"The Heart of the Matter" by Graham Greene

Just finished The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene. Known for his espionage novels, Greene received recent notoriety in the movie Donnie Darko, when the class was assigned his short story The Destructors. Kitty Farmer, the bitch who taught the Jim Cunningham "Fear" curriculum, thought the short story contributed to the vandalism at the high school . When Rose Darko asks her if she even knows who Graham Greene was, Kitty answers, "Well, I think we've all seen Bonanza."

Anyway, I enjoy Graham Greene novels, but this was really different. He really brings the reader into the mind of Major Scobie, the Asst Superindendant for some west african country during WW2. Scobie is honest in a graft and fraud corruption colony. He loves his wife, and god. But he has doubts. he doubts his own goodness, and he doubts god's existence, or at least god's grace. he borrows money from a Syrian smuggler to send his wife to South Africa, where she will be happy - he loves her that much. He has now compromised himself with the smuggler, but is intent on remaining honest and paying off the debt without any kickbacks or favors. But he falls in love with a widowed young woman, Helen, who lost her husband in a U boat attack. His wife returns home refreshed. He now realizes he cant love both women and be good to both of them. he cant bear the thought of being without Helen. His letter to Helen professing his love ends up in the hands of the smuggler - he has to do a favor for the smuggler to get it back. Now he is compromised big time. he is convinced his "boy" (black servant) is a double agent for the smuggler - the boy turns up dead and he feels responsible. He is convinced now that god is impossible for him to approach or receive forgiveness from. He decides to kill himself, make it look like a heart attack (get, the "heart" of the matter) and leave life insurance money for his wife. That's his solution to his conflict of love and obligation to both women. His death is almost christ like, dying for his sins, the sins of the miserable colony he has lived in for too long. After his death, his wife concludes that his death was in fact a suicide even though it is officially natural causes. she gets the insurance. She is convinced that he did not love her, that he borrowed money from the smuggler for other purposes, that he did not love Helen, that he was corrupt, and that he was not capable of loving god. So she got it wrong: Scobie was a man who did love, who tried hard to meet his obligations, who suffered because of his extramarital sin, who loved Helen, who tried hard to be the one honest person in this miserable colony, and who took very seriously god's love or lack of it. Scobie was all heart, and his heart killed him figuratively - he did not live his life as shallowly as those around him, and this killed him.

Great book. His writing is amazing, his vocabulary, his sentence structure, his exploration of the interior of Scobie's soul - outstanding.

woody allen movies come to cable TV

Cable tv has been showing lots of woody allen movies lately. Manhattan was on yesterday, surfing channels, saw it and had to sit for whole movie (I was having my morning coffee, about to go to the office, or orifice as I sometimes say). There is brilliant dialogue in the film, classic woody allen: Why is life worth living? It's a very good question. Um... Well, There are certain things I guess that make it worthwhile. uh... Like what... okay... um... For me, uh... ooh... I would say... what, Groucho Marx, to name one thing... uh... um... and Wilie Mays... and um... the 2nd movement of the Jupiter Symphony... and um... Louis Armstrong, recording of Potato Head Blues... um... Swedish movies, naturally... Sentimental Education by Flaubert... uh... Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra... um... those incredible Apples and Pears by Cezanne... uh... the crabs at Sam Wo's... uh... Tracy's face... and my favorite: Years ago I wrote this short story about my Mother called "The Castrating Zionist"

Then today was Everyone Says I Love You, woody's tribute to the romantic mixed up comedy musicals of the 1930's. the Soundtrack was amazing. I enjoyed the singing, even Julia Roberts sang, her own voice, beautiful scene with her sitting next to canal in Venice. And the dance sequence with Goldy Hawn was great, the cinematography was superb. And on top of that, there was the Groucho Marx dance number, the funeral dance number, - I loved it. What I enjoyed most was woody sharing his love for the 1930's musicals with a new audience. he is an amazing artist.

Waltzing with Bashir: Post Traumatic Stress and Lebanon War

This is a film I have waited months to see. I am not sure if it played in pittsburgh, I am surprised if it didnt. Here is the internet link, with explanation of film and clips.

The film is a black and white anime, with an ending that is color photographs.

