esrosedotblog

SPRING

Kelvin and I went to Joshua Tree National Park yesterday and looked at all the sights and got a bonus! The spring flowers are everywhere. This is the bonus for all the rain we have had this winter.

This photo (which is not mine) only suggests the array. There are purple lupines and many other varieties in large patches.

The grand finale is in the last ten miles going out the Cottonwood gate. Just like the fireworks. They saved the best until last.

BECKER

We took a short vacation from the Best Films series today. I am watching two films by Jacques Becker.

Today's movie was Casque d'Or with Simone Signoret.

It is considered one of Becker's best films. Set in the 19th Century, a gang's moll falls for a reforming ex-con. Gang and gang leader don't take to it very well.

It is nicely done with great photography and acting.

It got an 8.0 on the IMDb rating. I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5.

PHOOEY

I haven't a lot to say about the Oscars.

I am about the only one who doesn't.

The papers here are full of it and of themselves; just all over it. We are nearly at ground zero. I can feel the heat.

And that awful Chris Rock. Potty mouth. And will he say naughty words and all?

They think it is edgy entertainment.

Nothing can take the bore out of the Awards. Note caps as these are the 'real' awards. What a crock of shit.

We won't watch it.

I figured we are in the minority.

Not true.

I read today that only one in four Americans will watch it. We are in the mainstream!

Oh!

Let me know if the Depper takes the Actor. If so, I change my entire opinion of the dire proceedings.

JARMUSCH

Today's movie: DOWN BY LAW (1986) didn't quite land on all its wheels with the critical aristocracy but it is a happy, weird, and often wonderful walk through the lives of some dedicated losers who happen to end up pretty well.

There are a lot of echoes of 'Waiting for Godot' here and so, if you take the film literally, there is liable to be a lot of pushing and pulling for it to get somewhere.

On the other hand, if you lay back and take it in on its own terms it is very enjoyable. The time test got a high rating; whether it seemed to drag or not. It didn't drag. This is the bane of plotless films and there is essentially no plot in this.

The actors are great and well placed. Tom Waits is one of the losers and also sings the 'title' song. We just saw John Lurie without knowing it in Desperately Seeking Susan Roberto Benigni was an unknown at the time. Ellen Barken makes an early 'cameo' appearance as a pissed off lover.

Jarmusch is an interesting guy. We liked the Johnny Depp film Dead Man very much. It didn't make the Best 1176 Films but we will see his earlier film which did: Stranger Than Paradise when we get to the S's.; in about ten years.

He is more highly appreciated overseas than in the USA. He reminds me of Sam Fuller in this respect. It is a similar vibe. The mean and gritty.

Through the years, Jarmusch has made a series of shorts that are compiled now in a feature. I have put Coffee and Cigarettes at the top of the queue. I want to see it while I am in a Jarmusch frame of mind.

As I said, this is a NY Times Best 1176 Film and I will give it a 4 out of Netflix 5.

FAME

A while ago, I linked the video of a chubby guy lipsynching a 'romanian' pop song. Here is the sad end to his 15 minutes: Internet Fame Is a Cruel Mistress for a Dancer of the Numa Numa.

The article is a little cruel too. I was a young lipsyncher.

Hell, I still am on occasion. Isn't everybody? Or is it just a gay thing?

I even did it in public with a friend. We used to mime Spike Jones and Stan Freberg records for college dance entertainment.

So it was no surprise to me that it was done. What is surprising is how charming and engaging the tape seemed at the time. I sure didn't pass it on as a put-down. I thought it was a high level example of the lipsynch art!

Get up an over it Gary. The world is your oyster.

I missed it. The Bank of America (a California based engulf and devour bank) had decided they did not want their name on Boston's FleetCenter.

They engulfed and devoured Fleet (nee Bank of Boston, Bay Bank, our old banks) a while ago. They did not want the embarrassment of the current Celtics and Bruin teams on their reputation or their conscience.

So, the guys in the Center office, who I know a little, had a naming contest for charity: In Boston, 'Derek Jeter' Is Rejected (Rated X).

They do not say what the actual new name will be. The old name of the old building they demo'ed to build this thing was the Boston Garden. What is wrong with that? One of the current winners has used the 'garden' name. A hint of things to come; again?

Today it is The LindaWaltonGarden. Another day, another name. And they are extending the eBay auction.

THE WAY UP

You know in the first 30 seconds that is The Metheny Group. They are so unique.

There is play with 'found sound' as well as new members who are mentioned in the Metheny article below.

This stuff is ultimately listenable and this one is 'of a piece' in that it is fully composed from front to back with few reiterations of theme.

On the other hand there are sublime riffs that catch the attention and make you want to re-re-re-play the phrase. Damn CD technology.

