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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The American Experience: My Lai

This morning I watched "The American Experience: My Lai", with some trepidation. I was expecting to be hit over the head for an hour with more opinion than content . Instead, the documentary let the facts of March 16, 1968 speak for themselves; it was a wise move, as it was more than enough to cement the fact that the murder of 500+ women and children was an inexcusable war crime. 

Of note were the interviews with the men of Charlie company, and the myriad personalities that are on display even 40 years removed from My Lai: the meek follower, the strident soldier, the guy that just wanted to go home, the creepy rationalist. This should be required viewing. Grade: A+ (and as always, a tip of the hat to Hugh Thompson for his actions that day)

Monday, December 17, 2012

Facebook August 2009


The picture is of the Duggar's oldest son and his virgin bride, but I assure you, therrrrre's no need to fear - Marky Mark, Marky Mark is here. If you understood that reference, you are either at 33 year old woman, a gay man, or a very disturbed, very hairy 35 year old South Sider.

The actor and longtime girlfriend Rhea Durham tie the knot in an intimate Catholic ceremony in Beverly Hills
August 1, 2009 at 10:31 pm Friends

If you RTA, you come away a bit puzzled. MJ is often understood to have been a regressed man-child in his personal life, and yet his 12 year old son seems to be the opposite - a man inhabiting a child's body. He has alledgedly run the household staff - and won their respect, no less - for years. Moreover, when his Dad died the doctor came screaming for someone to "Get Prince!" - not 911, not an adult, but MJ's son - and it was not until Prince took over the scene that action was taken.

Since Michael Jackson's death, his son, Prince Michael I, has emerged as the man of the family.
August 1, 2009 at 10:49 pm Friends

What's up with the fire sale at the Journal Sentinel? First Tim Cuprisin said goodbye, then I hear the theater critic is gone, and now the book editor wrote her farewell address. What's the rationale behind all this - more than pure $ I mean?
August 1, 2009 at 11:00 pm Friends

Ken Griffey Jr. added Rangers right-hander Tommy Hunter to his long list of home run victims. Hunter became the 400th big league pitcher to surrender a home run to Griffey.
August 1, 2009 at 11:11 pm Friends

RIP

The remains of Captain Michael Scott Speicher, the first American lost in the Persian Gulf War, have been found in Iraq, the military said Sunday, after struggling for nearly two decades with the question of whether he was dead or alive.
August 2, 2009 at 12:09 pm Friends

This sucks, both for the Brewers and Bill Hall. I like the guy. I once had a conversation with his high school coach. He said he tried to stop Bill from entering the draft but all Hall could think about was getting to the bigs. I hope he gets another chance, and a change of scenery.

There's a best-case scenario for Bill Hall and the Milwaukee Brewers, and it doesn't involve his return to the starting lineup at third base. The best thing that could happen for Hall and the Brewers is ...
August 2, 2009 at 3:25 pm Friends

Hmm. The charismatic President of a country that's shifted from democratic captialism to socialism decides to put the media out of business unless they 'share his vision'. Thank God it can't happen here. Why, I saw this article on Fox, and . . . well, on Fox. No, I'm sure the 'Big Three' networks have the story on their sites too. . . oops, not a whisper. My bad.

Hugo Chavez Pulls 34 Radio Stations Off the Air , Hugo Chavez said previously that the revoked licenses could be given to broadcasters who share his socialist vision.
August 2, 2009 at 3:40 pm Friends

Not only was the guy on the FBI Most Wanted list in the '60's, in the early 70's he wrote a book about how he'd turned his life around. "If you see someone on the street who needs help, help him, because tomorrow night it may be you who needs help."

Awwww. How sweet. Of course, the next year he rented a house and then burned it to the ground, and later in the decade he allegedly abducted, mudered, and sexually assaulted a WI couple.

With rare exceptions, people don't fundamentally change their heart and soul once they're an adult. Why is that news to anyone? What a world.

