dressed to kill
This is for Mike:
Suicide Bomber Barbie
Years ago, Mike posted a list of Barbies You'll Never See in Stores on the internet. For his humorous efforts, he received a free "cease and desist" letter from the kind folks at Mattel. Those folks need a sense of humor. Fear no more, Mike! Mattel recently lost a lawsuit it filed against a Utah man (Mike, do you know him?!) who parodied the doll with such classic works as Barbie Enchiladas (check out this site for images).
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Hey, Dude, Where's My Buddy?
As much as I like Michael Moore, Nader has a point.
Once upon a time, there was Michael Moore the First. He never forgot his friends. Come time for the Washington, DC premiere of Bowling for Columbine a while back, he invited his old buddies in Washington—gave them good seats and spent the rest of the evening with them. During his other movie's premiere, he affectionately recognized how much those old friends helped him and supported him after he was mistreated and let go by Mother Jones. He was generous with his words and time.
Four years ago, Moore was Raging Against the two party Machine. This year, he's sleeping with the Democratic Party establishment. Michael, Michael, Michael. Consistency, my man. It's all about the consistency of the message. That's one thing Nader has going for him--his positions have remained the same year, after year, after year.
Recently, I've been reading a lot of chicken little editorials crying for Nader to drop out of the Presidential race. Mind you, these editorials are from liberal writers with whom I usually agree. I heard the same argument from an extended family member: "Derek, quit being so ideological. This isn't about Nader or Kerry, it's about defeating Bush." There's that lesser of two evils argument again. Ugh!.
Since Bush took office, liberal pundits have complained over and over again that the U.S. American people are being steamrolled into submission by Conservatives. I've written about this on several occasions: If you don't support the Iraq war effort, you support Saddam Hussein; If you question the President's positions, you're anti-American or unpatriotic. Through a rhetorical slight-of-hand, Conservatives frequently use fallacious reasoning to position detractors as an enemy of truth, justice, and the American way. Liberals are now using the same flawed logic: If you vote for Nader, you support George Bush. One of the basic assumptions behind this argument is that Nader supporters would automatically cast their vote for Kerry if Nader wasn't running. That's a mighty big assumption.
If Nader wasn't running in this election, I would NOT cast my vote for John Kerry. I'd vote for a member of the Green Party, the Socialist Party, or the U.S. Pacifist Party. I'd cast a write-in vote for myself before I voted for John Kerry. Talk about your throw away vote. Although I think I have the best platfrom, I have no chance in this election. Bush Lite, er, John Kerry comes from wealth, attended an Ivy league school, and belonged to the same secret society as GW. He's a career politician. Yuck. His positions are NOT a radical departure from the Republicans. So to all my liberal comrades: you go ahead and vote for John Kerry in the upcoming election. Cast your vote for someone who doesn't really represent your position. Go ahead and cast that vote against Bush. I have no doubt you'll vote for the "winning" team. That said, quit trying to position those of us who choose not to support Kerry as supporters of Bush. Don't you dare use the same tactics you decry. Pot. Kettle. Black. Leave me alone and let me vote for someone who presents challenges to the morally bankrupt political system of business as usual. It is, after all, my vote.
As much as I like Michael Moore, Nader has a point.
Once upon a time, there was Michael Moore the First. He never forgot his friends. Come time for the Washington, DC premiere of Bowling for Columbine a while back, he invited his old buddies in Washington—gave them good seats and spent the rest of the evening with them. During his other movie's premiere, he affectionately recognized how much those old friends helped him and supported him after he was mistreated and let go by Mother Jones. He was generous with his words and time.
Four years ago, Moore was Raging Against the two party Machine. This year, he's sleeping with the Democratic Party establishment. Michael, Michael, Michael. Consistency, my man. It's all about the consistency of the message. That's one thing Nader has going for him--his positions have remained the same year, after year, after year.
Recently, I've been reading a lot of chicken little editorials crying for Nader to drop out of the Presidential race. Mind you, these editorials are from liberal writers with whom I usually agree. I heard the same argument from an extended family member: "Derek, quit being so ideological. This isn't about Nader or Kerry, it's about defeating Bush." There's that lesser of two evils argument again. Ugh!.
Since Bush took office, liberal pundits have complained over and over again that the U.S. American people are being steamrolled into submission by Conservatives. I've written about this on several occasions: If you don't support the Iraq war effort, you support Saddam Hussein; If you question the President's positions, you're anti-American or unpatriotic. Through a rhetorical slight-of-hand, Conservatives frequently use fallacious reasoning to position detractors as an enemy of truth, justice, and the American way. Liberals are now using the same flawed logic: If you vote for Nader, you support George Bush. One of the basic assumptions behind this argument is that Nader supporters would automatically cast their vote for Kerry if Nader wasn't running. That's a mighty big assumption.
If Nader wasn't running in this election, I would NOT cast my vote for John Kerry. I'd vote for a member of the Green Party, the Socialist Party, or the U.S. Pacifist Party. I'd cast a write-in vote for myself before I voted for John Kerry. Talk about your throw away vote. Although I think I have the best platfrom, I have no chance in this election. Bush Lite, er, John Kerry comes from wealth, attended an Ivy league school, and belonged to the same secret society as GW. He's a career politician. Yuck. His positions are NOT a radical departure from the Republicans. So to all my liberal comrades: you go ahead and vote for John Kerry in the upcoming election. Cast your vote for someone who doesn't really represent your position. Go ahead and cast that vote against Bush. I have no doubt you'll vote for the "winning" team. That said, quit trying to position those of us who choose not to support Kerry as supporters of Bush. Don't you dare use the same tactics you decry. Pot. Kettle. Black. Leave me alone and let me vote for someone who presents challenges to the morally bankrupt political system of business as usual. It is, after all, my vote.
Monday, June 28, 2004
Potpourri
Kathleen has been in Bulgaria since last Wednesday. Her brother, a former member of the Peace Corp, spent two years in the country, met a local woman while there, and they decided to marry. The wedding was yesterday or the day before. I get confused with the nine hour time difference. Thanks to the wonders of email, Kathleen has been able to send me daily missives. The place seems awfully quiet without her.
I went looking for sandals last week. I know, I know. What was I thinking? Actually, I was looking for some shoes that would be easy to take on and off when I visit the Shambhala Center for meditation. Doing the combat boot thing can get rather tiresome. Rather than sandals, I bought a pair of Chuck Taylors.
In the geek cool department, I purchased my ticket for the 12:01 AM showing of Spiderman 2. Most reviews suggest it's better than the first. One review describes the film as "a Willie Wonka Everlasting Gobstopper." That's high praise, very high praise. I'll offer my thoughts on Wednesday.
The dissertation is progressing. I'm currently engaged in the laborious task of writing an ethnography of the goth scene. Basically, I'm writing a description of the subculture. While the writing itself is easy, the difficult task is pulling together all my notes from the last five years. You wouldn't believe all the notes I've accumulated. While I did a nice job of organizing notes chronologically, I probably should have organized them topically. So, I spend tons of time flipping through a couple hundred pages of material. Thankfully, I've re-familiarized myself with most of the entries and I can now find what I want quickly. The most important part of ethnography, at least the way I do it, is letting the members of a culture tell their own story. Although I consider myself a member of the scene, I try to keep my voice from becoming the focal point of the chapter. After I finish this chapter, hopefully by the end of the week, it's on to Chapter Five (rhetorical criticism of the subcultural self). Once that chapter is complete, I'll pull everything together in the concluding chapter. After years of having everyone ask when I'll be done with my dissertation, I can honestly answer that I should have a complete draft written by the start of the fall semester (mid August). Revisions will probably take a couple months of the Fall semester, but I'm hoping to graduate during DU's fall quarter. Keep your fingers crossed.
Subject heading for a recent piece of spam: "Moore hiss foor your trrouser snake." That's a classic.
Kathleen has been in Bulgaria since last Wednesday. Her brother, a former member of the Peace Corp, spent two years in the country, met a local woman while there, and they decided to marry. The wedding was yesterday or the day before. I get confused with the nine hour time difference. Thanks to the wonders of email, Kathleen has been able to send me daily missives. The place seems awfully quiet without her.
I went looking for sandals last week. I know, I know. What was I thinking? Actually, I was looking for some shoes that would be easy to take on and off when I visit the Shambhala Center for meditation. Doing the combat boot thing can get rather tiresome. Rather than sandals, I bought a pair of Chuck Taylors.
In the geek cool department, I purchased my ticket for the 12:01 AM showing of Spiderman 2. Most reviews suggest it's better than the first. One review describes the film as "a Willie Wonka Everlasting Gobstopper." That's high praise, very high praise. I'll offer my thoughts on Wednesday.
