(via)
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Who Really Runs Walter Reed?
The government is not running Walter Reed's medical facilities.
It's run by private contractors -- although the key group, IAP Worldwide Services, is actually headed by two former execs with Halliburton's Kellogg, Brown and Root, and includes board members like former VP Dan Quayle.
There is far more informaton about a long battle to privatize Walter Reed and what the results of that have been here at Tom Paine. A sample of the report:
"But this time the privatization game may have backfired in the face of the Bush administration and its friends in the corporate world. It is one thing to screw workers—unfortunately, that’s now considered business as usual—but in the case of Walter Reed the ultimate victims are a much more revered group. The stark evidence that the Bush Administration, for all its rhetoric about supporting the troops, is much more interested in supporting the contractors, could be leading to a political earthquake."
It's run by private contractors -- although the key group, IAP Worldwide Services, is actually headed by two former execs with Halliburton's Kellogg, Brown and Root, and includes board members like former VP Dan Quayle.
There is far more informaton about a long battle to privatize Walter Reed and what the results of that have been here at Tom Paine. A sample of the report:
"But this time the privatization game may have backfired in the face of the Bush administration and its friends in the corporate world. It is one thing to screw workers—unfortunately, that’s now considered business as usual—but in the case of Walter Reed the ultimate victims are a much more revered group. The stark evidence that the Bush Administration, for all its rhetoric about supporting the troops, is much more interested in supporting the contractors, could be leading to a political earthquake."
Catfish Dinner Used as Weapon
Has to be one of the funnier headlines I've seen. And this in a year which has already given us headlines about astronauts in love triangles (and diapers) and bald pop singers.
I honestly admit I never even considered that a catfish dinner could be used as a weapon. But that is the claim here: Hawkins deputies look for heavy woman who attacked Bulls Gap restaurant employee with catfish.
In other crime reports and court reports, I was just thinking that going to jail with a name like "Scooter" Libby would not afford much in the sense of personal safety. And it was a strange defense from Libby anyway, against all the charges against him - that he was a fall guy, would not testify and that he was just so darned busy he could not think straight. From Time:
" ...the judge said he felt misled, at least about Libby, and he told Libby's lawyers that they were "playing games with the process." To punish them, he ruled that they could not say in closing arguments that the pressure of national security issues prevented Libby from remembering any conversations about Plame. All the lawyers could say was that Libby "had a lot on his plate."
Perhaps Scooter needed to consider a catfish dinner defense - his plate was so full it was inevitable he would forget he stuffed a catfish dinner in his pocket, a dinner which was part of a large menu of deception concerning war in Iraq.
However, I would not be surprised to see "Scooter" using the system to delay going to jail long enough to get a presidential pardon. I'm fairly sure that when or if caught, the "catfish lady" will be in jail far sooner than "Scooter" will.
I honestly admit I never even considered that a catfish dinner could be used as a weapon. But that is the claim here: Hawkins deputies look for heavy woman who attacked Bulls Gap restaurant employee with catfish.
In other crime reports and court reports, I was just thinking that going to jail with a name like "Scooter" Libby would not afford much in the sense of personal safety. And it was a strange defense from Libby anyway, against all the charges against him - that he was a fall guy, would not testify and that he was just so darned busy he could not think straight. From Time:
" ...the judge said he felt misled, at least about Libby, and he told Libby's lawyers that they were "playing games with the process." To punish them, he ruled that they could not say in closing arguments that the pressure of national security issues prevented Libby from remembering any conversations about Plame. All the lawyers could say was that Libby "had a lot on his plate."
Perhaps Scooter needed to consider a catfish dinner defense - his plate was so full it was inevitable he would forget he stuffed a catfish dinner in his pocket, a dinner which was part of a large menu of deception concerning war in Iraq.
However, I would not be surprised to see "Scooter" using the system to delay going to jail long enough to get a presidential pardon. I'm fairly sure that when or if caught, the "catfish lady" will be in jail far sooner than "Scooter" will.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Hypocrisy License
Time for some honesty about the Tennessee Driver's License and how people can apply for one - not just for the next year, but in light of federally mandated changes which aims to transform a state's drivers license into a new national identity card.
First, the current debate in the state's legislature ignores the reality of this new application process - tacking a new requirement specifying English only testing ignores the coming change which requires full documentation and verification of said documents from all residents before a license can be issued. Once these new national IDs are in place, an illegal immigrant simply could not obtain one. So the claim the measure is an aide to immigration reform is just false.
More important is how it can be paid for -- as noted in a Tennessean story Friday, the government has decided to delay the change until 2009 instead of the planned May 2008 timetable. However delays are not the goal of the majority of the states and majority of state and economic leaders nationwide who want the measure repealed.
I've mentioned all the problems with this new ID previously. That report also notes that Senator Alexander voted to install this new ID plan and against providing funding to states to pay for the changes necessary in each state. However, in his comment from the Tennessean story, says:
"Alexander blasted Real ID as 'legislation that would require states to turn more than 190 million driver's licenses into de facto national identification cards'."
Then why did the Senator vote in favor of the ID?
He is right though - as was Congressman Duncan, who originally voted against and not for this national ID.
You won't be able to use a bank, or other services, you can't collect Social Security -- In short, the Real I.D. Act states these identity cards will be required not only if one wants to drive, but also if you wish to visit a federal government building, collect Social Security, access a federal government service, or use the services of a private entity, such as a bank or an airline.
"States will be responsible for verifying these documents. That means that, when it comes to birth certificates and other documents, they probably will have to make numerous, onerous confirming calls to state and municipal officials or companies to verify the documents authenticity. (Paperwork can easily be faked.) In addition, they will have to cross-check Social Security numbers, birthdates, and more against federal databases.
Once created, the IDs must include the information that currently appears on state-issued driver's licenses and non-driver ID cards - name, sex, addresses and driver's license or other ID number, and a photo. (Under the Act, that photo must be digital - for it will be inputted into the multi-state database I will discuss below.) But the IDs must also include additional features that drivers' licenses and non-driver ID cards do not currently incorporate.
For instance, the ID must include features designed to thwart counterfeiting and identity theft. Unfortunately, while including such features may sound appealing, on the whole, these IDs may make our identities less safe.
Once Real ID is in effect, all fifty states' DMVs will share their information in a common database - and may also verify information given to them against various federal databases. In addition, it's very possible that such data will be sold to commercial entities: Some states already allow driver's license data to be sold to third parties.
Even with current, unlinked databases, thieves increasingly have turned their attention to DMVs. Once databases are linked, access to the all-state database may turn out to be a bonanza for identity thieves.
Finally, the IDs must include a "common machine-readable technology" that must meet requirements set out by the Department of Homeland Security. And, somewhat ominously, Homeland Security is permitted to add additional requirements--which could include "biometric identifiers" such as our fingerprints or a retinal scan."
First, the current debate in the state's legislature ignores the reality of this new application process - tacking a new requirement specifying English only testing ignores the coming change which requires full documentation and verification of said documents from all residents before a license can be issued. Once these new national IDs are in place, an illegal immigrant simply could not obtain one. So the claim the measure is an aide to immigration reform is just false.
More important is how it can be paid for -- as noted in a Tennessean story Friday, the government has decided to delay the change until 2009 instead of the planned May 2008 timetable. However delays are not the goal of the majority of the states and majority of state and economic leaders nationwide who want the measure repealed.
I've mentioned all the problems with this new ID previously. That report also notes that Senator Alexander voted to install this new ID plan and against providing funding to states to pay for the changes necessary in each state. However, in his comment from the Tennessean story, says:
"Alexander blasted Real ID as 'legislation that would require states to turn more than 190 million driver's licenses into de facto national identification cards'."
Then why did the Senator vote in favor of the ID?
He is right though - as was Congressman Duncan, who originally voted against and not for this national ID.
You won't be able to use a bank, or other services, you can't collect Social Security -- In short, the Real I.D. Act states these identity cards will be required not only if one wants to drive, but also if you wish to visit a federal government building, collect Social Security, access a federal government service, or use the services of a private entity, such as a bank or an airline.
