‘Paul,’ whilefunny, leaves youwanting more

Fewthings in lifeamaze us likethinking aboutspace and all of

its wonders. And whilemany agree the chancesof advance life on anoth-er planet is incrediblylikely, few could imaginehaving analien en-counteron Earth.But that’swhat weget in thesci-fi com-edy“Paul,”and eventhough thetitle char-acterlooks strikingly similar tothe little green menwe’ve been indoctrinatedto learn as to what analien looks like since the’50s, that’s as far as the

similarities go. What weget in its place is a foul-mouthed, boardshorts-wearing, English-speaking miscreant whohas a penchant for spout-ing wholly inappropriate(code word: hilarious) re-sponses to every crazysituation he finds him-self in.“Paul” is a story about

two English friends mak-ing a pilgrimage of sortsto Comic-Con in SanDiego, the mecca ofnerdiness. The bestfriends, Graeme Willy (Si-mon Pegg, “Shaun of theDead”) and Clive Gollings(Nick Frost, “Shaun of theDead”), have been plan-ning to make a trip acrossthe pond for years, andthey are geared up tomake the most of it. Start-ing from the annualconvention, the sci-fi en-

thusiasts will trek acrossAmerica to visit sites ofextraterrestrial interest,including Area 51 andRoswell. However, theirjourney to document theweird is cut short afterrunning into Paul (voicedby Seth Green, “KnockedUp”). He asks for a lift toget to his then-mysteriousdestination, and Graemeand Clive begrudginglyoffer aid. From here,some ridiculous anticsensue as Paul and his hu-man companions journeythrough rural America,running into everythingfrom rednecks with near-offensive Southerndrawls to fanatically reli-gious zealots whosingle-mindedly deny thetheory of evolution to thebumbling men in blacktrying to find and capturePaul to study his uniqueabilities, all in a quest toget Paul home.When it comes to hu-

mor, what really gels amovie is a sharp scriptand great actors. “Paul”

Brianand I havebeen fortunateenough to trysome exotic cui-

sinewedon't usually havethe opportunity to sampleat home. InthePhilip-pines, itwas barbe-cuedchickenheads, ba-lut(hard-boiled,fertilizedduck eggcompletewith half-formedbones)and tamilok (a three-footmangroveworm that iseaten raw, dipped in vine-gar and chili sauce). InMalaysia, it was aChinesebullfrog stew. In Thailand,it was fried grasshopperandmany soups consistingofmysterymeats.All of them were

strange and usually deli-cious dishes, but none ofthem compared to thefare we sampled in

Hanoi, Vietnam.On our first full day in

Vietnam’s northern capi-tal, we decided to pay ourrespects to Ho Chi Minh.Just as with well-knownCommunist leaders likeStalin, Lenin and Chair-man Mao, his body liesembalmed in a mau-soleum in the center ofthe city. Showing up withan Israeli and a Japanesetourist we befriended onthe bus ride to Hanoi, wefound the mausoleumwas closed for the re-mainder of the day.Frustrated we couldn'tpay our respects to UncleHo, we decided to opt forlunch instead.We wandered past a

few noodle shops beforesettling on a nondescript-looking restaurant off aside street. We were invit-ed to sit down andthought we had orderedbowls of pho soup foreveryone at the table.What actually made itsway to our table were sev-eral cold cuts of meat

accompanied by varioustypes of dipping salts andherbs. When asked whatkind of meat they had setbefore us, one of staffpointed to a dog that wassleeping in the corner.After getting over our

initial shock we decidedthat there was nothingleft to do but find out ex-actly what dog tastes like.Our Israeli friend ab-stained from partakingdue to the meat not beingkosher, though I’m surehis personal reservationswould have preventedhim as well. However, ourJapanese friend dove intothe meal with us, chop-sticks first.I should first point out

that the practice of eatingdog in Vietnam is widelyconsidered taboo but thatstill hasn't stopped a siz-able segment of thepopulation from consum-ing it due to the perceivedboost to the libido that itgives.

