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SHIFT

Blog rest today. Got a lot of 'live' correspondence, reading, quiet time. And what can I say about the world today? It is all going through a reshuffling, a paradigm shift. Interest rates, the 'justice' department rebuffed by the supremes, the failure and embarrassments of the NATO meetings, the 'turnover' of the semi-partly-almost control sort of maybe in Iraq. Everything shifts around. We will see.

And another thing that I found that I like about John Kerry. We are alike! He won't cross a picket line either. He has convictions. No flop in that flip. Of course Menino is mad at him but that is a small price to pay. Menino. I remember when he ran the first time. He was convincing then. Now he is just another pol.

BOWLED

I was bowled over by this data featured in The Baltimore Sun: 60% See handoff as sign of failure, poll shows (thanks to Paul F. Schaller 062904 in The Gadflyer Flytrap column. Amusingly, 75% are happy it is happening anyway. I number myself in that crowd even though I know it is all show and hardly any substance and that Negroponte is a tough guy with a nasty record back in Nicaragua and the martial law is now going to happen under the faux aegis of the new regime but really by us through the back door and it is not going to be over for a long time. I guess there won't be any flight suit and banner on the carrier this time. Bremer almost slinked-slunk? on the plane back to D.C.

And while you are checking Schaller out look at the next item down David Lublin reports on the surprise results in Canada. Not what was expected. Some were concerned about the threat of slowing of stopping the gay marriage movement there. It would seem that is not an issue now.

TODAY'S MOVIE

I SOLITI IGNOTI (BIG DEAL ON MADONNA STREET) (1958): NYTimes1176BestFilms; the young Vittorio Gassman, Claudia Cardinale, and Marcello Mastroianni in a hilarious caper film after RIFIFI (1955). Only, in this one it is more like the Three Stooges return as Italian screwups. It is intended as a satire of the caper film itself but comes across utterly original.

The way-handsome Gassman is a glass jawed, stuttering, and dim-bulb boxer. He is excellent and so are the others; but it is the ensemble that makes this film such a treat. The twists and turns of the plot are more or less beside the point. There is a lot going on.

The visual jokes are unremitting. In one scene, a principal goes to hold up a pawn shop and when he takes out his gun and says 'do you know what this is'; the pawnbroker takes it from him and says 'yes it is a 1948 Beretta and not in very good condition—6000 lire'. This is an old joke, but it is said that most of these cliche situations were first seen in this film and imitated in later ones. In any event, a lot of cliches are funny; that is why they get repeated over and over. No one stops to think that they saw it before. That comes after the laugh.

Those in the know bemoan the fact that the writer/director Mario Monicelli is not better known in this country. He has over 60 films to his credit; an auteur if there ever was one. But then, we do not get 'foreign' films here any more and have not for many years. How would we know? Although Monicelli is working since the 30's.

RED AND BLUE NOT TRUE

One of the more annoying mass media electoral cliches is the red and blue state thing. It really pisses me off. It basically says that we are a rigidly aligned, dogmatic populace that is immune to logical thought or any appeal other than the familiar rant of the red or blue ideologues; make that demagogues. Now, some hard work by Philip Klinker in The Gadflyer shows us that the Red And Blue Scare may not be there. I hope so. We will need every one of those purple votes in November.

KILL

Today in the gym, one of the more angry gym-rats, a guy we have not seen for awhile, was having at the arabs and all the fuckers in the middle east and how he knew a guy who was there and the guy said that they just went into villages and killed all the bastards because you couldn't trust them; no other way to be sure you got the bad guys. He espoused a similar policy for the US in its approach to foreign affairs. They will never like us so forget trying to win them over. If they get out of line kill them. He reiterated the line that he personally did not mind people getting killed. It was sickening. People moved away. He continued to address a waning audience. And so on.

Our regular AM rat, Youseff, a naturalized Egyptian and owner of several gas stations was not there to hear this rant. It is funny, I saw him later. He passed me at the light on Palm and Sunrise, waved and went on. I thought about winding down the window and shouting "you never will like us you fucker" but I didn't have a gun to follow it up.

BILL

Thanks to Andrew Sullivan:

"With the benefit of minute hindsight, Saddam Hussein wasn't the kind of extra-territorial menace that was assumed by the administration one year ago. If I knew then what I know now about what kind of situation we would be in, I would have opposed the war." - William F. Buckley Jr., in the New York Times.

TODAY'S MOVIE

And it is not all about food. There are some great performances and ensemble acting. It seems not to be acting. Here is Tucci with Tony Shalhoub. Co -director Campbell Scott, who we like a lot, (starred in SPANISH PRISONER) is in a secondary role. Marc Anthony, (latin singing star and Jo Lo's most recent hubby) is a big surprise. He has very little to say (he is the go-fer) but embellishes every scene (dish) with his presence. Quite a feat. I really liked the film. For a full and more erudite review, as usual, my man Ebert (alone, not with the other guy he thumbs with) has the final word. I will give it a 4 out of a netflix5.

* 'food film'= BABETTE'S FEAST; AU CHOCOLATE; LIKE WATER LIKE CHOCOLATE; how many can you name? There are a lot I am sure

COOL

So California is setting the stage for a showdown with the Feds and auto industry on the air quality laws and regulations: in Salon: California throws down a global warming gauntlet. A lot of other States are watching the drama. We got one of the good Republicans; he is not being a 'good ol' boy' goin' along. But, he will have to retire his Hummers. He says he will run them on something 'good'.

BUILDING BRIDGES

Boy, do I like Jeff Bridges. He is his own guy. This is a great article: Laid-Back Jeff Bridges, Going Where the Spirit Takes Him. I liked his Daddy and his bro' Beau too. Here he is in SEABISCUIT which I still think should have won one Oscar, but they came in the year of the Hobbit.

Try Jeff Bridges Website It is unique. Handwritten. I have tried to like Bridge's photography but have less success. Nevertheless, the site is worth a stroll through: if only to see a different personal approach. He has a great film resume: IMDb on Jeff Bridges—60 credits.

DIRT

Someone else wondering about Kerry's ability to fly under the radar of the famous right wing attack machine: I Want My Kerry Hatred! Is the Right slacking off? in The Gadflyer by Paul Waldman, Editor-in-Chief 6.28.04. I have seen some speculation that there will be an attempt to open up Kerry's divorce papers (ala the sex-depraved and disgraced Ryan in Illinois who got dumped for not being vanilla enough—see below). But, I think part of it is that Kerry does not arouse the animus that Clinton did. On the other hand, this Ryan guy was a victim of a newspaper outing. In fact, there is no proof that the allegations were actually true. That does not stop the penis police or the private eyes from looking for dirt to sell papers. I think that Kerry's first wife is on friendly terms. We shall see. I hope that this time is different. Maybe they will go after Heinz. They are already fussing about all that money and what she does with it. Fuss and muss. Dirt.

BIG TIME

It is fun to see the number of films with the first word 'BIG' in the title. I am into the b's with the NYTimesBest1176 and we have had THE BIG CHILL and THE BIG HEAT; a nice pairing there. Next will be BIG: NIGHT, DEAL ON MADONNA STREET, RED ONE, SKY, and SLEEP. We recently watched the one big word BIG but it is not one of the 1176 although we liked it a lot. A check of IMDb shows 4728 films with the word BIG in them. And, not all of them start with BIG but..............OK. Big deal, huh?

TODAY'S MOVIE

THE BIG HEAT (1983); NYTimes1176BestFilms; Fritz Lang film noir thriller; at least five big gasps; comes at you like a freight train. A great cast: Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, early, nasty Lee Marvin. Lang brings it all together in 90 minutes. There is not a moment of directorial indulgence.