Where did this resurgence of Metheny come from? It is OK. I am liking it.

Did you know that he was 'fully formed' and playing out with the stars in his teens? Made his first album, Bright Size LIfe, at 21; 1975. Do the math; 51 and still cookin'.

Amazingly the PMG has been together since 1977. The big success was American Garage in 1979 and from there on he was made.

METHENY CONT'D

OK. I found the CD's Featured in Ben Ratliff's Pat Metheny Story.

Then I went to iTunes and bought all the sides.

There are one or two problems. The Wes Montgomery/Wyntan Kelly tune is "album only"; that's 9.99 folks. All the rest for 0.99 though.

They do not have Glenn Gould's (and Bach's) Well Tempered Clavier. Can you fucking imagine? Call Steve Jobs immediately!

I bought the Edwin Fischer (it is the number one download so I must not be the only person doing this; make sure that it is #22!

In a way, I am quite surprised at the sides. They are very good, of course, but they are not at all 'out there' or radical. They are quite middle of the road. Which is to say that is the jazz road which makes them well to the left of the broad, broad, pop music freeway.

I am listening now.

Oh. I have also downloaded Metheny's new album The Way Up. It was the least I could do. I had all his other stuff on LP's and sold them off when we moved. I know. I know. But you can't get them back. And I don't have an LP player anymore.

CRYSTAL METHeny

Boy oh boy! We waited a long time for this: Pat Metheny: An Idealist Reconnects With His Mentors.

He looks the same as he did twenty years ago.

The article is a bit of a slog but if I had the discs he is talking about I would put them on while reading. Maybe I will. I bet they are all on iTunes.

$$DODT$$

Take a look at this: U.S. report shows high cost of military ban.

I don't know that a lot of gay people are trying to get into the military but I do know that there are a lot of gay people who are in the military. I was.

It will be interesting to watch the development of this matter. The last time we were treated to Senatorial shower rape fantasies. Sam Nunn. Make that none. As if.

SLOWDOWN

I am on a blog slowdown. We have visitors and I have a spring cold. So, the pickings will be slim for a few days.

LONG ISLAND SMACKS INTO NEW JERSEY!

Takes a few to load up. Be patient.

NETFLIX

I guess I am the perfect Netflix niche consumer. Founder Reed Hastings and I are on the same page.

I am on the five at a time plan and the service has become a household staple in almost no time.

I would not switch services or vendors now for anything; least of all the competing clubs from Blockbuster, who effectively censor the films they carry, and the dread Wal-Mart, the evil empire.

This NYT article is a nice summary of history and the current dilemma for the company: Does the Kid Stay in the Picture?.

I would vote a fervent yessss!

ADVANCES

More encouragement from abroad, whilst here, the pols keep playing the homo card in the game of value politics:
New Course by Royal Navy: A Campaign to Recruit Gays. NYT

DYLAN DOC

I have always been rather cool about Bob Dylan. I just could or would not connect with him. That makes today's NY Times Best 1176 Film all the more successful as I was captivated by the man and his scene(s):
Don't Look Back (1966).

Of course, virtually everything depends on D. A. Pennebaker's groundbreaking documentary style. No narration; all unobtrusive hand held 16 mm photography, and more. They took twenty hours of film and reduced it to 96 minutes.

Additional pleasures in the film are to see Joan Baez, Dylan's girlfriend at the time, and Alan Price of the Animals who is hanging out with Dylan for the entire film. Albert Grossman, Dylan's manager, is shown with the business side. Also glimpses of Allen Ginsburg, Marianne Faithfull, John Mayall, and others.

It is fascinating. Did I say that already? No. I said it was captivating. Not too redundant.

I liked it very much and will give it a 5 out of Netflix5.

OIL SLICK

It turns out there may not be any oil there after all: Big Oil Steps Aside in Battle Over Arctic (NYT).

The thing that gets me about the bushers is that even their corruption is compromised by their stupidity.

Here is a prime example.

All this political capital getting pumped needlessly. Wasting everyone's time. Heads up their asses.

This is an example of why I don't fear the outcome of their eight tragic years as much as a lot of other people.

They can't even do the dirty work very well.

HUNTED

Hunter Thompson killed himself this weekend.

It seems inevitable. He was a prolific ranter and raver. He had a love affair with guns, booze, drugs, and an outrageous life style.

Those things will kill you if you intersect the heaviest lines of each. You get a wipeout.

Talk about fear and loathing. I loved his writing and looked forward to it for quite a while. Then it got paranoid and crazy past the point of endurance.

It is the end of an era.

Well, the era ended a while ago and Hunter got stuck in it I guess.

Another sad goodbye from the time warp.

