?

3. Why is that there are not enough information on workshops, the numbers of registrants? I asked one person on the committee about how many had been registered -- one said that he is not bound to release the figures because the RAD Board does not permit -- but four years ago, NWRAD had a counter on its website to indicate the numbers of registrants.

You will read the responses from RAD President Bob Donaldson and Vice-President Barbara Hathaway. Soon after that, Hathaway referred me to get in touch with Terrell and Drake, the RAD 2005 Conference Chairpersons. I forwarded the three questions to follow up with their answers.

As expected, Terrell never responded, mainly because he condemned me after I deflated his pitiful ego trip few years ago when he claimed to know the gay issues MORE than I do because he said that he is much older than I am in his senile 70s. I came out around 18 (13 years and counting) whereas this fool has been hiding in the closet for more than 60 years! Ageism does not make one experienced in this matter, though. But I digress.

On other hand, Ricky Drake responded but you could see the way he became defensive and accused me of not volunteering for the committee on an assumption that I lived in DC last year. Excuse me, I lived in New York for the last 2 1/2 years.

The whole thing is that if they wanted to attract people to come to the conference, they have to market, convince and sell the idea that it's cool to come down to the conference -- do not alienate. Apparently, their job is to alienate others.

Some emailed, videophoned and IMmed me that I had the guts to pop the questions to the RAD Board and the nutty folks in Terrell and Drake. But someone has to say something here, really.

Here is the response from RAD President Bob Donaldson after I popped 3 questions:

Hi Ricky,
Good evening, Thanks for your concern... It s not RAD board that decided this. It s the host by CMRA - RAD 2005 and I just forward to chair and vice chair to reply to your questions. OK

Thanks
Bob D
RAD President

Apparently, someone within the committee of 2005 RAD Conference lied. I was told by a certain member of a committee that it was RAD Board who instigated the move to Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Then I got a response from RAD Vice-President Barbara Hathaway:

Have you spoke directly to Bill Terrell and Ricky Drake? From reading your email we got from you, it looks like you didn't communicate with them.

Actually we are very strict with the idea of sticking with the "chain of command". You will need to start with Bill Terrell and Ricky Drake. They have the actual answers and facts. It looks like you were asking the persons who had little knowledge of what Bill and Ricky is doing. It would be much easier if you spoke with right person.

Once you communciate with Bill and Ricky and then if the problem still does not satisify you then RAD Board will answer your questions.

One question to answer your question. The RAD Board does not make the decisions. RAD Conference Committee writes down the budget and propose to RAD Executive Board for approval (agreement). We did ask questions and RAD Conference Committee made a lot of valid points and RAD Exexutive had seen their point and the discussion has been understood of why and how the cost has come up to. RAD did not make sole decision in this. It was both teams. CMRA has the control of how things should run within the RAD Conference Committee since they are the host. RAD is there to help out if any problem arise. We do not tell chapters or RAD conference commiittee what to do. We just do what our RAD members would think of and make suggestions to RAD Conference Committee. So this is the reason why I said to you in the beginning that you will need to speak with Bill and Ricky.

Barbara Hathaway
RAD Vice President

Ahh, they hadn't address the 3 questions that I requested. So I forwarded the email to the conference chairpersons. I then told Barbara Hathaway that I will get in touch with Drake but I also wondered if it is necessary to keep things secretive like the workshops and the numbers of registrants?

Barbara responded back with few comments:

My question is - why did you wait until now? RAD conference has been there for 4 years now. Why wait til now?

Regarding to price, the deleagate was at the meeting and it's recorded in RAD's minute and it's also in the chapter's file that shows how much the tickets would be and where it be. It has been announced on the RADchapters for a long time, let's say for 2 and 1/2 years they have announce the price.

To answer the rest of your questions, I'll wait until Ricky answers you first so I don't jump out of my boundry.

We have more people who have lot of concerns of what is happening, why cant they come to us. I would have done some investigation. Your complaint and concern is important to me. I do not have enough of evidence to go about. I am trying but at this time people not telling me who or not reporting to me is like "tying my hands" because I do not know which direction to start. I can't assume and bark up wrong tree. Without names of your friends who is telling you this, I am not going to do anything. I am not going to "assume". I have to protect the innoence and grab the dirty ones. I will only go by your comments, not the ones that asked you not to release their name.

Talk to Ricky Drake. He may be defended now because he has no clue of what is happening and you drop a bomb. He feels like people is "gun maching" at him. Be pateince and try him.

