GOP's Failures Blamed On Democrats

It is a gross lie and it is deeply deceptive, manipulative and idiotic for the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert, Republican of Illinois, to proclaim that any questions or doubts to legislation regarding military tribunals is an act of protection for terrorists attacking the U.S. and its interests.

The legislation, H.R. 6166, brought out this outlandish comment from Hastert, that opposition to it: means "... more rights for terrorists. So the same terrorists who plan to harm innocent Americans ... would be coddled if we follow the Democratic plan."

Let's be honest about the failure of the GOP leadership from Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist -- they have failed for the last three years (or perhaps even intentionally delayed) constructing the systems and legal definitions necessary to conduct tribunals or hearings for individuals apprehended in the "war on terror".

Sen. Frist referred to the bill as a "critical tool", yet it is a "tool" which his leadership has failed to properly devise -- and now their failures are somehow blamed on Evil Democrats.

Only a decision from the Supreme Court has spurred these party bosses and the current administration to develop a proper legal basis for handling what is admittedly a very complex problem.

In recent months, I have heard deeply disfigured lanquage used in reference to actions termed "alternative interrogation techniques" or "extraordinary rendentions".

Last year, reports that the United States were operating "secret prisons" was rejected as nonsense, or as the near-treasonous reports of liberal media. Yet, a few weeks ago, the President reversed his stand and hailed these operations as successful detentions which resulted in vital security protections.

What is that can be done to effectively halt, prevent and investigate the crimes and acts of war against our nation and others by terrorists?

The one certainty is that these "critical" issues have been danced and waltzed around by congress like shy fifth-grade boys at their first dance. Thoughtful and wise and reasoned legislation is in tremendous demand now -- current and future generations of Americans and other free citizens of the world will deal with the outcome of decisions today.

And what is clear from this proposed legislation - and the Republican proclamations about it - is that they hope to use it as a "critical tool" on the campaign trail to scare the bejesus out of anyone considering casting a vote based on facts and not based in fear.

Perhaps the public - and the press - need to also highlight the other important actions made by the House of Representatives on Wednesday:

-- House Conference Resolution 478 -- "Supporting the goals and ideals of 'Lights on Afterschool!'. a national celebration of after-school programs."

-- House Conference Resolution 458 -- "Expressing the sense of Congress that there should be established a Let's All Play Day."

Wrong Judicial Decision in Hamblen Election

I just can't keep quiet on a local problem, despite the weight of personal issues here at the home front.

A razor thin two-vote difference in the race for a Hamblen County Commission seat has slowly moved through the courts and a judge has decided there should be a recount of the votes.

A recount is a useless and pointless action.

The local election commission has already stated the two vote difference was made via absentee ballots - so recounting all the votes will accomplish nothing to resolve the situation.

The critical questions are whether or not those ballots were cast by valid, registered voters and when they were cast.

Currently only the Knoxville media has bothered to report the judicial decision. Even the local paper's website has, as of 7 pm today, no report of the decision.

Given that the alleged victor in the race is a former employee of the newspaper, it's clear there is a desire for no change in the vote tally. The previous incumbent office holder deserves better from the election commission office and the judicial review. The vote count made on election day itself resulted in a tie -- so reviewing the status of the two votes cast via absentee ballots should be the only focus of judicial review.

More on the numerous problems election day and the judge's opinion here.

A Short Break

I am sad to say that my good friend Edmund passed away on Sunday. I mentioned this likelihood on Sept. 13 in a post, and I am taking a few days away to deal with much here at the homestead. Many of you have already expressed much fine and good thoughts and I am most grateful for your concerns.

When I have enough presence of mind to resume here, I shall.

So stay tuned. And thanks for your consideration and patience and warm regards.

Candiate Davis Ready To Bomb Iran

Comments by GOP candidate for Congress here in the 1st District, David Davis, get a thorough ripping via AC at Volunteer Voters. Here's what Davis said in reference to bombing Iran:

"I heard somebody up here (at the luncheon) say, ‘Go for it,'" said Davis, a state representative from Johnson City. "I think when you're in a position of power you have to be willing to listen to other people in positions of leadership. ... I would listen to the people of the 1st District. It is very, very important that we take this war seriously. ... This is a war that we need to be willing to win. I don't want to be in office and be in a position of power when we're attacked and we don't stand up."

AC replies:

"Some yahoo in the back of the room says "Go for it" and you're gonna take that into consideration when formulating your foreign policy views? Are you kidding me?

It is simply amazing to me how Republicans running for office are seriously considering another preemptive strike against an Islamic State after the first one went so well."

Sadly, Davis is likely to win the election and once again, the 1st District residents have a Party official dictating actions in congress and taking Party directions.

Representation falls to the wayside.

Read the whole post.

On Torture and American Principles

I know it's a hard and difficult situation in world politics and American policies regarding the apprehension, interrogation, detention and trials of a far-flung and loosely organized group of terrorists whose goal is to drag America and its allies into hateful, relentless tribal warfare and sporadic attacks on people of all races and religions around the globe.

I have a strong conviction and belief however, that this nation must maintain the strict adherence to civilized behavior, democratic ideals, the tenets of freedom and liberty and law. Isn't that the very core of our national ideals and principles which terrorists want to dismantle?

The recent push by the Bush administration to redefine (or "clarify") policies and rules for holding and interrogating enemies steps too far away from a position of strength, and threatens our credibility both at home and abroad.

A pointed essay by Paul Waldman at TomPaine.com raises important questions, presents challenging comments and also underscores the need for maintaining a "moral high ground" in this critical moment in American and World History.

Some excerpts:

"In the latest Weekly Standard, William Kristol, —fierce advocate of not only the war in Iraq but another war against Iran, so you know he knows what he'’s talking about, —enthuses that Republicans are becoming the pro-torture party, and therefore they'’re bound to do well in November'’s elections.

If this truly is a clash of civilizations, the conservatives have chosen to engage it by getting in touch with their inner barbarian.

And when progressives (and the occasional conservative) question whether such actions betray our values, the answer from Bush and his supporters is that we should be measured not by our principles, —or by any principles at all, —but by the actions of our enemies. The moral high ground is to be found no more than one step above the worst thing terrorists have done lately. The president may order the use of sleep deprivation and '“stress positions'” to induce mental and physical agony in prisoners, —but hey, he hasn'’t personally chopped anyone'’s head off, so you know he'’s on the side of the angels.

But it is moral poison to measure yourself by the worst acts of your enemies. This is what conservatives have brought to America; the time since 9/11 has seen a moral descent, —if not an outright moral deadening, —on the part of the right."

[snip]

"The justification is always that we'’re dealing with terrorists, who are really, really bad people. So why should they deserve due process? The answer that the twisted conservative mind seems incapable of grasping is that a nation committed to liberty, justice and the rule of law does not have one set of procedures for nice people and another set for mean people. It sets up procedures that reflect its values."

I urge you to read and consider the arguments in the essay. I'm sure there are many who will disagree with the opinions Waldman makes, but an open and plain discourse on these questions is vital not only today but for the future as well.

Another debate on these issues has been growing via a post a KnoxViews. Another essay on the topic is in the Washington Post.

Government Caskets and Hanging Elephants - A Web Walk

No story got my attention as much as a proposal from a Clarksville mayoral candidate who is suggesting the taxpayers fund a city-operated casket and funeral company. The candidate also wants a super-secret force to combat cell phone users/drivers.:

"Wilton Sowell suggested some unorthodox measures to raise revenue for the city, which he said would allow low-income residents over 55 to be forgiven of their local taxes.

Sowell is recommending the creation of a squad of 50 undercover traffic agents to combat road rage and driving while on a cell phone, whose fines would flow into the city coffers.

Sowell is also recommending a one-time tax charged to all city residents to create a municipal casket manufacturing company and funeral home, which proceeds will flow into the city and would conceivably guarantee affordable funerals for low-income families.

"Everyone should have a respectable funeral without burdening their loved ones," Sowell said."

11 are seeking the mayor's office. I am more than shocked at the idea the city go into managing final arrangements for residents.