"States will be responsible for verifying these documents. That means that, when it comes to birth certificates and other documents, they probably will have to make numerous, onerous confirming calls to state and municipal officials or companies to verify the documents authenticity. (Paperwork can easily be faked.) In addition, they will have to cross-check Social Security numbers, birthdates, and more against federal databases.
Once created, the IDs must include the information that currently appears on state-issued driver's licenses and non-driver ID cards - name, sex, addresses and driver's license or other ID number, and a photo. (Under the Act, that photo must be digital - for it will be inputted into the multi-state database I will discuss below.) But the IDs must also include additional features that drivers' licenses and non-driver ID cards do not currently incorporate.
For instance, the ID must include features designed to thwart counterfeiting and identity theft. Unfortunately, while including such features may sound appealing, on the whole, these IDs may make our identities less safe.
Once Real ID is in effect, all fifty states' DMVs will share their information in a common database - and may also verify information given to them against various federal databases. In addition, it's very possible that such data will be sold to commercial entities: Some states already allow driver's license data to be sold to third parties.
Even with current, unlinked databases, thieves increasingly have turned their attention to DMVs. Once databases are linked, access to the all-state database may turn out to be a bonanza for identity thieves.
Finally, the IDs must include a "common machine-readable technology" that must meet requirements set out by the Department of Homeland Security. And, somewhat ominously, Homeland Security is permitted to add additional requirements--which could include "biometric identifiers" such as our fingerprints or a retinal scan."
Much more on the topic here.
Instead of attempts to stir up immigration anger, the state needs to be honest and address the coming reality of the nation's first ever mandatory ID.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
The World Searches For ....
What are just some of the searches made on the internet that brought readers to this page?
Here's a sample of recent topics, complete with bad spelling:
girl dies drinking water hold your wee WII
rednecks having sex on top of a dead bear
household items used for masterbation
Futurama sex
hot girls in Dunlap. TN
cellborg humidity sensor
things to do before sex
cloggers topless
things to annoy girls
fluffy chucklefanny
indy's whip
brittney spears naked with other teens
burger boat
bing croby
Here's a sample of recent topics, complete with bad spelling:
girl dies drinking water hold your wee WII
rednecks having sex on top of a dead bear
household items used for masterbation
Futurama sex
hot girls in Dunlap. TN
cellborg humidity sensor
things to do before sex
cloggers topless
things to annoy girls
fluffy chucklefanny
indy's whip
brittney spears naked with other teens
burger boat
bing croby
Weightless Wasabi
As of now, the International Space Station has banned wasabi. Weightless wasabi has been deemed too dangerous, but I say we must solve of the problems eating sushi in space someday, so stay at it astronauts! (via Boing Boing)
Friday, March 02, 2007
Camera Obscura - Cruelty as Entertainment
I've been giving America's most popular TV show a chance to argue it's case for the last few weeks, which means I have selflessly devoted some of my lifetime to the hours and hours and hours of the show on FOX which somehow has captured the nation's heart.
When American Idol first began a few years ago, I did watch some bits and pieces, thought "feh! who cares" and went on my way. But I decided like any good media critic, I should sit and watch as many episodes as I could ... which I have done for this season. I confess, it has become more and more difficult to sit through an hour (much less two) of this drivel.
It should now and forever be called American iDull.
So I will not watch anymore, I cannot. I hope you who do appreciate that this experience is an endless series of unimaginative judging, which essentially boils down to three words, one for each judge -- "dog", "beautiful" and "terrible", and an endless series of humiliations - "you've just been kicked off as the worst singer of the bunch, so 'cmon and sing one more time through your tears while the winners sing behind your back."
Whatever, people.
But since I'm on the topic of appetites for humiliation and cruelty, then let's talk about the current rage for a series of movies called "Saw."
I've always been a fan of horror films and always will be. However, movies like "Saw", "Hostel", "Wolf Creek," and others in recent years have been more about sadistic cruelties than narrative entertainments. It's a boring claim, yes, made in the past about everything from comic books to rock music. I'm going to do my best here not to write some pedantic student film research treatise. It's just that all movies - not just horror movies - have subtexts, both intended and unintended - which can make them both popular and profitable.
So I've been pondering on the subtexts in the "Saw" series. Grime-encrusted clockwork technologies, crude and blunt and brutal machines and damn near medieval "teach-the-bad-person-a-lesson" plot points are all integral parts to these movies. It's their appearance and the gory outcomes that audiences and critics all talk about. But why does it appeal to today's audiences?
Today's world is abuzz with new tech, not low tech. Most people can relate to feelings of being trapped by tech innovations, even simple ones like being stuck forever on the telephone menu pressing one button to go here or another to go there and never encountering anything with a human connection. Those who do not have broadband-connected lives, MP3 players or MySpace pages likely feel keenly disconnected from the times they inhabit. Perhaps it's a subconscious realization that the world is littered with technologies ancient and recent. We rely on machines most of us could never create ourselves, but which so dominate actions we must all take.
And there is a connection, too, I think, between these movies and the America with a 9-11 worldview. Smart-bombs and high-tech war machines are battling with unorganized and random enemies who use homemade explosives. Can a box-cutter and some fuel make a weapon which cannot be defeated? And it seems odd to me that in years past we used the word "bomb" and today the preferred word is "improvised explosive device", as if giving it a complex title transforms it's basic crudeness into a more technological danger. How, many may subconsciously wonder, can we not win a battle between hi and low tech?
And typically in the "Saw" films, the audiences is left to consider that if the intended victims just stay calm and think, they can figure a way out of a death-trap. Ironically in this series of movies, the one woman who can escape then joins in the game of making death-traps herself.
Discussions of torture and of morality are certainly prevalent in today's world. And as I said, there are intended and unintended subtexts in any movie -- even the crudest film made just to turn a tidy profit is an exercise not just in business, but in stimulus and response.
Is there a politics of the horror film?
When American Idol first began a few years ago, I did watch some bits and pieces, thought "feh! who cares" and went on my way. But I decided like any good media critic, I should sit and watch as many episodes as I could ... which I have done for this season. I confess, it has become more and more difficult to sit through an hour (much less two) of this drivel.
It should now and forever be called American iDull.
So I will not watch anymore, I cannot. I hope you who do appreciate that this experience is an endless series of unimaginative judging, which essentially boils down to three words, one for each judge -- "dog", "beautiful" and "terrible", and an endless series of humiliations - "you've just been kicked off as the worst singer of the bunch, so 'cmon and sing one more time through your tears while the winners sing behind your back."
Whatever, people.
But since I'm on the topic of appetites for humiliation and cruelty, then let's talk about the current rage for a series of movies called "Saw."
I've always been a fan of horror films and always will be. However, movies like "Saw", "Hostel", "Wolf Creek," and others in recent years have been more about sadistic cruelties than narrative entertainments. It's a boring claim, yes, made in the past about everything from comic books to rock music. I'm going to do my best here not to write some pedantic student film research treatise. It's just that all movies - not just horror movies - have subtexts, both intended and unintended - which can make them both popular and profitable.
So I've been pondering on the subtexts in the "Saw" series. Grime-encrusted clockwork technologies, crude and blunt and brutal machines and damn near medieval "teach-the-bad-person-a-lesson" plot points are all integral parts to these movies. It's their appearance and the gory outcomes that audiences and critics all talk about. But why does it appeal to today's audiences?
Today's world is abuzz with new tech, not low tech. Most people can relate to feelings of being trapped by tech innovations, even simple ones like being stuck forever on the telephone menu pressing one button to go here or another to go there and never encountering anything with a human connection. Those who do not have broadband-connected lives, MP3 players or MySpace pages likely feel keenly disconnected from the times they inhabit. Perhaps it's a subconscious realization that the world is littered with technologies ancient and recent. We rely on machines most of us could never create ourselves, but which so dominate actions we must all take.