Barbara, that is the whole point -- Four years ago, the hotel was determined to be at Washington Plaza Hotel when I agreed with. Then last year, everything changed. What's up with it? It does not matter if I waited or not. You are on the Board as a representative of the RAD. You are supposed to facilitate and nurture the growth of RAD, not to alienate others by turning the tables to question my timing -- it is irrelevant.

As for three questions that I asked to be addressed. Still no answer.

Then Ricky Drake, 2005 Conference Vice Chairperson responded:

Thank you for the e-mail. I only will answer your questions as short as I can.

1)Yes, Washington Plaza Hotel was the original site plan but later moved to Grand Hyatt Hotel due to lack of specific accommodations like a banquet would hold no more than 300. Through Bob Donaldson, RAD President's recent statement on MAL (Mid-Atlantic Leather) events which occur in Washington, DC on Martin Luther King, Jr weekend, the MAL meetings and contests were held outside the hotel due to insufficient space area for these events. This hotel was used for rooms and exhibits only.

2)The cost of room at Washington Plaza is only 20 dollars less than that at Grand Hyatt Hotel. The standard room rate at Grand Hyatt is about 379 dollars per night but for RAD conference participants through RAD code, the room is $179. 00 per night. The price will reduce if more than one person per room up to 2. More than two, it would cost little higher. We are fortunate to pay that price for such luxury hotel in the heart of downtown.

3)Why the combo price is higher?. We will have three hot meals, instead of 1 or 2 meals at the past conferences. Combo price is much higher at any other events like NAD, for instance. It would cost atrociously high. If you could have bought early bird combo for $250 two years ago. Secondly, there is a lay-away plan so the participants would make several deposits in timely manner until it is fully paid.

Are you a member of a RAD-affiliate chapter?

Thanks,
Ricky Drake
Vice-Chairperson, RAD 2005

Ok, the banquet will happen only three times in 5 days of conference -- you could find a hall or two around the neighborhood. Thomas Circle is convenient, Downtown is not. The metro station closes at midnight during the weekdays. Think with your little brains, please. So far, Drake has only answered 2 out of 3 questions then decided to turn the tables on me by asking me whether if I am the member of some RAD chapter. Again, it is not relevant.

Drake tried to compare the RAD Conference with NAD Conference -- that is trying to compare an apple with an orange, really. NAD routinely hosted 2,000 people. RAD might be lucky to reach 500. NWRAD of Seattle, which has cut the relationship with the RAD 3 years ago, was the most successful of all, registered more than 600. RAD charged $250 two years ago for the earliest combo ticket whereas NAD charged $195 for the earliest combo ticket. Nice try but no cigar.

Suddenly, RAD Treasurer Larry Pike responded with a defensive remark, enjoy this:

Thank you, you tell the facts. It is not worth to attack us each other again and again. I believe that some people will complain about some issues. That is nothing new. That is it.

Larry Pike
RAD Treasurer

Again, that is not the point here. You wanted us to attend the RAD Conference, don't you, Larry? Then do something proactively. Don't be defensive or lash out at people who asked the legitimate questions. But what do you expect from these people, really?

Then here is the absurd defensive attack by Drake towards me when I asked him if he had checked the hotels & halls. He attacked me that I did not volunteer when I was in DC "last year". As Vice Chair, he is supposed to be inclusive of everyone else. AS you can see, he failed in that.

To answer your questions:

1) Yes, Bill and I checked several hotels around Thomas Circle including Marriott Residence and Holiday Inn. They do not offer what Grand Hyatt has to offer. Those hotels on the circle don't have any room big enough to accommodate delegate/board meeting and three-night banquets. We also checked Radisson Hotel, across from old Convention Hall, now demolished, next to Grand Hyatt, we found out the price would remain very steep for the month of July and won't go down as much as Grand Hyatt did to $179 (tax not included) per room. You are right about Grand Hyatt as a luxury hotel but look at the price. A good deal for the downtown area. Far more convenient in transportation since the metro is right underground of the hotel without even going outside to get the metro. We have good cafes, restaurants and bars right inside the hotel. Like all other hotels, they may be bit expensive but some people may prefer to stay at the hotel at night.

2) Why didn't you join the RAD 2005 committee before you moved to New York City about a year ago? You said about the others that shared the similar grievance with you, why didn't they inform us and moreover, you expressed your grievance to the RAD executive board and then me only 2 months before the conference. Why didn't you tell us long ago instead of two months before the conference?