In other news, John at Salem's Lots has a good question regarding a proposal to make English the official language of Nashville government:

"What problem are they really trying to solve? What is the real motivation for this bill?"

Read the full post here.

Michael at No Silence Here also has information on Tennessee being the number one U.S. exporter to China. What do we export??

And finally, a UT student is researching one of the strangest stories ever from East Tennessee - the hanging of an elephant in Erwin, TN and the many myths about it.

Now, Frist Supports Senate Filibuster

The flip-flopping Tennessee Senator Bill Frist now sees a value and a reason for the Senate rule which allows for a filibuster. The reason is the legislation in question is backed by President Bush on the issues of handling the prisoners captured by the U.S. in the ongoing "war on terror." Also facing little success of passage is a bill approving "warrantless wiretapping."

But in September of 2006, the likelihood of a Senate filibuster was viewed as an obsolete tactic of obstruction, one he vowed to oppose with a so-called ''nuclear option." In Spetember 2006, the senator sought to have the procedure made ''unconstitutional.''

With this about-face turn on the issue, the senator proves once again he is in Washington to represent the Bush Administration - not to represent the people of his home sttate of Tennessee. The recent actions appear to make sure these bills will not be resolved until after the elections.

First To Blog From Orbit

Space toruism is still a serious expense at 20 million dollars and checking my financial outlook, I'd hazard to say that I will not be counted among the space tourists unless prices fall faster than a bowling ball dropped from the space station.

However, 40-year-old Anousheh Ansari will spend 10 days in space and be the first person to blog from the space station this week. She started her blog on September 12 prior to her launch tomorrow. In one post she writes:

"A long, long time ago, in a country far, far away… there was a young girl who had her eyes fixed on the twinkling stars of the night skies over Tehran. Back then the air was not so polluted and you could see many stars in the night skies. Summer time, when they would set up the beds outside on the balcony to sleep, she would lay in her bed and look deep into the mysterious darkness of the universe and think to herself, What's out there? Is someone out there awake in her bed, and gazing at her in the night sky? Will she ever find her… See her… Will she fly out there and float in the wonderful, boundless freedom of space?"

Ansari has already provided $10 million in prize money for SpaceShipOne, which made two successful flights into orbit in 2002. More can be fdund on Ansari and her voyage here.

Now, she is counting the moments for the journey. I'll keep counting the hours until I make mine, but like I said, that day is still farther away than Alpha Centauri.

Thong Girl Rocks Gallatin

The makers of the movie "Thong Girl 3" (anyone ever seen the first two?) were successful when they asked Gallatin Mayor Don Wright for permission to film a scene in his office at city hall. But now, other councilmembers are outraged - especially since they filmed on a Sunday.

From the article in the Tennessean:

"The plot line involves Thong Girl's alter ego, Lana Layonme, who went shopping at a lingerie store one day and put on a pair of red thong underwear, which gave her magical powers. In the third installment, Thong Girl faces off against her nemesis, the Dark Widow, who's out to take over country music and turn its artists into rappers, the filmmaker said.

Weiss was working on a scene involving a fictitious mayor, and he said he was pleased with the "agricultural look" of Wright's office, whose executive chambers are decorated with Civil War memorabilia and state artifacts."

I suppose this means Thong Girl has visible plot-lines?

Like I said on Newscoma's post (she had this story before I did) why not use the filming to promote tourism? Wouldn't the tagline - "Gallatin - Home of Thong Girl" bring some cheeky tourists??

John at Salem's Lots was all over Thong Girl News on Friday. TG got a right pretty invite, too.

All things Thong Girl related are here.

UPDATE: It turns out that Mayor Don Wright, a former state senator, has a rather troubled past when it comes to women in general. The info was brought to my attention via a post from the Anti Jim Bryson web log:

"This is the same Don Wright who helped squire Bryson around town during the Sumner County leg of his recent Big Double Talk bus tour. It’s also the same Don Wright who not long ago was reprimanded for making inappropriate comments to a woman about her breasts. Does anyone else see a pattern here?"

From the second link above: "Gallatin Mayor Don Wright has been forced to take sensitivity training after a controversial remark he made this month to a female employee.

In a letter written earlier this month to city attorney Joe Thompson, a female city employee goes into detail about an incident where the mayor admits to asking her, "Do you have implants?"

Also worth reading are the comments on the Anti-Bryson page, where one reader points to comments in the press from Wright regarding how difficult it is for a man to hear "No" from a woman, and that his fictional Civil War novel contains some rather unpleasant rape/forced sex scenes.

I know, fiction is fiction -- it just seems that the Honorable Mayor may have a way-too-public sex fantasy life.

The one good thing from all this - it just shows ya that stupid politicos are not just in East or West TN. They're statewide! What was that bumper sticker I saw the other day?

Oh yes - "Tennessee - Not All Our Politicians Are Indicted".

Camera Obscura - Classic Short Films, New DVDs and Some Jazz

Cinematic marvels can appear in many shapes and sizes. I was lucky enough to see movies in giant palaces in the 1960s and 1970s, and remember the announcement being made that movies would no longer be preceded by cartoons or short subjects.

Mostly I recall the giant screens filled with an animated dusky expanse of desert and towering rock formations, a ribbon of black road threading through the wastelands and the sudden burst of a racing bird (a Roadrunner) hotly pursued by a coyote with a knife and fork (one Wile E. Coyote to be exact). Occasionally, I'd see some short film before the feature, usually a wildlife piece or a more rare behind-the-scenes reel of a movie about to be released.

For some years now, Turner Classic Movies have included short films and cartoons on their schedule and today the entire day is nothing but short films. Some are from many years past, but tonight some rare short films will be presented by the top name directors - David Lynch, Martin Scorcese, Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock. So heat up the old VCR or program your Tivo or DVR and snag these rare films.

Other featured short films will be shown by Francois Truffaut, Ridley Scott and his brother, Tony, Jane Campion, Roman Polanski-- all starting with Lynch's short films tonight at 9 p.m.

A full list of the short films and the times they air are here.

NEW ON DVD

I must urge you to spend the time (and/or money) to watch the newly released first season DVD collection for a show that didn't get much attention this year, "The Unit." Produced and created by award-winning playwright/director David Mamet, the show follows a group of elite soldiers as they take on missions around the world, and face challenges on the homefront as well.

A great round-up of the episodes and the DVD extras are here. The show is lean and muscular, tough and realistic, and very satisfying both as drama and as a more realistic look at how military squads operate. I am eager for the new season to get underway.
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Landing on DVD shelves on Tuesday, September 19th is a new horror movie called "Left In Darkness". What I liked best about this new movie is the sharp eye of the director which provides an old-school approach - rich atmosphere, suspense and chills without heavy gore or computer generated effects.

The story centers on Celia (Monica Keena of "Freddy vs. Jason") whose 21st birthday is pretty dang lousy -- she gets drugged, raped and is killed by drug overdose at a wild frat party. But that is only the beginning of her problems.

She is trapped in a netherworld and in a battle between good and evil, battling the threat of Soul Eaters and searching for a way out. Actor Tim Thomerson plays her late grandfather to perfection. One never knows if he is helping her or leading her to an even worse fate.

The last third of the film turns up the confusion and fear a few more notches, and the result is a first-rate take on suspense and the macabre.

My thanks to Anchor Bay and M-80 for the screener copy of the movie. Definitely worth a viewing for fans of suspense and horror.

ONE FINAL NOTE

Since I started this post talking about the great old days of short films, I thought it a fine way to end today with a short film by filmmaker/photographer Gjon Mili, one of the best of the Life Magazine photographers. The short is called "Jammin' The Blues" from 1944.

Does U.S. Currency Contain 9-11 Secrets?

I noticed on Yahoo! News that a picture has been quite popular this week on their pages - an oddly folded twenty dollar bill which some say reveals an image of the smoking World Trade Centers just after being struck by terrorist-hijacked airplanes.

The caption for the photo says a "Palestinian man" is holding the bill.

Making new symbols out of the symbol-heavy U.S. currency is not new and according to the Urban Legends page, this particular 9-11 image first started popping up on the web in 2002. Folding bills and other items are mentioned in the article.