One of the nice things about watching these older films, especially when digitally remastered, is experiencing the power of black and white photography. Compensating for the 'unreality' of no color with lighting and meticulous composition is at the core of the art. The faces are close in and powerfully rendered. I believe that the actors had to be very, very good to get across this barrier. Certainly, the pacing and the editing are critical in moving the mind beyond the b&w experience. Suspension of disbelief is two fold; the drama and the medium. Somewhere, there is a book on how this is done; yet it requires the hand of a directorial artist to bring it all together; the magic is inescapable.

TOUGHGUYS

It used to be said–only last week, actually— that liberals, lefties, the demos were wimps, softies; unable to attack and be pro-active; all defensive glop. Well, the worm has turned--into a huge python. Look at our mad-man Michael Moore—one tough dude. Take a listen to Al Gore, former wimp, turned cadenced-shouter. Listen to Howard Dean's voice there in the background. Anger, man. Tired of it. Going after the shitheads who are running the country into the ground.

In today's LA Times Moore is interviewed. Asked if he is preaching to the choir, he said "YES. The choir had become dispirited. I want them energized" and goddam that is what is happening. It is great. Look at the bushies run! The attack machine monopoly is over. And what about the firestorm FAHRENHEIT (indeed) has started. Nationwide. Lot's of non-choir members going too.

You know, they do not like anger. It is the first thing that the bastards go after; playing to the church ladies and the other co-opters. Somewhere along the way, it has become unpatriotic and 'pessimistic' to be angry. Of course, they know, that anger is the first requirement for an energized electorate. They used it themselves with the right wingers and cultural christians. We bought it. How many Demos apologized for Howard Dean? This is a return to our roots. I love it. We'll show you assholes an "energized base".

GREEN

So the Green Party will not be Ralph Nader's hobby horse. Good for them. Greens Reject Endorsement of Ralph Nader. Now the nader will have to work to get on the ballots of those 22 states. Good luck ralphie boy. Do it the hard way.

MORE FOR

OK. I haven't done any For-Kerry stuff for awhile. I really really like that he has kept his head down and worked on his foundation. He has methodically put out his positions on a regular basis; about a week at a time. He has avoided either feeding or aggravating the repub attack machine. He has avoided doing unto others what they have been doing unto him. The thing about negative campaigns is that people do not like them; they work; but people do not like them. He is doing this methodical thing which has to pay off in the long run. It would not work in the short.

The hard part about this approach is that it keeps his numbers down; suppressed them. But they have not gone down-down; they have stayed the same and now are slowly rising. This is a deliberate approach. It has to be. The atmosphere is so hostile that to be 'out there', this soon, would only create controversy and not allow anyone to get to know him.

All the 'experts' say that this election will be swung by the undecided. At this point that appears to be at most 10-20% of the hardened in electorate and you gotta figure a lot of those are just wandering repubs. This studious, head down non-fiery Kerry has to be good for slowly convincing this bloc that he has the stuff. He doesn't need to convince me.

By contrast, Gore, Dean and even Clinton played into the wind all the time and sometimes got badly blown around. Despite the great speech he gave, look how many people called Gore wild eyed this week as he put some energy behind it. Like it or not, most people do not like the noise. I think that this is wrong but it is reality.

I think what Kerry is doing is demonstrating his leadership. He is calm, cool, and collected. He is not taking any shit but he is not really aggravating it either. The repubs have shot more than half their $$wad at him and he is not only standing he is gaining. It is working.

TODAY'S MOVIE

TASOGORE SEIBEI (2002) aka TWILIGHT SAMURAI. I saw this in a theater!. It is a wonderful tale set at the end of the Samurai period. John, who saw both, says this beats THE LAST SAMURAI all to hell.

Meticulously detailed in its setting and characters, the story moves along beautifully. It is stately. The guy who plays the Samurai is wonderful. So are his children, his friend, and his 'girlfriend'. I laughed and cried and got scared. You should see it if you can. It got several nominations for Oscars. I don't have to give it a Netflix rating but if I did, it would be a 4.

PROFANE

I don't mind much that Cheney told Leahy to fuck off even if Cheney Says He Has No Regrets. I just hope that this doesn't escalate. I don't want to have to look at him baring his breast!

There is some fun on the blogosphere about Cheney losing it. Digby has a run with it for today Friday:062504: Big Time Meltdown. This is a lot like the thing we had a while ago about junior doing a nixon routine late at night. Nice to imagine but scary to think seriously about.

NO SEX PLEASE, WE'RE AMERICAN

This Jack Ryan guy in Illinois was a run of the mill repub, no better or worse than the rest of them, but he ran into the political sex windmill. The penis police caught up with him. Sure, if true, his divorce papers show some pretty seamy, caddish behavior but who among us can cast the first stone and so on? Well, at least Dennis Hastert, who, it is said, threw the big rock that knocked Ryan out. Of course, all you have to do is take a look at Hastert and you know that he has no sex life. Penis envy?

Clinton was bankrupted and almost run out of town for his indiscretions. Starr was clearly a neuter as well. A pod person. Time and again we see folks who just had a normally abberant past; no one hurt—no victims—get plastered for having an imaginative sex life. Evidentlyt our politicians must not venture beyond the missionary position and monogamous home lives to be elected or even allowed to run.

Am I wrong, or is this just the guys who are getting scored out on having scandalous pasts. Women do not get much of a shot at the political process anyhow so, maybe it is just in the numbers. Anyway, this time it is a republico who got it and he was probably not going to win anyway, it being Illinois and junior at the top of the ticket and a wonder-boy demo Obama going strong. That is the other thing. He was an easy shot. This makes the standard bearers look good. No cost. Still it is just too fucking (ha) bad this stuff has to get in the way. If I could find a candidate with a spectacular sex life, I would vote for him in a flash. In fact I did several times; 1992 and 1996.

TODAY'S MOVIE

THE BICYCLE THIEF (Ladri di biciclette) (1948); NYTimes1176BestFilms; Vittorio De Sica. This despairing, bleak, funny, Italian every-man, neorealistic film is clearly a masterpiece. I did not 'like' it at first; although I did admire it. As it went on and the story unfolded, I realized that all my stuff about it, whether admiring the photography or picking at the politics, was to no avail. I was drawn into it and held tightly for the full time the film ran.

In his 1999 re-view, Roger Ebert has done another wonderful job of reviewing an old film from a new perspective. As usual, he hits all the bases. He pretty much describes my experience; that is, the politics and the social comment are by the way. It is the story that stands. This review was on the occasion of the film's 50th Anniversary. It is hard to believe that time span. But, I believe it. I was only 11 years old when BICYCLE THIEF came out but it was still 'in the air' at repertory art houses well into my college days.

Remember repertory art theaters? They ran the classics back to back; only a day or two, maybe three for the same film. Then on to the next. Some ran two different films a day. The Brattle Theater in Cambridge, MA comes to mind. I spent many hours in its tattered hall as an MIT student and in my adult life around and in Boston. I think the last film I saw there was SLACKERS. No. That was the Coolidge Corner Theater. Another art house. There were at least five in Boston when I was a student and most lasted into the eighties. They would have gone on and on but redevelopment and DVD's got 'em.

Confrontation scene between our man, his son, and the thief

HIS LIFE

Bill Clinton's My Life arrived today. It is not the brick that I had expected. It has great pictures inside. I don't know whether I will read it through or not. That is not the point. It is, for now, my last chance to vote for him.

It is interesting to watch the rollout as all the usual suspects weigh in with the old bullshit about the Big Dog. As always, he goes on and as the vitriol fades out, the big points remain. He was a real President. As for the moral lapse stuff, what is a lie about a blow job against serial multiple lying about everything from the environment to Iraq? Don't get me started.

I have, at the same time, and on the same day, received a used copy of The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton by Joe Conason, Gene Lyons; to be kept as a companion piece for the library. This book shows the same shabby lies and envious whining that is coming up now. It reminds us that no one, any where, at any time, found anything at all about the Whitewater charges to be true; and, in fact, several independent investigators (one headed by a noted Republican) reported this result. No matter. The bashers will bash. Clinton will continue to be the man. No wonder they hate him. He cannot be held down.