The main character (the actual director of film, Ari Folman) of the film is in therapy, he has bad dreams of 26 dogs chasing and attacking him. This dream is from when he was 19 yrs old, and a member of the Israeli Defense Forces, invading Lebanon in 1982 to eliminate palestinian terror missle attacks on israel. Unknown to the troops and the Israeli citizens, there was a secret plan authorized by Arik Sharon, Minister of Defense, to drive all the way to Beirut and install Bashir Gemayal as leader of Lebanon. Bashir was a Lebanonize Christian, he agreed to be allied with Israel, in opposition of Syria and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). As the IDF forces converged on Beirut, Bashir was assassinated by a large bomb, probably orchestrated by Syria through the PLO. Bashir's militia, the Phalangist Militia, was out for revenge: under cover by IDF, the Phalangist troops entered Shabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps and apprehended PLO terrorists. But Israeli troops could see civilians being executed. Genocide. Radio and phone calls were made. Sharon knew about it. Finally, IDF troops on the scene order the Phalangists to stop. They stopped, probably due to exhaustion (lining up women and children and executing them does take an emotional toll on soldiers). now, 25 yrs later, our main character is told to talk to other soldiers, his comrades, about the war. He searches and tracks down others in his unit. They too have little memory of events. But as they talk, suppressed memories come back. In heartbreaking scenes, we see the scared IDF troops entering Lebanon, firing constantly, finally being pinned down by snipers. There is much death and destruction. These are memories of events that the young IDF soldiers have repressed for many years, and for good reason: sane people find it difficult to confront such memories. But it all comes out. the ending is overwhelming.

The film is controversial, because the genocide of the Sabra and Shatila camps cannot be separated, for some, by the threat posed by Israel of the PLO on its norther border. It was war, IDF soldiers were being killed. some feel, so single out the genocide of these two campus without keeping it in perspective with the larger war against terror Israel was fighting is to not do justice to the IDF troops. Afterall, they didnt do the shooting. they followed orders, they covered the Phalangist militia.

Are there rules to war? I have had officers as students, and they tell me yes, there are rules, morality guidelines. At least they say so in class. Out of class, they are skeptical : rules? in war? come on......you ever been in war? ....no....then you wouldn't ask......

How far does one go to protect the security of one's countrymen? Kill all the enemy and let god sort them out? Killing civilians has lots of precedent, just start reading the bible starting with book of Joshua - the bible is full of genocide, civilians being massacred, surrending armies being massacred, entire people disappearing from history (like the Ammonites). So how is this different? Isn't genocide just part of being human? How often has it happened in our lifetimes?

Very controversial movie. Absolutely unforgetable. Outstanding. Disturbing. Sad.

Millionaire Jackpot lottery - I lost

This is Gus the Groundhog, the official mascot of the Pennsylvania lottery.
So I am breaking even with the lotto cards I buy at the Giant Eagle grocery store. That's because I buy alot of cards, play the odds. It is set up so you break even at best, or lose just a little - that keeps you coming back. But over the 4th was the Millionaire lotto game, only 500,000 tickets sold. I bought 6 for $20 each. My odds of winning SOMETHING were 1:3, meaning I had a one out of three chance of winning a prize (the best odds were winning $100, 5,990 prizes were awarded. That would mean I would lost $20 if I won $100. But still, for a lotto, I had a 1:4000 chance of winning a million dollars. Thats good odds, given the $120 price to wager. How did I do? I won nothing. not even $100. Were the odds bad? No, I just didnt win. But I did have a chance of 1:4000 to become a millionaire (or 560,000 after taxes). Is this consistent with the Buddhist middle path to happiness? I guess not.

I am cashing in my $20 Diamond lotto ticket today, buying another. The odds of winning a million bucks playing Diamond card lotto? Like being hit by an asteroid !

Bhutan's Middle Path: Happiness

Public television has a great program on Bhutan which I am buying to show to my american government students this fall. It is called Bhutan: the Middle Road to Happiness. My film students have had to put up with the Bhutan film "Travellers and Magicians: The Bitter and Sweet of Temporary Things." A film that shows the beauty of Bhutan, and also carries a Buddhist message. We desire so much, we want our dreamworld, be it jobs, cars, marriage partners, whatever. But desire detracts us from the beauty of our lives. It makes us unhappy. Take a middle road, live simply, find happiness. In Bhutan, the government has a Gross National Happiness indicator, just like Gross Domestic Product or Gross National Product. It is the only country that measures its people's happiness. Being happy is the whole point of life (according to Aristotle). Happiness comes from a spiritual life for the Bhutanese. Anyway, great program. And finally, what IS the bitter and sweet of temporary things???? Life. Life is temporary. It is bitter and also sweet. We need to let go of physical desire, accept our temporary lives, and live peacefully. Be happy. (Easy to write about, much harder to actually accomplish). The program shows the new King of Bhutan explaining that the global economy opens up the nation to the consumer culture of the west, and that is a threat to their happiness. Also, Bhutan is now a parliamentary democracy, and that is also a challenge to their culture. anyway, great movie, less than an hour long.

