Guest List

Here's the best part of the night, though:

Among attendees at the black tie event: Morgan Fairchild, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Justice Antonin Scalia, George Clooney, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers--in a kilt.

Because they just couldn't think of a more random list, could they?

The Colbert Report goes on the offensive

What genius thought that the President would like what Stephen Colbert had to say about him? Colbert was the host of the Correspondents Dinner this weekend and sent up Bush repeatedly. The joke of his program is that he is pro-Bush, pro-Republican, and will do anything to spin for them. So he was basically in character during the dinner. Here's a sampler of the jokes and some of the President's reactions, which apparently weren't very favorable.

My favorites:

Colbert urged the Bush to ignore his low approval ratings, saying they were based on reality, “and reality has a well-known liberal bias.”

He attacked those in the press who claim that the shake-up at the White House was merely re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. “This administration is soaring, not sinking,” he said. “If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg.”

"When the president decides something on Monday, he still believes it on Wednesday - no matter what happened Tuesday."

Ouch. That's speaking some truthiness to power.

Who's Afraid of Easter Island?

Not Edward Albee. The playwright who wrote "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" is apparently doing travel writing now. Here's his piece on why Easter Island is so incredible, published in the NYT. I wanna go.

The High Price of Gasoline

It's finally taking its effect. I particularly liked this vignette that was part of an article in the TNT.

The high price of gas – and environmental concerns – motivated Ryan Sharp to start commuting on foot. About a year ago, Sharp found a new job as a computer systems analyst at a company a mile away from his home in Seattle and started walking to and from work, rain or shine.

“My commute has turned into exercise,” he said. He’s lost 13 pounds and is in a better mood.

“In the morning, my walk wakes me up and gets me ready to go for the day,” Sharp said. “My walk home allows me to get the office out of my head.”

The best thing for the environmental cause is high gas prices. If we really want to stop polluting, making it too expensive to pollute is a darn fine way of getting it started. I forgot to mention a national gax tax is another hot-button issue for me. Big time.

Goodbye to all that

TV Turnoff week ended abruptly this weekend when I got thrown down by a big cold and wanted nothing more than to lay in bed and watch TV. So I did. The Daily Show, South Park, The Office ... man it was glorious. But I'm sick, so that part's not as cool.

Friends With Money

I saw Friends With Money earlier and I was a little disappointed by the script, although the cast is fabulous. Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand, Catherine Keener, and Joan Cusack are four friends in their late 30s and early 40s. Jennifer Aniston is poor and working as a maid, the rest are rich and married and want her to be as well. There are some good things going on and some resolution for some characters but not a lot of resolution for other characters. It's too bad because the film had a whole lot of potential with such a good cast. Ah wel.

Early Out

I was up early this morning and joined Phil and a couple of his friends on the course at Trophy Lake. The first 9 was very 'Northwest' with low clouds and cold. Then after 10 the rains started and didn't stop. We left after 15. So I almost got in a full round, but the water just got to be too much. Yuck.

And after yesterday's weather, which was almost perfect in every way, this was quite a downer.

The Saint of 9/11

Speaking of 9/11 films, The Saint of 9/11 opened at the Tribeca Film Festival with United 93, although it has gotten very little publicity in comparison. The film centers on the Catholic Priest, Mychal Judge, who ministered to firefighters in New York City and was killed on 9/11 when the south tower collapsed. The picture of his body (above) as it was pulled from the tower has been called The American Pieta, which is incredibly apt in my opinion.

I was deeply touched by the picture then and I am glad to hear the film about his life is just as moving. I would like to link to Andrew Sullivan's account of Judge and I will quote a portion of it here:

For me, his ministry to people with AIDS in the very early days means the most. We forget how terrifying HIV was in the early and mid 1980s, how patients would be quarantined in dark rooms, abandoned by their families, with their meals rolled into their rooms on trolleys. From the beginning, Mychal did as Jesus did and walked right in and kissed these frightened souls on the lips. If they recoiled from the sight of a priest - gay men at that time saw the church as an alien, hostile entity - he would persist in silence. He would simply bring holy oils, take a chair to the bottom of their hospital beds, and massage their bony, cold, pain-racked feet. He seemed to express no anger, just a kind of suspended joy in the moment, a joy he found resuscitated by the fact of the resurrection and the intercession of Our Lady. I wish I had met him. What a role model. But through this film, we do meet him, and see the face of God again, and laugh, and sigh.

