While reading a negative review of the new movie "Blades of Glory" I couldn't stop laughing at all the pieces the critic described as not funny. Just imagining Ferrell in those situations made me laugh.
I haven't seen the movie yet so I can't say if it is any good but if he can make me laugh while I read a bad review, I'd say he's pretty damn funny.
I have an odd relationship with Quentin Tarantino. Odd in that there is no relationship and that I would refer to one anyway (I used to see him at a local Thai restaurant but that's as close as we ever came) and odd because as much as I think I don't like him, I can't figure out why.
Today I listened to his interview on The Treatment with Elvis Mitchell and he has to be the most enthusiastic filmmaker in the History of Film!
Why do I have this impression that I don't like the guy when he consistently creates great movies? Why would I have a problem with him when he is constantly pushing the cinematic envelope? The guy has done more to bring Asian and genre films off of the beaten track and into art houses than any single person in the industry. The guy has done more to introduce new filmmakers to the world. Why the negative feelings? Frankly I just don't know.
Maybe it's because I heard an interview with the producers of Natural Born Killers who described a sleazy Tarantino hitting on one of them at Cannes. Maybe it is his incredible success. Maybe it is his (ahem) unique style of acting.
Or maybe it's because he doesn't have the carefully managed image that so many others in the industry carefully manage for themselves. Maybe I am seeing all his faults, none that I can claim to be above and none that really add up to much.
I do know that almost every movie he has made has been challenging and exciting. And I know that I am really looking forward to seeing his latest with Robert Rodriquez called Grindhouse.
I work in the film industry and know a critically acclaimed director who gets much more respect than Tarantino. But the director I am talking about decided long ago that making movies was a job. And a job they don't particularly like, Tarantino makes movies because he loves them.
Jeez, sometimes I can be a dick.
This American Life has a TV version on Showtime. You can watch the first episode online here.
I was a little concerned that the show could never be translated to a visual medium but this is definitely one of the best shows on television. Funny and poignant.
And Ira Glass looks nothing like I imagined him.
Remember back in the good old days? You know, when the Soviet Union was still standing up for the worker and everybody was all atwitter about a Nuclear Winter? Call me an optimist but turn that frown upside down! All of our worries concerning global warming are for naught. The solution is right in our hands (or suitcases, silos etc.) and just waiting to be applied.
All we have to do is decide what sections of the planet can be obliterated in pursuit of a stable planetary climate. We've already prepared ourselves that sacrifices must be made to combat the coming warmocaust. Maybe there are some martyr wannabees that would volunteer?
Even Carl Sagan inadvertantly pointed to another solution that we've not even discussed.
How do I get a powerpoint presentation to the Intergalactic Climate Control Committee?
Via The Belmont Club, a report about the horrid conditions at Guantanamo Bay that illustrates the difficulties of being a prisoner of the US government: "Prisoners could choose regular, vegetarian, vegetarian with
fish, bland (with no salt or seasoning), high fibre, or 'soft' food
meals. There were also fruit juices (but no straw, because of
concerns about self harm), fruit and nuts. And to eat these meals
they get a plastic 'spork'"
The video posted below came from UN Watch via the always great Atlas Shrugs, who provides a transcript of all the statements that the Human Rights Council President is so thankful for.
There was a time that 9/11 conspiracy theorists were on the fringe of the left. Now you can catch the latest fevered accusation on Rosie's chat show. There was a time that being against the UN was on the fringe of the right. Why can't this now so obviously rational and correct position be moved into the mainstream? It really is an appalling situation.
I don't expect them to get wide distribution but all the luck. This is a subject every Liberal should care about.
Well, evidently the earlier suspicions are true.
Thank god nobody was hurt.
Not to jump to their defense but I'm sure they had no idea how volatile the brush in the hills can be. They'll never forget.
Evidently the EU has stepped up to the plate with Britain over the Iran Hostage Crisis of the New Mellinnium!
Am I being a cynic when I think the EU will back down first?
One of the most prolific mass murderers in history, second only to Mao, Joe Stalin has his own mini-series. Sometimes it is difficult to suggest anybody was more evil than Hitler but if you measure by bodies, Stalin exceeded Hitler's wildest dreams. Only problem for Russia is they never learned to vilify and reject their Uncle Joe. As Daniil Dondurey, editor in chief of Cinema Art said:
"The message is clear: Russia needs a wise leader,' he said. 'The main goal of this show is to preserve and nurture in the people the desire to obey a supreme leader, to take pride in having a supreme leader, to see no alternative to this model in the development of society."
