Patrick's Place
Patrick didn't wake up when I switched on
the light on his bedstand | |
I'm letting
Patrick's Place run for a second day as the
cam du jour because.. well, because it's there.
He's there. And somehow his place seems to tie in with
Videodrome which I watched tonight (but in a non-violent, non-threatening way.)
I know there are a lot of home webcams around - not only the girls' dorms/pay site types, but just regular folks who let anyone peek into their homes. Patrick not only lets us peek into his home: he invites us into his life.
You can watch what he's doing at various spots in his house on 14 streaming cams, many with audio. You can ride along in his car or go to work with him. You can email or IM him (he's quite friendly); watch his TV or his various computer monitors; and on some cams you can turn lights on & off, including his bedroom - while he's sleeping! The whole setup is a tech marvel and quite impressive for that aspect alone. But the weird voyeuristic flavor of Patrick's Place is the real hook.
I can understand what most people would find odd about all this, but I'm someone who watches a big chunk of the 24/7 cams in the
Big Brother house during summer.. and I still find Patrick's Place odd, and oddly compelling, although I'm not sure why.
Naturally it's tempting to mess with his lights, especially when he's sleeping, but he does seem like a nice guy so it feels kinda mean. I'm not sure why Patrick has chosen to be so open and inviting to us, but he has - so pay him a visit and say hi. Or just watch.
3.26.05 @ 3:17 AM pdt [
add 2 cents]
Views: Videodrome
Videodrome 1983, dir. David Cronenberg
Criterion version also available
In this cult favorite, James Woods plays the president of a local cable channel who's ever on the hunt for more provocative programming to ensure he hangs on to his corner of the soft porn cable market (relatively new in 1983). He comes across a pirate satellite show called "Videodrome" that consists of "torture and murder - no plot - very, very realistic" and sets out to track it down so he can add it to his programming schedule. He soon runs into Deborah Harry, a radio shrink who happens to be a sexual masochist off the air. She initiates and guides Woods into some of the edgier areas of erotic sadomasochism such as knife and needleplay.
What follows is a schizoid adventure of various altered mental states, not unusual territory for Cronenberg. This time they are the hallucinogenic variety, blended into seamless layers leaving us to wonder what's really happening and what's merely "voices and visions" in Woods' head.
The movie touches on snuff films, virtual reality simulators, SM, mind control warfare, biotech implants, workplace massacres.. you name it.. but mostly its themes are about violence, perversion, and the power of television. And a glimpse into madness and one version of what's inside "the mind of a killer".
James Woods is excellent as usual and Debbie Harry (of Blondie) does a fine job in her film debut. As always, Rick Baker's special makeup effects belong with the supporting cast, which includes Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky, Les Carlson, Lynne Gorman, and Julie Khaner. All are perfect fits in their parts, but Jack Creley is especially good as the creepy egghead and "media prophet" Professor Brian O'Blivion, who among other things, runs the Cathode Ray Mission, where destitute and homeless folks can get off the street and sit down to watch television for a little while.
Among O'Blivion's platitudes and predictions that have perhaps been proven to be more prophetic than they seemed at the time Cronenberg wrote them are "the battle for the mind of North America will be fought in the video arena" and "public life on television is more real than private life in the flesh".. the latter especially rings true in light of reality tv's popularity and the fact that more people vote for "American Idol" than for the US presidency (eh, maybe that's an urban legend..) Professor O'Blivion also says that "in the future everyone will have another name, a television name." Well, while not strictly television-based, just about everyone has an internet nick or two now, which we wear via our video monitors..
Videodrome holds up well considering it revolves largely around media technology, which has obviously evolved light years' worth in the 22 years since it was made. That tech gap also provides a few moments that come across as humorous in retrospect, such as Smits asking Woods "What format?" regarding a videotape he wants.. and when the video's delivered to him, it's a Beta cassette. Most of the character names also have a symbolic humor to them.
I haven't seen either of The Ring movies but if the ads are accurate as far as their plot, they owe Cronenberg some royalties. His own eXistenZ from 1999 also updates and further develops some of his ideas in Videodrome.
3.26.05 @ 3:08 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
Life & death in Florida, and avoid the chili
I haven't been following the Terri Schiavo situation in Florida closely, but apparently she, like so many others, had said she wouldn't want to be kept alive by artificial means if the need should arise. Her husband - who one would think would have the final say in it all, laws being what they are - has been fighting to let nature take its course, to let her die. Her parents, along with a lot of politicians and "right-to-life" types have been fighting to keep Terri alive. She's been in a "persistent vegetative state" for 15 years, but her parents believe she will get well. As of now her husband has gotten his wish, and her feeding tube has been removed.
