Camera Obscura - Tarantino to Cronenberg

Today's topic tackles two of my favorite filmmakers - both accused of visceral excesses and both capable of crafting stories that will not leave your thoughts, long after the movie is over. And not the way, say the Larry the Cable Guy movie might haunt you - trailing you like an oafish, unwashed, relative who won't leave and forever turns your couch into an anti-life Aroma Zone. No, this post is about filmmakers with Talent.

Unless I missed some small mention, the Knoxville community seemed to ignore the birthday this week of one of their native sons - one who has been a prolific writer, director and likely one of the most notable and some might say controversial filmmakers of the last decade. While living only a short time in East TN, he captures much of the voices of other ET writers, like Agee or Cormac McCarthy. The dialog is raw, plain and realistic and crimes and passions are often motivated by quests, however illusory, for a better life. Good and Bad are relative terms.

On Monday, Quentin Tranantino turned 43, and the only mention I caught was on the "Writer's Almanac." I'd heard various biographical details before about him - his work as a videostore clerk, his manic personality - but some items I had not heard before, as the Almanac noted:

" ... he hated school so much that he dropped out after ninth grade. He got a job as an usher at a pornographic movie theater and started taking acting classes. He taught himself screenwriting by writing from memory screenplays of movies he'd already seen. Whatever he couldn't remember he just made up. These screenplays eventually turned into his own original work, and he realized that he'd rather be a filmmaker than an actor."
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"Tarantino said, "I steal from every movie ever made."


After much-too-long a wait, I finally got to see a movie this week by another prolific and challenging filmmaker, David Cronenberg, the Academy Award nominated "History of Violence." This Canadian writer and director earned his chops with a host of horror movies that remain as chilling and disturbing as they day they were released. From "Shivers" to "Rabid", "Scanners," "The Brood," "Videodrome," "The Fly, "The Dead Zone," and others, he consistently followed themes of nightmarish quality about intimacy, relationships, celebrity, and technology.

However, more of his recent efforts have been focused on characters and not nasty nightmares. In "Crash" and "Spider" his stories were made for maximum effect by exploring humanity or the lack of it, of the Outsiders who search for some kind of tentative cooperation with normalcy.


"A History of Violence" may be his masterwork. And as a true bonus, the commentary and behind-the-scene features on the DVD are worthy of great educational value to would-be filmmakers and those just curious as to how a movie is made and how artistic vision is brought to life. It's by far the most intelligent director commentary I've ever experienced via DVDs.

The story comes straight from the old John Wayne/Glenn Ford school of Heroics - the right to defend the Home and the Family. Expertly cast with Viggo Mortensen as a small-town owner of a diner and Maria Bello as his loving wife, their world is shattered when brutal criminals attempt to rob his diner and endanger his customers. In pure street brawl fashion, Viggo, as Tom Stall, kills the criminals. The town and the media hail him as a hero. Even his somewhat bullied son, Jack, gains admiration and inspiration from Tom's defense. And then a trio of ugly thugs arrive at Stall's Diner led by actor Ed Harris and casually accuse him of being just another mobster on the lam, that "Tom" is an impostor.

Cronenberg deftly restrains his style to create characters that seem both believable and doubtful at once. The violence escalates, and it always seems to be justified ... unless, perhaps, Tom isn't really Tom at all. And that doubt begins to rattle the All-American home of Tom and his wife to their foundations.

I won't reveal more, but in addition to the Academy Award nomination for supporting actor William Hurt, Viggo should have gotten a nomination as well. It also earned a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and many critics place the movie as one of the best of the 2005.

Worth mentioning too is the utterly wordless finale as Tom and his family sit down to dinner. It's one of the most powerful and emotional scenes I've seen in years.

Cronenberg's comments from the movie's web site (as well as the many unspoken themes in the movie itself) offer some insight into how carefully he crafted this work, how deeply involved the actors and tech crews were in collaborating to make this unique and impressive work. You'll want to watch it twice, perhaps more, especially after you hear Cronenberg's comments.

Violence can be justified - but can it be endured?

Oh and one more quickie here before I end - along with the fine folks at Atomic Tumor, the movie I most want to see in coming months is what appears to be a brilliant adaption of Phillip Dick's classic "A Scanner Darkly," filmed with a new style of real film and animation - check out the latest preview here.

Guns and Peanut Butter

The Tennessee Dept of Corrections issued a press release this week to announce they will ban jars of peanut butter for jail inmates. The story got some minor press coverage, though not one single reporter thought to ask to most important questions about this case.

The trouble, according to TDOC, is that inmates were using the 18 ounce containers to hide guns, drugs, cell phones, clothes, etc. In fact, last year's bloody jail escape and murderous shoot out enacted by George Hyatte in August occured after he used one-such smuggled cell phone to coordinate his deadly escape on his way to court in Knoxville with the aid of his girlfriend.

All press reports note that inmates purchased these large jars of peanut butter through a jail commissary. So, then, since inmates don't usually store guns, cell phones and drugs in their cells, SOMEONE had to put those items in the jars before they were purchased by inmates. SOMEONE in, say, a jail commissary -- but no word on corrective actions taken against the operations of a commissary. Just no more giant jars for the inmates. Currently TDOC says some 4,600 jars are in stock, but will be replaced .... soon.

"Most Idiotic Song Ever" - NOT

Not to knock down a fellow-blogger, but Glen Dean's rant about a song he calls the most idiotic ever, the John Lennon tune, "Imagine", has me puzzled. Even in his comments section, which is properly filled with debate, Dean admits his fave band is the Grateful Dead, and as far as goofy lyrics go ... well, let's just call some of them goofy and leave it at that.

But I can of think of many other tunes to qualify as idiotic - "Sugar, Sugar" by the Archies or that "Mmm-bop" song by them little Hanson boys. And I personally find great irony that Dolly Parton's song about breaking off her ties with Porter Waggoner, "I WIll Always Love You", is now most often heard during a wedding.

But I digress.

Here's what Glen says:

"There has never been, nor will there ever be a song this idiotic. Every verse is stupid, but the final verse takes the cake.

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

Sounds like a typical fantasy for an egalitarian commie like Lennon, nothing to work for, nothing to stand up and fight for, nobody having any more than anybody else. After all, nobody deserves more. No wonder they played this song at the UN.

I don't understand why society made Lennon out to be some kind of peace activist. Peace has never been achieved by sitting around and imagining that there is no religion, no heaven or hell, and no bad people in the world. We are free today because of soldiers, sailors, and marines, men and women who sacrificed their lives so that we could live in peace. Freedom was fought for, not dreamed about."

Society did not make Lennon a peace activist - he did it himself, along with help from Yoko Ono - by expressing to the press in multiple interviews that he thought the Vietnam War was wrong and should end. He called in the international press on his honeymoon so they would report that he and his new bride were holding a "bed-in" to protest the war. The event was worldwide news. And then there was the song, "Give Peace A Chance" which he wrote intentionally as an anti-war anthem.

The US at the time labled him an "activist" and tried for years to keep him out of the country, especially since many millions of people were joining him in protesting the war. It was a case which the US goverment ultimately lost.

Sounds kinda like an "activist" to me.

And then there is that artistic metaphor of the tune itself - first, you have to be able to conceive, to imagine a world which you then work to make a reality through your actions. And history shows that from the sit-down strikes of Ghandi to the non-violent resistance of Martin Luther King Jr. that "sitting" and "stopping" can in fact cause revolutionary change.

And again, speaking personally, the song never expressed a rejection of religion or money, but rather an endorsement in the power of the individual to create a better world - a brotherhood created out of a realization that we can all change our lives for the better if we wish it and act to be inclusive and not divisive. It expresses to me that each person can do much to determine the reality of the world around us - but that action is preceded by vision, imagination, and viewing the world outside of the status quo.