Comment

J.D.KINDLE

At the movies

DOMINICBAEZ

LIFESTYLESSUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011 1C

By TAMMY MALGESINIEast Oregonian

A cruise to the Bahamas proved to be two vaca-tions in one for a former Hermiston couple.“Traveling on the ship was great,” Mark Briley

said. “You can relax and have fun while headingto your destination.”“And it was beautiful in the Bahamas,” added

Briley’s wife, Teri. “The color of the water is in-describable.”Looking for a funway to spend their anniversary

and Mark’s 50th birthday, the Brileys checked onthe cost for a three-night cruise and found it veryaffordable.“Whenyouaddupairline tickets, hotel and food

costs andcompare that toacruisevacation—itwasvery reasonable,” Mark said.Leisurely travel aboard the ship, Teri said, took

away thepotential stress of delayed flights or driv-ing in traffic to a destination.“When getting there is just as much fun as be-

ing there, that’s a real plus,” she said.“Theyhave somany staff onboardand they treat

you like kings and queens,” Mark added.Setting sail fromPortCanaveral onFlorida’sAt-

lantic coast, the Brileys said it didn’t take long togain their “sea legs.”“It actually was really relaxing,” Teri said.The ship offered a cornucopia of activities, in-

cluding games, shows, casino gambling andshopping. The upper decks featured outdoor ac-tivities, including swimmingpools, hot tubs, a rockclimbing wall and a partial basketball court.And the foodavailablewasevenmoreabundant.“The food is awesome,” Teri said. “A person

could gain weight pretty quick if they don’t watchit.”The availability of activities expanded even

more when the ship arrived in Nassau, Bahamas.The Bahamas is a string of islands located east

ofFloridaandnorthofCuba in theAtlanticOcean.Officially called the Commonwealth of The Ba-hamas, the country is said tohavebeendiscoveredby Christopher Columbus and includes a storiedhistory of pirates.Today, one of the main sources of income is the

tourism industry.Shoreand landexcursions atNassau include re-

laxing on the beach, parasailing, scuba diving,snorkeling, a glass-bottom boat tour, various ad-venturepackages atAtlantisResort or visiting the

Pirates of Nassau, an interactive museum.The Brileys chose a comprehensive city tour,

which featureda stopat theQueen’s Staircase.The102-foot staircase includes 65 steps, which werecarved out of solid limestone by slaves in the late1700s. The staircasewas originally designed as anescape route in caseof invasion. It laterwasnamedin honor of Queen Victoria, who helped abolishslavery in the Bahamas.At the top of the staircase is Fort Fincastle, one

of several prominent structures built by theBritish in themid- to late-1700s to fight against pos-sible raids by the French and Spanish seeking tocontrol the islands. Huge cannons line the walls.“Learning about the history was fascinating,”

Mark said.Local vendors set up make-shift booths to sell

their wares along the route where tour vans stop.Inaddition, a largemarket offersbartering to shop-pers looking for bargains.Although Nassau is a tourist destination, evi-

dence of poverty can’t be avoided when drivingthrough the city. Paint-stripped shacks sat vacantwith brick and foundation rubble strewn about.“We saw several rundown places, but the van

driver seemed to downplay it,” Mark said.In contrast, the Atlantis Resort, a hotel, water

and theme park, sits across a bridge fromNassauon Paradise Island. Accommodations range fromsimple guest rooms to sprawling suites encom-passing nearly 4,750-square feet.Themega-resort showcasesnumerousaquarium

exhibits, water sports and adventures, golf, spasand a luxurious marina.“The whole thing was just paradise,” Teri said.

Staff photo by Tammy MalgesiniPassengers on cruise ships relax in transit to the Bahamas.

Staff photo by Tammy MalgesiniBoats are moored at The Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island, which isconnected to Nassau, Bahamas.

Staff photo by Tammy MalgesiniThough the economy in the Bahamas is boosted by the tourismindustry, there are neighborhoods where poverty is evident inNassau, Bahamas.

Staff photo by Tammy MalgesiniThough recently renovated, the Queen’s Staircase in Nassau, Bahamas, was originally carved outof solid limestone by slaves in the late 1700s. The 65 steps of the 102-foot staircase was namedin honor of Queen Victoria, who during her 65-year reign helped abolish slavery in the Bahamas.

Cruise offers fun trip toBahamas for Hermiston couple

Welcome to paradise

Staff photo by Tammy MalgesiniA tender boat waits to escort smaller ships intothe harbor at Nassau, Bahamas.