This kind of thing happens every day all around the world, but for some reason this case has caught everyone's attention and it's been one of the top news stories of the week. Whatever the outcome for Terri, the concept of her being allowed to die with dignity has been shot to hell.
Personally, I can't really say what I think is right or wrong in this situation - I don't know them or the background that led them to this impasse. Watching a loved one to starve to death is a horrible thought, but so is the idea of watching their absent body day after day for years; there really are no easy, black & white solutions. I do think though, that those who are loudly weighing in with simplistic, black & white opinions and appeals and even sneaking into the hospital to try to give Terri Schiavo water might spend their time & energy better by volunteering to help patients and families in similar situations at their local hospitals and hospice centers..
Basically I think it serves as a lesson to us all: if you have strong feelings one way or the other on this issue, and particularly if you know you have relatives who are on the other side of this fence, take the proper steps to make your wishes known!
Meanwhile, in San Jose, CA a woman was having some chili at a Wendy's restaurant and not only found, but bit into a human finger 
How does this happen? Investigators are looking into it of course, but somebody somewhere must be wondering where that finger got to? Unless.. well.. I won't go there.
Regardless of how it got there, I hope this woman gets a huge settlement and that she doesn't have to fight for it. I'm not sue-happy, but c'mon, we aren't talking here about suing a fast food company because you're fat, or because they served hot coffee - it was a finger!! <gak>
3.25.05 @ 1:17 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
Red Lake update
The Red Lake community has begun trying to move on a bit after Monday's horrific events with memorial services and funeral plans, and the names of the dead have been released. They were:
Daryl Lussier, 58
Michelle Leigh Sigana, 32
Derrick Brun, 28
Neva Rogers, 62
Dwayne Lewis, 15
Chase Lussier, 15
Alicia Spike, 14
Thurlene Stillday, 15
Chanelle Rosebear, 15
Jeffrey Weise, 16
Daryl Lussier & Michelle Sigana left behind a 13-year-old child. Chase Lussier had an infant son. Neva Rogers, a teacher at the school, likely saved several lives before losing her own: she herded students into a classroom when the shooting began. Twelve more students were injured; five remain hospitalized.
For the most part, mainstream news reports continue to omit the donation fund information - including those that mention the poverty on the reservation - and instead dwell on Weise's goth style, trenchcoat, and neo-nazi writings. The Smoking Gun has published a short, violent animation that Weise apparently made. Reporters need permission to enter the reservation, and the tribe appears divided between wanting to make as much information available as possible, and trying to avoid becoming another Columbine-like media feeding frenzy.
And there's at least one other community that's been shaken even more than the rest of us by the event, and that's an interactive fiction forum in which Weise participated. Its moderator has removed Weise's posts (wisely, in my opinion), but those there who knew Jeff Weise via the boards, email, or having written with him, were naturally shocked to have discovered that they have a personal connection to the tragedy in Minnesota. My thoughts continue to go out to the friends & families of the victims and the Red Lake community, and also to Bob and Dan and all the other virtual residents of the Rise of the Dead forum.
3.25.05 @ 12:47 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
Red Lake donation fund
A fund has been established for families of the victims of the tragedy in Red Lake, Minnesota. Donations or care packages may be sent to:
Red Lake Tribal Council
C/O Leah Perkins
P.O. Box 574
Red Lake, MN 56671
posts on the event: March 25 - March 23 - March 22
3.24.05 @ 2:19 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
Tube: Chasing Farrah
TV Land launched Farrah Fawcett's new reality show by airing two episodes back-to-back and holding a contest.. it doesn't seem like they were too sure about this one.
"Chasing Farrah" is different than similar shows in that the first ep included production meetings for the show. Farrah told them she hates reality shows.. "because nobody ever acknowledges a camera is there." She does, and often.
The debut also had lots of limo rides, lots of party invites from famous names, lots of assistants explaining how they "protect" her, and lots of Farrah-hungry paparazzi at every turn - I assume we're meant to realize what an in-demand superstar she is.
Like the better "unscripted" shows, this one provided lots of happy train-wreck moments such as Farrah claiming she can fly a 767 (she learned while spending half an hour in a cockpit, signing a poster for the pilot); the show's producers interviewing for her new personal assistant (they called the applicants a bunch of "fans, kooks, and creeps"); and Farrah saying this show would "not be another Anna Nicole." Au contraire.. that's exactly what we have here, hallelujah!