Another web site goes much further. It shows how certain newly revised U.S. currency contains images of the burning buildings, the buildings in mid-collapse and on the $100 bill, a rising column of smoke is all that is visible. The pictures and text are all on a web site called "Armageddon Online."

I had no idea the End of the World had it's own web page.

But, after all, we are in the modern age. Dire warnings of the End Times have likely been in existence since humans gained the powers of speech and communication. Secret signs and wonders, cryptic images, predictions and such are always hovering on the horizons for some people - they'll find conspiracy anywhere and everywhere. (and the site mentioned above has a whole zoo of endtime scenarios and provides some extra fuel for your Fear-filled fires).

Corker Popped?

In an already too-close-to-call race for the open Senate seat in Tennessee, GOP hopeful and former Chattanooga mayor Bob Corker lost an attempt to delay a lawsuit regarding the transfer of property and it's conservation management. The property in question went to Wal-Mart, and if Corker had his way, he would have delayed a deposition in the case until after the election.

Chancellor Howell Peoples said no to that, so the case will make much news in the weeks just prior to the start of voting.

Alice pointed out this story, and another report on trouble for Corker via Daily Kos over the 911 operations which challenger and Democrat Harold Ford Jr. has been hitting hard in recent TV ads.

Tennessee Ticket has more on the poll numbers and the Wal-Mart case.

I have also noticed that while the president arrived to do some fundraising for Corker, one face absent in his run is the current office-holder, Sen. Bill Frist. Call me cynical, but given that Frist is still under investigation by the Securities and Exchange officers and was also recently outed for faking information about his renewal of his doctor's license, then the two men together just might create more negative press than Corker could hope to overcome.

Hard roads are certainly ahead for both candidates, but the last stages of the campaign matching up with lawsuits a-go-go might give Ford the edge to win the race.

Changes For The Coming Days

Time moves swiftly here on the internets and I know my posting has slowed somewhat for the last few days. The reasons are sadly, grim ones.

On the one hand, I am proud to be the semi-adopted son of a family here in East TN, a family with much compassion and talents too numerous to mention, which I have known for 15 years. On the other and more immediate hand, the family is facing and coping with the failing health and apparently terminal cancer of the father. I'm not giving out names for privacy reasons. A full diagnosis is still underway.

His health turned quite bad late last week so the last few days have been brutal for his family and for him. He is in the great and caring hands of several doctors and nurses and I know he has been resting well and his pain is being managed well.

Words to describe all these recent events fall far short of the reality. I am not one to tiptoe around the topic of Death, but when It is a part of every breath, it starts to slur my speech and stun my thoughts. And I'm the fortunate one in this time. I know for the family and the critically ill father, breaths will not bring much relief for months and months to come.

For constant readers here, I felt compelled to explain the sporadic posts and the likelihood that the pace of this page is going to be slower than I want, simply because my attentions and thoughts are a part of this family's very painful present.

Their dad is my family too, and, as important, he is my friend. So my strengths and attentions are all with them. Whenever I have time and thoughts coherent enough to post here, I shall.

Send your best thoughts his way, and many thanks to readers for your patience. I hope this post finds you and yours well and happy, and please take some time to consider how fortunate you are and to explore the rich luxuries of Time and Health and the family and friends you care for and who care for you.

Update on 9-11 Aftermath

I was pleased that overall interest in a faked docudrama about the events prior to and on 9-11 on ABC this week pretty much tanked.

Same for CNN's re-broadcast of their coverage on 9-11-01 to hype their Pipeline service - my own indignation and questions about that has even garnered the attention of Slate writer Sonia Smith (scroll down for mention of this humble blog and thanks for reading, Sonia).

While many bloggers in Tennessee offered opinions, ideas and more on thoughts five years after the original attacks, I liked the post from Kevin at Lean Left:

"Osama Bin Laden is still free.

That, five years after the fall of the towers, is as good a symbol for the failures of the Bush Administration as any. As I mentioned earlier today, not only is Bid Laden till free, but the US government has lost all trace of him after bungling the operation to catch him at Tora Bora because it shifted focus to Iraq. Even worse, there is no one single person responsible for finding him; the various bureaucracies have been left to fight it out among themselves. Bin Laden’s freedom is hardly the only failure of the last five years."

I am convinced if Bush leaves office without capturing the living or deceased body of bin Laden, then most Americans (and perhaps many of our allies) will see his responses to the terrorism of 9-11 as a large failure.

A Real Sunsphere Report?

I had noticed the story and was not alone as even R. Neal at KnoxViews expressed surprise that some actual reporting has occurred on the massive eyesore and financial boondoggle that is the Big Gold Golfball, aka The Sunsphere in Knoxville.

Meant to symbolize the source of all Energy, it is an Energy Hog, and has never been a practical or useful piece of architecture. Leasing the site has nearly been impossible due to utility costs alone. It's a leftover symbol of irony from a failed Energy-themed World's Fair, where plans for alternate energy to run the pavilions resulted in huge electrical bills.

Objective and plain reporting? Yep, a good story was written. Sadly, though, I found the bulk of the stories in the Knoxville Voice too generic, and it needs a few more local reports - but I think the paper is working on it and the future is theirs if they wish it.

The print media is hard pressed in my opinion to compete with the information and views available via blogs like this, for just one example. If you run through all the links on this Cup of Joe, I think you'll find tons of local and national information.

And if you know of a site I should add as a new blog or news link, please offer your suggestions in the comments today.

A 9-11 Question

What is your reaction to the constant coverage in news and other media (movies, documentaries, etc.) being provided for the five- year mark of the terrorist attacks of September 2001?

Camera Obscura - "Simpsons" Meet "Star Trek"

Here are a brief collection of movie bits and tv items for a Saturday morning Camera Obscura - events this week have again conspired to keep me places not close to a computer/

Many people are remarking on the 40th Anniversary of Star Trek's arrival on television. What better time to note that indeed, we all continue to boldly go where no - "D'oh!!" - has gone before. Yes, it's The Simpson's theme and the Star Trek theme, all with the help of a Theremin and YouTube.



And an interesting blend of Episcopalians in Georgia and Buffy The Vampire Slayer has been reported by Reel Fanatic.

Just about every DVD in release this week and next week can be found here. It includes links to the re-release of the original "Star Wars" trilogy from laserdisc to a new DVD release. It is an untinkered with collection, as most space fans have asked for.

I'll get some work done and be back here soon!!

As always, thanks fer having that Cup of Joe.

Meanwhile, In The News

CBS floats a lighter than air bit on a movie star's baby appearing in Vanity Fair. Wow. Shocking.

Meanwhile, ABC reveals Pakistan is giving safe haven to terrorists.



Volunteer Voters has links to others on this peace settlement.

At KnoxViews, R. Neal pegs the problem.

And in the Iraqi parliament, they are working on a plan to split the country into three divisions, which aims to dampen the growing civil war.

OK. Feel free to go back and watch Katie Couric get chummy with another celebrity.

Near-Sidewards Crablike Skidaddle

A blogwoman who is a lifetime member of Target (goes there for special occasions, like an anniversary) who is also a bona fide Busy Mom had an "encounter":

"Toothless mountain man: "Ya wanna look at each other's stuff? I'll look at your stuff and you look at my stuff, and, we won't have to give any of it away."
Me: ... (!)

Heh Heh.

I've had those kind of moments when you look around to see if some TV show is filming your reactions. When you see there isn't, you begin a near-sidewards crablike skidaddle. (A difficult yet urgent form of movement.)

There was a moment this afternoon when I almost had to make the "near-sidewards crablike skidaddle" as I was perusing jars of salsa at the local market. Off to my left, I hear a woman say "you know, everything in here is getting more expensive."

"Hmmm ... yes, everything is getting more expensive...." I say in hopes of appearing agreeable and non-threatening while carefully, without making eye contact, I attempted to ascertain just who owned the voice.

"It sure is" she says.

"Yes. Yep. Uh-huh." and I am gaining some confidence this is just normal 'howdy-do-stranger' banter which used to occur with somewhat more frequency here in America, and then go back to studying salsa labels.