Putin continues to drag his country to a place they have forgotten brought them nothing but misery.
...or the punching bag. Yet another empty next step in "solving" the problem in Darfur. With a death toll of 400,000 and with 2 million displaced, we can be assured that it isn't genocide because...well the UN says so.
I walked out this afternoon to see a massive cloud of smoke blocking the sky. It looked like an apartment building in the foothills was on fire but the TV shows that it was a brush fire near Universal City. What looked like it was a few blocks away was actually on the other side of the hills.
It was close to the Hollywood Sign.
Evidently they've gotten it under control and nobody was hurt. The News Team suggests kids with Fireworks are suspected.
But then this is the city that has STORMWATCH!!!!!!!! whenever it sprinkles.
Glad they got it under control. It could have been a real monster.
UPDATE: Evidently this fire may have been a blessing since it burned away a lot of fuel that could have been a problem with fire season arrives.
For years we've been hearing that one of the reasons for some of the more devastating fires in southern California is because of the excess fuel, or dead shrubs and trees that are not thinned by natural causes anymore. I'm surprised that there isn't some sort of managed burn that takes place in the hills every few years to serve the same purpose. Nobody wants blackened hills but they are amazingly resilient and a little black hill here is a lot better than a house on fire there.
Circumcision has been recommended in the global fight against AIDS.
I use the following quote if for no other reason that the person saying it was obviously born to address this issue. "'The evidence is really now quite conclusive that male circumcision is effective at preventing HIV among men,' said Kevin De Cock, the top HIV-AIDS official for the World Health Organization, speaking in a conference call from Paris."
There are those that disagree.
Integrity is important but losing that particular brand of integrity was never a problem for me.
While some people want to carp about the Grand Canyon Skywalk, I can't wait to take my turn.
One thing that surprises me is it appears that the top is open. I would have expected they would have it enclosed. I think it is only a matter of time before somebody either falls or jumps off.
In any case, very cool.
For the record, I hate the VA. To this day I believe their putred system contributed to if not directly caused my father's death.
My father, a veteran of 3 wars with multiple tours in Korea and Vietnam, believed in his heart that the VA was there for him no matter how much I questioned his care. When he was on his deathbed, we frantically requested his records be sent to the hospital so that the attending physician could refer to them and determine his course of action. The VA originally refused and only agreed after I got on the telephone and turned my pleading to threats.
We received the reluctantly sent faxes and they were unreadable. My father died 3 days later.
So I am not a fan of the VA. Now here is my question. How is it possible that I, a civilian who's only connection to the military is a 4 year stint in the Air Force and a retired veteran for a father, could possibly know more about the VA than a retired general? How is it possible that the horrible care given to our veterans is unknown to those at the highest ranks of the service?
I don't know the answer to that but 3 retired generals have called on the president to not make his visit with troops at Walter Reed political.
And who brought these non-political generals together for their plea? The political National Security Network.
Via Instapundit, a blistering attack on the easy anti-americanism of Germany from of all publications, Der Spiegel.
The irony of this latest wave of anti-Americanism that has always enjoyed a great popularity in Europe is that it reveals a complete lack of sophistication or ability to evaluate circumstances as they exist in the real world.
Claus Christian Malzahn hits all the right points. Good for him.
I don't know if it is just hatred of Bush, concern for his buddy Chavez's oil income or perhaps an unexpected effect of his illness but Fidel Castro actually raises an important issue concerning the scramble towards biofuels.
I love it when ideologists have to choose sides. Which of the Global Warming fanatics will condemn Castro? I'm not holding my breath.
I somehow stumbled across April Winchell's blog a couple of weeks ago and it is hilarious. Today she has an evil analysis of Paris Hilton's evident boob job that continues on to suggestions for other improvements that Paris should consider. From there she continues her mission but its best to just see for yourself.
Only complaint, not enough posts.
I love Gateway Pundit. The investigative work is sometimes unbelievable and the link and background provided on stories are almost always much more revealing than I could ever hope for in the mainstream media.