Incidentally, the Hunting Book is the basis for a documentary just out and now reviewed in the Washington Post Hunting Hits Target.

I love the cover picture on the Clinton book.

MIGRATE

I am impressed by the lengths that the religious will go to get away from as much as a thought that would challenge their beliefs. Take a look at this: Come Out Of Her, My People. What I like about this is, that if it succeeds, it will fatally weaken South Carolina's evangelical gene pool; possible extinction.

COMBOVER

You know how we have 'Today's Movie'; the NYTimesBest1176? Well, here is a possible Today's Movie Tomorrow. We are waiting for the release of this new work in progress; but for now will have to look at the trailer and the notes: COMBOVER: THE MOVIE (????). Take a look at the trailer. It is pretty good.

I used to work with a guy, Jack, who had a combover almost as thick as this one. He worked in a coffee roasting plant and had frequent call to climb around bins and pipes and other paraphenalia. Occasionally, the combover would release from Jack's head and float to its full length. The damn thing hung down below his shoulders. He would give us a face and step back, flip it up and, somehow, the bond on his bald spot would grab the hair and hold it up again. I do not know what was on his head; but it had to be a wonder adhesive.

That is about my whole interpersonal experience on the subject. I have been around others who had what you could call a combover but I had been so sensitized by Jack, my original guy, nothing else ever came up to it.

LEE

I always liked Lee Iacocca. We still own one of his cars, the 1984 Chrysler LeBaron. I remember when he 'made' the Mustang at Ford. I remember that the Chrysler guys didn't know how to follow his orders when he told them to make him a convertible. He told them to 'get a coupe off the line and cut the goddamned roof off!'. They did! He took the car that they 'made' and drove it around Detroit. He got so much positive feedback that he started making the cars and revived the convertible, almost single handedly. A lot of folks would not remember the dark ages (the 70's) when there were NONE. ON the way, he also revived Chrysler.

I liked his eponymous autobiography and management principles. Iococca (1986) is still in print!. Now, I like that he has decided to dump Bush who he supported over Gore; it was about automotive policy. Iacocca Changes Support From Bush To Kerry. Lee is one great man! Now let's get as many capitalists as we can away from the incompetent boy-leader.

TODAY'S MOVIE

THE BIG CHILL (1983); NYTimes1176 Best; Lawrence Kasdan cowrites and directs; one of the best ensemble acting I have ever seen in a film: 8 protagonists—count them—8. There are no minor players. I can't find a photo with all of them; just the guys*. Every scene was choreographed and timed out in advance. When Kasdan did BODY HEAT, he had to cut valued scenes to get the whole film in under two hours. He wanted no such cutting of this film. Some lines were improvised, but well within the frame of the original writing. The cast rehearsed and lived together for 4 weeks before filming. They acted out bits of back story and pieces of history that are not shown in the film itself. They filmed the script as it was written, in consecutive scenes, in 3 weeks. The effect is apparent from the first frame of the first meeting. These people are very connected.

I broke my rule and watched the 15th reunion of the cast; actually a set of interviews. It was very good. This film resonated with a lot of people whether they had lived through the sixties as college people or not. I remember a lot of this 'coming of age' stuff happening to me. I had a normal straight life then the whole world shifted then life resumed. I really did take time off and then went back to 'it'.

The big chill of 'real life' returning, the danger of cynicism about what the experience of the sixties was about for me, the potential for self hatred at selling out the ideals gained from that period: all these things are vividly remembered.

I loved this movie. It is great seeing all these wonderful actors at the beginning of their careers; it was Glenn Close' second film. John says to give it a 6 out of the Netflix5.

*Shown clockwise from bottom: Kasdan, Tom Berenger, Jeff Goldblum, Kevin Klein, John Hurt. Women: Glen Close, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilley, Jo Beth Williams

CONAN

Watch out junior here comes da' man. Our guv is out to have some national influence and it cannot be good news for the bushies. Back East is just beginning to discover that Arnold is not a joke and is turning out to be quite a skillful pol.

The New York Times runs only a slightly tongue in cheek, mildly dismissive, but respectful article: Schwarzenegger, Confident and Ready for Prime Time. There are very few Terminator jokes out here except those made by the man himself. He is in charge and doing the job he set out to. We are impressed, now it is every one else's turn to see what he can do.

FADE

Sidney Blumenthal in Salon starts to sift through the drifts and talks about the bush snow job now in progress and how it is not working. The blizzard is fading out the bushies. Image disappearing. Image Fade. Like I said.

NADA

Nader gets Nadered; cavalier treatment of the Greens may put him in a corner says Salon: Nader vs The Green Party. He is such an asshole. But that is not news.

SNOWJOB

Well, I can see that the storm of bush-memos (re how to treat prisoners) is one of those too much too late and still too little things. They have made a blizzard out of it. Contradiction piles upon contradiction; drifts of snow. It is hard to see what is going on with all the crosswind of memos and directives. A data dump. Drifts.

The problem is that there are too many people with way too much time on their hands who will go looking at the dump to find the diamonds in the snow. And each little drift will lead to another and another until......wait and watch. It is the classic cycle of a cover up. The truth always 'outs'. In the meantime, I gotta say, it is way too much for me. It worked, I'm snowed. For now.

WHITEOUT

Today was the annual eye doc visit with drops and all the trimmings. I am just getting out from under the blur and reaction to strong light. Off putting to say the least. Staring at a computer monitor is not very productive however, so I am taking the day off. The good news is that I am clean and clear and don't need new lenses (much) for another year. With yesterday's FLUSH this is turning out to be a quiet blog week. And no movies for two days either, as we hit one of those Netflix bumps. Back to (gasp) reading!

FATLADY?

AP Sues For Access to Bush Guard Records. Just when they might have thought it had gone away, the Associated Press has gone to Federal Court in New York to get the full microfilm bush military records from the Pentagon and the US Air Force. A bit of payback for the campaign ignoring the same request to them.

Just when I think that the 'established' press is sitting on its ass not doing anything, they vindicate themselves. AP has become a very reliable source for late-breaking news on the campaigns. They are working hard. Let's all give them a hand. Now maybe we will find out how many of those 'volunteered' records that got dumped on the table are real and how many didn't get dumped on the table at all. You know, the thing about the fat lady singing? Ain't over yet; but she is singing.

FLUSH

The day is a wash-out. The plumber arrived at 8AM with three new toilets and is taking most of the day (no surprise) to install them. There are some complications but not at any level over expectations: double the money and the time estimated to complete the job. In fact we will fall within expectations as we already adjusted them.

George the plumber is a great guy and his assistant is jovial and attentive to detail. We are going to end up with clean sewer pipes too. Some roots and stuff were found 'down there' and the roto has rooted them out. The new hoppers look neat, are a comfortable sit, and flush fast and quietly.

The biggest upset is for Franklin, who is considerably displaced and displeased by this incursion into his territory. Mostly, incursions are OK if dog-play is involved; but, in this case, these guys ain't gettin' paid by the hour to throw balls or scratch the head. Their attention is called elsewhere.

Of course, Franklin and I share the pain at being out of our routine. I am in such a groove. Some would say it is good to get knocked out of it for a day. I have defied the gods however and found a way to have my routine and eat it too. I ducked into the blog before I went to the gym; went to the store an hour early; got a nap in while the guys went to get some tools and have lunch; and now am making a run through the blog as I babysat Franklin in the kitchen while the guys go in and out of the house on the final install and the cleanup; all open gates and moving targets; heightened doggie interest.

Soon it will quiet down. George will leave. Tonight Franklin and I have dinner by ourselves; John has his bi-monthly bored meeting. We will have our walk, zonk out in the spa and we will contemplate the day and find it to be happy and profitable and very worthwhile. All that patience exercised, all that abandonment of routine, spontaneity, autonomous reactions to the situational twists and turns. Zzzzzzz.

