31 May 2009
On Tiller and Terror. (A Short Blurb)
My dear friends, can you imagine the reaction if a Muslim were overheard saying that they were glad the victims of 9/11 were dead, but that they did not approve of the method which was used to kill them? #TCOT 's would be overcome with fury, righteous, holy fury. And perhaps rightly so. Because it would be obvious to them that you can't separate the death from the horrible act of violence that caused it. They are joined now and forever. And those men who flew those planes into those towers on that day were filled with same displaced sense of religious certainty. They knew they were right, and they believed God would call them to heaven immediately, though they violated one of his most basic precepts. The people responsible of Dr. Tiller's murder were in search of the same goals as the perpetrators of 9/11. They wanted to bring down/change a system. They wanted to cause fear and panic. They wanted to set an example. #tcot's can mumble all they want, but terror is terror. To try to say that you are glad that Dr. Tiller is dead, but abhor the manner of his death is moral transference at best and grotesque sociopathy at worst. If you cheer this death, this act, then you cheer 9/11, you cheer every IED in Iraq, you cheer terror. The people who did this should be tried as a domestic terrorists, and to that question there should be no doubt. WORD.
23 September 2008
The Battle Plan II: Sarah "Evita" Palin..
I realized early on with horror what I was seeing in Governor Palin: the continuation of the Rove-Cheney cabal, but this time without restraints. I heard her echo Bush 2000 soundbites ("the heart of America is on display") and realized Bush's speechwriters were writing her -- not McCain's -- speeches. I heard her tell George Bush's lies -
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
11 September 2008
Sarah Palin's Alaskonomics
The candidate says she's a tough fiscal reformer. But Alaska leads the nation in leeching off Washington
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
McCain dodges the Drug Enforcement Agency
And it appears that McCain used his Senate staff and resources to cover up Cindy's drug use, and potentially to prevent the Drug Enforcement Agency from investigating his wife's theft of illegal prescription drugs. John McCain certainly used his political connections to begin a campaign of intimidation against Gosinski, because at the time - this
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
21 January 2008
Brilliant.
Below is an article that I believe deserves wide circulation. It is an incredibly insightful articulation of the dangers inherent to the politics of personality, which is core to the independent voter ethos. It is a strong argument for knowing your own values and understanding the true nature of the American political system in post-9/11 and pre-post-Bush America.
Against Independent Voters by Stanly Fish
We're in that season now when we hear the same things being said over and over again, and nothing is said more often by political pundits than this election (it doesn't matter which one) will be decided by independent voters. Accompanying this announcement is the judgment – sometimes implicit, sometimes explicit – that this state of affairs is to be welcomed, even encouraged: it's good that the independent voters are making themselves heard and forcing candidates to think outside their partisan boxes. And this judgment itself implies another: independent voters are better, in the sense of being more reflective and less ideological, than voters who identify themselves strongly with one or the other of the two major parties. The assumption is that if we were all independent voters, the political process would be in much better shape.
This seems to me to be a dubious proposition, especially if the word "political" in the phrase "political process" is taken seriously. Those who yearn for government without politics always invoke abstract truths and moral visions (the good life, the fair society, the just commonwealth) with which no one is likely to disagree because they have no content. But sooner rather than later someone gives these abstractions content, and when that happens, definitional disputes break out immediately, and after definitional disputes come real disputes, the taking of sides, the applying of labels (both the self-identifying kind and the accusing kind) and, pretty soon, the demonization of the other. In short, politics, which is what independent voters hate.
They tend to agree with (and quote) George Washington. In his farewell address (1796), Washington spoke of the "baneful effects of the spirit of party," which includes "ill founded jealousies and false alarms," "the animosity of one part against another" and the propagation of the "belief that there is a real difference of local interests and views." Parties, he concluded, "make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted…projects of faction rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests."
Consistent, wholesome, common vs. conflicted, divided, factional. Mutual interests – interest that are shared – are what we want rather than special interests. This is the rhetoric and vocabulary of the independent voter, for whom it is an article of faith that differences are inessential and that what unites us is larger and more important than what divides us. Why can't we all just get along?
Washington himself knows why. The spirit of party, he says, "unfortunately is inseparable from our nature," from our tendency, that is, to identify our passions with what is right and true. Factionalism is not a deviation from ordinary human behavior; it is ordinary human behavior. (That is why checks and balances figure so prominently in The Federalist Papers.) Human beings are situated creatures; they see things not from a God's-eye point of view, but from the point of view of the beliefs, allegiances, aspirations and fears they bring with them into the ballot box.
Floating independently above the fray and inhabiting the marketplace of ideas as if were a shopping bazaar rather than a battlefield is an unnatural condition. The natural condition is to be political. To be political is to believe something, and to believe something is to believe that those who believe something else are wrong, and after all you don't want people who believe (and would do) the wrong things running your government. So you organize with other like-minded folks and smite the enemy (verbally) hip and thigh. You join a party.
What do independent voters do? Well, most of all, they talk about the virtue of being an independent voter. When they are asked to explain what that means, they say, "I can't stand the partisan atmosphere that has infected our politics" (forgetting that politics is partisan by definition); or "we like to make up our own minds and don't want anyone telling us what to do (as if Democrats and Republicans were sheep eager to go over whatever cliff the leadership brings them to) or (and this was a favorite of those interviewed in Iowa and New Hampshire), "We vote the person rather than the party."
Now, voting the person rather than the party is about the dumbest thing you can do for a reason I elaborated in an earlier column ("Parties Matter"). The party affiliation of a candidate tells you what kind of appointments he or she is likely to make. Do you think that regulations of industry stifle productivity and damage the economy, or do you think that unregulated industries endanger the environment? Do you think that illegal immigrants are just that – illegal – and therefore should be deported when detected, or do you think that we should figure out a way to legitimize their status and make the best of what has already happened? Do you think that Iran poses a threat that must be countered before it is too late, or do you think that military action should be resorted to only after every avenue of diplomacy has been exhausted, even if it takes years or decades?
If you feel strongly about these and other matters, it is incumbent upon you to take into consideration the positions of the two major parties, for the successful candidate can be counted on to appoint to the offices responsible for answering these questions men and women whose views reflect the party's platform. Voting the person, however attractive or impressive he or she may be, could very well get you four years of policies you detest. In other words, policy differences are party differences, and it is hard to see how you could be a responsible voter if you held your nose at a whiff of party politics. If you are really interested in the way things should go in the country, come off the high pedestal and join the rest of us in the nurturing (and, yes, dirty) soil of the partisan free-for-all.
To this an independent voter might reply that the two-party structure is the problem, and if we could only elect an independent candidate, he or she wouldn't be beholden to any party and could make appointments on the basis of merit. But even if this miracle were to occur, the parties would still be in control of federal and state legislative bodies, and in order to do anything at all, an independent president would have to negotiate with the very political forces he or she beat up on in the course of getting elected. (There goes independence.) And what leverage would a president in that position have?
In the end, there is nothing to be said for independent voters and a lot to be said against them. Remember, a bunch of them voted for Ralph Nader. Case closed.
Currently reading :
Children of Men, the
By P. D. James
Release date: June, 1999
Against Independent Voters by Stanly Fish
We're in that season now when we hear the same things being said over and over again, and nothing is said more often by political pundits than this election (it doesn't matter which one) will be decided by independent voters. Accompanying this announcement is the judgment – sometimes implicit, sometimes explicit – that this state of affairs is to be welcomed, even encouraged: it's good that the independent voters are making themselves heard and forcing candidates to think outside their partisan boxes. And this judgment itself implies another: independent voters are better, in the sense of being more reflective and less ideological, than voters who identify themselves strongly with one or the other of the two major parties. The assumption is that if we were all independent voters, the political process would be in much better shape.
This seems to me to be a dubious proposition, especially if the word "political" in the phrase "political process" is taken seriously. Those who yearn for government without politics always invoke abstract truths and moral visions (the good life, the fair society, the just commonwealth) with which no one is likely to disagree because they have no content. But sooner rather than later someone gives these abstractions content, and when that happens, definitional disputes break out immediately, and after definitional disputes come real disputes, the taking of sides, the applying of labels (both the self-identifying kind and the accusing kind) and, pretty soon, the demonization of the other. In short, politics, which is what independent voters hate.
They tend to agree with (and quote) George Washington. In his farewell address (1796), Washington spoke of the "baneful effects of the spirit of party," which includes "ill founded jealousies and false alarms," "the animosity of one part against another" and the propagation of the "belief that there is a real difference of local interests and views." Parties, he concluded, "make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted…projects of faction rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests."
Consistent, wholesome, common vs. conflicted, divided, factional. Mutual interests – interest that are shared – are what we want rather than special interests. This is the rhetoric and vocabulary of the independent voter, for whom it is an article of faith that differences are inessential and that what unites us is larger and more important than what divides us. Why can't we all just get along?
Washington himself knows why. The spirit of party, he says, "unfortunately is inseparable from our nature," from our tendency, that is, to identify our passions with what is right and true. Factionalism is not a deviation from ordinary human behavior; it is ordinary human behavior. (That is why checks and balances figure so prominently in The Federalist Papers.) Human beings are situated creatures; they see things not from a God's-eye point of view, but from the point of view of the beliefs, allegiances, aspirations and fears they bring with them into the ballot box.
Floating independently above the fray and inhabiting the marketplace of ideas as if were a shopping bazaar rather than a battlefield is an unnatural condition. The natural condition is to be political. To be political is to believe something, and to believe something is to believe that those who believe something else are wrong, and after all you don't want people who believe (and would do) the wrong things running your government. So you organize with other like-minded folks and smite the enemy (verbally) hip and thigh. You join a party.