To Farrah's credit, she did acknowledge the Letterman fiasco. She should have left it at that - acknowledgment - but no, she went on to explain in yet another limo that it all happened because she couldn't think of the word 'embankment'.. then she went on to say that whenever she gets a bit ditzy she calls it a "Letterman moment, you know, when people make me look stupid".. she seems to have a lot of those.
She was thoughtful and reflective when asked about her fame and its many trappings, if she would rather live an anonymous life. She responded that she thinks an anonymous life would be a happier life.. but she didn't have much to say when the interviewer came back with "So why are you doing this reality show?"
For the second ep she called in Ryan O'Neal for backup. An assistant explained to us how "women just flocked to him" (30 years ago.)
Farrah happily announced they are sort of back together again; Ryan said "bring out the booze." They danced, giggled, bickered, played, and discussed dinner: Farrah wondered how much the film crew would eat, but Ryan explained to her how these things work: "they don't get any." (Later there was enough food on the table for the crew to not only eat, but take home doggie bags too.)
Dinner convo was about his time on "Peyton Place" and hers on "Charlie's Angels"; after dinner the subject shifted to Logan's Run and tabloid articles about them both. Then Farrah played a record she'd cooed and whispered on "before all that" and Ryan talked about being in a recording studio with Barbra Streisand. They each turned to the camera whenever the other made an odd remark, with a see-what-I-have-to-put-up-with expression.. there was a lot of that.
"Chasing Farrah" promises to be a tremendous train wreck of a show, with all the "best" elements of Anna Nicole along with a surprise bonus odd couple twist, a la Flavor Flav & Brigitte. Celebreality fans have something to laugh at again.
3.24.05 @ 12:34 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
The day after in Red Lake
"This is, without doubt, the darkest hour in the history of our tribe.. there's not a soul that will go untouched by the tragic loss that we've experienced here."
-- Floyd Jourdain Jr., Chairman, Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians
A fund has been established for relatives of the victims of this tragedy. Donations or care packages may be sent to:
Red Lake Tribal Council
C/O Leah Perkins
P.O. Box 574
Red Lake, MN 56671
There wasn't a lot more news Tuesday about what happened in northern Minnesota - the facts were already in and they haven't changed. The killer is dead so there can only be futile investigations and theories into what caused it all.. but nobody will ever really know.
There have been a few reports alluding to the poverty in the area, and Jeff Weise's father's suicide and mother's hospitalization have also been mentioned here and there. But as expected, most headline stories are about body count, Columbine reminders, and neo-nazi affiliations - the sensational stuff - accompanied by a photo of Weise at nine years old. I found the information about the fund for the families on only one news report.
But again, looking deeper, you'll find more:
"Knowledgeable about politics and history, Weise spoke well and occasionally made the honor roll at Red Lake High School"
"A couple of his friends had said he was suicidal.. they were watching a movie once when he said, 'That would be cool if I shot up the school'.. they didn't think anything of it"
"He got terrorized a lot.. he was called names and people thought he was weird"
Excuses? Causes? Reasons? It doesn't matter - it's over and can't be undone - but it might matter next time, if caught before next time happens.. and I'm sad to say I believe it will.
And then there are these.. Weise was reported as posting on a nazi site under the nicks NativeNazi and Todesengel (angel of death):
"By the way, I'm being blamed for a threat on the school I attend because someone said they were going to shoot up the school on 4/20, Hitler's birthday, and just because I claim being a National Socialist, guess whom they've pinned?" (April 19)
"I dont much care for jail, Ive never been there and I dont plan on it"
"Once I commit myself to something, I stay until the end"
He was possibly quite talented: he's been reported as constantly writing and drawing. That talent was obviously misguided, perhaps overlooked, and is now lost. He was likely angry and disillusioned.. he'd basically lost both parents, suddenly and violently. He'd been suspended or expelled from school, and lived with his grandfather - a liked and respected tribal policeman, aka an undisputed authority figure whose position in the community likely came with built-in expectations for the teenager. Chances are Weise didn't feel he could live up to of what was expected of him, so he didn't bother trying.
Weise was also reported as having written lengthy in-character posts for an interactive web fiction board. I found the posts those reports refer to here - they are elaborate, very dark and very violent, but with much creative thought behind them - however, they show new entries and edits dated March 22.. I don't know what to make of that. Hacked? Mistaken identity? Either way, there is as of this writing at least one very nasty addition by someone that goes way beyond bad taste and is totally uncalled for.
