I’ve added a very modest search function to words mean things. You’ll find it at the right. It’s just for simple searches (no ‘this AND that’), and it only searches posts, not comments, but I think it’s useful for now. Let me know what you think.

Coming soon – categories!

Gore Vidal, in his usual provocative way, has said that our campaign against Al-Qaida is like trying to destroy the Mafia by bombing Palermo.

I think that’s a good analogy, and it points out the through-the-looking-glass quality that life has had in the months since 9/11. In a fascinating interview recently Vidal said:

None of the terrorists was an Afghan. They were mostly Saudi Arabian. And the embarrassment is that Saudi Arabia is the center of the plot, and Osama is in with the royal family, his whole family is, and he’s still in with his own family. So the idea that he’s some sort of renegade hiding in the hills, playing Lawrence of Arabia in there, up there in Tora Bora is nonsense. The plot is elsewhere. But we don’t dare go into that, because the oil people who now govern us are too closely allied with the royal family of Saudi Arabia. We haven’t really gone anywhere near where the trouble is.

Something to think about in these lockstep, flag-waving times.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Adam’s Patented Two-Sentence Movie Review
(everything you need to know, without all that pesky reading)

Murder by Numbers
Sandra Bullock gets bitten by a monkey. Other stuff happens.

Miguel and several others have started a new group weblog about parenting called “Raising Hell.” It’s meant to be an antidote to what he called “the current boring parenting magazines.” Knowing Miguel, it will be anything but boring. Anyone with even a passing interest in children, parents or families will want to give it a try.

“Frailty” is a creepy, profoundly disturbing film. It’s hung over me like a shroud since I left the theater earlier today. The ending may seem like typical Hollywood trickery, and it’s not hard to predict, but for me it actually made the movie more upsetting. This is not your average serial killer movie, which gives off about as much charge in these jaded times as a 40-watt light bulb. This one packs a punch. I can’t say I enjoyed myself, but I was glued to the screen throughout. Excellent performances by Bill Paxton (who also directed) as the father, and the two young actors who play the flashback versions of Matthew McConaghey and his brother.

There’s a lot going on here, but not a lot I can discuss without giving away too much. It would be a great movie to go see with thoughtful friends, and see what their reaction is afterward. But you need a strong constitution, not because of a huge amount of violence on the screen, but because of the implications of what’s not shown.

Recommended? I just don’t know what to say.

Half-Assed Retail Come-On of the Week

“Open a CompUSA credit account! With a purchase of $299 or more, receive a FREE two-liter of Coke!”

-scrawled on a whiteboard at the entrance to CompUSA

Scott Adams is an interesting fellow. After making millions with the Dilbert cartoons, he now has enough clout to get them to publish pretty much whatever he wants to write or draw. And that’s led to some fascinating stuff, like the philosophical mind experiment “God’s Debris,” which I recommend to anyone wanting to expand their mental horizons.

I was leafing through his pseudo-futurist book, “The Dilbert Future,” and came upon something that fascinated me. He calls it “affirmations.” You pick a goal, no matter how outlandish. Then every day, you visualize attaining that goal, and write down the goal 15 times. According to Adams, he has achieved amazing results from this technique alone. Coincidences begin to pile up that lead him straight to the goal.

Normally this type of thing would make me groan, with its new-agey “aligning your chakras” sensibility. But then I thought, what can it hurt? Even if it just gets you to focus on the goal a little bit each day, it’s a good thing.

I’m actually thinking about doing this. Now I just need to pick a goal. What would yours be?

“Kissing Jessica Stein” has some problems, mostly in the last 20 minutes. But with my current anti-Hollywood mood, that almost made me like it more.

As with most interesting movies, the basic concept (straight perfectionist Jessica decides to try dating women) isn’t really what the movie is about. It’s about trusting your instincts, taking risks, not taking life so seriously, and being true to yourself.

And before you go away thinking this is some sort of Lifetime movie starring Lindsay Wagner, I should also say that it’s funny and sweet and has sharp, naturalistic dialogue. In addition to the two great leads, there are knockout supporting performances by Jackie Hoffman as Jessica’s pregnant officemate and Tovah Feldshuh as her meddling mother.

Not for everyone, but it’s well-written and smart and has some food for thought, without banging you over the head with it. A good combination.

First we had snow in April, and now the temperature is what, 80? Something is seriously messed up with the climate.