User:Jason Palpatine



I QUIT!
''I'm sorry everyone. After participating with Wikipedia for a decade, I have made my last and final contribution. I know, and have been told time and again, that this is a collaborative [to work, one with another] effort. I have always understood that -- but it means that everyone's contributions should have meaning. Over the years, I have uploaded 199 images, created 5 articles, and edited heaven only knows how many articles. One article was deleted within days of its creation. Over time, I have watched as image after image I uploaded have been deleted -- only one quarter of them are still online. My edits too have been undone on many occasions. The last was to Village of the Damned (1960 film). My edit of the plot section of that article had lasted 10 years; then an editor (one of the most active here and with 30-years professional writing experience) cut it down. His reasoning was "way too much unneccessary detail; alays remember the golden rule keep it simple, please." I took his meaning to be that it was too long (word count). The original section was only 720 words in length. I did/do not consider that to be "way too much unneccessary detail"; in fact, when I did the edit, I believed that the balance was about right. But, it seems that is not the case. The edit undid my contributions for the most part. I have had edit discussions in the past, but I have always been talked down to and told (as in my latest exchange) my opinion "gets a relevance score of zero." I did not start an edit-war with this guy -- I only asked him *why* he considered the article to be "too much unnecessary detail." His reply was "I edited the article to improve the quality of writing and to improve Wikipedia. 'Kay? If you don't agree with what I did that's too bad." He seemed to have gotten all bent out of shape adding that anything further from me would be "deemed ad hominem personal attacks, or sheer gibberish, and promptly deleted." He is the first person to address me in so blunt terminology, but his attitude is one I have encountered here with some regularity. With one contribution I submit after the next being put to the Guillotine, I see no reason for me to continue any participation with Wikipedia. So here it is -- I quit. I know, many people here have been understanding and supportive of me, telling me that I "shouldn't take it personally," but I can't help it. I'm sorry. Good Bye. -- The Witless Clod (talk) 19:27, 22 November 2015 (UTC)   This User fails to understand Wikipedia's Systematized Logistical Projection of its Balanced Policy Contingency.'' (speak your mind | contributions)

In Memorial
Dad, you are missed.

This User Is...
Jason Palpatine

aka

 * The Disgruntled Civilian
 * Hamhock
 * DTFelna
 * Mell Dewclaw
 * The Odious Wasp
 * No. 149
 * PIG-0149
 * Diesugapula
 * "The Witless Clod"†

† This last one was recently given to me from someone I've met online.

Greetings


Hello!

Today is July 29, 2024.

Hi there! My name is Jason Palpatine.

I am single -- I never met Miss Right.

I was born in Philadelphia, PA, on November 5, 1958. I was originally Roman Catholic (by my mother). Currently, I am a member of the SDA or Seventh-day Adventist Church.

I was raised originally in Glenolden, Pa until 1965,and then Southampton, Pennsylvania. I now live in Warminster Township, Pennsylvania.

My mother was born on July 21 1932 and passed away on Halloween night, 1991.

My father was born in Philadelphia, PA, on June 1, 1925 and passed away October 28 2008. He enlisted at minimum age in the Navy in 1943 serving as a powderman on the USS Edwards (DD-619) during World War II. He and I have attended 3 reunions with his ship’s crew; the last one being 6 weeks before he died.

I have one sister. She is 2 1/2 years younger than me.

My last (and longest lasting) job was working for the Internal Revenue Service. Due to health issues, I had to retire 2015-03-21.

I have been to Las Vegas three times (once with my father and recently on business). On my last visit I lost $17 playing the Big Six wheel.

I have been to Walt Disney World 7 times (once alone). The last time was in 2000. My mother once commented that I am “the one who loves Disney World” in my family.

I enjoy Science Fiction, Music, Anime and the like.

My favorite games are Monopoly, Emperor: Battle for Dune, World of Warcraft, and Myst (which doesn't work on my current computer!).