Yesterday I wrote briefly about my hesitation in coming to any conclusions concerning the Attorney General. Well, once again Gateway gives me provides more context.
And if you want to learn about another political scandal that is brewing and destined to receive less attention that it should get, try this out.
I really don't know how he does it but I am never disappointed.
Kevin Roderick of LA Observed has lost his father.
Losing a father is a terrible event in a person's life. I wish him all the best.
Via Instapundit is a piece by Howard Kurtz concerning the media attacks on Barack Obama.
I've never taken Obama as a serious contender for president if for no other reason than the guy just seems to be depending on an intangible personal appeal rather than any policy positions. Frankly he appears too liberal to be elected in this country.
But there is also the reality that Hillary has already made her claim and her machine is in charge.
I've grown weary of the continuing cries of outrage by various groups over this or that, most of which turn out to be a whole lot of nothing.
When the Plame/Wilson issue came up, my response to my crazed friends who wanted blood was that yes, anybody that broke the law should be punished. I never imagined that somebody would be prosecuted for what could well be a simple case of forgetting details while the person that actually released the Plame identity would not face any punishment. It really boggles the mind.
So the Gonzalez issue has not really captured my attention. Just more noise and the counter argument that Clinton fired close to 100 without any outcry seemed like a fair comparison. Today I did take some time to learn a little more and while I am still shady on the details I do feel comfortable saying the following.
If the prosecutors in question were fired for political reasons, meaning they weren't prosecuting the right people or they were prosecuting the wrong people, politically speaking, it is an outrage. And if that is a standard practice, it should be attacked and ended.
If Gonzales was involved in those firings and tried to cover it up, he should step down.
And if people are defending Gonzales for political reasons then shame on them.
If it turns out that this is yet another artificial outrage, I'm probably going to notice the next one even less.
The Ukrainian city of Donetsk, a rough city in the east, evidently thought it would be effective to remind people of the good old days with an ad campaign.
Coming up, Mao as spokesman for the Ukraine flower industry.
I've always enjoyed Roger Ebert's reviews even when he was so terribly wrong (thumbs down on Die Hard?!?!?!?!) and didn't realize he was ill until long after it was announced and he stopped appearing on the show. A friend explained that he had surgery etc.
Much to my surprise, today I ran across a listing for a review by Mr. Ebert on Rotten Tomatoes. Well, I jumped over to his site only to learn that reviews are being written by Jim Emerson instead.
Isn't this kind of like when Abby of Dear Abby was replaced only worse?
I'm sure Mr. Emerson is a fine reviewer and a nice guy but I can't help but be turned off by the fact that his reviews are being published under the "Roger Ebert" mantle.
And of course I wish Mr. Ebert all the best and a speedy return to his TV show and his website.
What compells the world to treat Iran like a child? The UN votes sanctions and Iran responds.
Add to this the kidnapping and interrogation of British soldiers and you get simple madness.
Its really getting embarrassing.
Yet another announcement that 3D is the future of film . Once upon a time I'd be the first one at the theater with whatever 3D movie was rolling into town. I've seen quite a few from Andy Warhol's Frankenstein, through the 3D revival in the 80s the IMAX "advanced" version and last year's Monster House.
Frankly they all give me a headache, distract from the movie or just annoy me. I don't see 3D as a viable format until they are able to achieve it without the glasses.
I'm sure this will be a great gimmick to bring people in but the thrill wears off quickly and I'm surprised it is coming back so soon.
It's ironic that the LA Times would suddenly give a crap about ethics about the time that nobody gives a crap about the LA Times. I dropped my subscription over 3 years ago after the anticipated Thursday surprise preceding the recall election. You know the Thursday surprise. The LA Times has a habit of dropping a scandalous bombshell on the Thursday before an election and damaging the candidate they happen to oppose. I've been waiting for a call from them offering a free subscription since my return since they have gotten to that level of desperation.
Winds of Change links to Andres Martinez who takes his jab. at the paper nobody cares about concerning a scandal nobody cares about. Double irony, he does it in another paper that nobody cares about.
I have too many friends who are against the war for me to believe anti-war people to be bad people. But I hate these people.
The anti war movement has gone off the deep end so far that there is no logic or philosophy that it can claim. Now it is about withdrawing with no regards to the consequences. Now it is about wanting american troops to die.
Yes, I despise these people.