WHORES

Bill Maher on the Gannon/Guckert fake pass gay stud thing co starring Leslie Stahl, Robin WIlliams and Joe Biden. Pretty funny: Here and Here for Quicktime.

NUCULAR WAIST

Here is a WMD for the prez to run down:
Oklo: Ancient African Nuclear Reactors.

FURRINERS

Franklin and I had to dodge all kinds of looky-loo outsiders on our afternoon walk today (in the rain, again). They were mostly in SUVs. There were at least four real estate open houses and one of our celeb neighbors was on a charity house tour.

We live in a 'neighborhood'; hence, I expect that visitors will drive slowly and carefully and be particularly aware of elderly people walking active and busy dogs. As usual my expectations come up sucking air.

I suppose that the rain brings them out. Certainly the celebrity factor is a high motivator. The local teevee personality is nice enough and has a nice house and I think house tours are a harmless way to raise money but I would like it to happen somewhere else.

We were on a house tour once, when we were in Boston. John had designed a tight little duplex condo that I still would like to have but not live in. We outgrew it after about two years.

Showing your house on a charity tour takes a lot of balls actually. There are going to be hundreds of people trekking through. And, like today, our tour was on a rainy day; all those people coming in with wet, wet feet.

I remember the deal was to be out of the house and not see any of our visitors; hand it over to the team running the tour and let go. We almost managed it, but I left some 'critical' item there when we left and I went back to get it. I had to buck the line and see the crowd and listen to some of the comments. Not good. I focused, of course, on the negative ones.

But I got over it and so did the house and I suppose I will get over Joey English (a woman Joey) having us all share her showing. At least we are not on Barry Manilow's street which is on the next block. The guy told me he was on the tour and that the traffic was way backed up there. So. Franklin and I walked home another way.

FURRINERS

Franklin and I had to dodge all kinds of looky-loo outsiders on our afternoon walk today (in the rain, again). They were mostly in SUVs. There were at least four real estate open houses and one of our celeb neighbors was on a charity house tour.

We live in a 'neighborhood'; hence, I expect that visitors will drive slowly and carefully and be particularly aware of elderly people walking active and busy dogs. As usual my expectations come up sucking air.

I suppose that the rain brings them out. Certainly the celebrity factor is a high motivator. The local teevee personality is nice enough and has a nice house and I think house tours are a harmless way to raise money but I would like it to happen somewhere else.

We were on a house tour once, when we were in Boston. John had designed a tight little duplex condo that I still would like to have but not live in. We outgrew it after about two years.

Showing your house on a charity tour takes a lot of balls actually. There are going to be hundreds of people trekking through. And, like today, our tour was on a rainy day; all those people coming in with wet, wet feet.

I remember the deal was to be out of the house and not see any of our visitors; hand it over to the team running the tour and let go. We almost managed it, but I left some 'critical' item there when we left and I went back to get it. I had to buck the line and see the crowd and listen to some of the comments. Not good. I focused, of course, on the negative ones.

But I got over it and so did the house and I suppose I will get over Joey English (a woman Joey) having us all share her showing. At least we are not on Barry Manilow's street which is on the next block. The guy told me he was on the tour and that the traffic was way backed up there. So. Franklin and I walked home another way.

EMPTY NEST

Walter Huston and Ruth Chatterton are on early retirement. Their daughter is all grown up. He is an ex-industrialist who sold his company for megabucks. She is a younger provincial wannabe. They go to Europe to lead the good life. Like a lot of guys (not me) he yearns to be back in a saddle. Any saddle.

She yearns for a life of glamour and dancing 'til dawn. Not a good match. They separate, then reconcile, then separate again. Gigolos and opportunists ensue and pursue Chatterton. Huston meets Mary Astor; finds there is more to life than a dizzy socialite wannabe and starts a second career. Here he is with Astor.

We liked it a lot. We will see many Wyler movies in the Best Films series (we already saw Ben Hur and Best Years of Our Lives (wonderful).

I also love to watch Walter Huston. He was much older when I saw him in real time (Treasure of the Sierra Madré) and his rendition of September Song (Kurt Weill—the musical Knickerbocker Holiday) is all time famous.

This is a deep review isn't it? The film generates a lot of heat. The two leads really go at it and there is a grand climax. You will like it as much as we did and I am giving it a 5 out of a Netlix5.

STEVE

Today's movie was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) which is a very funny Steve Martin vehicle with Michael Caine as his foil. Glenne Headly plays the third side of the triangle.

The film gives Martin a lot of opportunities to naturally use his body and face for full frontal comedy as well as some considerable slapstick. It is not usual to find a scenario that can accommodate his stuff smoothly but the story and Frank Oz' direction makes it all work.