The dissertation is progressing. I'm currently engaged in the laborious task of writing an ethnography of the goth scene. Basically, I'm writing a description of the subculture. While the writing itself is easy, the difficult task is pulling together all my notes from the last five years. You wouldn't believe all the notes I've accumulated. While I did a nice job of organizing notes chronologically, I probably should have organized them topically. So, I spend tons of time flipping through a couple hundred pages of material. Thankfully, I've re-familiarized myself with most of the entries and I can now find what I want quickly. The most important part of ethnography, at least the way I do it, is letting the members of a culture tell their own story. Although I consider myself a member of the scene, I try to keep my voice from becoming the focal point of the chapter. After I finish this chapter, hopefully by the end of the week, it's on to Chapter Five (rhetorical criticism of the subcultural self). Once that chapter is complete, I'll pull everything together in the concluding chapter. After years of having everyone ask when I'll be done with my dissertation, I can honestly answer that I should have a complete draft written by the start of the fall semester (mid August). Revisions will probably take a couple months of the Fall semester, but I'm hoping to graduate during DU's fall quarter. Keep your fingers crossed.
Subject heading for a recent piece of spam: "Moore hiss foor your trrouser snake." That's a classic.
Now With Less Vitriol!
After reading my last few blog posts, Mike emailed and asked if I was okay. Looking back, my last few posts have been a little more fiery and attack-oriented than usual. So, time for a couple posts on the lighter side.
Gene recently titled one of his posts, "that smell of smells." I assumed the post was going to relate the tale of a heinous odor. I was wrong. Still, the title got me thinking about smells I love and abhor.
My Favorite Odors:
1. The Library. I love the smell of decaying parchment.
2. Cloves. Put 'em in candles, incense, a recipe, cologne, or in a cigarette. Mmmmm.
3. Amor Amor. Kathleen recently discovered this parfum and I dig it.
4. Fall. Ever notice how the Fall season has a distinct smell? Fresh air mingling with leaves. It's almost like you can smell the drop of temperature.
5. Dog. The dusty/musty smell of my dog's coat.
My Least Favorite Odors:
1. Body odor. Can people really not smell their own stench? Ugh. Nothing triggers my gag reflex better than a whiff of ripe pits. Shower. Deodorant. Now.
2. The food someone in our complex cooks. From time to time, someone in our condo complex cooks a dish that smells like a combination of cabbage and garlic. I'm not opposed to either smells. However, this combination keeps me up at night. Literally. The stench seeps through the walls of our condo and nothing keeps it at bay. We've tried incense, spraying our pillows with cologne, opening a window. Nothing works.
3. The meat department in the supermarket. ::gags:: Since becoming a vegetarian, the smell of raw meat turns my stomach. If I have to venture through that area of a grocery, I take a deep breath and run.
4. An old tavern. Stale beer and cigarettes. Mmmm. Actually, I have a love/hate relationship with this odor. To some extent, the smell is like an odiferous version of siren song. I'm oddly reminded of days gone by. Another part of my brain screams, "Danger, Will Robinson!"
5. Alcohol breath. Ever stood next to a friend after they've had a couple glasses of wine and engaged in intimate conversation? You know, where you're close enough that you can't help bet smell the other person's breath. The smell is even more obvious at a small art gallery opening. Everyone is walking around, sipping wine, and exhaling. Surprisingly, the smell of alcohol doesn't bother me. The smell of alcohol that's been slightly processed by the human body repulses me.
After reading my last few blog posts, Mike emailed and asked if I was okay. Looking back, my last few posts have been a little more fiery and attack-oriented than usual. So, time for a couple posts on the lighter side.
Gene recently titled one of his posts, "that smell of smells." I assumed the post was going to relate the tale of a heinous odor. I was wrong. Still, the title got me thinking about smells I love and abhor.
My Favorite Odors:
1. The Library. I love the smell of decaying parchment.
2. Cloves. Put 'em in candles, incense, a recipe, cologne, or in a cigarette. Mmmmm.
3. Amor Amor. Kathleen recently discovered this parfum and I dig it.
4. Fall. Ever notice how the Fall season has a distinct smell? Fresh air mingling with leaves. It's almost like you can smell the drop of temperature.
5. Dog. The dusty/musty smell of my dog's coat.
My Least Favorite Odors:
1. Body odor. Can people really not smell their own stench? Ugh. Nothing triggers my gag reflex better than a whiff of ripe pits. Shower. Deodorant. Now.
2. The food someone in our complex cooks. From time to time, someone in our condo complex cooks a dish that smells like a combination of cabbage and garlic. I'm not opposed to either smells. However, this combination keeps me up at night. Literally. The stench seeps through the walls of our condo and nothing keeps it at bay. We've tried incense, spraying our pillows with cologne, opening a window. Nothing works.
3. The meat department in the supermarket. ::gags:: Since becoming a vegetarian, the smell of raw meat turns my stomach. If I have to venture through that area of a grocery, I take a deep breath and run.
4. An old tavern. Stale beer and cigarettes. Mmmm. Actually, I have a love/hate relationship with this odor. To some extent, the smell is like an odiferous version of siren song. I'm oddly reminded of days gone by. Another part of my brain screams, "Danger, Will Robinson!"
5. Alcohol breath. Ever stood next to a friend after they've had a couple glasses of wine and engaged in intimate conversation? You know, where you're close enough that you can't help bet smell the other person's breath. The smell is even more obvious at a small art gallery opening. Everyone is walking around, sipping wine, and exhaling. Surprisingly, the smell of alcohol doesn't bother me. The smell of alcohol that's been slightly processed by the human body repulses me.
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Chill
Hysterical message board comments from Plastic.com.
Poster 1: I gather there were a few there that disagreed with Moore, based on the fact that when Britney Spears made her gum clicking comment about supporting and trusting the President no matter what, they applauded and yelled "that's right!". They applauded Britney Spears political comments. What more can you say?
Poster 2: That Brittney Spears clip was astonishing. She makes Jessica Simpson sound like a Nobel Laureate. That those kids agreed with Miss Spears shows how powerful MTV is in shaping young minds. If Ludacris came on TRL and said we need to kill all Canadians and take their snow Americas kids would be buying show shovels.
Poster 3: That ice is CHILL, yo!
Hysterical message board comments from Plastic.com.
Poster 1: I gather there were a few there that disagreed with Moore, based on the fact that when Britney Spears made her gum clicking comment about supporting and trusting the President no matter what, they applauded and yelled "that's right!". They applauded Britney Spears political comments. What more can you say?
Poster 2: That Brittney Spears clip was astonishing. She makes Jessica Simpson sound like a Nobel Laureate. That those kids agreed with Miss Spears shows how powerful MTV is in shaping young minds. If Ludacris came on TRL and said we need to kill all Canadians and take their snow Americas kids would be buying show shovels.
Poster 3: That ice is CHILL, yo!
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Sloganator
A few months back the Bush/Cheney 2004 website featured a program that allowed supporters to create their own campaign posters. Being the resourceful bunch that they are, the loyal opposition created a few campaign posters of their own. For those accessing the site via dial-up, you're looking at a 1.7 MB download.
Sloganator Memorial
The Bush/Cheney site no longers features the Sloganator. Imagine that.
A few months back the Bush/Cheney 2004 website featured a program that allowed supporters to create their own campaign posters. Being the resourceful bunch that they are, the loyal opposition created a few campaign posters of their own. For those accessing the site via dial-up, you're looking at a 1.7 MB download.
Sloganator Memorial
The Bush/Cheney site no longers features the Sloganator. Imagine that.
F U GW
As there are hundreds of reviews available on the internet, I'll go right to my personal impressions. Watching Moore's film, I found myself experiencing deep sorrow, fury, and amusement. At three different points, I wept. During a scene showing the bed of a pickup truck filled with the bodies of children, I cried so hard that I made an audible sobbing sound. Good thing I'm secure enough in my masculinity that I believe it's okay for men to cry in public. Dozens of points brought me to open laughter. During another scene, I flipped off Curious George Bush. Those sitting around me muttered, "Right on, man."
If you're a supporter of Bush and the Republican party, you'll no doubt write this film off as propaganda just like all the Conservative media pundits. Write it off if you will, but there's not a single piece of information from the film that hasn't been covered in major news outlets during the last three years. Why haven't most people heard about the Bush/Bin Laden/House of Saud relationship? Because the news stories appeared on page 20 of the newspaper, NOT in the headlines. Why aren't people more aware of the civilian casualties in Iraq (most recently estimated to be between 9500-11,000--so much for precision ordinance)? Same answer. The statistics, as well as narratives of personal loss, are there if you know where to look. And that, I think, is the greatest service provided by Moore. He fires people up and challenges them to get educated about issues, to ask questions, and to get involved in the political process.
Some of my favorites segments of the movie:
1. Member after member of the Congressional Black Caucus objecting to the certification of the Florida vote count (thousands of Black voters were wrongfully excluded from the voting process). The formal objection needed the signature of a Senator. Not a single Senator would sign and the issue was never brought to the floor of the Senate for debate. I nearly screamed in frustration during this scene. Spineless fucks. Like it or not, institutional racism still exists in this country.
2. Eggs pelting the Presidential limousine on Inauguration day. That's the only time in U.S. history that the President hasn't been able to walk up to the White House.
3. Audio only account of 9/11. The screen fades to black and the sound of the airliners crashing into the twin towers. Cut to a woman on the street screaming, "Lord, help those people! They're jumping! My God, they're jumping!" Definitely a tear-inducing moment.
4. President Bush speaking to a crowd of supporters. He says: "This is an impressive crowd. The haves and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base." What an arrogant fucking prick. This is the moment I flipped off the screen. My blood is boiling just thinking about it. Aargh!