Food in all shapes and formsOOTTHHEERR VVIIEEWWSS MMOOVVIIEE RREEVVIIEEWW

See FOOD/3C

Trying to get home, one probing joke at a time“Paul”

�������

See PAUL/3C

Sunday, March 20, 2011 East Oregonian Page 3CLIFESTYLES

2nd Annual

L et ter B uck B ee A Community Spelling Bee Sponsored by

Monday, April 4, 2011, 6:30 PM Prodigal Son Brewery, 230 SE Court St., Pendleton

Teams of 3 are invited to compete in this fun and humorous event. Costumes and creativity are encouraged, a sense of humor is mandatory!

Are you an ardent orthographer with a craving for competition? Then it’s time to put your currency w here your orifice is and enter Altrusa and the East Oregonian’s Let ter Buck Bee! Proceeds benefit Altrusa charitable projects. Dust off your dictionary, and start practicing; participants will receive great prizes but more importantly raise money for a great cause. If you just want to come support your team, general admission is $10 and includes light food and beverage. Come on out and support Altrusa of Pendleton!

Register your team in the Let ter Buck Bee by completing this entry form. Send it along with the entry fee of $60 to Altrusa, PO Box 1735, Pendleton, OR 97801

SPONSOR :TEAM NAME :TEAM CAPTAIN :PHONE : EMAIL :TEAM MEMBERS :NAME : NAME :

Deadline For Entries: Thursday, March 24, 2011 Make checks payable to Altrusa of Pendleton. Your donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law. For more information, call (541) 276-8335 or (541) 278-1867

Admission tickets can be purchased at the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce, Armchair Books, and the East Oregonian.

Altrusa of Pendleton

44881CM

The taste of dog meat it-self was OK, much likebeef, but the way in whichit was prepared sSlabs ofcold meat, pates andsausages made fromcoarsely ground internalorgans) and its texture de-tracted from apleasurable gastronomicalexperience.While dining, I gave lit-

tle thought to the relationbetween what I was eatingand the living, breathingdog that it had been notlong ago. Maybe this is thefundamental differencebetween the mindsets ofcarnivores and vegetari-ans. Although I sparinglyeat meat at back at home Ifind I have developed, ashave many others, a logi-cal disconnect betweenthe source of our food,what winds up on ourplate and the process thatgoes on in between to getit there.Maybe I’m just particu-

larly callous to the specialrelationship between dogsand humans. The differ-ence between livestockand pets is subjective. Ifyou’ve spent anytimearound some animals wetypically consume, youwould find they expressthe same perceived levelemotion that we typically

attribute to our cats anddogs. When it comes toconsuming species otherthan ourselves, there isnothing that is entirely off-limits.Whatever the case may

be, my comrades and Iwere unable to clear thetable of the meal in frontof us. The strong flavorsand textures proved toomuch for us, even whenmasked with copiousamounts of condiments. Atleast we can boast that wetried it.As we left the restau-

rant, we couldn't help butponder the fate of thesleeping dog in the restau-rant. It looked as though itwas somebody’s pet theway the restaurant staffand patrons interactedwith it, but it very wellcould be served up forsomebody’s lunch tomor-row. Man’s best friend mayalso be his next meal, butI don’t think I will be sali-vating for a serving of myneighbor’s dog anytimesoon.

�James Dean Kindle is a

local musician and an infre-quent (but frequentlyenough of a) world traveler.When not abroad he is busymaking music with his bandThe Eastern Oregon Play-boys and working as a GIStechnician in Pendleton.

Continued From 1C

FOOD: Differentcultures, different tastes

delivers on both, even ifsome of the jokes werehit-and-miss and a bitcrude. Having Pegg andFrost back together onthe silver screen is justbrilliant, especially aftercomic gems “Shaun” and“Hot Fuzz.” It should benoted that while themovie was directed byGreg Mottola (“Super-bad,” “Adventureland”),Pegg and Frost wrote thescreenplay. It’s obviousthey were a bit indulgentin the writing, tapping in-to their own nerd andlacing the film’s lineswith a multitude of popculture and sci-fi refer-ences. You may not getsome of the puns if youdon’t regularly visit Inter-net chat rooms debatingthe difference betweendifferent Enterpriseships, but that doesn’thinder the absolute hilar-ity of the situation that