What do independent voters do? Well, most of all, they talk about the virtue of being an independent voter. When they are asked to explain what that means, they say, "I can't stand the partisan atmosphere that has infected our politics" (forgetting that politics is partisan by definition); or "we like to make up our own minds and don't want anyone telling us what to do (as if Democrats and Republicans were sheep eager to go over whatever cliff the leadership brings them to) or (and this was a favorite of those interviewed in Iowa and New Hampshire), "We vote the person rather than the party."
Now, voting the person rather than the party is about the dumbest thing you can do for a reason I elaborated in an earlier column ("Parties Matter"). The party affiliation of a candidate tells you what kind of appointments he or she is likely to make. Do you think that regulations of industry stifle productivity and damage the economy, or do you think that unregulated industries endanger the environment? Do you think that illegal immigrants are just that – illegal – and therefore should be deported when detected, or do you think that we should figure out a way to legitimize their status and make the best of what has already happened? Do you think that Iran poses a threat that must be countered before it is too late, or do you think that military action should be resorted to only after every avenue of diplomacy has been exhausted, even if it takes years or decades?
If you feel strongly about these and other matters, it is incumbent upon you to take into consideration the positions of the two major parties, for the successful candidate can be counted on to appoint to the offices responsible for answering these questions men and women whose views reflect the party's platform. Voting the person, however attractive or impressive he or she may be, could very well get you four years of policies you detest. In other words, policy differences are party differences, and it is hard to see how you could be a responsible voter if you held your nose at a whiff of party politics. If you are really interested in the way things should go in the country, come off the high pedestal and join the rest of us in the nurturing (and, yes, dirty) soil of the partisan free-for-all.
To this an independent voter might reply that the two-party structure is the problem, and if we could only elect an independent candidate, he or she wouldn't be beholden to any party and could make appointments on the basis of merit. But even if this miracle were to occur, the parties would still be in control of federal and state legislative bodies, and in order to do anything at all, an independent president would have to negotiate with the very political forces he or she beat up on in the course of getting elected. (There goes independence.) And what leverage would a president in that position have?
In the end, there is nothing to be said for independent voters and a lot to be said against them. Remember, a bunch of them voted for Ralph Nader. Case closed.
Currently reading :
Children of Men, the
By P. D. James
Release date: June, 1999
06 January 2008
The Best Films of 2007
Last year was one of the best years in recent cinematic history, and while there were few films that will probably be rendered classic the overall quality of the films listed here is impressive. It was the first year in memory that I genuinely had a difficult time in ranking the films outside of my top three. So without further ado I present my list of the best films of 2007…as if you care. There are several films that I have not yet seen: Persepolis, 3:10 To Yuma, Once, The Savages and Walk Hard and a few others, but I decided to post this now and include any of these in next year's list if they merit inclusion.
1. After the Wedding – A gorgeous, textured, and deeply beautiful drama featuring some of the finest performances of the year. The script and direction are spot-on and the ending is one of the most honest in recent memory.
2. Away From Her – Sarah Polley's little film that could features a masterclass performance by the still transcendently beautiful Julie Christie. I literally watched this film three times in a row: Stunning.
3. The Italian – A richly evocative tapestry of the human condition interwoven with threads of Dickens, Italian neo-realism, and even Frank Capra. It is a bleek, melancholy, yet always lyrical film about the power of determination in the face of staggering impossibilities. The performances and cinematography make for essential viewing. While this film was technically produced in 2005 it is included here because it was not released stateside until 2007.
4. No End In Sight – Searing and powerful, this is by far the best documentary yet on the war and far and away the most powerful documentary of the year. To say what has already been said over and over about this film: You owe it to yourself and your country to see this.
5. Michael Clayton - If you still doubt George Clooney is the real deal then see his turn here as a caustic corporate lawyer and carefully rethink your position.
6. Zodiac – Fincher's Zodiac is the smartest thriller in years and absolutely drips with intensity. This film is worth the almost three-hour investment just to witness Robert Downey Jr's impassioned and stunning performance. I hope the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences takes note of this amazing and profoundly American film. Hands down the best writing of the year.
7. The Simpsons Movie - Not half as good as it might have been, but still cleverer than any handful of Hollywood films. Homer and Co. arrived on the big screen with verve and a classic bit (Spider Pig) that will still be funny fifty years on.
8. The Host - Terrifying, hilarious, and gorgeous. If you are not a fan of the horror genre or have not yet been introduced to the mastery of Japanese cinema then this is one pill to cure both ills.
9. This Is England – Raw, funny, and politically determined and this is a rare gem of a film that deserved a wider American audience.
10. Avenue Montaigne - One of several brilliant French films that made this year's list. It is a bright and flagrantly optimistic film that is one part fable and one part daydream.
11. Gone Baby Gone - Ben Affleck's directorial debut is almost as good as his screenwriting debut (Good Will Hunting) and proves once again that the much maligned man is much more intelligent and talented than most give him credit for. This film did for Casey Affleck what last year's "Half Nelson" did for Ryan Gosling--and rightly so--it is a spectacular performance inside of a very, very good film.
12. Private Fears In Public Places – Unexpectedly moving, this examination of life and love after forty is extraordinary.
13. The Wind That Shakes The Barley - I was far more impressed with this film than I initially believed I would be. Cillian Murphy turns in his best performance to date.
14. God Grew Tired Of Us - Deeply moving, often funny, and almost always unsettling this documentary is a vivid illustration of how far we have to go as a nation with respect to race and community.
15. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - No two-hour adaptation of a 900 page book will satisfy everyone, but this is one of my favorite Harry outings to date.
16. No Country For Old Men - The newest Coen Brothers offering is not nearly as good as some people are letting on, nor is it as good as many of their other works, but it is still a damn fine film. Look for big wins come Oscar© time.
17. The Assassination of Jesse James - Casey Affleck rides again. Oh, and Brad Pitt is pretty damn good as well.
18. The Bourne Ultimatum - The third and final chapter in the series is not the best, but it doesn't have to be to still be better than your average bear.
19. Enchanted - Disney's ode to itself is a rollicking and moving tribute fueled by stellar performances and even great writing. The requisite musical numbers are all spot on--with all tongues planted firmly in cheek.
20. Atonement – Sublime and gorgeously refined the film manages to mine far more gold from McEwan's spectacular novel than I would have thought possible.
21. The Dead Girl - The best movie this year that almost no one else saw.
22. La Vie En Rose - At turns brilliant and benign, this French biopic of the legendary Edith Piaf is at least as good as and often times better than any of Hollywood's similar takes on its own American music legends.
23. Knocked Up - Oddly reminiscent of classic Hollywood's tales of old, with writing worthy of, say, Hepburn and Tracy. Heigl's is the stand out performance in a film full of solid star-making roles.
24. Day Night Day Night - Tense, powerful and inexplicably bewildering this film dares to discuss the very act of terrorism minus all the why-fors and what-nots, replete with a level of existential detail that many will find unnecessary but I found terribly moving.
25. There Will Be Fire - Everything you have heard about Daniel Day Lewis's apocalyptic turn in this psycho of a movie is true and while the whole is not equal to the part it is a must see for anyone interested in the pure magic of performance.
26. Paris, Je T'aime - Quite literally a love letter to both love and Paris this film is a collection of seemingly unconnected vignettes by various directors that nonetheless form, in the end, a beautiful little cinematic postcard with an unexpected level of cohesion and emotional resonance.
27. Into The Wild – Sean Penn's adaptation of Jon Krakauer's "Into The Wild" tells the story of the author's journey out of civilization and into the wilds of Alaska. It is oftentimes breathtaking, sometimes overpowering, and is fueled by the quiet intensity of Emile Hirsch's star-making performance. Eddie Vedder also provides one of the best soundtracks of the year.
28. The Dog Problem – Starring the amazing Giovanni Ribisi this film is somewhat farcical in tone and always adorable. Nothing too deep here, but definitely not too bad a way to pass ninety minutes—and the dog is just plain freaking cute!
29. I'm Not There – Untraditional Dylan biopic featuring a masterclass performance by Australia's greatest artistic export: Cate Blanchett.
30. Sicko – Michael Moore's war continues and his newest enemy could be his most wretched yet: The health insurance industry.
31. Lust, Caution – Ang Lee's jaw-dropping NC-17 follow-up to Brokeback Mountain is a sensual feast. Set in wartime Shanghai this film did not receive nearly the critical attention it deserved, which given Lee's history is rather surprising.
32. Lars and the Real Girl – Ryan Gosling follows up last year's Half Nelson with an unlikely, but hilarious, comedy about a man and his, um, doll. The first time I watched this film I almost pissed myself— very, very funny.
33. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – Astonishing and sumptuous. This film should probably be a lot higher on this list…not sure why it is not…hmm…
34. Black Snake Moan – I liked this exploitation piece far more than I should have. Indie queen Cristina Ricci is absolutely phenomenal and Samuel L. Jackson gives his best performance ever. Mr. Justin Timberlake puts in a more than respectable performance as well.
35. My Kid Could Paint That – A complex portrait of art and genius in America.
36. Hot Fuzz – A brilliant satire taking on the myriad inanities of the action film genre.
37. Eastern Promises – David Cronenberg meets the Russian mafia with spectacular results. His reteaming with Viggo Mortenson is highly successful and, yes, you do get to see Viggo's dick…
38. Hairspray – Way freaking better than I would have thought and, yes, John Travolta is, quite frankly, very good.
39. Juno – Unfortunately, I went to see this film recently and because of my back I was unable to sit through the entire film and exited about mid-way through. What I saw, however, was terribly moving and very funny. Even without having seen the film in its entirety it still makes the cut…the first half was that good.