5. There's plenty of Iraq War imagery. Most moving, however, are the images from the civilians' POV. I heard Moore had managed to get his hands on unauthorized images from inside Iraq and this proved to be the most moving point of the film for me. Seeing dead and wounded children (very graphic images) left me sobbing. Unlike Michael Moore, I don't believe war is EVER justified. I oppose ALL military solutions. No exceptions. No war. Ever.
6. There's a great segment on the "dangers" of Peace organizations. That one left me laughing and shaking my head.
Ultimately, Moore's film left me with a reinvigorated spirit and commitment to political change. In fact, I made a promise to myself as I left the theater. Somehow, I'm going to raise enough of a racket that I get placed on the Conservative watch list. You know how dangerous we radical Peace mongers can be.
Check out some of my radical ideas.
Neocons: It's unpatriotic to oppose U.S. military operations, you know!
Me: My commitment is to the rights and well-being of all humans, not just our country. I have a right to question unjust decisions made by a government that supposedly represents my wishes, you dolt. Read your constitution. Pick up a little John Locke while you're at it. Ignorance does not equal patriotism.
Neocons: How dare you be disrespectful toward the President (courtesy of my father)!
Me: I'll remind you how much your President respects you: "This is an impressive crowd. The haves and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base." Your President doesn't respect you. Fawn all you want, I'm taking a page from Dick Cheney's book and telling Curious George to go fuck himself. Until I see something worth respecting, I'll continue to criticize his policies. I'll also employ ad hominems as I see fit.
Neocons: If you oppose military action in Iraq, you support al Qaeda.
Me: Read a freakin newspaper or two, will ya? Iraq had no formal relationship with al Qaeda. In fact, Iraq rebuffed overtures from al Qaeda. Besides, as someone committed to non-violence I don't support any person, country, or organization that uses violence as a means to achieve goals. No. Violence. Ever. Got it?
As there are hundreds of reviews available on the internet, I'll go right to my personal impressions. Watching Moore's film, I found myself experiencing deep sorrow, fury, and amusement. At three different points, I wept. During a scene showing the bed of a pickup truck filled with the bodies of children, I cried so hard that I made an audible sobbing sound. Good thing I'm secure enough in my masculinity that I believe it's okay for men to cry in public. Dozens of points brought me to open laughter. During another scene, I flipped off Curious George Bush. Those sitting around me muttered, "Right on, man."
If you're a supporter of Bush and the Republican party, you'll no doubt write this film off as propaganda just like all the Conservative media pundits. Write it off if you will, but there's not a single piece of information from the film that hasn't been covered in major news outlets during the last three years. Why haven't most people heard about the Bush/Bin Laden/House of Saud relationship? Because the news stories appeared on page 20 of the newspaper, NOT in the headlines. Why aren't people more aware of the civilian casualties in Iraq (most recently estimated to be between 9500-11,000--so much for precision ordinance)? Same answer. The statistics, as well as narratives of personal loss, are there if you know where to look. And that, I think, is the greatest service provided by Moore. He fires people up and challenges them to get educated about issues, to ask questions, and to get involved in the political process.
Some of my favorites segments of the movie:
1. Member after member of the Congressional Black Caucus objecting to the certification of the Florida vote count (thousands of Black voters were wrongfully excluded from the voting process). The formal objection needed the signature of a Senator. Not a single Senator would sign and the issue was never brought to the floor of the Senate for debate. I nearly screamed in frustration during this scene. Spineless fucks. Like it or not, institutional racism still exists in this country.
2. Eggs pelting the Presidential limousine on Inauguration day. That's the only time in U.S. history that the President hasn't been able to walk up to the White House.
3. Audio only account of 9/11. The screen fades to black and the sound of the airliners crashing into the twin towers. Cut to a woman on the street screaming, "Lord, help those people! They're jumping! My God, they're jumping!" Definitely a tear-inducing moment.
4. President Bush speaking to a crowd of supporters. He says: "This is an impressive crowd. The haves and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base." What an arrogant fucking prick. This is the moment I flipped off the screen. My blood is boiling just thinking about it. Aargh!
5. There's plenty of Iraq War imagery. Most moving, however, are the images from the civilians' POV. I heard Moore had managed to get his hands on unauthorized images from inside Iraq and this proved to be the most moving point of the film for me. Seeing dead and wounded children (very graphic images) left me sobbing. Unlike Michael Moore, I don't believe war is EVER justified. I oppose ALL military solutions. No exceptions. No war. Ever.
6. There's a great segment on the "dangers" of Peace organizations. That one left me laughing and shaking my head.
Ultimately, Moore's film left me with a reinvigorated spirit and commitment to political change. In fact, I made a promise to myself as I left the theater. Somehow, I'm going to raise enough of a racket that I get placed on the Conservative watch list. You know how dangerous we radical Peace mongers can be.
Check out some of my radical ideas.
Neocons: It's unpatriotic to oppose U.S. military operations, you know!
Me: My commitment is to the rights and well-being of all humans, not just our country. I have a right to question unjust decisions made by a government that supposedly represents my wishes, you dolt. Read your constitution. Pick up a little John Locke while you're at it. Ignorance does not equal patriotism.
Neocons: How dare you be disrespectful toward the President (courtesy of my father)!
Me: I'll remind you how much your President respects you: "This is an impressive crowd. The haves and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base." Your President doesn't respect you. Fawn all you want, I'm taking a page from Dick Cheney's book and telling Curious George to go fuck himself. Until I see something worth respecting, I'll continue to criticize his policies. I'll also employ ad hominems as I see fit.
Neocons: If you oppose military action in Iraq, you support al Qaeda.
Me: Read a freakin newspaper or two, will ya? Iraq had no formal relationship with al Qaeda. In fact, Iraq rebuffed overtures from al Qaeda. Besides, as someone committed to non-violence I don't support any person, country, or organization that uses violence as a means to achieve goals. No. Violence. Ever. Got it?
Friday, June 25, 2004
Just Missed
A Defense Department official claims a U.S. bombing run "just missed" one of their most wanted terrorists.
Just a Bit Outside
Right. Like the military just missed Bin Laden at Tora Bora and just missed Saddam during the initial "surgical strike" of the Iraq invasion. Please. Ever notice how this kind of report surfaces when the Administration is receiving a ton of negative publicity?
A Defense Department official claims a U.S. bombing run "just missed" one of their most wanted terrorists.
Just a Bit Outside
Right. Like the military just missed Bin Laden at Tora Bora and just missed Saddam during the initial "surgical strike" of the Iraq invasion. Please. Ever notice how this kind of report surfaces when the Administration is receiving a ton of negative publicity?
More on Moore
Is the label "documentary" appropriate for this openly activist movie? Of course it is, unless you cling to some idealized notion of "objective" film that bit the dust at least as far back as 1922, when director Robert Flaherty passed off re-created settings and events as factual footage to enhance the realism of his generally true "Nanook of the North."
Finally, some sense about this whole "Moore doesn't do objective documentaries" nonsense. Nobody does objective work. Whenever a screenwriter or director gets to work, they bring their own agenda to the creative process. The same thing occurs in academic writing. When I sit down to work on a project, I bring all my attitudes and beliefs to the table. The difference between me and many other scholars is that I'll openly admit my biases. The same goes for Moore. I've never heard him make a case for objectivity--he leaves that to the "fair and balanced" Fox News Network. If you don't like his approach on documentaries, don't see his work. Those who criticize Moore's work aren't being objective either; cricis also come to the table with all their biases in tow.
Our world is one in which absolute truths and objectivity are remnants of Enlightenment thought. We negotiate that which is right or wrong, good or bad, just or unjust. Depending on our own attitudes and beliefs--attitudes and beliefs that come into being through our interactions with family, friends, co-workers, religion, popular culture, etc.--we support or oppose particular social conventions/behaviors, institutions (marriage and religion, for example), public policies, and the like. Moore's film is both a result of this collaborative constitution of social knowledge and a part of an on-going cultural dialogue. Moore's film articulates his own view and sparks the rest of us to refine and voice ours.
I'm hoping to see Farenheit 9/11 later this afternoon. I'm sure I'll have something more to say.
Is the label "documentary" appropriate for this openly activist movie? Of course it is, unless you cling to some idealized notion of "objective" film that bit the dust at least as far back as 1922, when director Robert Flaherty passed off re-created settings and events as factual footage to enhance the realism of his generally true "Nanook of the North."
Finally, some sense about this whole "Moore doesn't do objective documentaries" nonsense. Nobody does objective work. Whenever a screenwriter or director gets to work, they bring their own agenda to the creative process. The same thing occurs in academic writing. When I sit down to work on a project, I bring all my attitudes and beliefs to the table. The difference between me and many other scholars is that I'll openly admit my biases. The same goes for Moore. I've never heard him make a case for objectivity--he leaves that to the "fair and balanced" Fox News Network. If you don't like his approach on documentaries, don't see his work. Those who criticize Moore's work aren't being objective either; cricis also come to the table with all their biases in tow.