The EU celebrates 50 years and still in the flailing about mode.
There is promise of a constitution but..."'If they speak as 'we, the people of Europe,' but do not involve the people of Europe in the process, then something has gone wrong,' said Andreas Maurer, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. 'You cannot continue to have this kind of decision-making in this era of parliamentary democracy.'"
All the best. Love your trains.
I've always been a Mark Wahlberg fan, as an actor, I really despised his rapping character, and have been surprised at his choice of roles since he has defied expectations by not pursuing the action star path.
So I was a little excited when I saw that he was making The Shooter with Antoine Fuqua. Ever since seeing the highly underrated Tears of the Sun, a movie that literally brought me to tears, I've been interested in Fuqua's work. Leaving the country soon after Tears, it made it hard to keep up with his work.
Last week the local free weekly came out with a rave review of the film, a review that put me in the theatre opening day. Sorry to say that although Fugua still knows how to create elements of a great action film, he has a tendency to beat the audience over the head with points that would be better made with a bit more nuance. Ned Beatty has a couple of scenes that are simply embarrassing and I wonder if he was while he was screaming his lines. And the trend of multiple endings has really run its course with The Shooter exceeded its count by at least 3. Overall, a big disappointment.
Of course I should have been prepared. I learned long ago that many critics are simply so disconnected from certain genre films that they don't even understand what makes one entertaining for their audience and so when they offer praise of one, you can almost bet it is for all the wrong reasons. That's how you get almost universal critical acclaim for movies like The Host and Children of Men and dumbfounded audiences wondering what the hell it is they just watched.
I've always been a fan of Fred Thompson, both as an actor and politician. That is based on his presence on screen and seeming common sense take on the issues of the day. There is a piece here hat seems to show him as a powerful presidential candidate if he chooses to run.
The only problem that I see is that since Thompson has begun rising as a political star, his radio commentaries have been widely distributed and I'm a bit underwhelmed. I guess his folksy, cornpone style of making a point goes over well with a certain segment but just as I'm irritated by the faux folksiness of Garrison Keilor, I'm more annoyed than charmed by Thompson when he lays out his case so us simple folk can understand.
I understand the importance of communicating but I'd still like to see Thompson let his intelligence shine through a little more. It would insult my intelligence a little less.
I have a feeling PC World will get a call from Little People of America with the opening paragraph concerning Apple TV here.
Although PC world seems to endorse the product, I'm still not sold. This is another example of Apple locking customers into the iTunes world to use their product. I just wonder if there is not a massive blowback coming in the future.
There were alreading rumblings, deservedly I think, about the proprietary design of iPod and iTunes that does not allow you to either play music from other download services on the iPod or does not allow you to play iTunes purchased music on other players. What happened to the good old days when you bought a cd, popped it into any old player and listened to your music.
Then along comes the iPhone, well along comes the announcement, the actual phone is still months away, and it not only continues but expands this built in limitation. evidently Apple will not allow 3rd party developers to create software enhancements and it will work with cingular. What happens if you switch to cingular to get an iPhone, decide cingular sucks and want to switch back? Um, nice paperweight you've got there.
Apple may have a winner on their hands but like I said, I'm not convinced. And with a measly 40 gb drive, I"m even more underwhelmed.
No, not that guy, the movie.
I just caught this film after seeing the trailer on another DVD. The basic premise is that a family in Taliban controlled Afghanistan, has no way to make money to feed themselves since the husband has died and there are no men in the household. Because of the laws in place, women are not allowed to walk the streets alone much less get a job.
The decision is made to cut the hair of the young daughter and send her out to work as a boy.
This is a beautifully moving and ultimately devestating film that really should be seen by anybody that has any interest in international issues. I find that many people are frankly ok with allowing entire populations to suffer terrible abuse while at the same time identifying themselves as humanitarians.
Remember, doing nothing means something. Not intervening and allowing a million to be slaughtered means a million were slaughtered because of inaction. Not intervening and allowing the horror of Afghanistan to continue meant that many more were stoned to death, were decapitated were terrorized.
I went to the National Organization for Women website. They cover a lot of issues but try to see if any of these are about women living under the thumb of Islam here . Why do they not address it? I'd really like to know.
I can't say that I read Cathy Seipp's blog everyday but she always had an intelligent and often funny view on things. Sadly she passed away today as indicated at Cathy's World.
