Back again. I think this whole "Internet" thing may catch on, but its having trouble staying up for me. Ah well. I've written a couple items that I'll backpost soon.
In the meantime: For Amanda (and anyone else who might be interested in clicking it).
Well, OK, it's not really *from* the DNC, I'm here in Detroit. Maybe thoughts from me about the DNC is a better way to say it.
It seems likely that most of you have already seen this, but if not, go ahead, its silly, pointless political fun, that doesn't really seem to take sides.
Also I saw a thing on the company, which is two guys who make advertising videos. So even if you've seen it, head back anyway to increase their advertising revenue.
For those who were contemplating the Jeopardy! Drinking game, here are the official rules.
A carryover discussion from Comments on the last entry: How true are movies to the novels they are based on? And how much does it really matter?
Battles over language and sensitivity rage on, but one thing remains clear to me. Those refusing to discuss history are doomed to repeat it.
Out of town for an Improv Reunion weekend. I'll have more when I get back. In the meantime, check this out. While it is *very* left-leaning, it is also an innovative new approach to populist political action.
The bottom line: They send you an email with an issue that they are spotlighting and have taken a position on. If you agree with that position, just reply to the message and hit send and it will automatically generate a fax to your congresspeople. So you get to filter what you are for or against, and thus, unless you are against *everything* this group has to say, it is an opportunity to participate without doing much work. Lazy social change!
EFF's action center has a similar system where you go to their website and just click on the issues you want to respond to, but TrueMajority.org takes things to a new level of laziness, which I fully support.
If you've never seen Richard Linklater's film, "Before Sunrise" you've missed a truly outstanding film experience. It came out in 1995, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and is exquisitely wonderful. David Edelstein of Slate movie reviews describes the experience as "embarrassingly emotionally intimate", and I think he's spot on. It is really one of the most intimate and immediate and emotionally intense films I've ever seen, and it is basically a long conversation. You need to see it, and soon.
In addition to all the reasons above that you need to see it, I'll add one more. Linklater has just released a sequel, taking you further in the story. And after seeing the first, you'll wish there was a sequel, and you, unlike me, get the opportunity to know that not only will there be one, but that it is coming out in theaters as we speak right from the moment you see it. I'm not alone in my insistence on this film, read Edelstein's "non-review review" on Slate of the sequel here.
I've enjoyed all the films that Linklater has done, from the artsy and bizaare but still fun "Waking Life" to the fun ensemble piece "Dazed and Confused", he's a really great writer and director. But there's something about Before Sunrise that is both transformative and reaffirming. It captures the essence of emotional attachment and intimacy in a way that feels like an assault, but makes you stronger in the long run. Find a way to see it, and soon.
Note: Those of you that I know who are near me, I own a copy and would be happy to loan it out. (But it better come back.)