"You know, you can make some really great food by just adding salsa," says the lady, who, sensing my guard has been dropped, literally zoomed across the 15 feet which had separated us, "For instance -"

With my ninja-like reflexes, I immediately pivot and turn to both face the stranger and establish the necessary stance for a 'near-sidewards crablike skidaddle'.

The woman before me has long, straight white hair, looks to be somewhere between 60 and 70, but I see no tell-tale military camouflage outfit, nor a hideously streaked with some food or grease threadbare T-shirt with an obscure and oddly out of date catch-phrase, like 'Sit On It, Turkey!!.

In fact, the hair and fairly calm features make her look a little ... well, witchy was the word I thought, or maybe just earth-mothery.

She continued, saying "You can make a really good meatloaf, just find some salsa you like, and mix it in with the breadcrumbs and mix it into the groundbeef. Something with plenty of onions and peppers in the salsa, and then a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper."

Now, the way she said that bit about the pinch part for some reason shifted my view back to the "witchy" perception.

Thankfully, she followed that suggestion with, "Of course I always add some brown sugar, and a little Worcestershire Sauce for a glaze while it cooks." and I realize we are having a plain old share-a-recipe conversation, which, again, used to occur with some frequency within the aisles of a market in America. (And before I forget to mention it, I think "worcestershire" would make a great first-round spelling bee word.)

At this point she starts to back off, smiling very sweetly, and adds, "It saves time and tastes good, try it out sometime."

So I casually (yet again, with ninja-like subterfuge) shift my near-sidewards crablike stance into a jaunty one bent-knee at ease. And thanked the lady.

Figured I must have some reason now to just buy the dang salsa and quit pondering over it and get outta there before I actually made a friend. No sense in getting carried away.

"We Will Keep Control"

Watching what passes for campaigning these days, which is really just political party humping and grinding, Republican Sen. Dole exclaimed "We will keep control!!!"

She was chastising Democrat Sen. Schumer while some network goober played referee in a game of Bait the Question.

The question - not about the nature of issues facing the country, not about the failure or successes of either elected official, not about the massive public disgust with failures in Congress. Nope. It was a question of "Will the Republicans or the Democrats have control of the Senate after the elections this fall?"

Even the goober reporter knows the Public Good is a moot point. This is a billionaire's game of Party Politics and the Public Good is of no concern.

The response emphasizes that a political party runs America, aided by the party's donors and members. The clubs which are in charge have no desire to represent you unless you donate large cash sums. The emphasis is that the Time of "citizen-led legislature" has been long over and is not about to return.

"We will keep control."

In fairness, if you examine what that Royal We has done what will be found?

Tax cuts for the billionaires - check. Border Security and Immigration Reforms - ask after the elections. Minimum wage increase - ask after the elections. Social Security and Pension Reforms - no on S.S;, and companies now have years to comply with changes to Pension Management, insuring maximum profitability for corporate shareholders and the continuing decrease of Pension benefits to workers, all in a densely worded document which will allow a politician of either party to proclaim on the campaign trail "your money is safe!" without ever having to define "whose money" they mean. Health care reform - yes, pharmaceutical companies keep their control of Medicare and health insurance payment burdens have been removed from corporate concerns and are now the worker's "right". Federal deficit - highest growth in American history!! Housing and job growth - yes, the price of an average home is the highest in American history and there are more service jobs for illegal immigrants than ever before!!

But, Joe, the elections are about National Security and the Global War on Terror, which has been the tent-pole, the star attraction of the GOP for five years. We're winning that one aren't we?

Er. Um. I know we are "staying the course so we can fight them there on our terms rather than fight them here on their terms." Yep. Oh, and "we cannot cut and run."

So ... that means we are still in house to house, town to town, hill to hill battles in Afghanistan and Iraq. Years and years of hearings and trials for former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein are underway, the illegal heroin business in Afghanistan is booming, and Iran is emerging as an atomic superpower in the middle east. Terrorist bomb attacks and plots are now taking place in Britain, India, Saudi Arabia - so, nope, not here in America. Oh, and that whole WMD thing wasn't the point anyway, so we don't have that to worry about.

In terms of public safety, the illicit pleasures and poorer sections of New Orleans have been eliminated and the land is ripe for corporate investment, as soon as the government contractual fraud funding is complete. Any citizens forced to flee have been merged into surrounding state budgets for them to care for.

The Patriot Act has been reauthorized so it can circumvent the Constitution, phones and email are under constant surveillance, and the airlines now rigorously check shoes and liquids.

Education? No child has been left behind, all the test numbers are new and totally misunderstood by the public in general and soda pop machines are quickly fading from campuses everywhere.

On the thorny issue of campaign financing scandals, lobbyist reforms -- well, looking at the race in Tennessee for the battle of the Senate seat, Democrat Harold Ford Jr has raised about $4.5 million and spent about $3.3 million, and Republican Bob Corker has raised $5.5 million and spent about $1.8 million. The edge goes to Corker, who has plenty of revenue left to whip away at the godless, liberal democrat Ford in advertising spots and exiting Senator Bill Frist is hard at working campaigning in Iowa.

Outside Tennessee, the battle is truly fierce in states like Pennsylvania, where incumbent Republican and cheerleader Sen. Rick Santorum is trailing in the polls, but has raised $18.3 million so should have plenty of chance to catch the current poll leader, Democrat Bob Casey Jr. who has raised only $8.4 million.

Congress itself is poised to return for a few weeks, where they will consider a bill to commemorate the victims and events of 9-11-2001. That should coincide with multi-media programs via news networks, DVDs and movies to remind everyone of how afraid they should be, and bring support to the side of Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld, who has successfully been able to stay in his position on the cabinet for a historic length of time.

In short, I think Sen. Dole is right. They are in charge. In glorious, terror-alert colors of half-witted, ill-thought and fear-filled charge.

The old military terms apply - the GOP has SNAFU. The Democrats have FUBAR.

The American Citizen - go back to work, move along, nothing to see here. "We will keep control."

Sunday Sermonette Number 2 (maybe 3)

The Sundays which fall in a holiday weekend are a bit better than other Sundays. A typical Sunday is a quieter day when you step outside - the usual stench of the Rat Race which runs Monday thru Friday is dampened, lessened somewhat since humans sleeping a bit later, or as in the South, lowered anxieties accompany the Faithful Flocks who make their way to the Church of Their Choice. This particular September Sunday is caught in the midst of a the Labor Day Holiday, and here in East TN, the silence is sweetened by the satisfaction of football fans who saw Their Boys win and slumber on more deeply, or wake a bit more quietly.

I always welcome this Sunday morning silence.

Religious or not, most humans seem to take one day a week to drift a bit.

The blurred confusion which circulates in the news about the state o' the world is still there, yes, and I often think the planet would truly benefit if even the 24/7 television world were to simply shut up as well - say from about 5 a.m. til about 3 or 4 p.m. every Sunday. Voluntarily, I mean. Everyone gets forced into too much these days, and I refuse to advocate more forced behavior. I just think the planet would benefit from a touch of self-imposed silence.

Maybe that's why Sunday mornings are so pleasant - most humans take some down time, or ponder the Creator from pews and pulpits, or prep a leisurely plate of brunch, or roll over and dream for a few more moments.

For this Sunday, I do have a few thoughts on worldly matters and the manipulations and machinations from the Powers That Be. But those are all on a back burner, concepts are slowly stewing away, perhaps for a post later today or tomorrow.

Front and center today, though, are a few manifestations of the Oddness of early September 2006. And so I offer to share some of these stray bits of strangeness which I have found in the last day or so.

From West TN, the mighty Newscoma includes a report on Bigfoot sightings in Arizona. The headline for the latest news reads "Bigfoot Kept Lumberjack As Love Slave." What might that be like? Just how does Bigfoot enslave the love of a burly lumberjack? Just how does the mythic creature get his/her Love jones on? If there is just one Bigfoot, isn't there a tragic quality to the creature who has no mate, no peer, no equal, forced instead to hold captive an unsuspecting lumberjack?