Even though I didn't know Cathy and can't remember if I ever posted any comments, I was surprised at the emotion I felt when I first read this.
With all the controversy concerning immigration, Bill Gates offers his opinion here which seems to indicate that he supports the "pro-immigrant position.
But this statement ""I think every country in the world should make it easier for people with high skills to come in," Doesn't seem to contradict current laws. I know plenty of people that are immigrants to the US because of their particular skills.
The immigration debate(for the vast majority of people) has nothing to do with highly skilled workers.
Every morning I hike a local park called Runyon Canyon. I've been going here about 15 years, almost since I arrived in LA. There have been a lot of changes, most for the worst. And the worst of the worst is the number of people. Used to be you could get up the hill and back with only a few faces and if you were early enough, without seeing anybody. Now it is packed.
I guess I can't expect things to stay the same forever and I am being a little selfish but I can't help myself.
A few years ago there was an uproar with the people living on one street demanding that parking be restricted from visitors. I objected to that at first for various reasons but then my selfish desire to see the number of visitors decline made me reconsider. I used to get a laugh out of watching people in their $50,000 LandCruisers, wearing $150 hiking boots and other hiking accessories sit at the top of the hill for 20 minutes waiting for a parking space to open so that they could exercise. I would witness this as I walked up the hill from my ever available parking spots 2 blocks away.
Things have changed. The street is indeed restricted now and very few cars are parked on it. Well, there are a few. I assumed they were locals with parking stickers as I was approached but that wasn't the case. There was a line of 4 cars and they all were parking under the same privileges. Here is one.
I only snapped a picture of the one but trust me, there were 4. This is as close to the entrance gate of the park that you can get and the vanity plate gives an idea of the type of person driving.
2 Fit? Surely they are going up the hill, probably running before hitting the gym, taking a pilates class and exfoliating.
Then I realized why 2 Fit and friends are granted the rare privilige of parking where nobody else is allowed. 
4 handicapped people parked at the entrance of the park. Now either we had a wheelchair club on a field trip or somebody's bought themselves a handicap tag. Its common in the land of Prius' and vegans.
This is the kind of person I'd like to see somebody from the wheelchair rugby movie "Murderball" yank out of their car and bitchslap.
Al Gore's proposals listed here at Hit and Run. Some writer's at Hit and Run have joined the global warming alarmists. I'm curious how they will react when the government starts laying out all the laws that are counter to what a libertarian believes. But then I've been skeptical of Reason's true dedication to Libertarianism for years.
Similar to a good Libertarian, I do believe that drug laws should be appealed. In the event that this occurs, I have begun considering a new business venture in which I will import legal marijuana from Mexico.
Sure, all the deep pocket importers will be able to overwhelm me with volume but here's my secret. In a post Gore world, I smuggle incandescent lightbulbs in the middle of my bales of pot! I'm going to make a fortune.
All I have to do is figure out if I want to eliminate my street gang competition or incorporate them into my business model. Its all about planning.
I have been running studies on the ongoing abuse of tobacco and have found, through extensive research and double blind tests, that cancer is directly linked to smoking.
It is an established fact that government efforts to eliminate smoking have been far from successful. Based on this direct link that I have documented between the occurance of cancer and act of smoking I propose that the United States Congress institute the necessary laws to ban cancer. That is the single most effective method to eliminate smoking.
There may be ways to bring carbon credits into the equation but I will need additional funds for that research.
Please forward all grant funds in unmarked 100 dollar bills.
Thank you.
Via Best of the Web an interesting piece on Obama's childhood.
This raises a question for me. I am in no way questioning Obama's religion or past, but I wonder if this past will prove to be an unexpected problem for him.
And my question is admittedly tied to some degree to a lack of understanding of the details of Islam.
It is my understanding that in Islam, it is considered a capital sin to become an apostate. Those of the radical strain interpret this to mean that apostates should literally be put to death.
My question is, at what point is a person considered a muslim? Is there a minimum age? Are there actions the person must take to be converted? Is there any way that Obama's attendance at mosques as a child would make anybody consider him a muslim at one time? Is there any way that anybody could declare Obama an apostate?
Just curious.
UPDATE: I am behind the curve on this issue. After posting I did a Google search and found that the issue has been raised several times including here. Sorry but I swear I hadn't heard any of this before posting!