3) It doesn't matter whether you are a member of a chapter or not, you never lifted your finger and help us the committee all along.

4) Why do you have to complain about the hotel, price and you name it if you don't plan to come to the RAD conference at all this year?

5) You said NAD hosted more than 2,000 people while RAD hosted up to 500. I concur with you but you need to remember the estimate of the total gay population in the United States. It is said to be more or less 10 percent. It may apply to the deaf GLBT community. Think about hypothesis.

6) Almost all of us on the committee don't go to Eagle's in any way. You could have find a any bar or place where you could communicate in better and more light. No one would stop you from going away from Eagle's if you find too dark to communicate. It is as simple as that. It is no need for me to consider about that.

7) Grand Hyatt isn't far from the 14th and 17th Street gay bars. A metro may be a convenient means of commuting from the hotel to any of the bars. (Metro Center and McPherson Square for the 14th Street bars or Dupont Circle Metro for the 17th Street bars. Walk would make a big difference to those who would enjoy their walk to the bars.

Ricky Drake
Vice Chair, RAD 2005

See? Another defensive mechanism by Drake.

1. Because I got the information from people in diffrent cities that expressed their frustrations with the RAD's responses regarding this in the last few months!

2. Again, dumb question -- I lived in New York for 2 1/2 years, I did not move to NYC last year, you dumbfuck. And your question is already answered above. NO need to repeat unless you wanted me to!

3. Is that my problem?

4. Did I say that I won't go? I said I will *still* go, dumbfuck!

5. That is one pitiful and low of you to use the hypothesis. You are supposed to aim for the best. Not to settle with what is on the table!

6. You still do not get what I meant -- DC Eagle is the only closest gay bar to Grand Hyatt Hotel -- not all of us wanted to go because it is dark there.

7. Again, again, again and again -- Metro closes at midnight during the weekdays! Don't you get it?

I fired back at Drake for lashing out on me with misleading assumptions and all that shit. He thinks he's all that, read:

Rest assured, Ricky. I only gave an answer to your question and nothing more. Period.

You got terrified so easily. I sense that you only want to get provoked all along from the beginning. You need to calm down, Ricky

If we keep Washington Plaza for the conference, would you register and attend the conference as a whole? If not, it would make me wonder

I am referring your recent antics to the RAD President and let him deal with you from now on. From now on I merely will ignore you.

Ricky Drake

Drake, you accused me of not helping out when I was living in New York for the last 2 1/2 years. You accused me that I was not even going to come down for the conference. You need to be inclusive with everyone else -- use the marketing sense. OH, I forgot -- you lacked the means to market the conference.

And my readers, where is Bob Donaldson? He's playing dead, of course.

2 out of 3 questions has been answered, but not completely. They still did not respond about the information on workshops, events and the numbers of registrants.

I heard that they only had 90 registrants. I do not know if this is true. If so, it reflected on how the Committee did a magnificent job of alienating others from attending the conference by any means.

Feel free to chime in with your opinions, my dear readers!

R-

Bitch Session V

Remember the comments below was written by the readers, not me. Feel free to laugh, groan and whine. And you're more than welcome to defend yourselves and retaliate back to the folks who said things about you! C'est la vie!

R-

* * *

Jay Baldridge is out of JAIL!! BEWARE!!
Ridor Responds: Hide your children!

True biz, Paul Stone is still the bed wetter at his age of 30 something!!

Paul Stone cries about his dog because he misses him...and the dog is very much alive!!!

There is evidence that Paul Stone is in the closet -- no, he was not looking for clothes!

Sean .... Can you please stop victimize women?!?! Getting laid by getting them drunk isn't the answer!!

Seth ... oh yes, Sean's brother!! Stop lying for God's sake! You are not popular!! Stop acting like you are! Please please on't turn women off by lavishing them with gifts...that scare them off!! If you want to get someone, go slowly!! No wonder you are still a virgin!

Paul Stone RAPED!! He did not rape women!! He raped men!! He raped boys when he was in High School. He pushed the boys' face onto the pillow to prevent them from scream....and he FUCKED them!! He also claimed that he does not like GAYS....he did it himself....hes so full of it!!

If you ever meet Chris Cowden, do not believe a single word he says about anyone. He is full of shit and crap with unreliable information and twisted memory. I cannot stand his presence. He thinks he's all that. But, know what? He's full of bullshit. And, he eats like the world's largest vacuum. He is the vacuum champ. No vacuum company can replicate or compete with him. A waddling overweight duck who quacks bullshit about people and things in life. Quack quack. Poops crap all over the place. Based on how much he eats, he probably will have loose ass muscle by the time he hits 35 from shitting all those long brown river snake poops.

