I’m an American, but sometimes I feel like our nation has too many bad stereotypes associated with it. Tons of these can be seen in this funny satire video which “glorifies” everything in our western culture.

Did I mention it’s set to the cheesiest 80’s music ever?

McDonalds, Bed Bath & Beyond, Baseball, Internet; the list of great things made in America goes on. Unfortunately, those aren’t all the things that come to mind when mentioning the United States. On behalf of my fellow Americans let me be the first to say that I’m not really proud of Slavery or Taco Bell.

Like it or not, this video points out some of the most popular things in American culture that have spread around the world. Oh, and the clips of bombing other countries in between topics is a nice touch too.

I’ve been known to dabble in online gaming from time to time. I’m not exactly brilliant but I enjoy it nonetheless. However, I’m a straight shooter, in both senses, getting on with the job without bragging or being a dick.

Unlike this guy. Who, upon finding a rival player lying in a building preparing to snipe people in Modern Warfare 2, decides to send a message to him before killing him. Big mistake, bozo.

Instead of sending him a message and then shooting him in the head, he gets shot himself as the other guy has got up, turned around, and noticed him standing there in the mean time.

Instead of pwning the guy, he ends up experiencing an epic fail. Which is justice in my book.

Me, I’d have shot the guy in the balls as soon as I spotted him. I may not have had bragging rights afterwards but at least I’d have killed him before he killed me. Which is the aim of the game after all.

I didn’t think it was possible to pull off some of these moves in combat boots. Still, somehow this guy does it.

At first, it seems like the soldier is just being crazy and dancing for no reason, then about halfway in the video you realize that the entire army base is watching.

Michael Jackson really did have the most diverse fans. I don’t know what country this was filmed in, but either way having an influence on soldiers across the world is incredible. I can’t think of any other pop artist who’s had such a great impact.

Oh, and the dancing ain’t half bad either.

The Americanization Of Emily is a comedy drama movie set during World War II and starring James Garner, James Coburn, and Julie Andrews. It was made in 1964 but still holds up to viewing in this day and age.

The Americanization Of Emily tells the story of how the navy hatched a plot to ensure a sailor was the first to die during the D-Day landings. Unfortunately for Garner’s character, he is chosen as the lucky man.

Meanwhile, Garner’s character woos English war widow Emily, played by Julie Andrews. The movie has an emotional plot punctuated by laughs. And a great ending which should please all viewers.

The fact that both Garner and Andrews consider it the best film they appeared in says a lot for its quality. It won’t be for everyone, but for those who appreciate a little retro, black and white movie action it’s sure to please.

According to one US soldier in this video, about 3/4 of the Afghan Army uses hashish (aka marijuana). Here you can see how frustrating it really is to lead a group of troops that don’t want to fight in the first place.

Even an Afghan troop leader expresses his disdain, “You can’t really call it an army at all…they’ve recruited the wrong kind of men…I don’t get along with them and they don’t get along with me.”

This would be funny if it weren’t so sad. Most of the members of the Afghan Army are outcasts who have been forced to fight. The most ironic part of the clip has to be when the American and Afghan troop leaders talk about “nationalism.” As if that’s really the problem.

Although this report was done by the BBC, I find it very one-sided. This reminds me a lot of the reports that were done during the Vietnam war. In fact, the drug abuse rate was even higher back then for American troops. The fact that Obama is still wasting money on this lost cause is beyond me.

Like it of not, history has a way of repeating itself.

As much of a force for good I consider Barack Obama to be, he didn’t deserve to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year. And his acceptance speech didn’t do anything to change my mind on that.

It was announced in October that Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, had won the Nobel Peace Prize. The president of a country currently involved in two major wars on foreign soil? Surely some mistake!

However, the Nobel committee stood by its decision and Obama accepted the award last night. But how was he to give an acceptance speech that justified the wars America is currently involved in?

Obama basically stood up and stated that although peaceful means are always preferable, war is a necessity when facing an evil foe.

However, I can’t help feeling the current conflicts are only going to create more problems and divisions down the line. That’s some peace advocate right there.

Today is Veterans Day in the United States, a day also commemorated in other countries as Remembrance Day or Armistice Day.

However you know it, the aim is the same – to commemorate those who have served in the armed forces from the beginning of World War I.

There are many people out there, me included, who don’t agree with most of the wars and conflicts being waged around the world right now. But that doesn’t make me respect ex-soldiers any less.

This video shows a montage of photographs of American soldiers in war zones around the world.

Today is the day to forget the politics surrounding conflicts, wars, invasions, and the like and just concentrate on paying tribute to the servicemen who have given their lives or been injured for their country.