First Wikipedia edit	was on 2005-01-10 06:09:14

Conditions for falling houses
House must fall on me:
 * 1) in the middle of a herd of stampeding wild elephants,
 * 2) during a hail storm,
 * 3) at 12 Noon local time,
 * 4) on the Fourth of July,
 * 5) while the Boston Pops Orchestra,
 * 6) conducted by Academy Award-winning composer John Williams,
 * 7) begins to play  "The Stars and Stripes Forever!"

My Interests include:

 * Movies
 * Reading
 * Science fiction
 * Comic books (current titles)
 * Albedo Anthropomorphics (my #1)
 * The Phantom
 * Warlord (comics)
 * Usagi Yojimbo
 * Watching TV
 * Surfing the web
 * Collecting Comic strips from off the web:
 * The Phantom
 * On the Fastrack (see Info about On the Fastrack).
 * Safe Havens, syndicated nationally in the USA (see Info about Safe Havens).
 * Kevin and Kell, originally an online-only strip but now also published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
 * Music
 * Film scores
 * classical music
 * Bowling

Movies I like Top Fifteen

 * 1)  2001: A Space Odyssey
 * 2) Silent Running
 * 3) The Andromeda Strain
 * 4) Logan's Run
 * 5) Star Wars: Episodes I – VI
 * 6) Colossus: The Forbin Project
 * 7) Journey to the Far Side of the Sun
 * 8) The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
 * 9) Terminator 2: Judgment Day
 * 10) Stargate
 * 11) Independence Day (aka ID4)
 * 12) The Matrix Trilogy
 * 13) Mission to Mars
 * 14) Aliens'
 * 15) Alien'

Top Six Favorite Animated Movies

 * 1) Brother Bear (2003)
 * 2) Lilo and Stitch (2002)
 * 3) Fantasia (1940)
 * 4) Fantasia 2000 (1999)
 * 5) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
 * 6) Princess Mononoke (1997)

My Movie Reviews From IMDB
What follows here are my comments on some films that I have posted on the IMDB:

Night of the Lepus (1972)
'B-Movie'

11 August 2002

A little foot note film in the carriers of 2 well-knowns: Stuart Whitman and DeForest Kelly. This film is one of a number of 1970's Horror films that deal with the theme of nature gone mad.

A scientist researching an out-of-control rabbit population growth in a Midwest town is responsible for a nightmare. While experimenting on ways to sterilize the rabbits, his daughter decides to take one of his experiments as a pet. The rabbit gets away and joins the local rabbit population. In a matter of weeks, the result of the doctor's research manifests itself, as the next generation of rabbits grows to the size of elephants and goes on the rampage. The photography is simple and the special effects are nonexistent: shots of rabbits frolicking around toy-train-landscape-models.

One of these sequences briefly appears on TV in THE MATRIX. If you are a true ST fan of DeForest Kelly, this film is worth watching as a curiosity -- otherwise, don't bother.

Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious (1965)
Situation Hopeless... But Pointless

30 January 2004 - 2 out of 17 users found this review helpful.

A lonely German civilian captures two American fliers in WW II and holds them prisoner in his basement. When the war is over, he can't bring himself to let them go so he continues to hold them prisoner and makes up stories he tells them about how the war would just keep going on and on and on...

Such a good cast and a plot so terrible, it was shear torture to watch. I was so sure that with such a set of good leads it had to have been a good film; sadly I was wrong -- this was years before Schwarzenegger made RED SONJA. What made it worse was that it still made me want to know how it would turn out in the end. All it was, was scene after scene of Guinness telling his 2 guests stories about how Germany was winning the war. How Guinness and Redford got snagged into this disaster is beyond my comprehension.

This film is a good example of why they created The Golden Raspberry Awards and this gets my nomination as worst of 1965.

Too bad the vote scale here left out zero.

The Brass Bottle (1964)
Before Andrew Divoff, there was.... Burl Ives!?!?!?

21 January 2003 - 10 out of 10 users found this review helpful.

Magically powerful, the ancient entity known as the D'Jinn can grant a person's wildest dreams, but in this day and age, can your lifestyle stand up to it?

The flip side of THE WISHMASTER, this film is a delightful romp that is comical and heartwarming.

