Copters collide

I meant to write about this the day it happened, but Blogger, in all it's infinite wisdom, chose that day to lock me out of my own blog. Apparently, my site had somehow been tagged as a Spam blog by Blogger's spam-sniffing robots. Obviously, there must be some bugs in their robots, which Blogger eventually sorted out. But it's still a little irritating. After all, I pay good money for this site. Oh, wait ... it's free. Well, I can still bitch if I want to.

But that's not what I'm here to talk about. I'm here to try and sort out something much more important, much more surreal. Something that I still haven't quite sorted out yet. Some of you may or may not have heard about the fatal collision of 2 news helicopters in downtown Phoenix this last Friday. From every report that I've heard, it's the first ever collision of news helicopters. There have been a handful of single aircraft crashes, but none involving two.

It's obviously a tragic accident, but tragic accidents happen all the time. Deaths like these, especially under strange circumstances, involving radio or TV personalities, and witnessed by a lot of people, bring about even a greater focus. A lot of people feel they "know" the people involved and therefore are affected more. But, still, that's not what I'm here to talk about.

This accident is still on my mind because it's not some abstraction. It's not just something that I heard about on the news. I was in downtown Phoenix that day. And if the events involving me had turned out differently, the accident may never have happened.

It's Friday afternoon, a little after noon, and I'm heading to my last client, a single lawyer firm at Thomas & Central. I'm heading down 7th Street, absently planning out the weekend in my head, without any big concerns. I'm in the far right hand lane, about a mile from my client. Checking my rear-view mirror, I see a service truck of some kind coming up fast and, I fear, in danger of rear-ending me. I'm bracing for the collision, but at the last moment he veers into the passing lane. But just barely. He does this at the last moment, nearly clipping me, and passing me by the narrowest of margins (about a foot). But that's not even the weirdest part. As he passes, I notice sparks flying up from the side of the truck. As he makes it past me, the truck, a construction or pest control truck of some kind (with a tank in the back), is driving on rims. I've seen people do this before, but they are usually driving very slowly, have only one tire on rims, and they are just trying to make it to a service station. This guy was going 50 mph and swerving madly. Shortly after he passes me, he immediately take a turn on Indian School Rd, towards downtown and continues driving fast. I look in my rear-view again, because even as thick as I am sometimes, I was beginning to think something was up. Sure enough, I saw about a dozen police cruisers in a cautious pursuit.

I continue south on 7th Street, anxious to stay as far away from that guy as possible. But I still don't think a lot about it. Probably some teenager on a joy-ride in a stolen work vehicle. I turn on Thomas (a mile south of Indian School) and head towards Central. I go to my client, on the 11th floor, and do my work. While there, I hear some fire engines and more police cars below and comment to my client about the weird episode that I'd had. We chuckle about it and don't think much more about it.

I get in my car. I'm done with clients, ready to go home and relax. I turn on the radio, which happens to be on our local NPR station. The newscasters are frantically discussing the events of about a half an hour ago, a mid-air collision of 2 news helicopters in downtown Phoenix. The news helicopters were covering a police chase of a stolen construction truck (with a tank in back) driving on it's rims. At this point, I almost pull over to the side of the road to throw up. I'm literally numb.

After watching a lot of coverage, reading a lot of articles and getting details of the whole thing, I am able to gather that within a minute of passing me, the guy ditches the service truck, jacks another vehicle and right at this time, the helicopters collide over Steele Park. I'm a mile south at that time, with several skyscrapers in between me and the collision and with me with music blaring in my truck, I don't hear the noise of the it. At my client, no one was listening to the radio, so everyone there is blissfully unaware.

Over the last few days, I keep going through scenarios in my head. I actually find myself wishing that the guy had hit me. It would have been a glancing collision. I think I would have been OK, but it would probably have stopped him so that the police could apprehend him. No long chase. No mid-air collision. Or maybe it would have still happened. It can screw with your head thinking about causality and fate (which I don't believe in) in a Sliding Doors sort of way. Regardless, I'm sick and sorry and confused at the same time.

I'm not even going to get into the justifiable questions of why society and news feel they have to see these police chases on TV. That's a question for a different time. It doesn't give comfort to the families of the men who died.

Here are a couple of videos from the helicopters. While they don't show the collision, they are still grisly. The first is from 15 (one of the copters in the collision). The truck you see at the beginning of the video is the one that nearly hit me.

News 15

The second is from 10, I believe, one of the copters not involved directly, but who is immensely affected by the collision. It is hard to listen to.

News 10

I'm pretty sure that the news copters were following the chase even before he went into the residential area and that there is footage of the guy passing me, but I have yet to find it.

I wouldn't wish the above situation on anyone, but I know some of you have had close brushes like this. It's sad that it takes something like this to make one appreciate that every tragic death is important. Everyone that dies has a family and friends that grieve. No deaths are unimportant.

Sports

"Sports do not build character. They reveal it." -- John Wooden

Or perhaps the lack of character. I don't talk about sports very much here but I'm pretty much a sports nut ... especially baseball. Lately, it seems like the sports world is in some kind of bizarro universe and I'm not at all happy about it. My takes:


Michael Vick -- If the allegations that Vick participated in and approved of the activities that he has been accused of (and the preponderance of evidence seems to indicate this), you cannot kick him out of the league fast enough, in my opinion. Vick's black, but his tastes in the use of dogs is straight-up white trash. Anyone that will torture a defenseless animal and call it sport is the lowest sort of human being. And it is usually a pretty good indicator of how they will treat other humans.

About the only time that I wished I believed in God was when it comes to figuring out what circle of hell would be most appropriate for the type of people that torture any other living thing.

To make it worse are other retarded NFL players who seems to think it's no big deal. Clinton Portis when asked about it:

"I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not," Portis said in the interview. "But it's his property; it's his dogs. If that's what he wants to do, do it."

Portis, a native of Laurel, Miss., added: "I know a lot of back roads that got a dog fight if you want to go see it. But they're not bothering those people because those people are not big names. I'm sure there's some police got some dogs that are fighting them, some judges got dogs and everything else."

And someone else who should really know better, Emmitt Smith:

" ... Now, granted he might have been to a dogfight a time or two, maybe five times, maybe 20 times, may have bet some money, but he's not the one you're after. He's just the one who's going to take the fall -- publicly."