Meet General Stanley McChrystal, the man charged with turning things around in Afghanistan. He is also the man who just recently requested that 40,000 more troops be called in.

Blunt though he may be, General McChrystal appears to not be using his immense input into making a case for withdrawing any troops from Afghanistan.

With his most recent request being such a large number, soldiers and their families can be sure that things aren’t going to be resolved any time soon.

If you want a figurehead to blame for the ongoing conflict, this man is second best to the president himself.

Servicemen, be they soldiers, sailors, pilots, or whatever, are clearly brave and heroic individuals. That cannot be disputed. Except when they are messing about with low-flying jet planes, when they turn into wimps.

This YouTube video shows some British soldiers in Afghanistan filming an RAF Harrier jet flying extremely low over the ground. And when I say low I mean low, we’re talking mere meters here between a brilliant display of flying and a crash and burn in the nearest tree.

One of the servicemen decides he’s going to stand right in the path of the oncoming jet fighter. Which must be sort of like a game of chicken, only played with billion dollar equipment.

The soldier is very brave on his way in, declaring his intention not to duck. Then the plane comes overhead and he ducks at the first available opportunity. I don’t really understand why because it’s not like it was going to hit him or anything. Then again, I’m not sure I’d stay standing in the same situation.

Modern Warfare 2 is one of the most eagerly awaited video games of this year. It’s a sequel to the first Modern Warfare game which is part of the long-running Call of Duty game series. It’s due to be released on November 10, 2009 on PS3 and Xbox 360.

As well as a longer campaign mode, there are several multiplayer modes, which when played online really bring Modern Warfare 2 to life. This video shows uncut gameplay footage of the Capture The Flag mode.

The graphics look astounding, with highly detailed weapons and good animations. And the gameplay looks pretty damn sweet as well, with teamwork more essential than ever and the title seeming to be fun yet challenging at the same time.

The only sticking point with Modern Warfare 2 is the price, which has been set higher than usual because the developers know it’s still guaranteed to sell. But I can’t see too many people being put off, especially when they see the game in action.

Inglourious Basterds is legendary film director Quentin Tarantino’s latest epic. And at two and a half hours long, epic is the right word. This is the trailer, which should get Tarantino fans very excited about what they are about to see.

However, having already seen the movie, I can report that the trailer does not do it justice. It plays up the action and the gratuitous violence while ignoring the plot and dialog which are the elements which really make this film.

In fact, some moviegoers and even Tarantino fans may be a little disappointed to find the violence is seldom seen and more imagined by the Nazis and consequently the viewers of the film.

That’s not to say this is a bad thing. What replaces the death and destruction is lengthy dialog and tension-building scenes which keep you glued to your seat throughout.

Whether you like the trailer or not, go and see Inglourious Basterds anyway. It’s genius.

Darrell ‘Shifty’ Powers was a member of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Division in the U.S. Army. He and his regiment performed heroics in Europe, keeping the Nazis at bay, with their endeavors immortalized in the Band Of Brothers TV mini-series.

Shifty sadly died of cancer on June 17, 2009 at the age of 86.

The recent spate of celebrity deaths, most notably of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, has prompted public grief and mourning on a level I’ve never experienced before. And while it’s right to eulogize those public figures, there are people dying every day.

Is it right to grieve for celebrities and focus on their deaths when ordinary men and women are dying all the time? Some of them, such as Darrell ‘Shifty’ Powers are the real heroes, who risked their young lives to save us all from Nazi rule.

I’m a huge fan of the Band Of Brothers mini-series, watching it on a regular basis. And it’s sad to hear that one of the heroes who inspired the drama serial has died.

Rest In Peace Darrell ‘Shifty’ Powers – March 13, 1923 – June 17, 2009.

The Call Of Duty games have always been popular and always been pretty damn good. However, the series really came into its own with the release of Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which left behind World War II and brought conflict bang up to date.

This video is the new official trailer for the sequel to that game. The Call Of Duty name has actually been dropped and it is now just Modern Warfare 2. But whatever the name, the gameplay looks top-notch once again.

The original Modern Warfare remains one of the top-rated and most-played games of this generation. Thankfully, for all the fans of the first, this game looks set to continue where the last one left off, both in storyline and gameplay.

The trailer doesn’t show much actual gameplay footage but then they never do this long before release. Instead we get to see quick flashes of many of the cut scenes and a basic outline of the story. Is this enough to get you excited for the full game? I thought so.

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend in the United States, with Memorial Day on Monday (May 25). It’s a time to honor the American soldiers who have died fighting for their country, many of whom are heroes to all.

This video sums up what Memorial Day is very well through statistics and graphic photographs exposing the full horror of war. And it ends with the message we should all heed from history – that peace is always preferable to war.