I was at the market the other day, the lines were so bad they reminded me of the Ethiopian famines of the 80s.
What? That a little harsh?
Well I've just decided that I am going to follow this idiot's comparison of Gitmo to the Stalin purges.
In fact, I think I'll make this a habit. It certainly is a way to make a point!
Having grown up in the 60s and 70s, I learned to laugh at some of the more beligerent anti-communists who seemed so out of touch and clueless to the real world. Movies and television seemed to share a belief that our conflicts were really no more sinister than a difference of philosophy. In fact, I remember an episode of "Star Trek, Next Generation" in which Picard made a comment regarding Earth's past and the cold war with something along the lines of "It's hard to believe that countries would be ready to go to war over economic philosophy." And of course the entire crew shook their heads in agreement at his sage words.
There is only one problem with my prior assumptions and with Picard's witty quip, economic philosophy had nothing to do with it.
Totalitarianism and oppression had everything to do with it.
It is at this point that a friend will inevitably quote something by Chomsky about the vile actions of an imperial America. The only problem is that whatever vile actions that were committed by America, the don't come close to a percentage of the absolute horror committed in the name of communism. The numbers are all over the place and since we are dealing with closed regimes the records are difficult to find are are lost forever. Suffice to say that we are talking in numbers over 100 Million.
The numbers are so huge that they begin to lose meaning.
And these aren't people killed in wars, these are people intentionally murdered by their own government. What kind of monster starves to death 10 million people? How about 30 million?
I have often made comparisons to Nazi Germany and Communist USSR. I have a great reluctance to say anything that diminishes the horror of the Halocaust but the fact is that if you compare numbers, the people murdered by Lenin, Stalin and the rest exceed Hitler multiple times. Stalin alone more than doubles Hitler's rampage. And don't get me started on Mao.
Don't ask me why, I don't understand why these basic facts are not widespread. But what is even more appalling is that even people that are aware of Communism's toll will willingly accept a red star or a Che tshirt, symbols of terror and death, because for some reason they have become chic.
I think one reason for this is the complete lack of attention by Hollywood. Sure there have been movies that have taken an anticommunist position, but where are the movies that show the horrors of the Holodomor? The great Terror? The Cultural Revolution? Where are the artists that express their commitment to human rights when it comes time to expose the horrors of the last 80 years done in the name communism?
Maybe one day it will happen but until then, Hollywood has no moral standing with me.
Oleg Atbashian has a great essay on the Beatles, morality and protest here.
Oleg is also the creator of the crazy site The People's Cube. Oleg is originally from Ukraine but living in NYC now. Maybe it is because of my time spent there and my loathing of the Soviet disaster that his site appeals to me but after one glance, I'm tempted to say it is brilliantly funny.
Animal Rights advocates are 'involved.
Thank god for animal rights groups right?
I'm no Libertarian, heck I'm no nothing now that I think about it, but I am a regular reader of that Libertarian's daily bread Hit and Run. One of the things that attracts me to the libertarian philosophy is the absolute dedication to private property. That's why I am always left scratching my head when I see self proclaimed libertarians arguing against Intellectual Property or so the comments in this post seem to suggest.
I find that Hit and Run writers and readers have gotten into this snarky mode when it comes to...well the adult world. They have never forgiven Bush for the war and since then he can't seem to do any right.
Happily the possibility of a Dem president seems to have thrown them off their total lovefest with the Democrats. It will be interesting in the next 18 months.
Via The Belmont Clubt, here is the link to The Great Global Warming Swindle.
As I wrote in Belmont's comments:
I remember during my childhood in the deep south and in a fundamentalist Baptist church learning about the coming apocalypse. All the signs were laid out for us and we could clearly see the predictions in the book of Revelations.
Or so we were convinced.
I eventually grew out of this, maybe because I got tired of waiting (I always was impatient) or perhaps I finally started questioning the links that I had been convinced were there.
I remember when the Soviet Union was collapsing and I asked my still convinced mother what it all meant since the USSR was a critical player in the end-times scenario we had been taught to believe. Even then she was convinced that it was all a trick and that Gorbachev was simply playing us for fools.
I don't mean to ridicule religion but I've been a skeptic ever since I was finally able to step away from those early beliefs I was taught and it seems to me that the global warming issue is being made with the same evangelical fervor and by using the same kind of bait and switch citings of facts that my old Baptist church employed.