And there is a connection, too, I think, between these movies and the America with a 9-11 worldview. Smart-bombs and high-tech war machines are battling with unorganized and random enemies who use homemade explosives. Can a box-cutter and some fuel make a weapon which cannot be defeated? And it seems odd to me that in years past we used the word "bomb" and today the preferred word is "improvised explosive device", as if giving it a complex title transforms it's basic crudeness into a more technological danger. How, many may subconsciously wonder, can we not win a battle between hi and low tech?
And typically in the "Saw" films, the audiences is left to consider that if the intended victims just stay calm and think, they can figure a way out of a death-trap. Ironically in this series of movies, the one woman who can escape then joins in the game of making death-traps herself.
Discussions of torture and of morality are certainly prevalent in today's world. And as I said, there are intended and unintended subtexts in any movie -- even the crudest film made just to turn a tidy profit is an exercise not just in business, but in stimulus and response.
Is there a politics of the horror film?
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Thursday Web Walking
The legendary Superman was caught on videotape at an accident scene at a DMV office. This Florida CBS affiliate has the video, and yep, sure enough, there is a man clad head-to-toe in the Man of Steel's clothes. And this sentence from the report is priceless:
"Inexplicably, a man in a Superman costume could be seen walking around the car, but he did not stop to help the driver or any of the victims."
Video and story here.
------
Web rumors say the casting of the next set of actors to play the leads in the next "Star Trek" movie are: Matt Damon as Capt. Kirk, Adrien Brody as Spock and Gary Sinese as Dr. McCoy. And speaking of Heroes and Sidekicks, a look at suggestions for Sidekicks who are superior to their Hero partners.
-----
Will someone in Rep.Campfield's district tell him he needs to sponsor a bill to create the Tennessee Office of Zombie Preparedness? Why wait until the mindless hordes attack? Heck of a job, Campy!
-----
The picture here is one of a series from what happened when a safety drill at a zoo in Tokyo pretty much terrified the children who watched this furry creature get chased, tackled and eventually shot with a tranquilizer gun. Good times, huh kids?
"Inexplicably, a man in a Superman costume could be seen walking around the car, but he did not stop to help the driver or any of the victims."
Video and story here.
------
Web rumors say the casting of the next set of actors to play the leads in the next "Star Trek" movie are: Matt Damon as Capt. Kirk, Adrien Brody as Spock and Gary Sinese as Dr. McCoy. And speaking of Heroes and Sidekicks, a look at suggestions for Sidekicks who are superior to their Hero partners.
-----
Will someone in Rep.Campfield's district tell him he needs to sponsor a bill to create the Tennessee Office of Zombie Preparedness? Why wait until the mindless hordes attack? Heck of a job, Campy!
-----
The picture here is one of a series from what happened when a safety drill at a zoo in Tokyo pretty much terrified the children who watched this furry creature get chased, tackled and eventually shot with a tranquilizer gun. Good times, huh kids?
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The Violent Femmes-Burger, with Cheese
I thought I was the only one who had noticed it for a while -- that a Wendy's commercial was using music from The Violent Femmes "Blister In The Sun" to sell their greasy food. I did one of those spit-takes when I heard it -- and pondered if anyone at Wendy's might know the lyrics.
Who knows? Maybe some ad folks thought it would be funny.
Anyway, the other night while wasting time watching something mindless on TV, the commercial comes on and The Editor says -- "ummm ... is that ....?" So then I knew at least two people who thought the ad was a little odd.
Far ahead of the crowd though, was John at Salem's Lots, who not only wrote about the ad, but even had a comment on his post from the very unhapy Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie. "I see my life’s work trivialized at the hands of my business partner over and over again, although I have raised my objections numerous times. As disgusted as you are I am moreso ".
Way cool that Brian left a comment and like John, I've been a fan of the band too.
But my Creep-O-Meter went off the scale and broke years ago when advertisers started using great rock and roll songs to sell crap - or more accurately perhaps, to sell some product's Philosophy of Lifestyle.
Just last night I was caught off guard again when I realized some toothbrush company ad was using KISS' tune "I Wanna Rock And Roll All Night" for their toothbrush. At least they didn't change the lyrics to say "I wanna brush my teeth all night, and floss every day." And a friend just reminded me today that for some time now, Kentucky Fried Chicken uses the song "Sweet Home Alabama" to sell their greasy food. Call it ad-logic.
And in just a moment or two of web-searching, I found a web site which tracks all the rock and other music used in advertising, movies, tv, etc. So again, I'm very late to a party which has been going on for years. My dad used to tell me "Boy, when your boat comes in, you'll probably be at the airport."
Hell, half the time, I see some ad skitter across the screen and have absolutely no idea what has just been advertised. Was it a cologne? Floor wax? Car insurance? Diapers? Shoes? Drugs? These ads always seem to have Incredibly Happy People running among green fields, wearing sweaters draped over their shoulders with the sleeves making a knot, or making a car jump a bajillion feet or some folks taking a slow-motion stroll on the beach at sunrise and everyone shaking hands and hugging, somehow exhilarated at long last that some bane of life has become a boon instead.
Music can just arrive in the strangest ways from my surroundings, like that dude who had the theme from "The Exorcist" as the ring tone for his cell phone.
It all sort of reminds me that things have become a mega-miniature James Joyce-like stream of fragments and fractals, mash-ups of memories and moments blended to make some easily-digested smoothie of experience.
Who knows? Maybe some ad folks thought it would be funny.
Anyway, the other night while wasting time watching something mindless on TV, the commercial comes on and The Editor says -- "ummm ... is that ....?" So then I knew at least two people who thought the ad was a little odd.
Far ahead of the crowd though, was John at Salem's Lots, who not only wrote about the ad, but even had a comment on his post from the very unhapy Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie. "I see my life’s work trivialized at the hands of my business partner over and over again, although I have raised my objections numerous times. As disgusted as you are I am moreso ".
Way cool that Brian left a comment and like John, I've been a fan of the band too.
But my Creep-O-Meter went off the scale and broke years ago when advertisers started using great rock and roll songs to sell crap - or more accurately perhaps, to sell some product's Philosophy of Lifestyle.
Just last night I was caught off guard again when I realized some toothbrush company ad was using KISS' tune "I Wanna Rock And Roll All Night" for their toothbrush. At least they didn't change the lyrics to say "I wanna brush my teeth all night, and floss every day." And a friend just reminded me today that for some time now, Kentucky Fried Chicken uses the song "Sweet Home Alabama" to sell their greasy food. Call it ad-logic.
And in just a moment or two of web-searching, I found a web site which tracks all the rock and other music used in advertising, movies, tv, etc. So again, I'm very late to a party which has been going on for years. My dad used to tell me "Boy, when your boat comes in, you'll probably be at the airport."
Hell, half the time, I see some ad skitter across the screen and have absolutely no idea what has just been advertised. Was it a cologne? Floor wax? Car insurance? Diapers? Shoes? Drugs? These ads always seem to have Incredibly Happy People running among green fields, wearing sweaters draped over their shoulders with the sleeves making a knot, or making a car jump a bajillion feet or some folks taking a slow-motion stroll on the beach at sunrise and everyone shaking hands and hugging, somehow exhilarated at long last that some bane of life has become a boon instead.
Music can just arrive in the strangest ways from my surroundings, like that dude who had the theme from "The Exorcist" as the ring tone for his cell phone.
It all sort of reminds me that things have become a mega-miniature James Joyce-like stream of fragments and fractals, mash-ups of memories and moments blended to make some easily-digested smoothie of experience.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Finney's Folly, or Reports of Evil Monkey Sighting
A state senator from Maryville, Raymond Finney, is posing a nonsensical set of questions in a resolution for the Tennessee Dept. of Education. And yes, it's a waste of government time and money - especially since he answers his own question in the resolution, or rather, he can't seem to decide what to think --:
1.) "Is the universe and all that is within it, including human beings, created through purposeful, intelligent design by a Supreme Being, that is a Creator?"