Andy Bonheyo was never contacted by gallaudet regarding to the football coach position....dimwits!!

defBef, stop sucking your thumb and thinking you're the world's greatest slut. your blowjobs SUCK.

Why is that deaf gays intend to be secretive about their drugs and don't want to share with others?? Get a life and do something productive in life than being greedy with drugs....

Amy, you were fired at Arthur Anderson Elementary School for breaking the Code of Ethics. You did not resign. You were either fired or forced to resign because of your behavior.

mccock, your antics last fall AREN'T a complete secret. stop copying ridor or i'll tell.

Jane Fernandes got tenured position in ASL/Deaf STudies Department -- a sign that the department is joke.

vapid NYC blonde: yes, it's your ass i'm talking about. shut! the! fuck! up! BITCH!

Star Wars has millions of inhabitants on different planets -- fighting the Evil Empire and it has many characters -- yet no one you can find anywhere is deaf? Guess back then, we have better things than to fight the Siths or Jedis.

Jody and Sean are truly the dangerous-est gossipers and lardiest guys whom I have ever met. Fuck JodySean!

I. King Jordan
Paul Kelly
Jane K. Fernandez

The KKK needs to get out of Gallaudet. Their stay is overdue and unwelcomed. Do you realize that the paychecks of the KKK is a total of One Cool Crisp Million bucks!-PER YEAR !!! FOLKS!!!! Wake up!! *hallo*!?!?!?!?

Herndon Day

In Annapolis, the United States Naval Academy has an annual event where the plebes worked together to climb the lard-covered 21-foot tall monument. The legend has that the plebe that snatched the hat on the top of the monument shall be ranked as the first Admiral someday in the future.

It is a fun tradition that intrigued me. There are two things that I really liked about Annapolis -- the Herndon Monument and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Walk. I visited the Herndon Monument once in the past and observed the plebes struggling to work together and climb to the top of the monument. When they are done, they often stumbled down because the lard was so greasy, sloppy and smelly! Really, when I stood about 50 feet away from the drama, I could SMELL the sweat, aroma and lard around the scene. But it was absolutely eye candy for me to watch the plebes doing the man's work for more than two hours in '00. Merritt would shriek, "Do it for me!"

I just learned that last Thursday was the Herndon Day -- if I was in DC, I would be there. I like to watch these men doing the fun things, not torturing the "enemy combatants" as the Bush Administration wanted them to do.

Congratulations to whoever snatched the hat at the top of the monument.

R-

I Need To "Happy Slap" these Idiotic Bootleggers!

When you inserted the DVD or videotape, you'll get the standard message from the FBI warning about the illegal copies of the film. When I was growing up, I thought it was silly message because I do not see the illegal copies in the South, especially in the Shenandoah Valley. Boy, was I ever naive. When I lived in New York, I was stunned to see so many DVD bootleggers selling the DVDs that were released in movie theaters few hours EARLIER! They sell these in very open view of NYPD and MTA cops in subway stations, street corners and yes, in restaurants.

It turned out that someone sat in the auditorium and filmed throughout the whole thing ... it often is grainy, it was said that people could hear the people in the auditorium talking. ONce in while, you'll see a black figure walking past the screen. I really do not care about that, though. But what really pissed me the most is ... its fake indications that it is captioned! They published thousands of "CC" on it so when Deaf persons bought it and realized that it is not even captioned.

Then they made copies to sell at very cheap price.

So reading this was not even a surprise.

Several times, I was approached by them (they are mostly Chinese or Latinos) in restaurants -- they would come in with a backpack, then pull out 20 DVDs then scatter it on the restaurant tables where people are sitting ... then go around again to collect money if anyone bought the DVDs, if not ... they pick up the DVDs and plead you to buy for "their cause".

The restaurant owner/manager tolerated it. If they tolerated this, they should be prosecuted for being the accomplice to the problem.

It was said that these monies financed the sex slave trafficking, but that is what they said.

One time, they put the DVDs on my table while I was dining ... at that time, I have had enough of that crap. So I threw the 10 DVDs off the table, creating a loud crash on the floor as one Chinese gal was stunned to see me do that. I mouthed, "GET OUT!"