And I wonder if in 10 years we will all look back and shake our heads at how ridiculous we were.
I've recently returned to LA, CA after 3 years. My single favorite destination in LA, perhaps because of its proximity, was Runyon Canyon located in Hollywood. It is an abandoned estate nestled in the middle of the city that allows you to get away from the craziness of the city for 30-45 minutes as you walk from the foothills to the top of the Hollywood Hills. The views are magnificent and if it is clear you can see miles out over the Pacific.
When I first began walking runyon during the early 90s it was relatively quiet, people would bring their dogs and it was a pretty dependable location for celebrity sightings. Over time there were some changes. A local organization pressured the city to provide some improvements as a compromise for the tunnel being built for the subway. Unfortunately these improvements, the designation of Runyon as an official "Off Leash" park, word of mouth and local articles led to greater and greater numbers of visitors.
There was an ongoing battle with residents living on the street that accessed the western gate. They wanted parking to be restricted and of course the visitors wanted to retain that access. I opposed the restricted parking for many years on the basis that it was unfair for homeowners to enjoy such a luxury while the renters at the eastern gate would suffer the overflow.
But then something happened. I can't say when exactly. Maybe seeing yet another $70,000 SUV sitting at the top of the street for 20 minutes, blocking traffic while the driver waited for a parking space to become free so that they could exercise with as little...exercise as possible. Maybe the overwhelming odor from all the dog waste that was building. Maybe seeing the many new trails that were inevitably cut into the hills as more and more people decided to make their own way. Maybe watching the city draw up plans that included the addition of a parking lot in the park, a parking lot that would only bring more and more people and probably a whole new set of problems. Maybe it was a combination but at some point I realized that Runyon was being ruined. And it was its own success that was killing it.
I'm not a conservationist nut who wants to preserve every hotdog stand in LA but I really hated to see this decline. And it was around this time that I left LA.
I am walking Runyon every day. And the changes are dramatic. What was once a pristine hillside has a completely new and heavily used trail. The numbers of visitors has increased as well.
The homeowners did finally win their fight. There is no parking on their street. Except for the priviliged few who I assume cozied up to the locals to get passes. But as much as I still believe it to be "unfair" in every way, I have to admit that I am happy that they won. If you want to walk runyon, you have to make a little more effort. I can't imagine what the numbers would be like if people could still park 100 yards from the gate.
They haven't installed the parking lot but I am told that it is till in the plans. That will be the death of the park. I can only hope it is delayed as long as possible.
I guess I am turning into one of those old fogies who longs for the past but damn that park was great 15 years ago.
Via The Corner another tale of folly as people clamor to protect our fragile planet.
According to the people involved:
"They were experiencing temperatures that weren't expected with global warming," Atwood said. "But one of the things we see with global warming is unpredictability."
If we experience 10 years of lowering temperatures, will that be a result of global warming? Just wondering.
Just saw the new movie 300 and what a film! My favorite review is this which starts with: "The movie '300' is rated R for 'RAAAAAR!' and is about as inspirational as 'Field of Dreams' multiplied by 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,' plus infinity.
High school football coaches who show this to their players before games are guaranteed to win 55-0. Should opposing coaches show the DVD to each of their teams before the matchup, a rupture in the space-time continuum will occur and the game will be declared a tie."
I am passionate about movies but never good at trying to express my opinions on them like a good professional critic.
I will say this. There was evidently a tiny blip of question about whether 300 might actually be a clever condemnation of US imperialism. Let me say that King Leonidas answers that question early with one word. At the start of the movie, a Persian messenger arrives with the demand of "earth and water". A simple token by Sparta to show their allegiance to the Persian king Xerxes. With this expression of support, Sparta will be spared. What is the one word Leonidas says that gives it all away? "Submission?"
What does Islam mean? "Submission."
It is at this moment that the previously attentive Leonidas draws his sword and demonstrates his dedication to freedom and rejection of submission.
This is a movie that proudly declares its allegiance. Any misunderstanding by critics or audiences has to be assumed to be intentional.
I do think a great sketch for SNL would be a stand off between Leonidas and Jack Bauer of "24". Their yelling at each other would be quite a laugh riot.