Tim Donaghy (NBA ref) - Anyone that watched the Spurs-Suns (MY Suns!) series this last year know that the Suns absolutely got jobbed by the refs in how fouls and technicals were called and how players were suspended. But after the series, there wasn't a whole lot that you could do about it. Just lick your wounds and go on and that would be the end of it. Try again next year.

Well ... not so quick. Turns out that one of the refs that worked that series is the very same Tim Donaghy, who was revealed this week to have been betting on games that he was officiating and to be associating with the mob. This is an ugly, ugly situation - probably the ugliest the NBA has seen. Even if it turns out that Donaghy was the only ref involved, it calls into question every game that he was involved in and ultimately the outcome of the playoffs.


Barry Bonds - Barry's about to break one of those records that most people thought was unbreakable, the career home run record, held by Hank Aaron. It should be a time for celebration, for remembering the sluggers of the past and to pass on the mantle to the new one.

But it's not. You know why? Because this man doesn't seem to understand that achievements done through cheating, through circumventing rules, through permanently damaging your body are not really achievements. Or, at least not ones to brag about. Bonds had all the talent in the world. He had proven that he was going to go into the Hall of Fame even before he started using steroids. But that wasn't enough. Hubris born of stupidity and arrogance (hmm ... where else have I seen that?) blinded him and started him down the path that will eventually strip him of everything that he has worked for and perhaps even his life. Congratulations Barry.


I could get into yet another biking doping scandal or the ridiculous circus that is Beckam, but I've grown weary. Is it wrong to long for the days where the worst that players would do was maybe play drunk?

I'm not making this up

It's almost too easy to make a joke here:

Wal-Mart to Test Bible Action Figures

Wal-Mart said Tuesday it will test sales in some stores of biblical action figures whose makers say they are aimed at Christian parents who prefer their children play with Samson, David or Noah rather than with a comic book character or Bratz doll.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien said the toys made by One2believe, a Valencia, Calif., company, will be offered in 425 of Wal-Mart's 3,376 discount stores and Supercenters.

One2believe Chief Executive David Socha said his products were part of a "battle for the toy box" with dolls and figures that he said carry negative messages.

"If you're very religious, it's a battle for your children's minds and what they're playing with and pretending. There are remakes out there of Satan and evil things," Socha said.

Wal-Mart's O'Brien said the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer believes there is demand for faith-based toys ...

If we have the Jesus action figure, aren't we obligated to have the Mohammad or Vishnu or Flying Spaghetti Monster action figures? And does the Jesus action figure come with a machine gun or waterboarding kit? The Jesus this administration believes in certainly does.

You gotta give it to Wal-Mart ... they certainly know their market.

Sadie .. you're awesome!

I just got the great clown bookmark that Sadie made:



She's got a lot of cool crafts on her site. Do yourself a favor and check them out.

Craftily Ever After
Plus, she was sweet and added a little something extra for my son Alex ... which he loved! Thank you very much.

An Atheist's Top 10 Religious Movies List

I dig movies about God. Can't get enough of them, really. OK, I kid. But just because a movie is about God or Christianity doesn't mean that I'm not going to watch it. Some of the best subject matter for storytelling is the bible. It's certainly rich in history, intrigue, struggle, wars, murder, persecution, deception ... you name it. What got me thinking about this was catching the wife watching the The Preacher's Wife the other day. Not a great movie, but not a terrible one. It's got Denzel in it and some pretty good music. That's got to count for something.

A comment CK made on his blog about the film adaptation of a Phillip Pullman book ("I just hope the rumours of downplaying the religious elements are unfounded!") just added to my wanting to try and compile a list of Christianity-themed movies. It just goes to show you that two atheist/agnostic/humanist/what-have-you types are not shut off to the idea of religion being in movies. I guess we're just looking for the honesty of any film -- don't sanitize a movie to remove a religious theme that was present in the source material -- but , also, don't attach a religious significance or morality to something where it was probably not originally intended (Children of Men, 2001, Schindler's List, etc.).

So, here's my semi-ironic top 10 favorite movies with a religious theme (positive or negative) ... in no particular order:


Exorcist - a movie about the possession by the devil of a young girl and the priests who attempt to exorcise her. Quite simply the scariest movie I've ever seen and I believe the best horror movie ever. I can't quite explain why scary movies that deal with God and the devil seem to frighten me more. I don't know if that says more about me or the movies.

Se7en -- The seven deadly sins. This is one of David Fincher's two dark masterpieces (Fight Club being the other). Some of the best acting that Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman have ever done. A realistic and gritty placement of the seven classic deadly sins into a modern setting.

lust
gluttony
greed
sloth
vengeance
envy
pride



Last Temptation of Christ - I can't write a better appraisal than what I got from IMDb:

This is a beautiful film ... The performances, especially by Willem Dafoe as Jesus, are amazing; the sets and costumes are realistic and never feel forced, glossy, or stylized (and were based on extensive archaeological and philological research); Peter Gabriel's score is absolutely unbelievable...

It is really best to avoid religious and theological arguments about this film - it is simply a portrait of Christ coming to terms with who he is and what he must do. If it occasionally portrays Jesus in a manner that is somewhat at odds with that of scripture, try to keep in mind that it is merely another take on a story that has no absolute and authoritative telling. That Jesus has difficulty coming to terms with the role he must play is something that scripture does not rule out.

Consider it this way: this is the sort of film that has the power to convince the irreligious or non-Christians out there (of which I am one) of the importance, beauty, depth, and truth of Jesus' vision of a world filled with love and compassion. Give this movie a chance. You will not be disappointed.

Jesus Camp - I've reviewed this here before. It is a documentary that brings to the fore the dangers of fundamentalism and shoving religion down children's throats. But, also, it shows the powerful mixing of politics and religion.

Education of Shelby Knox - Another documentary that I've recently reviewed here. And, again, the harmful effects of fundamentalist religion on education.



Life of Brian - This is my favorite Monty Python film. I love the tagline, "A motion picture destined to offend nearly two thirds of the civilized world. And severely annoy the other third." There are so many funny moments in this film. Probably my two faves are when they are arguing about what to name their group, ultimately the Judean People's front - and the scene where Brian tells the crowd that they are "all individuals" and they respond in unison that they are all individuals. That's a pretty telling scene about Christianity.