Caine does Caine and Headly is a consummate scene stealer. Given her partners, this is a formidable accomplishment. Actually, there are a lot of women who play the victims of the main guys' con games and all of them are terrific.

I laughed a lot and I was alone. I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5 and the NY Times has already named it one of the 1176 Best. I don't know about that actually but it is very very good.

DROPPING PERLES

This from the mostly hilarious Wonkette:

Portland to Perle: We Will Bury You

Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee member and Seymour Hersh target Richard Perle thought, for some reason, that it was a good idea to debate Howard Dean in Portland, Oregon. Why didn't he just meet Dean at the Young Lesbian Communists Summit with a big target painted on his ass?
Perle defended the Iraq war with a tired line about the intelligence being the best available blah blah blah that even he didn't sound like he believed.  Of course, it's hard to sound too convincing when you're dodging a shoe thrown at you by an audience member screaming "Motherfucking liar."
—C.S.

Dean vs. Perle -- Framing, Flying Shoes, and More [Kos]

MEDVED

I don't much care what anyone thinks of the film Million Dollar Baby, much less the right wing toad Michael Medved—half assed film critic and social commentator.

MM is one of those guys who used to hang left and now hangs right and had to write a book about it, which, coincidentally, surprise, suprise, is just out now. A little controversy to spike the sales anyone?

But this skewering by James Wolcott is so full-cry, balls to the wall, excellent as a piece of character assassination, it is well worth reading: Michael Medved is an Idiot.

Well, look at the picture as Michael hugs himself tightly. Dork.

LEFTY RADIO

After all these years of right wing talk show dominance, the tide is turning. Take a look at this AP story:
Clear Channel adopts liberal programming on growing number of stations.

TAKE A DIP

Big Dipper Castle.

ENDED

We saw the second half of Dr. Zhivago (1965) today and that is that. More of the same. Epic scenery; cardboard acting. If I have to listen to 'Lara's Theme' one more time I will hurl.

The second half is much more corny than the first. It is as though they suddenly realized they wouldn't make it in the time alloted so they just threw segments together.

The beautiful natural settings are still there. The vast sweeps. Pauline Kael said about director David Lean: "[his] method is basically primitive, admired by the same sort of people who are delighted when a stage set has running water or a painted horse looks real enough to ride." I am not one of those people although, at times, I was taken in.

I will give it a 3 out of a Netflix5. Here is the poster.

WE TOLD YOU

Now, even the new CIA head says Iraq is having the oppo-effect:

Top spy warns Iraq a boon for terrorists: CIA head says war is a recruiting tool.

FLY AWAY HOME

If you are a dog person, you will love this article and, if you are not a dog person, you will like it:
Rescuing Fly; A journey on the dog underground railroad.

BOXED IN

We have two Democratic senators from California.

Only one has a spine.

Barbara Boxer stood alone in the recent confirmation hearings for Secretary of State. She is fearless. She is intrepid.

She is also the proud recipient of 4500 roses sent from her constituents on Valentines Day, in thanks for her persistent resistance.

BUNUEL

A name to strike fear in the heart of a movie goer; Buñuel. Today we saw the NYTime 'Best' 1176Film Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie / The Discreet Charm of the bourgeoisie (1972).

It is hard going because it does not mean a whole lot. It is intentionally absurd. People keep going somewhere then step back. They have dreams and then awaken to reality. Blah blah.

It is sort of fun to watch but there is no really clever cinematography or other diversions to keep one's attention sharp. Just a series of events, mishaps, and so on. Very French.

It may be a best or great film but, for me, it rates a 2 out of Netflix5.

Take that Luis!

I am reminded of the old jive song 'Hands Up Louis, Drop That Gun'.

DEEP

It is amusing to see that some thirty years later, one of the best kept 'public' secrets is still driving people crazy:

Rehnquist Wasn't Deep Throat: The latest wild theory about Woodstein's blind source. (in Slate).

We recently saw All The Presidents Men and remember Hal Holbrook's wonderful rendition of the famous, yet inscrutable, Watergate source. Fun.

END OF THE FIRST HALF—COMMIES AHEAD

We are watching Doctor Zhivago (1965) and saw the first half today. We have just been sent to the gulag or the Steppes or maybe Siberia. I am not too clear. The Doc is hot because he writes bourgeois poems and all and has to get out of town, fast.

It is pretty good. A David Lean epic is all that. Big crowds, vast landscapes, epic (of course) battles. The acting is secondary to the story, plot, and cinematography. Everyone is good but it seems that they are mostly acting alone; often cardboard.

But we are enjoying it. It is always very watchable and attractive. Perhaps too much so. It was done in the era when privation, starvation, and devastation did nothing to the star's makeup or costumes.