NYT

I am old fashioned. I have considered The New York Times the paper of record and also a good one; maybe the best. Tom has said that he hates the paper. I have defended it. Now, I am shaken. The re-ignition of Clinton bashing disgusts me. They savaged his book in the most personal way. That it has performed as a mouthpieces for the bushers destroys its reputation as 'record'; biased; suckered. Its use as a conduit for misinformation on Iraq destroys its reputation for accuracy. And as a day to day reader of the on-line version, I can testify to its continued decline in quality. Comparisons also reveal.

We read the Los Angeles Times more or less cover to cover. It is pretty good. It reminds us that papers can be objective, complete, and fair. And when they are not, Eisner and the Lakers come to mind, they are pretty clear that opinion is opinion and they invariably give the other side a shot.

I will not quit reading the NYT. It is still a good resource. It is still the best carrier of cultural news which is a great service. But it has dropped out of the heavens and become just another earthborn vehicle for the news; buyer beware.

Of course there have been some headlines that you could count on. Doesn't this one make you feel good?

MORE FOR

And did I mention this as a huge plus for my man Kerry? From the old reliable USAToday, today:

In stark contrast to four years ago, when then-Democratic nominee Al Gore kept Clinton at a distance, Democrats plan to make the former president an integral part of this year's campaign.

DEEP

OK. See 'FOR' below. I am already thinking about it. We are being given, right now, a demonstration of the kind of attack machine that will be on-going when Kerry is President. It is aimed at Bill Clinton as it has been for all these twelve or more years. It will continue. He will have to be smart and good at political combat. Small FOR: so far the bushies have spent half their war chest attacking Kerry and he is still standing and moving forward. That is resilience. He has the same stuff as Clinton. He just uses it differently.

Now this is the big FOR I thought of:the canard of 'flip-flop' - Kerry is actually not an indictment. It is a cartoon of the depth of intelligence this guy has and the ability to use it. Take a look at the LATimes article the other day about the Kerry decision making process: For Kerry, Decisions Are Only Found In the Details.

Contrast this with a guy who does not even understand the problems, let alone think about them. Junior is not a thinker. He stays the course. He does not budge. He is an ideologue. He does not err. These are all a front for the fact that this administration has been one of the least competent in history.

Kerry will bring a broad based intellect and competence in governance back into the executive branch. He will be a flexible and pragmatic leader. He will appoint and use a broad base of thinkers and doers with a vast reservoir of experience. Some of his advisers have been with him for over 20 years. He brings depth. He is not the captive of his advisers, he leads and provokes them. He is the anti-puppet.

OK. I did it. I thought about a FOR. One big fucking FOR too.

FOR

I am tired of being AGAINST. I have spent so much time lately thinking about how bad junior is that I realize I have not put together a cogent argument why I am FOR John Kerry. I told Dave this weekend that I felt bad that this had not happened. As usual, I blamed Kerry for this indirectly. He is: (fill in the blanks). Well, shit, this is more AGAINST stuff. I am less against Kerry than fearless blameless leader and that is just not true. It is the product of a lazy mind.

So. Voila. Today in the blogoworld, I discover that others have had similar concerns and that some others have answers. Try this one. from Scott Thurow by way of Amy Tan published in TRISTERO: FAIR AND BALANCED (062104) Sounds pretty good to me. I think I will steal some of it.

Scott Turow’s remarks on John Kerry and why he is the right person to be President:

 I could say the following without blushing:  He is running against a man who was not fit for duty in 1968 and is not fit for duty today, a man who lacked the qualifications for the office when he was elected and has demonstrated it.  We have been through a skein of national disasters, for which he accepts no blame, because he literally doesn’t understand enough about the job to realize how a better President would have responded.  John Kerry has been in public life for 35 years..  He was a prosecutor when GWB was running an oil company into the ground.   And he was already a seasoned United States Senator when GWB decided it was time to give up abusing substances.  JK has a sharper grasp of foreign policy, and more experience with it, than any candidate for President in the last 50 years, with the possible exception of GHWB (see today’s NYT).   His dedication to the cause of our military and veterans is long established.  And his commitment to economic and social justice for all Americans cannot be doubted.  A man can’t be the committed liberal Bush sometimes maintains Kerry is, and also the unprincipled waffler.  Life and public service are complicated, as GWB doesn’t understand.  JK does.  He has a sense of nuance, and the experience and values to improve the life of the country.. I like this part:

He's not a crook, he's not lazy, he's not stupid. He's very accomplished, he's highly experienced and he's got good instincts. But, I'm convinced that the most important character traits in a successful President at this point in history are resiliance and cunning; even if we win the election, politics are going to remain a bloodsport. The Republicans aren't going to fade away. This battle is ongoing and we must have someone who can withstand a punch and come back. It is going to be very, very difficult to govern. I think Kerry is running not because he's "electable," but because he's one of the few Democrats of his generation who has spent his life preparing to govern in the face of a radical political opposition. The job is not for the fainthearted.

But, even if you don't believe that any of that is tue, I think it is safe to say that the Democratic nominee for president is always going to be running to one degree or another:

To protect and defend the citizens of the United States.

To preserve the separation of church and state

To safeguard the right to choose.

To provide a decent safety net

To encourage progressive taxation

To protect the environment

To advance civil liberties and civil rights

To govern transparently

To provide opportunity

To promote equality

To advance progress

To preserve the American way of Life


These are good reasons to feel ok about voting for John Kerry. The other side has very different ideas.

ONE TIMER

I can see why Today's Movie: BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984) made Eddie Murphy a movie star and then left him sucking wind for the rest of his career. One of the NYTimes1176BestFilms, this comedy-action-drama takes his best parts and puts them on show. He follows direction and plays with his fellow actors. I do not think that he ever did it again. The only other film that comes close is BOWFINGER (1999) with Steve Martin who helps hold the Murphy personna in place. In that picture, he plays two roles; a sort of dumb-ass and a big film star like 'himself'. This comparison alone is telling. The 'real' Eddy Murphy is pretty hard to take. The actor Eddy Murphy can be great. There are scenes from that movie that still get me laughing; the one crossing the expressway.......don't get me started.

This film is fun and fast and tight as can be. The intrepid Murphy holds the center but has lots of help. Martin Brest directed (he is the one who did GIGLI with Bennifer). I don't know what else I can say about it. It is a good film but I do not think it is a great film. I give it a 3 out of a Netflix5.

RON CLEARS IT UP:

Ron Jr. Hits Bush Team. Well other than he is not Ron Jr, just Ron, it looks good. I am not sure but I don't think he is Ronald either. Thanks to Roger Ailes who is not that fox roger ailes. No one is who they seem to be anymore! :>)

CATHARSIS

When WWII was over, the displacement of society was total. I was 8 years old and can remember the times in a detail that I don't maintain from any other period of my life.

Todays Movie: THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) captures that time. It is one of the NYTimes1176BestFilms. Adapted by Robert Sherwood from MacKinlay Kantor's novel; William Wyler directs this rich souvenir.

It gives us the story of three returning veterans and not only develops a terrific story; it has characterizations and performances that stick: Frederic March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright. And, any film that has Hoagy Carmichael in it has a lingering sweetness. He was not just a composer and piano player. I saw the picture when it came out and remembered some pieces of it. It holds up just as well today.

One of the reasons that this film was important is that it faced the facts of this enormous upheaval that was going on. It honestly depicts the problems of veterans adapting to a peace time life. It presents, I think fairly, the civilian reaction to the sudden shifts brought on by the War's end and the veteran's return. The inclusion of Harold Russell, an actual 2-hand amputee, in the film had a great deal to do with the 'reality' of the film and the depth of feelings associated with it. Russell was quite a guy in real life and it conveys in the film. He is the only 'actor' to win two Oscars for the same role.