Originally banned in Ireland and Norway for blasphemy. The following hilarious scene gives you some idea why:

Brian: I'm not the Messiah! Will you please listen? I am not the Messiah, do you understand? Honestly!
Girl: Only the true Messiah denies His divinity.
Brian: What? Well, what sort of chance does that give me? All right! I am the Messiah!
Followers: He is! He is the Messiah!
Brian: Now, fuck off!
[silence]
Arthur: How shall we fuck off, O Lord?

Omen - Arguably the 2nd best horror film dealing with Christianity. This is the story of a child who turns out to be the anti-Christ. It has a really good cast (Gregory Peck, Lee Remick) and a good script with a lot of quotes directly from scripture.

Dogma - A lot of people took this as being blasphemous but it was more a personal vision of one's man's belief in God (Kevin Smith), specifically Catholicism. It points out in a funny way the many inconsistencies with organized religion. Jay and Silent Bob as prophets are priceless.

Raiders of the Lost Ark / Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - OK, they're not so much about religion but the quests in both are very much about Christian symbols -- The Ark of the Covenant (the sacred container with the Ten Commandments) and the Holy Grail. These are obviously two of the best adventure movies of all time.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - Another movie with a quest for the Grail and another Monty Python movie. Also, not specifically about religion but it's wickedly funny and besides the already mentioned symbolism of the Grail includes God as a character, a holy hand grenade, witch-burning and other Christian silliness.

Movies that I have seen that came close but didn't make the cut: Kingdom of Heaven, Chronicles of Narnia, Luther, Da Vinci Code, It's a Wonderful Life

Ones that people that I have seen and that people might suggest but I didn't like: Ten Commandments, Passion of the Christ

Ones that I've never seen: Boys' Town, Saved, Inherit the Wind, History of the World: Part I

The Rabbit Hole

Live Earth

I think I must have watched 20 hours of coverage, having DVR'd broadcasts from Sundance, Bravo and NBC. I've talked about some of the performances on your blogs and I won't repeat them here. I had only gotten to see the final Police performance last night on NBC's coverage and it was great -- John Mayer and Kanye West guested. But if you go to Live Earth on MSN, you can see all the performances.

There were are a lot of short films, actor spots, etc. during the airing, especially on Sundance and you should be able to find a lot of those if you just go to the main Live Earth site on MSN.

There weren't a lot of memorable performances from the Australia and Japan shows. Lincoln Park was throwaway. There were some goofy Japanese pop metal bands dressed like schoolgirls. I did like Missy Higgins from the Australia show. She's cute and has a Lisa Loeb-type feel to her. She has a bit of the Cranberries' lilt to her voice. Another good band was the John Butler Trio. John Butler plays great slide acoustic blues.


A definite highlight of the London show was Spinal Tap playing Big Bottom with about 30 guitarists and bassists from other bands all playing bass on the song (Metallica, Beasties, Foo, Madonna, etc.). The lyrics of this song are probably the funniest (and crudest) of all time. The irony of the performance is that it seemed like a lot of the audience either didn't know what to make of it or weren't in on the joke. Anybody that hasn't seen This is Spinal Tap, do yourself a favor and check it out. If you like the crew of people that did Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, etc., this is them. It's obviously a joke band, but they can really play. Real musicians appreciate Tap because they see bits of themselves in the parody.

I liked the performances by Metallica, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Roger Waters, the Peppers, Dave Matthews and Duran Duran. Also, the Foo Fighters - Dave Grohl and Taylor are looking a bit shaggy. I'd guess the boys have been in the studio working on an album. Everlong was the best with Grohl starting the song out solo.


A lot of you may not like Garth Brooks, but I've always been partial to him. He did an acoustic performance at the Smithsonian Native American museum in Washington of probably my favorite song by him, We Shall Be Free. The lyrics were written over 15 years ago, but they seem very poignant now:

This aint comin from no prophet
Just an ordinary man
When I close my eyes I see
The way this world shall be
When we all walk hand in hand

When the last child cries for a crust of bread
When the last man dies for just words that he said
When there's shelter over the poorest head
We shall be free

When the last thing we notice is the color of skin
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within
When the skies and the oceans are clean again
Then we shall be free ...

When we're free to love anyone we choose
When this worlds big enough for all different views
When we're all free to worship from our own kind of pew
Then we shall be free ...

And when money talks for the very last time
And nobody walks a step behind
When there's only one race and thats mankind
Then we shall be free ...

A country song that preaches about poverty, racism, religious tolerance, environmentalism and tolerance of gays -- I challenge Nashville to put out anything so gutsy these days. The only crap they can put out is flag-waving, beer drinking dreck. In a related vein, I saw an interview with Keith Urban where he had said that he had a concert the night before and had told them he was going to Live Earth the next day. They booed. You could tell that he didn't appreciate or understand their negativity. When you live here, you understand it all to well. They say they are God-fearing, hard-working simple folk. Well, they have the simple folk part right. They are NASCAR-loving, war drum beating, religiously intolerant, racist, backwoods country hillbillies that consistently vote against their economic self-interest (What's the Matter with Kansas?). And they can all kiss my ass. I'm sick of politicians and pundits pandering to these morons and saying that they represent the "common man".

You don't have to have a PhD in Physics to know something is wrong or to let others know. If only experts were allowed to speak, most news networks would be blank screens. The people that say that you have to have 100% of info before making any decision are morons. Earth isn't static. It's not going to wait around for you to make up your mind. I guess they'll be the people roasting marshmallows when the planet burns.

Cynics will justifiably gripe about the ticket prices (Imagine Echoes). Others will complain about the irony of a show about global warming that has artists flying all about the planet. And both camps will have merit in their charges. But that's not to say that those things weren't thought of. As many artists as possible flew commercial or got there by other means. Fans were encouraged to carpool. Concerning the ticket prices, it would have been hard to do a show of this size and still have a good and safe show without a little bit of capital coming in. Those that say it would have been better if everyone stayed home since everyone knows about global warming (that means you Bob Geldof) are kidding themselves. People (especially Americans) frequently need to be hit between the eyes to see the merits of anything. If even a quarter of those watching picked up just one useful tip while enjoying themselves with the music, then it will have been worth it. Complaining of the ecological impact of one day of concerts as opposed to the 150 years of coal burning and 100 years of oil is ludicrous. Companies rarely do something just because it is the right thing to do. But if you get a few customers that might speak with their pocketbook, then they will follow the money. I don't care what people's motivation is in doing the right thing ... just do it.

