Speaking of Orwell (is it Eurasia or Eastasia today, Saddam or Osama?), the Dubya administration capitalizes on terror panic to drum up war fever (and good media coverage.) It’s amazing to me how worried many people here in town seemed about the recent orange alert (status update via Looka.) One friend told me that his out-of-town guests cancelled their flight into the city because of a possible attack, and a handful of other folks I know wouldn’t use the subway. I dunno…I just can’t get too stressed about something that’s so completely out of my hands. Besides, it’s probably true that living in New York City increases the chances that I’ll die as a result of terrorism, but it also vastly decreases the chances that I’ll die in a car wreck, which is still the leading cause of death in America for people under 33. So, it’s basically a wash. Not that I’m ambivalent about perishing in a gas attack or something worse, mind you, but I just don’t see the utility in freaking out every time the US intelligence community decides to cover its ass by issuing warnings based on non-specific “specific information.”
Author: KcM
Is this a test, sir?
Ok, that’s enough love…now it’s time for hate. Celebrities ponder, Who could you take in a fight? (Seen all over the place, but I caught it first at Webgoddess, Lots of Co., and All About George, none of whom I feel like tussling with.) Whether it be due to Gaelic disposition, number of siblings, or a decade on the school bus, I’ll generally take all comers, be they right-wingers, warbloggers, or whomever made the terrible decision that [Daredevil SPOILERS] a wounded Ben Affleck could beat up Michael Clarke Duncan in three minutes of screen time. (He’s the Kingpin, for Pete’s sake. Fisk should’ve thrown him out the window immediately. Yet another problem in a disappointing film.) At any rate, if you want to throw down, leave a message here and we can meet behind the Piggly-Wiggly after school.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours. I passed out all my LOTR Valentines this morning (although I kinda wish I’d gone Cthulhu) and am now off to see Daredevil. In the meantime, enjoy these unfortunate Valentines cards and have a great day!
Worth a Thousand Answers.
Big news and bold statements are issuing forth from Greenbelt, MD. “We’ve now laid the cornerstone of a unified cosmic theory…We have not answered all the questions. But we’ve certainly turned a corner.” Thanks to NASA and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), scientists now have visual evidence of the universe’s origins with which to test out all the prevailing cosmological theories. Great news! Not only is any new empirical data in this field a boon to science, but, if ridiculous amounts of new information are gleaned from just this one little probe…well, it won’t help NASA in the manned space department, but the agency could still use a few unmitigated victories these days. On another note, looking at this map brings back some old memories. For my high school science thesis (required at SCGSSM), I used similar COBE DMR data to figure out that early galaxies displayed a fractal distribution. (Hey, it was the early ’90’s – fractals were the rage.) I wonder if this new data bears out that old rinky-dink thesis.
Academy Fight Song.
As most everyone knows by now, the Oscars were announced yesterday, with Miramax the big winner. Like Missy, I’m tempted to just ignore the Academy, since very rarely have the movies I would’ve chosen been recognized. Titanic is the only Oscar winner in years that I think legitimately deserved best picture, and I know I’m in the minority on that count (particularly as it’s become fashionable nowadays for everyone to say they hated it. Well, somebody else out there helped it make a billion dollars.) It’s hard to respect an awards ceremony that continually honors schmaltzy dreck like The English Patient, American Beauty, Gladiator, and A Beautiful Mind over films like Fight Club, Fargo, Being John Malkovich, Three Kings, Traffic, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring, and In the Bedroom. But, I suspect I’ll eventually make my picks here and then be disappointed as usual. All I know is, Return of the King better get a lot of love next year.
A Return to Fiscal Sanity?
He’s been a cheerleader for Dubya’s policies in the past, but even Alan Greenspan has his limits. Much to the delight of Dems, the Federal Reserve Chairman now says the proposed Bush tax cuts are potentially disastrous in light of exploding budget deficits. Hopefully, this means the beginning of the end of Dubya’s outrageous dividend plan.
Pardon the Interruption.
Forget the war on smoking – here’s a Quality of Life initiative I can really get behind. New York City bans the use of cellphones during public performances, including movies. Sounds like a great idea, of course, but I have to agree with Hizzoner – it’s pretty much unenforceable.
Look into your heart.
Good news for Coen fans: After giving us the high hat for years, Fox is finally releasing Miller’s Crossing (and Barton Fink) on DVD, although the release date is yet to be determined. These two join next week’s Fear and Loathing Criterion edition on my must-have-immediately list.
Repeat Engagement.
Marat’s Bathing.
Speakin’ in tongues, it’s still worth a broken lip. R.E.M.’s Murmur turns twenty. (Via Looka.) Unlike the cover bands of today (The VU Strokes and Interpol/Joy Division immediately come to mind), these four Athens lads put out a first record (Chronic Town E.P. notwithstanding) that still sounds original and distinctive two decades later, and we’re still reaping the rewards. Up the stairs and to the landing…