Freedoms often must be fought for, sung about, talked about and I dare say the writers of the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution began by "imagining" a world where religion and government were not the authority of humans - that instead we are all Free to be self-determining.

As for "imagining" there were "no heaven or no hell" - to me that meant that we are accountable in this world first for the way we live. So perhaps the here and now is the place to begin making a better world, not out of fear of some future Judgement, but from a desire to make the world we live in more humane and compassionate.

And this post isn't meant to defame Dean - thank God he is Free to write as he wishes. And so am I.

The Missing Android and The Cellborg

Somewhere out in the world today is the head of a robot and no one is quite sure where it might be, and even stranger, the robot itself was based on the likeness of a man who often feared that he might one day be replaced by a robot which would be convinced that it was real and that the real man was a fake. In fact, much of the writings of the late Phillip K. Dick focused on the nature of reality and the rise of technology. The android created was "touring" the country and the head ... just ... went missing.

This tale was odd enough to begin with - the android's memory was loaded with the writings of PKD himself, so you could ask "it" questions and "it" would respond with PKD's own words. Biometric ID software allowed the fake PKD to recognize faces, interpret body language and expression which then led to the responses it gave to those who spoke to "it."

And now it's just ... out there, somewhere. Was it a planned escape? Is It pondering what to do next? It It writing It's first novel or short story? Is It plotting an organized android revolution? Makes me feel trapped in one of the original PKD's books.

Biological humans seem, as PKD predicted, to be searching for more and more ways to computerize their bodies. A new trend among 20-somethings is to buy a home kit and do self-implants so they can use their hands to interact with the world without touching anything. They call themselves "taggers" and use the implants to gain access to VIP clubs, use it open locked doors, as password protection for computer systems or add it to clothing so it emits light and link with GPS systems to keep them from getting lost, I suppose. Too bad no one put one such tracker in the missing robot head. And what happens if your implant also has your debit/credit card info - could you walk through a store, leave, and later find yourself charged for thousands of dollars in purchases simply by walking down an aisle filled with chip-filled goods??

At a recent conference on the ever-growing use of nanotechnology - structures made on the scale of atoms and molecules, for example a human hair is 100,000 nanometers wide - the Future looks paved with tiny nano-bots. These micro-machines are already at use in cosmetics, paint, fabrics, building materials, medicine and more. The U.S. government is expected to spend $6 billion on such research this year and the private sector likewise will spend about $6 billion on these products this year as well.

This week, researchers have announced success in fusing brain cells with computer chips that are about 1 millimeter square. Applications for medicine and business are immense - creating chips that utilize proteins and neurons to achieve their tiny nano-programs.

Also, it was announced this week that researchers have created what they call a "cellborg." It is the first success in blending micro-organisms with electronics. The new "cellborg" is acting a sensor to detect changes in humidity, but the applications include being able to detect gases or chemicals, which promises usage within medicine and security technology.

And earlier this month, the first ever NanoTech Consumer Products Inventory was made available to the public. Some 212 products are currently listed, and more are being added on a nearly daily basis, though not all items currently being used are offered to the public - yet. One nano researcher says:

"We are at the vanguard of discovering the endless benefits of nanotechnology for applications like targeted cancer treatments and more efficient solar cells. With this inventory, we also are learning that this technology is already being incorporated into our daily lives. It's on store shelves and being sold in every part of the world," said David Rejeski, director of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, which is supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts."

I used to make a joke that I was waiting for what I called "The Media Patch" - a device I imagined would be about the size of a postage stamp, and would connect my brain to telephone service, computer and online access, television and radio. Guess I need to revise that to a simple tiny implant, which also includes all my financial and medical information -- though right now that would be "broke" and "feeling pretty good, but with a little paranoia about computer chips."

All Workers To Need Federal OK

Fundamental to all the debate about immigration reforms is one underlying theme - which political party can collect the most votes during the 2006 election. A candidate wants to appeal to those opposed to making illegal immigrants felons, unless they want to appeal to voters who want more criminalization for illegals. And new immigrants and first and second generation immigrants are eyeing which party supports them and which does not. To paraphrase, it's about the voters, stupid. Not about reform.

And for all the hoopla around loving or hating the proposed bill from last year in the House, I see little discussion about a fundamental change affecting every worker and would-be worker in the nation. The bill would demand a federal database of all potential workers and demand employers use that database or risk federal anger. Everyone would have to obtain, in essence, a federal "permission slip" to obtain a job, immigrant or not.

Or to put it another way:

"The legislation would create a sea-change in federal employment rules by requiring all workers in the country to obtain a federal agencyÂ’s permission to work. All employers would be required to participate in a national employment eligibility verification program in an expansion of the faulty but voluntary "Basic Pilot" program in current law. Like Basic Pilot, the new program would use an Internet-based system to check the names and social security numbers of all employees -- citizens and non-citizen alike -- against a Department of Homeland Security database.

The ACLU said that such a move would place a huge burden on both employers and workers. The non-partisan Government Accountability Office reported that conservative estimates of implementing such a system would cost at least $11.7 billion annually, a large share of which would be shouldered by businesses. Also, even assuming a near-perfect accuracy rate in the program, millions of legal, eligible American workers could still have their right to work seriously delayed or denied --fighting bureaucratic red tape to keep a job and pay bills. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations have expressed strong reservations with the employment verification provisions."

Read the bill here. And remember, it's addressing Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration. ( and the unspoken federal approval to be a worker in the U.S.)

Another Manufacturing Job Loss In Morristown

The much-troubled furniture manufacturing industry in Morristown continues to decline as the former Shelby Williams Industries, now called Commercial Furniture Inc., has dropped another 100 jobs. This follows the loss of 200 jobs announced last fall, according to an article today in the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Some 30 or more years ago, furniture makers were an anchor industry here, but in the last decade or more, the jobs have left for overseas operations and falling production.

Will Your Job Last?

Economic concerns are driving the debate behind immigration reform on most serious levels, with the notion arising, finally, that illegals lower overall wages - which benefit employers. And it isn't just the arrival of immigrants that threaten American workers, but the exodous of jobs.

How many millions of US jobs will fly overseas in the next five to ten years? 56 million?

From What I've Read

I've realized that in addition to the links I offer on this page, I should also from time to time provide some links to other blogs and posts which I read. I enjoy roaming the blog world and reading all types of opinions and info and news, and hope you enjoy this Sunday roundup. Click away!

- On all the anger from the Right.

- Does Barbara Bush profit from donations to Katrina Aid?

- Some local views on the Immigration debate.

- Do not change eminent domain laws. Or maybe we should.

- Some cool gadgets. And the Cool Hunters home.

- Goodbye and RIP to the creator of the Bakersfield Sound, Buck Owens.

- The Big Cheese.

Is God Angry With Britain?

It was inevitable I suppose, with battles and bombs raging in the Middle East, that God Himself would seek out the international press to sound off on His views. And He did just that recently in this article:

"The archangel reported that the Almighty has become increasingly irritated with the vogue for politicians to claim that He is behind their policies - especially if these involve killing large numbers of humans"

Even here in the U.S., the President had to deal with questions and or fears concerning the Apocalypse.

Subscriber Service Back In Action - Get Yours!!

For subscribers to this blog, you'll get better service now that I've dropped Bloglet and am using FEEDblitz instead. Bloglet just up and quit working, emails to them came back as undeliverable, so I punted them. A search revealed more bloggers were happy with FEEDblitz, so I'm trying them out. Please let me know if you have any problems with this new service and I thank you for signing up - if you haven't it's easy!!! Just sign up on the form in the links section here!

Camera Obscura - Weapon of Choice

Every now and then a performer in today's nano-fast, modern now-a-go-go world makes hits decade after decade in almost every realm of entertainment - movies, TV, stage, music and books. You know today's subject and I bet you'll even know some lines he's made or that certain movies which were made better just because he was there. That's called Star Power. And his Legend says he's a performer who never turns down a part. Any part.