Burl Ives is the D'Jinn, freed from 'The Brass Bottle" by architect Harold Ventimore (Tony Randall) -- who was intent on making it into a lamp!

Based on the book by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, the story shows the chaos that engulfs Harold's life as "Mr. Fakrash" attempts time and again to reward him for freeing him from the bottle. Meaning to be kind, he systematically causes Harold to loose his job, his fiancé, and ultimately, his freedom -- as the world comes to see him as a lunatic. There is no room in this modern world for Hocus Pocus.

I will not spoil the ending -- see it; this is one of Burl Ives' finest performances!

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
'The first GREAT movie of 2010'

29 March 2010 - 4 out of 7 users found this review helpful.

This story captivated me from the get-go. From the moment we see Hiccup take down Toothless, I was enthralled with the story. Characterization was excellent by all the voice-actors and animators. But it was and is the story that really makes this movie worth the price of a theater ticket. As the story moves forward, Hiccup's growing friendship with Toothless along with the expectations of his tribe known really keeps a viewer on the edge of their seat wondering what will happen next.

The revelations in the film about the dragons pull at one's emotions. One theme that runs throughout the story is the concept of overcoming prejudice. Hiccup is perceived by everyone as "the useless" and the dragons as vicious beasts that the vikings should always "kill on sight". As the story progresses those perceptions change -- first the villager's perception of Hiccup and then the error of everything the viking's supposedly "knew" about their supposed enemies -- making it all look like foolishness in the end. And the resolution definitely makes you smile. The STORY is what really makes this movie.

Hansu Kurushitan Anderusan no sekai (1971)
'Are you sure this wasn't done by Disney?'

30 March 2003

I saw this film on TV back in the early '80's. The fantasy-ography about the childhood of Hans Christian Anderson is a work done with the same level of attention that one would see in the works done by Walt Disney.

The adventures and stories of the young boy are the only things that transcend the animation in this work. The film blends some of the story elements of Anderson's works with his childhood -- specifically THE RED SHOES -- and the selfish daughter of the town mayor. The score of this film is wonderfully moving -- equal to that of a genuine opera. The boy's telling of the final sequence -- THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL -- was so emotionally moving, that it brought tears to my eyes. Of all the films about Hans Christian Anderson, this one is without question, one of the best. It puts the Danny Kay version to shame by comparison.

AT LAST! It's on DVD/video.

Killdozer (1974)
'32 people voted this a 1?'

24 November 2003 - 39 out of 43 users found this review helpful.

When I saw the vote record for this title on this site, I was dumbfounded. 32 (the largest number) out of 198 people gave it only a 1!

I remember this film from when it first aired. It was one of the ABC MOVIE OF THE WEEK projects. These were short (2 hours with commercials) films produced with TV series level budgets. This film was based on Theodore Sturgeon's short story about a machine that becomes "possessed" by an electromagnetic alien life-form and turns on its operators.

Because of the budget restraints, these films had to rely more on story than showmanship.

Young Orson Wells would have been right at home working on a project like this. Filmed entirely on location. This film was a thriller where an ordinary object we can take for granted becomes an object of fear  a twist Edgar Allen Poe often used in his works. The film is heavily altered from TS's original because of the low budget. The background story of his version of the fall of Atlantis was unnecessary to the plot, so a different and simpler opening sequence was filmed: a meteor crashing into the Earth 100,000 years ago. John Carpenter would use a similar conceptual opening again years later in his remake of THE THING. This film is a story  not a masterpiece  just a story. And I felt it was a good one.

For that matter, so did most of my friends at the time felt the same way -- it was a popular movie.

How I wish wish wish this was released on DVD!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972 film)
'Interesting version.'

