I'm on this movie jag lately. Tonight, I caught up with one I wanted to see in the theater but missed called "The Astronaut Farmer." It stars Billy Bob Thornton as a farmer (named Farmer) who, through a series of complicated life events, builds a rocket in his barn with the intent to launch himself into Earth orbit. Does it sound far fetched? Sure it does, but it's more of an allegory about living ones dreams rather than a scientific account of a guy building an Atlas launch vehicle from scrap parts and bootlegged rocket fuel. As a film it is average, but for me being a bit of a NASA geek, having grown up during the space race and all, it's an interesting story. It's preposterous and inaccurate scientifically, but it's still a worthwhile film about family, dreams and belief in yourself that could have been built around a lot of things. This one is about a rocket. If you see it and judge it based on the idea that a guy could build a rocket in his barn, you're missing the point.---------------------------------------------------------
The more I hear about this Roger Clemens interview on 60 Minutes Sunday, the more aggravated I get. It's nothing but a big set-up by George Steinbrenner's pal Mike Wallace who asks a bunch of leading questions to a guy who probably had a lawyer sitting next to him and final approval of the questions. Wallace calls Clemens his "friend", and forgive me for not being a journalist, but I don't see how one could do an impartial story about a person accused of a crime if that person is your friend.
60 Minutes has seen better days, and their recent missteps lead me to believe that maybe the entire franchise is a bit of a fraud. After all, it's television - disguised as journalism. We buy it because they put the hard face on it, but really it's just a TV show. Part of me feels like a sucker for buying into the concept for most of my life.
You'll probably watch the program (after the football game, so don't tune in at 7 - more like 8) and I'd be willing to bet that it will strike you as a big lie and a publicity stunt by Clemens and his gang. Do I sound skeptical? If he says he had Lidocaine injected in his buttocks, ask yourself why anyone would have a medicine designed to treat inflammation and joint pain injected into your ass. That's the first question Mike should have asked, but he's too far up Roger's ass to breathe. Question #2, why would he have a trainer do it and not a doctor?
Clemens is too smart to lie in an actual courtroom, and his people know the perfect forum for his denial. Pick a media pal and go on his program. He's scrambling to save his Hall of Fame induction, and I, for one am not buying any of it.
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