Then I called the manager that what she did is illegal. The manager smiled and said, "I know but it is not that bad." I told the bitch that I'll call the cops if she does not leave. The bitch profusely apologized and kicked the fake bootleggers out.

I do not care if they made money for prostitution or whatever but to lie and disparage about the captions where Deaf people worked hard to promote the captions in the last 30 years is very offensive.

* * *

In London, there is the national phenomenon amongst the UK youths that alarmed the adults. It is called "Happy Slapping". I thought it was frightening and yet, so hysterical. If it happened to me, the world shall cease to exist. The people that do this to me would know the true meaning of terror.

What is happy slapping? Because of its popularity with cellphones, the UK youths often bet with their friends that they'll slap people they do not know who on buses, subway trains or wherever they are. Some elderly person would snooze off on the subway train only to find the slap on the cheek -- not cute slap but violent enough to warrant an assault charge -- that jolted or startled the bystanders as the kids fled.

It is not limited to elderly persons -- but the general idea is to have the shock value by bashing on an unsuspecting person just for the sake of a joke. Slapping is not the limited form -- you can punch, kick, push, bash ... as long as it takes someone to film or snap to exchange on the websites.

It is becoming a problem in the United Kingdom.

Some accused MTV. But I think the parents are responsible for their actions. Vida La Bam is hilarious but it already warned that everything they do is scripted, unlike the craze fad in the United Kingdom -- if it should spread in this country, let it start in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

* * *

Here is another awful antics of our beloved government at work -- this is one of many reasons why we alienated the world. We burned too many bridges with many governments to a point where everyone will turn against us.

To tranquilize someone through the anus? What a creative bunch of idiots, only found in the United States of America!

R-

Today is May 20th!

Don't forget to send me the notes to bitch at anyone and anything in this world and beyond. The deadline is at the end of the day. The email address is Ridor9th@gmail.com -- no names will be revealed. If it does, it will ruin the fun of Bitch Session, really.

Be thoughtful, be funny, be wicked, be creative -- that is all I'm asking for. I got 15 so far, would like to aim for 20 or 25.

I got enough information to work on an entry about RAD's problems. It is petty, shameful and childish. When I am done with few errands, you can bet that I'll dissect the information and pass it to the readers.

On another subject, this picture contains a group of deaf female students at a deaf school (some said VSDB, but I'm not certain) that also included my great-great-great grandmother, Mary Norris.

One thing that I can attest that she is related to me -- she, like me, is surrounded by people. I have great friends that is surrounded next to me -- they are certainly a blessing to have. Yes, sometimes, they can drive me nuts. But they are there for me from day one. Just like Mary and her gang.

Ahh, I just had a chat with an old friend of mine. The conversation somehow evolved into a subject about Julianna Fjeld. This brought a bizarre incident that I had with her. Some of you knew Julianna Fjeld used to produce the television movie called "Love Is Never Silent" where Phyllis Frelich, Ed Waterstreet and Mare Winningham performed that garnered Julianna Fjeld to win the Emmy Award's Best Picture.

Anyway, I saw the photo of her putting the arm around the small pine tree, I believe on her desk at Gallaudet when Julianna was the adjunct professor. I asked her why she had her arm around this particular tree. She went on to tell me that her mother was buried just on this ground and she planted a tree. I thought it was cool. She asked me if I knew about her mother. I shook my head. She said, "She killed herself."

I was sorry about that, then she said, "She burned herself to death."

I flinched and said, "That is odd. Most died by razor blades, hanging or overdose with pills. Why fire?"

Julianna Fjeld shot a line, "Because it served a purpose."

She stared at me as I said nothing. But yet, today, it is one of the most bizarre comments I ever had witnessed. But that is what makes the world interesting, is it?

R-

After Page 3, I Stopped Reading This

I was not surprised but I was disgusted and disturbed to a point where I stopped reading at page 3 out of 8.

I cannot stand the Pentagon, CIA, FBI and the Bush Administration crying a huge river about one insignificant bad report by Newsweek about flushing the Koran down the toilet which instigated the anti-American riots in Muslim countries.

People who are Conservatives, Republicans and X-ians thought that Newsweek did a disservice that made Americans look bad -- actually, what Newsweek did was insignificant -- in fact, too many incidents had been coming out of prisons in Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Jordan and in the United States where our soldiers and interrogators bashed people brutally to their deaths.

And the Pentagon always investigated and blamed "few" individuals that did not "follow" the policies -- the truth is that it is the current policy that enabled our soldiers to do whatever is necessary.

This is the reason why many people despised us.