Try being honest - you really are asking why the state's school system isn't teaching Religion in Science class.
A viable solution exists for you -- go to the church of your choice and discuss concerns about your Creator and attend some Science classes at a school of your choice and learn about theory there? Wasn't some Science requirement involved when you earned a degree as a physician?
You might also want to go back and take some Logic classes too.
This makes me wonder if some of our elected officials are thinking - "Hey, I can get attention for being as goofy as Stacey Campfield."
(image via Chris Griffin's fears)
UPDATE: more discussion of this topic as well as the school board in Blount County (Finney's district) and their take on science and biology is heating up at KnoxViews.
1.) "Is the universe and all that is within it, including human beings, created through purposeful, intelligent design by a Supreme Being, that is a Creator?"
2.) "Since the universe, including human beings, is created by a supreme being (a creator), why is creationism not taught in Tennessee public schools?
3.) "Since it cannot be determined whether the universe, including human beings, is created by a supreme being (a creator), why is creationism not taught as an alternative concept, explanation, or theory, along with the theory of evolution in Tennessee public schools?"
Try being honest - you really are asking why the state's school system isn't teaching Religion in Science class.
A viable solution exists for you -- go to the church of your choice and discuss concerns about your Creator and attend some Science classes at a school of your choice and learn about theory there? Wasn't some Science requirement involved when you earned a degree as a physician?
You might also want to go back and take some Logic classes too.
This makes me wonder if some of our elected officials are thinking - "Hey, I can get attention for being as goofy as Stacey Campfield."
(image via Chris Griffin's fears)
UPDATE: more discussion of this topic as well as the school board in Blount County (Finney's district) and their take on science and biology is heating up at KnoxViews.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Smearing Al Gore The TCPR Way
Facts are secondary at the Tennessee Center for Policy Research.
Nicole Williams wrote an unresearched attack on Al Gore because he uses electricity -- without bothering to mention the higher fees he pays are due to the fact he purchases "green power", electricity created by methods other than coal burning.
More complete info was offered via The Tennessean:
"Electric bills obtained by The Tennessean, however, showed that Gore is paying a premium on his bills to be part of the “green power” program. Gore purchased 108 blocks of “green power” for at least each of the last three months, according to a summary of bills from Nashville Electric Service.
That’s a total of $432 a month spent to pay extra for solar or other renewable energy sources. NES power – outside this program - is derived largely from coal, which emits carbon, a green house gas.
The green power purchased by Gore in those three months is equivalent to recycling 2.48 million aluminum cans, or recycling 286,092 pounds of newspaper, according to comparison figures on the utility's Web site.
Gore’s movie details how greenhouse gases are trapping heat next to the earth, causing a changing climate with melting ice caps and more violent storms.
“Every family has a different carbon footprint,” said Kalee Krider, a spokeswoman for Gore.
The Green Power Switch program, however, isn’t all he and his wife, Tipper, are doing, Krider said.
They use compact fluourescent lights and are in the midst of a renovation project that includes having solar panels installed on their home to reduce fossil fuel consumption more, she said.
Their car? A Lexus hybrid SUV."
William's bio page notes she "Nicole writes and presents business and cultural seminars for international corporations such as DaimlerChrysler".
And the current president of the TCPR used to work for the Exxon-Mobile funded American Enterprise Institute, which donated over $1.6 million to the group since 1998.
TCPR claims to be:
".. an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to providing concerned citizens, the media and public leaders with expert research and timely free market policy solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee."
Expert research? Non-partisan? Then where are their policy statements calling for expanded support for Green Power sources? Seems that's counter to their agenda. But once the report was issued, it was presented to national outlets as fact. And it isn't the first time oil execs have sought to discredit Gore:
"The press release from Johnson's group, an obscure conservative think tank founded by Johnson in 2004 when he was 24, was given splashy attention on the highly-trafficked Drudge Report Monday evening, and former Gore aides saw it as part of a piece, along with an Fox News Channel investigation from earlier this month of Gore's use of private planes in 2000. Last year, a seemingly amateurish Youtube video mocking the "An Inconvenient Truth" turned out to have been produced by slick Republican public relations firm called DCI, which just happens to have oil giant Exxon as a client.
Considering that he spends an overwhelming majority of his time advocating on behalf of and trying to affect change on this issue, it's not surprising that people who have a vested interest in protecting the status quo would go after him."
Nicole Williams wrote an unresearched attack on Al Gore because he uses electricity -- without bothering to mention the higher fees he pays are due to the fact he purchases "green power", electricity created by methods other than coal burning.
More complete info was offered via The Tennessean:
"Electric bills obtained by The Tennessean, however, showed that Gore is paying a premium on his bills to be part of the “green power” program. Gore purchased 108 blocks of “green power” for at least each of the last three months, according to a summary of bills from Nashville Electric Service.
That’s a total of $432 a month spent to pay extra for solar or other renewable energy sources. NES power – outside this program - is derived largely from coal, which emits carbon, a green house gas.
The green power purchased by Gore in those three months is equivalent to recycling 2.48 million aluminum cans, or recycling 286,092 pounds of newspaper, according to comparison figures on the utility's Web site.
Gore’s movie details how greenhouse gases are trapping heat next to the earth, causing a changing climate with melting ice caps and more violent storms.
“Every family has a different carbon footprint,” said Kalee Krider, a spokeswoman for Gore.
The Green Power Switch program, however, isn’t all he and his wife, Tipper, are doing, Krider said.
They use compact fluourescent lights and are in the midst of a renovation project that includes having solar panels installed on their home to reduce fossil fuel consumption more, she said.
Their car? A Lexus hybrid SUV."
William's bio page notes she "Nicole writes and presents business and cultural seminars for international corporations such as DaimlerChrysler".
And the current president of the TCPR used to work for the Exxon-Mobile funded American Enterprise Institute, which donated over $1.6 million to the group since 1998.
TCPR claims to be:
".. an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to providing concerned citizens, the media and public leaders with expert research and timely free market policy solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee."
Expert research? Non-partisan? Then where are their policy statements calling for expanded support for Green Power sources? Seems that's counter to their agenda. But once the report was issued, it was presented to national outlets as fact. And it isn't the first time oil execs have sought to discredit Gore:
"The press release from Johnson's group, an obscure conservative think tank founded by Johnson in 2004 when he was 24, was given splashy attention on the highly-trafficked Drudge Report Monday evening, and former Gore aides saw it as part of a piece, along with an Fox News Channel investigation from earlier this month of Gore's use of private planes in 2000. Last year, a seemingly amateurish Youtube video mocking the "An Inconvenient Truth" turned out to have been produced by slick Republican public relations firm called DCI, which just happens to have oil giant Exxon as a client.
Considering that he spends an overwhelming majority of his time advocating on behalf of and trying to affect change on this issue, it's not surprising that people who have a vested interest in protecting the status quo would go after him."
Firing Attorneys Who Expose Corruption
Is the Bush administration obstructing justice by removing U.S. attorneys who have been investigating widespread corruption and bribes which resulted in indictments? Senate and House committees are starting to review what some are calling a purge -- or at least a surge in cronyism --directed by Attorney General Gonzales.
Here's some background via TPM:
"Sometimes a really big story is sitting there, right in plain sight. That's the case with the firing of San Diego US Attorney Carol Lam and the on-going Duke Cunningham investigation.
A wide range of other editorial writers and elected officials are raising some critical concerns about what appears to be attempts to stifle or simply end corruption investigations. Five of such editorials are cited here.
As WaPo story from Feb 15th reported:
"The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to explain how the Justice Department's former top environmental prosecutor could sign consent decrees with the third-largest U.S. oil company after buying a $980,000 vacation home with its top lobbyist."
More on that here:
"Last March, Sue Ellen Wooldridge, then the head of the Justice Department’s environmental division, bought a $1 million vacation home with Don R. Duncan, the top lobbyist for oil company ConocoPhillips. Nine months later, Ms. Wooldridge signed off on a settlement agreement that let ConocoPhillips delay the installation of pollution-control equipment and the payment of fines.