Away we Go

Great movie with a great soundtrack (see the songs here).
Great independent film, very ambitious, shot in numerous locations. Its about a young couple, well not so young, early 30's, who are expecting a child and travel around to relatives and friends to see where they want to settle. Its more than that. The pregnant mom thinks they are flops, she is 34, they live in a run down house, drive a beat up Volvo, and I think they wonder if they couldnt have been "more" than they are. They are not married, but they have a wonderful relationship. I think the movie is really about the parents they want to become, and in their travels they meet relatives and friends but its really about observing the parenting styles that others have. Its funny, laught out loud, but also sad, I mean tears, esp when they visit friends from college in Montreal, who have adopted 4 children, but mourn the loss of their miscarried babies. They observe that some people have children easily and are awful parents, but some people who are great parents have such heartbreak conceiving children of their own. the end is great, beautiful. the soundtrack really lovely. No violence. And you get to travel all over the country with them. Overall, a great movie, enjoyable.

Lori Drew - nightmare killer mother

This is a picture of Lori Drew, the mother who impersonated a 13 yr old boy on the internet so she could flirt and then hurt a 13 yr old girl, a school mate of her daughter. Supposedly, the girl passed a rumor about Lori's daughter at school, that her daugher was gay. Soooooo, mom decided to get even. She became a boy on the internet, flirted with the girl, told the girl she was beautiful, wonderful, love, and then wrote a nasty note insulting her and telling her she was ugly, terrible, and should kill herself. The girl committed suicide. There are no laws about pretending to be someone else, telling a 13 yr old girl you love her, and then drop her in a mean message designed to hurt her. Lori the nightmare mother was charged in federal court with using the internet for fraud, maximum penalty something like 2 yrs in jail, almost a middemeanor. Judge threw it out. This doesnt mean that Lori is innocent, just that the law doesnt exist to put her in jail for the rest of her life, which is where she belongs. I am 57 yrs old, and still amazed, stunned, at how mean people can be - call me naive. Lori Drew is a nightmare of a human being - I urge her entire community to shun her, treat her as a non person. I feel sorry for her daughter, having a mother like Lori.

Al Franken as a US Senator

First of all, he is from Minnesota, and you have to say that with a Minnesota accent. yah sure. Second, he has been married to the same woman his entire adult life. Third, he is fiscally conservative, did not support Pres. Obama's bailout (he though GM should sink, likewise AIG, the whole rotten mess). He supports our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (has entertained them on numerous occasions). He wants to be a voice to replace Sen. Wellstone, who was a liberal. But Franken is not predictable, will vote with Democrats, but has publically said he will keep low profile, seen but not heard since he has the least seniority of any senator (he is last senator from 2008 election to be inaugurated). He says he has a lot to learn. He needs to prove he is intelligent, solid Democrat to his own party, and prove that he can work with Republicans (even though he wrote a book entitled "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot," which he is, and the book was very funny).

"Public Enemies" Johnny Depp as John Dillinger

Great scene from movie "Public Enemies," Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, in a movie theater, "and John Dillinger, public enemy number one, they might be among you, look to your left, look to your right..." and Johnny depp is loving this scene, the mischievous grin that comes on his face, funny ! He is a great actor, really knows how to milk that scene, it was great.

Nature Center Fort Lee - Bird Watching

Noah and I went for a trail walk in the Flat Rock Brook nature center near his apartment in Fort Lee NJ. It is walking distance from his apt. and here is the link. It has miles of trails, and is very quiet, considering it is jogging distance from the George Washington Bridge and the whole NYC greater metropolitan area phenomenon. We saw a Great Egret in the pond, he was stalking frogs for lunch. He almost caught one. it was fascinating to watch him. We saw many other birds too, including a woodpecker. Bird watching is a great hobby, very peaceful, quiet. It made me aware of small things around me, like the tiny mole moving under the leaves. Very Zen. Its a form of meditation I think. I plan to go out to Morraine park near my house and see if i can replicate the experience. I used to jog on the bike trail but I was usually deep in thought and not paying attention to my surroundings. I remember that great movie from Bhutan, "Travellers and Magicians" (also entitled, "The Bitter and Sweet of Temporary Things") and how the main character is not conscious of the beauty surrounding him. Maybe that's true for all of us ? !