40. 12:08 East of Bucharest – Funny if somewhat self-indulgent.
1. After the Wedding – A gorgeous, textured, and deeply beautiful drama featuring some of the finest performances of the year. The script and direction are spot-on and the ending is one of the most honest in recent memory.
2. Away From Her – Sarah Polley's little film that could features a masterclass performance by the still transcendently beautiful Julie Christie. I literally watched this film three times in a row: Stunning.
3. The Italian – A richly evocative tapestry of the human condition interwoven with threads of Dickens, Italian neo-realism, and even Frank Capra. It is a bleek, melancholy, yet always lyrical film about the power of determination in the face of staggering impossibilities. The performances and cinematography make for essential viewing. While this film was technically produced in 2005 it is included here because it was not released stateside until 2007.
4. No End In Sight – Searing and powerful, this is by far the best documentary yet on the war and far and away the most powerful documentary of the year. To say what has already been said over and over about this film: You owe it to yourself and your country to see this.
5. Michael Clayton - If you still doubt George Clooney is the real deal then see his turn here as a caustic corporate lawyer and carefully rethink your position.
6. Zodiac – Fincher's Zodiac is the smartest thriller in years and absolutely drips with intensity. This film is worth the almost three-hour investment just to witness Robert Downey Jr's impassioned and stunning performance. I hope the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences takes note of this amazing and profoundly American film. Hands down the best writing of the year.
7. The Simpsons Movie - Not half as good as it might have been, but still cleverer than any handful of Hollywood films. Homer and Co. arrived on the big screen with verve and a classic bit (Spider Pig) that will still be funny fifty years on.
8. The Host - Terrifying, hilarious, and gorgeous. If you are not a fan of the horror genre or have not yet been introduced to the mastery of Japanese cinema then this is one pill to cure both ills.
9. This Is England – Raw, funny, and politically determined and this is a rare gem of a film that deserved a wider American audience.
10. Avenue Montaigne - One of several brilliant French films that made this year's list. It is a bright and flagrantly optimistic film that is one part fable and one part daydream.
11. Gone Baby Gone - Ben Affleck's directorial debut is almost as good as his screenwriting debut (Good Will Hunting) and proves once again that the much maligned man is much more intelligent and talented than most give him credit for. This film did for Casey Affleck what last year's "Half Nelson" did for Ryan Gosling--and rightly so--it is a spectacular performance inside of a very, very good film.
12. Private Fears In Public Places – Unexpectedly moving, this examination of life and love after forty is extraordinary.
13. The Wind That Shakes The Barley - I was far more impressed with this film than I initially believed I would be. Cillian Murphy turns in his best performance to date.
14. God Grew Tired Of Us - Deeply moving, often funny, and almost always unsettling this documentary is a vivid illustration of how far we have to go as a nation with respect to race and community.
15. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - No two-hour adaptation of a 900 page book will satisfy everyone, but this is one of my favorite Harry outings to date.
16. No Country For Old Men - The newest Coen Brothers offering is not nearly as good as some people are letting on, nor is it as good as many of their other works, but it is still a damn fine film. Look for big wins come Oscar© time.
17. The Assassination of Jesse James - Casey Affleck rides again. Oh, and Brad Pitt is pretty damn good as well.
18. The Bourne Ultimatum - The third and final chapter in the series is not the best, but it doesn't have to be to still be better than your average bear.
19. Enchanted - Disney's ode to itself is a rollicking and moving tribute fueled by stellar performances and even great writing. The requisite musical numbers are all spot on--with all tongues planted firmly in cheek.
20. Atonement – Sublime and gorgeously refined the film manages to mine far more gold from McEwan's spectacular novel than I would have thought possible.
21. The Dead Girl - The best movie this year that almost no one else saw.
22. La Vie En Rose - At turns brilliant and benign, this French biopic of the legendary Edith Piaf is at least as good as and often times better than any of Hollywood's similar takes on its own American music legends.
23. Knocked Up - Oddly reminiscent of classic Hollywood's tales of old, with writing worthy of, say, Hepburn and Tracy. Heigl's is the stand out performance in a film full of solid star-making roles.
24. Day Night Day Night - Tense, powerful and inexplicably bewildering this film dares to discuss the very act of terrorism minus all the why-fors and what-nots, replete with a level of existential detail that many will find unnecessary but I found terribly moving.
25. There Will Be Fire - Everything you have heard about Daniel Day Lewis's apocalyptic turn in this psycho of a movie is true and while the whole is not equal to the part it is a must see for anyone interested in the pure magic of performance.
26. Paris, Je T'aime - Quite literally a love letter to both love and Paris this film is a collection of seemingly unconnected vignettes by various directors that nonetheless form, in the end, a beautiful little cinematic postcard with an unexpected level of cohesion and emotional resonance.
27. Into The Wild – Sean Penn's adaptation of Jon Krakauer's "Into The Wild" tells the story of the author's journey out of civilization and into the wilds of Alaska. It is oftentimes breathtaking, sometimes overpowering, and is fueled by the quiet intensity of Emile Hirsch's star-making performance. Eddie Vedder also provides one of the best soundtracks of the year.
28. The Dog Problem – Starring the amazing Giovanni Ribisi this film is somewhat farcical in tone and always adorable. Nothing too deep here, but definitely not too bad a way to pass ninety minutes—and the dog is just plain freaking cute!
29. I'm Not There – Untraditional Dylan biopic featuring a masterclass performance by Australia's greatest artistic export: Cate Blanchett.
30. Sicko – Michael Moore's war continues and his newest enemy could be his most wretched yet: The health insurance industry.
31. Lust, Caution – Ang Lee's jaw-dropping NC-17 follow-up to Brokeback Mountain is a sensual feast. Set in wartime Shanghai this film did not receive nearly the critical attention it deserved, which given Lee's history is rather surprising.
32. Lars and the Real Girl – Ryan Gosling follows up last year's Half Nelson with an unlikely, but hilarious, comedy about a man and his, um, doll. The first time I watched this film I almost pissed myself— very, very funny.
33. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – Astonishing and sumptuous. This film should probably be a lot higher on this list…not sure why it is not…hmm…
34. Black Snake Moan – I liked this exploitation piece far more than I should have. Indie queen Cristina Ricci is absolutely phenomenal and Samuel L. Jackson gives his best performance ever. Mr. Justin Timberlake puts in a more than respectable performance as well.
35. My Kid Could Paint That – A complex portrait of art and genius in America.
36. Hot Fuzz – A brilliant satire taking on the myriad inanities of the action film genre.
37. Eastern Promises – David Cronenberg meets the Russian mafia with spectacular results. His reteaming with Viggo Mortenson is highly successful and, yes, you do get to see Viggo's dick…
38. Hairspray – Way freaking better than I would have thought and, yes, John Travolta is, quite frankly, very good.
39. Juno – Unfortunately, I went to see this film recently and because of my back I was unable to sit through the entire film and exited about mid-way through. What I saw, however, was terribly moving and very funny. Even without having seen the film in its entirety it still makes the cut…the first half was that good.
40. 12:08 East of Bucharest – Funny if somewhat self-indulgent.
31 August 2007
The Italian.
The Italian by Robert Sandy
It was the cover art that drew me in: a young boy, alone, walking on the thin rail of an isolated train track with a golden twilight at his back. The image of the boy recalled for me a Czech film from the mid-nineties called Kolya, which is a film I treasure deeply. I have a fondness for films about children and some of my favorites are those centered around the plights of the very young. When directed well and naturally inclined, child actors have given some of the most emotionally affecting and honest performances the craft has ever known. Recent examples include Jodelle Ferland in Terry Gilliam's Tideland and, of course, Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin in what was one of last year's best performances in the indie smash Little Miss Sunshine.
When I sat down to watch the film The Italian last week, however, I had few expectations. I had rented it because I vaguely recalled that it had been well-received critically, and that first time Russian director Andrei Kravchuk had been hailed as something of a cinematic visionary, and by the end credits I understood why—on both counts.
Dickensian in tone with stylistic nods to Italian neo-realism and classic
The boy's apprehension about the adoption process is inspired not by fear, however, but ultimately by hope; hope brought to him by the visit of a young mother seeking to reunite with the child she had once abandoned, only to find that the child was now dead. The returning mother is treated as a villain, greeted with violent disdain and quickly expelled from the overcrowded orphanage, which is held together by a motley assemblage of unreliable adults, older orphans and a harsh code of survival based ethics. The tragic woman receives sympathy from none, particularly the children, whose own parents had once abandoned them. To the children she symbolizes a loss so painful as not to be considered relevant. And when the young adoptee, called Vanya, wonders aloud whether his mother too might some day return he is quickly taken to task. Vanya remains intrigued by the woman, however, and follows her to the bus-stop to talk to her about her son. She quickly reveals herself to be an alcoholic; a guilt-ridden person, whose last hope has been extinguished with the knowledge of her son's death. She thanks the young Vanya, gets on the bus bound for the station and upon arriving throws herself in front of the train.
Thus begins six-year-old Vanya's quest for his mother and his freedom, which forms the heart of this story. No adult lets themselves hope the way a child does, and no adult perseveres as a child does and Vanya's absolute belief in his rightness is at turns, joy making and heartbreaking.