Julie Christy's starched collar after 6 months in an end-of the-world military hospital does take one's mind out of the story. There is absolutely no suspension of disbelief. It is an epic film that we are watching and there are many many times when we oooh and ahhhh at effects or photography. We even wonder how he did that incredible tracking shot. It is still fun.

SENTENCE

They gave Shanley 12-15 years:
Ex-Priest Shanley Sentenced for Rape of Boy.

We knew him, sort of. He was a friend of a friend who owned the inn where we stayed and we spent time with him. He was on vacation at the same time we were. Later, when he lived and worked in San Bernardino we would see him occasionally. That is where they sent him to get him out of Boston when the diocese caught him. There he is with his protector Bernie Law who got canned and sent to Rome.

He was openly gay and always had young, too young, men around him; actually teen agers, under 18. They were punks usually; street kids hanging around with the street priest. Great cover. It is who he used to work with. There was no doubt that they were also hustlers as they were more than comfortable being around a gay inn and playing the part with the other guests.

I haven't written about it at all as there is not much to say. But today, seeing the picture of him in cuffs and leg irons and all, there seems to be a finish on an itch that has lasted a long time.

When I am around stuff that is not OK and don't say or do anything about it there is a soul twinge. I doubt there is a thing I could have said or done at the time that would have mattered. The die was cast long ago. These were not little kids in catechism class. The guys he was with knew which way the wind was blowing. Yet, putting it out there is better than giving it a wink and a nod or, in a way worse, ignoring it entirely.

We did quit going to our friend's inn though and then quit seeing the friend. There were other factors. We never saw Shanley again.

IMMUNOLOGY

Here, in Slate, is a nice rundown of the Lynne Stewart case and the question of lawyer's immunity.

There ain't any:

Selling Indulgences: The unmistakable parallel between Lynne Stewart and the president's torture lawyers.

This is another example of the hazards of living in a dichotomous world.

When there is only left and right and red or blue you are stuck with all the crazies and fuzzy thinkers who happen to fall on your side. I am surely a blue lefty but Lynne Stewart's brand of radicalism sure leaves me very cold indeed.

HOOTNANNY

Our Sunday folksong: Four More Years.

It's all there.

HAPPY WARRIORS

Fun from James Wolcott today:
From Some Lemons No Lemonade Can Be Made. I like his style.

STICK SHIFT

For those who insist that driving a big SUV or truck is compensation for otherwise limited equipment, this device should seal the deal:
the ultimate accessory for any truck.

ANSWERS.com

A new resource. It has some nice features; particularly the sort of dictionary/encyclopedia combination of 'answers'. I use it a lot.

It tells just enough. I used it to check Annie Leibovitz below. I got a picture, the correct spelling of the name, a short bio and, if I wanted, I could click for more.

A lot of people like wikipedia and there is a direct link. It uses Google but, somehow, more selectively. If I put Annie through the Google I get a lot more extrania.

Answers.com is a no fee service of the fee-for GuruNet.com.

VANITY FAIR

Well, they sure got the name right. I just finished the 2005 Hollywood Edition and it is an exercise that leaves me bilious.

I trudge through all the ads at the beginning because there is almost always going to be some editorial stuff tucked in the middle. I sigh over the waste of energy that goes into the creation of all this paper, side by, over the top, side. The shear volume of it reduces the impact to nil.

There is an occasional show stopper; a handsome torso, a funny line, the Diesel ad which isn't quite as good in this series as it used to be.

Then we get to the columns; the informative James Walcott whose web site I visit daily and the homuncular, name dropping, egomaniac Dominick Dunne. A wide spread of quality and interest. This month Dunne tells about visiting Elizabeth Taylor and getting the brush on his arrival. He never meets her but gets two paras about it. Also, the current state of the lawsuit Gary Condit has filed against him. Everything is grist for the mill. Then gossip and more. Do the link on his name. This guy has his number.

Notice that I read enough to know the detail? That is the irony of the magazine; a love/hate relationship. Well, it is not that stark. It is more the paradox of liking and being repelled at the same time.

This being the Hollywood issue there is a great retrospective of Annie Leibovitz photos. There is another article on Hollywood poker games with all sorts of name dropping. And so on. It is an o.d. orgy of gossip and inside blather. I go through it all. I think that, in part, I am afraid that I will miss something. I do not.

We have tried to rid ourselves of the thing. We drop the subscription, then they make an unbeatable deal like one year for five dollars and we get back on the carousel. At least it gives us something to bitch about on a monthly basis; wretched excess. I should probably read it a few pages at a time.

CHAIR

Well, my man Dean made it. Everyone else dropped out, so it was by acclamation: New DNC Head Dean Hopes to Rebuild Party.