United 93

As usual, when it comes to delicate matters of film, I will turn to Ebert. Here's his concluding paragraph from his review of United 93:

There has been much discussion of the movie's trailer, and no wonder. It pieces together moments from "United 93" to make it seem more conventional, more like a thriller. Dialogue that seems absolutely realistic in context sounds, in the trailer, like sound bites and punch lines. To watch the trailer is to sense the movie that Greengrass did not make. To watch "United 93" is to be confronted with the grim chaotic reality of that autumn day in 2001. The movie is deeply disturbing, and some people may have to leave the theater. But it would have been much more disturbing if Greengrass had made it in a conventional way. He does not exploit, he draws no conclusions, he points no fingers, he avoids "human interest" and "personal dramas" and just simply watches. The movie's point of view reminds me of the angels in "Wings of Desire." They see what people do and they are saddened, but they cannot intervene.

I am convinced. I will see the film. But I still have no desire or intent to see The Passion of the Christ, another controversial film Ebert gave 4 stars to. The same goes for Fahrenheit 9/11 which just looked blah (and Ebert also gave 4 stars to). But I will see this film.

The non-profit motive ...

Seattle's alternative newspaper, The Stranger, has an interesting feature on non-profits by Matthew Richter. It lays out a case that non-profits are hurting all across the nation and lays out a few solutions to what he sees as the major problems with non-profits. Interesting and a little depressing reading if you have 15 minutes or so.

The Noir Like You've Never Seen

Brick is simple to sum up: take a film noir detective story and set it in a California high school. Everyone is posing, everything is dramatic, and the kids are planning elaborate schemes to get back at one another.

It totally works! The film is a perfect blend of the teenager melodrama and the film noir, with bad girls, mean thugs, and eccentric crime bosses. It's hard not to laugh when you hear teenagers talking like Bogart, but everyone plays it straight. No one gives the slightest indication they feel anything is wrong with talking like a 1940's crime drama, the acting is superb in all roles, and the plot is intricate and tense.

What's more, they abide by the conventions of film noir: lots of violence and the main character gets beat up a lot, not a single bad word, and the suggestion of sex in between cuts. This is a rollicking good time at the movies.

367 Days Later: A Review

The blog is still up and running! One year and two days ago I posted the following on this blog:

It's April, 2005, and I'm going to try to start blogging again. Thanks to my friend, Joe, for the inspiration. We'll see what I post. Movie reviews. Probably lots of those. Book reviews, likely, too. Also you might even see some pseudo-pretenious philosophical babblings about my attempts to figure out what all is happening in the world. Writers--much smarter guys than me--like Thomas Friedman, Andrew Sullivan, David Rusk, and many others. Somehow they all work together.

That all said, maybe I'll tell some jokes, too. I like being a funny guy.

I'd say I was pretty much dead on. Especially about the pseudo-pretentious philosophical babblings part. And there have been plenty of movie reviews (wait for my review of Brick tomorrow! Awesome movie!).

But in the last 367 days, my stats tell me I've made 540 posts, and a quick survey of my blog in that time puts me at about 60,000 words that I've written myself--subtracting quotes from other people. Now, 60,000 words is a short novel (my last novel, Zebras in London, was 104,000 words). So I have to look back over this year and ask, "Would I rather have this blog, or a short novel?"

And I'm rather surprised to say that I would choose the blog. It's been a whole bunch of fun to write, plus I like that people are reading and then coming back. My little counter tells me that in all of September I had less than 25 visits. And for April, I've topped 350 already with 26 hits Thursday alone (lots of procrastinators out there, people?) Maybe I should start selling ads.

So why choose the blog?

I like the convenience of updating anyone who's interested without having to send a bunch of e-mails. I like, too, that the blog feels like a pretty good snapshot of my life in terms of interests, hobbies, religion, art, struggles, passions, and politics.