I have the utmost respect for soldiers, not only from the U.S. but for those fighting for their countries around the world. It’s a job I couldn’t do and I just wish no-one had to do it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Commemorate the people who have given their lives in wars by all means. They deserve it. But then focus your attention on making this world a peaceful one rather than one blighted by war in all its grisly and pointless forms.

The five ‘fighting’ Sullivan brothers from Iowa who joined the Navy with the agreement being that they serve together. They were all assigned to the USS Juneau, which, unfortunately, turned out to be where they died together.

Stories like this and, indeed, stories from World War II hold a special place in my heart. This story especially.

While my grandfather was not one of five, he was one of two – twins. He and his twin brother refused to be separated during the battle and they got a large spot in the newspaper because of it.

I remember reading that yellowing piece of paper when I was young and thinking about all the families that were touched – for good and bad – because of that war.

The Playstation 3 has been struggling against the dual competition of the Nintendo Wii, which continues to outshine everything, and the Xbox 360, which has many fans, especially in the United States.

But Sony’s great hope this year is the number of big exclusive games scheduled to arrive. The first of these games is Killzone 2, a first-person shooter only available on the PS3. Is this the game that finally makes the console start flying off store shelves?

This video shows a short IGN review of Killzone 2, and impresses on you just how fantastic the graphics are. This is the best-looking game released on any console ever, but are fancy visuals enough?

Luckily, the gameplay seems to also live up to the considerable hype, with both the single-player and multiplayer campaigns looking great. The demo hit earlier this month but the full game is now here, available worldwide on February 27, 2009.

Usually when any movie that centers around America’s current war in Iraq emerges, I find myself disgusted with the amount of sensationalism. I have family and friends currently in the armed forces and, unfortunately, Hollywood often takes it upon themselves to distort their reality.

Taking Chance, on the other hand, looks to be a realistic portrayal of a what happened when 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps’ body was escorted back to his hometown.

No matter your stance on the war in Iraq, you have to respect Ross Katz (the producer form Lost In Translation) for taking on such a project. He along with the real life Lt. Col. Michael Strobl wrote the story in honor of Chance Russel Phelps.

Kevin Bacon, who you may recognize from movies like Mystic River and Frost/Nixon, plays Lt. Col. Michael Strobl.

Killzone 2 is being billed as the best Playstation 3 game to date. While Metal Gear Solid 4 undoubtedly holds that title right now, when Killzone 2 is released at the end of February, it’s likely to provide stiff competition.

In preparation for the February 27, 2009, release date, Sony and Guerrilla Games have seen fit to release the demo on to PSN (Playstation Network) today (Feb. 5). However, only those with a European account need bother trying to download it.

In a bizarre decision, Americans had to pre-order the game at GameStop in order to get an early look at the game. So U.S. gamers who haven’t pre-ordered will have to wait another three weeks to have a go at the demo.

This video shows gameplay footage from a trailer released last year. As you can see, the graphics look incredible – almost lifelike, and this is in-game footage rather than video from a cut scene.

The demo contains a tutorial and the opening two sections of the Corinth River section of the full game. If it’s anywhere near as good to play as it is to look at then Killzone 2 promises to be one hell of a game.

Of course, Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech is his most well known, but I am also a fan of this anti-war speech. This clip, taken from “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” was given on April 4, 1967- exactly one year before he died.

He may be talking about Vietnam, but a lot of these quotes could be applied to our involvement with Iraq and Afghanistan today.

It has been over 40 years, and indeed “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today” is still the U.S. government and we are still spending more on the military than on programs for “social uplift.” Though racism remains a problem in the United States, it’s safe to say that the threat of WWIII affects every race.

“The world now demands the maturity of America.” I couldn’t agree more.

It looks as though, finally, Israel’s incursion into the Gaza Strip is over. A ceasefire has been called and seems to be holding, with Israeli troops reportedly pulling out of the Palestine-controlled area.

But the latest flare-up between the two countries has left 1000 Palestinians dead, not all of which are going to be members of Hamas or people who would launch rocket attacks at Israel. In fact, over 30 of the victims are children.

This video shows Gavin Esler talking to Israeli spokesman, Mark Regev, about the invasion and whether he is proud of Israel’s actions. Regev responds by claiming that Hamas were in fact responsible for many of the Palestinians deaths, planting explosives and using civilians as a human shield.

Esler is left gobsmacked by the comment but Regev remains resolute in his belief. It’s clear Hamas have used civilian neighborhoods to their advantage but the bombs that killed those innocent people were Israeli, and Regev is wrong to claim otherwise.