The goopers have already started mocking him with a lot of scream jokes but I can tell you that they will have fun at their own expense. They delude themselves about Dean's competence and dedication. They miss the point that he was a very effective middle of the road governor. But, fuck 'em. They can stick their little purple fingers up their ass as far as I am concerned.

As for the Demo party regulars who are holding their noses as the inevitable tide washed over their manipulations they should let go and let Howard. We will see if they let him do his stuff.

For now, I am more than happy about the results.

GLIDE

I liked this a lot:

"Discovery of gliding ants shows wingless flight has arisen throughout the animal kingdom".

And be sure to look at the video.

What is interesting, other than the ants themselves, is the passion of this guy. Here he is climbing a tree out in the rain forest, painting little ants white and dropping them from the trees.

Thanks to Internet Weekly Report

LEFT OUT

I am fascinated with the Lynne F. Stewart Case: Lawyer Is Guilty of Aiding Terror (great photo) from yesterday's NY Times and then today again in the Times: Regretting the Bravado, a Convicted Lawyer Examines Her Options.

This thing has grabbed me from the beginning. Apparently only me as it is not in any way a cause celebré in blogland or anywhere else. Yet, Stewart is a clear victim of the aggressive prosecutions under the so called Patriot Law.

Now don't get me wrong. From what I read she is guilty as hell and no reading of the facts that even the defense agrees are true could say otherwise. Her statement in the latter article that her bravado got her in trouble is an understatement. She thought that she could get away with flagrant violation of even the more basic non-patriot provisions and get away with it. She passed messages despite court orders and to people who are sworn terrorists.

After all, this blind guy is the one who blew up the garage under the Trade Center the first time. Thus ruining my hotel room and the restaurant I ate in at the Marriott for about a year. Now there is nothing there. Not even me. But I digress.

There are two things that floor me. The first is the flagrant disregard for the court on the part of an officer of the court. The second is the support by a supposed lefty of the islamic movement, terrorist or no. I don't get how the politics gibe. I have missed this one before and I think that it is the core of a lot of the misunderstanding of where the left sits v.v. 9-11, Iraq, and all the rest. It is this lack of clarity that leads the public to worry about what a liberal Democratic administration would do about the islamists and how 'soft' they would be.

Now Stewart is acting alone. She is her own cannon loosed upon the scene. Some of this can be picked up from her web site: Who is Lynne Stewart? In this regard she is a lot like the late William Kunstler who pursued his own lefty dream while he was lawyering for some of the worst of the bad actors of the time. Neither are or, for that matter, should be even remotely concerned about the effect of their actions on the left in general or the country as a whole. And yet, there is a problem with the proximity of their actions to the political arena.

Like I said, I don't get it. It might be an ego thing and have absolutely nothing to do with being a lefty. God knows, left and right suffer from their various loudmouths pushing a personal agenda.

In any case, I thought I would present the puzzle. Why would someone so well situated do this kind of thing and then still be figuring out a way to undo the whole thing and get away with it. Dunno.

TEENIER

I got some complaints that some browsers overlapped the links with the blog text and so I reduced the size of the links to font size 1 (HTML speak). I think it looks better actually so thanks for the complaint. If it still overlaps or makes the viewing more difficult, let me know. I may just drop links entirely. On second thought, no I won't but I would still like to know. See the email link there at the top? Use it.

DIRTY

Improbability layered upon improbability threatens suspension of disbelief for the entire run of Dirty Harry but somehow it is still a great movie! Why is that?

Can it be that Clint Eastwood has that 'thing'? If so, it can transform another Don Siegel grinder into a NY Times Best 1176 Film. It sure held me and I do not like the violence or the fact that the plot doesn't make a lot of sense. There are many loose ends.

This is an early Eastwood film; he has just turned 40. We have seen him in Rawhide and the spaghetti westerns and we cannot quit looking at him.

Here, he continues his anti-hero as super-hero thing as a bad cop who is good. There is a psycho serial killer on the loose who is devious and clever and refuses to be caught. Can you imagine? The SFO police and political bureaucracy unaccountably believes in civil rights and thwarts Harry's best efforts to kick some serial killer ass.

Disgusted, Clint goes commando and does the vigilante thing. Then he throws his fucking badge away, the bastards. And so on.

I will give this a 3 out of Netflix5 because I don't want the algorithm to recommend any other films in this genré.

Interestingly, this is the year that Eastwood directed his own picture
Play Misty For Me which is also a Best Film. There is a scene in Harry where the title is on a theater marquee in the background. Nice. Misty is scary as hell; a female fan stalks a disc jockey. It still gives me the willies to think about it. I will have to watch it again when we get to the 'p's; sometime in 2008 probably. I am bracing myself.