Here's the pledge:

I PLEDGE:

1.To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;

2.To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become "carbon neutral;"

3.To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;

4.To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;

5.To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;

6.To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,

7.To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

Be not intimidated ...

From Court Rejects ACLU Domestic Spying Suit:

CINCINNATI — A divided federal appeals court rejected a lawsuit Friday challenging President Bush's domestic spying program without ruling on the issue of whether warrantless wiretapping is legal.

In a 2-1 decision with Republican-appointed judges in the majority, a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the plaintiffs had no standing to sue because they couldn't prove their communications had been monitored by the government.

The decision underscored the difficulty of challenging the anti-terrorism program in court because its secret nature prevents plaintiffs from obtaining surveillance information. The National Security Agency had refused to turn over information about the warrantless wiretapping that would have bolstered the court case.

"This is a Catch-22," said Steven R. Shapiro, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the lawsuit. "I think what in effect they're saying is that we can't tell you whether you have been wiretapped because that's a secret. And unless you know you've been wiretapped, you can't challenge that program..."

That last line is hilarious, but sad and true. We're supposed to trust that the intentions of our government are worthwhile and noble while they have proven over and over again the last 6 years (and many would say longer than that) that they are not. They have not earned the benefit of the doubt.

"Be not intimidated... nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice." -- John Adams

Patriotism

"Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it." - George Bernard Shaw

Rethinking Patriotism
by Lucinda Marshall
Several months ago when I wrote an essay questioning the appropriateness of military air shows as a form of community-sponsored family entertainment, I received a number of responses. The gist of most of the letters was that the military defends our freedom and without it, I could not write these words. Indeed, I was told that to criticize militarism is unpatriotic and how dare I impugn the honor and integrity of those who serve in the armed forces defending the American way of life.

But what precisely is this American way of life that our military purportedly defends? We live in the richest country in the world, yet unlike other developed countries that have universal health care, tens of millions of people in this country do not have health insurance and our medical care system comes in dead last behind comparable countries. Millions of children go to bed hungry every night and our educational system is leaving far too many children behind. The standard of living of all but the rich has fallen and people are losing their homes. Our energy use and wastefulness is a toxic disgrace.

In the name of all this, we squander trillions of dollars to send our troops to fight a war that was justified by lies. In Iraq we have killed an uncountable number of innocent people and so destroyed the infrastructure of the country that millions of children are starving to death and one in eight children will die before their fifth birthday. Going to school or feeding one’s family is all but impossible and millions have now become refugees living in unspeakable conditions. The result of all this is that violence continues to escalate, more and more people hate our country and the world is a far more dangerous place. And when all is said and done, we bring our wounded warriors home to the squalid conditions of Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

To defend a government that claims these actions in the name of “democracy” is hardly patriotic. At best, it might be construed as nationalism. As George Orwell once put it, “The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.”

Indeed in the aftermath of the atrocities that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, in a scene that seemed scripted by Orwell himself, American flags started to appear everywhere–on cars, lapels and babies’ bottoms. That defecating on the flag to which we pledge allegiance could be construed as patriotism should surely have given us pause to wonder if perhaps the true meaning of patriotism has been hijacked.

Clearly what was conveniently forgotten in this unquestioning, reflexive flag-waving is that dissent in the face of tyranny is the ultimate act of patriotism, it is in fact how this country was founded. We Americans are long overdue for a very serious discussion of just what it is that we are defending, which by any definition is a far cry from democracy or freedom.

There is no excuse for putting the interests of our way of life over that of any other country or people and in doing so we only harm ourselves. To continue to misconstrue militarism as defensible in the name of patriotism is bankrupting our country and imperiling the planet, its resources and all of its citizens. If we continue along this path, there will, in the end, be nothing left to defend.

As July 4th approaches, it may well be time to consider whether patriotism and the defense of national borders is in fact an outmoded concept. Instead of Independence Day, perhaps it is time to declare an Interdependence Day and to pledge allegiance as global citizens, to build our strength by nurturing our resources rather than plundering them, by nurturing all of the world’s citizens, especially the young. Most of all, it is time to pledge to end the wanton destruction of the planet and the politics of hatred and greed that divide us.

Have we reached the point where patriotism is just a quaint ideal? It seems to serve no useful purpose other than to herd the "sheeple". Patriotism attaches a moral justness to the nation that it doesn't deserve. Maybe patriotism isn't dead. But the way in which Republicans define it, it is. Patriotism isn't something that is measured to determine your level of commitment to the country in which you live.


I know it's probably not right but I'm usually embarrassed when I see overt signs of patriotism -- whether it be a bunch of ribbons on a car, too many flags on your house or just the way someone talks. Mostly it's because I don't feel that they really understand what patriotism is. Some are overly patriotic because they served in military and they don't want to feel that their service was in vain. Others are patriotic because they have a very low sense of self and the only way that they have any pride is through a group. Hell, I've seen both of those just in my own family.

I'm not trying to be a downer, but I'd just like to see a few people remember the real reason for the holiday -- to commemorate our actual Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain Inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness ...". It's not to celebrate the military. There are enough other holidays to do that. I get it -- "Support the troops" -- blah, blah blah. I'm sure the troops are starting to see it's a bunch of bullshit. These so-called patriotic types that keep sending them overseas for endless periods of time for pointless wars are not "supporting the troops". If we want to prove we support them, then bring them home.

I'd even be happy if people just enjoyed their families, cooking out and baseball on the 4th. To me, that's way more American than honoring a gun or tank.

"The time is fast approaching when to call a man a patriot will be the deepest insult you can offer him. Patriotism now means advocating plunder in the interest of the privileged classes of the particular State system into which we have happened to be born." - Tolstoy

"Patriotism means unqualified and unwavering love for the nation, which implies not uncritical eagerness to serve, not support for unjust claims, but frank assessment of its vices and sins, and penitence for them." - Alexander Solzhenitsyn

SiCKO

It's embarrassing to be in a country that commoditizes people's health. Health care should be fundamental. For the price that we pay, we should have the best care possible. Instead, by any objective accounting, we have some of the worst among civilized (and some not-so-civilized) countries. This is one of the issues that Michael Moore's new film, SiCKO, addresses.