I've been eagerly anticipating the movie 300 since seeing the teaser trailer. But last night we chose the South Korean big monster flick The Host instead because we expected opening night crowds for 300 to be huge. And The Host is getting amazing reviews.
Well, The Host is a great movie fatally injected with dumb, dull and completely unrelated US bashing that just kill the joyride. The director is obviously very talented and there are sequences that set you back in your seat (even when the cgi is subpar) but the movie is burdened with hamhanded commentary that adds nothing to the experience. I can only guess that the very part of the movie I hated is what is causing it to get such over the top reviews.
The last movie to do this for me was "Children of Men". I was shocked at how dull and dumb that one was. And I went in with equal enthusiasm because of its overwhelming critical support. And it shared in the US bashing.
What's up with US critics?
Years ago our legal system decided that the mentally ill should be free to determine their own treatment. To see the results, all you have to do is walk a Hollywood street (and beyond of course) to find mentally ill people enjoying the freedom of living on their own. We call them the homeless.
When you live around so many mentally ill people, you become a little numb to the site of a person sitting in their own filth or pushing a grocery cart of trash, their most prized possessions. I say you become numb but of course everybody reacts differently. I still notice the homeless but I'm not traumatized by it anymore. I wouldn't be able to function if I was. Now I am of course saddened but probably more curious about particular situations I see.
Anyway, I guess the reason I bring all that up, is to say today I saw something I've probably seen in movies dozens of times before, but never in real life. As I was leaving the library, I noticed an elderly woman dressed in a slip walking in the street about two blocks away. In this area there are a lot of odd characters to be seen but she immediately caught my attention.
While I cranked my car, somebody pulled up to her. When I looked back and was driving in that direction, a young man in his 20s perhaps, jumped out of his car and carefully guided the obviously lost and confused lady into his vehicle. I assume he was the grandson and I imagine that he'd been frantically looking for her for some time. Maybe others were out looking as well.
I just found the whole thing profoundly sad.
And the fact that I probably pass some confused and lost grandmother everyday, who was never found, or never searched for, just breaks my heart.
At the top of this blog is the line "Doing nothing means something." It basically reflects my view that there is responsibility when choosing not to intervene (example would be Sudan). Via Tim Blair is a great article that touches on that issue. Leaving the Left behind | ALR | The Australian
The irony of the conviction of Libby is that the trial has created a reluctance by some sources to reveal state secrets to jounalists.
Color me crazy but that's cool by me. Sorry a man has to sit in the pokee so that I can feel more secure about national security.
I wonder if and when the Kos crowd will think about this?
Today I was listening to a podcast of my favorite radio program "This American Life". One of the segments was by a NO resident who takes a Greyline disaster tour.
It's as would be expected, yet another litany of complaints about outsiders invading the tragically devastated region. Here are a couple of my complaints:
One, she makes a point about white people coming to gawk at areas mainly composed of blacks. The inference is clear if stupid. I have news for her, I happened to be in Oklahoma City a week after the Murray building bombing. There were tons of tourists, black, white and all other colors, posing and snapping away at the destruction. I'm not excusing poor taste in the wake of tragedy but it has nothing to do with race thank you.
She also expressed her disgust at a middle aged woman who remarked how nice some homes were in a better neighborhood they toured. The implication was that the lady making the remark was more concerned about middle and upper class victims. I would suggest that she was surprised because if you depended on the MSM coverage, you would very understandably think that all the victims were poor blacks.
There has been plenty of heartache and pain related to Katrina. When will people quit inventing more for their own purposes.
And yes, I still think "This American Life" is the best program on the radio.
Ok, the women are running now. I don't know how fast my friends are running so I'm heading down to Hollywood and Highland to cheer them on.
BTW, wheelchairs are at 6 miles in 16 minutes.
I've been gone from LA for 3 years. Watching local TV news, I notice a lot of people that were young and fresh when I left, seem now to be desperately clinging to their youth. I've seen more than one weirdly bad perm on a guy so far.
I'm getting ready to go watch the LA marathon and channel 4 has a policeman on who is running today. He explained that his inspirations for running are two cops that ran last year and died during the race of heart attacks.
Call me cynical but if I was looking for reasons NOT to run, that would be my inspiration.
Not to worry though because the newsman on 4 announced after that story that there will be portable defibulators (sp?) along the course. Yay!