Like its neo-realistic forebears, The Italian attempts to trudge forth free of social commentary, but doe not always succeed. There is something of a fairytale quality to the story, which exempts it from the realm of pure dramatic tragedy. Vanya's frequent escapes from harm are not always entirely likely or believable and the ending, while narrowly avoiding the pitfalls of many American films of the "inspirational" genre, is not wholly satisfying dramatically.
The film's success is ultimately formed around the performance of Vanya by the amazing young actor Kolya Spiridonov, whose ability to capture the hope, loneliness, and isolation of his character is a pleasure to behold.
A bleak picture is painted here of Russia and its miserable adoption practices, which are so often little more than the ultimate example of market forces going terribly awry. It is an often dark tale where the difference between hero and villain is not always clear. It is a relevant story told with passion and, perhaps despite itself, compassion. Obvious plot flaws notwithstanding, The Italian is an amazing film with its fault lines only plainly visible to the most cynical and hardhearted.
30 August 2007
European Perspective on U.S, Presidential Elections.
Europeans back Hillary Clinton for US president: poll
Wed Aug 29, 7:53 PM ET
From AFP
More than four in 10 French and Germans would like to see Democratic candidate and former first lady Hillary Clinton elected US president in 2008, a survey by a Canadian pollster showed on Wednesday.
The Angus Reid institute also found Clinton to be the preferred candidate of British, Italian and Canadian respondents to its poll, which asked them to choose between eight of the US politicians running for the nomination.
The New York senator, who also leads the domestic polls for her party's nomination to run for the White House -- aiming to become the first female US president ever -- was most popular in Germany, with 45.5 percent support.
Her support stood at 44 percent in France, 39 percent in Canada, 35 percent in Italy and 29 percent in Britain. The 5,075 respondents were offered a choice of four Democratic and four opposition Republican candidates.
Clinton's nearest challenger for the Democrat nomination, Senator Barack Obama, was second most popular among Canadians, Germans and the French, while Italians and Britons preferred Republican Rudolf Giuliani, the ex-mayor of New York.
But these two candidates had much smaller backing than Clinton -- Obama had highest support in Canada with 13 percent, while Giuliani had his top score of 17 percent in Italy, the home country of his grandparents.
The polling institute said Clinton, wife of former president Bill Clinton, had such a high rating because she is the best-known candidate.
Other candidates, such as Democrat John Edwards, third in domestic US polls, and Republican John McCain and Mitt Romney, had less than three percent backing from those surveyed.
Half of respondents in Britain did not know which candidate they would back. This figure was lowest in Canada at just over a quarter.
Debates and campaigns are already underway in the United States, with the first party primary votes to select nominees for the presidential race due to start in early 2008.
26 August 2007
Hallelujah!
by Robert Sandy
With the simpler days all gone
And mother nature seeking refuge
And the gay boys seeking folly
And the priests all seeking none
And the mother's seeking justice
And the government seeking sums
And America seeking sons
And the husbands slashing away at their unborn ones.
Here, where misery is reconciled
Between the ones who can still stand the sun
And the ones who are forced to cleanse the marbled dung.
I stand here singing.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
And days.
And days.
And days, undone.
And this: this is my song:
Hallelujah!
With the simpler days all gone
And mother nature seeking refuge
And the gay boys seeking folly
And the priests all seeking none
And the mother's seeking justice
And the government seeking sums
And America seeking sons
And the husbands slashing away at their unborn ones.
Here, where misery is reconciled
Between the ones who can still stand the sun
And the ones who are forced to cleanse the marbled dung.
I stand here singing.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
And days.
And days.
And days, undone.
And this: this is my song:
Hallelujah!
Already Gone...
by Robert Sandy
All of the wolves have gone away, they ran away yesterday.
While I was dreaming of "the best baby I ever had," or maybe laid.
Now I ain't never been so certain as when I said goodbye.
And it took me all these years to know it was a lie.
Tickety-tock and flippity-flop
Now here comes another winter.
Trick or treat and auld lang syne.
I will bury my head and wait for Leonard Cohen to make it right.
Now here comes another night.
Whacking-off in a solo flight.
Carnal philosophizing as I wait for Joni Mitchell to make it right.
Wish I could talk to Allen right now.
But Mr. Ginsberg is long gone.
He already played his "so long" song.
It is probably true that everything I ever wanted is already gone.
Everything is already gone.
All of the wolves have gone away, they ran away yesterday.
While I was dreaming of "the best baby I ever had," or maybe laid.
Now I ain't never been so certain as when I said goodbye.
And it took me all these years to know it was a lie.
Tickety-tock and flippity-flop
Now here comes another winter.
Trick or treat and auld lang syne.
I will bury my head and wait for Leonard Cohen to make it right.
Now here comes another night.
Whacking-off in a solo flight.
Carnal philosophizing as I wait for Joni Mitchell to make it right.
Wish I could talk to Allen right now.
But Mr. Ginsberg is long gone.
He already played his "so long" song.
It is probably true that everything I ever wanted is already gone.
Everything is already gone.
24 August 2007
Kismet and Settecase.
Sometimes life just surprises the hell out of me.
Turns out that life has a way of fucking with those things that you are most sure of, everytime. And of those seven individuals on that list, I am in active contact with two and secondary contact with a third. The rest have all vanished from my life, or I from theirs. Who knows? I don't.
Of those lost to me, however, I mourn the separation with Anthony Settecase the most. Partly because I had more fun with him than I have with almost anyone in my entire life, and partly because much of whatever real confidence I have as a person grew out that friendship.
I met Tony in the very late 1980's while working at a mall in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Tony would often come into the music store I worked at and he was something of a local celebrity. A budding musician, he was incredibly charismatic and had the kind of good looks that made women melt and made men feel uncomfortable with their own sexuality. There were hangers-on everywhere back then.
I, of course, was fascinated with him. He had an ease about him that was hard to ignore and more confidence (though, it was, I would later discover, often of the faked variety) than almost anyone I had ever seen. We had almost nothing in common outside of our long hair, but Tony and I, much to my surprise, became friends. And very good friends at that. At times, in fact, he was my very closest friend while at others merely a breath of fresh air who would come and go at weird intervals. Days, sometimes a week or two would pass with him entirely absent from my life, but he would always show back up with his ridiculous smile and things would resume post-haste.
I was little more than a geeky, long-haired, freak with almost no confidence when I first became friends with Tony, but he was able to see past that somehow and eventually helped me to see past it too. It was a pretty amazing gift to be given.
Tony and I have a long and storied history (trust me) and to recount any of it here would take many pages and many hours and would involve the changing of names to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Know this however: I miss those days and always will.
That leaves then the memories, my only link to our past. I think of Tony often still, well, almost daily, in fact, if only because of the one or two photos I still have of us which sit very near the desk I am typing this from. I was always more sentimental than him, however, and I am sure that if he were reading this he would be shaking his head and rolling his eyes--while smiling.
So what? Right?
Well, yesterday I did a google search--one I had done previously with no success--for "Anthony Settecase Musician" and I was suddenly inundated with sites and profiles and histories that included him. Tony is alive and well and still, from the looks of it, quite the looker.
Below is some footage I found on a mutual friend's website. It is, I think, from a local access cable show that our mutual friend, Johnny White, used to produce in Chicago, but I am not sure. Anyway, it shows Tony performing atop a moving bus of all things...The long hair is now gone, but the eyes and smile are still the same.
I have put out the feelers to Tony through third and fourth degree parties and so I have not, as yet, exchanged anything but one-sided notes with 'T', as I used to call him, yet...Hopefully, however, I will hear from him soon. He is living in New York I have been able to hash out, but I know little more than that.
But, for now, the knowledge is enough.
I will end here with life lesson #6999593827475:
Life is full of surprises, but sometimes you actually have to look for them.
22 August 2007
Of breakthroughs and moorings...
I had a moment of inspiration and perhaps enlightenment. And it came today.
Well, it may sound trite. Perhaps it will sound pretentious. I don't know. But the truth is that this story came to me like a bullet from heaven. I just knew what needed to be said and wrote it down. I had not given even a moment's thought to the words, they just fell out of me and I have felt guilty about messing with what had previously felt like the divine.
Those bullets from heaven have stopped coming, however, and it is time for to take up again a book that I know is worth writing. And I must do so in earnest.
I must thank some folks now. Teresa who has read every word and believes, perhaps even more than I do that I have talent. Keith who has encouraged and sometimes even bankrolled this stalled project from the outset...he too believes. To Anita Welbon whose sentences and opinions, however few, have helped me enormously. And to my dear Jayne who was courageous in her criticism and by being so helped me to become more disciplined in my work.
I am not sure now when this will be done, but I have a path. And I have a hope.
Wish me well, please.
XOXOXO
19 August 2007
I do not often do this...
I do not often republish, in whole, commentary from outside sources, but I found this piece very well balanced. Note, if you will, Clinton's response to direct criticism. This woman should, and I hope will, be our next president.
Clinton says negatives won't keep her from winning
By Kay Henderson 55 minutes ago
DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton acknowledged on Sunday that many voters do not like her, but she blamed it on years of Republican attacks and insisted she has a record of winning despite her negatives.
| ADVERTISEMENT |
Clinton's remarks came as the eight candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination debated in the critical early voting state of Iowa and just days after President George W. Bush's political adviser Karl Rove saying the former first lady was flawed for having high negative ratings.
Clinton and top rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, came under fire early in the debate at Drake University when other candidates were invited to comment on their perceived weaknesses -- Clinton's high negative ratings in the polls and Obama's inexperience in foreign policy.