3.23.05 @ 12:16 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
An intersection day
I got some new work today. While looking into what I had to do for the job I got an IM from an old and good friend I hadn't talked with in a long time. Later on I had a phone call from another friend I've known since childhood but also hadn't talked with for ages. It wasn't any different than any other day overall, but it had three unusual and positive events.. call these things coincidence or serendipity, stars aligned or dumb luck.. I call them intersections, and today I'm three for three 
3.22.05 @ 11:08 PM pdt [add 2 cents]
10 dead in Minnesota school shooting
Yesterday high school student Jeff Weise shot and killed his grandfather (a long-time policeman) and the grandfather's girlfriend, then drove his grandfather's police car to Red Lake High School where he shot and killed 5 students, a teacher, a security guard, and himself. Several other students were injured.
Keyhole location of the school (low resolution area)
Updates:
March 23 - March 24 - March 25 - March 29 - April 11
The school of 300+ students is on the Red Lake Reservation. About 5,000 people live on the res, most of them Chippewa (Ojibwe). Weise, a Native American, had talked about his plans to do something like this, and he had also posted on neo-nazi boards that he admired Hitler.
We already have the requisite comparisons ("the worst school shooting since Columbine" and "the second school shooting in Minnesota in recent years") and the requisite "evil" music reference ("friends say he listened to goth music like Marilyn Manson"). Soon enough we'll have the requisite sighing questions "How can this happen??" Sometimes you just have to look a bit further to find out some of the why's..
"Relatives told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that Weise was a loner who usually wore black and was teased by other kids."
"Relatives told the newspaper his father committed suicide four years ago, and that his mother was living in a Minneapolis nursing home because she suffered brain injuries in a car accident."
"[the area] is home to one of the poorest tribes in the state."
"Nearly 39 percent of the families on the reservation live below the poverty line. Because the reservation is so remote, the tribe has largely missed out on the lucrative casino revenues that some other Minnesota tribes enjoy."
"The school scored second-lowest out of all Minnesota schools last year on tests for 11th-grade math and third-lowest for 10th-grade reading."
These things are probably not unrelated to this tragedy, and while they may provide some explanation that will likely be overlooked by the tsk-tsk'ers, that doesn't make it any less tragic that these things can and do happen. Sadly, I think they'll continue to happen more and more; and I hate to say it, but I also think that the remote location and poverty of this area - especially compared to affluent Littletown, CO - and the fact that it was on a reservation, will give this story short shrift in the mainstream media.
My condolences go out to the families, the students, and the community.. I am so sorry for your losses.
Red Lake Net News
Student photo essays from Red Lake High School's website
Red Lake Tribal Council Powwow photo below from this site
3.22.05 @ 2:15 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
Tube: EastEnders
I've watched 'EastEnders' since the first episode aired here, 15-16 years ago. I don't watch any other soaps, but this one is different: it's like watching life.
It's set in working-class East London, and the center of activity is Albert Square and the Queen Victoria pub. Characters come and go, but unlike American tv, current characters still refer to departed ones, and long-gone faces sometimes return for an episode or two, or even for years.
The acting and character development is consistently outstanding: you really feel that you are watching people you know, rather than actors playing a part. They aren't beautiful star-types all glam'd out for TV: they're regular people, with both good and bad personality traits. The set isn't false facades with remote interiors: the entire square is fully constructed in full scale on the BBC set north of London - complete with weather - and the buildings are functional.
Ok, the writing varies.. sometimes you get soapish melodrama situations and a bit more crime or life & death situations than reality usually delivers; but it's balanced with daily activities, gossip, and chit-chat.. little joys and petty spats that life is made up of.
Just a few PBS stations offer 'EastEnders' in the US, and those that do are on radically different broadcast schedules. The station I watch on is now in season 17 - the current shows in the UK just celebrated their 20th anniversary. I think some cable & satellite services are featuring the show now, but I have no idea what schedule they use.
I was in London for Christmas 2002 and saw a few eps: it was odd seeing characters I know as teenagers aged to their early 20s and carrying main storylines. I saw a lot of new characters I didn't know, and got a few spoilers, but it was great fun to see the show in real time. It's huge there, airing in the evening to 20 million viewers, and it makes the news when the actors make headlines off-screen. It's even won BAFTA awards (the British equivalent to the Emmys) for Best Drama Series.
I'm hooked, that's all there is to it. I rarely miss an ep as I feel I have to keep up with these old and new friends of mine. I've watched 'EE' since the start, when a mysterious death and a middle-age pregnancy were discovered. The product of that pregnancy (Martin) is still in the show. Other characters still on the show from day one (here, anyway) are Pauline, Ian, Dot, and my favorite, Ethel - a ditzy and quite lovable old lady - who's just now coming back for periodic visits
Download my Google Earth overlay showing the set and its location.