Just to make matters cozier, the third owner of the beach house is J. Steven Griles, the former No. 2 official at the Interior Department who’s now the target of a Justice Department criminal investigation into his dealings with lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Oh, and Ms. Wooldridge, who lives with Mr. Griles, once worked with him at Interior, where she gave Mr. Griles ethics advice and defended his actions during an inspector general investigation."
Here's some background via TPM:
"Sometimes a really big story is sitting there, right in plain sight. That's the case with the firing of San Diego US Attorney Carol Lam and the on-going Duke Cunningham investigation.
As per Washington conventional wisdom we're now supposed to accept that the firing of seven US attorneys around the country was, yes, perhaps unprecedented, but more an example of Bush cronyism than an effort to short-circuit one or more investigations. But the firing of Lam just doesn't bear out that reading.
Earlier this month, Lam indicted Brent Wilkes, Dusty Foggo and John T. Michael.
By almost any measure this is a public corruption indictment of historic proportions. Wilkes corrupted the sitting US congressman who got the longest sentence ever given to a member of Congress. Foggo was the executive director of the CIA, the number three guy, the one who actually ran the agency on a daily basis. Michael helped bribing Duke and he also appears to have lied to investigators. He's also the nephew of Tommy Kontogiannis, a key player in the scandal who is listed as an unindicted briber-and-coconspirator in Duke Cunningham's plea agreement. One of the big mysteries in this case is why Kontogiannis still hasn't been indicted, especially now that his nephew -- whose role in the case was secondary to that of his uncle -- has. On Kontogiannis, it's probably worth considering the widespread reports of his role on the fringe of the intelligence and criminal underworlds to see why he might, as yet, have drawn a pass.
In any case, a pretty weighty indictment. And the prosecutor gets forced out so that she only barely has time to bring the main indictments? That sounds very fishy.
And what's the reason for her firing?
We were originally told that she was let go on the basis of poor performance and management. But McClatchy later reported that, like other fired US attorneys, Lam's performance reviews were strong.
So why was she fired?
We're now asked to believe that she was canned because a few conservative congressmen were complaining that she wasn't doing enough on the illegal immigration front.
Please.
A look at the cases against the men in question leave little doubt that this investigation wasn't over. But the job of the person who's led the prosecution from beginning is.
Who's foolish enough to believe this is all a coincidence?"
A wide range of other editorial writers and elected officials are raising some critical concerns about what appears to be attempts to stifle or simply end corruption investigations. Five of such editorials are cited here.
As WaPo story from Feb 15th reported:
"The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to explain how the Justice Department's former top environmental prosecutor could sign consent decrees with the third-largest U.S. oil company after buying a $980,000 vacation home with its top lobbyist."
More on that here:
"Last March, Sue Ellen Wooldridge, then the head of the Justice Department’s environmental division, bought a $1 million vacation home with Don R. Duncan, the top lobbyist for oil company ConocoPhillips. Nine months later, Ms. Wooldridge signed off on a settlement agreement that let ConocoPhillips delay the installation of pollution-control equipment and the payment of fines.
Just to make matters cozier, the third owner of the beach house is J. Steven Griles, the former No. 2 official at the Interior Department who’s now the target of a Justice Department criminal investigation into his dealings with lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Oh, and Ms. Wooldridge, who lives with Mr. Griles, once worked with him at Interior, where she gave Mr. Griles ethics advice and defended his actions during an inspector general investigation."
Sunday, February 25, 2007
79th Oscar Live Blogging
See the post below for my predictions and current thoughts as the show continues ...
My Picks for the 79th Oscars
Foolishly bold -- my picks for who will win at the 79th Oscars.
Best Picture: The Departed
Best Director: Martin Scorsese for The Departed
Best Actor: Peter O'Toole in Venus
Best Actress: Helen Mirren in The Queen
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett in Notes on a Scandal
Best Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Departed
Cinematography: Pan's Labyrinth
Art Direction: Pan's Labyrinth
Costume Design: Dreamgirls
Original Song: "Listen" — Dreamgirls
Best Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Best Animated Feature Film: Monster House
Best Foreign Language Film: Pan's Labyrinth — Mexico
Best Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth
UPDATE: It's about the halfway mark, and I have pegged a few winners but I have some thoughts on those I missed ...
- Best Costume - forgot all about that Coppola Magic Touch, which led to a win for Sofia's "Marie Antoinette.
- Best Foreign Film - no matter what, Pan's Labyrinth is best and Guillermo del Toro is brilliant.
- Best Supporting Actress - I blame my error on my anti-American Idol bias. I still do not like it, but at least Jen Hudson did not win that show and she sure can belt out a tune.
- Best Animated Feature - who knew the director of "Mad Max" and "Road Warrior" would cop an Oscar for animation? His script for the movie "Babe" should have clued me in.
UPDATE 2: Long overdue was a celebration of the work of composer Ennio Morricone. His work is as vital as any character in the movies he scored. But two notes about tonight -- the Academy ignored mention of his work on "Once Upon A Time In The West," where he scored musical themes for each of the characters and captured so much with simple sounds. Always innovative and experimental, his work (full credits here) is among the best in cinema. The other major mistake is to let Celine Dion sing one of his songs - that's like asking Eminem to sing all the parts in "Carmen."
UPDATE 3: My correct picks so far --
Art Direction: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Departed
Cinematography: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Best Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine
Best Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth
UPDATE 4: Well, duh. I was paying attention to which song of those nominated was best. I forgot to consider that the Academy had a chance to give two awards to Al Gore's documentary. Duh.
LAST UPDATE: I confess my selection of Peter O'Toole was purely out of my deep appreciation for his incredible career. Forest Whitaker is another incredible performer - and no, I haven't seen Last King of Scotland yet. But there are three of his performances worth seeking out - "Bird", "Color of Money" (a great Scorsese movie where he has a small scene scamming the hell out of Paul Newman at pool), and Ghost Dog, as a modern day samurai, is one of my favorite movies ever.
And after years of denial, Marty gets a much deserved accolade. All movie fans have known for years he is an American Master. From his early work as cinematographer and editor on "Woodstock" to his vast career with "Taxi Driver", "Mean Streets," "The Last Waltz," "Raging Bull", "King of Comedy" and so many more. Congrats, Marty, at long last.
The ones I picked correctly - ten of 16:
Best Picture: The Departed
Best Director: Martin Scorsese for The Departed
Best Actress: Helen Mirren in The Queen
Art Direction: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Departed
Cinematography: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Best Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine
Best Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth
Best Picture: The Departed
Best Director: Martin Scorsese for The Departed
Best Actor: Peter O'Toole in Venus
Best Actress: Helen Mirren in The Queen
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett in Notes on a Scandal
Best Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Departed
Cinematography: Pan's Labyrinth
Art Direction: Pan's Labyrinth
Costume Design: Dreamgirls
Original Song: "Listen" — Dreamgirls
Best Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Best Animated Feature Film: Monster House
Best Foreign Language Film: Pan's Labyrinth — Mexico
Best Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth
UPDATE: It's about the halfway mark, and I have pegged a few winners but I have some thoughts on those I missed ...
- Best Costume - forgot all about that Coppola Magic Touch, which led to a win for Sofia's "Marie Antoinette.
- Best Foreign Film - no matter what, Pan's Labyrinth is best and Guillermo del Toro is brilliant.
- Best Supporting Actress - I blame my error on my anti-American Idol bias. I still do not like it, but at least Jen Hudson did not win that show and she sure can belt out a tune.
- Best Animated Feature - who knew the director of "Mad Max" and "Road Warrior" would cop an Oscar for animation? His script for the movie "Babe" should have clued me in.
UPDATE 2: Long overdue was a celebration of the work of composer Ennio Morricone. His work is as vital as any character in the movies he scored. But two notes about tonight -- the Academy ignored mention of his work on "Once Upon A Time In The West," where he scored musical themes for each of the characters and captured so much with simple sounds. Always innovative and experimental, his work (full credits here) is among the best in cinema. The other major mistake is to let Celine Dion sing one of his songs - that's like asking Eminem to sing all the parts in "Carmen."