These days when photos of the dead and wounded are withheld, there cannot be a public reckoning of the cost of war or the need for facing its aftermath. Not to get all political like, but this is one very big reason why we have so much pent up emotion about the whole thing. We are not even encouraged to mourn or care about our own. The images we see are all about what is wrong with us. And even those are denied. And so on. I will spare you the rant.

This gets a 5 on the Netflix5 scale. Gotta see it if you have not. It is one of the highest IMDb ratings as well.

HAPPY SOLSTICE

If you link another day use the archives to get to 062004.<

FACTS

I have to admit, I have always thought of Michael Moore as high on the rant and low on the facts. But, apparently FARHENHEIT 9/11 has been so thoroughly fact checked, it will prove tooth proof to the rising tide of republican sharks (who have not yet seen it). See: Michael Moore Is Ready For His Closeup. When you get one of the top New Yorker guys to help vet the errors, you are getting the best.

MITTY

Walter Mitty is not gone. We can still live out our dreams. This is a wonderful story: His Moment In The Sun. I like the part about exchanging mouthpieces. He is also a looker.

DEMOCRATIZATION

Saddamism without Saddam at Billmon/WhiskeyBar. And we were bringing Democracy to Iraq and changing their system to a benign USA type model and so on. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Where is that picture of envoy Rumsfeld smiling at Hussein when the Reagan administration was supporting him? This time it will be Negroponte. He is a tough guy. So much for nation building. Of course, junior told us in 2000 that he was not into nation building. Flip. Flop. Flip.

TODAY'S MOVIE

THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967): NYTimes1176BestFilms; action film just incidentally set in WWII so we could feel OK about who gets wiped out (those of us old enough to remember the Nazis and all). It is mostly an ensemble buddy movie featuring many of the young new male actors of the time and a couple of old ones to put things into perspective. Look at the cast and run them through the IMDb mill—link above.

I suppose that it is not PC to enjoy a film like this when we are in the middle of a nasty war, but a lot of it is exciting and funny and I enjoy non-war action yarns. All we need is a credible villain. The ramp up to the actual mission is the best part of the film, anyway; outsiders kicking the ass of the establishment.

In 1967 it did not make a hit universally. In fact the NY Times critic was not amused at all. Bosley Crowther called it a "an astonishingly wanton war film" and savages it. You should read the review. He is probably right and we are desensitized to it all. I suspect that if written today, with 21st Century sensibilities, the whole enterprise would seem a bit tame. Like I said, take a look at his review and see how it reads to you.

I don't know. I don't feel unclean at having seen it (again). It is a bit too long at 150 minutes. Telly Savales could be cut entirely. And so on. It was just fun, sort of. I give it a 3 out of Netflix5.

DAD

Father's Day tomorrow. I am thinking of my Dad again today. He would be--whew--96! 1908. He was a great Dad. I did not say perfect, but great. We had a long struggle. The one you are supposed to have for full emergence as a man; your self. We had some extra stuff over me being gay but that did not last long. He gave me the greatest gift when he got comfortable with me, my partner, and the fact that I was happy. He told me so before he left. What a gift. To hear from your Dad that he thinks you are OK and that he loves you.

A lot of damage is done by other combinations, as in "I love you but I do not like what you are doing" or "who you are" or "how you are living your life". I ended up getting accepted unconditionally. What a big deal that is!

Of course, I had to work for it; both with him and on my own. I had to attract him to my life, to understand it, to be open and above board—honest—with him. We cannot expect loved ones to accept us and give us the nod unless we do it with them and also are as honest as we can be without being hurtful. I actually never saw a lot of it as his job. At the end, of course, he is the one who has to take the final step and embrace the son with forgiving love. And the son must return forgiving love. We both did that. It is a nice labor of love, sons and dads.

I am holding his wallet now and looking at the pictures; the drivers license, the SS card; the card he got to qualify him as a golden ager so he could get the discounts. We both belong to the same clubs: there is the AAA card and the AARP! I remember the relish with which he bought me my first AARP membership when I hit fifty. It was a joke but also a statement. We had both lived long enough to get 'there'. Nice.

There is a one dollar bill in the wallet. It is HAWAII script handed out at the end of WWII on the event of his discharge from the Navy. It has all the names of his shipmates. The War--the only one he acknowledged--was a big deal for him. When they had the War Memorial and the D-Day stuff recently, I saw proud ancient sailors who could be my Dad. In a way there were him. Living symbols of a different time when we could be proud of our country's role in the world. Perhaps that time can come again. He would hate what is happening now.

9 EBERT 11

From Kos I learn that Ebert has written an essay on FAHRENHEIT 9/11 and how it might be viewed: '9/11': Just the facts?. He talks about the ratings 'flap' which is just so much publicity blather, I think. And the censorious right wing outfit that is working to suppress the film. Also, he asks, where is the Republican documentary? Is there nothing for the bush camp to say? And so on.

TODAY'S MOVIE

BLUE VELVET (1986): NYTimes1176BestFilms; David Lynch; high style horseshit. It is not too hard to see what Lynch is up to here; it is all laid out there in the first few frames: traditional, happy, (what I think of as 'blond') situation comedy type films collide with cynical, black, nasty film noir. Film noir wins. On second thought, it is not even film noir. It is the underbelly of film noir which the noirists didn't feel they had to put right up there. You were supposed to imagine or feel it. So it is just Lynch's take on it.

The film is dolloped with symbols and references which are clearly designed to make any film-nerd salivate and feel good about themselves. It worked at the time with some critics and others were outraged. The rest of us are left either feeling like we missed something--how could you miss being beaten up for a good part of two hours--or seeing that the emp, once again, has no clothes. Or both.

I am happy to see that the period of David Lynch's hoodwinking critics is over. He has not done anything notable for awhile; nor does he appear to be threatening to. Someone else, maybe that awful Kaufman (MALKOVITCH), has taken his place.

John and I watched this once before, maybe ten years ago. We lived in Boston South End because I remember the room I was in when I got pissed and shut the machine off. John had already left. it was that strong at the time.

This time I saw it through, and as I just told a friend, I only used the 'slow' fast forward and not the scene jump. I did not remember anything of what I had seen before until Dennis Hopper takes the gas and gets even crazier than he normally is. Something has to be done about Dennis Hopper. Or is he over it? I have not seen him for awhile either. Thank you movie spirits. You can't put a zero in the Netflix5 scale, so it will have to be an over-rated one.

I got a lot of validation and some info from a great review by Roger Ebert who, once again, when alone, is a very good guy to pay attention to about films in specific and films in general. He helped me put words to my reaction..

AARP

I guess I won't tear up my AARP card anyway. I almost lost it over their support of the shoddy and fucked up Medicare revision. Now, they have redeemed themselves with the support of buying drugs from Canada. The bushers support the drug industry price-fixing stance on this. More power to the AARP and all of us who suck wind with the 'regime' now in power.

INS-'ANNITY

I have only seen this Sean Hannity person a few times. He is sure a good looking guy, but looks can be deceiving. Actually, now that I look at him, there is a smarm and smirk isn't there? He is so annoying, he is almost impossible to watch. The physical beauty fades into his rant where he gets over the top excited and frantic with his need to blast and bloviate . He is one of those guys you have to believe is getting hard and wet with his own intensity. What Jesus' General would call a gladiator; way over the top manliness.

Now, there is a nice takedown of this little weasel on The Document Sean Hannity Doesn't Want You To Read wherein the blustery Sean challenges anyone to show where he has not told the 'truth'. So here are fifteen places the Seanie has lied. Thanks to Atrios for the tip.

Apologies to Cronkite for putting this nasty piece of work on the same day posting. On the other hand, comparisons can make a case for the depths to which teevee news has gone.