Yaris gets great mileage

My 4 door Yaris is getting anywhere from 42-44 mpg, depending on how fast i drive. The 105 hp means having to plan passing other cars on expressway (I dont evey attempt it up hill) but apart from that the car is great. I would like less road noise, but more insullation means more weight, less mileage and so forth. It has every air bag imaginable, but still has average scores on crash worthiness - again, the weight is an issue, it weighs little, so crashes only average. Solution? Drive carefully, defensively, obey speed limit, get great mpg, and avoid a crash.

Improve Everywhere

I already blogged about this group - they staged a McDonald's bathroom attendant, complete with towel service, cologne. this is a staged wedding reception for a couple married at city hall in NYC, and here is a staged funeral (scroll down and read carefully...you will laugh when you find out what this really is). on their site, check out the "pantsless subway" improve, really funny.

Charles Foster Kane sings and dances -

"They've been making statues for thousands of years, and I've only been buying for five." Here is my favorite scene from Citizen Kane, where he hosts a party celebrating the success of The Inquirer, and where he sings and dances a number, complete with band and dancing girls. The scene is shot with a camera mounted in the floor - MOUNTED IN THE FLOOR ! "What is his name ? He doesn't like mister he likes good ole Charley Kane!"

I have several other posts about Citizen kane on this blog, just type in Citizen Kane in the search area on top ^

Citizen Kane on TCM

"$20,000 is alot of dough to pay for a statue with her head cut off..." so says the mover who is cleaning out Charles Foster Kane's mansion, Xanado. I can't pass by a chance to see Citizen Kane, although I have seen it probably....30 times? 50? Perhaps more. I really enjoy Dorothy Comingore playing Susan Alexander, she is really good, esp in the scenes where she is yelling at Kane. "CHAR - ley, you listen' ta me? CHAR-ley!" in that accent. Dorothy was very beautiful, very talented, classically trained singer. She had to practice singing off key, its called "acting" i guess. She was destroyed in the 50's with the red-baiting hearings. Her last film was a small role in 1953. She married her 3rd husband who had nothing to do with Hollywood, the web says she died of heart disease after battling alcoholism (or sobriety, it depends on how you look at it). I love this movie. Kane and Susan in that huge room, with the roaring fire, standing on opposite ends of the room, showing their emotional separation. Who wrote the screenplay? Herman Mankiewicz or Orson Welles? Herman had more experience, but clearly Kane is his masterpiece, which leads me to think Welles had much to contribute to the screenplay.

Lonesome Dove: widescreen on AMC

Captain Augustus McCrae is my favorite character from Lonesome Dove. Who is the Lonesome Dove? Lorena, the whore? I think so. Augustus loves her, in a fatherly way, he knows she is a beautiful dove. AMC just aired a widescreen TV version of the film. Was it ever widescreen before? I dont think so. anyway, great movie.

Robert Duvall is "Gus," and he really recreates the character from the book. I also like Joshua Deets, one of the characters in the book who is straightforward: he is a moral man, great courage, incorruptible. I liked it when Deets reappears from the "great perhaps" (as Gus calls it) and guides Pea Eye back to the herd.

And one thing that is obvious: Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones (Capt. Woodrow Call) are natural equestrians. You can tell that they have great horse riding skills

Pedestrian bridge in Switzerland

Gadmen, Switzerland, has the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge. I saw a picture in the wall street journal (my daily newspaper) and looked it up online. Amazing. My impression is that hiking is a national pastime in Switzerland. Click on picture to supersize it.

Pittsburgh loses another beer manufacturer

Iron City Brewing announced today that it will move production from its Lawrenceville plant to an idled Latrobe brewery, saying the 148-year-old plant will brew its last batch June 22.

Duquesne beer was once made in the burgh, but they shut down years ago. Their neon clock, visible for miles away because its elevated on the south side slopes, is now the Equitable Gas sign. It was once the largest lighted clock in the world, 60 by 60 feet. The brewery is now lofts for artists.

Now we are losing Iron City beer, and the brewery on Liberty Ave is a historic landmark. The pittsburgh blues festival was held there 5 years ago - it was great. What will happen to the brewery? More loft space? That would be great.

Rolling Rock pulled out of Latrobe in 2006, its now made in Newark - NEWARK ! I still cant get over that. Latrobe WAS rolling rock - I guess now Latrobe is Iron City beer.

Many people swear by rolling rock - its a light ale taste. I dont know anyone who likes iron city beer - pittsburgh is losing more union jobs.