UPDATE 3: My correct picks so far --
Art Direction: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Departed
Cinematography: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Best Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine
Best Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth
UPDATE 4: Well, duh. I was paying attention to which song of those nominated was best. I forgot to consider that the Academy had a chance to give two awards to Al Gore's documentary. Duh.
LAST UPDATE: I confess my selection of Peter O'Toole was purely out of my deep appreciation for his incredible career. Forest Whitaker is another incredible performer - and no, I haven't seen Last King of Scotland yet. But there are three of his performances worth seeking out - "Bird", "Color of Money" (a great Scorsese movie where he has a small scene scamming the hell out of Paul Newman at pool), and Ghost Dog, as a modern day samurai, is one of my favorite movies ever.
And after years of denial, Marty gets a much deserved accolade. All movie fans have known for years he is an American Master. From his early work as cinematographer and editor on "Woodstock" to his vast career with "Taxi Driver", "Mean Streets," "The Last Waltz," "Raging Bull", "King of Comedy" and so many more. Congrats, Marty, at long last.
The ones I picked correctly - ten of 16:
Best Picture: The Departed
Best Director: Martin Scorsese for The Departed
Best Actress: Helen Mirren in The Queen
Art Direction: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Departed
Cinematography: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Best Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine
Best Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Conservapedia or The Wingnut Encyclopedia
Recently a website was offered up a non-liberal-biased and Christian-oriented online encyclopedia called "Conservapedia" - a wholesome and more factual version (they claim) of WikiPedia, which they term "anti-American." Maybe the fact Wiki is available in a host of languages is a clear sign it is of nefarious origins.
Conservapedia is often like reading the worst research paper ever to emerge from the home-schooled, or perhaps a book report from Bart Simpson. But they do include a whopping amount of exclamation points on nearly every sentence (a clear sign of their deep convictions that all info available are excitable versions of fact.)
If you're looking for either a good laugh or perhaps just some mild shocks, then a few random searches and even some in-depth reading of this online document offers much to amuse as well as much to distort.
The readers and writers of MetaFilter have been noting the bizarre entries found at the site. One I noticed was this write-up on horror fiction writer H.P Lovecraft and his fictional creation of monsters like Cthulu.
Conservapedia says:
"However in 1926, during a period of massive unrestricted immigration to the United States, investigative journalist Howard P. Lovecraft published an expose about the reappearance of American versions of the cult in Massachusetts and Louisiana. The article, titled "The Call of Cthulhu," is a first person retelling of his findings."
WikiPedia says:
" ... a fictional being created by horror author H.P. Lovecraft. ... According to Lovecraft, however, this is merely the closest that the human vocal apparatus can come to reproducing the syllables of an alien language.[5] Cthulhu debuted in Lovecraft's short story "The Call of Cthulhu" (1928) "
Maybe they should call this dubious encyclopedia CluelessPedia, as they are unable to distinguish fact from fiction.
And after some thought, I have decided to create what I call JoePedia. It's very easy to use and every search for information you might input provides a single response, suitable to all queries::
"Of course I know all about that. But why should I tell you?"
Conservapedia is often like reading the worst research paper ever to emerge from the home-schooled, or perhaps a book report from Bart Simpson. But they do include a whopping amount of exclamation points on nearly every sentence (a clear sign of their deep convictions that all info available are excitable versions of fact.)
If you're looking for either a good laugh or perhaps just some mild shocks, then a few random searches and even some in-depth reading of this online document offers much to amuse as well as much to distort.
The readers and writers of MetaFilter have been noting the bizarre entries found at the site. One I noticed was this write-up on horror fiction writer H.P Lovecraft and his fictional creation of monsters like Cthulu.
Conservapedia says:
"However in 1926, during a period of massive unrestricted immigration to the United States, investigative journalist Howard P. Lovecraft published an expose about the reappearance of American versions of the cult in Massachusetts and Louisiana. The article, titled "The Call of Cthulhu," is a first person retelling of his findings."
WikiPedia says:
" ... a fictional being created by horror author H.P. Lovecraft. ... According to Lovecraft, however, this is merely the closest that the human vocal apparatus can come to reproducing the syllables of an alien language.[5] Cthulhu debuted in Lovecraft's short story "The Call of Cthulhu" (1928) "
Maybe they should call this dubious encyclopedia CluelessPedia, as they are unable to distinguish fact from fiction.
And after some thought, I have decided to create what I call JoePedia. It's very easy to use and every search for information you might input provides a single response, suitable to all queries::
"Of course I know all about that. But why should I tell you?"
Friday, February 23, 2007
Camera Obscura -ThwackComedy; Black Snake Moan
Forget the Oscars this weekend - today I proudly offer the work of some incredibly talented filmmakers and performers from right here in East Tennesse who have made their first entry into YouTube's vast arena.
It has been my honor and pleasure for many years to work with a dozen or so talented writers/directors/performers who created a hilarious series of short films, parodies and much more, which we broadcast for several years via the public access channel in Knox County, under two titles, either "Full Frontal Comedy" or "Thwack!". The show earned a national cable access award for Best Original Programming, but more important it gave all of us much joy to create and share our combined efforts, as each of us took turns as directors/writers and performers for the many segments of each episode. Everything made for the series was shot here in East Tennessee.
Yesterday, one of these efforts got uploaded to YouTube. I am not in this one, did not help with the shoot, but as I said, many people worked to provide probably 40 hours worth of half-hour episodes, and I am happy to present this one. More are on the way. (Of the many videos created, I was most proud of two I shot and wrote called "Green Eggs and Hamlet," and also "A Clockwork Big Orange" and not to brag, but my performance as ExLax Luthor in an episode of "Pooperman" was just damned Oscar-worthy, and hopefully one of them may make a YouTube debut in the near future.)
I am deeply proud of all the work made for the entire catalog.
And since these were made some years ago, let me just set this up for you -- think of the movie "Free Willy" --
Be sure to sign up as a subscriber to these videos from ThwackComedy as more are on their way!
-----
News was made this week as plans were announced for a remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still." I admit there are many possibilities for a remake to touch on the current paranoia and xenophobias of America 2008 (the release date) ... but it will take much genius and talent to improve one minute of the original.
------
Back to the topic of movies made here in Tennessee, I finally got to see the shot-in-Memphis award winning movie "Hustle & Flow." I was rather skeptical going in to this movie, but it is a fantastic tale of urban life and the dream of rising away from it into something more. Terence Howard delivers a riveting and powerful performance as a low-rent pimp who sees a chance to turn his despair-filled life into a life with meaning. Also, filmmaker Craig Brewer has a subtle but powerful eye for capturing the look and feel of Memphis streets.
I found it much better than a rap-to-riches movie like "8 Mile", since the audience is frequently reminded that this pimp's dreams seem more fueled by ignorance than reality. The ending too, underscores the idea that fame and success is often obtained by life and death struggles. A viewer might think the movie will take them to some fantasy happy ending, but the ending is steeped in irony and the entire film is simply far more than the sum of it's parts.
Brewer has a new film set to open in a few weeks, "Black Snake Moan," starring Samuel Jackson and Christina Ricci. Set in Tennessee, the story centers on some real hard luck characters in a dismal world and again music, in this case, blues music, is a path to personal redemption. Early reviews say Brewer has made yet another diamond in the rough.
------
If you are one of those folks who have sooooo many DVDs that keeping track of them all in an easy-to-find location is a daunting task, then check out the latest from Atomic Tumor. AT has been experimenting with the best ways to make the discs easy to store and to find -- with warnings aplenty for achieving success.
-----
As for the Oscars - is it time we rename them the Annual Eastwood vs Scorsese Contest? No matter how much or how little the Oscars matter to some, I will watch them, as I do every year.