spawned the joke. Peggand Frost just have a nat-ural connection, one thatonly amplifies the humor.Their characters are re-latable, and you just wantthem to succeed in theirendeavor. But they’re notthe only funny people inthis line up. Kristen Wiig(“Saturday Night Live”) isjust dynamite as thecrazy love interest, Ruth.Watching her descendfrom a pure Christian girlto an expletive-spewingharlot is more entertain-ing than it may seem.And weirdly enough, thefeds chasing Paul (includ-ing Jason Bateman, BillHader and Joe LoTruglio) provide dramaand comedy in equal dos-es, adding amuch-needed measure ofsuspense to this other-wise cookie-cutter plot.But when it comes right

down to it, “Paul” couldhave been funnier, con-sidering the writers and

actors involved. Most ofthe time it comes acrossas juvenile, as if shockvalue is more importantthan the intelligence be-hind the jokes. Thatdoesn’t mean it isn’t sofunny you may wet your-self, just that it couldhave been better. Majorkudos are in order,though, for the risk thestudio took in allowing somany religion jokes. Seri-ously, Paul just owns allthe crazy Christians run-ning around in T-shirtsfeaturing God blastingCharles Darwin with ashotgun. A bit much, yes,but entertaining never-theless.Meeting a real-life

alien is every sci-fi fan-boy’s dream, and “Paul”allows that to happen fortwo nerdy Brits. “Paul”proves that it’s moreabout the journey thanthe destination and howsome weed, beer andgood music can start anunforgettable adventure.And in case you werewondering, no, nobodywas probed in the makingof this movie.Three stars out of five.

�Dominic Baez is the copy

editor/paginator for theEast Oregonian. Follow hismovie blog, Silver Screen-ing, for the latest trailers,clips and extras at silver-screening.wordpress.com.

Continued From 1CPAUL: Could have been funnier, still a good sci-fi movie

AP photo by Universal PicturesPaul the alien, voiced by Seth Rogen, left, and Simon Pegg are shown in a scene from “Paul.”

Sci-fi movies not your thing?Visit the EO’s movie blog Tuesday for reviews of“Limitless” and “The Lincoln Lawyer” atwww.silverscreening.wordpress.com.

Charlie Sheen adds12 more tour datesLOS ANGELES (AP) —

Charlie Sheen’s “ViolentTorpedo of Truth” isgrowing.Sheen is adding a

dozen more dates to hislive show, which is nowset to stretch into Canadaand continue throughMay 3.The outspoken actor

announced his first twolive performances lastweek on his Twitter ac-count. Those shows inDetroit and Chicago soldout quickly.Earlier this week,

Sheen added an addition-al five dates. He tackedon a dozen more lateThursday, including stops

in Toronto, Atlanta,Houston, Dallas, Denver,San Francisco, Seattleand Vancouver, BritishColumbia.Sheen has not revealed

the content of the show,other than to call it “theREAL story.”Tickets for the latest

dates go on sale Saturday.

New Sailor Moonworks comingPHILADELPHIA (AP)

— Sailor Moon is settingsail for the U.S. after asix-year absence in print.Kodansha USA Pub-

lishing LLC said Fridaythat it will release newdeluxe editions centeringon the iconic manga char-acter that helped cement

the Japanese comic artform with American read-ers in the late 1990s.Naoko Takeuchi’s

“Sailor Moon” will re-launch in Septemberunder the KodanshaComics imprint. It will beaccompanied by a two-volume prequel seriestitled “Codename: SailorV,” the first time it will bein print in the U.S. In it,teenager Minako Ainowill fight as Sailor Vagainst the Dark Agencybefore discovering SailorMoon.The “Sailor Moon”

comic will be releasedevery two months startingin September and featurenew cover art, retouchedinterior art, new dialogueand bonus material never

before published in theU.S. The books will bedistributed by RandomHouse Publisher Servic-es.“I’m very excited to

reintroduce Ms.Takeuchi’s work to herAmerican fans,” saidYoshio Irie, presidentand CEO of KodanshaUSA Publishing in astatement.“As we continue to

build the KodanshaComics manga list, a titlelike ‘Sailor Moon’ is thejewel in our crown. Asthe former chief editor ofthe work in Japan, I’m es-pecially thrilled to finallyrelease the prequel ... tothe many fans who havebeen asking for it at longlast.”