There will be Blood

I didn't like this movie. yes, the acting was great. the meaning of the film? Sin. Man estranged from god. Remind you of anyone???? Moby Dick. Captain Ahab. So this was basically Captain Ahab drilling for oil and destroying himself with his obsession for control over his own destiny (without god). I really didn't like it. it was too long. the theme too familiar (moby dick for cripes sake...) And none of the characters were sympathetic - there was no Ishmael, or Quequeb. Remember when Ishmael is in bed, and Quequeb arrives? "Lookie here, me sleepy here, you sleepy there, you sabe?" "Me sabe plenty!" However, i did enjoy the "I drink your milk shake, I suck it up!" part. SNL does a skit about that - "I drink your milk shake!" I love that line.

US Astronauts include Two Navy Seals:

A standard question during astronaut interviews is, "What is it you do better than anyone in the world?" Naval officer and Navy seal Williams Shepherd answered, "I kill people with a knife." True story? Bill Shepherd says no, but the story has become an urban legend, told and retold, and he said its such a great story, he just lets it live on. Capt. Shepherd now retired, but another naval officer and navy seal is Chris Cassidy, who is about to blast off saturday morning with 6 other Shuttle Astronauts. they will stay on the International Space Station with the ISS 6 person crew, thats 13 people in the ISS at the same time. they will be building another platform on the ISS. They will be there for two weeks. Amazing. Supposedly you can see the ISS on a clear night with the naked eye. Chris is in picture, left.

Presidential cars

I wanted to make a web page about Presidents and their favorite cars, turns out, someone already did it. I am attaching two photos - one car was owned by Harry Truman, the other by John Kennedy. Which is which? Yes, the 1945 Ford super deluxe tudor sedan is truman's, and the 61 T-bird is JFK.

Live Free or Die Hard

"Mai? Oh, yeah. Little Asian chick, likes to kick people? I don't think she's gonna be talkin' to anybody for a really long time. Last time I saw her she was at the bottom of a elevator shaft with an SUV rammed up her ass."

Stupid plot, but the action scenes were great. Bruce Willis has his character down perfect, he invented this guy "John McClane." Great action scenes, great fights that go on forever, unrealistic, but amazing. And great dialogue, like the above.

Pizza is back

I have started back making my own pizza. hand tossed. Thin crust. with black olives and sliced mushrooms. Low fat cheese. Best pizza in town. And the wine, Pino Evil, from France. Best Pino Noir I have ever tasted.

Newt Gingrich: please leave the Republican Party

The day Pres. Obama announced that ten banks will pay back $68 billion in loans, and on the same day he challenged Congress to adopt PayGo (pay as you go, basicially dont spend money you dont have, no deficit spending) New Gingrich declares Obama's economic plan "a failure." Great timing, Newt. That Newt presumes to be the voice of the republican party shows how rough the republicans have it. Pres Obama has repeatedly said he doesnt want the fed gov to run car companies, or banks, that the bailout loans are temporary, are intended to be paid back (maybe not in full, some companies, banks may fail). And now 10 banks have paid back their loans, just like Obama intended.

rachel getting married

I discovered RedBox - movies for $1. i just saw Rachel Getting Married. It received great reviews. It was a marriage ceremony from hell; then again, a typical marriage ceremony. Kym comes home from rehab for her sister's wedding - an implausible situation, but this is a movie not real life. anyway, Kym is going through incredible self analysis, and she is dumped on her family which is full of dysfunctional people. Most of all, Kym's mother, a cold blooded witch. Kym survives her sister's wedding, Rachel's wedding, and is better and stronger for it. i think Kym will be ok at the end. The fu**ed up family member is her mother. But others contribute too. Kym was anorexic, drug addict, sick, a "model," but everyone seemed to miss the symptoms (remind you of anyone???) so Kym is getting together, but her family misses the point. No matter how hard they try, like Kym's dad. the movie is long, could be edited better, filmed in a quasi documentary style, great acting, Anne hathaway is superb, swhat a performance. and the mom, Debra Winger, is also great.

Revolutionary Road

What a movie ! Of course Leonardo DeCaprio and kate Winslet are a great pair, the acting superb. The film is about unhappiness, emptiness. April wants to go to Paris, get job with a US agency or non profit, Frank could go back to college, find something meaningful to do with his life. Frank works for an ad agency, April is suburban housewife. When they announce they are moving to Paris, the next door neighbors wife breaks down (after april and frank leave) - to me, she obviously feels the same way, empty, meaningless existence, her sadness and ennui comes out. The realtor and her son come to visit: son is a mathematician, depressed, had electric shock therapy, has lost his math knowledge, his mind destroyed - but he is left with his depression, based on his own perceptions of the meaninglessness of life. he sees through Frank and April, when they announce they are not going to Paris after all. As someone who has battled depression my entire life (became very debilitating at age 21) I do understand the unhappiness in this movie. These people are living in existential angst (fear and loathing unto death) but they dont know what to do - they are not able to act (Sartre would tell them, "Do something ! Act ! You are living in bad faith ! " ) But these people are lost.