12 May 2002 - 18 out of 18 users found this review helpful.

There have been many adaptations of Lewis carol's work. However, I believe this version is the most enjoyable of all. Both children and adults will find this film entertaining. This version has a unique opening/closing envelope. With the ending showing that her dream had actually changed Alice's persona: "from now on I'll be the me I never knew." Unlike Irwin Allen's 1985 version (which amalgamated "Wonderland" and "Looking Glass" together) or the special-effects over-ridden 1999 version, this film takes the best of the Wonderland story and displays it with a richness that is pleasant and memorable. The addition of John Barry's (better known for his score's to the early James Bond films) music only adds to the sense of wonder that we share with Alice in her adventure. The music indeed elevates this version to the status of art in the truest sense rather than just another movie. Heck, it was better than the one Disney came out with -- that should say a lot.

Interesting fact, this film features Micheal Crawford as the WHITE RABBIT. Better known for his roles, Frank Spencer in "Some Mothers do Ave Em" and the Phantom in the stage production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera." A curious footnote on his carrier.

Diary of a Madman(1963)
'A work of horror -- and one of Price's better performances'

10 January 2005 - 11 out of 14 users found this review helpful.

We begin with the end -- the funeral of Magistrate Simon Cordier (Vincent Price). It was his wish that certain individuals gather after the funeral, for the opening of a small chest he had entrusted to Jeanne D'Arville (Elaine Devry). At the D'Arville Gallery, the chest is opened and they learn that he kept a diary of his last days.

Simon Cordier, was a judge who sentenced a murderer to death -- a man who claimed to have been possessed by the HORLA (an evil spirit) that had driven the man to commit murder. The HORLA then holds Cordier responsible for the death of his slave and reveals that he has chosen Cordier to take his place.

The creature constantly taunts Cordier, breaking him under it's will to kill and commit acts that he had always condemned.

Is he mad? Or is the HORLA real? These questions are the core of the story -- and we are left (along with the mourners at the end) to ponder and answer the question ourselves.

This film was written and produced by Robert E. Kent and adapted from the stories of Guy de Maupassant. This film was done with the same level of quality that Roger Corman would exercise with Price in his adaptations of the stories by Edgar Allen Poe.

I have always considered this to be one of Vincent Price's finest performances.

It is a classic.

The Bellboy (1960)
No Plot! Just Humor. ;)

2 September 2002 - 15 out of 18 users found this review helpful.

No Plot -- The film starts with this proclamation. This film is definitely one of Jerry Lewis's best of his carrier. Filmed during the height of his movie output in the 1960's, this film is comedy unto its own sake. The gags just don't stop -- you aren't given a moment to relax, because it's all so funny, you can't stop laughing. The NO PLOT aspect only helps, as the audience is free to concentrate on the moment. I still burst into laughter when the hotel manager is called by the airport to inform him 'HE WHAT!?' Yes, this film is dated by today's standard, but that should come as no surprise. This film was the product of a different era -- and a different society. The change in our society was what made him decide to briefly retire from film in the '70s. The standards of humor just changed. And performers had to change with it. But film is permanent. It is set in celluloid. It can be re-edited, but what would be the point? For anyone who can appreciate 'the artist' for his art, this film still can be enjoyed. For anyone who can look at past films for nostalgia, this film can be enjoyed. It's called comedy -- 'nuff said.

The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978)
'And then what?'

27 October 2002 - 7 out of 16 users found this review helpful.

An interesting work from a man's point of view; the people of a remote, New England village rooted in pagan rites, are weak, in-bred, and in need of new blood. They find what they need in the protagonist's daughter. This film shows the obvious and the not-obvious at the same time. That the women of this pagan community could ensnare the man's young daughter is one thing -- but that they also ensnared his wife is a shock that stuns both him and the audience.

This film is horrifying in the way it takes the concept of feminism and turns it into something evil. The fate of the protagonist is most unsettling (this film still gives me nightmares, even 30 years later). The ending disappointed me. This so called SECRET is no secret -- and the men just let it go on and do nothing about it! The rage I felt in that final scene when we see that the protagonist is alive (both his eyes and tongue cut out) and fully degraded to this day still has me screaming: THIS FILM NEEDS A SEQUEL!