The Bigfoot story, from Weekly World News, reminds me of the pics and stories they used to run about President Clinton meeting with our Alien Overlords. So I wonder, if maybe the current administration, itself alone and unloved in a hostile world, might should reach out to Bigfoot, co-mingle their alienations, and send the creature out into the diplomatic world. Maybe for example, a country like Iran or Lebanon could benefit from a visit from Bigfoot. A newer, gentler myth of monstrosity could behoove them.

On the topic of monstrosities, I can confirm I have never, ever, never wondered what might happen if someone made a line of perfumes and scents based on the fantastical creatures from the mind of writer H.P. Lovecraft. But these folks here have.

For the scent of the haunted city of Arkham, makers say it is:

" A shadowy, unapproachable forest of maple, birch, dogwood, cypress and pine softened by a garland of New England wildflowers: bergamot, columbine, rue anemone, blue violet, creeping phlox, bloodroot, toadflax, and pixie moss.

I was thinking of contacting them and offering to work writing ad copy for them for today's modern-now-a-go-go youth -- I think ad ad reading "Smells Like Teen Nyarlathotep" might capture the national attention. Imagine a reality show, "The Next Pickman's Model."

Since it is a Sunday, I was more than a little disturbed to discover the new craze among Southern Evangelical Christians is Christian Wrestling. I mean, 'Rasslin'!

I had thought at first glance this was a story about the North Carolina singer/comedian Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, who had a tune back in the early 1990s called "Sleeper Hold On Satan."

Nope.

Seems there are even two Christian Rassling Leagues.

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to a shirt-and-tie preacher. But I might listen to a guy in spandex because he's like me',” said Timothy "“T-Money"” Blackmon, who wears tight black shorts with a "T“"” on one buttocks and a dollar sign on the other."

Ooops. That story has ruptured my calm Sunday.

Time to sign off and go make some waffles, maybe some biscuits, while the dogs hover near my ankles hopping for dropped morsels. And then a nap.

POSTSCRIPT: I am not sure what the hell is going on in the United Kingdom right now, but for the last four or five days hundreds and hundreds of U.K readers have been arriving here on this Cup of Joe after Googling for that old "Cats That Look Like Hitler" post. That can't be a good sign if Europe is pondering that guy, even in cat form.

Besides, for all those folk who've been visiting - they have yet to leave a single comment. That's just rude.

The 100 Best DVD Commentaries

Do you bother to sit through audio commentaries which accompany most DVDs? I happened to run across a list of the 100 very best and the very worst via Whedonesque this week.

The site offers readers the chance to submit their favorites and not only are the movies listed very impressive, I'll probably grab several of the commentaries mentioned to check them out. Done well, the extra information is fascinating. Done badly, it can make you hate a movie.

The current top ten is lead by Whedon's "Serenity" which has a great commentary, and is followed by several from directors David Cronenberg and Terry Gilliam in the top ten. I'd also rank Cronenberg's commentary for "History of Violence" as especially good for anyone interested in the creative process of moviemaking, and a very funny commentary from Val Kilmer, Robert Downey Jr and Shane Black on "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang." Also ranking on the list is the commentary for "Monty Python's Holy Grail" and it's almost as funny as the movie. And yes, Bruce Campbell's comments for "Evil Dead" are most entertaining.

Some of the worst?

That list includes both the old and new versions of "Rollerball" and one of the worst I ever had the misfortune to tune into, "Resident Evil". Milla Jovavich is deeply self-absorbed and mighty dumb. Their current number one is for the commentary on "Superfly," from a film professor. Mel Brooks makes the Worst list for "Spaceballs" and "Blazing Saddles:, and I'm curious to catch those now, just to see how bad Mel can be.

What would you put on the list of best and worst? Or do you ever bother to check commentaries?

Camera Obscura - What Makes A Movie Star?

There have been some losses in the legends of American entertainment this week, and not just the deaths of Glenn Ford or Joe Stefano. Tom Cruise found out he was just another product, and the manufacturing studios can replace him like any widget can be replaced.

Not that I think Cruise is a legend - except in his own mind. Getting dumped by Paramount simply shows that the studio distributors and producers are and always have been the real Power. Some say that Paula Fortunato, wife of Paramount's chief Sumner Redstone told her hubby Cruise had to go.

And while I can think of some great performances in a Cruise movie - the performances weren't his. It was Paul Newman in "Color of Money" or Cuba Gooding Jr in "Jerry Maguire" -- a movie that had a prophetic tagline: "Everybody loved him ... Everybody disappeared."

For real honest-to-Pete stardom and acting chops and legendary films, a worthwhile movie fan has to explore the work of Glenn Ford. When I was growing up, the man was the epitome of a square, a blase character. But some years back, thanks to Turner Classic Movies, I discovered he was one of the early pioneers of a more naturalistic, non-glamorous acting approach. He had a rather plain style, and was often quoted as saying he was just being himself onscreen.


I'll just mention 3 of the best of his movies as a place to start if you know little of him. First, he battles crime and Lee Marvin in the film noir thriller "The Big Heat." With a tense direction from Fritz Lang, Ford navigates a murky moral world with an understated skill, small details of all the characters make for a big movie.

Riots literally erupted in theatres when the rock and roll high school apocalypse of the 1950s, "The Blackboard Jungle" was released. It was all blamed on the use of "Rock Around The Clock" on the soundtrack -- but it pulsed to life a new twist in the American Dream -- the kids didn't care for the world they had been given. In fact it was Ford's son, Peter, who had the Bill Haley record and Ford who told producers to use the tune. It was a perfect choice. Ford here plays a former vet, unhappily making his way as a high school teacher and challenging not only the hopelessness of the teens, but of the adults too. It's another performance where we see a character taking mental challenges and bringing them to life.

Ford made many excellent Westerns - odd in that he wasn't an imposing figure. But I think that's what he used to his advantage - being ordinary and refusing defeat. At random, just look for "3:10 To Yuma", written by Elmore Leonard and directed by Delmer Daves. Here, Ford is the bad guy, and the fact that he could play a villain, a hero, a romantic comedy lead - that's a real legend and a real actor. If all you know of him was that he was Pa Kent in the 1978 "Superman" - just think of how good he was in a very short amount of screen time.

As for Joe Stefano - he wrote the script for a movie that changed all the rules for the American horror film - "Psycho." With simple scenes and complex characters under the brilliant hand of Alfred Hitchcock, Stefano had a tough time competing with his own success. His other major achievement was as writer and producer for the original "Outer Limits" -- still some of the best sci-fi ever made for television.

Enough of what was -- let's look at some potential greatness headed to theatres. Director Brian DePalma has taken the blood-curdling murder mystery known as the Black Dahlia, based on crime writer James Ellroy's book, and it looks fantastic. "The Black Dahlia", based on a real-life murder mystery from 194, hits the screen in mid-September.

Putting together DePalma, Ellroy and performers like Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Josh Hartnett -- that's a hefty amount of creative talent. DePalma and Ellroy should go together very, very well. Although the movie was oddly made in Bulgaria and not Hollywood, DePalma says in news reports his goal was just to capture the story and the style of Ellroy. That should work well. Ellroy's books are must reads. "The Big Nowhere" for example, is a sprawling masterpiece of crime fiction and helped launch his career.

I received an email this week about what may be one of the worst movies ever made, though there are some who love the Halloween made-for-TV movie called "The Worst Witch." One writer in particular can't stop hating the movie. But don't just take his word for it. Check out this video from the movie, with Tim Curry who has an evil tambourine he can't seem to find. Has anybody seen his tambourine???

Truly, truly awful stuff -- looks like it was made for a twelve cents on someone's camcorder in someone's basement ....but I'd bet Tim Curry can still get a movie made at Paramount if he wants.

Blog!!!!!

I've had a few random thoughts about this most indefinable forum of expression which has the name of Blog. For some who make them, it is a sort of daily diary with some consistency, for some it is a personal soapbox to slop out their half (and sometimes fully) baked theories of politics.

Mine here, fer instance, has veered from topic to topic, some local and some national or international, and the consistency issue is ... well, it's an issue.