"I don't think Karl Rove's going to endorse me. That becomes more and more obvious," Clinton told the audience at the debate, which was aired by ABC News' "This Week" program. "But I find it interesting he's so obsessed with me. And I think the reason is because we know how to win."
She tackled the issue of her high negative ratings head-on, saying, "The idea that you're going to escape the Republican attack machine and not have high negatives by the time they're through with you, I think, is just missing what's been going on in American politics for the last 20 years."
Polls have shown Clinton holding double-digit leads over Obama in their effort to be the Democratic candidate in the November 2008 election.
But a recent CBS News poll showed 39 percent of all voters nationwide had an unfavorable view of Clinton, while only 20 percent viewed Obama negatively. Other polls have had Clinton's negative rating even higher.
Obama, who had a narrow lead in ABC News' Iowa poll, was criticized for his recent comments on foreign policy, including saying he would meet with U.S. rivals without preconditions and suggesting he might authorize attacks inside Pakistan without that country's permission.
"The only person that separates us from a jihadist government in Pakistan with nuclear weapons is President (Pervez) Musharraf," said Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut. "I thought it was irresponsible to engage in that kind of a suggestion here."
Clinton said she thought Obama was wrong in saying he was willing to meet without preconditions in his first year in office with U.S. adversaries such as Iran.
Obama dismissed much of the criticism as political maneuvering and quipped "to prepare for this debate, I rode in the bumper cars at the state fair." But he tried to paint Clinton's criticism as outdated thinking.
"I do think that there's a substantive difference between myself and Senator Clinton when it comes to meeting with our adversaries," he added. "I think that strong countries and strong presidents meet and talk with our adversaries. We shouldn't be afraid to do so. We've tried the other way. It didn't work."
The candidates also clashed over ending the Iraq war, with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson arguing all U.S. forces should be removed and others cautioning that withdrawal from Iraq would be messy, difficult and time-consuming.
"We have different positions here," Richardson said. "I believe that if you leave any residual forces, then none of the peace that we are trying to bring can happen."
Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said withdrawing U.S. troops would be difficult to do quickly, but "I think we can responsibly and in a very orderly way bring our troops out over the next nine or 10 months."
Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden, while arguing for withdrawal, warned against leaving behind a country in turmoil.
"If we leave Iraq and we leave it in chaos, there'll be regional war," he said. "The regional war will engulf us for a generation."
Eric says...
My friend Eric created this amazing video and I can't even tell you how inspired I was by it. It encapsulates the last several years perfectly and hones in on the destructive rhetoric plied by the evil empire, also known as the Republican party. The Cheney intro makes me wanna hurl! I love you Eric!!!
18 August 2007
There you have it...
Amy Winehouse in rehab. Irony prevails, as always.
___
John Irving: A Prayer For Owen Meany. It is BEYOND gorgeous. Just finished reading it, again. And I still cry like the day I was born at the end. "taking him out of our hands..." It wrecks me.
___
Taking a much needed break from the news--all news. I do not care if there is a national tragedy. NO NEWS! Too depressing. Too oppressive.
___
Just started reading the new(ish) Joan Didion essay collection. It includes "Slouching Towards Bethlehem," and I adore it. She is not my favorite writer, but she has a grasp of the vocabulary of life and a grammatical edge that escapes me. If I could write like anyone I would write like her...
___
Teresa left this morning. I am can hardly believe that she was here. So short, too short a time for friends like us.
___
Just finished watching the film "The Dead Girl." Great cinematography. Amazing performances. The script was pretty good, though not perfect. An excellent cinematic experience all around.
There you have it.
The Shine Defined.
R-
There you have it.
The Shine Defined.
R-
17 August 2007
Sample
Some of you have wanted to know about my writing and what I do. I pulled this piece, which was published by La Plume-noire, as a positive example of my work. It is a review of Alanis Morissette's album "So-Called Chaos." I am fond of this review...
Alanis Morissette
So Called Chaos
Genre: Rock
Year: 2004
by Robert Sandy
Alanis Morissette
So Called Chaos
Genre: Rock
Year: 2004
by Robert Sandy
With her glorious new single "Everything" and her equally breathtaking album So-Called Chaos, Alanis Morissette emerges finally from the shadow of a song that cast her as the poster girl for every angry young woman everywhere— which she never really was.
In fact, "You Oughta Know," the first, and oddly, third single from the mega-selling album Jagged Little Pill, as well as the majority of the album's twelve tracks symbolized a well thought out catharsis rather than the much publicized man-hating-anger-management-course that it was reported to have been.
Sadly, it was her reputation as reckless banshee that detracted attention from her last two studio albums, which each proved in profound ways that Morissette was an artist to be reckoned with. Morissette’s sadly overlooked 2002 album Under Rug Swept was utterly brilliant and stood, until now, as her strongest effort, far outpacing Pill in lyrical power and musical know-how.
So-Called Chaos is impressive, however, not so much for any expansive growth Morissette has experienced as an artist, but for the growth she seems to have experienced as a person. And that growth is evident everywhere, but no more so than in the first single, "Everything." It is a song of hope and abandon, of acknowledgment and acceptance, and of blame and responsibility and it is the most effective single of her career (begrudgingly, I place it above "Thank U").
Alanis Morissette's power has always been best expressed through her magnificent lyrical vocabulary and her desire to place those lyrics within a musical landscape that incorporates a continually growing world view. Chaos then is an album full of violins, sitars, cellos and a variety of other instruments not found on today's average rock album.
The album opens with "Eight Easy Steps," an Indian influenced rocker with a driving chorus that serves as an instruction manual on how to become an expert at surviving the corpses of unhealthy relationships. The track serves as a potent beginning, but some awkward lyrical segues do not render it wholly accessible as the sing-along rocker that it seems to have been intended. The tone is set here, however, for Chaos is an album of personal examination, as well as an exploration of relationships both broken and successful, and while that might sound like familiar ground for Morissette, it must be said that it is not the material that is different here, but the point-of-view. Instead of finger pointing (a decidedly human reaction to all failed relationships) or door-mat becoming, Morissette has reached the point in life and love where she has at last allowed her mind to join her heart in her examination of where she has been and where she is going.
In the moving "Not All Me" she tells an ex-lover, or maybe friend, that she will happily help them sort through the wreckage of their destroyed relationship but that she refuses to act as punching bag to a person not willing to approach the task with thought and care. As she sings, "I am the perfect target screen/For your blindly fueled rage/I bare the brunt of your long buried pain/I don't mind helping you out/But I want you to remember my name/It's not all me /It's not all my fault /I need remind you, but I won't take it all on," you almost want to offer a hug to a woman who has, at last, become just that.
"Spineless" examines the initial and critical period of relationship building where sometimes one partner's interests and desires begin to take precedence over the ideas and wants of the other, and how, later, those acts serve as the mortar casings for a doomed relationship and provide piles of fodder for therapy sessions well into mid-life. "Doth I Protest Too Much?" acts as a letter to a current/former lover where Morissette outlines who she is, or maybe who she tries to be, inside of relationships where outside pressures and personal insecurities are a constant battering hammer against the fabric of love. "This Grudge" another letter to a failed relationship might be the most moving song of Morissette's career. It is a song to that person, present in almost all of our lives, who for whatever reason still sits in the back of our head, the person who no matter how we try effects everything we do in every following relationship. It is about the inability to let go of hurt, and ultimately of our inability to let go of our one great excuse for every failed relationship since its end: "I want to be big and let go/of this grudge that's grown old," she sings and they are words that resound through the caverns of thought of any self-aware human being.
Whether it is realized now, or years from now, Morissette has emerged as a potent rock genius on par with the likes of Sting. She has much to say and provides consistently amazing new ways to share her soul's scars and celebrations. Watching her new video, "Everything" is moving and cathartic for both singer and viewer. We watch as Morissette loses the baggage of her old long hair and walks ever forward with a smile and a beauty that many did not know she possessed.
It is not hard to imagine, given Morissette's open book policy to her soul, that it is us, the listener that she addresses in the aforementioned "Everything" when she sings, "You see everything, you see every part/You see all my light and you love my dark/You dig everything of which I'm ashamed/There's not anything to which you can't relate/And you're still here." Sadly for them, most the seventeen million plus who hopped on the Morissette bandwagon in 1995 have long since abandoned one of the most enduring voices of their generation. It is her remaining fan base, however, that continue to reap the rewards of an artist constantly questioning who she is and what she knows. And while that fan base is decidedly smaller than it once was, it is a fact that Morissette now seems comfortable with, making the future seem very bright indeed.
In fact, "You Oughta Know," the first, and oddly, third single from the mega-selling album Jagged Little Pill, as well as the majority of the album's twelve tracks symbolized a well thought out catharsis rather than the much publicized man-hating-anger-management-course that it was reported to have been.
Sadly, it was her reputation as reckless banshee that detracted attention from her last two studio albums, which each proved in profound ways that Morissette was an artist to be reckoned with. Morissette’s sadly overlooked 2002 album Under Rug Swept was utterly brilliant and stood, until now, as her strongest effort, far outpacing Pill in lyrical power and musical know-how.
So-Called Chaos is impressive, however, not so much for any expansive growth Morissette has experienced as an artist, but for the growth she seems to have experienced as a person. And that growth is evident everywhere, but no more so than in the first single, "Everything." It is a song of hope and abandon, of acknowledgment and acceptance, and of blame and responsibility and it is the most effective single of her career (begrudgingly, I place it above "Thank U").