From Why Michael Moore's SiCKO is a health care documentary every American must see:

... The drug companies, surgeons, medical specialists, health insurance companies and private hospitals are making out like bandits, raking in multi-million dollar CEO salaries and -- I'm not making this up -- greater than 500,000% markups on prescription drugs. And while the American people get sicker, the drug companies, insurance companies and many health "care" providers (it's really more like "sick care providers") are rolling in cash. Drug companies are now among the richest corporations in the world, and they got there by inventing fictitious diseases, then selling drugs to people who mostly don't need them.

... the health care corporations actually have a plan to keep people sick. There's no money in preventing disease, especially in the cancer industry ... American Cancer Society's refusal to help prevent 77% of all cancers using affordable, scientifically-proven vitamin D supplements.

... Moore shows us the universal health care systems in countries like Canada, the UK, France and even Cuba... all countries where health care is free to everyone. It's called universal health care (or "socialized medicine"), and it's a system followed by nearly every modern nation in the world... and even some not-so-modern nations. Only America practices medicine in the Dark Ages, tied to a hopelessly corrupt system of financial exploitation and monopoly price controls, where Big Pharma gets richer, the FDA gets more powerful, and the American people get the shaft.

Some would say that socialized health care discourages good doctors. It does the exact opposite. Doctors that are freed up from having to deny care are actually allowed to do what they got in to medicine to do -- care for patients. American doctors are forced to be bureaucrats that choose patients based on money. We have a whole medical system that seems to have forgotten the Hippocratic Oath -- to do no harm. As the movie shows, foreign doctors are happy and well-compensated.

And I've had about all that I can take from the John Birch types that preach (literally) about the scourge of Communism and socialism. Would you accuse Great Britain or Canada of being Communist? Is the U.S. Communist because it has a police force, fireman or libraries that are not privately run? Certain functions of society should not be outsourced. Drugs and health care for profit does not encourage people to go for care when they first get symptoms. It does not encourage preventative health care.

The right wing messiah, Ronald Reagan, even starred in propaganda films trying to scare people about how "socialized" health care is one step from Communist Russia: Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine. Thank you, Joseph McCarthy. Conservatism is a movement that has become as insidious and dogmatic as that which it hates so much. Great ideas should be evaluated on whether they work, not on whether they fit into your narrow little ideology.

SiCKO, I believe, is not a partisan (at least not in the political sense) film and calls out Democrats (specifically Hillary) as much as Republicans. But it's not really about politics. It's about calling out a society that talks about our caring and compassion while doing the exact opposite. We will care for you only if you have money and even then we will give you half-ass care.

Even those that don't like Michael Moore should see this film. It emphasizes the positive aspects of Moore -- his humor and compassion -- while limiting that which some who don't like him might call strident. It's most effective when it focuses on real-life victims of our system. The people documented actually have insurance. You could have a whole other film on the 50 million that are not even covered. I believe SiCKO will go a long way towards bringing the subject of universal health care into the public forum.Grade: A+

Supreme Court

To all those who thought changing a few Supreme Court justices wasn't going to change the tone of the court much -- you've been taking a few too many hits off the bong.



'Bong hits' decision a step backwards for free speech
Oops! I guess that I can't say that. I'm only allowed to have free speech if I'm a rich special interest group:

At Supreme Court, two big GOP wins

... Five years ago, Congress passed the McCain-Feingold Act, part of which banned preelection ads that mentioned a candidate's name if they were paid for with corporate or union money. The court's decision Monday went most of the way to striking down that ban.

The ads involve "core political speech" that is protected by the 1st Amendment, Roberts said. "We give the benefit of the doubt to speech, not censorship."

... The second ruling will allow more federal money to flow to church groups and religious organizations that do charitable work or provide social services. Bush set up a special office in the White House to give seminars for "faith-based" groups to show them how to apply for federal grants ...

The contention that "money is free speech" is the most asinine thing that I've ever heard. These new Supreme Court justices and the tool that appointed them are nothing more than little bitches for big business. A judiciary that should be a check to the power of the executive branch is instead a rubber stamp. And how Roberts can say, "We give the benefit of the doubt to speech, not censorship.", with absolutely no sense of irony is unbelievable.

The second part of the ruling is yet another blast to the wall between church and state. Seemingly, those that should know the Constitution the best have conveniently forgotten one of it's most basic tenets.

Welcome to the modern conservative movement. It's a vacuous ideology that stands for nothing that can't be bought. What kind of convoluted logic says money is free speech but free speech isn't actually free speech?

Many think the enduring negative legacy of this administration will be the Iraq war. But we shouldn't forget that what this Bush-loaded Supreme Court is doing now could affect our country for an even longer time. It's ironic that those who most loudly complained of "judicial activism" are doing exactly what they criticized.

Reunion Reflections

- Time tempers the annoying characteristics of your classmates while not completely subduing their endearing ones

- After 20 years, it's obvious that those nerdy, bookish types may have had the right idea in high school

- Conversely, if they had tried to enjoy themselves just a bit more then, they may have had more fond memories of high school

- Not everyone is as jaded and cynical as I am ... and that's a good thing

- You still seem to care what the "popular kids" think of you ... and that's annoying as hell. But it doesn't change the fact that you feel that way.

- People reach their defining moment - that moment where things start to fall into place - at vastly different times

- The preconceptions you had of some people in school tend to greatly underestimate or overestimate what they end up doing. Some of those quiet types end up having the most daring, adventurous lives.

- Skanky, smelly small-town bars may not be the height of sophistication but they make up for it in entertainment value and $1.50 beers

I had a great time despite my low expectations going in. Like most of the things I've been afraid of in my life, I've found the best way of handling them is head-on. If I felt nervous about the reunion, it was obvious to me that I should go. Hopefully I exceeded expectations (or at least changed people's perception). I believe I did that. And suprisingly, everyone exceeded my expectations.

I really get stuck in a rut where the only people that I meet are my clients. I don't really have co-workers any more. The friends that I do have are ones I made at my previous job over 10 years ago. Reconnecting with friends from long ago before any of this is not such a bad thing. And that's all that I'm going to say about that ...

"The Little White Town"

Heathen -- these are for you:



Heathen said, " ... Stanton's nickname is "The Little White Town." Supposedly the nickname refers to the fact that all the houses are painted white, but I think there are some other reasons for this nickname as well (My mom was born in 1941 and remembers that there was a big stink when she was a kid and a Catholic family moved into town and one of their kids started dating a kid from the town)."

Yep, you pretty much have it pegged. They might as well be the "little white bread town".