The BBC has a huge, elaborate 'EastEnders' site with current news, current catch-up and classic clips, Albert Square webcams, wallpapers, character histories, games & quizzes, familytrees, and a whole lot of other stuff - check it out. Some highlights from the site:
watch a clip from the first show or see more classic clips
preview clip of the next show airing in the UK
webcams - catch some filming if you're lucky
3.22.05 @ 1:00 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
Sounds: David Live
David Live David Bowie
It's about time this one got remastered & re-released, which it was a week ago by Virgin. This is not your typical "live" album - yea, you have applause between songs, but you also have some of the all-time best versions of Bowie standards.
Bowie's at his high energy best here and his band - featuring Earl Slick's brilliant & screaming guitar - is incredibly tight, throwing in a perfect big band/jazzy flavor to some of the tracks. Click the album link above and listen to samples of "Cracked Actor" or "Moonage Daydream" for a taste of the excellence this double CD delivers. It also has new adds "Space Oddity" and "Panic in Detroit" that weren't on the previous Ryko version.
If you're a fan and have all the studio albums you still need this one.. and if you're Bowie-curious, this is the best place to start.
Recorded in Philadelphia on the Diamond Dogs tour in 1974 (can it be that long ago?)
3.21.05 @ 3:32 PM pdt [add 2 cents]
Vernal equinox
It'd be a good day to be at Stonehenge.
I think the equinox was actually the 20th this year.. close enough. I usually think of the solstices & equinoxes as being on the 21st anyway.
The vernal/spring and winter equinox are the only times when day & night are equal lengths.. it's a time of balance, a time to put our lives back into balance. In the wayback machine, today would have been the new year: winter's end, new crops, new babies in the woods & barns. New life growing out of the ground and gardens again.
Now we have the calendar telling us "First Day of Spring", astronomers telling us about solar equators, and religions telling us about miracles.. but it's all the same. It's all about starting over.
Lennon sang about "some kind of druid dudes lifting the veil".. what a great line. Happy new year.
3.21.05 @ 12:09 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
Neverland Ranch
We've heard about it, we've seen photos.. but I still didn't have a clue how freaking big it is or how much he's got there til I saw an amusement park-type map of the place.. click to see it
You can see the map in place and an aerial view of the actual location with this Keyhole overlay
By the way, if you thought the famous MJ mug shot looked familiar, this could be why..
3.20.05 @ 3:31 PM pdt [add 2 cents]
Loose Windscreen
I knew VH1 was going to have the Rock Hall of Fame inductions this weekend but I wasn't going to set my watch to see it.. I like most of the artists going in this year, but the induction shows aren't usually so great.
Now every time I flip on to VH1 in a channel surf I come in on the same moment of Bruce Springsteen reading his speech about U2.. The speech is dull and he reads it in a monotone voice, eyes glues to his notes, trying little jokes.. it's awful. I always thought Bruce was overrated - now we can add public speaker to his list of non-accomplishments. You'd think he could have memorized some of it at least - after all, he seems to remember lyrics ok.
Then Bono & friends come on: all this talk of Bono getting Nobel prizes and heading the World Bank has gone to his head - he acts more self-important than ever. I like U2's music but I don't stick around for it or the other inductees cuz I can't take it anymore. A few hours later I'll click onto VH1 and arrive at the same spot in the show and feel all this again.. it's like something out of Groundhog Day.
In the next few days the media will prolly be full of acclaim for this program..
3.20.05 @ 2:02 PM pdt [add 2 cents]
Views: 28 Days Later
28 Days Later 2002, dir. Danny Boyle
Wow, this one's a rollercoaster ride that will keep you on high alert til the credits run. Netflix's blurb makes it sound stupid and predictable - "A killer virus (it turns those it infects into homicidal maniacs) is accidentally released from a British research facility" - but it's better than it sounds.
The movie is set mostly in & around London and the Lake District, but this is no Shaun of the Dead zombie romp, nor is it just another global catastrophe flick. Director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) is relentless with his in-your-face style on this one, with a subtle thread about violence in our times running throughout.
The "rage virus" is released in the opening minutes when a group of animal rights activists break into a lab and release some (unknown to them) infected apes.
Cut to our hero (Cillian Murphy) who wakes up from a coma "28 days later" and can't figure out why the hospital's deserted. His initial explorations through a silent and deserted London are fascinating and chilling. These sequences have some visually stunning shots - if a bit "film schooly" - of well-known and typically crowded London locations, now without anyone in sight.
Soon enough he runs into some of "the infected" - nasty creatures that move fast and thus pose a much stronger threat than the usual Night of the Living Dead-type zombie, and of course, he also finds a few other survivors.