WALT

An interesting direct mail piece today. (If we didn't like it, we would call it junk mail, but I liked it). He is pushing membership in the The Interfaith Alliance; "a mainstream alternative for people of faith and good will to stand in opposition to the extremism of the religious right".

I think that I wrote recently,or perhaps, thought it evident that bush is alienating church people of the middle and left with his right swing. I guess this is a good example of the counter efforts being made. Good work Walt. Go for it.

TODAY'S MOVIE

BEN HUR (1959) part II. Still a NYTimesBest1176Film. We got through the chariot races; Stephen Boyd's death and last nastiness to JBH, which is heavy duty; the leper colony; and the final miracle, which I saw coming. Actually, the tie in with the Jesus story was more on the line of secular humanism than anything. At the end, if taken at the level of Frodo and the Ring it is all quite dramatic and exciting: the thunder, lightening, rain, and curing of leprosy is all at about the same level as the mountain splitting and evil being washed away. Universal myth is amazing. Of course, one could argue that Tolkien saw BEN HUR. It was deftly handled and the chariots only ran into the corn field a bit. I enjoyed the whole thing. I cannot imagine how I missed it the first time. And the horses are amazing! A four out of Netflixfive.

TODAY'S MOVIE

BEN HUR* (1959); NYTimes1176BestFilm. First half. I am at Intermission. And I am highly motivated to see the rest of it. William Wyler. Heston is a lot better than I remember. He won an Oscar. And I am very fond of Jack Hawkins and Hugh Griffith who play significant parts in the very long story. I would go to any film if either of these great actors were in it; well, almost any.

It is all so good enough that I am not even bothered by the religious stuff; it is mostly spiritual anyway; JC is just a vehicle for enlightenment. I have a premonition that there are going to be some miracles though. We will see.

We have gotten through the loss of property (it turns out that Sam Jaffey has saved and hidden all the money so it is not toooooo bad); into and out of the galleys, into formal adoption as the son of a Roman Consul (Hawkins) and the discovery that Mom and Sis have leprosy. Stephen Boyd's demise is now the primary goal. More later. *The photo is from an earlier Ben Hur; the one with Francis X. Bushman. I didn't see that one. I am watchin' the real EPIC Ben Hur. 222 minutes of it.

APPLES

Bob sent me this:Vatican Downsizes Inquisition. This is the same approach the bushies have been using; the 'few bad apples' argument. I guess George traded some spin secrets in exchange for getting the American Bishops in line. They do all belong to the same orchard don't they? And who are the few bad apples? Well, it seems there are a few at the top of the tree. The tree is getting shaken. Come November, the apples will fall.

LAKERS

It is hard not to get swept up in the playoff fever out here. It is not the same as in past years. The smell of failure is pretty strong. There is a team. You can see them to the left; but it seems to be made up of me, me, me, me and me. Tough to put a team together with that goin' on. Phil Jackson even skipped practicing yesterday.

The press is very very hard on the team. I guess the same was true in Boston. Vitriol. Even when they win the papers quibble. It is annoying to me even though I am not a fan.

There are excited and committed fans; some of them very well known. I will not have much of a reaction if they lose tonight. But if they win, I will be more of a fan. If they win more and take the series I will be a a rabid fan. I will stop short of mounting those silly flags on my autos though. I guess I am not a whole lot different than the papers. Love 'em when they win; drop 'em when they lose. And I don't even understand the game!

UNVEILING II

So, I watched the unveiling of the Clintons' portraits on teevee at the gym today. ABC had the end of his speech. Something to the effect that he hopes for a time where the discussion of issues is between right and wrong and not good and bad. He has a talent for the telling line. A lot of the Clinton people were there. There was luncheon. Junior was busy but Laura stayed. I bet there was some tension. But then that is the kind of thing Clinton would love to be in the middle of.

HALF ASHED

Paul Krugman puts the fire to John Ashcroft's ass in today's NY Times: Travesty of Justice. Takes his failures apart chapter and verse and labels him the worst Attorney General ever. Well, I wouldn't know about that. I don't think a lot about all the AGs. But he sure is a travesty. Preacher Ashcroft.

WOW-WED

Dennis and Bob are the first people we know who have gotten married under the new Massachusetts non-discriminatory marriage license deal. Wow. We have come a long way. We got the pictures today. I always cry at weddings and I started sniffing right at the first photo. The guys look great. They have been together quite a while. They used to live right around the corner from us in the South End. The wedding took place on the patio of the wonderful house they have on a salt marsh on Boston South Shore. They are the fifth gay couple to get a license in their town. Wow. Did I say that already? This makes it REAL! People we know and care a lot about. Married. Wow.

PAINT

The busher unveiled Clinton's official portrait and lavished praise for his predecessor; actually kissed ass.

The hypocrisy of this is overwhelming. Having dismantled as much of the Clinton handiwork as possible, junior has the gall to...................well, wait a minute.

We lefties are never satisfied. Had junior made snide, smirky, snarky comments we would have vilified him.

Let's all calm down.

Sometimes even the worst of us can be diplomatic and respectful and stay with the situation. After all, some day John Kerry will have to unveil the bush portrait and they will want him to be as kind.

FDR

I grew up in a house that kept a plaster bust of Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the desk. There was a small American flag in a little hole on its base. It was the early Forties; WWII. My parents had married in 1929. They believed that FDR had led the country out of the great depression and that he would lead the USA and its Allies to victory in the war. He was not worshiped; he was respected and revered.

There are two results for me. I believe in the institution of the Presidency very deeply and I am a lifelong Democrat. I have often left the fold weaving to the left or the right. I have actually voted for Republicans! But I have never, ever, lost my fundamental belief in the power of the President to lead and embody the American spirit and ideals.

The Reagan reminiscences have awakened all this. Because of FDR and Harry Truman, my standards for who shall fill the office are hard and firm. Not all who have come after have been able to do it. Eisenhower came close. Kennedy did not have the time but got most of it. Some people did have JFK busts at home. Since then, only Clinton has approached the charismatic leadership that I long for today.

It is so agonizing to watch the swinishness with which the current occupants of the office conduct themselves. I know it will pass. And soon. It is time for a restoration. It will take a very long time. Or perhaps it will not. The magic of the system and the office is that transformations can occur in very short bursts of time. We will see. In the meantime, I remember FDR.

John and I visited the summer home Campobello on the border between Maine and Canada. The place was totally, convincingly left as though the family had just stepped out for awhile. There was the wheelchair. There were the papers on the table. We went around a corner and the radio was on. It had a tape loop of the man himself. The one inappropriate thing in the time machine; but perfectly appropriate. He would not have been listening to himself. It was magical.

TODAY'S MOVIE

BEETLEJUICE (1988) NYTimes1176BestFilms;Tim Burton; the young Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis; utterly unique. I found Michael Keaton to be way over the top and a bit too much ham. It was distracting. I have seen him do this 'comic' character thing before in the Kenneth Branaugh MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING; actually, as it turns out, channeling Beetlejuice. I didn't get it at the time. After Batman, Keaton's career seems to have careered out of existence; mostly small parts in movies we didn't hear about.

I loved the production though; and Tim Burton's stuff is great. This is his second big film after PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE which I have never seen and am afraid to. He works sparingly; which is good, as a little bit goes a long way. He does comic monsters like no one else. It is what makes the Haunted House ride in Disneyland work so well. And this is a ride too; 92 minutes of fun.

Gotta mention Catherine Ohara and Jeffery Jones who are the couple that are ousted (well sorta kinda) from the haunted house. Jones was the School Principal in FERRIS BUELLER and the Emperor in AMADEUS. He is one of those indispensible character actors you never forget. He is really great. Ohara is a regular in the Christopher Guest mockumentaries and is featured in many comedies. She is sublime. Oh. And the very young Winona Ryder is the daughter. I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5.