Reunion Night #1

Ah ... high speed Internet connection. We're now at my brother's place in Red Oak and he works for the local cable provider. So, he gets really cheap high-speed Internet.

Night #1 of the Reunion was an informal get-together at one of the local bars. I figured I should go to it so that I could get out of the way the awkward first meetings where everyone is trying to guess who the other person is. I was terrible at identifying most of the women in my class. Most of the men look pretty similar -- maybe just a little heavier with a little more hair on the chin and a little less on top (not unlike myself).

I probably looked the least like I did in high school, which provided much amusement and surprises. But, my showing up seemed to be well-received.

Most of the spouses (including my own) looked a bit like deer caught in headlights. It's tough to come into a situation where you really don't know anybody. Add on to it the fact that the bar was having karaoke that night and it was loud as hell. So, it wasn't very easy to have conversations. But all of the spouses that we met were very nice. An interesting side note - one of the girls in my class is married to Dr. Jerry Punch, ESPN NASCAR and college football reporter. Early in his career, he was instrumental in saving several racers' lives because of his medical training. He was a genuinely nice guy and didn't have any of the airs that you would fear that someone who is a little famous might have coming to a small town.

I had to suppress a laugh when I was talking with one of my best friends from high school. He's a very avid hunter and certainly leans to the right on the political spectrum. He's not really political, but you know where stands. Anyway, I asked about his sister who was a few years younger than us and that I knew pretty well. She's working for the Department of Natural Resources for the state of Iowa. He commented that she was definitely liberal and that he sometimes clashes with her on environmental issues. He said that she's out there "trying to save the planet". Inside my head, I'm elated at what she's doing. But I didn't want to make this weekend into a forum for my world views.

We had a good time and I was genuinely pleased to see everyone. As I suspected, there didn't seem to be a lot of extra baggage. I'm looking forward to the official Reunion tonight.

High School Reunion

Here goes. We're flying out tomorrow to Iowa for my 20 year high school reunion this weekend (Red Oak). I don't know what to expect. I'm sure I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb ... the hippie long-haired liberal among a bunch of restrained midwesterners. But I could be wrong.

My internet access will be spotty, but I should get a chance to post a few times while I'm gone.

Police - Concert Review

It finally happened. I got to see the Police last night. Despite our local paper's columnist's tepid review, it was a good show. Blessed with the luxury of perhaps seeing 100 shows a year, he can afford to be picky. I'm only lucky enough, however, to see maybe 2 shows a year. So, I have to be choosy. I loved the show. I've waited my whole life for it. (more pics from the show here)

A child of the 80's, my 2nd album ever was Synchronicity. It was a refreshing alternative to hair metal crap and bad pop of the time. Reggae beats, literate lyrics - I was hooked. Who sings about Nabokov?

I never got to see the Police the first time around. I became acquainted with them in about '83, just as they were winding down. I was too young to go to concerts then. By the time I was old enough, they had been broken up for several years. I pretty much figured my shot had passed. So ... when the news that the Police were going to reunite for a tour, I decided that I would beg, steal, even kill to get tickets. And I got pretty good lower level tickets at US Airways Center. It's not an ideal venue for acoustics, being a basketball bandbox, but it's not bad as long as you are in the lower level. We once saw Metallica and Korn there, with upper level seats. Imagine spending 3 hours inside a large metal pail with your close friends Metallica and you get some idea of the tinny, distorted cacophony that ensued.



This was much better. Sting's vocals were clean and the guitar and drums were fine. If there was any complaint acoustically, it would have been the way in which bass moves around in the arena. It had a tendency to get muddled. But that's a shortcoming of the venue, not the band.

I found myself concentrating on Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. I've seen Sting a couple of times and felt that I should enjoy the two in this probably fleeting incarnation of the Police. A lot of people thought that Sting was the Police but seeing this dynamic 3 piece in concert gives you an appreciation of how much of virtuosos each of them were. Stewart Copeland is simply amazing. I think the Police are THE definitive 3 piece band. People could make arguments for Cream, Jimi Hendrix's band, even Rush. For me, it's not even close.



I cannot think of a single song that I wanted to hear that I didn't. Being a reunion show after 24 years, they probably correctly surmised that they should hit the highlights of their career. Most of the renditions were straightforward, but several allowed them to show off the jazz chops that each have developed over the years. From regatta de blanc (white reggae) to modern jazz, their virtuosity was in evidence. My favorite performance was So Lonely with a great extended solo by Andy Summers.

The opening band was Fiction Plane. I didn't give them much thought. They sounded pretty good. I thought the lead singer kinda sounded like Sting. But I was out getting a beer and a t-shirt during most of their set. After I get home after the show, I go online to see people's reviews and pictures of the show and someone comments about Sting's son being pretty good. What the hell? So, I go to wikipedia and discover that Fiction Plane is fronted by Sting's son, Joe Sumner. Ah, I say. That would explain it.

Here's the set list:

Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity 2
Walking on the Moon
Voices Inside My Head
When the World is Running Down ...
Don't Stand So Close to Me
Driven to Tears
Bed's Too Big Without You
Truth Hits Everybody
Every Little Things She Does is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Walking in Your Footsteps
Can't Stand Losing You
Roxanne
First Encore:
King of Pain
So Lonely
2nd Encore:
Every Breath You Take
Next to You



If this is the only chance that I will have to see the Police, I will be content. By all indications, a lot of the friction that caused the original break-up (The Police: A Fragile Truce) is still there. But they lasted long enough to make it to Phoenix. And they kicked ass. For that I am happy.

On the Road

Some long overdue picture updates on my excursion blog, On The Road, showing what we've been up to the last few months.

Be Patient

I upgraded the blog to the new templates so that I could have a little more control. As you can see, it stripped some of the template hacks that I had put in. I'm slowly trying to reincorporate my customizations.

One Day You’re Gonna Wake Up

One Day You’re Gonna Wake Up
by David Michael Green

One day you’re gonna wake up, America.

And, like every other one since last you can remember, it’s gonna be an ugly morning.

One day you’re gonna wake up and go to your lousy job with its lousy salary and non-existent benefits. You might even remember the good job you once had. Or that the government you once supported gave tax breaks to companies like the one that exported that good job of yours to the Third World (which is what they’re now starting to call your country). Or that that same government undermined the labor unions which fought to get you your good wages and benefits.