Our world is one in which absolute truths and objectivity are remnants of Enlightenment thought. We negotiate that which is right or wrong, good or bad, just or unjust. Depending on our own attitudes and beliefs--attitudes and beliefs that come into being through our interactions with family, friends, co-workers, religion, popular culture, etc.--we support or oppose particular social conventions/behaviors, institutions (marriage and religion, for example), public policies, and the like. Moore's film is both a result of this collaborative constitution of social knowledge and a part of an on-going cultural dialogue. Moore's film articulates his own view and sparks the rest of us to refine and voice ours.
I'm hoping to see Farenheit 9/11 later this afternoon. I'm sure I'll have something more to say.
Go F*ck Yourself
The next time my mother voices her objections to my use of the "F" word in public, I'll remind her that she voted for a man who apparently believes it's an acceptable term on the Senate floor. If it's okay for VP Cheney, it's okay for me!
F Word in the Senate
Frank Exchange of Views
Cheney Drops the F Bomb
Check out that picture on the first link. See Dick snarl.
The next time my mother voices her objections to my use of the "F" word in public, I'll remind her that she voted for a man who apparently believes it's an acceptable term on the Senate floor. If it's okay for VP Cheney, it's okay for me!
F Word in the Senate
Frank Exchange of Views
Cheney Drops the F Bomb
Check out that picture on the first link. See Dick snarl.
When Spyware Attacks!
I just spent the last two days battling an unknown enemy for control of my computer. Somewhere during my adventures on the internet, I managed to pick up a rather vicious bit of spyware. While my multi-layered anti-virus defenses detected the presence of the intruder, the search and destroy bots were unable to stop the infiltration. As a result, I've been dealing with new browsers opening and zipping me to rather unsavory parts of the internet. Different strokes for different folks and all, but I can only take so much exposure to all-natural facials. After a long and drawn out skirmish, I believe I've eradicated the invaders. Tomorrow will be the real test. If my browser remains hijack free by tomorrow evening, I'll sound the all clear.
I just spent the last two days battling an unknown enemy for control of my computer. Somewhere during my adventures on the internet, I managed to pick up a rather vicious bit of spyware. While my multi-layered anti-virus defenses detected the presence of the intruder, the search and destroy bots were unable to stop the infiltration. As a result, I've been dealing with new browsers opening and zipping me to rather unsavory parts of the internet. Different strokes for different folks and all, but I can only take so much exposure to all-natural facials. After a long and drawn out skirmish, I believe I've eradicated the invaders. Tomorrow will be the real test. If my browser remains hijack free by tomorrow evening, I'll sound the all clear.
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Monday, June 21, 2004
Moore vs The Right
The media hoopla regarding Michael Moore's FAHRENHEIT 9/11 is heating up.
The truth about Michael Moore
The Facts
"Go Find Real Work!"
As a contemporary rabble rouser, capable of reaching tens of millions of people, Michael Moore has no peers. I cannot wait to see this film. Fortunately, the film is opening at a theater less than a mile from home; you can put money on the fact that I'll catch the film on opening night.
The media hoopla regarding Michael Moore's FAHRENHEIT 9/11 is heating up.
The truth about Michael Moore
The Facts
"Go Find Real Work!"
As a contemporary rabble rouser, capable of reaching tens of millions of people, Michael Moore has no peers. I cannot wait to see this film. Fortunately, the film is opening at a theater less than a mile from home; you can put money on the fact that I'll catch the film on opening night.
Saturday, June 19, 2004
Something Fishy
Senator Edwards gets my nomination for quote of the day.
"Where I come from, we say a fish stinks from the head down."
The Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change were my second choice.
The undersigned have held positions of responsibility for the planning and execution of American foreign and defense policy. Collectively, we have served every president since Harry S. Truman. Some of us are Democrats, some are Republicans or Independents, many voted for George W. Bush. But we all believe that current Administration policies have failed in the primary responsibilities of preserving national security and providing world leadership. Serious issues are at stake. We need a change.
Senator Edwards gets my nomination for quote of the day.
"Where I come from, we say a fish stinks from the head down."
The Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change were my second choice.
The undersigned have held positions of responsibility for the planning and execution of American foreign and defense policy. Collectively, we have served every president since Harry S. Truman. Some of us are Democrats, some are Republicans or Independents, many voted for George W. Bush. But we all believe that current Administration policies have failed in the primary responsibilities of preserving national security and providing world leadership. Serious issues are at stake. We need a change.
Friday, June 18, 2004
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Popular Culture, Ideology, and the Negotiation of the Everyday
My brain becomes unusually active right before falling asleep. Most of my writing dilemnas, which usually consist of conceptual and organizational problems, resolve themselves when I'm reading in bed (I keep a notepad and writing utensil on the nightstand). It's also not unusual for me to walk into the bedroom carrying an academic tome of some type. I have a partner, thankfully, who doesn't mind a reading light. Last night, I revisited a couple essays in The Post Subcultures Reader. In particular, I was reading a piece discussing the ideological nature of the contemporary punk movement. The author argues that contemporary punk has, to a great extent, shaken off the stylistic trappings that most of us would associate with punk. Once the culture industry started to co-opt the style and music, the punk subculture started to disassociate with the artifacts that once helped defined the movement. Instead, argues the author, authentic punk has shifted its attention away from style and music and focused on politically adversarial action. Hence, punks are frequently involved with anti-globalization and anti-war protests. Ultimately, the author of the piece argues that subcultures aren't so much about fashion & music, but ideology (the shared attitudes, beliefs, and values of a particular social group).
While reading the piece, Kathleen read over my shoulder and asked, "So what is this author arguing about subcultures?" After my brief summary, she said she agreed largely with the author and then asked another interesting question: "You've talked a lot about writing a piece on Star Trek or Star Wars fans. How does this ideology stuff relate to them?"
Personally, I don't see much difference between musically spawned spectacular subcultures (goths, punks, ravers, etc) and members of fandom, particularly fantasy and science fiction fans. In their commitment and consumption of particular movies and/or television shows, fantasy and science fiction fans implicate their commitment to certain ideologies. As the following blog entry suggests, Star Trek fans reflect the ideologies of the Star Trek universe. Pay close attention to the following passage:
One day, a bad bad day, when many soldiers lost lives in that distant senseless war, my middle son stood with barefeet on the cold tile floor of the kitchen, listening to NPR, and clenched his fists in frustration.
"Why don't they stop fighting? We're never going to join a Federation of Planets if this continues. Don't they know that? Why don't they want to help end starvation instead? I wish we lived in the future."
I wished we lived in that future, too, where replicators created gourmet meals and women wore flowing tunics and held important positions, and no wars raged on planet Earth because starvation was a memory from some other sick place and time. I loved that my sons saw this, wanted a future of space travel and social justice.
From a rhetorical standpoint, this passage explains why Star Trek is so important in the lives of this woman and her children. A television show, something most people take for granted as a simple form of entertainment, contributes to their hermeneutical experience. Star Trek helps a young child interpret world events and gives him something toward which to strive. Star Trek, of all things, teaches him that peaceful resolutions to conflict are superior to war. He also displays an important understanding of the need to help others. He can't understand why countries would fight wars rather than work to end starvation. The mother, on the other hand, reveals a desire for gender equity. Her reference to women holding "important positions" attests to her belief that it's difficult for women to reach these positions. In the Star Trek world it isn't difficult, but in the hear-and-now, it is.
This is what I do for living. I locate culturally relevant popular culture artifacts and try to determine how the ideological messages of said artifacts contribute to the way in which we negotiate the everyday. When I stumble across a blog entry like the one above, I'm mystified by how anyone can question the significance of studying rhetoric and popular culture. Aren't people a bit curious as to why we hold the beliefs and attitudes we do? Isn't anyone curious about the way we use music, television, film, books, fashion, and even food as a way of understanding and negotiating the world in which we live? While I'd never argue that pop culture artifacts are the only reason we adhere to particular ideologies, pop culture obviously plays a crucial role.
My brain becomes unusually active right before falling asleep. Most of my writing dilemnas, which usually consist of conceptual and organizational problems, resolve themselves when I'm reading in bed (I keep a notepad and writing utensil on the nightstand). It's also not unusual for me to walk into the bedroom carrying an academic tome of some type. I have a partner, thankfully, who doesn't mind a reading light. Last night, I revisited a couple essays in The Post Subcultures Reader. In particular, I was reading a piece discussing the ideological nature of the contemporary punk movement. The author argues that contemporary punk has, to a great extent, shaken off the stylistic trappings that most of us would associate with punk. Once the culture industry started to co-opt the style and music, the punk subculture started to disassociate with the artifacts that once helped defined the movement. Instead, argues the author, authentic punk has shifted its attention away from style and music and focused on politically adversarial action. Hence, punks are frequently involved with anti-globalization and anti-war protests. Ultimately, the author of the piece argues that subcultures aren't so much about fashion & music, but ideology (the shared attitudes, beliefs, and values of a particular social group).
While reading the piece, Kathleen read over my shoulder and asked, "So what is this author arguing about subcultures?" After my brief summary, she said she agreed largely with the author and then asked another interesting question: "You've talked a lot about writing a piece on Star Trek or Star Wars fans. How does this ideology stuff relate to them?"