Edward Wayne Edwards, charged with the murders of two Jefferson County teenagers in1980, was one of the FBI's 10 Most Wanted fugitives in 1961. He also published a book in 1972 about turning his life around.
August 2, 2009 at 4:43 pm Friends

Oh, it's still probably going to suck. It just won't suck as bad as a Michael Bay or McG driven flick.

Ridley Scott unleashed a monster that’s been scaring fans for 30 years when he directed the sci-fi classic “Alien” in 1979.
August 3, 2009 at 6:19 pm Friends
[this was Prometheus, and boy was I wrong; I loved it]

This one may get a blog post of its own. To quote the Times of London : "Christians also face intimidation because of discriminatory blasphemy laws, including one that carries the death penalty for defiling the Koran and images of the Prophet Muhammad. The law is often misused to settle personal scores."

Paramilitary troops patrolled the streets of a town in eastern Pakistan yesterday after Muslim radicals burnt to death eight members of a Christian family, raising fears of violence spreading to other areas.
August 4, 2009 at 8:55 pm Friends

Ordinarily I'd say 34 years for a weak stab at attempted murder is enough. But when you aim a gun at the President life in prison should actually be 'life in prison'.

Heck, I was watching a Nat. Geographic special yesterday that said some states will be put you in prison for 35 years for possession of two marijuana plants. Two plants = 35 years. Worship Manson and aim at gun at a President = 34 years.

What a world.

The president she tried to assassinate has been dead for nearly three years, and her longtime idol and leader, Charles Manson, remains in prison.
August 5, 2009 at 2:45 pm Friends

Happy 2nd Birthday Ginger!Today is the 2nd, joyous birthday of the one and only Feral Child, aka Lump aka Baby, better known online as Ginger Slap. May she enjoy this day, and another hundred birthdays in the years to come!
August 7, 2009 at 12:03 am

"She did say that they touched North Korean territory very, very briefly," Lisa Ling, sister of Laura Ling, told CNN on Thursday."

You know, I'm all for saying "P. off" to North Korea on just about any subject, but uh? Memo to 3rd rate journalist  Rather than creating an international incident between two nations that have come to blows before, DON'T ILLEGALLY CROSS THE BORDER. You cannot, you will not, ever convince me that N. Korea doesn't clearly delineate their border.

Ugh . .

Two U.S. journalists pardoned and freed by North Korea did cross illegally into that country, the sister of one of the women said.
August 7, 2009 at 1:45 am Friends

Cuban born Sen. Martinez (R-Fla) is resigning. This won't affect the makeup of the Senate, as the Republican Gov. will appoint someone to warm the seat until the 2010 election. Martinez had previously stated he would not seek reelection next year.

Sen. Martinez (R-Fla.) Gives Up Seat Early
August 7, 2009 at 12:23 pm Friends

You know what's ridiculous about major network news? (aside from their blind love for Obama) They run incredible stories t hat revolve around a picture or a dispute about a picture- and then, *out of a sense of propriety* refuse to post any of the picutres themselves. Then why run the story in the first place???

Lady Gaga's manager calls rumors that she's a hermaphrodite and has a penis
August 8, 2009 at 11:26 am Friends

As The World Turns is in danger of being cancelled, just one more sign that our civilization is crumbling.

My Mom watched it religiously in my youth, and I remember the Dusty-Lily-Holden triangle very well. I still look down at Margo for her affair with Hal. How could she cheat on a guy like Tom???

Posted Aug 7th 2009 9:02AM by Allison WaldmanFiled under: Programming, OpEd, Daytime, Cancellations, Pickups and Renewals, Ratings, Reality-Free
August 8, 2009 at 11:35 am Friends

Busy day today. My daughter's 2nd birthday party, followed by a family BBQ and then a bit of a mess after that. All in all, a great day.
August 9, 2009 at 12:15 am Friends

I mean this with 100% sincerity: if you want to put a smile on my face and make me instantly happier, no matter the situation, just show me an Alex Rodriguez home run.
August 9, 2009 at 9:27 pm Friends

Hmmm. I'm not sure what's sadder; the fact that this is considered national news, or that I was actually thinking about his dissapearance a few days ago.