He'll turn 63 next week, on March 31st, but I don't expect him to stop anytime soon.

I remember some other actor once referred to him as a "reed thin, hyper-intensive guy" and that sort of sums him up pretty well. He can make a villian be funny in the creepiest ways. Sometimes, his haircut is frightening.

He earned an Oscar for "The Deer Hunter" in 1978 and his lanky funky dancing got him an MTV music award in 2001 and "Saturday Night Live" has an open invite for him to host whenever he wishes. One of my personal favorite moments is the "watch speech" he gives in "Pulp Fiction" where he mentions the watch was bought in Knoxville - without a doubt, Christopher Walken can do it all.



I guess it was it his dancing though, that made him stand out to me. I was one of the few hundred in 1981 who bothered to watch, much less enjoy the Steve Martin-starring movie "Pennies From Heaven." His tap-dancing scene in the pool hall was inspired madness.

Also in '81, he starred in the underrated "Dogs of War", where he and three other guys take over an entire country. Reading his movie credits and his bio, you'll find about 90 movies under his belt, comedies, animation, horror and mystery and action and drama. He started at 10 in a skit with Jerry Lewis and was in last year's huge hit "The Wedding Crashers." His career just keeps growing.

Worth mentioning here is the Web hoax that has Walken as a presidential candidate for 2008, and his growing fame as a music producer in a "Saturday Night Live" skit where he keeps yelling "More cowbell!!!" as the band Blue Oyster Cult records the song "Don't Fear The Reaper."

But for sheer joy and wild fun, it's hard to beat his dancing in the Spike Jonze directed video for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice," which he choreographed and nabbed that MTV award. I'm including the video today via YouTube for you to watch, but you'll get a crisper and cleaner copy of the video by going here.

Fred Astaire may have danced on the walls, but Chris flies.

How Much for Gas? or The Summer Blend Mystery

Back in the end of February I was paying $1.99 a gallon for gas and yesterday the price was $2.45. And of course, the price hike arrives as the "Spring Break" season begins, and this morning I see a report from AAA talking about the oil company's mandated changeover to "summer blend" gas.

Yes, the headlines and AAA say it - Summer Blend drives Price Hike.

What the heck is a summer blend and a winter blend?

Being an internet fiend, I Google the phrase. And the "summer blend" was mandated by the EPA back in 2001 by the President's Energy Policy, even found this nifty press release from the EPA which says this new "boutique" of clean fuel programs will "benefit consumers." Then head of the agency, Christie Whitman said:

"I am concerned that when supplies fall short, due to increased demand or pipeline disruptions, the gasoline prices increase dramatically, as we saw this past summer. EPA requires the use of summer blend fuels to minimize air pollution during the hot summer months. While many factors contributed to the gasoline price spikes this year, we want to ensure that using summer blend fuel is not a contributor to price hikes.

Hmmm. Turns out each state has their own laws and requirements about what fuel should be used in different times of the year - the aforementioned "boutique" - means about 100 different types of summer blends are made. And much of the info is several years old, back when a barrel of crude was less than $30.

So the more I find out, the more confused the information becomes. It all seems to contradict, which also seems to be a trend regarding information and bureaucracy. Gas station owners hate the price hike they say, drivers hate it more, and as Yoda might say "Helpless we all are."

Last week while driving, I decided to tune in to the mindless ravings of Rush Limbaugh. It's good to know what the crazies are thinking. And he's complaining about people who complain about the record multi-billion dollar profits that all the oil companies have been reporting. The fat idiot says if people really want to find something to complain about, it's the rise of property taxes over the last 10 or 15 years, and that if the "average American" understood how that problem has grown then they would take to the streets in masses.

What?

Then I recall how R.L. is a master of the ol' bait-and-switch. Never answer the issue at hand, bring up another one and claim the Evil is there.

The bottom line is oil companies always have an excuse - seasonal changes, clean air laws, Venezuela, Iraq, OPEC, hurricanes, China, natural gas, state gas taxes, yadda yadda yadda. You darned Americans just want everything - adequate supplies, reinvestment of profits, efficient combustion, war, peace, cable TV and better grades fer the kids in school. The reply to your endless need is: Someone has to pay for it. And for the attorneys.

TN Hospitals Join 'Typo' Lawsuit

I mentioned last week that people were beginning to question whether or not a law signed by President Bush was actually a law or a collection of Constitutional violations. As of last Friday, 15 Tennessee hospitals joined with those who want the $39 billion deficit-reduction Act reviewed or repealed, calling it "unconstitutional", according to this report in The Hill.

The hospitals, which have been battling with the Health and Human Services agency for 10 years over billing issues, won $100 million lawsuit against HHS in September of last year - but the day after the President signed this "new law", HHS filed a motion to alter the court's judgement against them.

The confusion is growing faster than kudzu in summertime - and the HHS motion made Sen. Frist angry, according to the story:

"In addition to prompting a legal response that could obliterate a $39 billion spending-reduction bill, the HHS motion to overturn that decision attracted the ire of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and the entire Tennessee delegation.

Frist and his colleagues wrote to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on March 10 to complain about the government’s motion.

“We request further explanation of what we believe to be a serious miscommunication by [Medicare representatives],” the lawmakers wrote."

Patents on Thought - UPDATE

According to some the questions from Supreme Court members yesterday, much doubt is being cast on the notion that patents can be applied to thought. It's really obvious the answer should be "No."

Justice Stephen Breyer noted that a Yes vote on this issue would create "monopolies in this country beyond belief," and Justice Scalia repeatedly asked "What was made by man here?" during the arguments in the case. More on the arguments made are here.

While there are a world of definitions regarding copyright, trademarks and patents, I have been seeing some dangerous trends in all these areas and my beliefs about copyrights themselves have changed greatly over the last few years.

As someone who has scraped by earning tiny amounts of money for writing, I used to be hold a firm belief that creators and inventors needed copyright protections in order to earn an income and protect the integrity of their creations. Yet as corporations have swallowed up the ideas of others, the ramifications of ownership and earnings changed, so my perspectives have changed.

Unfathomable changes have occured in the modern age - as I noted in the previous post, concerning owning the patents on thought, and of course the issues file sharing and downloading music and video have brought on heated debates and court cases taking action against individuals by the ever-growing rights extended to corporations.

Another recent madness emerged as Marvel Comics and DC Comcis continue to prevent the commercial use of their trademark to the term Super-Hero. It's a word, and yes, a concept, but this legal claim by Marvel and DC is madness.

Wrestling with these ideas, I went back to the still-revolutionary writings of our U.S. Constitution, where in Article One, Section 8 it states:

"To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries ..."

Previous history to this document reveals hundreds of years of Western Civilization aiming to control the use and spread of information. So, it is little wonder the writers of the Constitution were specific in their phrasing -- that law should promote science and arts for limited times. After that time has passed, writings and discoveries were meant to become part of the public's domain.

The writers wisely held the belief that information and ideas need to ultimately be free and easily accesible to all citizens. It's an idea I also have embraced. God knows the more free and open access to all types of information will "promote progress."

A brilliant and well researched article "The Erosion of Public Protection: Attacks On The Concept of Free Use" traces the history of the copyright issue.

Supreme Court Considers Patents on Thought

On Tuesday of this week the Supreme Court takes up an odd case involving patent rights, and one of the key issues concerns how factual information might make a person "think", and how such reflection and thought could violate the patent. Kinda makes my head hurt to ponder this case,

In short, a company called Metabolite owns the license for a patent on a medical test for homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, and further, the patent includes the basic biological relationship between this amino acid and vitamin deficiency. Another company, LabCorp, uses a different medical test, but has published information mentioning the the "patented fact" about the biology involved. So far, courts have backed Metabolite on the patent infringement of "thinking" about this fact.

Yeah, OK....