26

Today in the LA Times: Retired Officials Say Bush Must Go The 26 ex-diplomats and military leaders say his foreign policy has harmed national security. While not explicitly endorsing Sen. John F. Kerry for president, [the] statement [calls] for the defeat of President Bush in November.

SIGNATORIES: Their names and some of the posts they have held are (my emphasis in red>:

Avis T. Bohlen — assistant secretary of State for arms control, 1999-2002; deputy assistant secretary of State for European affairs 1989-1991.
Retired Adm. William J. Crowe Jr. — chairman, President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Committee, 1993-94; ambassador to Britain, 1993-97; chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1985-89.
Jeffrey S. Davidow — ambassador to Mexico, 1998-2002; assistant secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, 1996
William A. DePree — ambassador to Bangladesh, 1987-1990.
Donald B. Easum — ambassador to Nigeria, 1975-79.
Charles W. Freeman Jr. — assistant secretary of Defense, International Security Affairs, 1993-94; ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 1989-1992.
William C. Harrop — ambassador to Israel, 1991-93; ambassador to Zaire, 1987-1991.
Arthur A. Hartman — ambassador to the Soviet Union, 1981-87; ambassador to France, 1977-1981.
Retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar — commander in chief of U.S. Central Command, overseeing forces in the Middle East, 1991-94; deputy chief of staff, Marine Corps, 1990-94.
H. Allen Holmes — assistant secretary of Defense for special operations, 1993-99; assistant secretary of State for politico-military affairs, 1986-89.
Robert V. Keeley — ambassador to Greece, 1985-89; ambassador to Zimbabwe, 1980-84.
Samuel W. Lewis — director of State Department policy and planning, 1993-94; ambassador to Israel, 1977-1985.
Princeton N. Lyman — assistant secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, 1995-98; ambassador to South Africa, 1992-95.
Jack F. Matlock Jr. — ambassador to the Soviet Union, 1987-1991; director for European and Soviet Affairs, National Security Council, 1983-86; ambassador to Czechoslovakia, 1981-83.
Donald F. McHenry — ambassador to the United Nations, 1979-1981.
Retired Air Force Gen. Merrill A. McPeak— chief of staff, U.S. Air Force, 1990-94.
George E. Moose — assistant secretary of State for African affairs, 1993-97; ambassador to Senegal, 1988-91.
David D. Newsom — acting secretary of State, 1980; undersecretary of State for political affairs, 1978-1981; ambassador to Indonesia, 1973-77
Phyllis E. Oakley — assistant secretary of State for intelligence and research, 1997-99.
James Daniel Phillips — ambassador to the Republic of Congo, 1990-93; ambassador to Burundi, 1986-1990.
John E. Reinhardt — professor of political science, University of Vermont, 1987-91; ambassador to Nigeria, 1971-75.
Retired Air Force Gen. William Y. Smith — deputy commander in chief, U.S. European Command, 1981-83.
Ronald I. Spiers — undersecretary-general of the United Nations for Political Affairs, 1989-1992; ambassador to Pakistan, 1981-83.
Michael Sterner — deputy assistant secretary of State for Near East affairs, 1977-1981; ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, 1974-76.
Retired Adm. Stansfield Turner — director of the Central Intelligence Agency, 1977-1981.
Alexander F. Watson — assistant secretary of State for Inter-American affairs, 1993-96; deputy permanent representative to the U.N., 1989-1993. Source: Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change

WHISPER

I love this picture Clinton and Kerry up close and personal. Hurry, it won't last on this site long.

HELLS BELLS

I fuss to myself that Boston is going to make the Demo convention look bad (so far it is only Boston that is making itself look bad); but then, I realize that the Republican's time in New York ain't going to be any walk in Central Park. See NY Times: 'Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Those Old Protest Tactics Have to Go'. Ring 'dem bells!

READING

I finished Neal Stephenson's CRYPTONOMICON; three novels in one. The stories are interlinked and it is written in the historical novel mode although the period covered is only from about 1939 to the present. I enjoyed it so much that I went back to his earlier cyberpunk* works. I have just finished SNOWCRASH. It is pretty good. All computerized and heavy on the dark view and funny too. It is a tight, exciting, chase/conspiracy story written over a complex web of science fiction. It happens at two levels: the metaverse which is all a computer game sort of, only huge; and in reality—the US as it has become in a short time after now. It is kind of overcrowded and filled with franchised real estate. The hero, Hiro (yep), is a superhero in the metaverse and just a regular dude in the real world. By the end, he is a hero in both.

Now, I am working on the book Stephenson wrote next: DIAMOND AGE. This one is based on nano-technology. Both of these earlier works are very techie and while being page turners, require some thought and reflection to 'get'. I move slowly with them. Our author is a polymath and scatters his mots (most of which are bon) generously; like salt and pepper; a very rich, spicy stew.

Next will be ZODIAC, a present day 'eco-thriller'. I am working my way to the present and will start reading his new trilogy which is way-historical 18th Century. This guy is all over the place! He has only written the first two out of three trils (one third of trilogy) so far: CONFUSION and QUICKSILVER. They are enormous. I will be at this a long time. Then, I plan to get back to the other 'cyberpunk' writers. Busy.

*CYBERPUNK= a brand of science fiction noir that is heavy on technology and futuristic grit. See William Gibson's NECROMANCER.

HANGOVER

It will take a while for the nation to right itself after the last week's indulgences in funerial matters. It was good to see more balanced views of the Reagan legacy begin to appear even before the grand finale that was held on Friday. The whole thing took on a more realistic cast.

There was a brief period where all leaders who would name themselves Reagan-Republicans (true or false) were likewise infallible and all positive. But, the week was not kind to the 'heirs' of Reaganism; even while the rituals of grief were being played out. The G8 did not measure up to being the george8 even after the fun go-cart rides. Not a lot of real support came out of it. The torture scandal grew out and up. Junior wasn't getting any credit for founding an economic recovery. And so on.

Even the funeraries yielded some anti-george feeling. Ron Reagan dissed junior with the following at the ceremonies:

[My father] was a man of unabashed faith, but he didn't make the mistake that some politicians do of wearing his religion on his sleeve. True, after he was shot, he came to believe he had been spared by God in order to do good, but he took this as a responsibility — not a mandate.

"My father crapped bigger ones than George Bush ..."

AUTHORIZED

Oh. I see. There is a precedent:

"If the president does it, it's not illegal." – Richard Nixon

SPLAT

Flat. I don't know why I was worried about junior making a big splash with a eulogy. I guess I read the pre-spin about his best speech writer and all that. As far as I can see he was invisible. I heard poppy on NPR and he really had something to say. It was personal, non-ideological (sort of) and REAL! This is the thing about dubya. There is no there there. When called upon to say something from the heart nothing comes out. Trying to hard? And he sing-songs it like a kid reading a story. Well, duh!

I don't know. But when (as Hullabaloo points out) you can make Brian Mulrooney look like a standout orator, you are really down there on the energy scale. Hully also has something to say about the 'stench of defeat' that is arising from dear leader. (Friday 061104).

'BYE RAY

NUTTIN'

Asked whether tha dude has seen da memos, Big Baby Bush replied, "I can't remember if I've seen da memo or not, know what I'm sayin'? " But tha dude reiterated that tha dude had instructed that da treatment of terror suspects stay within U.S. 'n international laws n' shit.

TODAY'S MOVIE

BELLE DE JOUR 1967 Re-released 1987; NYTimes1176BestFilms; Louis Bunuel; Catherine Deneuve; erotic puzzler. Bored, apparently frigid married woman seeks kink by working in brothel (but only days, hence Belle de Jour); fulfills fantasies; is not frigid, just not conventional. This is one of those films where a lot is left to the imagination. Bunuel builds puzzles for our minds to fill in. In a way, I am not qualified to fill in the blanks as a lot of this is heterosexual angst; somewhat boring, actually. There are whips and bells and arm twists and a lot of dressing and role playing and a box that buzzes for god sake; light bondage and some rough stuff. Belle falls in love, maybe, with a thug (the guy in the poster Pierre Clémenti—over 90 credits) who I had quite a thing for, actually. And so on. Her makeup never ever falters even when she comes out of a shower; a point is made of her lipstick application.