Personally, I don't see much difference between musically spawned spectacular subcultures (goths, punks, ravers, etc) and members of fandom, particularly fantasy and science fiction fans. In their commitment and consumption of particular movies and/or television shows, fantasy and science fiction fans implicate their commitment to certain ideologies. As the following blog entry suggests, Star Trek fans reflect the ideologies of the Star Trek universe. Pay close attention to the following passage:
One day, a bad bad day, when many soldiers lost lives in that distant senseless war, my middle son stood with barefeet on the cold tile floor of the kitchen, listening to NPR, and clenched his fists in frustration.
"Why don't they stop fighting? We're never going to join a Federation of Planets if this continues. Don't they know that? Why don't they want to help end starvation instead? I wish we lived in the future."
I wished we lived in that future, too, where replicators created gourmet meals and women wore flowing tunics and held important positions, and no wars raged on planet Earth because starvation was a memory from some other sick place and time. I loved that my sons saw this, wanted a future of space travel and social justice.
From a rhetorical standpoint, this passage explains why Star Trek is so important in the lives of this woman and her children. A television show, something most people take for granted as a simple form of entertainment, contributes to their hermeneutical experience. Star Trek helps a young child interpret world events and gives him something toward which to strive. Star Trek, of all things, teaches him that peaceful resolutions to conflict are superior to war. He also displays an important understanding of the need to help others. He can't understand why countries would fight wars rather than work to end starvation. The mother, on the other hand, reveals a desire for gender equity. Her reference to women holding "important positions" attests to her belief that it's difficult for women to reach these positions. In the Star Trek world it isn't difficult, but in the hear-and-now, it is.
This is what I do for living. I locate culturally relevant popular culture artifacts and try to determine how the ideological messages of said artifacts contribute to the way in which we negotiate the everyday. When I stumble across a blog entry like the one above, I'm mystified by how anyone can question the significance of studying rhetoric and popular culture. Aren't people a bit curious as to why we hold the beliefs and attitudes we do? Isn't anyone curious about the way we use music, television, film, books, fashion, and even food as a way of understanding and negotiating the world in which we live? While I'd never argue that pop culture artifacts are the only reason we adhere to particular ideologies, pop culture obviously plays a crucial role.
It's Official
This post is for all the remaining Bush supporters. He lied to our country. Period. He lied about weapons of mass destruction; he lied about an al Qaeda/Iraq connection.
9// Commission: No al Qaeda/Iraq Cooperation
Iraq Rebuffed al Qaeda
Keep this in mind when the November election rolls around.
This post is for all the remaining Bush supporters. He lied to our country. Period. He lied about weapons of mass destruction; he lied about an al Qaeda/Iraq connection.
9// Commission: No al Qaeda/Iraq Cooperation
Iraq Rebuffed al Qaeda
Keep this in mind when the November election rolls around.
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Briefs
1. Spent several hours with the 'rents and didn't fight with Pops. Miracles do happen.
2. Insomnia is back. A power nap in the afternoon makes life tolerable.
3. I've been meditating a couple times a week at the Shambhala Center. I'm really trying to bring some peace to my life. I'm still allowing the craziness of world events to invade my state-of-mind but it's getting better.
4. A draft of the dissertation is about 60 percent finished. Completing a draft of the entire project by the end of the summer is definitely doable.
5. Mohawk is out, Buddhist monk look is in.
6. Back problems returneth!. New pillow, energy work, and ice pack treatment. Repeat. Extra stretching and weight lifting also seem to be helping.
7. Shrek 2 and Good bye, Lenin are in this week's movie queu.
8. The Pistons lead the Lakers 3-1. Go Pistons!
9. The Colorado Rockies are an absolutely pathetic organization. Sell the outfit to Stan Kronke and let him inject some life (and $$$) into a dead franchise. Besides, he needs programming for his new all sports network.
10. If you haven't already, check out Michael's Random Musings.
1. Spent several hours with the 'rents and didn't fight with Pops. Miracles do happen.
2. Insomnia is back. A power nap in the afternoon makes life tolerable.
3. I've been meditating a couple times a week at the Shambhala Center. I'm really trying to bring some peace to my life. I'm still allowing the craziness of world events to invade my state-of-mind but it's getting better.
4. A draft of the dissertation is about 60 percent finished. Completing a draft of the entire project by the end of the summer is definitely doable.
5. Mohawk is out, Buddhist monk look is in.
6. Back problems returneth!. New pillow, energy work, and ice pack treatment. Repeat. Extra stretching and weight lifting also seem to be helping.
7. Shrek 2 and Good bye, Lenin are in this week's movie queu.
8. The Pistons lead the Lakers 3-1. Go Pistons!
9. The Colorado Rockies are an absolutely pathetic organization. Sell the outfit to Stan Kronke and let him inject some life (and $$$) into a dead franchise. Besides, he needs programming for his new all sports network.
10. If you haven't already, check out Michael's Random Musings.
Monday, June 14, 2004
High School Stereotype Time
Take the What High School Stereotype Are You? quiz.
I'm a little disappointed there weren't more questions involving alcohol, cigarettes, and rock & roll. I was a band geek who knew how to party! ::plays Voltron theme on his trumpet::
Take the What High School Stereotype Are You? quiz.
I'm a little disappointed there weren't more questions involving alcohol, cigarettes, and rock & roll. I was a band geek who knew how to party! ::plays Voltron theme on his trumpet::
Sunday, June 13, 2004
The Myth of the Liberal Press
Cynthia Moothart offers an excellent piece regarding the shortcomings of contemporary media. I've been harping on much of this since 1999, the year I taught my first section of Communication and Popular Culture. In the media saturated world of the U.S. consumer, consumers who expect important information to be spoon fed by CNN, Fox "Fair-and-Balanced-My-Ass" News, MSNBC, NPR, and the major networks, media concentration results in a surprisingly uncritical press.
The problem has to do with corporate concentration and the disappearance of our press into "the media"; a press corps compromised by too much wealth and too much personal fondness for the people at the top; the over-dependence of American reporters on official sources; the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine, and other such deregulatory moves; the winning propaganda drive against "the liberal media"; the complicated influence of TV, with its over-emotionalism and obsessive focus on TV itself; and a sense of institutional trauma after Watergate and Vietnam, so that the corporate press will never wander near the brink again.
Ask Rupert Murdoch, the owner of the News Corp empire (Fox News, Fox broadcasting/cable, Fox Sports, 20th Century Fox, HarperCollins Publishing, dozens of local TV stations and newspapers), about his political leanings. Murdoch and Fox News alone should be enough to convince anyone that change is desperately needed.
Cynthia Moothart offers an excellent piece regarding the shortcomings of contemporary media. I've been harping on much of this since 1999, the year I taught my first section of Communication and Popular Culture. In the media saturated world of the U.S. consumer, consumers who expect important information to be spoon fed by CNN, Fox "Fair-and-Balanced-My-Ass" News, MSNBC, NPR, and the major networks, media concentration results in a surprisingly uncritical press.
The problem has to do with corporate concentration and the disappearance of our press into "the media"; a press corps compromised by too much wealth and too much personal fondness for the people at the top; the over-dependence of American reporters on official sources; the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine, and other such deregulatory moves; the winning propaganda drive against "the liberal media"; the complicated influence of TV, with its over-emotionalism and obsessive focus on TV itself; and a sense of institutional trauma after Watergate and Vietnam, so that the corporate press will never wander near the brink again.
Ask Rupert Murdoch, the owner of the News Corp empire (Fox News, Fox broadcasting/cable, Fox Sports, 20th Century Fox, HarperCollins Publishing, dozens of local TV stations and newspapers), about his political leanings. Murdoch and Fox News alone should be enough to convince anyone that change is desperately needed.
Saturday, June 12, 2004
Friday, June 11, 2004
Minutiae
List for the natural food store:
Silk Coffee Creamer
Organic 1/2 & 1/2
Organic yogurt
Tom's of Maine Toothpaste
Ginger granola
Lowfat apple cinnamon granola
Wasabi peas
Vitamin E, vegetarian soft gels
List for the natural food store:
Silk Coffee Creamer
Organic 1/2 & 1/2
Organic yogurt
Tom's of Maine Toothpaste
Ginger granola
Lowfat apple cinnamon granola
Wasabi peas
Vitamin E, vegetarian soft gels
Un-f*cking-believable
Newsflash: Women, feminists, Muslims, and the academic left implicated in prisoner abuse scandal!
::bangs head on desk:: I am appalled that I'm reading this kind of drivel. Do people really believe this stuff or is this simply sensational journalism? It's probably a bit of both, I suspect.
How the prisoner abuse scandal came about is more than a little obvious to me. When you have an administration that's willing to "take the gloves off", coupled with an organization that systematically teaches its members to dehumanize the Other (we're talking the military, folks), you're asking for trouble.
Newsflash: Women, feminists, Muslims, and the academic left implicated in prisoner abuse scandal!
::bangs head on desk:: I am appalled that I'm reading this kind of drivel. Do people really believe this stuff or is this simply sensational journalism? It's probably a bit of both, I suspect.
How the prisoner abuse scandal came about is more than a little obvious to me. When you have an administration that's willing to "take the gloves off", coupled with an organization that systematically teaches its members to dehumanize the Other (we're talking the military, folks), you're asking for trouble.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
A Real Reason to Mourn
Ray Charles, gospel/blues/jazz legend died today.