In an essay by Michael Chrichton in the NYTimes, he notes some things I plain did not know and I hope I'm not breaking the law by thinking about this or writing about it:

"For example, the human genome exists in every one of us, and is therefore our shared heritage and an undoubted fact of nature. Nevertheless 20 percent of the genome is now privately owned. The gene for diabetes is owned, and its owner has something to say about any research you do, and what it will cost you. The entire genome of the hepatitis C virus is owned by a biotech company. Royalty costs now influence the direction of research in basic diseases, and often even the testing for diseases. Such barriers to medical testing and research are not in the public interest. Do you want to be told by your doctor, "Oh, nobody studies your disease any more because the owner of the gene/enzyme/correlation has made it too expensive to do research?"

"The question of whether basic truths of nature can be owned ought not to be confused with concerns about how we pay for biotech development, whether we will have drugs in the future, and so on. If you invent a new test, you may patent it and sell it for as much as you can, if that's your goal. Companies can certainly own a test they have invented. But they should not own the disease itself, or the gene that causes the disease, or essential underlying facts about the disease."

One example which Chrichton notes is that Einstein did not own the patent on his mathematical theory of the speed of light being constant. But what if he had? What if Newton owned a patent on the idea of gravity? If so, then researchers would have to pay royalties for thinking about them and experimentation based on those ideas.

And that, dear readers, is my concern - is it truly feasible to demand royalties on what you might think about the facts and theories of the natural world and how they relate to each other?

Oh, and there is the already disturbing (to me) law that allows for someone to "own" segments of the Human Genome.

Patriot Act - The Board Game

What happens when you blend the game of Monopoly with the so-called "Patriot" Act?

You get a board game where the object is to be the last player to retain any Civil Liberties.

Instead of landing on say, Oriental Avenue, you land on color-coded terror alert sites, and get Homeland Security cards instead of Chance cards. And you don't Go To Jail - you go to Gitmo.

Read more here. (Note the story refers to the "inventor" of the game as an "artists" and "activist". (and hat-tip to the Rodeo Monkey for the story)

Next oddity of the day arrived via Cherokee Sage Woman. Police raid a near-full blown factory manufacturing snack foods made of marijuana - complete with names like "Pot Tarts" and "Buddhafingers."

And one more - the Las Vegas artist who found his BBQ chicken made him the "Rodney King of Chicken."

Wal-Mart Says No To Legislation And TennCare's 1st Annual Report

The state legislature is facing a battle with Wal-Mart over dollars mandated by government to be spent on health insurance. Some 33 other states are also considering similar legislative action, which would require that a company with 10,000-plus employees to pay 10 peccent of their gross payroll toward health care - either directly to workers or to a state-led health care fund, according to reports.

Wal-Mart is lobbying against it, saying it's an unfair "union tactic" though supporters note that about 25 percent of Wal-Mart employees are TennCare recepients, the largest percentage of any company in the state.

Other than Wal-Mart, the other companies that would be affected include FedEx, Kroger and Vanderbilt. The article makes interesting reading.

The state is continuing to track down fraud and abuse of TennCare - something the Bredesen administration demanded and previous Gov Sunquist avoided. But they've also made it easy for anyone to report fraud and abuse of TennCare.

The first-ever annual report of TennCare is available at the state's website and has these comments:

"This is the first time the Bureau has produced a report that very clearly spells out to the taxpayers how the program works and how their tax dollars are being spent in the TennCare program,” said TennCare Director, Dr. J.D. Hickey. “As the single largest component of the state’s overall budget, we felt compelled to produce this report and believe it will be a useful tool in better understanding the TennCare program and thechanges we’ve made during the past year.”

"The Annual Report chronicles TennCare’s efforts to rein in program finances by implementing dozens of pharmacy utilization control measures, expanding drug purchasing power, launching five statewide disease management programs and aggressively managing the program to return the program to financial stability. Statistics on the TennCare population, county-by-county enrollment breakdowns and funding source breakouts with actual expenditures and growth percentages are highlighted in the report for quick reference."

You can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tenncarefraud.tennessee.gov

Camera Obscura - Alan Moore's Vendetta

The mainstream world is about to encounter what readers around the Western world read and thought about the rise of the Ronald Reagan years, though now re-told as the Neo-Conservative battle playing out in today's political world in the new move release "V for Vendetta." The writer and creator of the original 12 issue comic book series Alan Moore, has, once again, had his name removed from this film based on his work which was published in 1988.

Moore has given up rights to his works already made into film - "Constantine," "From Hell," "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". He still writes intriguing tales in the comics and remains a most unusual character. A recent interview has these comments about "V for Vendetta":

"As far I'm concerned, the two poles of politics were not Left Wing or Right Wing. In fact they're just two ways of ordering an industrial society and we're fast moving beyond the industrial societies of the 19th and 20th centuries. It seemed to me the two more absolute extremes were anarchy and fascism. This was one of the things I objected to in the recent film, where it seems to be, from the script that I read, sort of recasting it as current American neo-conservatism vs. current American liberalism. There wasn't a mention of anarchy as far as I could see. The fascism had been completely defanged."

I had been reading Moore's award-winning work thru the late 1980s on "Swamp Thing" and "Miracleman", just prior to the release of the astonishing masterpiece called "The Watchmen." More on that later (and please, God, don't let them ever make a movie of it). It was in late summer in 1990 in a small apartment in Brooklyn where I ran across the V for Vendetta series.

The character of V takes action not so much for some Moral Code - it's more that he wants to destabilize the status quo, encourage the individual to establish self-determining skills, and ultimately the reader has much to wonder as to whether V is just an insane anarchist, a tortured artist or just the presence of non-conformity.

In 1990s Manhattan, riots had raged in Bensonhurst and Times Square was still home to porn theatres and crime - as opposed to its role today as a sleek and clean place to see the latest Walt Disney Broadway musical. The rap band Public Enemy was playing Radio Center under heavy police security and economic ravages of trickled-on-and-down Reaganism left a funky sense of smoldering rage through the city. I remember seeing stretches of the Brooklyn Bridge marked with graffiti which read "Yuppicide".

To the movie's credit, I understand there's more actual dialog than just action - but we'll see. The film itself is dedicated to the memory of the late, great cinematographer Adrian Biddle who died in Dec. 2005. And it stands to reason to stake out the story with the current political debate noting single-party government and morality versus ... well, reviewers have referred to "liberalism", but I see little of that in America and more concerns of maintaining the Bill of Rights. But that's another post.

First in V for Vendetta and later in "The Watchmen" Moore presents the idea that someone, with or without some super-hero power, who dons a mask and takes the law into his or her own hands is -- well, a little crazy, isn't it? And his epic graphic novel, "The Watchmen," Moore provides a leftover collection of deeply disturbed superheroes enacting their vision for humanity which isn't really very sane. There are many levels of storytelling here and all brilliantly presented - in my opinion, it's the pinnacle of storytelling in comic books and nothing has reached beyond it since it first came out in the late 1980s. The ideas there have been picked up in Hollywood and anime and television ever since. Moore seems content to just continue writing as he wishes.

In some other movie/comics news, writer Mike Mignola and director Guillermo del Toro are teaming together again for a sequel to the highly underrated "Hellboy" movie. For my money, it's the best adaption of a comic book to movie I've ever seen. Rumors also claim the director is being wooed to take the lead for the movie adaption of the videogame "Halo."

And as of this morning, I read that actor Benicio del Toro has signed on to play The Wolf-Man in a new Universal movie.

And so far, I've been most impressed with the new Tuesday night TV series "The Unit" created by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet -- someone called it "Desperate Housewives Meets G.I. Joe", but it's much better than that. It follows a group of covert-ops military agents and their wives, but the lingo is realistic and each episode stands alone - you don't have to follow a season-long storyline to keep up with it.