Profundity, creativity and depravity are possible --- each dependent on the writer. After more than a year of writing for this one and over 40,000 reader viewings, I only know that this particular forum is not one I could or even want to limit to a singular style.

This blog, like the mind that directs these fingers fumbling at the keyboard, has a multitude of ideas, and at best, the lack of consistency is something of a constant. This post is just such an example.

These Blogs and their creators are too nebulous, too multi-faceted to nail down.

There is a single truth about these blogs which I truly and deeply appreciate - they provide the chance to hear and read and experience the worldviews and thoughts of hundreds of thousands of people without the restrictive censorship of an editor, a publisher, a broadcaster. Just about anyone can take the software and use it as they wish. True, some countries block access, and yet within such locations, many share the ways to circumvent the censorship.

And while it's on my mind - Blog --- sounds like one of those radioactive-insectoid-mad science horror movies from the early 1960s. There could be the original - "Blog!!!!" and then "Attack of the 50 Foot Blog!!!" or "Son of Blog!!!" or ... well, you get the idea.

And yes, there is one thing I do on a regular basis, and that is write about movies old and new, always on a Friday -- or sometimes a Saturday or a Wednesday. But usually once or maybe twice a week. (see what I mean about the consistency deal?)

Personal blogs, personal videos, and such have meant I spend less time finding a book to read - I have an entire world of creator-controlled content to peruse. And the magazines or newspapers I might have to seek out at a library I can find here on the World Wide Web. I've also found many thousands of books I could never find in a library here on the Web to read for free and whenever I wish to read it.

I just saw today that Google is offering a new such book service. But type in the title of most any book or screenplay or type of music and you can likely find it to read for free.

When I sometimes cynically ponder on the nature of humans and their precarious and unknowable future, I attempt to find an expression for it here. When I sometimes celebrate the utter silliness and joy of humans, again, I can do the silly dance right here.

My mother says I ramble too much here, and sometimes make these posts too long.

I disagree. Each post is a long or as short as it needs to be.

Here, in conclusion, are a few things I saw in the last day or so I enjoyed:

Tennessee Jed helps keep the lights on the Henley St. Bridge bright.



Brittney at NiT made me laugh silly with this captured pic.



I had fun debating the usefulness and nature of the Minutemen Border Patrol at Atomic Tumor.

I just found sci-fi writer/mathematician Rudy Rucker has a great online magazine called Flurb.

To this and to all I say - "Blog!!!"

Is There Still A Terrorist Threat?

It is a truly challenging question presented in Foreign Affairs magazine, which I located via The Daily Docket.

"But if it is so easy to pull off an attack and if terrorists are so demonically competent, why have they not done it? Why have they not been sniping at people in shopping centers, collapsing tunnels, poisoning the food supply, cutting electrical lines, derailing trains, blowing up oil pipelines, causing massive traffic jams, or exploiting the countless other vulnerabilities that, according to security experts, could so easily be exploited?

One reasonable explanation is that almost no terrorists exist in the United States and few have the means or the inclination to strike from abroad. But this explanation is rarely offered."

The entire article is here.

Given that political pundits, such as Newt Gingrich and many others have been clamoring for us to call the War On Terror "World War 3" and some say call it "World War 4", and that herds of terrified bloggers whine endlessly about the evil residents of America (aka a Democrat, or worse, a Liberal) who aren't harboring lusts for the destruction of all non-Americans are secretly planning for the demise of the nation itself, then the question asked in the magazine deserves consideration: Is There Still A Terrorist Threat?

Are these constant fretting folk simply maneuvering for legislative authority and power based on the amount of generalized Fear they can manufacture?

John Mueller's essay is a fascinating essay - and raises critical questions. Sadly, I read blogs and see news reports constantly which seem deeply content to forever live in an American society shaded by color-coded threat alerts and a willingness to view much of the world as the enemy.

In such a world, what will constitute victory?

As for me, I harbor no illusions my thoughts and questions on this topic will elicit much beyond ill will, or perhaps among those who do think and question our national attitude then some agreement may be expressed. The real changes must occur within the minds and hearts of those who create policy and strategy to realistically address the presence, or absence, of terrorist threats.

Knox Pez Toy Falls Short

The owner of apparently ultra-rare 1982 Knoxville World's Fair Pez Dispenser did not get his hoped-for price of $100,000 on eBay.

The winning bid was a mere $32,205.

That is, if you consider paying $32,000 bucks for a candy holder a "winning" act.

Maybe Knoxville should consider transforming the Sunsphere into a gigantic Pez dispenser, so that the li'l golden sphere on top tilts back and shoots out maybe some bright orange footballs. Maybe the city could get as much as 30 grand too!

Saddam Forced to Watch South Park

Matt Stone, one of the creators of "South Park", says that he has some credible info that Saddam Hussein was shown the movie "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut".

The story says:

"The former Iraqi leader is portrayed in the movie as a homosexual who is in a relationship with the devil, and Stone claims the prisoner is being forced to watch it "repeatedly" as he is held by US Marines.

The South Park movie was banned on release in Iraq seven years ago.

Stone reveals: "I have it on pretty good information from the Marines on detail in Iraq that they showed him the movie. That's really adding insult to injury. I bet that made him really happy."

I wonder if there is any which might most irritate the administration in Washington? Oh yeah, Rumsfeld says the daily news, manipulated by terrorists, makes him heartsick.

Geography Is A Crime

I know Colorado is on the whipping post for the recent Karr debacle, but I was reading an account today of what happened to a 7th grade Geography teacher who dared to show his students the flags of various countries which they were studying.

He was placed on leave, stopped from teaching.

School officials were fearful he might be violating a new state law which prohibits the display of flags from other countries.

According to the report: (and a hat-tip to Salem's Lots for this story)

"Eric Hamlin, in his first year at Carmody, said he regularly displays flags from different countries, rotating them out based on countries being studied.

He said that the first six weeks of school are devoted to discussing the "fundamentals of geography" and that the flags were randomly selected.

District officials are citing Colorado Revised Statute 18-11- 205. It says: "Any person who displays any flag other than the flag of the United States of America or the state of Colorado or any of its subdivisions, agencies or institutions upon any state, county, municipal or other public building or adjacent grounds within this state commits a class 1 petty offense."

It says an exception to that law is "the display of any flag ... that is part of a temporary display of any instructional or historical materials not permanently affixed or attached to any part of the buildings ... ."

Thank goodness the school administrators are working hard to keep the students ignorant, fearful, and have an awareness of nothing more than than a few centimeters beyond their fingertips. Ooops!! Did I say centimenters? I should be banned for using such a term. Next thing you know, I'll use words which originated in Latin or French some other commie-islamic-monarchy.

Bebop Day

Today is the birthday of one Charlie Parker, born in 1920. According to today's edition of The Writer's Almanac, though he is credited with a type of jazz called bebop, he did not like to use that word for his style -- Charlie said "Let's not call it bebop," he said. "Let's just call it music."

The Almanac also features the following poem by Louis McKee, called "Second Chance". It's a fine bit of writing. Enjoy!

Second Chance

In my dream I return
to the place I went
wrong, and given this
chance to change
things, I go on
down the way I went
before. Even in sleep
I know there is only one go—
and it went well
the first time. Where
it didn't- well, it will
be good to see her again.

Hip-Deep in Dumb

Some days I struggle mightily to restrain childish rants against the presence of The Stupid in our humble, warming globe. There are even times when The Stupid comforts me, reminding me that for all of humanity's achievements, Stupid is a great equalizer. Usually though, I get all self-important and gaze down my nose at creation, and that can't be good.

Sometimes the word Stupid really isn't the best descriptive term which applies to events and people. With that in mind, I'm trying to temper my confusion and outrage with Loving Kindness. (cough) So here is a collection of warm and fuzzy hugs of concern and acceptance for those events and people who do or have done something of ..... let's just call it"Questionable Worth."

In a contest between Barry Manilow and Stephen Colbert, the award goes to Manilow?? (Okay, that goes beyond "questionable" and straight to Stupid) The following moment from Colbert and Emmy winner Jon Stewart helps ... a little bit anyway.