His rendition of "Shake a Tail Feather" from the The Blues Brothers is one of my favorite film scenes of all time.
Twist it! Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby!
Here we go loop dee loop!
Shake it up baby!
Here we go loop dee lie!
Bend over, let me see you shake your tail feather
Bend over, let me see you shake your tail feather
Come on, let me see you shake your tail feather
Come on, let me see you shake your tail feather
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Twist it! Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby!
Ray Charles, gospel/blues/jazz legend died today.
His rendition of "Shake a Tail Feather" from the The Blues Brothers is one of my favorite film scenes of all time.
Twist it! Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby!
Here we go loop dee loop!
Shake it up baby!
Here we go loop dee lie!
Bend over, let me see you shake your tail feather
Bend over, let me see you shake your tail feather
Come on, let me see you shake your tail feather
Come on, let me see you shake your tail feather
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Twist it! Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby!
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Horse Hockey!
Normblog passes on the following comment from John Keegan, military historian and defence editor of the Daily Telegraph.
If those who show themselves so eager to denounce the American President and the British Prime Minister feel strongly enough on the issue, please will they explain their reasons for wishing that Saddam Hussein should still be in power in Baghdad.
I'd more than happy to explain. First, let's address Keegan's framing of the proposition. This is how Keegan lays out the syllogism.
Those who denounce the President/PM support Saddam Hussein
Person X denounces the President/PM
Person X supports Saddam Hussein
Do I really need to spend much time on the fallaciousness of Keegan's argument? How does one make a leap from denouncing an unjust and unecessary war to support for Saddam Hussein? I, for one, have never made the argument that Saddam Hussein should still be the leader of Iraq. As with most anti-war advocates, I've never argued against a change in Iraqi leadership. Where I differ with Keegan and others is the means by which to enact change.
Why was invasion the only solution pursued? Please don't give me any of that, "We tried finding a diplomatic solution." As Sherman T. Potter used to say, "Horse hockey!" The Bush Administration spent far more energy using diplomacy to garner support for a military solution than it did trying to come up with a peaceful resolution. The Iraqi threat has been contained since 1991 and another year of diplomatic negotiations via the U.N. may have resulted in the exile of Saddam Hussein. Since virtually NO effort was expended in that direction, we shall never know.
What would our world look like if we trained millions of individuals to search for peaceful alternatives rather than fire an M-16?
Normblog passes on the following comment from John Keegan, military historian and defence editor of the Daily Telegraph.
If those who show themselves so eager to denounce the American President and the British Prime Minister feel strongly enough on the issue, please will they explain their reasons for wishing that Saddam Hussein should still be in power in Baghdad.
I'd more than happy to explain. First, let's address Keegan's framing of the proposition. This is how Keegan lays out the syllogism.
Those who denounce the President/PM support Saddam Hussein
Person X denounces the President/PM
Person X supports Saddam Hussein
Do I really need to spend much time on the fallaciousness of Keegan's argument? How does one make a leap from denouncing an unjust and unecessary war to support for Saddam Hussein? I, for one, have never made the argument that Saddam Hussein should still be the leader of Iraq. As with most anti-war advocates, I've never argued against a change in Iraqi leadership. Where I differ with Keegan and others is the means by which to enact change.
Why was invasion the only solution pursued? Please don't give me any of that, "We tried finding a diplomatic solution." As Sherman T. Potter used to say, "Horse hockey!" The Bush Administration spent far more energy using diplomacy to garner support for a military solution than it did trying to come up with a peaceful resolution. The Iraqi threat has been contained since 1991 and another year of diplomatic negotiations via the U.N. may have resulted in the exile of Saddam Hussein. Since virtually NO effort was expended in that direction, we shall never know.
What would our world look like if we trained millions of individuals to search for peaceful alternatives rather than fire an M-16?
My I Be in Peace
I sent this to a friend earlier this evening. When things are tough and I can't see out of the maelstrom, I often recite the following to myself.
May I be in peace.
May my heart remain open.
May I awaken to light which is my true nature.
May I be healed.
May I be a source of healing for all beings.
I sent this to a friend earlier this evening. When things are tough and I can't see out of the maelstrom, I often recite the following to myself.
May I be in peace.
May my heart remain open.
May I awaken to light which is my true nature.
May I be healed.
May I be a source of healing for all beings.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Uh, Let's Not Get Carried Away
Okay, seems my moratorium from ripping into Reagan's legacy is coming to an end. There's a movement in the works to put Reagan's picture on the 10 or 20 dollar bill. Excuse me? Someone wants to replace Alexander Hamilton, 1st Treasury Secretary of the U.S. and contributor to The Federalist Papers, with Ronald I'm-An-Actor-Turned-President Reagan?
Let me remind everyone of Ronald Reagan's legacy.
*IranContra--He didn't know about it, of course ::wink wink::
*The Invasion of Grenada--A threat to US freedom! Uh, right.
*Reagonomics--Didn't we experience a horrible recession in the 1980s?
*Huge budget deficits
*$600 dollar toilet seats
* El Salvador death squads--funded by US tax dollars. Woohoo!
*Ignoring the AIDS epidemic
*Atrocious record of appointments of women or people of color.
*Rich got that much richer.
This article does a pretty good job of listing the faults of the Reagan Presidency. Leave the money alone. Reagan certainly hasn't earned that level of commemoration. Sheesh.
Okay, seems my moratorium from ripping into Reagan's legacy is coming to an end. There's a movement in the works to put Reagan's picture on the 10 or 20 dollar bill. Excuse me? Someone wants to replace Alexander Hamilton, 1st Treasury Secretary of the U.S. and contributor to The Federalist Papers, with Ronald I'm-An-Actor-Turned-President Reagan?
Let me remind everyone of Ronald Reagan's legacy.
*IranContra--He didn't know about it, of course ::wink wink::
*The Invasion of Grenada--A threat to US freedom! Uh, right.
*Reagonomics--Didn't we experience a horrible recession in the 1980s?
*Huge budget deficits
*$600 dollar toilet seats
* El Salvador death squads--funded by US tax dollars. Woohoo!
*Ignoring the AIDS epidemic
*Atrocious record of appointments of women or people of color.
*Rich got that much richer.
This article does a pretty good job of listing the faults of the Reagan Presidency. Leave the money alone. Reagan certainly hasn't earned that level of commemoration. Sheesh.
Hail the Liberators!
When the U.S. entered Iraq back in March 2003, neocons and political moderates alike suggested that the people of Iraq would welcome U.S. troops as triumphant liberators. That didn't happen. Today, neocons and other Bush supporters wonder why the Iraqi people aren't celebrating their new found freedoms. Maybe supporters of the war effort should turn off Fox News (fair and balanced, my ass) and read some real news.
Despair at Childrens' Hospital
Car Bombs
Heart of Darkness
When the U.S. entered Iraq back in March 2003, neocons and political moderates alike suggested that the people of Iraq would welcome U.S. troops as triumphant liberators. That didn't happen. Today, neocons and other Bush supporters wonder why the Iraqi people aren't celebrating their new found freedoms. Maybe supporters of the war effort should turn off Fox News (fair and balanced, my ass) and read some real news.
Despair at Childrens' Hospital
Car Bombs
Heart of Darkness
Monday, June 07, 2004
Micro Movie Reviews
We spent a lot of time at the movies this weekend. Three quick reviews follow.
Travellers and Magicians.
Excellent balance of imagery, humor, and philosophy. A joy to watch. Excellent parallels between the journeys of Dondup and Tashi.
Rating: Five prayer flags (out of five).
Raising Helen.
Cool mom. Cool kids. Cool pastor. Traditional hollywood fare meant to be enjoyed at a matinee or on DVD.
Rating: Three stuffed hippos.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Hippogriffs, dementors, and werewolves! Oh, my! Best of the HP movies to date (my favorite book, too). Excellent effects, clear narrative. Alan Rickman as Professor Snape continues to steal every scene of which he's part. Gary Oldman, playing the part of Sirius Black, gives Rickman a run for his money. Expecto Petronum!
Rating: Four and half choruses of "Something Wicked This Way Comes."
We spent a lot of time at the movies this weekend. Three quick reviews follow.
Travellers and Magicians.
Excellent balance of imagery, humor, and philosophy. A joy to watch. Excellent parallels between the journeys of Dondup and Tashi.
Rating: Five prayer flags (out of five).
Raising Helen.
Cool mom. Cool kids. Cool pastor. Traditional hollywood fare meant to be enjoyed at a matinee or on DVD.
Rating: Three stuffed hippos.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Hippogriffs, dementors, and werewolves! Oh, my! Best of the HP movies to date (my favorite book, too). Excellent effects, clear narrative. Alan Rickman as Professor Snape continues to steal every scene of which he's part. Gary Oldman, playing the part of Sirius Black, gives Rickman a run for his money. Expecto Petronum!
Rating: Four and half choruses of "Something Wicked This Way Comes."
Sunday, June 06, 2004
Shorts
We saw Travellers and Magicians last night. Four enthusiastic thumbs up. If you get a chance to see this, go.