So what is the message? Are we all Frank and April? Measuring out our lives in teaspoons? do we dare presume to ask the overwhelming question.....do we dare disturb the universe?

This film made me examine my life. What am i missing in life, what is it that i need? great movie. Really made me reflect upon myself.

Tyson The jerk

Regent Sq theater is showing "Tyson," the documentary about Mike Tyson. It has received great reviews and it is a fascinating portrait of a very confused, troubled man. Iron Mike comes off as very human, very damaged from childhood, perhaps having some severe personality disorders. But very likeable. Regent sq is also showing "The jerk" the Steve martin movie one showing only sunday night. Sooooo, the marques read "Tyson The Jerk" advertising both movies. I thought it was very funny. Did they notice the marques after they posted it? An inadvertent double entendre?

The Mysterious Bog People

I dont know if I have posted this before, but the bog people exhibit at the Carnegie Museum couple years ago was fantastic. here it is online. I give it a 10 on a 10 scale. One of the best museum exhibits I have ever seen.

France Airbus diaster

Air France is replacing pitot tubes on its airbuses. These are external tubes that collect the pressure of atmosphere as plane flies and based on indicated air pressure it shows up as indicated air speed on the main airspeed/artificial horizon instrument. Charles Linbergh's plane had a pitot tube, its a basic airspeed instrument. But here is where I am confused. The airbus is all digital instruments, fly by wire controls. Airspeed is calculated by an GPS instrument, powered by electric grid in plane. Pitot tube might be a good back up air speed indicator, but I cangt understand why an Airbus would have a pitot tube as THE airspeed indicator and not an electric generated instrument, like the digital instruments display. So why is Air France changing the pitot tubes? To show it is doing "something" about the crash, to reassure customers? Pitot tubes are heated on commerical all weather planes, so why did it freeze up? Why didnt this happen before? Why didnt designers of Airbus ask, "what if the pitot tube freezes up?" Something is missing here. I dont believe the pitot tube is to blame. And they cant find any crash debris, just ocean garbage. This whole story is very very myseterious.

UPDATE: an anonymous comment explains that pitot tube gives indicated airspeed, GPS is ground speed, two different speeds (presumably). That is correct. I am trying to come up with a way to measure indicated airspeed other than pitot tube, and I can't. Pitot tube is the most simple, straightforward way of measuring indicated airspeed. Searchers are now finding wreckage, and bodies, mystery I guess is over. Still amazes me that something like a blocked, iced pitot tube could cause such a terrible disaster. The last minutes on board that plane must have been terrifying.

Pres. Obama and the Egyptian Pharoh Kar

President Obama was in Egypt, trying to initiate middle east peace. Something his predecessor didnt do in 8 yrs. anyway, he walks into a tomb and sees an outline of Pharoh Kar. As you can see from Kar's mummy, Kar had big ears and a long face. Pres. Obama laughed and said it looks like him, his aides (including Rahm Emanuel) agreed. funny. Obama can joke about himself. Like JFK. he is serious, but doesnt take himself seriously.

Cheney equates freedom with Gay Marriage

VP Cheney has come out and supported gay marriage. he says its up to states, not federal government. But maybe he is right about States passing laws. His daughter is gay. But just as I think he actually makes sense, he comes out today and says there is not evidence Iraq had anything to do with 911. he blames the CIA for bad intelligence. Lets take this slowly: while VP, he tells the CIA to find a link between Iraq and 911, they try hard, come up with some BS stories about Atta being in Czech republic meeting Iraqi intelligence (not true)- he and Rumsfeld do their best to link "war on terror" with Iraq, and then........Cheney explains that it was the CIA's fault we invaded Iraq. dear god........

Harold and Kumar go to Guantanomo Bay

Great movie. Laughed my posterior off. One adventure after the next, with increasing absurdity. A must see. I might show this in American National Government class in the fall. Very educational. I also liked the script. "Suck it anus." very literate. "Don't make me come down there and kick your cyclops ass!"