A few of them head north when they discover the possibility of a safe harbor for survivors at a military post, and again we're treated to an eerie futuristic apocalypse with deserted motorways and a major city (Manchester) aflame, and we find out that seeking out other survivors isn't always the best plan in a situation like this..
Murphy does a fine job as do Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, and Megan Burns. The photography is part beautiful artsy visuals, part MTV-style rapidfire quick edits & video effects (the movie was filmed digitally) (is that an oxymoron?), and part all-out action/horror flick. Product placement is a bit heavy - to the point of distraction early on - and the movie has a few mistakes, but the (mostly) careful editing will keep your adrenalin pumping for the duration. It's definitely grisly and not for the squeamish, and will likely stay with you for awhile after seeing it.
DVD extras include deleted scenes, audio commentary track, alternate endings, photo galleries, and a "making of".
3.20.05 @ 12:38 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
Views: Atlantic City
Atlantic City 1981, dir. Louis Malle
I'd never seen this before and didn't know a thing about it. A friend suggested I give it a look and I'm glad I did.
You can't go wrong with Burt Lancaster, especially the older suaver version. He's just wonderful in this gritty tale set in pre-Trump Atlantic City, NJ when the city was beginning its transition from rundown to Vegas-style glitz. The movie opens with a news clip of one of the old hotels being destroyed to make way for the new - you can't go wrong with a good implosion, either!
Lancaster plays Lou, an aging gangster from AC's former glory days, but he's gotten about as rundown and tattery as the city. He lives in a dumpy flophouse along with Sally (Susan Sarandon) who's hoping to start a new life as a blackjack dealer, and Grace (Kate Reid), widow of one of the top mobsters from the old days.
Enter Sally's ex-husband and her pregnant (by him) hippie sister and the story takes off. The ex fancies himself a criminal mastermind but soon gets in over his head, and Lou gets involved - giving him a chance to relive the old days, redeeming a bit of his lost pride and reliving some of his past shame in the process. The movie moves along quickly through the clever plot and all the characters are exactly as they should be.
Lancaster is both sweet and despicable, and utterly charming as Lou. It was a bit hard to swallow Sarandon as being 30ish at first since she hasn't aged much since; so once I'd accepted that she wasn't 50 but only 30 here, it was a little creepy when she & Burt hooked up lol. Both were nominated for Oscars® for Atlantic City, which also received nominations for Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay.
Reid's Grace Pinza is a high point throughout as the former (minor) beauty queen living on her dead husband's mob reputation. She's almost a caricature of a bedridden, poodle-toting, overly-made-up demanding old lady stuck in the past, but she makes it work. Robert Goulet shows up too, almost as a caricature of himself.
Check this one out for a great story with great characters, and for some thoughtful perspectives on aging and change. Lancaster and the older characters mirror Atlantic City of that time, trying to reconcile their past glory & lost youth with their current near-decrepid condition and approaching death; while Sarandon and the younger characters are a reflection of the city's hope for a shiny new future of wealth and success, and finding it isn't as easy as it sounds.
Atlantic City's website has a good history page, a photo tour of old postcards, and a nice photo tour of aerial views of the city.
3.19.05 @ 6:31 PM pdt [add 2 cents]
Views: The Devil's Backbone
The Devil's Backbone 2001, dir. Guillermo del Toro
This is a trippy movie. It's part ghost story, part war story, and all-out character study. It takes place during the Spanish Civil War and opens with a bomb being dropped onto an orphanage - from the bomber's POV.
It's a hard-knocks life for the boys in the unofficial school/orphanage, which has a skeleton staff due to its remote location and the effects of the war getting closer and closer.
The characters are surprisingly well developed even though their stories are presented subtly, without a lot of hoopla. We come to know them for who they are rather than what they've done, and they're understandable and for the most part, likeable. We care what happens as this one unfolds, and it does so with some surprising twists and a quite a few high-adrenalin scenes.
The movie is in Spanish (El Espinazo del diablo) with subtitles - but don't let that put you off. The dialogue is short and sweet, and the movie's so good you'll forget you're reading along in no time. The acting is superb by all including the kids - particularly Fernando Tielve and Íñigo Garcés. Federico Luppi plays the old teacher who has a sort of Gandalf-vibe about him, and Marisa Paredes and Eduardo Noriega also do a tremendous job bringing individuality and humanity to their roles.
No clue why it's rated R - some graphic violence I guess, but it didn't seem much worse than a typical PG's worth to me. The DVD has a few deleted scenes.