One day you’re gonna wake up and be furious at the monstrous tax burden you are carrying, a tab which accounts for fifty of the seventy hours you must work each week just to eke by. You might even figure out why your tax bill is so high. You might remember that the government you once supported shifted the tax burden from the rich onto people like you, and from the taxpayers of the time onto those of today. And that they borrowed money in astonishing quantities to fund their sleight-of-hand, so that you work thirty hours a week just to pay the interest on a mountain of money borrowed decades ago.

One day you’re gonna wake up in anger at the absurdly poor education your children are receiving. You’re gonna remember that it wasn’t always that way, that even after the military’s voracious appetite was temporarily sated, your country still managed to find a few bucks to at least educate a workforce. No more. And you’re gonna remember how you applauded when your educational system was twisted in to a test taking industry that is careful, above all, not to teach children how to think.

One day you’re gonna wake up literally sick and tired. You’re gonna want treatment for your maladies but you won’t be able to touch the cost. You’re gonna wonder what you were thinking when believed your country had the best healthcare system in the world, even though it was the only advanced democracy in the world that didn’t provide universal care, even though it devoted fifty percent more of its economy than those other countries to pay for a system that left fifty million people uninsured, and even though there were massive layers of unnecessary and harmful private sector bureaucracy skimming hundreds of billions of dollars of profits out of the system in the name of free enterprise.

One day you’re gonna wake up too tired to go to work anymore. You’re gonna want to retire in dignity but will be left instead to laugh bitterly at the cruelty of that joke. And you’re gonna wonder what in the world you had been thinking voting for a president who’s primary goal was to allow Wall Street to raid Social Security, destroying what had once been considered the most successful domestic program in human history.

One day you’re gonna wake up and wish that it wasn’t so bloody hot, and that there weren’t so many diseases and species eradications and violent storms lashing the planet. And maybe you’ll even remember that you once supported a government that lied about the very existence of global warming - back when it might have been curtailed - a government that scuttled the barest remedy for the problem in order to protect oil company profits.

One day you’re gonna wake up and wish you had a government that could simply and competently do the basic things it was designed for. A government that could protect you from foreign attack, that could come to your rescue after a devastating hurricane, that could properly manage a new program or other people’s security. An administration that didn’t pervert the purpose of every agency within the government to its opposite, using civil rights lawyers to fight civil rights, for example, or the EPA to protect polluters.

One day you’re gonna wake up and cry out for simple justice, blindly applied without bias. And perhaps you’ll remember when that principle died. When your country stood by and watched the politicization of its judicial system for purposes of partisanship, and said nothing. When it stood by and watched its highest law enforcement officials in the land lie about their failing memory of events and pretended to believe that was acceptable.

One day you’re gonna wake up and wish that you weren’t being drafted to go fight wars you don’t believe in. You’ll remember how soldiers were sent to their deaths for lies. You’ll remember how badly they were treated when they came home maimed and twisted. You’ll remember how real, patriotic, former soldiers were mocked and humiliated by dress-up, unpatriotic, former non-soldiers. And suddenly you’ll understand why no one would volunteer for the military anymore, and why people like you had to be drafted.

One day you’re gonna wake up and want very badly to run outside and scream in anger about a government that long ago stopped serving your interests in favor of the narrow interests of a tiny oligarchy. But instead you’ll stay inside and keep your scream tucked safely in your belly. Because you’ll know that in your country dissent has long since been outlawed, on pain of torture and death. You’ll remember concepts like due process, limitations on government search, seizure and wiretapping, habeas corpus, trial by peers, legal representation and prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment as historical artifacts no longer even taught in schools.

On day you’re gonna wake up and want so badly to change governments. You’re gonna treasure the concept of democracy like no Soviet dissident ever did. You’re gonna crave the opportunity to own your own government, to make your own societal choices, to make a change of direction never before so desperately necessary. And you’re gonna wonder why you didn’t speak up as you watched first-hand the dismantling of the democracy you had been handed by previous generations of patriots. You’re gonna wish you had been patriotic enough yourself to demand, above all else, free and fair elections, and you’re gonna shake your head in puzzlement at how you stood by watching in silence those that patently were not.

One day you’re gonna wake up and want to get the hell out of your rotting, repressive country. You’re gonna remember a time when that wasn’t true. But, oddly enough, you’ll find that other countries remember too. They’ll remember your country’s arrogance, its unilateralism, its walls, its racism, and its politicized abuse of immigrants. And they’ll remember how your government undermined and violently replaced theirs whenever corporations from your country had their profits threatened. You’re gonna want to leave, but there will be nowhere you’ll be welcome. You’re gonna find out that walls can face both directions.

One day you’re gonna wake up in a hostile world where your country no longer has any friends. There will be governments of other countries - former long-standing allies - that cannot afford to have anything to do with you, lest their publics angrily remove them from office for collaborating with a country as hated as yours. Nor will those governments trust yours anyway. They will perhaps possess intelligence that could save your life, but they will not share it. They will possess forces that could help you survive real security threats, but they will not provide them. Your country will have become an international pariah, the South Africa of the twenty-first century.

And because no one will assist you, one day you’re gonna wake up fearing for your life as your country is brutally attacked by angry militants deploying weapons of mass destruction against your cities. Long dormant connections in your brain will resurface, and you will dimly understand why. On this day - perhaps March 20, 2023 - you might be assisted in your comprehension by the message of one of the attackers, someone whose family your country callously destroyed in its mission accomplished in Iraq, and who spent the next twenty years plotting this day’s revenge. And you will wonder again why you stood by as your country attacked Iraq on a completely bogus pretext. You’ll remember applauding when this mailed fist was long ago sent. And, just as it comes hurling back in your direction at a lethal velocity, stamped “Return to Sender”, you’ll wonder what you were thinking. And you’ll realize just how much you weren’t.

One day you’re gonna wake up, America, and you’re gonna find out what was happening while you were sprawled on the couch watching endless mind-numbing loops of CSI, Desperate Housewives or Dancing with the Stars.

One day you’re gonna wake up and realize that catching all the action during week seven of the 2011 NFL season really wasn’t so critical in the greater scheme of things after all.

One day you’re gonna wake up and wished you’d invested a little more energy into monitoring and choosing the people who made monumental decisions on your behalf.