Next - does President Bush sincerely believe a few stops and a few bland words to mark the anniversary of the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina will raise his standings? He might as well start calling these useless speeches and visits the "Help Is Still On The Way Tour 2006", so that all he'll have to change from visit to visit is the year in which help, not yet presented, will soon be presented. An ABC story on this current event ends with a paragraph which reveals the real reason he has made a trip to the South:

"Bush was ending the day in New Orleans, at dinner with state and local officials. On Wednesday, he is to appear at political fundraisers in Arkansas and Tennessee, although officials will be keeping an eye on [Tropical Storm] Ernesto in case it requires presidential attention."

If you wonder what usually has the President's attention as a hurricane approaches, it's clearing brush at his Texas farm.

Next - some young people in Vermont have begun making a "social statement" by going semi or totally naked in public. Now I have never been to Vermont, but I'm betting that the number of days when the temperature is suitable for being nude would be a small number. This story would really not have garnered my attention if it were not for the "interactive poll" which went with the story as published by the Boston Globe. The question??

Here ya go -- "Do you think nudity is a basic human right?"

The responses to this ridiculous question are fairly entertaining, true. But allow me to add a very serious note to the Boston Globe -- Under the clothes of every human on the planet, they are totally naked.

Perhaps the razor-sharp minds at the Globe could offer us some other must-read polls, like "Hands - Should They Be On The Ends of Your Arms?" (and a big thank you to Tits McGee for this link, and check out her new blog design too! She just always has the best dang links on the internets.)

An engineer friend of mine used to say that certain people were a "bubble left of plumb". A fine phrase indeed. He also used to say that he had days when he was "hip-deep in dumb." Having said that, the ramblings of Katherine Harris, as noted in a Knox Views post, indicate that dumb may have risen far above the hips and sits level at her lips:

"Harris told the journalists "we have to have the faithful in government" because that is God's will. Separating religion and politics is "so wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers," she said."

Or, as in the fiasco of election vote counts and recounts overseen by Harris in Florida in 2000, God needed the help of some hanging chads to accomplish His Will. Mysterious Ways indeed.

And last but certainly not least, how about the D.A.'s office in Colorado who solved the JonBenet case ... or, well, they didn't solve it, they ... well, they made a celebrity! Thankfully the new revised Cracked magazine got that John Mark Karr's confession. An unidentified member of the D.A.'s office remarked on the error, "Hey, he was using the whole 3-name deal, you know, like Lee Harvey Oswald, and all the bad ones use that t-name dealie." Here's an excerpt from the Cracked confession:

"They did catch up with me in Bangkok and I was consulting with doctors about getting a sex change, so I think it’s pretty clear I’m crazy."

Lawsuit Looms for Corker

A lawsuit from 2003 against GOP Senate candidate Bob Corker is finally headed to review in court. Alice has more on the story here. The hilarious aspect is that Corker's political's lackeys claim that the pesky Harold Ford Jr. is to blame for the lawsuit taking place prior to an election.

Hey, if Ford Jr can plan his political strategy that far ahead, then maybe he deserves to go to Washington.

Is It Remembrance or 9-11 Porn?

CNN has announced that on the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9-11, they will replay their entire coverage of that day. Viewers and online folks can access it via the seldom-used CNN feature called Pipeline for free that day.

The story says:

"NEW YORK - CNN will mark the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by replaying on the Internet the cable network's coverage of that day's events.

Viewers can watch how events unfolded starting at 8:30 a.m., minutes before the first reports of an airplane hitting the World Trade Center. The feed will run in real time, as the network showed it five years ago, until midnight.

For the day, CNN will make its online video service, CNN Pipeline, available for free. Normally, viewers pay $2.95 a month or $24.95 a year for four separate video feeds.

Online viewers will be able to watch live reports of memorial services through one of the feeds. So that viewers won't accidentally stumble upon graphic footage from 2001, the replay feed will be covered with a notice instructing users to click only if they want to watch.

"Our users may choose to view the stream of coverage from Sept. 11, 2001, or live coverage of memorial services at Ground Zero, or they may click through the numerous interactive elements on the site," said David Payne, senior vice president and general manager of CNN.com. "They have the power to determine the best way for them to remember the anniversary."

So is this just shameless marketing of CNN's Pipeline services? Will they sell new ads to new customers?

Is this Remembrance or Tragedy as Porn?

Sushi and Snakes On A Plane

Deep satisfaction followed a fierce consumption of eels and then going to see "Snakes On A Plane" as I did last night. My thanks to The Editor for an early b-day present. The eels of course were part of a massive and delicious sushi feast. But they are kind of snake-ish critters, so I felt a movie about a planeful of snakes was a most appropriate combo.

In more than a few ways, Snakes On A Plane plays like one of the many Airplane Disaster movies so common in the mid to late 1970s and even has a touch of the comedy "Airplane!" on board too. All it lacked was some child on board who is enroute to a hospital for some transplant accompanied by a nun playing a guitar. I mean, when David Koechner (sportscaster Champ Kind of "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy") is the pilot, there is comedy afoot.

The movie is by far the finest Drive-In style movie I've seen in many a year. Forget about plot logic or other elements of realism. This is an unadulterated Fun Time. Sam Jackson is having a blast here leading the Heroic Effort Against The Snakes, and more comedy was added with actor Kenan Thomas of Saturday Night Live.

But I must say that even the most crude Drive-In fodder still contains fascinating subtexts, and SOAP does as well. We live in times when an airplane flight is a source of nightmares - the passengers and crew of this flight mirror much in the real world. Flying is a test of courage. When flight today is accompanied by terrorism fears, its no wonder there is much interest in SOAP.

And as with the cheapest of horror movies (or the most expensive varities) a very real desire to be able to identify and battle the Evil that would destroy Us is based on everyday experiences. The famous line spoken by Jackson gives voice to a common frustration -- we are all damn sick and tired of the threats focused on flying. And in SOAP, we get a truly cathartic experience - locate the nasty threat, work together as best we can to aid each other and relentlessly battle that threat.

Just as in movies past where average folk battled the animalistic terrors of radioactivity, SOAP offers characters the opportunity to battle the animalistic jihadists - passengers must improvise to create a defense as scientists on the ground assist in discovering the origins of the snakes and obtaining all the many anti-venoms necessary to combat the poision in the air.



These creatures hide out in places we assume are safe, and in negotiating a path to restore power to the plane, Jackson must distinguish between the normal chaos of wires and the abnormal chaos of mean, quick-moving snakes.

Such sub-texts aside, the bottom line for SOAP is that it delivers exactly what it promises in the gory glory of Drive-In Movies Past. I laughed, I jumped, and had a fantastic time. Keep your costumed super or not-so-super heroes. SOAP has a vigorous joy in celebrating the success of the frustrated fliers of today.

One more bonus for the movie - stay through the credits to watch the music video for the song "Snakes On A Plane (Bring It)" by a group called Cobra Starship. The video for this 70s/80s mega-theme is here.

It is truly and hilariously awful - in a good way.

UPDATE on Today's Question- Camera Obscura (Late Edition)

I am more than a little ticked off with the Blogger problems today, but hopefully it appears it has been resolved .... better be anyway!!!

So on the question from the previous post today -- Who are the 10 most memorable TV characters?

And please check out the comments in the previous post today - some fine answers are there and some are on my list ... sort of.

This is a very tough selection of answers, and I'll probably forget something, but here goes. One thing I did keep in mind were shows which I often find myself watching both new and in reruns, in other words, the characters as well as the stories, always made me come back for more, My answers are in no particular order:

1 - Homer Simpson -- A fan of Bart and many others, including Mr. Burns, I have to give it to the main man, Homer. If the ancients had the storyteller of the same name to catalog their myths, then the Homer of Springfield is the modern equivalent. He is the Everyman of America. At times selfish, oafish, inattentive to family, fearful, searching for that one gimmick which will bring endless wealth and fame, content to sit in his underwear and watch whatever appears on the television. He argues fiercely with God, is often promoted at his work for no particular reason and just as often fired for the same reasoning (or lack of it). His memory of history is dictated by the needs of the moment. He has been to outer space, has been a victim of crime and punishment, and yet, no matter what, he usually finds that being connected to his family is something he values completely. Unless food, beer, or ease of comfort are offered as alternatives.

