Welcome to Your Week

Mike got off. The usual questions dangle and twist in the air. I'll leave that to bloggers who are more up on the whole celebrity-justice scene. However, let me comment that I'm beginning to think that it's nearly impossible to convict a celebrity, given Mike, Robert Blake, and O.J. as precedents.

The SO and I went off to see Revenge of the Sith. Uh, okay. Don't get me wrong, we were glad to see the conclusion of all that's gone before, but Mr. Lucas? Mr. Lucas? A couple of hints:

First: When you create three movies where a powerful story is helped along with the bare minimum of necessary special effects, don't expect the audience that loved that story to like the next three if they contain a mediocre tale overwhelmed by effects.

During the first ten minutes of Ep. III, I found myself totally unable to follow what was going on in any kind of detail. The space battle was stunning--literally, and I liked it. But on the individual level I felt left behind.

And: Unecessary cameos are a dead giveaway that your story isn't holding up. The appearance of Chewbacca in the final film was an unecessary . . . well you get the idea.

I could say more, but what's the point. This film just gives me the feeling that Lucas was running around tying up loose ends any old how. As the SO puts it:

There's music that's bigger than the sum of instruments and voices. Star Wars was like that for film. Somehow the product was bigger than a bunch of actors, a good story, and an emerging special-effects company. Darth Vader was a classic baddie without apology or excuse, and the second set of films just doesn't believably fill those big black boots.

This week I saw a woman running down the street in broad daylight, crying, cell phone pasted to her ear. You can't help but wonder what the story is there.

The American Administration, under the something-or-othership of Dubya, continues to betray its moral authority by sanctioning torture as long as it's used by nations the US isn't interested in slapping down for human rights reasons, and on people the Bush League isn't interested in claiming are persecuted. Like Canadians.

I don't get it. Doesn't he get it? Torture is wrong, like flying-planes-into-buildings wrong. Moreover, it's surprisingly un-useful.

It depresses me to see the symbol of light and the second bastion of democracy in the world turning into the Empire. The Sith. Etc. But take heart; he's a kidney-stone of a president and will, in the fulness of time, pass.

Is anyone reading this? Why don't I just insert absolutely anything?

While we're riffing on the US, look at this. Who is so concerned with public policy? Is it a stretch to imagine it's a kindly group of doctors?

You can tell by the prominent insertion of the words "grass-roots". Whenever this set of words turns up, it means either "rabid christian rightists" "concerned professionals" or "organized anarchists". "Our healthcare is under attack!" So what about the 20% of Americans without health insurance? Is their healthcare under attack?

I agree with the basic idea--America isn't known as the land of the lawsuit for nothing. Recent tobacco lawsuits, for example, seem silly to me. If you've started smoking since 1971, you knew what you were facing. Sigh--now if only I were better at paying attention to my own advice. I've picked the habit up again. It's a bit of a pattern: For a while, I coast along without smoking. Then for three to six weeks it's one-to-two per day. Following that I get up to my old habit--anywhere from seven to ten per day. Then I go on the patch.

You've caught me at the "patch" stage.

I apologise for the partisan and divisive nature of this posting, particularly the bits about America. It's just that like many Canadians, I find the metamorphosis the United States has undergone a bit frightening. The "good ol' U-S-of-A" of my childhood has gone. It was never really there, but it tried to be, as a whole--even when selling arms to its own enemies. And at least with Reagan one could see he really felt good about the place.

Bush feels good only when he's . . .

Am I too tired and out-of-sorts to be posting right now? Yeah. But it was kind of fun to rap with you at 4 AM.

Peace.