One day, with a flash of remorse greater than you thought it possible that one human vessel could contain, you’ll remember the ignored warning shots across your bow. Moments later, you’ll discover the human capacity for searing remorse is actually even greater still, as you contemplate your inattention even to the shots that were fired right through the bow. With a fury you would yesterday have thought yourself incapable of, you’ll hurriedly attempt to affix Band-Aids to the tattered splinters remaining from your country’s once sturdy hull. But you’ll learn quickly the toll of those years spent wasted in a civic coma. You’ll find that no amount of patchwork can any longer save this sinking ship from its appointment with the dustbin of history.

In shame, you’ll regret the callous arrogance with which you laughingly dismissed those who sounded the early clarion call. “We are destroying ourselves”, they tried to tell you. But even on the rare occasion when you roused yourself from your stupor long enough to learn the slightest bit about the very threats that jeopardized your life and that of your species, still you found it more reassuring to follow the blustering worst amongst us, with their patently absurd pretended confidence, and their ever constant resort to the cheapest of false solutions, and the rudest of demeanors.

One day, you’ll desperately search for hope of any sort, but none will remain. Nothing will be left to save you.

One day you’ll realize that once there were solutions, but that that day is now long past. You’ll see that human technological capacity ran its evolutionary race with wisdom, and the latter came in second. You’ll sadly realize that you stood by while your country led the once great tool-making species to its own destruction.

One day you’re gonna wake up, America, and realize how far it’s all gone. But if that day isn’t very soon, it won’t matter.

Because one day you’re gonna wake up, and it will be far, far too late.

David Michael Green is a professor of political science at Hofstra University in New York

Weekend

Felt crappy this weekend, nursing some kind of creeping crud (allergies or cold) but we still ventured out. Saturday it was the Phoenix Public Market, a local farmer's market. We hadn't been to it before, but most of the other farmer's markets shut down during the summer, which is unfortunate since the weather here is conducive to growing fruits and vegetables year-round.

It was very nice. It starts early in the morning, has covered tents with misters and fans, so it's not so unpleasant. We picked up some outstanding jalapeno/cilantro hummus, some fresh herbs, tomatoes, potatoes, etc. People think that it costs more to buy local, but the cost of not buying local is food being shipped in trucks thousands of miles. But if you live in a place that has a long growing season, the prices of local food are comparable to the prices at a grocery store. Nothing we bought was in more than it would be at the grocery store. I highly recommend buying local (for food or otherwise) as often as you can. Some good reasons --

Farmers’ markets are:

Good for farmers

- they’re a different source of revenue, often crucial in today’s difficult farming climate.
- they give farmers greater control over their economic lives.
- farmers can get higher prices - as the middle man is cut out.
- farmers diversify their skills - gaining marketing and business expertise.
- farmers get increased networking and learning opportunities with other farmers.

Good for the local economy

- more money is spent in the local economy, and it circulates in the locality for longer.
- there is high knock-on spending in other shops on market days.
- they provide an outlet for local produce, helping to start new local businesses and expand existing ones.
- they reinforce local job and business networks, maintaining local employment.

Good for consumers

- consumers enjoy the atmosphere and experience of farmers’ markets.
- consumers get fresh, healthy produce usually at competitive prices.
- they offer increased choice, and can offer extra fresh, affordable produce in areas with few such options.
- they strengthen community - a key factor in the quality of life.

Good for the environment

- food travels less far; there are less “food miles”.
- food has less packaging.
- they are an important outlet for farmers selling organic and less intensively-produced food.

Plus we checked out a few movies this weekend:


Ocean's 13 - Nothing's left on the table with this one. More flash, more disguises, more twists, more characters. It helps if you have seen the other 2 movies as it ties in characters from those movies (Andy Garcia, Vincent Cassel). The film is an apology of sorts for the shortcomings of Ocean's 12, which was just a little too in love with it's own cleverness.

There's a lot of made-up terminology and purposely obtuse dialog, and one guesses more than a little ad-libbing. It helps to create the thief's world ... one which we may not understand but can get humor out of the machinations. A lot of the joy in the movie is not that different that the original Ocean's 11 movie with Sinatra, Martin, Davis, etc. They were obviously friends, had an easy rapport and were obviously having fun making the movies. This movie is no different. Actors added for this installation include Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin. Eddie Izzard, who was in 12, has a larger role in this one and is very good.

There are some funny inside jokes including the end where Pitt ribs Clooney's character for gaining weight between capers (in real life, he purposely gained weight for Good Night and Good Luck and Syriana). Clooney responded suggesting that Pitt settle down and have a few kids.

I've liked these movies because I've always been a little nostalgic for the Vegas/jazz/Rat Pack scene. These movies upgrade it and introduce better acting. Grade: B+

Yesterday, the wife and I checked out Knocked Up:



Knocked Up - From the director (and many of the actors that brought you 40 Year Old Virgin, comes a comedy about what happens when a stoner out kicks his coverage and gets the attractive (and successful) Katherine Heigl character pregnant after a drunken night. She decides to have the baby. They both want him to be part of the process and the movie revolves around the adjustments they have to make to fit each other's worlds. It's very real, very raw dialog, a lot like Virgin. If you are offended by repeated f-bombs, marijuana use, or blue humor, you probably should stay clear, But if you can see the role all of that plays in settings the scene and creating very funny situations, you'll like the movie. It's not really skit-based comedy like a lot of comedies are now. It's more funniness out of real life. As such, the movie has some dramatic and poignant moments. All of the lead actors are great but I especially liked what some of the smaller roles added: Alan Tudyk (of Serenity fame) as her boss, Kirsten Wiig (SNL) as a co-worker, and cameos by Steve Carrell, James Franco and even Ryan Seacrest (whose profanity-laced tirade will do a lot to loosen up a lot of people's image of him ... very funny stuff). RF's a big fan of this film and gives a much deeper review here Grade: B-

Other films I've recently seen that we've seen that I'm not going to take time to do extensive reviews of:

The Queen - A film that that shows in spades the important art of subtlety in acting -- something that British actors are much better at than Americans (though American James Cromwell does his usual great job). Check out RF's very good review here -- Grade: B

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - A film with a lot of obvious holes ... actually I'm not sure there's an actual plot. It's much too long. All that being said, I liked it anyway due to the obvious strength of the ensemble cast: Depp, Knightly, Chow Yun Fat, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, etc. The special effects are great. You are going to a Pirates movie to see swashbuckling and funny dialog and this delivers both. -- Grade C+