A private investigator leading the search for Olivia Newton-John's ex, Patrick McDermott, said they received a fax that he is alive and well and wants to be left alone.
august 11, 2009 at 12:51 am Friends

Every few minutes I've heard this guttural sound coming from the other room. Kind of freaky in a quiet house, actually. Then I got it: it's Smiley's crickets. They aren't quite chirping so much as . . . well, making unique disgusting noises.
August 11, 2009 at 1:05 am Friends

Oh, I'd love one, don't get me wrong. But my trivial concerns: say you live in the heart of the city where there are no garages, or rent instead of own. I've lived plenty of places where everyone parks on the street. Or you live in a large complex where parking isn't assigned in the lot. Where do you plug in? Who pays for the juice in that case?

The Chevrolet Volt, GM's electric car that's expected to go on sale in late 2010, is projected to get an estimated 230 miles per gallon, the automaker announced Tuesday.
August 11, 2009 at 12:03 pm Friends

83 homes on the south side would be demolished under the current plan to expand the Kinnickinnic River. Thurs an open house will be held to discuss the idea. I like the goal: less flooding, more nature friendly river. I'm *not* fond of reducing our tax base further by shoving 83 families to the burbs, or the idea of taking homes for the public 'good'.

Aug. 11, 2009 5:16 p.m. | A Kinnickinnic River neighborhood plan and a proposed $40 million flood-control strategy for the river downstream of S. 27th St. will be discussed at a public open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the Kosciuszko Community Center gym, 2201 S. 7th St.
August 11, 2009 at 5:50 pm Friends


The city is marking up the street in front of my house - literally, directly in front of my house - and I went and asked what was going on. Turns out they're building a gas line from the landfill in Franklin, all the way down to Jones Island. (!) Based on soil samples from in front of my house, they may have to dig the street up to lay the pipe. Yikes!
 
Brewers have released Bill Hall, fired 17 year vet Bill Castro, sent JJ Hardy down to the minors and called up Escobar. Too little, too late I think. Thank God I still have the Yanks.

The Brewers have fired pitching coach Bill Castro and replaced him with Class AAA Nashville pitching coach Chris Bosio. In another drastic move, the Brewers have sent down shortstop J.J. Hardy and recalled Alcides Escobar from Nashville.
August 12, 2009 at 12:31 pm Friends

August 12, 2009 at 1:22 pm Friends

Smiley and Caitlin

Les Paul Dead at 94Waukesha's own Les Paul, the inventor of the electric guitar and music legend, has passed away. He was 94. RIP Les - you made Wisconsin proud.
August 13, 2009 at 3:43 pm

CNN is reporting Michael Vick has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
August 13, 2009 at 8:10 pm Friends

Spent the day @ UWM with my two oldest girls. Great time. Supposed to have a rummage tomorrow, but it's been postponed.
August 15, 2009 at 12:07 am Friends

Archie comics is celebrating issue 600 with Archie proposing . . .to Veronica! I always thought Betty was more bleepable, but to each his own.

DALLAS (AP) -- When comic book store owner Dave Luebke heard that after 67 years, the carrot-topped everyman of the comic world, Archie, was proposing to va-va-voomy rich girl Veronica instead of girl-next-door Betty, he decided to protest by selling his copy of the series' rare first issue.
August 15, 2009 at 11:22 am Friends

Jim Doyle Won't Seek Re-electionBig news out of Madison: according to published reports, WI Gov. Jim Doyle (D) has decided against a 2010 bid for re-election. Hallelujah. It could go on of two ways. First: Doyle leaves office early, Lawton takes over, and campaigns w/ an incumbents advantages. Two, the Dems abandon most of Doyle's record and campaign as 'outsiders'. Who the candidate is in that scenario I couldn't say, but it'll be a bumpy ride.
August 15, 2009 at 5:28 pm

How much can a 20#'er eat? Corn dogs, carrots, a granola bar, some salad, an apple, cereal, waffles . . now she just raided the fridge and brought me a jar of peanut butter and cream cheese. YOU ARE TWO. YOU DO NOT HAVE A TAPEWORM. GO WATCH ELMO. Ugh.
August 15, 2009 at 6:10 pm Friends

The Mayor was beaten with a pipe as he was leaving State Fair last night . . .more to follow . . .