More Americans will be killed anywhere in the world, even in the United States, eventually -- when it happened, don't act like you are a victim. Your silence and support for the troops to torture the accused ones ultimately proved that you are apostate of this behavior.

The Pentagon and the whole United States Armed Forces claimed that they do not tolerate these behavior and shall "investigate" -- in fact, it is another lie, they encouraged it. Again, most folks who are in the Armed Forces are 'tards. That's why they cannot live as civilians. They needed someone to discipline their behavior 24/7.

Sempfer fi? My ass, they lacked the honor and dignity. They are their own joke amongst themselves. They are pitiful creatures that does not deserve to have the welcome mat in this country.

R-

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Gus and I drove to Bensalem, a township north of Philadelphia to catch the Episode III: Revenge of the Sith at 9 PM with rear caption window. Bought the tickets then had a dinner. I hate picking and carrying this equipment to the auditorium where hundreds of people were perplexed that I'm carrying this stick with darkened glass! But what choice do I have, really?

When Gus and I struggled to adjust the viewing for ourselves, I noticed something interesting ... before I could mention it to Gus, Gus snapped, "Did you notice that too many overweight guys here loved Star Wars?"

Great minds think alike.

One cute guy right behind me tapped my shoulder and asked what it is -- I gestured that I can't hear so I watch (pointed at the wall in the back which this cute guy saw) by on this rearview window to follow the dialogues.

Now with the review of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith! I won't ruin the surprises. I swear! I love to spoil the surprises but honest, what is there to be shocked in this film -- everyone knew how it panned out in the end but how it is being done is different, really.

Shut up, McWeenie, stop whining about Lucas' poking fun at GW Bush's antics. George is billionaire. Michael Moore is millionaire and you are? Some white trash living in nowheresville in New Mexico that nobody cared to know.

The first 30 minutes of the film was mind-blowing one, since I'm not used to the RW thing -- I was trying to get adjusted but it took me a while to get used to it and be able to follow the massive battles that took place right above Coruscant.

I agreed with the critics that the lousy part about the movie is its dialogue! George Lucas simply sucked at dialogues. The love relationship between Anakin and Padme is simply unbelievable. But I must admit that despite what people said about Hayden Christensen's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker in negative manner -- I find his performance to be powerful, perhaps the best of 3 films.

The concept how the story evolved from Episode I to IV is great, I'll grant it to George Lucas but he shouldn't have scripted the dialogues -- let someone do it as long as he controls the storyboard.

I really felt for Anakin Skywalker when Obi-Wan Kenobi left him helpess to his oblivion in the end and when Obi-Wan said, "I regarded you as my brother, I loved you." Anakin, you could see the fear, hurt and pain in his face, muttered "I hate you."

Was it his fault that he became Darth Vader? Partially. But I'd say that the blame lies with the Jedi Council because they did not really care nor make sure that Anakin is OK. They left him to figure things on his own, always telling him to "search his feelings" to a point where Anakin was misleaded by Darth Sidious.

It was a tragedy in the making.

Gus is not a fan of Star Wars, he apparently thought the prequel films were taken place right AFTER the Episode VI -- for some reasons unknown to me, don't ask me why -- Gus was stunned to see Padme giving birth to Leia and Luke. It was hysterical.

When the film is done, Gus and I played by using the RCW sticks to imitate the lightsaber fight -- people were horrified that we were using the RCW sticks to bang on each other.

Dialogue sucks, no question. Storyboard? GREAT! I finally understood why Emperor Palpatine looked awful. I think this movie will make Darth Vader not "villain" but "tragic character that was caused by others". I enjoyed it immensely.

On the way back home, I thought of Anakin's rage, frustration ... and his desire to control the destiny around him and his loved ones. It appeared that Anakin was trying so hard to protect his loved ones, he was willing to tap in the dark side of the Force in order to protect his loved ones.

I was thinking -- Anakin's pain was attributed by women. See? Women caused galactic problems for Anakin, resulted in untold numbers of deaths across the galaxy. His mother died, he was hurt and enraged. He wanted to protect his wife, Padme from anything else (find out why he did it in the film, ok?) and it resulted by plummeting him in the dark side of the Force. So you see, women caused it all.

I told Gus on the way back home, "If Anakin is gay, none of this would have to happen -- so it was women's fault." He'd make be good for a gay man, very loyal. He could have fucked Obi-Wan to relieve his stress and frustrations.

Honest, women are the source of Anakin's problems a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ... !

R-