It moves along at a fast pace. It is funny at times. This is one of those art pieces that the 'experts' tell us is a masterpiece but is found wanting in the watching. At least to me. I would have liked the thug to get it on with his partner in crime or even Belle's husband. Deneuve is absolutely perfectly doll-like beautiful and wants to be roughed up, dirtied, and run through the wringer. I know some guys like that. There is a lot of cutting in and out with memory and fantasy but there is no cue about what and when. One reviewer that I read has speculated that even the whore house part is a fantasy and that the whole picture is in her mind. There is that thing with the makeup. Well, it is certainly, or was, in Bunuel's mind. I give it a 3 out of Netflix5.

CHANNELED

Take a look at Pennies From Heaven. Ron reports to Peggy Noonan on his first week away. The American Prospect: Charles P. Pierce.

SNOOP

This is great: Snoop Doggy Dog Shizzolator which will translate any text into--well Snoop-talk. Use the default CNN to get a taste or take a look at what the Snoop did to my palm tree jive.

We are up izzle ankles in palm seed, know what I'm sayin'? It is that time of da year; June." We live in a city of palms; thousands of 'em." The leaves grow out izzall year 'n then da tree puts out long seed pods which spew forth tan hulls; I guess they are da flowers, know what I'm sayin'? It is izzle 'snow' n' shit. But a satisfactory substitute because no matter how messy; no matter how 'everywhere' that shiznit gets inside 'n out; that shiznit is never ever cold n' shit. It is never ever wet 'n cold." It does not last any longer than a week n' shit.

As soon as there is 'nuff 'bloom' da fools come trim da palms back." We do this stop da husk/flower fall 'n stop da seeds from maturing on da trees." The seeds create a second mess if yo' ass leave 'em up there; hard little balls that are just da right size 'kill' when yo' ass step on 'em wit da bare foot." We also want heezee off da eventual germination of izzall those little seeds wherever they fall, know what I'm sayin'? They are hardy reproducers, these palm trees."

After yo' ass cut da seed pods down, there is still da decision 'bout what do wit da palm fronds which will die 'n fall back da trunk, know what I'm sayin'? Some muthas do not cut they leaves back but allow a fringe grow n' shit. Others denude da tree only three fronds, know what I'm sayin'? We do both n' shit. On da siiiiide where we has neighbors up da hill we has a twenty year dress on da trees make a screen, know what I'm sayin'? It is also a habitat fo' birds, lizards, squirrels, snakes, rats 'n bats as well as a windfall fo' da hood cats n' shit. It is like a city in there, know what I'm sayin'? The sky dusters 'n da trees along each 'street' are cut way back." We also strip da trunk of leaf husks before da wind does that shiznit." We like da look, know what I'm sayin'?

VALUES

Jesus' General: Our Leader's New Values posts his revised list of American Values versus Evildoer's Values today in his superbly patriotic and god-loving blog. If you link to this a different day, scroll down. It is worth the trip.

SEEDY

We are up to our ankles in palm seed. It is that time of the year; June. We live in a city of palms; thousands of them. The leaves grow out all year and then the tree puts out long seed pods which spew forth tan hulls; I guess they are the flowers. It is our 'snow'. But a satisfactory substitute because no matter how messy; no matter how 'everywhere' it gets inside and out; it is never ever cold. It is never ever wet and cold. It does not last any longer than a week.

As soon as there is enough 'bloom' the men come to trim the palms back. We do this to stop the husk/flower fall and to stop the seeds from maturing on the trees. The seeds create a second mess if you leave them up there; hard little balls that are just the right size to 'kill' when you step on them with the bare foot. We also want to head off the eventual germination of all those little seeds wherever they fall. They are hardy reproducers, these palm trees.

After you cut the seed pods down, there is still the decision about what to do with the palm fronds which will die and fall back to the trunk. Some people do not cut their leaves back but allow a fringe to grow. Others denude the tree to only three fronds. We do both. On the side where we have neighbors up the hill we have a twenty year dress on the trees to make a screen. It is also a habitat for birds, lizards, squirrels, snakes, rats and bats as well as a windfall for the neighborhood cats. It is like a city in there. The sky dusters and the trees along each 'street' are cut way back. We also strip the trunk of leaf husks before the wind does it. We like the look.

TEARS

OK. I said I would keep quiet but enough is enough. Before we shed too many crocodile tears for Reagan who has been 'gone' for over a decade anyway, let's remember that he made one of his first speeches on the national stage in Philadelphia MI (that is not PA) and took a stand for state's rights. Philadelphia MI was the site of one of the last lynchings; three human beings, Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney. The connection was not lost on black people who still cannot recall his memory without a good deal of righteous anger and bitterness.

Let's also remember Larry Speakes, Reagan's press secretary who laughed and mocked the reporter who asked why the administration had not addressed the AIDS epidemic in anyway.

transcript of a press conference by Larry Speakes, presidential spokesman, on October 15, 1982. It speaks for itself:
Q: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases?
MR. SPEAKES: What's AIDS?
Q: Over a third of them have died. It's known as "gay plague." (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean it's a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it?
MR. SPEAKES: I don't have it. Do you? (Laughter.)
Q: No, I don't.
MR. SPEAKES: You didn't answer my question.
Q: Well, I just wondered, does the President ...
MR. SPEAKES: How do you know? (Laughter.)
Q: In other words, the White House looks on this as a great joke?
MR. SPEAKES: No, I don't know anything about it, Lester.
Q: Does the President, does anyone in the White House know about this epidemic, Larry?
MR. SPEAKES: I don't think so. I don't think there's been any ...
Q: Nobody knows?
MR. SPEAKES: There has been no personal experience here, Lester.
Q: No, I mean, I thought you were keeping ...
MR. SPEAKES: I checked thoroughly with Dr. Ruge this morning and he's had no - (laughter) - no patients suffering from AIDS or whatever it is.
Q: The President doesn't have gay plague, is that what you're saying or what?
MR. SPEAKES: No, I didn't say that.
Q: Didn't say that?
MR. SPEAKES: I thought I heard you on the State Department over there. Why didn't you stay there? (Laughter.)
Q: Because I love you Larry, that's why (Laughter.)
MR. SPEAKES: Oh I see. Just don't put it in those terms, Lester. (Laughter.)
Q: Oh, I retract that.
MR. SPEAKES: I hope so.
Q: It's too late.

TIP OF THE HAT TO ANDREW SULLIVAN WHO FOUND THIS

Finally, Reagan was the template for the southern strategy and the cozying up with the religious right. Our fearless leader is the monster child of Reaganism which puported to have a good heart. The heart has turned to ice. It is called compassionate conservatism.

I only hope that junior tries to put on the reagan mantle. It will drag him down. Not only will he be red-flagging those people still in doubt about his compassion but he will also alienate the Reagan true-believers who think that Ron was really a nice guy and had this optimistic leader thing going and there is no comparison between juniors ham handedness and Ron's finesse. More of the Nancy trouble lies in wait. They blew it with the stem cell thing. It is a range war.

TORTURE

The Senators gave poor Preacher Ashcroft a going over yesterday when he appeared to talk about the Patriot Act extension. In his previous appearance he had pummeled the committee but this time they gave as good as they got. It was fun watching the prude sputter this morning on ABC teevee.

The holier than thou simper got all roughed up. Beyden was particularly clear with his near-shout preach-back to the reverend: the reason we signed the Geneva Conventions is so that our sons and daughters would not get mistreated. Now we have opened the door for some really grisly shit to come down on us. All the 'enemy' has to do is declare our guys and gals enemy combatants.