It has been my honor and pleasure for many years to work with a dozen or so talented writers/directors/performers who created a hilarious series of short films, parodies and much more, which we broadcast for several years via the public access channel in Knox County, under two titles, either "Full Frontal Comedy" or "Thwack!". The show earned a national cable access award for Best Original Programming, but more important it gave all of us much joy to create and share our combined efforts, as each of us took turns as directors/writers and performers for the many segments of each episode. Everything made for the series was shot here in East Tennessee.
Yesterday, one of these efforts got uploaded to YouTube. I am not in this one, did not help with the shoot, but as I said, many people worked to provide probably 40 hours worth of half-hour episodes, and I am happy to present this one. More are on the way. (Of the many videos created, I was most proud of two I shot and wrote called "Green Eggs and Hamlet," and also "A Clockwork Big Orange" and not to brag, but my performance as ExLax Luthor in an episode of "Pooperman" was just damned Oscar-worthy, and hopefully one of them may make a YouTube debut in the near future.)
I am deeply proud of all the work made for the entire catalog.
And since these were made some years ago, let me just set this up for you -- think of the movie "Free Willy" --
Be sure to sign up as a subscriber to these videos from ThwackComedy as more are on their way!
-----
News was made this week as plans were announced for a remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still." I admit there are many possibilities for a remake to touch on the current paranoia and xenophobias of America 2008 (the release date) ... but it will take much genius and talent to improve one minute of the original.
------
Back to the topic of movies made here in Tennessee, I finally got to see the shot-in-Memphis award winning movie "Hustle & Flow." I was rather skeptical going in to this movie, but it is a fantastic tale of urban life and the dream of rising away from it into something more. Terence Howard delivers a riveting and powerful performance as a low-rent pimp who sees a chance to turn his despair-filled life into a life with meaning. Also, filmmaker Craig Brewer has a subtle but powerful eye for capturing the look and feel of Memphis streets.
I found it much better than a rap-to-riches movie like "8 Mile", since the audience is frequently reminded that this pimp's dreams seem more fueled by ignorance than reality. The ending too, underscores the idea that fame and success is often obtained by life and death struggles. A viewer might think the movie will take them to some fantasy happy ending, but the ending is steeped in irony and the entire film is simply far more than the sum of it's parts.
Brewer has a new film set to open in a few weeks, "Black Snake Moan," starring Samuel Jackson and Christina Ricci. Set in Tennessee, the story centers on some real hard luck characters in a dismal world and again music, in this case, blues music, is a path to personal redemption. Early reviews say Brewer has made yet another diamond in the rough.
------
If you are one of those folks who have sooooo many DVDs that keeping track of them all in an easy-to-find location is a daunting task, then check out the latest from Atomic Tumor. AT has been experimenting with the best ways to make the discs easy to store and to find -- with warnings aplenty for achieving success.
-----
As for the Oscars - is it time we rename them the Annual Eastwood vs Scorsese Contest? No matter how much or how little the Oscars matter to some, I will watch them, as I do every year.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Ferguson's Words to Inspire Media
The ridicule and wild speculation which occurs when a famous (or even non-famous) person has some kind of meltdown is too often offered up by the media, which scurrys up to some grim event and gnaws and tears away at it in hopes of bringing away some morsel of scandal, which is falsely labeled news. Many websites too relentlessly tear away at the flesh like carrion creatures, all in the name of entertainment.
Very much in opposition to that is the following monolouge from CBS talk show host Craig Ferguson this week about the odd events in the life of a young singer and mother, Brittany Spears. Rather than join in the endless ridicule, he offered a deeply personal and well articulated account of how troubles can land on everyone, how despair and the challenge to rise above it get sidelined by many who are in search of the snarky insult.
Even a casual viewer of television has been inundated with cruel sneers and one-line headline jokes - both for Spears and Anna Nicole Smith. - from the news media in an endless feeding frenzy.
Not so with Craig Ferguson.
I've always thought Ferguson's work is head and shoulders above the average talk show mindlessness. (And, yes, I too did a post about Spears' public oddity, but plainly stated that the event was a clear indicator that her friends and family truly need to bring compassion and assistance to a life in turmoil).
His comments on the topic - often at times very funny - points out the ramifications of self-destruction. He has taken time to critically review the impact of his words on others and found the need to do better than fire away cheap shots.
Full video is here.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Wednesday Web Walking
Gathered from the vast landscape of Our Internet Tubes --
A fine editorial on the mythmaking of Fundamentalists as they strive to distort Science and theories of Evolution and instead promote Religion. Key to their efforts? Lies and distortion. Here's a sample:
"There really are two theories of evolution. There is the genuine scientific theory, and there is the talk-radio pretend version, designed not to enlighten but to deceive and enrage. .... But then there is the real theory of evolution, the one that was on display in that Harrisburg courtroom, for which there is overwhelming evidence in labs, fossils, computer simulations and DNA studies. Most Americans have not heard of it. Teachers give it short shrift in schools because the subject upsets too many parents who only know the talk-radio version. But real evolution isn't random; it doesn't say man came from monkeys. Those claims are made up by critics to get people riled up"
-----
The amount of surveillance prominent today in the world is achieved not just by government desires, but with the immense effort of business too. Both groups are employing each other's tactics in order to establish a massive database on information on every move you make - and more, to predict your behavior. Pre-Crime Investigations ahead! Full story here via Democracy Now! and a sample:
"Guilt by Google, that’s not copyrighted. You know, these data-mining programs, what you have to understand is that they’re not sifting through masses of information to find known terrorists or people who are suspected of terrorism on reasonable grounds. What they're doing is they’re sifting through all this information they’re collecting about us all to predict who might be a terrorist. This is predictive technology. And it’s interesting. It comes from the private sector."
-----
Here is one of several posts via No Silence Here on the furor created by the Knox County Commission concerning their recent appointment process and how it violated the Sunshine Law and ignored the public demands for new elections. The defense by Commissioner Lambert that they conducted their deals of vote trading that "we did it in public view" is rather lame. If someone accused of theft says "Hey, I did it in daylight when the homeowner was in the home!", would they be declared innocent of theft?
-----
A new look and design for Nashville is Talking. Check it out. As a Pynchon fan, I love big V's.
-----
Will the tears of a defense lawyer Ted Wells prevent a guilty conviction for "Scooter" Libby? Part of his defense is that "he did not lie on purpose" in the criminal investigation in the outing a CIA agent's identity to bolster the reputation of his boss, Vice President Cheney. Since the media has been providing moment-by-moment coverage of events in the case of who can bury Anna Nicole Smith and not on the Libby perjury case - I predict Libby is NOT the father of Anna Nicole's child.
-----
Sources say the movie "Capricorn One", about a secret plot to fake a Mars landing, is being remade. And are they really going to call it "Capricorn Two"?
-----
Thanks to the lovely Tits McGee, who mentioned this bizarre website which features cats (yes, cats again) and captions. This was one of my favorites.
A fine editorial on the mythmaking of Fundamentalists as they strive to distort Science and theories of Evolution and instead promote Religion. Key to their efforts? Lies and distortion. Here's a sample:
"There really are two theories of evolution. There is the genuine scientific theory, and there is the talk-radio pretend version, designed not to enlighten but to deceive and enrage. .... But then there is the real theory of evolution, the one that was on display in that Harrisburg courtroom, for which there is overwhelming evidence in labs, fossils, computer simulations and DNA studies. Most Americans have not heard of it. Teachers give it short shrift in schools because the subject upsets too many parents who only know the talk-radio version. But real evolution isn't random; it doesn't say man came from monkeys. Those claims are made up by critics to get people riled up"
-----
The amount of surveillance prominent today in the world is achieved not just by government desires, but with the immense effort of business too. Both groups are employing each other's tactics in order to establish a massive database on information on every move you make - and more, to predict your behavior. Pre-Crime Investigations ahead! Full story here via Democracy Now! and a sample:
"Guilt by Google, that’s not copyrighted. You know, these data-mining programs, what you have to understand is that they’re not sifting through masses of information to find known terrorists or people who are suspected of terrorism on reasonable grounds. What they're doing is they’re sifting through all this information they’re collecting about us all to predict who might be a terrorist. This is predictive technology. And it’s interesting. It comes from the private sector."