We're off to the Shambhala Meditation Center this morning. Although STK and I are both proficient meditators, we're looking for a bit of guided meditation.
Raising Helen may be on the agenda for an afternoon matinee. While we love independent and foreign films, we also enjoy traditional holiday fare. We'll catch Harry Potter and the Prisoner and Azkaban, my favorite of the HP books to date, at a late night showing on Monday or Tuesday. Late night shows = less mewling kids. Gotta love the fact that we're both teachers and can spend the summer months staying out late.
Robert Jensen is speaking at the Breakdown Book Collective, tomorrow night. We'll probably check out the PantsOnFire mobile on Tuesday night.
Summer is off to a great start.
We saw Travellers and Magicians last night. Four enthusiastic thumbs up. If you get a chance to see this, go.
We're off to the Shambhala Meditation Center this morning. Although STK and I are both proficient meditators, we're looking for a bit of guided meditation.
Raising Helen may be on the agenda for an afternoon matinee. While we love independent and foreign films, we also enjoy traditional holiday fare. We'll catch Harry Potter and the Prisoner and Azkaban, my favorite of the HP books to date, at a late night showing on Monday or Tuesday. Late night shows = less mewling kids. Gotta love the fact that we're both teachers and can spend the summer months staying out late.
Robert Jensen is speaking at the Breakdown Book Collective, tomorrow night. We'll probably check out the PantsOnFire mobile on Tuesday night.
Summer is off to a great start.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Godspeed
Former President Reagan died today. I know I spend a great deal of blog space ranting against Republicans. Eighteen years ago, during my freshman year of college, I considered myself a Ronald Reaganite and Young Republican. To aggravate my more liberal dorm mates, I taped a newspaper image of Reagan wearing a Chicago Cubs jacket right next to my bed. I wish I could find that picture--it was definitely a classic.
Even though I'd adamantly oppose Reagan's policies in 2004, I recognize that he had a profound influence on my life. Reagan's speech accepting the presidential nomination at the 1984 Republican National Convention was the first text I critiqued as a rhetorical scholar. I enjoyed writing the essay, recieved one of the few "A" grades in the class, and discovered I had a real knack for rhetorical criticism. That essay contributed significantly to my emergance as a life-long academic. Whether you agree with his politics or not, it's hard to dispute that he was one of the best Presidential speakers of the 20th century.
Godspeed, Mr. President.
Former President Reagan died today. I know I spend a great deal of blog space ranting against Republicans. Eighteen years ago, during my freshman year of college, I considered myself a Ronald Reaganite and Young Republican. To aggravate my more liberal dorm mates, I taped a newspaper image of Reagan wearing a Chicago Cubs jacket right next to my bed. I wish I could find that picture--it was definitely a classic.
Even though I'd adamantly oppose Reagan's policies in 2004, I recognize that he had a profound influence on my life. Reagan's speech accepting the presidential nomination at the 1984 Republican National Convention was the first text I critiqued as a rhetorical scholar. I enjoyed writing the essay, recieved one of the few "A" grades in the class, and discovered I had a real knack for rhetorical criticism. That essay contributed significantly to my emergance as a life-long academic. Whether you agree with his politics or not, it's hard to dispute that he was one of the best Presidential speakers of the 20th century.
Godspeed, Mr. President.
Thursday, June 03, 2004
T-Minus 349 Days and Counting
Only 349 days until the release of Star Wars, Episode III.
Good news on the Clone Wars animated series front. 20 new episodes will air in Spring 2005. According to TheForce.net:
More Clone War Cartoons
Wed, Jun 02, 04 09:08:15 AM EDT
Princess Leia tells us that 20 new Clone Wars episodes are signed for and will debut in the Spring of 2005, just prior to the release of Episode III. We would speculate that the animators will get to see the final movie at a screening shortly and develop the plot closely tied to the new movie. We're also hearing that a Clone Wars DVD release is a pending announcement, though we're not sure if both "seasons" will be included or first only. More soon!
May the Force be with you.
Only 349 days until the release of Star Wars, Episode III.
Good news on the Clone Wars animated series front. 20 new episodes will air in Spring 2005. According to TheForce.net:
More Clone War Cartoons
Wed, Jun 02, 04 09:08:15 AM EDT
Princess Leia tells us that 20 new Clone Wars episodes are signed for and will debut in the Spring of 2005, just prior to the release of Episode III. We would speculate that the animators will get to see the final movie at a screening shortly and develop the plot closely tied to the new movie. We're also hearing that a Clone Wars DVD release is a pending announcement, though we're not sure if both "seasons" will be included or first only. More soon!
May the Force be with you.
Asian Film Festival
As members of the Denver Film Society, we receive regular invites to attend screenings of various independent films. Tonight, we attended a preview screening of South of the Clouds, one of the films being shown at the local Asian Film Festival.
SOUTH OF THE CLOUDS (China, 2004, 100 min.) – Saturday, June 5, 4:15pm.
It’s been a life-long dream for middle-aged Xu Da Qin to return to Yunnan, a province near Tibet, where he had worked when he was a young man. An affair with a girl, which led to children and marriage, kept him living in the north for most of his life where he settled into a daily routine of work and drudgery. Now retired, the children grown and his wife dead, Xu heads south imagining what life might have been like if he had stayed in Yunnan. Once there he unwittingly ends up in a complicated affair with a prostitute, having misunderstood her advances for money as a sign for help, and ends up being taken into police custody. Powerful and impressive, Zhu Wen’s South of the Clouds won the critics prize at the recently concluded Hong Kong International Film Festival.
One of the things I enjoy about independent and foreign films is the emphasis on characterization. Much of the typical Hollywood fare emphasizes action, plot twists, and spectacle at the expense of developing characters. As a result, characters in Hollywood films are usually overly archetypal and emotionally underdeveloped. Independent and foreign films are the exact opposite. There's frequently very little action, few plot twists, and almost no spectacle. Characters engage in real, substantive dialogue with one another and act/react in ways that suggest emotional complexity. The result is film-making that makes audience members think.
At the end of an independent film, I almost always hear some of the following comments.
"Why did she choose to do X and point Y?"
"What kind of ending was that?"
"I thought it was kind of slow."
When I hear such comments I know a film is challenging the Hollywood model. The plot isn't being spoon fed to the audience, the ending doesn't follow a typical big screen narrative sequence, and the overall feel of the film is more cerebral than visceral.
South of the Clouds was exactly that kind of movie. How would I react if I found myself in a similar situation? Why did Xu Da Qin long for the Yunnan province? Why did he smile in the closing frame? What the heck was his dream all about? Great stuff.
Over the course of the weekend, we'll also see the following.
GOODBYE DRAGON INN (Taiwan, 2003, 82 min.) – Friday, June 4, 7:00pm.
It’s the final night of a run-down Taipei movie theatre. Once a majestic beacon for film-lovers, the theatre now serves as a refuge for society’s outsiders. As King Hu’s martial arts classic Dragon Inn plays for the last time on the screen, patrons and employees shuffle through the theatre searching for something…anything to fulfill their desires. “Rarely has the experience of movie going itself been so beautifully rendered. Tsai Ming- Liang has fashioned what may be his most brilliant metaphor yet, a lament for the death of feelings framed as a valediction to an entire era of Chinese cinema and an obituary to film-going in general. Needless to say, it’s cruelly, astringently funny.” –Tony Rayns. Goodbye Dragon Inn was Taiwan’s submission for Best Foreign Language Oscar in 2003.
TRAVELLERS AND MAGICIANS (Bhutan, 2003, 108 min.) – Saturday, June 5, 6:30 p.m.
In the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, nestled deep in the Himalayas, two men seek to escape their mundane lives. Dondup, an educated university graduate decides that he would be better off picking grapes in the United States than working as a government official in a remote rural village. Tashi, a restless farm youth studying magic, cannot bear the thought of spending the rest of his life stuck in his small village. The two men embark on parallel, if separate journeys—both seeking a different, and they hope better, life. Forced to hitchhike through the countryside of Bhutan, Dondup eventually shares the road with a monk, an apple seller, a papermaker and his beautiful daughter. Throughout the journey the monk relates the story off Tashi to the group, and eventually Dondup has to wonder if the grass is truly greener on the other side. Travellers & Magicians is the first feature film to be made entirely in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
As members of the Denver Film Society, we receive regular invites to attend screenings of various independent films. Tonight, we attended a preview screening of South of the Clouds, one of the films being shown at the local Asian Film Festival.
SOUTH OF THE CLOUDS (China, 2004, 100 min.) – Saturday, June 5, 4:15pm.
It’s been a life-long dream for middle-aged Xu Da Qin to return to Yunnan, a province near Tibet, where he had worked when he was a young man. An affair with a girl, which led to children and marriage, kept him living in the north for most of his life where he settled into a daily routine of work and drudgery. Now retired, the children grown and his wife dead, Xu heads south imagining what life might have been like if he had stayed in Yunnan. Once there he unwittingly ends up in a complicated affair with a prostitute, having misunderstood her advances for money as a sign for help, and ends up being taken into police custody. Powerful and impressive, Zhu Wen’s South of the Clouds won the critics prize at the recently concluded Hong Kong International Film Festival.