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was recovering Sunday morning after he was beaten with a pipe after leaving the Wisconsin State Fair with his family Saturday night.
August 16, 2009 at 10:47 am Friends

Ha! How very true!

Oh yes! Daniel E Slap-‘s best name anagram is A LAZY, PENNILESS DICK . But what is YOURS? August 16, 2009 at 11:48 pm Friends


Favre signs with Vikings, according to JS
August 18, 2009 at 12:38 pm

The company began in Janesville (WI) in 1888.

Atlanta-based Newell Rubbermaid Inc. said it plans to close its Janesville facility by the end of the first quarter of 2010. Manufacturing and distribution work will be moved to an office products division operation in Mexicali, Mexico. ...
August 18, 2009 at 5:40 pm Friends


Project Runway is Back! And (not) better than ever!I worked last night but returned home to a heapin' helpin' of Project Runway on my DVR. The verdict? Well, I won't say they've jumped the shark, but I wasn't bowled over
August 21, 2009 at 11:30 am

Just back from camping and found out Ted Kennedy died. As he was a fellow human being, RIP, but . . . "the end of Camelot" says CNN??? Ugh. Cue a solid week of crocodile tears and eulogizing on the Hill, in blogdom, and in the MSM.
August 26, 2009 at 3:47 pm Friends
[perhaps this was too harsh]


RIP

Dominick Dunne, the former Hollywood producer and best-selling author known for his Vanity Fair essays on the courtroom travails of the rich and famous, died Wednesday in New York city after a long battle with cancer.
August 26, 2009 at 6:31 pm Friends

Hmm. Somehow I don't think I qualify for a religous order, semi-teetotaler or not.

Daniel completed the quiz "What nationality do you drink like?" with the result Nothing..Never said it was a bad thing, but you don't drink. Your friends say you miss out on all the fun. You might not do it because you wanna be original, or you're "too smart" Its okay, you can have fun without drinking... It could be against your religion as well. When : Never What : Nothing How much : None.
August 27, 2009 at 9:58 pm

Teams I love to watch lose! by Daniel 1. Chicago Cubs2. Minnesota Vikings3. Boston Red Sox4. Chicago Bears 5. Los Angeles Lakers
August 27, 2009 at 10:02 pm

I have written and erased two comments about this monster. Read it yourself.

Police: California Girl Kidnapped 18 Years Ago Kept as Sex Slave in Couple's Backyard, Jaycee Lee Dugard, an 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped while waiting for the school bus in 1991, has been found alive after allegedly being held captive in the backyard of a convicted sex offender for 18 years.
August 27, 2009 at 10:16 pm Friends

I'm listening to Creed's new single "Overcome" for the first time, and it rocks.
August 30, 2009 at 9:53 pm Friends

I don't know what *your* facebook homepage looks like, but I hate the new version.
August 31, 2009 at 4:24 pm Friends
[again – an overstatement. I don’t even remember the ‘before’]

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Shawshank, Expendables 2, and Bernie



A co-workerof mine loaned me a copy of The Shawshank Redemption months ago, and I dilly-dallied and avoided watching it until just recently. That was an error, as to my mind it’s the movie that should have won Best Picture in 1994, not Forrest Gump.

There’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said about this movie, since it’s already moved into the ‘near classic’ category. Morgan Freeman was superb, the script was excellent, Tim Robbins was very good (but not up to Freeman’s level), and so on.  I liked it start to finish, ‘cepting that saccharine, overly sentimental scene where the power of music moves the soul of every hard core rapist and murderer in the prison.

Grade: an easy A+



Bernie , which is based on a true story, is a dark comedy starring Jack Black as the titular character. Bernie is a soft-spoken, much beloved funeral director who gets involved with the wrong crowd in his Texas town; the ‘wrong crowd’ being a cranky old widow played by Shriley MacClaine. When Bernie has had enough and kills her in fit of anger his role as town hero should be over – but lo and behold it’s just begun.