3.19.05 @ 3:31 PM pdt [add 2 cents]
Priorities / Jonestown
Last night I spoke with two friends.. I found out one had had a stroke last month. She lost all feeling & movement on one side of her body, her vision was blurry and her speech slurry. She is only 40ish. Fortunately her symptoms cleared up - although her vision is still off - and she is on the mend, but things like that make you pause and remember what's important and what isn't. Keep getting better Tru!
Another friend is newly single, with two kids.. her husband has decided to move in with his new girlfriend. My friend isn't heartbroken - they hadn't had a fairytale marriage, though it wasn't awful either - but she's having problems facing her new situation. She said she's had four dates and wants to go out every night the kids are with dad.. she is also 40ish. I suggested she might be avoiding facing herself and her thoughts & feelings about who she is.. Most people would have been offended and told me to shut the fuck up, but she said "yea, I think that's true.." The fact is she's a very cool person and just doesn't realize it. It's hard to remember that sometimes and having a partner run off to be with someone else doesn't help, but it doesn't change it either.
All in all it's good to remember that life goes on: it isn't about the petty stuff and it isn't about the job or the money or the errands.. no matter how bad it gets, it could always be a whole lot worse. It's only been a couple months since the Asian tsunami, and Waco & Jonestown weren't all that long ago either. They have nothing to do with each other, or with these two friends, but it's all part of everything and reminds me to count my blessings.
More about Jonestown..
Anyone who was older than 10 or 12 at the end of 1978 remembers well when we learned of the murder of a congressman in a country most of us hadn't heard of before; and within 24 hours we learned of an apparent mass suicide by almost 1000 people at the same place. The young 'uns may not be so familiar with this tragedy..
I did a project a little while ago with Keyhole - if you don't know what it is, check it out. I started looking to find out exactly where the Guyana compound was, and along the way I got sucked into the whole People's Temple story. I found out a lot of things I hadn't known before, and some of them raised a whole lot of questions..
If you have Keyhole, you can take the overlay tour of all the pertinent places, all the events, and explore the links within. If you don't have Keyhole, you should give it a look - it's awesome.
3.18.05 @ 7:49 PM pdt [add 2 cents]
Jobhunting, sort of
My old job called first thing this morning with a how-to question. Working there just about killed me.. it sucked me dry of all fun and creativity. I hadn't realized how bad it had been til I left.
Due to their extreme nastiness (my reason for leaving) I haven't minded letting their unemployment account rack up charges for my UI benefits, but it's time for me to get out there again. I had a phone interview this afternoon for a 3 month gig updating a website.. it seemed to go ok, we'll see. I've got a couple other leads also but basically, I am available.. so hire me
I fiddled around with this thing some more too, added the (borrowed-from-Pogo) smileys and tweaked some other stuff.
Don't worry, I don't want this to become a boring journal of my daily activities, either.
3.18.05 @ 6:42 PM pdt [add 2 cents]
Reads: Misadventures
Misadventures by Sylvia Smith
This is a fun little book, especially if you get a kick out of other people's misfortunes. It's along the lines of Bridget Jones' Diary, but darker. A middle-aged London woman recounts a lifetime's worth of short episodes about herself and people she's known where something's gone wrong. The first-time author claims that each one is true.
The book covers her childhood in struggling working-class London (almost losing a friend's dog, creepy teachers, secrets shared) and adolescence (crushes and dates and sneaking out late), through adulthood with various clerical jobs and a series of dates and friendships. She's likeable and totally ordinary, and honest about herself even when she's telling about doing something less than honorable. She doesn't get deep into emotional angst or joy, but her dry wit is often hysterical.
There are a lot of near-miss disasters in here that might be the starting point for most books. But what makes this one refreshing is that the catastrophes don't happen, nor does she have any tremendous accomplishments or triumphs. It's an ordinary person telling about an ordinary life.. the kind of life most of us have.
3.18.05 @ 10:27 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
A good year for celebrities in trouble
First Martha Stewart's convicted for lying to officials, now Li'l Kim.. meanwhile Robert Blake goes home.. the outcomes for big names in court aren't as predictable as they used to be.
Martha's 5-month house arrest is on her 153-acre estate in Bedford, NY (see it on Keyhole). She bought up several parcels in 2000-01 to reconstitute the former Cantitoe Farm of bygone days, and has been running a multimillion dollar renovation since including construction of an ornate greenhouse and stable complex, a carriage house for her horse-drawn buggies, am office building, and reconstruction of two clapboard houses - one dating from 1784. The property's so big that much of it is out of allowable range of her electronic tracking anklet.
Since Martha went to jail, it's a safe bet Li'l Kim will also.. she's got some bucks too, but I think she's put more of hers into wigs 'n wardrobe 'n bling than real estate.