2. - Agent Dale Cooper -- It is rather hard to name just one favorite from the enigmatic "Twin Peaks," it was Coop we all could relate too. He loves good coffee and good pie, and has an investigative mind which pieces together bits and pieces of a mystery that still defies complete description. Brilliantly played with both childish innocence and an understanding of the darkest criminal hearts, he was a pinnacle in American detective fiction. Without Coop, we would never have been ready to accept Scully and Mulder.

3. - Buffy Summers - Yes I am a huge fan of the show. And I have a great admiration for Spike and Drusilla, two of the best vampire characters I've ever seen on television (a thin field, admittedly). What kept me watching constantly and made me a lifelong fan however, was Buff. She endured mindless authorities, brutal enemies, was accepting of the ever-changing nature of her closest friends, was sometimes gullible and forgiving to a fault, and deep down had immense self-confidence. But more importantly she was courageous as a constant, she learned from errors, and she refused to accept being categorized as one type of person. Juggling with ethical and moral dilemmas, the character waded through the both the mundane and the serious challenges from high school and college beyond. In my mind, a bona fide hero who realized 'with great power comes great responsibility'.

4. - Rod Serling -- Like Whedon said, he wasn't exactly a character, but he was a defining center to all the real and surreal stories of "The Twilight Zone". He spoke directly to the viewers, casually had a cigarette in his hand and his use of language was often poetic, he presented challenges to morality and to reality, urging viewers each week to remember there is much more to the world than the things we can see and can touch. And again, I'll often find myself watching marathon reruns and have more memories of a vast collection of some of the best actors and actresses as well as writers who worked throughout the 20th century. Sadly, Hollywood made him a spokesperson for the rather uninspiring tales of "The Night Gallery", but the hundreds of shows he shepherded on "Twilight Zone" remain benchmarks of television.

5 - Mr. Haney -- There has never, ever, ever been a TV show as surreal or as funny as the short-lived "Green Acres." And it was tough for me to pick just one from that unusual show - Hank Kimball, Arnold Ziffle, and even Mr and Mrs Douglas were also memorable, but Haney's quivering constant sales pitches and devotion to mindless capitalism were so very entertaining. All he sold (or perhaps I should say misrepresented) was "original, genuine, one-of-a-kind" and always worthless and pointless. Still, he never wavered despite the lunacy of his products. A failed product was merely an opportunity to sell someone something else to replace it. Whatever you needed, he always had it "on the back of my truck". He was Advertising Incarnate.

6. - Caine -- From the time I watched the pilot movie to the last episode (and not that crappy remake from the early 1990s), the stories and the viewpoint of the Shaolin priest on-the-run in the Old West was more influential on me than I can say. Everything about that show was far and above the typical TV fare. Tackling topics of racism, greed, vendettas, poverty, and so much more, this one character somehow found joy in the smallest of things, was always a creature of wonder and of wandering, and his waking world leapt between memory and the moment. Watching then and now in reruns, I am amazed that these Zen riddles ever found success in the television world. It isn't a perfect show, but that character made an indelible impression.

7. - Ted Baxter -- The witless news anchor of "Mary Tyler Moore" was the one character on the show I liked best. I seldom seek out reruns of that show, but in each of the episodes he was in, he boldy paraded his ignorance with such bravado and commitment, it was easy to see him as real. Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy owed much to Ted - a barely educated, tough-talking, opinionated doofus he truly believed that by altering the tone of his voice he could make facts out of anything. I think his character is so similar to the current crop of talking-heads so prevalent in TV news today. Vain, cowardly, and ill-informed, he presented the reality that a news-reader is hardly a person to be admired by the viewing public.

8 - Captain Jean Luc Picard -- No, he isn't the icon of the mythic characters of Kirk and Spock of the original "Star Trek," and I do enjoy the heights of over-acting those characters reached. There is one simple reason Picard is on my list -- just imagine the re-invention of the Trek franchise without him. The character, played to perfection by Patrick Stewart, provided a vital ingredient: Credibility. I'm sure few will agree with me, but that's my argument and I'm sticking to it. And the franchise would have never been extended without him.

9. and 10 -- A Tie -- I'm going to cheat a little here, since I think two different casts of players made two shows the stuff of legend. The original casts of "Saturday Night Live" and the cast of "Monty Python's Flying Circus". To this day, both of those shows are icons in television because of the combined and individual efforts of the original casts. I seldom get excited to see a repeat of SNL unless it is from the first two or three seasons (Bill Murray did bring much to the show when he arrived and Chevy Chase left). And as for Monty Python -- I never, repeat NEVER, fail to laugh even though I've seen those episodes hundreds of times. Both casts made television history and I can think of no ensemble who had such astounding talent.

POSTSCRIPT: I am positive over the next few days, I'll think of another character or performance that will jump into my mind, but that's part of the fun of this kind of exercise. Please add your own favorites, demonize my choices, and thanks to all who have played along so far. (It does really bug me that I can't think of a private detective, cop or doctor as I have put this list together.)


UPDATE 2: A few other bloggers have also picked up this thread (and thanks very much for the links!!!!). You can check them out at Salem's Lots, Sharon Cobb and Tennessee Ticket.

UPDATE 3: I've decided that since I had a tie for Number 9, that leaves me the wiggle room necessary to name a Number 10. That has to be Stephen Colbert -- in a very short time, the character he has created for his show has unmasked the Clueless Hardcore Conservative as a tenacious chucklehead. That character brought all of the Washington elite and the Press Corps face to face with their failings in a way that was evocative of Mark Twain or Will Rogers, and if either of those brilliant folk had a TV show, it would be just like Colbert's. As many others have said before me - I Heart Stephen Colbert.
And really, I may just have to make the next list of TV faves a Top 25. Thanks again to all for playing along with this!!

A Brief Delay and A Question

Some early non-computer tasks this morning mean that the usual Friday movie and entertainment news will not appear until sometime later this afternoon. Fear not, all will be normal soon.

In the meantime a question for your consideration, and you may leave your answers in the comments.

Who are the Ten Most Memorable Television characters?

The idea was tackled by writer/director Joss Whedon here, and he says the idea came his way from writer James Gunn. Whedon did mention one I would put on my list, Agent Dale Cooper. And Gunn says no cartoon characters allowed, but there is no way I could make a list without mentioning Homer Simpson, so forget that rule. My list will appear later in an Update.

Have at it!

The Disaster Without A Recovery

Contracting scandals, incompetence and a pace on par with geological time are just part of the reasons that the rebuilding on the Gulf Coast one year after Katrina has made few advances.

A fine review of the past year can be found at Facing South - thanks to Knox Views for indicating the report. From the summary:

"Despite promises from national leaders to '‘do what it takes'’ to rebuild the Gulf, the region'’s recovery has been left to move at a snail'’s pace,– with tragic results,'” says Chris Kromm, co-author of the report and director of the Institute. '“Without a revived national commitment, the Gulf and its people won'’t come back'."

This fisaco on the Gulf is the most prominent example of how much the U.S. lacks leadership in critical areas. Just imagine that the towns torn to tatters and left to wallow in bureaucratic nonsense was your home town, or in your state. What reactions other than shock and disgust would you have? The families left to fend for themselves and the towns left to stumble through debris perhaps might be expected in a third world nation, but in the Superpower Bastion of Freedom and Democracy?

Shame aplenty can be served all around. Even more staggering are the numerous acheivements of private groups and individuals who have provided aid throughout the Gulf. And all this while those in charge clucked their tounges at what a tragedy the storm and its aftermath were.

Hoaxes and Cynicism

Are you prayers earnestly delivered, but answers to them a bit ... Unknown?

Maybe you need to amp up your delivery and reception technology by using the Prayer Antenna.

To encounter this unique device, I had the chance to visit two fine web sites I'm sure to visit again. One is all about Hoaxes. The other, all about Cynicism.