Alanis Morissette's power has always been best expressed through her magnificent lyrical vocabulary and her desire to place those lyrics within a musical landscape that incorporates a continually growing world view. Chaos then is an album full of violins, sitars, cellos and a variety of other instruments not found on today's average rock album.
The album opens with "Eight Easy Steps," an Indian influenced rocker with a driving chorus that serves as an instruction manual on how to become an expert at surviving the corpses of unhealthy relationships. The track serves as a potent beginning, but some awkward lyrical segues do not render it wholly accessible as the sing-along rocker that it seems to have been intended. The tone is set here, however, for Chaos is an album of personal examination, as well as an exploration of relationships both broken and successful, and while that might sound like familiar ground for Morissette, it must be said that it is not the material that is different here, but the point-of-view. Instead of finger pointing (a decidedly human reaction to all failed relationships) or door-mat becoming, Morissette has reached the point in life and love where she has at last allowed her mind to join her heart in her examination of where she has been and where she is going.
In the moving "Not All Me" she tells an ex-lover, or maybe friend, that she will happily help them sort through the wreckage of their destroyed relationship but that she refuses to act as punching bag to a person not willing to approach the task with thought and care. As she sings, "I am the perfect target screen/For your blindly fueled rage/I bare the brunt of your long buried pain/I don't mind helping you out/But I want you to remember my name/It's not all me /It's not all my fault /I need remind you, but I won't take it all on," you almost want to offer a hug to a woman who has, at last, become just that.
"Spineless" examines the initial and critical period of relationship building where sometimes one partner's interests and desires begin to take precedence over the ideas and wants of the other, and how, later, those acts serve as the mortar casings for a doomed relationship and provide piles of fodder for therapy sessions well into mid-life. "Doth I Protest Too Much?" acts as a letter to a current/former lover where Morissette outlines who she is, or maybe who she tries to be, inside of relationships where outside pressures and personal insecurities are a constant battering hammer against the fabric of love. "This Grudge" another letter to a failed relationship might be the most moving song of Morissette's career. It is a song to that person, present in almost all of our lives, who for whatever reason still sits in the back of our head, the person who no matter how we try effects everything we do in every following relationship. It is about the inability to let go of hurt, and ultimately of our inability to let go of our one great excuse for every failed relationship since its end: "I want to be big and let go/of this grudge that's grown old," she sings and they are words that resound through the caverns of thought of any self-aware human being.
Whether it is realized now, or years from now, Morissette has emerged as a potent rock genius on par with the likes of Sting. She has much to say and provides consistently amazing new ways to share her soul's scars and celebrations. Watching her new video, "Everything" is moving and cathartic for both singer and viewer. We watch as Morissette loses the baggage of her old long hair and walks ever forward with a smile and a beauty that many did not know she possessed.
It is not hard to imagine, given Morissette's open book policy to her soul, that it is us, the listener that she addresses in the aforementioned "Everything" when she sings, "You see everything, you see every part/You see all my light and you love my dark/You dig everything of which I'm ashamed/There's not anything to which you can't relate/And you're still here." Sadly for them, most the seventeen million plus who hopped on the Morissette bandwagon in 1995 have long since abandoned one of the most enduring voices of their generation. It is her remaining fan base, however, that continue to reap the rewards of an artist constantly questioning who she is and what she knows. And while that fan base is decidedly smaller than it once was, it is a fact that Morissette now seems comfortable with, making the future seem very bright indeed.
14 August 2007
Tuesday
"Come in, Come in...come in from the cold."
Joni Mitchell is singing to my soul right now, and I hear her. I am tired, but I hear her.
So, Karl Rove has finally resigned. This is good. Really, really good. I can feel the utter absurdity of these last years loosening their grip. Now we need a few people in Washington to summon the courage to do what needs to be done: impeach Cheney and Bush.
It will not happen, but it should.
"I am flesh and blood and vision, I am howling in the dark."
The "news" commentators are not presenting the facts. They never do. Yet, so many people listen, no thoughts of their own. Molded, shaped, and led to the slaughter.
People never learn.
Like the world is melting. There are terrible signs everywhere. But, many people still don't believe, nay, will not believe.
I believe.
"We get hurt and we just panic, and we strike out, out of fear."
I was in the store the other day and every single tabloid or personality rag still had Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston on their covers. Jen and Brad back together. Late night phone calls. Terrible fights between Angelina and Brad.
So sad and ridiculous. I caught a glimpse of Jen last week on some show and she is happy and says she hasn't seen or spoken to Brad in over a year. Duh. They are divorced. And yet people will pay $3.95 to be told otherwise--and several years after the fact.
I guess that is it for right now. Teresa is here and there are games to play and laughs to laugh and hugs to enjoy.
"Come in, Come in..."
And please remember my friends:
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
Joni Mitchell is singing to my soul right now, and I hear her. I am tired, but I hear her.
So, Karl Rove has finally resigned. This is good. Really, really good. I can feel the utter absurdity of these last years loosening their grip. Now we need a few people in Washington to summon the courage to do what needs to be done: impeach Cheney and Bush.
It will not happen, but it should.
"I am flesh and blood and vision, I am howling in the dark."
The "news" commentators are not presenting the facts. They never do. Yet, so many people listen, no thoughts of their own. Molded, shaped, and led to the slaughter.
People never learn.
Like the world is melting. There are terrible signs everywhere. But, many people still don't believe, nay, will not believe.
I believe.
"We get hurt and we just panic, and we strike out, out of fear."
I was in the store the other day and every single tabloid or personality rag still had Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston on their covers. Jen and Brad back together. Late night phone calls. Terrible fights between Angelina and Brad.
So sad and ridiculous. I caught a glimpse of Jen last week on some show and she is happy and says she hasn't seen or spoken to Brad in over a year. Duh. They are divorced. And yet people will pay $3.95 to be told otherwise--and several years after the fact.
I guess that is it for right now. Teresa is here and there are games to play and laughs to laugh and hugs to enjoy.
"Come in, Come in..."
And please remember my friends:
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
12 August 2007
2-day
i am in an odd mood today: stuck between hope, and the (very real) fear, that my life has raced away from me. that I might not be able get it back.
i had a text message exchange with my very dear friend eric last night. it made me smile in a way that i haven't for awhile--all of my friends are so far away.
teresa comes tomorrow though.
teresa, the best of the best--and that is saying something.
next month: HOME
i will go back to Chicago to witness one of my best friends, my brother (emotionally, if not, actually), be released from prison. keith will be free. keith will be free.
free.
i am reading a wonderful book about the artist raphael right now. italy. I lived there once. it is hard to remember what it smelled like now. italy, europe--i wish i was there. wishing ain't worth the breath you waste on it though. i make that point in my book.
my book.
my novel.
it is like a child in my womb that refuses to fully develop. such a great and beautiful story it is. so needed today. i need to give birth. i am tired of this extra weight. i am tired of the questions from people who care. i am tired of being someone who is only writing a book. i need to be a man who has written a book. i have so much to say.
music. there is always music. today it is MADONNA. loving her again in ways that i cannot fully describe. she is the absolute. full-stop.
also: linkin park, david guetta, dolly parton, kelly clarkson (yes, you haters, KELLY CLARKSON), crowded house, patti smith, the dresden dolls and bowie...and tina...always and always tina.
sinead o'connor's new album bites in ways that are too painful to discuss here.
the simpsons movie. saw it twice. loved it and hated it. dumbed down but brilliant still. homer forever and ever.
the anti-war movement grows. i see signs and stickers everywhere. hillary in '08. please, hillary in '08.
love.
feel it.
spread it.
mean it.
The Shine Defined.
i had a text message exchange with my very dear friend eric last night. it made me smile in a way that i haven't for awhile--all of my friends are so far away.
teresa comes tomorrow though.
teresa, the best of the best--and that is saying something.
next month: HOME
i will go back to Chicago to witness one of my best friends, my brother (emotionally, if not, actually), be released from prison. keith will be free. keith will be free.
free.
i am reading a wonderful book about the artist raphael right now. italy. I lived there once. it is hard to remember what it smelled like now. italy, europe--i wish i was there. wishing ain't worth the breath you waste on it though. i make that point in my book.
my book.
my novel.
it is like a child in my womb that refuses to fully develop. such a great and beautiful story it is. so needed today. i need to give birth. i am tired of this extra weight. i am tired of the questions from people who care. i am tired of being someone who is only writing a book. i need to be a man who has written a book. i have so much to say.
music. there is always music. today it is MADONNA. loving her again in ways that i cannot fully describe. she is the absolute. full-stop.
also: linkin park, david guetta, dolly parton, kelly clarkson (yes, you haters, KELLY CLARKSON), crowded house, patti smith, the dresden dolls and bowie...and tina...always and always tina.
sinead o'connor's new album bites in ways that are too painful to discuss here.
the simpsons movie. saw it twice. loved it and hated it. dumbed down but brilliant still. homer forever and ever.
the anti-war movement grows. i see signs and stickers everywhere. hillary in '08. please, hillary in '08.
love.
feel it.
spread it.
mean it.
The Shine Defined.
24 July 2007
Lindsey Lohan
I do not normally like to go negative, but holy shit, Lindsey Lohan is a fucking moron! Millions of dollars, a high-profile career (pun not entirely intended), and she keeps shooting herself in the foot. They are called taxis Lohan! Take one!
20 July 2007
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
An old friend sent me the newest Harry Potter this past Monday and I finished it yesterday. It is a beautiful book. Every lurking question is answered and, while there is death, it claims none of our core heroes. That's right kids: Harry lives. Hermione lives. Ron lives.