Black was excellent in the movie, and as Lisa pointed out I doubt he had to be convinced to star in another movie that lets him sing and dance and act the fool. The story was solid, the characters convincing, and the cast strong. There’s not a lot more to ask for in a film.

Grade:  A


The Expendables 2, unless I'm way off, was not intended to expand our appreciation of film as an artistic expression of the human soul. Good thing that, because this is a ridiculous, over-the-top film with a view of warfare and violence culled straight out of the mind of a 10 year old boy. 

It was also a lot of fun. 

Kudos to Chuck Norris for his cameo, but I was happiest when Arnold was in on the action. It's good to see the Guvenator back where he belongs, on the big screen. 

Grade: B 

No Censorship Please

A parent at my kids school was/is trying to have pop music banned from school events because it isn't "Christian". With respect, phooey. I stated my objection politely but firmly, and now I find the post has been removed. That, almost as much as the objectionable suggestion, is pi**ing me off.

Congrats

Congrats to the Packers on their NFC North Championship!

In Which GusGus and Angel attempt a Breakout

Both cats object to the brand of cat food I bought recently and have turned feral, trying to grab table scraps and on lieu of that going on a hunger strike. Fine with me, ya picky buggers. BUT, they both bolted out the back door today and ran off. I found Angelcakes in the backyard but GusGus wandered into the neighbors yard. I had to corral him for a bit, and when it came down to it here was the pivotal moment: 

I was behind the shed alongside the porch when he appeared again on our porch. 
Seeing me he was ready to bolt, and so I acted immediately, vaulting up and over the side of the porch in a feat of athletic derring-do that I would judge impossible for a man my size. GusGus seemed equally stunned, and I got the $^#@  in my arms and back inside. Unfortunately, now every muscle in my body - all 8 of them - ache. 

And yes, I surrendered and bought them their normal fare.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

My 100th Book of the Year!!! Whoo-Hoo!


For my epic 100th book of the year – the culmination of a goal established 18 years ago – I wanted something with a bit of intellectual heft, something worthy of the iconic spot. I killed two birds with one stone by selecting a book that has sat on my shelf since about the time I set that goal; Concerning Dissent and Civil Disobedience by Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas. Written in 1968, during the height of Vietnam, urban riots, and social upheaval, the book seeks to define the “limits and the scope of permissible dissent and civil disobedience” in America.



Fortas promotes a liberal philosophy but one tempered with a respect for this nation and the institutional framework of democracy. Various arguments, such as those related to the draft, are no longer pertinent (though powerful) and at one point I vividly remember him writing that he can’t imagine anyone ever arguing that flag burning would be considered  freedom of speech – a psychic he was not.

But there are a lot of reasoned, valid points in the book, all delivered without any lawyer speak.

“A citizen cannot demand of his government or of other people obedience to the law, and at the same time claim a right in himself to break it by lawless conduct, free of punishment or penalty. He cannot substitute his own judgment or passion, however noble, for the rules of law”.

“ . . . In a social revolution the demands for action, for cure, for restitution, for reparation, are not easily met. The demand is not satisfied by the initial or moderate response. It is fed by it. The vigor and fervor of the demand increase as its justice is admitted and some steps are taken to meet it. As demand outstrips the early response, attitudes on both sides harden. Frustration sets in. Those demanding change see no prospect of satisfaction; those who initially offered reform despair of a reasonable resolution. And so, conflict and crisis occur.”

“Dissent and dissenters have no monopoly on freedom. They must tolerate opposition. They must accept dissent from their dissent . . . they must give it the respect and latitude which they claim for themselves. Neither youth nor virtue can justify the disregard of this principle.”

“In my judgment, civil disobedience – the deliberate violation of law – is never justified in our nation where the law being violated is not itself the focus or target of the protest.[emphasis mine] . . Civil disobedience is a violation of law. Any violation of law must be punished, whatever its purpose, as the theory of civil disobedience recognizes. But law violation directed  . . . to unrelated laws which are disobeyed merely to dramatize dissent, may be morally as well as politically unacceptable.”