$2 Billion And A Law Which Isn't Legal

A two billion dollar federal typo about how long oxygen used in home should be paid by Medicare; the vice-president has to fly in to make the tie-breaking vote; House and Senate bills that don't match, but which is made into law with the signature of the President.

But what if none of this is legal?

GOP Fakes Integrity

To prove they are the embodiment of integrity, members of Congress have bravely submitted to giving up receiving free trips from lobbyists until the after the November elections - then it's back to fawning at the feet of anyone with money.

The pretend approach to "ethics reform" considered by the House of Representatives is likely to get another touch of pretend-to-stop-getting-gifts before the full vote on the fake reforms.

More info on how GOP-led Congress feasts on cash here.

Green Party Candidate Seeks 1st District

The open race for Congress here in East Tennessee has one candidate that isn't much like the usual choices - not that there has been much of a choice since Jimmy Quillen took the seat in 1962. But Green Parrty candidate member Robert N. Smith has announced his campaign as of last week with some scathing comments for both Republicans and Democrats.

Smith is a 20-year vet from the Navy and hhs announcement story can be read here at the Greeneville Sun. What are some of his views on national politics?

"During the last 40 years I have seen the Republican Party go from a party of financial responsibility and small government to something I can only call National Socialism.

“The Democrats in the same time have gone from representing the little people to Republican Lite. Nether party represents me or most people I know.”

He has a "19-point campaign platform" which the article mentions too:

1- Impeach Bush/Cheney and lesser officials for treason, the one charge that the president cannot grant a pardon for;

“2- Pull out of Iraq/Afghanistan and allow U.N. forces to do the job of peacekeeping, rebuilding;

“3- Rescind the unconstitutional Partriot Act;

“4- Call for sharp reductions in defense spending, with the savings going to essential social/environmental programs

More is in the article.

Tennessee's Abortion Plan

States legislatures, like the one in South Dakota and now Tennessee, seem to place a high priority on going through the U.S. courts systems waging a war, one they see as implicity moral, to end the currently legal medical procedures of abortion.

This happens in a campaign year, of course, giving life to much grandstanding by politicians. The sad truth is the volatile issues of abortion will never be answered by a court verdict or opinion. In fact, it further prevents and stalls meaningful debate and discussion and education about human sexuality. Instead the public is given a sideshow of sleight of hand - one political party is moral, another is immoral, one politician is moral, another immoral - all based on their votes or lack of votes to outlaw or keep legal abortion. Certainly, a voter has the right to base their vote on a single issue such as abortion if they wish. But I must say if you believe that making this medical procedure illegal will end it in the nation, then you are wrong and naive.

It happened before the infamous Roe v. Wade ruling, it happened 600 years ago, it happened as far back as you care to trace human history. What changed after Roe V. Wade? It became a process controlled by laws and medically safe methods. And it became a choice for a woman, or a couple, or for parents to make. To end the choice now, or rather, to argue about the choice in courts ignores so many larger issues.

Let's face it - people have sex and they have it a lot. Always have, always will. Sometimes it is consensual and sometimes it is abuse. The more recent trendy notion of just abstaining is moored to strong beliefs and fine intentions. But it also denies the basic functions of a human body.

Want to reduce unwanted pregnancy, break the chains of child abuse, drop the number of abortions performed? The answer is Sex Education. Factual accurate information about the human body and how it works - well, even that remains debated. Yet, the more plain and honest the discussion about our bodies and our sexuality, the better each person will be when their bodies and minds bring them to sexual situations.

Stop the game of amendments and court battles.

The real questions of sex education can should replace it - what information, who should teach it and when should the information be provided are far more critical and important and will lead to better decisions.

Freedom

Thought readers might like to make note of the changes to the Rocky Top Brigade site, which still works pretty much as before and has a nice new look. Brigade members are now listed on the right side of the page rather than the left side of the page (insert yer own political joke) and on the top left, you can also peruse RTB members by area. Many thanks to Just Johnny for all the work and help to provide a home and a gathering place for free thought and free expression, as revolutionary an idea today as the day it was penned into the laws of this nation.

Some other items caught my attention this weekend too - well, when I wasn't busy hacking up entire sections of my lungs and ribs thanks to the some virus which gave me nightmares and a fever.

One such item was the post from High Country Conservative, who notes that his state Senator Tommy Kilby wants to introduce legislation to ban "violent video games" in Tennessee. Since literally any genre of video game is available for sale to the public, wouldn't it make more sense to simply require immediate jail terms and fines for any parent who buys a child a "violent game"? Last time I read the Constitution, there are no requirements that parents supply each child they bring into the world with their own video game system, remote control television, DVD player, CD player, iPod, radio,cell phone or computer system.

Maybe it's just my fever talking, but I'm sick to death of the urge to turn the government into a "governess" or "nanny", the ultra-moralizing invasive tactics to police each and every element of culture and society someone might find offensive. Instead of all these warning labels on products, maybe people should carry warning stickers on their foreheads that read: WARNING - Having a child means YOU will be responsible for the various influences you provide them.

Once I regain some health, say Monday or Tuesday, I will add some more talk - which means my opinions - about a truly serious issue the state's legislature is voting for (and some against) which concerns abortion laws in Tennessee. There have already been many writers debating this issue, with a fine collection of viewpoints at No Silence Here and another at Nashville Is Talking, and more at Knox Views.

Camera Obscura - Objects and Lies

Funny isn't it - no limos will glide up to a newly renovated Tennessee Theatre, no media will crowd the velvety ropes outlining a regal length of red carpet, no spotlights will arc across the night sky high above Gay Street. Nope, none of that will happen for the movie that was filmed in Knoxville back in 2004 and finally opens in theaters in the U.S. today. I did search for ANY city in the state where it might be opening .... but ... not there. The movie "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things" finally found a distributor, Palm Pictures, but it doesn't have the kind of story that draws admiration, with issues like child abuse and drug abuse front and center. I do remember back in the 1987 when the limos and velvety goodness did herald a Knoxville Premiere, for the truly awful horror movie directed by David Keith, "The Curse." Got to meet Claude Akins that night (oh, come on - Sheriff Lobo? "B.J.. and the Bear"? "Rio Bravo"? how about that "Monsters on Maple Street" episode of the original "Twilight Zone"? .... no?) And there was a heck of a party at Lord Lindsey's afterward.

"The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things" arrives too with a new promotional tag line, that the writer of the stories it was based on, J.T. LeRoy, was a "great literary hoax" and that the real writer is a woman named Laura Albert. For some years now various people have shown up at all the "hot clubs" or film openings or book signings pretending to be LeRoy until Leroy was outed a few weeks ago -- in fact just after the big shocking Oprah episode where she gave a public spanking to writer James Frey for making up things in his "memoir" about drug abuse and child abuse. I guess if Oprah doesn't give you publicity, then J.T. LeRoy's made-up stories just get lost in the daily shuffle of lies and half-lies that tumble off TV screens and press conferences every few nanoseconds.

Director and co-star of the movie, Asia Argento's second feature does tell a truth in the myths of this story about a young boy raised by a prostitute mom, a series of abusive father substitutes, and is raised for a while as a girl instead of a boy before becoming an adolescent street preacher. And it is a pretty ugly truth - abuse exists and lives get twisted and torn to shreds.

The movie does boast a hefty collection of oddball celebs in bit parts - Peter Fonda, Winona Ryder, Marilyn Manson, etc etc - but don't expect much of any spotlights or red carpets anywhere for this movie. It's disturbing, and could well be a horror movie as made by Asia's dad - Dario Argento. I'm sure more moviegoers will be far more at ease this weekend at the remakes of "The Hills Have Eyes" or the "The Shaggy Dog" (isn't this like the eighth remake of this movie?)