One of the things I enjoy about independent and foreign films is the emphasis on characterization. Much of the typical Hollywood fare emphasizes action, plot twists, and spectacle at the expense of developing characters. As a result, characters in Hollywood films are usually overly archetypal and emotionally underdeveloped. Independent and foreign films are the exact opposite. There's frequently very little action, few plot twists, and almost no spectacle. Characters engage in real, substantive dialogue with one another and act/react in ways that suggest emotional complexity. The result is film-making that makes audience members think.
At the end of an independent film, I almost always hear some of the following comments.
"Why did she choose to do X and point Y?"
"What kind of ending was that?"
"I thought it was kind of slow."
When I hear such comments I know a film is challenging the Hollywood model. The plot isn't being spoon fed to the audience, the ending doesn't follow a typical big screen narrative sequence, and the overall feel of the film is more cerebral than visceral.
South of the Clouds was exactly that kind of movie. How would I react if I found myself in a similar situation? Why did Xu Da Qin long for the Yunnan province? Why did he smile in the closing frame? What the heck was his dream all about? Great stuff.
Over the course of the weekend, we'll also see the following.
GOODBYE DRAGON INN (Taiwan, 2003, 82 min.) – Friday, June 4, 7:00pm.
It’s the final night of a run-down Taipei movie theatre. Once a majestic beacon for film-lovers, the theatre now serves as a refuge for society’s outsiders. As King Hu’s martial arts classic Dragon Inn plays for the last time on the screen, patrons and employees shuffle through the theatre searching for something…anything to fulfill their desires. “Rarely has the experience of movie going itself been so beautifully rendered. Tsai Ming- Liang has fashioned what may be his most brilliant metaphor yet, a lament for the death of feelings framed as a valediction to an entire era of Chinese cinema and an obituary to film-going in general. Needless to say, it’s cruelly, astringently funny.” –Tony Rayns. Goodbye Dragon Inn was Taiwan’s submission for Best Foreign Language Oscar in 2003.
TRAVELLERS AND MAGICIANS (Bhutan, 2003, 108 min.) – Saturday, June 5, 6:30 p.m.
In the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, nestled deep in the Himalayas, two men seek to escape their mundane lives. Dondup, an educated university graduate decides that he would be better off picking grapes in the United States than working as a government official in a remote rural village. Tashi, a restless farm youth studying magic, cannot bear the thought of spending the rest of his life stuck in his small village. The two men embark on parallel, if separate journeys—both seeking a different, and they hope better, life. Forced to hitchhike through the countryside of Bhutan, Dondup eventually shares the road with a monk, an apple seller, a papermaker and his beautiful daughter. Throughout the journey the monk relates the story off Tashi to the group, and eventually Dondup has to wonder if the grass is truly greener on the other side. Travellers & Magicians is the first feature film to be made entirely in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Responsible For Our Own Cure
I love this passage.
We are not compelled to meditate by some outside agent, by other people, or by God. Rather, just as we are responsible for our own suffering, so are we solely responsible for our own cure. We have created the situation in which we find ourselves, and it is up to us to create the circumstances for our release.
-Lama Thubten Yeshe, "Wisdom Energy"
Everything that happens in my life is a result of my choices. Do people do hurtful things to me from time to time? Of course. That said, I'm the one that's letting the circumstance or action hurt me. Virtually every problem in my life is of my own making. While I think that's probably true for most people, many are unwilling to accept this basic premise of life. Instead, they stumble aimlessly through their day-to-day existence, blaming others for their hardships. The above passage requires the ultimate in personal accountablility--I am responsible for everything that happens to me.
I love this passage.
We are not compelled to meditate by some outside agent, by other people, or by God. Rather, just as we are responsible for our own suffering, so are we solely responsible for our own cure. We have created the situation in which we find ourselves, and it is up to us to create the circumstances for our release.
-Lama Thubten Yeshe, "Wisdom Energy"
Everything that happens in my life is a result of my choices. Do people do hurtful things to me from time to time? Of course. That said, I'm the one that's letting the circumstance or action hurt me. Virtually every problem in my life is of my own making. While I think that's probably true for most people, many are unwilling to accept this basic premise of life. Instead, they stumble aimlessly through their day-to-day existence, blaming others for their hardships. The above passage requires the ultimate in personal accountablility--I am responsible for everything that happens to me.
4018 Days and Counting
Eleven years ago today (June 2, 1993), I started down the path of recovery. If you want some of the gory details, you can check out the June 2, 2003 entry from last year. Rather than reflecting on the pre-recovery me, I thought I'd focus on where I'm at today. During my first couple weeks of sobriety, I heard someone say, "What you need is an attitude of gratitude." Ugh. I hated hearing that when all I wanted was to get falling down drunk. As time has passed, however, I've learned that there's much for which to be grateful. Today, 4018 days sober, I have an attitude of gratitude.
11 Things for Which I'm Grateful
1. A partner who accepts and loves me for who I am, quirks, idiosyncracies, and all.
2. My sister & parents.
3. Cindy. A friend who helped me get my head screwed on straight a couple years back.
4. Alcoholics Anonymous. 12 simple steps saved my life.
5. A profession that I truly love. There are times when I feel guilty for collecting a paycheck.
6. Joe. Despite all the ups and downs of the last three years, we keep trudging along and helping each other out.
7. Gene. We haven't been great at keeping in touch lately, but I'm forever in his debt for all the late night conversations. Without his advice, geek talk, and musical recommendations, I'm not sure I'd be in the place I am today. He's the one person who really understood where I was at three years ago.
8. Michael. A true and faithful friend who has seen me at my worst and my best. Through it all, he remains a constant. 24 years and counting, Mikey!
9. Keli & Mary. Who says you can't develop intimate friendships via the club scene. Rubbish! Thanks for all the advice, support, and laughs. You should both be ashamed for "sneaking" cigarettes when I'm not watching. I'm one year smober (smoke free) today. Maybe I should celebrate with a smoke . . .
10. Bishop. You truly live up to the title of this man's best friend. I never thought a dog would become such an integral part of my life. I'm glad you picked me all those years ago.
11. My mohawk. In celebration of summer break, I decided to cut my hair. If you thought people gave me funny looks for the Heat Miser look, you should see the looks now. Picture available on request.
Eleven years ago today (June 2, 1993), I started down the path of recovery. If you want some of the gory details, you can check out the June 2, 2003 entry from last year. Rather than reflecting on the pre-recovery me, I thought I'd focus on where I'm at today. During my first couple weeks of sobriety, I heard someone say, "What you need is an attitude of gratitude." Ugh. I hated hearing that when all I wanted was to get falling down drunk. As time has passed, however, I've learned that there's much for which to be grateful. Today, 4018 days sober, I have an attitude of gratitude.
11 Things for Which I'm Grateful
1. A partner who accepts and loves me for who I am, quirks, idiosyncracies, and all.
2. My sister & parents.
3. Cindy. A friend who helped me get my head screwed on straight a couple years back.
4. Alcoholics Anonymous. 12 simple steps saved my life.
5. A profession that I truly love. There are times when I feel guilty for collecting a paycheck.
6. Joe. Despite all the ups and downs of the last three years, we keep trudging along and helping each other out.
7. Gene. We haven't been great at keeping in touch lately, but I'm forever in his debt for all the late night conversations. Without his advice, geek talk, and musical recommendations, I'm not sure I'd be in the place I am today. He's the one person who really understood where I was at three years ago.
8. Michael. A true and faithful friend who has seen me at my worst and my best. Through it all, he remains a constant. 24 years and counting, Mikey!
9. Keli & Mary. Who says you can't develop intimate friendships via the club scene. Rubbish! Thanks for all the advice, support, and laughs. You should both be ashamed for "sneaking" cigarettes when I'm not watching. I'm one year smober (smoke free) today. Maybe I should celebrate with a smoke . . .
10. Bishop. You truly live up to the title of this man's best friend. I never thought a dog would become such an integral part of my life. I'm glad you picked me all those years ago.
11. My mohawk. In celebration of summer break, I decided to cut my hair. If you thought people gave me funny looks for the Heat Miser look, you should see the looks now. Picture available on request.
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Play Me Some Cockamamie
Yesterday, I was struck with a strong urge to revisit one of the artists who introduced me to indie rock. Back in 1995, I discovered Jennifer Trynin. Her eclectic style sent me scurrying about the internet, searching for "unknown" artists. Nine years later, I'm still digging female-fronted indie rock, punk, power-pop, death disco, and nu new wave.
Imagine my suprise when I noticed a piece regarding Ms. Trynin as I went through my usual morning coffee/news/blog routine. Too bad she's not fronting Loveless. Without her singing lead, the album holds little interest for me.
Yesterday, I was struck with a strong urge to revisit one of the artists who introduced me to indie rock. Back in 1995, I discovered Jennifer Trynin. Her eclectic style sent me scurrying about the internet, searching for "unknown" artists. Nine years later, I'm still digging female-fronted indie rock, punk, power-pop, death disco, and nu new wave.
Imagine my suprise when I noticed a piece regarding Ms. Trynin as I went through my usual morning coffee/news/blog routine. Too bad she's not fronting Loveless. Without her singing lead, the album holds little interest for me.
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