ROUTED

Did you notice? We were 'down' for about 24 hours.

I tried to go on line yesterday afternoon and (gasp) nothing. I did the usual reboot the cable modem, then the router, then the computer. No dice.

I called my TimeWarner 'experts'. They 'saw' me from their HQ and reset my modem. No results. A stumper! They forwarded me to Earthlink. I will spare you the shit with the voice mail and all.

No prob-a-lem with the modem. Nothing at all wrong at Earthlink (a nice non-American working hard to let me believe he was sitting in Topeka and not New Delhi).

Panic. The local service company doesn't do Macs anymore since the guy I have used quit. I couldn't roust him. The Apple listed service rep has a very angry voice mail that says the PS government is holding up his grand opening. Depression.

Then John remembers that a friend had a guy who he was very Mac-happy with. I gave him a call.

He was here this morning and trouble-shot his way through five levels to identify that our router had expired or gone gonzo. We got a new one in line; Netgear 54 Mbps Wireless.

Did I mention that I also have a laptop? It is wireless and the router wireless beats the shit out of my Mac Airport which is kinda old.

All is forgiven TimeWarner and Earthlink. Your long and tedious routine of getting to someone human to talk to is forgotten. And thanks to 'Dillon' in New Delhi.

It seems that the new router is faster. Is that possible?

Anyway the main thing here is that we found a new reliable, responsive, professionally behaving resource person to work with. Whew. It was a long time coming. If we lived out on the other side of the mountain there is lots of choice, even Apple Stores and genius counters. Not here in the desert hinterlands.

Did you miss me? C'mon. Tell the truth.

D(ea)NC

I like this balanced assessment of Howard Dean by Robert Kuttner in this Boston Globe op-ed: Being Howard Dean.

SPOOKY

I don't know why but this photo seems all weird like to me:
Heat Shield Crater on Mars.

I guess it is one thing to know that the Rover got there and is rolling around taking snapshots. Somehow, it is quite another to get that it hit and hard and that it left wreckage; to say nothing of the impact on the planet itself. Wow.

Somehow, to me, these Mars photos are more compelling than the man on the moon stuff. Of course, I hear that it was all a conspiracy and this is probably fake too. But a great fake. You gotta hand it to those NASA guys. Any fake that makes you feel all weird and spooky has to be a good one. Almost like the real thing.

IMPERSONATING

I watched this three times: Einstein.

MEN

Today's movie was Diner (1982).

The dilemma of being a straight male at the end of the 60's is beautifully rendered in Barry Levinson's first 'Baltimore' movie.

How do you move from your best buddies to the bonds of a love relationship. Actually, while I was confused myself at the time, it applies to hets and gays alike.

Come to think of it, the problem still persists. I have some young friends who are having the same problem today. Timeless. Perennial.

The movie just flows along with a minimum of plot. If you have been to Baltimore and get the ethos then it is a double treat. Just think french fries and gravy. At one point they drove by a building that I had been in in the 60's, the American Can Plant. The company no longer exists. I suspect the same is true of the building.

A lot of young stars got started in this film. Look at them. The photo does not include the wonderful Ellen Barkin who plays the first wife to get one of the buddies.\; a dubious achievement.

A NY Times Best 1176 Film, I will rate it a 4 out of Netflix5.

PRUNES

They are pruning all our trees. Radically.

It is getting easier to take.

When we moved here from the Northeast, we could not believe that people cut back their trees' growth so severely. It seemed cruel, unnecessary, even fatal for the trees.

When it got to be our turn to get pruned, we begged them to take it easy.

Then, with a few broken branches and some shade that was way over the top, we relented and allowed some of the trees to get the full treatment. The pepper tree on the south side was a candidate for radical trim. It grows so quickly that the wood is soft and does not provide any structural strength; sagging branches. Then we found that the carob tree would drop more beans with each extra branch. Makes sense. Prune that one way down!

Little by little, we became as ruthless as the most radical desert tree surgeon.

One exception; the orchid tree. It is in bloom now. It was hard to let all those 'babies' go. So it will be a little gawky. It will fill in. They took it easy. Of course, we will probably pay the price later. This tree leans with its load of branches and flowers and had to be staked and wired a few years ago.

What we have learned is that, in the desert heat, trees grow three and even four times as fast as they do in the frigid back east climes. You gotta trim them or they will overbear, overgrow, and underbloom. No pain, in this case, all gain; tree obesity. Trim them back hard and they will flourish. There is a life lesson in here somewhere but I am not a tree, so I will take it easy on myself and not prune too hard.

Look at this orchid tree bloom. We have hundreds like it. And the aroma!

CHAIR

Howard Dean is the last man standing in the race for Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. I am very pleased.