As I was thinking about the current state of "the hoax" and what gets labled a "lie" and what is labled "truth", it reminded me of one of my favorite movies, "Blow-Up" from 1966. The story is about a bored photogapher (David Hemmings) who may have seen or may have imagined seeing a murder take place on a windy day in a London park. He becomes deeply obsessed with the photos he took of "the incident", blowing up the pictures to larger and larger sizes, until all that's left is a collection of black-and-white dots - is there a meaning to the dots or does he make the meaning exist?

Toward the end of the movie, he shambles into a nightclub where The Yardbirds are playing "Stroll On" and the crowd watches like zombies until the guitars start to get smashed and they go wild. A young Jimmy Page keeps playing while a really mad Jeff Beck just stomps on the guitar and hold the pieces up for the audience to see. For some reason, the photographer grabs the guitar neck in a furious struggle and runs away, but no one follows - he tosses the broken pieces away in the street, waiting for someone else to find it and place a meaning to it.
Here's the clip:

Sex Toy Update

According to a comment left by Britteny at Nashville is Talking, the proposed legislation to outlaw sex toys has been .... um .... "pulled" ... from consideration by Sen. Burks.

Sex Toys In Tennessee

Have I missed some news reports where roving bands of sex toys sales teams are canvassing schoolyards in Tennessee attempting to lure underage kids into buying sex toys? Are there television and radio ads hawking the imitation sex devices upon an unsuspecting public? Apparently, some in the Tennessee State House view these devices as a threat, though I do see and hear endless ads on TV and radio advising to men on how they can "enhance" their genital performance.

Others in the TN blog world have posted on this, notably at Tennessee Guerilla Women and at WhitesCreek Journal, and Say Uncle. Senate Bill 3794 and House Bill 3798 would make it illegal to sell, advertise, publish or exhibit to another person any three-dimensional device designed or marketed as useful primarily for stimulation of human genital organs.

Does "three-dimensional device" include, say, a human hand?

And is this the (ahem) burning,white-hot issue legislators feel requires (ahem) action???

Given that the legislature is "handling" the issues of ethics, conflicts of interest, FBI probes into bribery, investigations into the actions of the widespread failures of state agencies to provide residents with copies of open records (via Newscoma), the stalled improvements to TennCare, the consistently confusing formula for providing state schools with adequate funding -- Sen. Burks and Rep. Swafford have pointed their attentions at devices for self stimulation.

Will we have to create a special Task Force to (ahem) handle this situation? This is more than a waste of legislative time and energy, it's just plain silly. And I have to wonder, is touching yourself soon to be a crime in and of itself?

Katrina Cash Confusion in Tennessee

Keeping up with the mega-millions and billions in aid for refugees displaced by Hurricane Katrina is like nailing down a spilled tractor-trailer load of mercury as it skitters across the highway. Two recent announcements have left me scratching my head. On the surface, it seems to make sense, but the numbers leave me with questions.

On the plus front, a recent press release from Tennessee government via Lola Potter, reads that "evacuees and landlords should not be alarmed by a FEMA form letter":

"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee officials say property owners renting to hurricane evacuees should follow new directives from the federal government, but they nor evacuees should fear that leases will be broken without notice. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sent new messages – through a contractor, Corporate Lodging - telling property owners who are leasing interim shelter units (apartments) for evacuees to sign up for a new program for future payments.

FEMA has not indicated how many of the 3,700 individuals or families now housed in interim sheltering in Tennessee might be eligible for the new program. Over 1,600 are housed in Memphis, 900 in Davidson and surrounding counties, over 250 in Hamilton and surrounding counties, 302 in Knox County, and over 100 in Northeast Tennessee.

"For now, we are not making any changes in the program that provides apartment housing for evacuees in Tennessee,” said Finance and Administration Commissioner Dave Goetz, whose department is responsible for statewide coordination of evacuee housing in Tennessee. Landlords are now signed up for Tennessee’s program – and although we recommend they follow the new federal instructions – they will remain in our program until we work through this difficulty with FEMA.”

Goetz said evacuees should not be alarmed that they may be asked to leave their housing without the 30-day notice assured by FEMA – and property owners should not worry about losing rental income.

In a February 27 letter to FEMA, Tennessee officials reminded FEMA that the agency has an obligation to honor its commitment to the State to reimburse the expense of the leases until we can provide the 30 day advance notification to the lessors. In a letter to the State one week earlier, FEMA indicated all leases ending February 28, 2006, would no longer be paid by FEMA. However, Tennessee negotiated an automatic month-to-month renewal clause after the initial lease term, unless and until the lessor is provided with thirty days notice of intent to abandon the lease. Tennessee officials this week reminded FEMA of its commitment to fulfill those obligations.

State assessment of evacuees participating in the housing program indicates that over 80 percent of the evacuees have no resources available to pay rent and utilities in the apartments where they now reside. The families remaining in Tennessee are among over 20,000 that fled the Gulf Coast last year in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Initial commitments from FEMA indicated interim housing would be paid for up to one year, or September 2006."

Yet, on Friday, an State Briefs article from the Knox News Sentinel (reg. required) includes comments by Senators' Frist and Alexander that about $2.8 million in federal funds have been "earmarked" for the state's K-12 education system for the "more than 3,700 children driven out of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Karina last summer moved to Tennessee schools."

Hmmmm.

The first press release mentions the 3,700 families or individuals now housed in TN being assured their leases should remain intact. But the Senators's comments specifically refer to more than 3,700 children now a part of the state's school system.

How many of the refugees - whoops! - make that "evacuees" - are actually kids in school and what are the the actual number of families who relocated here?

Camera Obscura - Knotts, McGavin, Weaver and A Quiz

It's a big week for movie fans as the mutual admiration society known as the Oscars arrive on Sunday and yeah, I'll include some predictions. I also found a small movie quiz to test if you are a bona-fide movie fanatic or just a casual observer, which I'll include today. And some of my observations too on the careers of some entertainment greats who shuffled off the mortal coil this week.

The death and remembrance of actor Don Knotts received much press/blogging this week, a comedian whose quaking nervousness became a trademark and whose lines often became part of the national lexicon - I think too, we here in the South have fond memories of Knotts as Barney Fife, and we all know what it means to "Nip it in the bud! Nip it, nip it, nip it!" And I think many of us know the quality of character that is indicated if you need to carry the bullet in your pocket rather than carry a loaded weapon. Knotts made a name for himself on the "Tonight Show" with Steve Allen in 1956 doing "Man on the Street" segments that were hilarious, but when he landed the role of Fife on the Andy Griffith Show, America loved him - he won the Best Supporting Actor Emmy Award five times between 1961-1967. I lost count of how often he appeared in Pigeon Forge over the years, making people laugh and laugh.

I also have great fondness for his movies too - notably as Luther Heggs in the 1966 movie "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." It has a terrific supporting cast, but it's really Don's movie through and through, twitching in fear in an alleged ghost house or just attempting to make a speech ("Atta boy, Luther!!") Another movie I always liked, purely for it's bizarre premise is "The Love God?", wherein the goofy man is cast as a Hugh Hefner-like publisher of what they used to call "nudie magazines." Yeah, he's a sex symbol. Well, it was 1969 and it is a comedy. The old advertising tag line for the movie was "So many women. Not enough man."

By the time he hit the TV show "Three's Company" as Mr. Furley, that toupee he wore just frightened me more than made me laugh. One other movie I'll mention is "The Private Eyes" with Tim Conway, as it was shot in the Biltmore Mansion in North Carolina - look carefully and you can see many of the hidden doorways to secret passages that really exist in the mansion - kinda handy next time you take a tour of Biltmore. His most recent work was a voiceover in the animated 2005 feature "Chicken Little". But it's Barney Fife that's the cultural icon and a role he made vivid and real for generations of TV fans.