After all, they did make REVENGE OF THE STEPFORD WIVES

High Midnight (TV)
'The End Justifies The Means'

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:

4 May 2002

Based on a true incident, this story is a drama that is in reality horror. On July 4, 1976, the Denver police narcotics task force, lead by an officer named Captain Lou Mikalich, broke into the home of a family of law-abiding citizens. Under the NO-KNOCK-LAW they break in and attack the family without any warning. They just kick the door in and open fire -- killing a pregnant mother and her 4 year old daughter. In the kitchen, Mikalich tortures her husband and tears the place apart only to find nothing. When they realize what they have done, they set the place on fire and leave. But the man and his 3-year-old son survive.

What follows is a series of attempts by the police officers to cover up what they have done, culminating with Mikalich ordering his men to murder both the man and the boy: "Be sure to use something that can not be traced!"

This film is an indictment of the kind of shocking police misconduct that is still too commonplace even today.

Save Traditional animation!

Classical music

 * 1) Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, the "Pastoral" in F Major (Op. 68)
 * 2) Le Sacre du printemps (English: The Rite of Spring; Russian: Весна священная) by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky.
 * 3) Pictures at an Exhibition (or Pictures from an Exhibition; Карти́нки с вы́ставки, by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky.
 * 4) Carmina Burana, the scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff in 1935-1936.

Three favorite carols

 * "Adeste Fideles" ("O Come All Ye Faithful")
 * "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
 * music written by Felix Mendelssohn originally as part of Festgesang
 * words written by Charles Wesley
 * "Joy to the World"

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What are the Four Pillars?
In the film Dead Poets Society, the students of the fictional Welton Academy prep school, are asked "What are the Four Pillars?" To which the student body answers "Tradition, Honor, Discipline and Excellence".

I found the question and answer interesting, much like the slogans of the Party in Orwell's Nineteen-Eighty-Four. I attended parochial schools for two years (I was withdrawn after my parents discovered how I was being treated) and public schooling for eleven years till graduation. Given past experience, in this day in age, I think a more appropriate answer would be:

--

Some random thoughts
2+2=5


 * What part of "Thou shalt not kill" don't they understand?
 * Deep Thought was wrong; the correct answer is "22," not "42" (ref "1984 and Beyond" by Nigel Calder )
 * All the world's a prison, and all the men and women merely inmates.
 * Never underestimate the scope for human stupidity.
 * Don't tread on me!
 * The higher, the fewer.
 * This user did ask the question: "What can I do for my country?" The answer was: GO TO HELL!
 * When one person says this is so and a dozen people say it's not so, it's obvious who's lying and who's telling the truth!


 * Don't even think of asking this user any of the following questions:
 * "Why don't...?"
 * "Why didn't...?"
 * "Why haven't...?"
 * "Why isn't...?"
 * "Why aren't...?"

A Story of Four People

 * This is the story of four people named Everybody, Anybody, Somebody, and Nobody.
 * There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
 * Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
 * Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job.
 * Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
 * In the end, Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Dear Mr. Robert L. Ripley...

 * During a 1984 television interview, a certain, distinguished but elderly scientist who shall remain nameless, stated that something was impossible! The look on this user's face was quite colourful.

Laws of note

 * Murphy's law: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."
 * Grinnell's Law of Labor Laxity: "At all times, for any task, you have not got enough done today."
 * This user is very familiar with Grinnell's Law of Labor Laxity. In point of fact, for a time, he worked for a company that practiced that principle.
 * Manly's Maxim: "Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence."

Misc.
This user is a fan of the original Battlestar Galactica, but is absolutely NOT a fan of Dynasty Of The Young And The Restless Of All My Children In Search Of The Guiding Light As The World Turns On The Edge Of Night All The Days Of Our Lives At Dallas General Hospital With Only One Life To Live In Space.

Captain Queeg is mental.

How to Win at Wordsmanship
The procedure is simple. Select a buzzword from each column. For instance, "systematized logistical projection," a phrase that can be dropped into virtually any report with that ring of decisive, knowledgeable authority. No one will have the remotest idea of what you're talking about but the important thing is that they're not about to admit it.

Vital statistics
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Userboxes/Location
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Wikipedia:Userboxes/Sexuality
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Userboxes/Music

 * When it came to my tastes in music, my mother said I was "a surprise package."

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