"New Muslim cool" - pittsburgh movie

A film from pittsburgh, New Muslim Cool. Hamsa Perez was an ex con, from Connecticut, who decided to move to pittsburgh with his brother and a few close friends. he converted to Islam in prison. his neighborhood crew did also. they set up a mosque in the burgh. he and his friend also are rap artists. he also works with inmates giving programs on spirituality - the Pres. Bush spiritual faith based prison programs. he finds a woman online with a muslim dating service and they marry. she has children from former marriage, as does he. They form a beautiful family. he is a devote muslim man; doesnt drink, smoke, swear, responsible to his wife, children, community. But the FBI wonders what these muslims are doing in the burgh, they set up a raid of their mosque. No one is arrested, but the mosque is damaged. Hamsa is Puerto rican, so he is a Puerto Rican, ex con muslim. Who raps. And counsels inmates at the Allegheny Prison. this film is about him, and his wife and children, his friends, and his mosque. is there a difference between Muslim americans, and Arab Muslims? You bet ! Hamsa shows how American muslims are different, culturally, politically, from Arab muslims. Hamsa explained (in an extensive question answer session after the movie) that America is young, 300 yrs old, is evolving, that Islam is old, thousands of years, so Muslim America is emerging, its different, but its uniquely american. here is a you tube trailer. And here is another video location trailer. the reception before the film was great, great food, they had a bean, onion, parsley salad which was to die for, really great. the reception was great. Wonderful people. Two children came up to me, little boy and smaller girl, and they said "Salam Aleikum" and shook my hand. So beautiful. Priceless.

We live in such irrational fear, the FBI doesnt know what to make of a Puerto Rican, ex con, Muslim rapper who counsels prison inmates - i think there is a cynicism that overtakes police and FBI, they dont believe this guy is real, sincere. Thats understandable, given the con artists they have dealt with. But Hamsa is real, sincere, wonderful man, husband, father, artist. wow ! so many unique wonderful people in Pittsburgh. this was a great evening, first peter max reception, then this reception, great food, great movie, wonderful people.

Peter Max exhibition Squirrel hill, pittsburgh

So Peter max has an exhibition in squirrel hill at a gallery on Forbes. Is this art? I dont know. I like some of his acrylic on canvas paintings, but his mixed media on paper confuses me. Paper? How does he color the paper? Am i right that he sketches with a marker? then finishes with acrylic? Is this art? Or poster pop art? None of his work is less than $3995, the mixed media on paper. but how many of those does he turn out a day? like an assembly line? Is the asking price because of his name, notoriety, or because of the quality of art? he will be there next weekend, he will sign back of artwork, "To Mark, best wishes, Max" - is this one step away from selling paintings to tourists on a street in NYC? I liked some of his work, esp the large canvas with acrylic - bold strokes, unusual color combinations, vivid. but $59,000? I looked close: I think I could copy some of them. Would that then be art? I just spent an afternoon at the National Gallery in DC, so you can understand my confusion. Is Max in the National Gallery? If not, should he be? But I enjoyed the exhibition, the champagne and veggie dip was good.

craig ferguson and why I can't sleep at night

I can't sleep at night - why? I watch Craig Ferguson on the late late show, i need my shot of Craig before sleep, and when he does his puppets i think its the most entertaining show on TV. here is an example. Here is an even more absurd example. Here is his shark week intro: "do these teeth make me look fat?" "usually, when people see me, they say, Aghhhhhhh!"

Sugar : Film about Dominican Republic and MLB

Great movie! Sugar is from DR, good pitcher. he gets drafted by kansas city farm team, travels to Iowa and plays in Class A minors. he sees how latino hispanic players are treated, like race horses, only worse. they get injured, hurt, they dont perform, they are sent down. they have limited education - nothing other than baseball. Most dont make it. Sugar decides to keep his life under his control, and escapes to NYC. This is a beautiful film, the actor who plays Sugar is amazing. the contrast between DR and USA cultures is good, on many levels. Its about immigrants, discrimination, prejudice, courage, and in the end, about baseball: its about having fun, its a game, dont ruin it. the metaphor is for life: life is supposedly to be fun, find a way of enjoying it (I am still working on that). Must see movie. Esp if you like baseball.