They are already thumping him from the other side, so I think that means he is drawing the right kind of fire. What pissed me off was the cheap shots from the other demos who want to drift the party to the middle.

Actually, people will be surprised to find that Dean is more center than left and is a consummate deal maker. Good for him. Good for 'us'.

I put quotes around that because I am a reform Democrat or, rather, a progressive who held his nose when Kerry ran and has been very upset at the reign of Terry Mcauliffe whose idea of a campaign was to cover it with money and consultants.

I do not have my own party. I am out here in the cold with a lot of other people who cannot get the answers they want from either of the big two. I related to this article in The Nation last week: Visualizing a Neo-Rainbow. But for now, I am a reluctant Democrat.

Dean says he will start with the grass roots. He will bring his amazing organization with him. He will bring the Demos into the 21st Century with the internet technology that he pioneered. And above all, he will have a spine.

God, how we need backbone there.

SCARY

Today, we saw the French suspense classic

Les Diaboliques (1955).

I saw it years ago and had forgotten most of it. It was funny to 'get' what was really happening somewhere in the middle of the picture. I don't know how much was memory and how much that I actually 'got' it.

The film has Simone Signoret who was a favorite actress. We saw her work through the years and when one of her films came we were sure to watch it. She was some tough broad.

There is not a lot to talk about with this film as almost anything would amount to a spoiler.

We saw the Criterion Collection remaster and it is very very good. Probably better than the print I saw in 1955 or 56 as most of the art films at that time had been through the mill before we got to see them.

It is one of the NYTimes Best 1176Films and I give it a 4 out of Netflix5.

DESIGN

One could quickly jump to the conclusion that creationists are whackos who want to run the god thing over everyone's head. The interference in school curriculums is upsetting and vexing.

Failing to get their god-o-centric ideas across, the christers are turning to the idea of 'intelligent design' to battle 'darwinism' and 'evolution'.

In this maelstrom, the idea of intelligent design is getting warped by the heat of the arguments. This article in the NYTimes today, at least explains what the idea of 'intelligent design' is: Design for Living.

Some quiet reflection about the definition of this point of view might be helpful before returning to the maelstrom of what should and should not be taught in the schools.

BOWLED OVER

I am not the only person who is out of the Super Bowl loop.

I went for a Franklin walk and there were lots of people out there in cars and walking. Actually, it was only a few minutes ago that I 'got' that it was on. The first quarter. No score.

I have to admit there was a house with a party going on but I didn't put two and two together. Four quarters.

I suppose I make too much of being a non-sports-fan. It is the anti-sports equivalent of the kind of guy who goes to a park and bangs those plastic tubes together or has a big finger. If I was really into sports, the anti-anti-sports guy, I would be one of them that paints their body the team colors.

I was once called counter-dependent. Another time, a contrarian. And that was to my face. But, when it comes to football, I just don't get it.

That is actually the problem. Baseball is the only game that I have even a mild grasp of the rules. Basketball, hockey, football and even soccer, which I am told is pretty simple, eludes me.

OK. That is my Super Bowl take. Well, no there is one more thing. You know what really annoys me? It's that stupid roman numeral thing. What's with that anyway?

I guess it is a bit like the colosseum and the gladiators and all. Roman history. But somehow, I don't think that the NFL is that sophisticated. Is it the NFL or does someone else sponsor this?

I think that they started it when they didn't really know it would last into eternity and now they are stuck with it.

OK. I will stop. Except for one thing. My whole back east family is totally backing the Patriots; local team. So today I am a Patriot's fan.

Where's the paint brush?

BRUCE

I gotta admit to my guilty pleasures.

I really enjoyed seeing Bruce Willis do his thing in Die Hard (1988).

The technical stuff was just great and once you hate the bad guys enough it is OK to see the splatter. I liked the whole action part.

I enjoyed the relationship between Willis and the first cop on the scene. It is nicely played out throughout the film and has a great finish.

I didn't like the insertion of bureaucratic idiots to prolong the pain of the odyssey. It always slowed stuff down. I figure if they had shitcanned that part, the movie would have been a much more satisfying 90-100 minutes long.

One other small point, the tank-top lacks continuity. It gets bloody, it gets baggy, it tightens up again and the blood moves around; then it changes color entirely to a kind of khaki. Toward the end it disappears entirely. All of this is OK with me, actually. Willis was in great shape for this.

And he never, ever, had his hairpiece askew, although it varies in size from chapter to chapter. Why am I taken up with this kind of stuff?

Nevertheless, I agree that, in its class, it has to be one of the best action/thrillers I have seen; a genré that I am not normally keen on. Time melted. I guess that is why it is on the NYTimes Best 1176 List.

So, I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5.