BBRRIIEEFFLLYYHouse votes to cut offfederal funds for NPR

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — TheHouse on Thursday votedto end federal funding toNational Public Radio. Re-publican supporters said itmade good fiscal sense, andDemocratic opponentscalled it an ideological at-tack that would deprivelocal stations of access toprograms such as “CarTalk” and “All Things Con-sidered.”The bill, passed 228-192

along mainly partisanlines, would bar federalfunding of NPR and pro-hibit local public stationsfrom using federal moneyto pay NPR dues and buyits programs. Theprospects of support in theDemocratic-controlledSenate are slim. Seven Re-publicans broke ranks tovote against the bill.NPR received almost $5

million in federal fundingin fiscal year 2010. In thatyear its revenues also in-cluded $2.8 million in duesand $63 million in pro-gramming fees from localstations, its largest singlesource of revenue. Underthe bill, stations would stillbe allowed to buy NPRprograms using privatefunds and use federal fundsto produce their own pro-grams.“It is time for American

citizens to stop funding anorganization that can standon its own feet,” said Rep.Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., thesponsor. He said it was nota question of content —which many conservativessay has a liberal bias — butwhether taxpayer dollarsshould go to nonessentialservices. “As a country weno longer have this luxury.”Other Republicans also

denied that the measurewas a vendetta againstNPR, although the organi-zation left itself open toconservative attacks lastweek when an executive,talking to conservative ac-tivists posing as membersof a fake Muslim group, wascaught on camera deridingthe tea party movementand saying the NPR wouldbe better off without feder-al funding. Both theexecutive and the presi-dent of NPR resigned afterthe incident.“Nobody’s on a ram-

page,” said Majority LeaderEric Cantor, R-Va., who al-so asked “why should we

allow taxpayer dollars to beused to advocate one ide-ology?”Democrats retorted that

the legislation would donothing to reduce thedeficit and would be a blowto local public stations thatrely on the national pro-grams that include“Morning Edition” and“Wait, Wait... Don’t Tell Me”to attract listeners. “Thisbill would pull the plug,”said Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass. “It would snuff outstations from coast to coast,many in rural areas wherethe public radio station isthe primary source of newsand information.”Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-

N.Y., displayed a blow-upphoto of the two brotherswho host the car adviceshow “Car Talk” with thecaption, referring to theirnicknames, reading “SaveClick and Clack.”The White House said it

“strongly opposed” the billand voiced similar objec-tions, saying “undercuttingfunding for these radio sta-tions, notably ones in ruralareas where such outletsare already scarce, wouldresult in communities los-ing valuable programming,and some stations could beforced to shut down alto-gether.”The move to curtail fed-

eral subsidies for NPRfollows a House vote lastmonth, as part of the GOPplan to cut federal spend-ing for the remainder ofthis budget year, to takeback some $86 million bud-geted for the Corporationfor Public Broadcasting,the parent organization ofNPR. That proposal, whichalso faces opposition in theSenate, eliminates $430million in planned futurespending for CPB.In a statement following

the vote, CPB Presidentand CEO Patricia Harrisonsaid Americans “over-whelmingly agree thatpublic broadcasting is aservice worthy of the fed-eral government” and“rather than penalize pub-lic broadcasting, the debateshould focus on strength-ening and supporting thisvaluable national asset.”In fiscal years 2009 and

2010 the CPB distributedfederal grant money tomore than 600 public radiostations, which used thatmoney to buy programs andpay dues to NPR.

NEW YORK (AP) — Former CIA operative ValeriePlame Wilson is turning to fiction writing more than threeyears after publishing a memoir about her career.

The New York Times reports that Wilson has a book dealwith Penguin Group USA for a series of international sus-pense novels. The newspaper says she will team up withmystery writer Sarah Lovett on the books, which will fea-ture a fictional operative.Wilson tells the Times she’s frustrated by portrayals of

female CIA agents in popular culture that emphasize theirlooks rather than their brains.Wilson’s 2007 memoir, “Fair Game,” told the story of her

CIA career and her 2003 outing that led to the indictmentof Vice President Dick Cheney’s top aide, I. Lewis Libby.Her first fiction book is due out next year.

Report: Valerie Plame Wilsonto pen suspense books