Presented without comment
(via Wage Slave Journal, my new favorite site because of their “George W. Bush Scorecard of Evil”)
Month: January 2004 (Page 4 of 6)
Big Fish
As usual, Tim Burton is much more comfortable with the fantastical elements of this tall tale movie than he is with the human elements. When Albert Finney is telling his son wild stories of his youth (played there by a supremely confident Ewan McGregor), the movie frequently soars. But it often thuds in the contemporary scenes, especially when the wooden Billy Crudup, as Finney’s son, clomps across the screen. (To be fair, Crudup is given little to play.)
Still, it kept my interest throughout its solid 2-hour running time, and there were Burton-esque flashes of brilliance throughout. One of my favorites involved a huge field of daffodils; but there was also a very cool giant, a witch with an all-seeing eye, and lots more.
Burton’s worst sin here was his inability to just let the images speak for themselves. There’s some really unfortunate voice-over that offers ham-handed explanation of what we’ve just seen. I like to think that that was added by the studio later, since Burton seems like the kind of filmmaker who doesn’t want to offer easy answers.
Recommended.
Subversive
I was in Borders today and I committed an insanely subversive act: I bought an almanac.
When I saw the stack of “Old Farmer’s Almanac 2004” on the “new paperbacks” table, I laughed out loud. Then, looking around for hidden surveillance cameras, I thumbed through one out of curiousity. After a bit I decided to buy one, because 1) there was some interesting stuff in there, 2) it was only $6, and 3) I wanted to be able to say to the clerk, “You don’t have to report me because I’m buying an almanac, do you?”
Come get me, John Ashcroft.
Howard Dean Must Die (an endorsement)
Wonderful, bracing stuff. Please read this. (via Metamorphosism)
Adam Green
David (who incidentally has a new gallery up that you should check out) turned me on to a cartoonist named Adam Green, and a quick look at Green’s book “What Were You in a Previous Life?” made me an instant fan. I can’t wait to go through the archives of Green’s web site.
Even better, I wrote Green a fan e-mail today and he sent me a wonderful reply. Sometimes you think published authors and artists would never reply to an e-mail from a schmuck like me – but sometimes they do. It’s worth a try, anyway, to let someone know how much you appreciate their work.
I like Adam Green’s stuff so much, my new tagline is stolen from his book. I hope he won’t mind.
What was the Iraq war about?
1. It was about WMDs.
No. Turns out there weren’t any. And we were sold a bill of goods over it. And David Kay, the head WMD-finder who George and Condie and Dick all said would be their savior, is about to quit without issuing a final report.
2. It was about Iraq and al Qaeda.
Nope. Colin Powell, after bringing a vial of sand to the U.N. to represent Iraq’s anthrax (see #1), now says there’s no credible connection. The Secretary of State said that. Thanks for all your help, Colin.
Also, papers now show that Saddam himself warned his followers to stay away from Islamic jihadists who may come into the country after the American invasion. Further proof that Saddam wanted nothing to do with Osama and his followers.
3. After 9/11, everything changed.
No again. Former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill said this week that the plans to go into Iraq began in early 2001. In addition to being present at cabinet meetings, O’Neill was also on the National Security Council.
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If we went to Iraq to establish a large base of military operations and American influence in the region, or simply to deliver a general smackdown to the Arab world – and I believe those were actually the two main reasons for this war – maybe we should have considered those ideas beforehand, and not the previous three smokescreens that even the Bush inner circle can’t sustain any more.
(Thanks to Democratic Underground’s “Top 10 Conservative Idiots,” from which I poached many of the links in this post.)
UPDATE: The Army War College says Bush’s war was a “strategic error” that distracted from actually fighting terrorism. Those damn leftists strike again.
Paycheck
I really don’t remember anything about this movie. I think a corporation came and erased my memory. But I have a feeling that’s not such a bad thing.
About the only thing I remember was a misspelled headline on a newspaper featured prominently in the movie. Being Mr. Language Person, I laughed out loud, while no one else noticed.
Story of my life.
Not recommended.
Under the microscope
Watching “Meet the Press” this morning, I finally figured out something that’s been bugging me about this presidential primary season. Howard Dean and the others have to criss-cross the country, speaking to countless crowds and journalists about their campaigns for months on end. They have to appear on pundit shows and defend their positions, like John Kerry’s dance over the Iraq war this morning. They have to justify every utterance they’ve made in their lives, like Dean’s comments about the Iowa caucuses four years ago. They get poked and prodded like an alien abductee for more than a year.
Meanwhile, President Bush can sit ensconced in the White House, never say a word to the public, and talk to the press only when it’s absolutely necessary – and only in highly-managed situations. Then he comes in at the end, runs a few ads involving the flag and smiling, doesn’t stab a child in the neck during a televised debate, and has a huge advantage on election day.
Not the way to run a railroad, in my estimation.
Fun fact of the day
Did you know that germ-infested toothbrushes are a public health disaster of massive proportions?
I know – I saw it on an infomercial. For a toothbrush sanitizer.
Spam subject line of the week
SUBJ: she told me your where fat
I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Deconstruction seems to be a recipe for brain explosion. So I’ll just leave it up to my esteemed readers.