“good motives do not excuse action which will injure others. The individual’s conscience does not give him a license to indulge individual conviction without regard to the rights of others.”

There are other points worth reading, and if there’s a copy in your local library I encourage you read this relatively short treatise. I grade this an “A”.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Our Evening

Making jambalaya for dinner while the kids watch the umpteenth episode of The Nanny - LuLu in particular is obsessed with the sitcom (and I do rank it one of the unheralded gems of the '90's)

Awful Awful Events in the News

20 elementary schoolchildren dead in Connecticut, 22 children stabbed in a separate attack in China . . . what a lousy world. Prayers for all those hurt by the tragedies. Part of me is hoping the Mayans are right, and that we're all off the hook in less than ten days.

Three Cheesy Horror Films




Isolation is a horror film starring David Harbour as the bad guy and Eva Amurri as his initially oblivious victim. I’m tempted to reveal much of the plot, as you should be able to guess it within minutes of starting the film, but I’ll follow social norms and avoid spoilers. A woman wakes up in an isolation ward in a hospital, slowly realizes all is not right, and then discovers her doctor has a personal, bloody vendetta against her.  And the fun begins . . .

Lisa liked the movie, so it must have some redeeming qualities, and I didn't hate it; I've certainly seen worse. But there wasn't much to love. Amurri gave an emotionally empty  performance, which immediately left the film stuck in neutral, and as I implied the plot wasn't exactly stockpiling original thoughts.  Worst of all, to my mind, was the motivation behind the bad guy’s actions.  Oh, once you hear it you’ll know the writer wanted you to empathize with the guy’s rage, but if you’re a thinking, feeling grown-up you’ll immediately write it off as misplaced, exaggerated horse hockey. 

I grade this one a C-


The Apparition is a horror film starring Ashley Greene, who I understand plays a part in the Twilight movies that, by the grace of a loving God, I hope  I will never ever have to watch. What is The Apparition about, you say?

Answer: I don’t know.

Yes, I watched the film, but it was such a magnificently shoddy movie that it soon became white noise in the background while I moved on to more entertaining things, like cleaning that gunk out from beneath the nail of my big toe.

As near as I can tell, some demon or spirit is after the heroes, and chooses to manifest itself in the form of black fungus. In fact, I’m not sure I’m sold on the idea it was a ghost – maybe the house just had a mold issue.

Grade: F


I have a longstanding rule against watching so called ‘torture porn’ like Hostel, but I seem to have broken that by streaming Spiderhole. In the film four college students decide to forego pesky items like rent and utility bills by breaking into an abandoned house and claiming squatter’s rights. Alas, the home isn’t quite as unoccupied as they believe, and they are soon introduced to a man in the basement with an unhealthy interest in amateur dentistry.  And amputation, and  . .
.  
First things first: I thought Amy Noble was adorable, but I’m a sucker for a woman with a short, sassy hairstyle.

Second, for some odd reason the film works. I remember about half an hour into it Lisa turned to me and complimented it, and to my surprise I agreed with her. For at least the first half of the movie there’s something about it, some magic bullet that I still can’t seem to articulate, that lifts this up from ‘standard slasher fare’ to ‘reasonably well made film  done by people who actually seem to give a sh*t’. Maybe that’s the potion right there; the mere act of creative passion elevating something above its visible worth.

Truthfully, I wouldn't call this ‘torture porn’, as the scenes of pain and death are abnormally short and largely off camera, so maybe my rule remains unbroken. No ‘maybe ‘about this one - here’s one personal rule of mine that was ignored, as it is in all horror films, to the detriment of the ‘good guys’ – END THE THREAT. 

If (for example) the guy has chopped up and eaten your parents and the family poodle and you bonk him on the head, don’t just leave him there and run away to “look for a way out”. Kill the bugger on the spot, then if you have to, spend your whole bloody holiday searching for an exit without having to look over your shoulder. Or, ignore my advice and get eaten when he gets back up and catches you. Either/or.

Grade: a hesitant, rather sheepishly given ‘A-‘
**
By the way, the first and last movies were streamed via Netflix.  The Apparition is available, to your woe, at Redbox’s nationwide.