Time is an important element in most stories, but in thrillers it is paramount. It is used primarily to heighten the tension. It doesn't matter if the story is part of a movie or found in a book, the method is the same.

I recently watched the James Bond movie "Goldfinger" again. It is a good example of what I mean. The final scene is of Mr. Bond trying to disarm a nuke that is about to go off. There are repeated shots of the bombs timer ticking down. Ultimately, the bomb is disarmed and the world saved with a predictable 007 seconds left on the clock.

In Stephen King's short story "The Gingerbread Girl," one of the stories in his collection "Just After Sunset." The story reaches its climax when Emily is taken captive by a nasty old dude who is planning to rape and kill her. He ties her to a chair with duct tape and asks her who else knows she's there. A little bit of pain, appropriately applied, reveals that Deke is the only person who might know. The killer leaves Amy secured to the chair, and heads out to eliminate her friend.

After he is gone, the story follows Emily's attempts to free herself before he returns. I won't going into the details, but I was struck by the device Stephen King used to track time, a clock that was stuck at 9:15. Emily figures he will be back in about 20 minutes and as she makes progress towards an escape she looks at the clock repeatedly. It always reads the same, 9:15. It was an excellent way to highlight the critical element, time. Stephen King is a master of the genre, and now you know why.

It's a short film about the struggles of a recently returned soldier living on the streets. Since I'm just attaching the trailer (which is very short), I'm just curious what you think of the mood, the look and the few fragments of story/theme and if it makes you actually want to watch the film. Also, any comments on the topic would be appreciated as I'm also doing a documentary on the lives of homeless veterans and would be curious to know if you have any thoughts or suggestions.

Thanks so much.

link: http://www.facebook.com/v/43555394537

P.S. If you never got a chance to see my last one, it was about an apocalyptic religious cult. Quite fun: http://www.cultofeden.com

(tip to Dan)

(tip to Dan)

I'll be happy to argue in favor of individual ownership as a constitutional guarantee.

I would further argue that:

1. Established gun regulation fails to decrease crime

2. It was the intent of the founders to guarantee the individual's right to bear arms

3. Guns are beneficial to society

Rather than trade talking points, I would like to really get into the nitty-gritty of the issue with someone who completely disagrees with me. I don't expect anyone to run out and purchase an AK-47, but perhaps help them to better understand why someone else might.

"Journalist A.J. Jacobs talks about the year he spent living biblically -- following the rules in the Bible as literally as possible."

I don't know if this was posted here before but it is well worth watching.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/a_j_jacobs_year_of_living_biblically.html

In this Nation Institute investigative report, two victims of post-Katrina violence describe their experiences with vigilantes in the Algiers Point neighborhood of New Orleans; unrepentant shooters defend their actions.

I can't imagine many drugs that would help you play better chess, and I refuse to give up my drug of choice caffeine. Oh no, I won't be able to play in the Chess Olympiad next year.

Grandmaster Vassily Ivanchuk refused to submit a urine sample for a drug test at the Chess Olympiad in Dresden and is now considered guilty of doping. The world of chess is outraged that he could face a two-year ban. Professional chess player Vassily Ivanchuk, born in Berezhany, Ukraine in 1969, has been a grandmaster for the past 20 years and is currently ranked third in the world. The man with black hair and bedroom eyes is known as "Big Chucky" by his fellow chess players. Why? Because, after losing a game, he goes into the forest at night and howls at the moon to drive out the demons. Because he walks around in shorts in freezing temperatures. Because he likes to sit in dark rooms. Because he usually looks at the ceiling instead of the board during a chess match. Because he tries to fold the oversized winner's check handed out after a tournament down to pocket size. And because he, as World Champion Visvanathan Anand says, lives on "Planet Ivanchuk."

You can play through the game here. In spite of Larry's fine win the match was tied and Dallas won the speed chess playoff and with it the League Championship

Christiansen - Zavanic

1 e4 c5
2 Nf3 e6
3 d4 cxd4
4 Nxd4 Nc6
5 Be3 Qc7
6 Bd3 a6
7 Nc3 b5
8 f4 Nxd4
9 Bxd4 Qxf4
10 Rf1 Qc7
11 Qh5 Nf6
12 Bxf6 gxf6
13 Rxf6 d6
14 O-O-O Bg7
15 Bxb5+ Kf8
16 Rf3 Qe7
17 Rxd6 Bf6
18 Rxf6 Qxf6
19 Nd5 Qg6
20 Rd8+ Kg7
21 Qe5+ f6
22 Qc7+ Bd7
23 Rxd7+ Kh6
24 Qf4+ 24 Qg5
25 Bc6 Rac8
26 Rd6 Rhd8
27 Qxg5+ Kxg5
28 Rxe6 Rf8
29 Kd2 f5
30 Ke3 fxe4
31 Kxe4 Rf2
32 Ne3 Rcf8
33 Re5+ Kg6
34 Kd4

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/12052008/watch.html

Mind Games: Who is Doing the Playing? 10.12.2008 – Discoveries on consciousness have inspired the Norwegian philosopher Rune Vik-Hansen to forge a new view on development of chess skills. Challenging the current pedagogical climate, which claims that talent is insignificant and exposure to material a magic formula, he clarifies why blunders in chess are caused by a lack of interplay between consciousness and mind. Treatise with summary.