The epilouge of the story takes us 19 years into the future and we are given a brief, but very illuminating, glimpse into what becomes of all of them. Think love, think marriage, think children.
Rowling fully wrecked me when she revealed that the son of one of our heroes has been called 'Albus.' After the great Dumbledore (who also becomes part of the story).
Very moving. Very.
I feel very privileged to have been able to read this book earlier than most people...I very much needed something to make me smile and this certainly brought many. Reading the most top-secret book in the world has a way of making you feel special.
And I feel special today.
The epilouge of the story takes us 19 years into the future and we are given a brief, but very illuminating, glimpse into what becomes of all of them. Think love, think marriage, think children.
Rowling fully wrecked me when she revealed that the son of one of our heroes has been called 'Albus.' After the great Dumbledore (who also becomes part of the story).
Very moving. Very.
I feel very privileged to have been able to read this book earlier than most people...I very much needed something to make me smile and this certainly brought many. Reading the most top-secret book in the world has a way of making you feel special.
And I feel special today.
19 July 2007
And I Feel...
Enjoy Madonna's performances of "Hey You" and "Ray of Light" from LiveEarth, and as I wrote on her blog she has NEVER looked or sounded better...and tell me she does not look bad ass with that guitar MOTHERFUCKERS!
18 July 2007
10 July 2007
Grace.
Grace by Robert Sandy
Through graceful sublimation I am carried away from your intrepid pioneering--
your eyes frozen to glass as the very nature of me becomes but smoke against your horizon.
Listless, wilting, I can feel your seething regret even as my journey becomes fixed and away from you.
You, who I used to find brilliant, are now only third-rate to me--ridiculous.
And all that remains is this one truth:
everyone will leave you eventually.
Through graceful sublimation I am carried away from your intrepid pioneering--
your eyes frozen to glass as the very nature of me becomes but smoke against your horizon.
Listless, wilting, I can feel your seething regret even as my journey becomes fixed and away from you.
You, who I used to find brilliant, are now only third-rate to me--ridiculous.
And all that remains is this one truth:
everyone will leave you eventually.
06 July 2007
Please take the time...
Please take the time...
Rosie just posted a piece by Keith Olbermann (@ www. rosie.com) that perfectly encapsulates my view about George Bush and his pardon of Scooter Libby...PLEASE just click "Amen Keith" and listen...it will take less than three minutes and might inspire you.XOXO
Robert
25 June 2007
A Word About Jayne
To behold my friend Jayne is to behold a work of art in living form. I have known her for more years than either of us will willingly recall, but I am the only one of us who ever seems to age. Time, like so much to her, is something you stand up to and face, and let no one doubt that Jayne has thusfar won the battle. Physically, she is one of the most remarkable creatures God did ever assemble. She comes with impossible curves and an aesthetic that is deadly profane and awesomely beautiful--and that's fully clothed. Naked, she would have caused Reubens to piss himself.
And in case you might be wondering, yes, she is a real girl. There have been some who have doubted, but I have inspected all her parts, quite literally, and everything is where it should be; in some cases, to excess. I have never understood the confusion and believe it is because when Jayne wants something, Jayne gets that something. Unfortunately, some in our culture still hold on to old ideas that never really applied. So, let it be known far and wide that Jayne may have huge cahonas but she's never worn balls.
More than a friend, she is to me an icon and a touchstone. After all of these years, in fact, she is almost like a sister--a sister that you nibble and kiss from time to time. She is strong, sexy and more than a bit of a revolutionary and I have I always been in awe of her presence. She makes me smile always and inspires me to be the most creative person I can, a thing for which I have never thanked her. Jayne is a girl who loves beautiful things and beautiful people and is always in the company of both. Luckily for those who know her, she has little time to waste on the more mundane things of the world and offers no pretentions to desire them. She is a person out of time, recalling Berlin at the dawn of the 20th century or Paris in age of decadence. Glorious, and somewhat hallowed in mine eyes, she is an undoubted vixen and my love and respect for her will never wane.
I grew up with Jayne in my life. Not literally, of course, but I recall, plainly, her presence in many of the steps I took toward fashioning the man I am today. We have laughed and laughed some more. I do not recall any tears, however, mainly because I think we both prefer to shed them away from the prying eyes of others. I miss her greatly today and I hope that someday, before I am too old and haggard for her to want share her time with me, that we will get to snuggle and snicker in the way we always did.
Though we have not seen each other in a lifetime now, I will always count her a part of my life. There are many memories full of incidents and allegations of the most unholy kind and I treasure every one. Not to mention the fact that, if, as my lengendary anecdote contends, she did not give me the first blowjob I ever had, then she certainly gave me the first memorable blowjob I ever had (said blowjob being masterfully, um, delivered (?) in one of the darker stalls at an old Chicago club called Cairo). I stand and bow deeply before you Jayne. You are my friend, my muse, and on more than one occasion, you have been my cohort. I love you.
(This originally appeared on my MySpace page last year, but I am too lazy to write anything today and Jayne always deserves props...)
And in case you might be wondering, yes, she is a real girl. There have been some who have doubted, but I have inspected all her parts, quite literally, and everything is where it should be; in some cases, to excess. I have never understood the confusion and believe it is because when Jayne wants something, Jayne gets that something. Unfortunately, some in our culture still hold on to old ideas that never really applied. So, let it be known far and wide that Jayne may have huge cahonas but she's never worn balls.
More than a friend, she is to me an icon and a touchstone. After all of these years, in fact, she is almost like a sister--a sister that you nibble and kiss from time to time. She is strong, sexy and more than a bit of a revolutionary and I have I always been in awe of her presence. She makes me smile always and inspires me to be the most creative person I can, a thing for which I have never thanked her. Jayne is a girl who loves beautiful things and beautiful people and is always in the company of both. Luckily for those who know her, she has little time to waste on the more mundane things of the world and offers no pretentions to desire them. She is a person out of time, recalling Berlin at the dawn of the 20th century or Paris in age of decadence. Glorious, and somewhat hallowed in mine eyes, she is an undoubted vixen and my love and respect for her will never wane.
I grew up with Jayne in my life. Not literally, of course, but I recall, plainly, her presence in many of the steps I took toward fashioning the man I am today. We have laughed and laughed some more. I do not recall any tears, however, mainly because I think we both prefer to shed them away from the prying eyes of others. I miss her greatly today and I hope that someday, before I am too old and haggard for her to want share her time with me, that we will get to snuggle and snicker in the way we always did.
Though we have not seen each other in a lifetime now, I will always count her a part of my life. There are many memories full of incidents and allegations of the most unholy kind and I treasure every one. Not to mention the fact that, if, as my lengendary anecdote contends, she did not give me the first blowjob I ever had, then she certainly gave me the first memorable blowjob I ever had (said blowjob being masterfully, um, delivered (?) in one of the darker stalls at an old Chicago club called Cairo). I stand and bow deeply before you Jayne. You are my friend, my muse, and on more than one occasion, you have been my cohort. I love you.
(This originally appeared on my MySpace page last year, but I am too lazy to write anything today and Jayne always deserves props...)
21 June 2007
Musings.
It is Thursday, the first day of summer.
It is beautiful outside and I am almost overjoyed.
A good day to be alive.
I want to be happy all of the time.
So hard not to think about the war.
With more dead everyday.
More and more.
And more.
Body bags and mass graves
from Africa to Asia.
Our hand almost everywhere.
3,000 died in the Towers.
Horrible.
Heartbreaking.
I didn't stop crying for weeks.
But how much revenge is enough?
When will the urge be sated?
__
Jacqueline Carey's new book.
Fifth book in the Kushiel series.
Three of them are all-time favorites.
I love Phedre.
Beautiful escape.
Read them.
__
It is beautiful outside and I am almost overjoyed.
A good day to be alive.
I want to be happy all of the time.
So hard not to think about the war.
With more dead everyday.
More and more.
And more.
Body bags and mass graves
from Africa to Asia.
Our hand almost everywhere.
3,000 died in the Towers.
Horrible.
Heartbreaking.
I didn't stop crying for weeks.
But how much revenge is enough?
When will the urge be sated?
__
Jacqueline Carey's new book.
Fifth book in the Kushiel series.
Three of them are all-time favorites.
I love Phedre.
Beautiful escape.
Read them.
__
Ben just bought me the collected poems of Allen Ginsberg.
I love it.
Will treasure it.
Inspiring.
__
I love it.
Will treasure it.
Inspiring.
__
Bill is helping Hillary more.
An active role.
So much experience.
I have so much hope.
She will win.
I know she will win.
__
An active role.
So much experience.
I have so much hope.
She will win.
I know she will win.
__
Rosie said to listen to Beth Ditto.
She was right as usual.
Brilliant.
Brilliant.
__
New Bon Jovi album.
Rocking.
I don't really hear the country.
"Lost Highway"
Love it.
__
Love. Just Do It.
__
Time to workout again.
Feel good.
Alex will join me.
Then we will play with Bones.
Summer is finally here.
She was right as usual.
Brilliant.
Brilliant.
__
New Bon Jovi album.
Rocking.
I don't really hear the country.
"Lost Highway"
Love it.
__
Love. Just Do It.
__
Time to workout again.
Feel good.
Alex will join me.
Then we will play with Bones.
Summer is finally here.
16 June 2007
Musings
I have been having a weird day. Not much sleep last night. Took Alex to see "Fantastic Four" today and regretted doing so about thirty seconds into the thing...to call it awful would be lending it more credibility than it deserves.