-----
Here is one of several posts via No Silence Here on the furor created by the Knox County Commission concerning their recent appointment process and how it violated the Sunshine Law and ignored the public demands for new elections. The defense by Commissioner Lambert that they conducted their deals of vote trading that "we did it in public view" is rather lame. If someone accused of theft says "Hey, I did it in daylight when the homeowner was in the home!", would they be declared innocent of theft?
-----
A new look and design for Nashville is Talking. Check it out. As a Pynchon fan, I love big V's.
-----
Will the tears of a defense lawyer Ted Wells prevent a guilty conviction for "Scooter" Libby? Part of his defense is that "he did not lie on purpose" in the criminal investigation in the outing a CIA agent's identity to bolster the reputation of his boss, Vice President Cheney. Since the media has been providing moment-by-moment coverage of events in the case of who can bury Anna Nicole Smith and not on the Libby perjury case - I predict Libby is NOT the father of Anna Nicole's child.
-----
Sources say the movie "Capricorn One", about a secret plot to fake a Mars landing, is being remade. And are they really going to call it "Capricorn Two"?
-----
Thanks to the lovely Tits McGee, who mentioned this bizarre website which features cats (yes, cats again) and captions. This was one of my favorites.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
TN Teachers Get Global Climate Change Details
According to a press release from the state's Department of Education, a statewide webcast will offer teachers across the state with information and facts regarding global climate changes this week. Despite the chatter from non-scientific pundits and talk-radio mythmakers, the goal here is to provide educators with the most current scientific research and analysis.
The press release says in part:
" ... Atmospheric chemist Dr. Bill Chameides, chief scientist with Environmental Defense, the webcasts will allow teachers to email questions to be addressed during the interactive session.
These webcasts are an opportunity for teachers to learn the latest global climate change research to pass on to Tennessee’s future scientists, the students,” said Tami Coleman, coordinator of Project CENTS for the Department of Education. “Only students equipped with such knowledge will be on the forefront of developing new answers for keeping our communities healthy and viable.
The webcasts will take place Thursday, February 22 and Thursday, March 1 at 3:15 p.m. CST. The first webcast will focus on climate science. The second session will address solutions such as renewable energy sources, energy conservation and new energy-efficient building design."
Dr. Chameides makes no bones about the science involved regarding climate change. His most recent statement on this year's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is here, where he says "Those hesitating on quick, bold action must now explain why the world's leading scientists are wrong about the science, and many of America’s leading companies are wrong about the economics.
And more about the Project CENTS program can be discovered here, as they continue their efforts to provide informed enviromental education to Tennessee students.
Students in Nevada, on the other hand, are being treated to a character known as Yucca Mountain Johnny, a cartoon icon of a miner, who tells kids that the embattled Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Facility is good for everyone. By clicking on his image at this web site, he says thinks like "Any idea is worth having" and "The best sense for safety is common sense."
Using a cartoon character and some goofy online games is a rather silly way to promote a boondoggle which is likely a dying project.
The press release says in part:
" ... Atmospheric chemist Dr. Bill Chameides, chief scientist with Environmental Defense, the webcasts will allow teachers to email questions to be addressed during the interactive session.
These webcasts are an opportunity for teachers to learn the latest global climate change research to pass on to Tennessee’s future scientists, the students,” said Tami Coleman, coordinator of Project CENTS for the Department of Education. “Only students equipped with such knowledge will be on the forefront of developing new answers for keeping our communities healthy and viable.
The webcasts will take place Thursday, February 22 and Thursday, March 1 at 3:15 p.m. CST. The first webcast will focus on climate science. The second session will address solutions such as renewable energy sources, energy conservation and new energy-efficient building design."
Dr. Chameides makes no bones about the science involved regarding climate change. His most recent statement on this year's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is here, where he says "Those hesitating on quick, bold action must now explain why the world's leading scientists are wrong about the science, and many of America’s leading companies are wrong about the economics.
And more about the Project CENTS program can be discovered here, as they continue their efforts to provide informed enviromental education to Tennessee students.
Students in Nevada, on the other hand, are being treated to a character known as Yucca Mountain Johnny, a cartoon icon of a miner, who tells kids that the embattled Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Facility is good for everyone. By clicking on his image at this web site, he says thinks like "Any idea is worth having" and "The best sense for safety is common sense."
Using a cartoon character and some goofy online games is a rather silly way to promote a boondoggle which is likely a dying project.
Monday, February 19, 2007
The Hotel Aftermath - Coming Home from Iraq
The wounded and brain-bruised American veterans are often trotted out for symbolic hoistings, though the daily struggles of those who braved battle and combat in Iraq and Afghanistan are often now engaging a paperwork battle and administrative policy minefield. It's the Surreal World for both vets and their families.
Both yesterday and today, the Washington Post has an in-depth series on the challenges faced by vets at Walter Reed. Reporters didn't go through the PR offices for information. They researched privately, without the knowledge of those in charge of the facilities.
What emerges, first in this report and also in this one, are details of the struggle to survive the return to America. Some information defies logic - how can a solider be deemed unworthy of disability pay due to "pre-existing conditions" if those conditions did not prevent them from serving?
For all the talk about supporting the military, the experiences of veterans are historically often sideline issues, seldom considered by warhawks and poorly funded by government leaders.
A sample from today's article:
"Bomb blasts are the most common cause of injury in Iraq, and nearly 60 percent of the blast victims also suffer from traumatic brain injury, according to Walter Reed's studies, which explains why some at Mologne House wander the hallways trying to remember their room numbers.
"Perks and stardom do not come to every amputee. Sgt. David Thomas, a gunner with the Tennessee National Guard, spent his first three months at Walter Reed with no decent clothes; medics in Samarra had cut off his uniform. Heavily drugged, missing one leg and suffering from traumatic brain injury, David, 42, was finally told by a physical therapist to go to the Red Cross office, where he was given a T-shirt and sweat pants. He was awarded a Purple Heart but had no underwear.
Both yesterday and today, the Washington Post has an in-depth series on the challenges faced by vets at Walter Reed. Reporters didn't go through the PR offices for information. They researched privately, without the knowledge of those in charge of the facilities.
What emerges, first in this report and also in this one, are details of the struggle to survive the return to America. Some information defies logic - how can a solider be deemed unworthy of disability pay due to "pre-existing conditions" if those conditions did not prevent them from serving?
For all the talk about supporting the military, the experiences of veterans are historically often sideline issues, seldom considered by warhawks and poorly funded by government leaders.
A sample from today's article:
"Bomb blasts are the most common cause of injury in Iraq, and nearly 60 percent of the blast victims also suffer from traumatic brain injury, according to Walter Reed's studies, which explains why some at Mologne House wander the hallways trying to remember their room numbers.
Some soldiers and Marines have been here for 18 months or longer. Doctor's appointments and evaluations are routinely dragged out and difficult to get. A board of physicians must review hundreds of pages of medical records to determine whether a soldier is fit to return to duty. If not, the Physical Evaluation Board must decide whether to assign a rating for disability compensation. For many, this is the start of a new and bitter battle."
"Perks and stardom do not come to every amputee. Sgt. David Thomas, a gunner with the Tennessee National Guard, spent his first three months at Walter Reed with no decent clothes; medics in Samarra had cut off his uniform. Heavily drugged, missing one leg and suffering from traumatic brain injury, David, 42, was finally told by a physical therapist to go to the Red Cross office, where he was given a T-shirt and sweat pants. He was awarded a Purple Heart but had no underwear.
David tangled with Walter Reed's image machine when he wanted to attend a ceremony for a fellow amputee, a Mexican national who was being granted U.S. citizenship by President Bush. A case worker quizzed him about what he would wear. It was summer, so David said shorts. The case manager said the media would be there and shorts were not advisable because the amputees would be seated in the front row."
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)