Actor Darren McGavin also died this week, and my twisted little horror-movie loving heart remembers him best for the single television season of "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." He was a rumpled, wrinkle-clothed smartass reporter in a straw hat with a knack for encountering crimes committed by vampires, devil-worshipping politicians, zombies, sword-wielding motorcyclists, and all manner of supernatural beings which local politicians always wanted to be kept out of the news. Sort of typical of audience attitudes in the 1970s when the show aired.

More recently, his performance as the father of the Parker family in "A Christmas Story" is perfect example of acting without overwhelming the movie. His swearing at the furnace in the home is a mish-mash of rage and syllables - his son describes it this way in the movie: "He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oil or clay." And his joy at winning a table lamp shaped liked a woman's leg wearing fishnet hose is hilarious.

Another actor famous for work on television, Dennis Weaver, also went the way of all flesh this week, but I'd like to focus on two movies and one TV appearance that are stuck in my memory.

The first is a TV movie, the first solo feature as director for Steven Spielberg, the 1971 TV movie "Duel". It's a gripping, relentless battle between Weaver, driving a 1970 red Plymouth Valiant, and a never-seen driver of a nasty, smoke-belching, diesel-stained truck that seems to want him dead. It's a common fear on the road - encountering some unknown driver whose mindless rage could flatten you like a pancake. The movie is a seamless suspense thriller, and Weaver's performance makes it all very real, very believable as he tries to puzzle out just what has this madman on his bumper, and we watch Weaver's mental state crumble.

Spielberg selected Weaver because he was a fan of Weaver's small but memorable role in a nearly-forgotten classic film noir thriller by Orson Welles, "Touch Of Evil." If you've never seen the movie, search for it - it ranks as one of Welles' best. (And look for the restored version made available in 1998) Rumor has it his character as night manager of a sleazy motel served as inspiration to Hitchcock for the creation of Norman Bates.

And one more favorite from Dennis Weaver - as the voice of Buck McCoy, the washed-up one-time famous movie cowboy in an episode of "The Simpsons" called "Lastest Gun In The West." Bart thought he was great. And Buck said one of his old movies was called "The Wild Lunch" and he lassoed a bag of potato chips to prove it.

Now on to the Sunday awards show - I'm not going to hash thru the typical newspaper movie critic crap of what will win or what should win and what It All Means.

I will say I have much sentiment attached to the movie of the early days in the life of Johnny Cash and June Carter in "I Walk The Line." Yes, it's more Hollywood than History, but I truly enjoyed how Joaquin Phoenix captured the style of Cash, aiming that guitar like a rifle and leaning into that microphone like he was telling secrets or having an argument. Reese Witherspoon as June - well, let's just say June was never, ever that pretty. Another excellent quality to the movie was the music score of classic early rock hits and T. Bone Burnett's original score.

And finally, as promised, a movie quiz - just click on the link, and it will take you to the page where you can see a photo from a movie and your job is to ID the movie. Some are pretty easy. Some are a little tough. Many are from pretty popular movies, and it's a fine way to waste a bit of time at work or home. If you get really, really stuck for answers, just ask for help here at yer Cup of Joe and I'll try and give you some hints. The movie quiz is here.

Just Odd and Odd Justice

Like you, I'm sure you've encountered in the news and your communities some of the real horrors related to the rising human toll of meth addiction - folks make this toxic crap in cars, homes, wherever they can. Now, the war on meth is part of the Patriot Act.

A member of the Tennessee task force combating meth informed me a few years ago that the life span of someone who gets addicted to this home-made poison is five years. So the state legislature took action, and made a law requiring over-the-counter cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine be sold only after the buyer shows ID and signs for it. Other states have done the same.

But now that same language (inserted by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of CA) is part of the newly passed federal Patriot Act, you know, that collection of laws created to combat "terrorism." If states were already addressing the issue, why add it to this most questionable "Act"? Was it just to help push the bill through? Don't want a potential candidate to point a finger and say "He/She voted against laws to protect your towns from meth addicts"?

Another oddity is emerging in Alabama's legal system (and God bless you if you live in Bama, and hope you can find another home soon). Alabama's newest Supreme Court Justice, Tom Parker, has declared his own profession a hotbed of radical activists (via Law.com) , that is, everyone but him. He's opposed to a guideline that the death penalty should be withheld for those whose crimes were committed while under the age of 18. Heinous crimes could obviously be committed by someone aged 17 or 16 or even 10. Why not just make the death penalty apply to every person of every age, from the moment of birth on?

Justice Parker penned an op-ed piece, writing:

"State supreme court judges should not follow obviously wrong decisions simply because they are precedents," he wrote. "After all, a judge takes an oath to support the Constitution -- not to automatically follow activist judges who believe their own devolving standards of decency trump the text of the Constitution."

Justice Parker seems to be decrying "judicial activists" and calling for that same activisim if it suits his temperament. He earned his law degree at Vanderbilt (a school he says he disliked), and claims professors never presented the Constitution in classes at Vandy, though he did continue his legal studies in Brazil.

He's a fascinating and outspoken member of the bench - much more of his career can be read here.

Worse and Worser

Kudos to the Associated Press for finding the video conference of federal officials talking about how bad Hurricane Katrina was going to be for the Gulf Coast made before the storm bashed the coastline. You can access it here via Crooks and Liars. It is a scathing, blistering bit of reporting.

And ol' "heck of a job Brownie" comes off sounding kinda smart!

What's worse, this video is the same one the White House denied existed when a congressional committee was holding investigations into the failed response (claiming someone forgot to push the record button on the videotape machine), though the White House somehow "leaked" to Newsweek Wednesday morning that they somehow found it. More on this part of the story here, via Firedoglake.

TVA, Enron and The Spin Game

I haven't seen much state press coverage of the testimony in the trial of Enron executives where cash reserves set aside for payments to TVA got raided to help falsely inflate earnings for Enron. Did TVA get the monies they were owed? TVA has certainly been in the news (and on the editorial pages) in recent days.

With TVA increasing rates nearly 18% in six months, plus getting the approval to alter rates on a new sliding monthly scale then the Public Relations efforts to spin these increases are underway. Voicing concerns about the massive energy company, sadly, is as effective as looking up at the sky and saying "More blue!" or "Fewer clouds!!"

R. Neal at Knox Views has two fine posts that highlight the spin TVA chairman Bill Baxter has sent out to papers in Knoxville and Chattanooga (among others). The first post indicates the wagons are being circled to deflect criticisms of the increases and criticism that the plans for expanding their board include many paybacks for Bush supporters but zero citizen input.

The second post notes that the plans for nominees to a newly expanded board are ... well, dubious at best yet still supported by some for reasons like ... well, as R. Neal says, I'm sure they are good reasons, whatever they are.

"Rabbit Season - Duck Season!" for Rep. Jenkins

It's been rumbling around the GOP in the state for a few weeks that they need a candidate to run for governor against Phil Bredesen, but so far the running is away from such a chore - in other words, Gov. Bredesen is the likely winner. However some in the GOP are pushing for 1st District Congressman Bill Jenkins take the challenge.

In the Feb. 25 issue of The Greeneville Sun, both GOPers and a Sun reporter tried to nail down Jenkins on the idea at the annual Lincoln Day Dinner. Jenkins, who had already announced he would not seek re-election to Congress, dealt with the fawning and sort of kind of maybe gave a non answer. State Senator Steve Southerland of Morristown started off the "please run!" approach.

From the Sun story:

"State Sen. Steve Southerland, R-1st, who introduced Jenkins, mentioned to the congressman that “rabbit season is over at the end of this month, and that would be a good time to start campaigning for governor.” Jenkins began his remarks by saying that “This talk of governor is pretty heavy.” He said he had spent “most of the morning” on the phone with people who wanted to talk about that.

“I want to remind you all, I did that once,” Jenkins said, with a big grin on his face. If the state had voted the way Greene County did that year, Jenkins said, he would have won.

At that time he was 33 years old, he said, and “people said I looked 20,” not nearly old enough to be governor.