Lemon Tree (Etz Limon)

Salma owns a lemon grove on the west bank in palestine, but the defense minister of Israel Navon builds a house adjoining the grove. His security forces decided the grove is a threat and must be torn up. there is precedent - Olive groves have been torn up, used presumably by terrorists to infiltrate into Israel or launch rocket attacks. Salma is a strong woman and hires a poor young lawyer, Ziad. Minister Navon's wife, Mira, has sympathy for Salma, but is torn between her loyalty toward her husband and her sympathy for Salma. The reviews of this movie I think miss the complexity of the film. Mira admires her husband, who has protected her family over the years, and who has protected Israel. But she also recognizes that the protection has a price: their new home is like a prison. the end of the movie is anything but simplistic: families are destroyed, Jews and Arabs live in a man made prison of their own creation, no one is happy. Sound familiar ? And of course there are plenty of opportunists who benefit from this stand off. Sound familiar? The film itself had some good camera angles, good scenes, captured the land of the west bank, captured the faces of the people (I suspect most of the Arab actors were actually jewish...I will check this out - update; I checked it out, a few were israelis playing arabs, but Salma is a palestinian arab who has appeared in many films including Munich, some others are arab-christians) But the copy of the film I saw had some bad edits, I am sure some scenes were cut out by a sloppy copy of the film. i dont know how the film was delivered - I didnt here the projector going, so this must have been a disc or some kind. I think the film transfer process to the disc cut some of the film. Who knows. anyway, I enjoyed it. it is much better than the reviews. Would provide lots of discussion for a class on middle east politics.

Tokyo Sonata - great film

yes, a great film but you have to have patience, because it is slow, and foreign. it is about a changing japanese society and culture, influenced by heartless ruthless American capitalism and jingoism, and emasculation of japanese men. it is also about beauty, and hope. I was almost bored at one point, but concentrated on the scenery, the shots of Tokyo. then the ending came, and I was blown away - wow ! beautiful. hopeful. This was directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and you can see his other films here.

Snow Angels - the movie

Wow ! Depressing film. However, great acting, great location, and great script. the dialogue is fantastic. I really enjoyed the movie. yes, it is hard to watch. it is about relationships, at various stages. the ending is hard, metaphoric in a very religious sense, but the film does offer hope. I will take any hope i can get.

here is the video where Eric Clapton shows his tone settings, and his basic riffs

of course he explains his "sound" and then demonstrates it (3:20 into clip) and it is amazing. and here is Buddy Guy explaining where jimi hendix and eric got their sound.

Bush and Bible stories

This is almost unbelievable, I would suspect this is a conspiracy theory of the left, however it is true. read about Bush and the Rumsfeld bible briefings on Iraq here.

Assuming this is not some kinda practical joke, if this is truthful, then Rumsfeld read Bush's superficial brain - this is just way over the top. Old Testament quotations mixed with Iraq briefings? ! After 8 years of lutheran schooling, including many theology classes, and forced chapel attendance (I was once given detention for not singing during chapel, some medieval song about the plague and how christians are safe behind the walls of the castle - really relevant to a teenager in high school in the '60's) the old testament is jewish, the new testament is christian. Christians do not consider themselves jewish, or the chosen people, christianity is a gentile religion. So the old testament I dont think gives guidance to christians to begin with. But this old testament advice on the war in Iraq is just way over the top.

The whole world now hears about this. What do they think of us? We actually re elected this guy for another 4 years.

I shouldnt post this - It speaks for itself I guess and doesn't need my commentary.

Tough, Cool and Rational

Obama is our Spock. After having 8 years of Klingons in the White House, we finally have someone tough, cool and rational.

Lymelife

Coming of age movie about 1970's Connecticut suburbia. Mickey Bartlett is an architect who wants more, more, more. Played by Alex Baldwin he is great - Alex can play comedy very well (like his SNL hostings) but he is also a strong dramatic actor. This movie is a dracomedy, intense scenes, but also knee slapping funny scenes. Great cast. The end is ambiguous, or multibiguous - we dont know the ending, it could go one of several directions. This is an independent film, shot for $1.5 million in 22 days - that is amazing. the sets were great, the interior shots of houses definitely 1970's - the film gets the setting and costuming correct. Absolutely great film - it really drew me in, the characters were very well developed, you couldnt help but care about them. Excellent film.

Kabuli Kid

Khalid is a cab driver, and a woman in full veil (burga) leaves behind a child in his cab. The movie is about Khalid's attempts to find the mother. He has a wife and 3 daughters, cannot afford another child (or another wife for that matter). He and his wife do not have a son, the baby is male, and this creates a crisis between khalid and his wife. Most of the movie is about Khalid driving around Kabul arranging for a radio announcement to give a $100 reward for the mother to come to Radio Kabul offices and pick up child. Everything gets sorted out in the end. Not much of a plot, but the setting is amazing. We get to see Kabul and its neighborhoods, we meet Khalid's cabbie friends, is wife and children, his father, and we learn about the fate of women ( they get married at a young age, some must deal with mulitiple wives, a child out of wedlock is a life damning event). Khalid is a good muslim man, his wife and family wonderful people, and the film gives faces and identity to the Afghan people we read about (civilian deaths and so forth in the paper).