3.18.05 @ 9:46 AM pdt [add 2 cents]
Faith 'n begorrah
'Tis St. Paddy's.. happy day and wearin' o' the green and etc.
I didn't celebrate in an Irish sort of way, but I did mark the day as Scott Peterson moved into San Quentin. On last night's news a prison official described Peterson's check-in today: he was to have a complete strip search, delousing, and full body cavity search. That made me smile.. ahhh there is some justice in the world after all. The guy went on to say "This ain't county jail.. his nightmare begins now."
Peterson's new Death Row neighbors include Richard "Night Stalker" Ramirez, Polly Klaas's killer, and a savory bunch of similar types - 643 of them. He won't be executed anytime soon, if at all (which is fine with me - I'm not big on the death penalty) but I wouldn't mind a bit if he were to mix with the "general population" sometime.. they'd take care of him in a minute. It says something about our society that an AP report describes what he was wearing as its second paragraph.
Meanwhile the resident SoCal wacko got found out for having porn in his bedstand. The news tried to make a big deal of this, thinking we'd gasp in horror.. Truth is, most males in this country have porn in the bedstand and half the females as well. If that's a crime or indication of guilt, the USA is in trouble. Gotta love a good <newsthud>
What should I wear to court?
3.17.05 @ 9:49 PM pdt [add 2 cents]
Everybody's doing it
Time to jump on another bandwagon: the blog. It's such a dopey trendy name. So be it. I can be dopey and trendy with the best of them.
I'm always writing stuff on mine and other folks' sites, in chatrooms, emails, IMs, and boards - and feeling unread - so here it can collect in one spot. And likely still stay largely unread.
There's no reason I didn't sleep last nite: I just didn't. Then it was 6am and getting light, and I couldn't sleep, so I got the domain and set this thing up. Later I tried to nap a few times.. I did for a few minutes actually go to sleep, but this quiet hermit house got busy every time I slipped off.
So here we are.
3.17.05 @ 9:13 PM pdt [add 2 cents]
What the hell is wrong with people?
Hospice is not generally a long-term arrangement. Chances are some of the other patients will die before this is all over. Their families will have this circus forever coloring their already-difficult memories of saying good-bye to their loved ones.
Whatever side of the Schiavo life-or-death debate you're on, you can't deny that the activities going on are well out of line for any hospital area, let alone a hospice. There have been catcalls, bullhorns, chants, religious ceremonies, bagpipes, even people holding up signs HONK FOR TERRI.. and who knows what else. A local elementary school has had to relocate until it's all over.
Jourdain said in a statement today that the matter was a confidential proceeding in juvenile court so he couldn't elaborate about the details. "Last week I spoke on behalf of the Red Lake Nation as its leader and a saddened member of this community. Today, I speak as a father. As many of you are aware, my son Louis has been charged in association with the shootings that occurred here last week. My heart is heavy as a result of the tragic events that unfolded here at our Nation. But it is with optimism that I state my son Louis' innocence. He is a good boy with a good heart who never harmed anyone in his entire life." 
The ABC version of the show where moms from two families trade places for two weeks has scrapped production of an upcoming episode because one of the dads slugged his 13-year-old daughter in the face during taping. Considering the caricature lifestyles they select for the swap families, it's only surprising that something like this - or worse - hasn't happened sooner.
Have you noticed how many more drugs ads are on tv these days? Ads for over-the-counter pain relief, sleeping pills, etc. have always been there, and now we have all these ads selling prescription meds too, full of lovely images and happy, healthy people. Many of them don't even say what they're supposed to cure, but they do mention the "possible side effects" - because they're required to - lengthy lists that sound worse than whatever ailment they're going after. Are we that ill?
Take it a step further and you'll notice that the network tv evening news is pretty much all drugs, supplements, and healthcare products commercials. It's kind of a shock to realize how many drug ads filter through our screens between the top disasters of any given day. Not to mention how many of the news stories involve illegal drugs, the government "war on drugs", overdose deaths, gangs and drugs, celebs in rehab, etc. etc.. And it's all brought to you by pharmaceutical companies. Well, they can afford to buy all that commercial time: according to Peter Rost, Pfizer Vice President, "in 2002 the top ten drug companies made a higher profit than the other 490 businesses together on the Fortune 500 list."
This week's installment included speculation on what Michael Jackson might be doing every morning to cause the back problems that keep making him late to court; the Pat O'Brien voicemail tape (you can 
There are always a few very special moments on "Best Week Ever". An example from this week: returning from commercial, the announcer says in a snotty, scornful tone "While YOU were searching for your wife's 'real killer' this week Robert Blake.. WE were searching for the best tv moments!"