“I guess I’ve gotten old enough,” Jenkins said, adding that he will be 70 on his next birthday.

He stopped short of making a flat statement one way or the other about running for governor. He also said that his last year in Congress will be one of the most difficult that the country has faced in a long time, with much that needs to be done.

After the event, he told The Greeneville Sun for the record that he is pondering the idea, and will have to make an announcement soon.

But he also told the Sun that running for governor “would undo all the reasons” he is leaving Congress.

When Jenkins announced he will not seek re-election, he said he wants to spend more time with his four children and 11 grandchildren, and actively operate his large farm on the Holston River near Rogersville. The tone of Jenkins’ remarks Friday night was very much that of a longtime public servant leaving public life."

You can read of the rumors at Newscoma.

Can Public Trust Be Restored?

I had a conversation over the weekend with a teacher who works in Kingsport, and after a few minutes he began to say in hushed tones that he had grave concerns about the turn in recent years of the Conservative political movement. Daring to disagree with friends, he said, had harmed those friendships. "Something has gone wrong," he said.

You may or may not see it - the enormous divide that continues to grow between the incomes and lifestyles of a small (but growing) elite class and the rest of the working men and women in America. When I interviewed Tennessee's 1st District Congressman Bill Jenkins during his last re-election campaign, I asked him to address the concerns about "outsourcing jobs" and the difficulty in finding American made goods, like clothes and shoes for example. He replied that he too, had to spend some time and effort to buy his most recent pair of American-made cowboy boots - and that he paid just less than $200 for them. He smiled and said it was worth it to him. I kept thinking that $200 was more than a week's pay (after taxes) for someone on minimum wage.

Median incomes nationwide range between $45,000 to $48,000 annually. (Which means I suppose, they can afford those boots a little easier.) In 1960 the gap between the top 20% and the bottom 20% of income earners in the U.S. was thirty fold. Now it is seventy-five fold. Thirty years ago, the average annual pay for the Top 100 CEOs was 30 times the pay of the average worker. Today it is 1000 times the pay of the average worker.

The above information was mentioned in a speech by Bill Moyers, and he has some other mind-numbing information to share -

+ 65 lobbyists for every member of Congress

+ The total spent, per month, by special interests to wine, dine, etc federal officials is $200 million. Per month, oh faithful readers, per month!

+ Less than one-half of one percent of all Americans made a political contribution of $200 or more to a federal candidate in 2004.

Moyers speech, titled "Restoring The Public Trust" points out again and again a vast gulf between how many officials experience life and power in ways that have sown much distrust and disgust for those who labeled themselves Conservatives and I urge you to read the entire essay.

Here are some excerpts:

"I will leave to Jon Stewart the rich threads of humor to pluck from the hunting incident in Texas. All of us are relieved that the Vice President's friend has survived. I can accept Dick Cheney's word that the accident was one of the worst moments of his life. What intrigues me as a journalist now is the rare glimpse we have serendipitously been offered into the tightly knit world of the elites who govern today.

The Vice President was hunting on a 50-thousand acre ranch owned by a lobbyist friend who is the heiress to a family fortune of land, cattle, banking and oil (ah, yes, the quickest and surest way to the American dream remains to choose your parents well.)

The circumstances of the hunt and the identity of the hunters provoked a lament from The Economist. The most influential pro-business magazine in the world is concerned that hunting in America is becoming a matter of class: the rich are doing more, the working stiffs, less. The annual loss of 1.5 millions of acres of wildlife habitat and 1 million acres of farm and ranchland to development and sprawl has come "at the expense of 'The Deer Hunter' crowd in the small towns of the north-east, the rednecks of the south and the cowboys of the west." Their places, says The Economist, are being taken by the affluent who pay plenty for such conveniences as being driven to where the covey cooperatively awaits."
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"Two years ago, in a report entitled Democracy in an Age of Rising Inequality, the American Political Science Association concluded that progress toward realizing American deals of democracy "may have stalled, and even, in some areas, reversed." Privileged Americans "roar with a clarity and consistency that public officials readily hear and routinely follow" while citizens "with lower or moderate incomes are speaking with a whisper.

The following year, on the eve of President George W. Bush's second inauguration, the editors of The Economist, reporting on inequality in America, concluded that the United States "risks calcifying into a European-style, class-based society."

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"The [former] Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, famously told the lobbyists: "If you are going to play in our revolution, you have to live by our rules." Tom DeLay became his enforcer.

The rules were simple and blunt. Contribute to Republicans only. Hire Republicans only. When the electronics industry ignored the warning and chose a Democratic Member of Congress to run its trade association, DeLay played so rough - pulling from the calendar a bill that the industry had worked on two years, aimed at bringing most of the world in alignment with US copyright law - that even the House Ethics Committee, the watchdog that seldom barks and rarely bites, stirred itself to rebuke him - privately, of course.

DeLay wasn't fazed. Not only did he continue to make sure the lobbying jobs went to Republicans, he also saw to it that his own people got a lion's share of the best jobs. At least 29 of his former employees landed major lobbying positions - the most of any Congressional office. The journalist John Judis found that together ex-DeLay people represent around 350 firms, including thirteen of the biggest trade associations, most of the energy companies, the giants in finance and technology, the airlines, auto makers, tobacco companies, and the largest health care and pharmaceutical companies. When tobacco companies wanted to block the FDA from regulating cigarettes, they hired DeLay's man. When the pharmaceutical companies - Big Pharma - wanted to make sure companies wouldn't be forced to negotiate cheaper prices for drugs, they hired six of Tom DeLay's team, including his former chief of staff. The machine became a blitzkrieg, oiled by campaign contributions that poured in like a gusher."

UPDATE: Tam over at View From the Porch doesn't seem to care much for Moyers' opinions or what I said about them. Check it out.

Racial Paranoia

Within the small confines of the Tennessee blogging world and within this country and many many others, a debate is being held on the topics of race, racial profiling, bigotry, bias, prejudice and terrorism.

I noticed a post by Bob Krumm about an incident where he reported to the Secret Service he had seen some dudes of "middle-eastern" appearance in the Belle Meade community in middle Tennessee because they were lost and wanted to know how to find former v.p. Al Gore's home. It seem suspicious he says.

Another blogger, Chris, at My Quiet Life, responded with his own take on Bob's post, and said Bob was showing bigotry, pure and simple, in his reaction to the encounter in Belle Meade. Not unexpectedly, Bill Hobbs chimed in with some insults about Chris in the comments section on this debate at Nashville Is Talking, and R. Neal had some wit and humor to add in the comments on Chris' page.

Some mention is made in these discussions of the concerns about the sale of operations at numerous American ports to a company in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai has been a major port for our Navy, certainly, and now Congress is examining the sale to determine if it should be approved or not. Much of the national and media debate about the sale has been of the "we don't want THEM owning operations in the U.S." (Them apparently meaning "Arabs" or perhaps "questionable allies".)

Let me be plain: there is a palpable paranoia in the U.S. and other countries about non-whites. While some see a value in being skeptical and suspicious about the presence and actions of non-whites, it blinds us to the more pertinent issue, which is that certain political agendas and those who share those political views have been and continue to threaten national security here and in many other countries as well.

So my question is - how can you tell by just looking at someone what their political beliefs might be? In this country, can you tell if someone belongs to the Republican or Democratic party? Or if they are members of neither?

I'm somewhat concerned that the notion of placing a usefulness on the concept of "racial profiling" may soon be exchanged for developing an approach to "political profiling." Arguments could perhaps be made that if our nation could protect it's citizens and security if we had the ability to define an individual's political views, and to be troubled if an individual has no specified political party affinities, then we should then create such a system of "political profiles."

The continuing emotion of Fear is making some very murky perceptions, and that we as both a nation and as an individual then base policy and personal decisions arising from those Fears is only going to make our perceptions murkier and encourage the value of Fear among us all.