And, as if I did not already know this, I have been reminded of how odd a place this virtual blogosphere has become. The only people who have tried to comment on my blog are men who disagree with the political and cultural links that I have included as part of the "Eudkasion and Eksersize" experience. Luckily I am moderating the comments or else there would three very ugly messages. I am not trying to censor them, but I am not providing a forum for them either.
I see that Forbes Magazine is at it again--quantifying power in the entertainment industry and it looks like they have recovered from last years Tom Cruise blip.
Oprah is number one.
(Duh!)
Madonna is number three.
(Very cool.)
Though how Barbara Walters merited a spot and Rosie O'Donnell didn't seems a bit peculiar...
Side note: Amy Winehouse recently called Madonna a "has been." Aside from the ridiculousness involved with an upstart pop star dissing a living a legend I will point out several facts that completely undo Miss Winehouse's theory.
First of all, Madonna is coming off one of the most successful albums of her career. Second, the "Confessions" tour was the most successful concert tour by a female performer in history. The woman completely destroyed previous records held by the peerless Tina Turner and others such as Cher and, well, herself. Not to mention that the tour grossed five times as much as other major acts; having played fewer dates.
Earth to other would-be critics: Madonna has been a bonafide superstar for almost twenty-five years and has gracefully moved beyond such arrows and daggers--regardless of who they are slung by. She is not a "has-been" and will no more become one than will Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, or even the late Elvis. Such people have earned permanent immunity from expulsion from the island of fame. History will always remember them for their glories, and should.And, as if I did not already know this, I have been reminded of how odd a place this virtual blogosphere has become. The only people who have tried to comment on my blog are men who disagree with the political and cultural links that I have included as part of the "Eudkasion and Eksersize" experience. Luckily I am moderating the comments or else there would three very ugly messages. I am not trying to censor them, but I am not providing a forum for them either.
+
I see that Forbes Magazine is at it again--quantifying power in the entertainment industry and it looks like they have recovered from last years Tom Cruise blip.
Oprah is number one.
(Duh!)
Madonna is number three.
(Very cool.)
Though how Barbara Walters merited a spot and Rosie O'Donnell didn't seems a bit peculiar...
+
Side note: Amy Winehouse recently called Madonna a "has been." Aside from the ridiculousness involved with an upstart pop star dissing a living a legend I will point out several facts that completely undo Miss Winehouse's theory.
First of all, Madonna is coming off one of the most successful albums of her career. Second, the "Confessions" tour was the most successful concert tour by a female performer in history. The woman completely destroyed previous records held by the peerless Tina Turner and others such as Cher and, well, herself. Not to mention that the tour grossed five times as much as other major acts; having played fewer dates.
As for her career, future success or no, Madonna will decide when and how and if she exits.
Meanwhile, Amy Winehouse will find herself nothing more than a pop-cultural footnote in twenty-five years. As a result of her sacrilege I have removed Miss Winehouse from my car, my hard drive and my iPod. She was on heavy rotation too...I would return the damn cd, but it is pretty amazing and I might forgive her in the future...;-)
+
Anyway, I am going to go for a nice early evening run. I want to clear my head a bit. My return to working out has been such an amazing experience. I already see the difference in my body and, even better, I feel the difference in my soul. Cheesy, but true.
Just like me.
Peace, live for it.
Robert
14 June 2007
The wind and my willow.
The willow tree in my backyard is gigantic.
No.
It is better to call it overgrown.
It is so big, in fact, that a strong wind surge severed its largest limb last fall. The small leaves still grow on the remaining branches, but the once grand tree has taken on a tragic air. Stoic and less beautiful, it no longer groans with every gust. It just stands there belligerently silent.
It is embarrassing to admit, but the groans actually used to frighten me. I guess it was that whole living in Maine/Stephen King connection. It can be oddly unsettling at times. Odder still, is the fact that I now miss the groans. The whole lost limb affair served as a reminder that often such beauty comes with a price. I realize now that that missing limb once held up almost one quarter of the entire volume of leaves, hence the groaning. It not only completed the picture, it made the picture. That limb gave the willow it's "weeping" quality, it gave it definition, and now it is gone forever; pulled away in parts by some anonymous men shortly after it fell.
The tree remains the playground of several families of squirrels, all competing for resources and space, and several species of birds. I have become something of a birdwatcher as a result of this--a fact that makes me wince and laugh simultaneously. There are grackles, orioles, robins, blue jays, chickadees, several varieties of finch and sparrow, wrens, woodpeckers and my favorite, the cardinal. For the record, I am only indifferent to the squirrels since a couple of them made their way into our closed off fireplace and I was forced to kill one after it attacked me while I tried to remove them (for their own safety as they were not able to get back up the chimney for some reason).
It is a great deal entertaining just walking out onto the back deck of my house to see how many different species of birds I can find without even trying. I only get a few seconds before they all fly off, frightened by the sound of my screen door and more frightened by the affectionately aggressive canine that usually storms out the door following me. He is nothing if not persistent, my dog. He tries his best every time to nab one, and I get the feeling that he believes he has a shot. But it is a good fifteen yards from my back door to the area where birds flit about and he is too loud, large and relatively slow to ever stand a chance.
In the early morning the cacophony of voices singing out is really quite something to hear--and probably somewhat annoying if you do not have something by which to block out the noise. They start off singing around four in the morning and then peak around seven. It starts as a string of chirps and peeps and calls and by the end the sounds overlap to such an extent that is no longer pleasing. It becomes pure noise.
That noise is nothing compared to the sound of the fighter planes that run test and training flights from the Navy base located only one mile from my home, however. Every time a plane overpowers the bird song I am reminded of a quote from Charles Lindbergh which said something to the affect that if he had to choose, he would much rather have birds than planes.
It would seem that even anti-semites say some things worth remembering.
It is the afternoon now. Overcast as always--or at least as it has been for months. It is not dreary though, only just shy of that. Alex has his last baseball game tonight. He is sad because he has to give back his uniform. He wants to skip the game so he doesn't have to give it back and I want to skip the game because it is just not fun watching nine year olds not hit balls, not catch them, and not care either way--many of them picking their noses while talking to themselves in the outfield--for two hours!
Sigh.
I am going to go workout now. I will be listening to "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur" while doing it. It is an amazing compilation. Go get it. Help Darfur! Help anyone! Afterwards I am going to go write under what remains of my willow tree.
Maybe it will inspire me to write a poem that The New Yorker will accept. But it's not likely.
No.
It is better to call it overgrown.
It is so big, in fact, that a strong wind surge severed its largest limb last fall. The small leaves still grow on the remaining branches, but the once grand tree has taken on a tragic air. Stoic and less beautiful, it no longer groans with every gust. It just stands there belligerently silent.
It is embarrassing to admit, but the groans actually used to frighten me. I guess it was that whole living in Maine/Stephen King connection. It can be oddly unsettling at times. Odder still, is the fact that I now miss the groans. The whole lost limb affair served as a reminder that often such beauty comes with a price. I realize now that that missing limb once held up almost one quarter of the entire volume of leaves, hence the groaning. It not only completed the picture, it made the picture. That limb gave the willow it's "weeping" quality, it gave it definition, and now it is gone forever; pulled away in parts by some anonymous men shortly after it fell.
The tree remains the playground of several families of squirrels, all competing for resources and space, and several species of birds. I have become something of a birdwatcher as a result of this--a fact that makes me wince and laugh simultaneously. There are grackles, orioles, robins, blue jays, chickadees, several varieties of finch and sparrow, wrens, woodpeckers and my favorite, the cardinal. For the record, I am only indifferent to the squirrels since a couple of them made their way into our closed off fireplace and I was forced to kill one after it attacked me while I tried to remove them (for their own safety as they were not able to get back up the chimney for some reason).
It is a great deal entertaining just walking out onto the back deck of my house to see how many different species of birds I can find without even trying. I only get a few seconds before they all fly off, frightened by the sound of my screen door and more frightened by the affectionately aggressive canine that usually storms out the door following me. He is nothing if not persistent, my dog. He tries his best every time to nab one, and I get the feeling that he believes he has a shot. But it is a good fifteen yards from my back door to the area where birds flit about and he is too loud, large and relatively slow to ever stand a chance.
In the early morning the cacophony of voices singing out is really quite something to hear--and probably somewhat annoying if you do not have something by which to block out the noise. They start off singing around four in the morning and then peak around seven. It starts as a string of chirps and peeps and calls and by the end the sounds overlap to such an extent that is no longer pleasing. It becomes pure noise.
That noise is nothing compared to the sound of the fighter planes that run test and training flights from the Navy base located only one mile from my home, however. Every time a plane overpowers the bird song I am reminded of a quote from Charles Lindbergh which said something to the affect that if he had to choose, he would much rather have birds than planes.
It would seem that even anti-semites say some things worth remembering.
It is the afternoon now. Overcast as always--or at least as it has been for months. It is not dreary though, only just shy of that. Alex has his last baseball game tonight. He is sad because he has to give back his uniform. He wants to skip the game so he doesn't have to give it back and I want to skip the game because it is just not fun watching nine year olds not hit balls, not catch them, and not care either way--many of them picking their noses while talking to themselves in the outfield--for two hours!
Sigh.
I am going to go workout now. I will be listening to "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur" while doing it. It is an amazing compilation. Go get it. Help Darfur! Help anyone! Afterwards I am going to go write under what remains of my willow tree.
Maybe it will inspire me to write a poem that The New Yorker will accept. But it's not likely.
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