I have studiously refrained from baring my personal life or writing much about my job, but I don't want to author a tell-all blog about either of those topics. And the truth is neither area is that interesting unless you're a close friend, and then I force that stuff on you anyway, so why should I make you read it here? Everyone's life has turmoil and everyone's job has bad days with the good. Reading about that here would take away the point, and the fun of both reading this blog and writing it.

Some might read this to procrastinate and it's certainly a large part of why I write it. Actually, it's not procrastination for me so much as a reason to go forth online and find stuff when I need a break (perhaps I'm just finding a long-winded way to say "procrastination" but, oh well.) I like that because of this blog I wake up in the morning and look for interesting bits from newspapers, other blogs, movie reviews, gossip columns, etc. I don't know that I'd visit the New York Times homepage as often if I didn't suspect I might find something there worth posting.

I like writing long posts about arcane subjects and I like writing short squibs with links to articles or news. Both are fun depending on my mood and what's going on in the world. And I really like posting from far off places like Vegas, Chelan, Torino, 35,000 feet above Greenland, and even the Lake Cabin.

Thank you to my first year of readers. You are brave souls to venture back to these pages. I hope you'll still be around after Year Two. I don't know who you all are, but I hope there is something here for you.

Jane Jacobs

I bought her book, "The Life and Death of Great American Cities" a few months ago. She died yesterday and I think it makes me want to pick it up and finally read it. She has made quite an impact on the field of urban studies. Tribune colmnist Peter Callaghan has a small piece about her influences on urban design as well as a few bits from my Urban Studies prof at UWT, Brian Coffey.

Pairings

Erin introduced me to a new wine shop on 6th Ave tonight. It's called Pairings and is just a half block from Primo Grill. There's a really nice guy who works there and they have a good selection of wine. Thumbs up for yet another cool thing on 6th. That street has it all, man.

Breaking the Code of Silence

While I read celebrity gossip constantly, I usually attempt to refrain from posting the latest scoop. But I have to note a blurb on IMDb.com about Angelina Jolie. For the first time she commented on her relationship with Brad Pitt. They've been together for more than a year; they are having a kid together; they've run away to Africa to have it; and now is the first time she's even confirmed that they are a "family."

What I want to point out is that I kept waiting last year for the publicity interview where they would finally have their spokespersons announce that, "yes, Ms. Jolie and Mr. Pitt are romantically involved" followed by interviews together with Barbara Walters. But they didn't, and I have immense respect for that. Look at how well they have come off in comparison to say, I don't know, Tom and Katie (and I absolutely refuse to call either couple Brangelina or TomKat. And calling Suri, Tom and Katie's child, TomKitten is an offense that deserves the stockade).

Anyway.

Good for them. I appreciate that we don't hear about their love life like we did Eva Longoria, or how they "slam" rumors, or how great it is that they've found real love like we hear every time anyone else gets into a new relationship in Hollywood. So kudos to Brad and Angelina. You are the most drop dead gorgeous couple in the world and still--amazingly--have a little class as well.

And finally, before I say good night ...

I must congratulate my good friend Erin Riggio, who was accepted as a Project Editor today at Sasquatch Books, Seattle largest publisher. Some may know them as the publishers of Book Lust and More Book Lust. I know them as the publisher of the Scarecrow Video Guide. Yahoo for Erin! Create lots of good books for us.

The Greatest Magician

I've mentioned it before, but if you want to read a fabulous novel, you really should find Glen David Gold's Carter Beats the Devil. I've posted the book cover to woo you into buying it.

Buy it now. Read it this summer on a beach somewhere. You'll thank me.

While We're on the Subject ...

... I can also juggle and ride a unicycle. Though not both at the same time.

Of course these talents make it more likely I'd get a job as a clown rather than as a magician, but it's a start.

A cell phone in the hand is worth ...

... what? Free publicity? Two crooks in the slammer. Mr. Joe Kreuser thinks I'm being overly cynical when I said that David Copperfield and his lovely assistants added a bit of magic to a simple story of a robbery. He makes the good point that after hiding his cell phone, Mr. Copperfield used it to call the police with the license plate number of the car.

I will concede that it is not unlikely David Copperfield palmed a cell phone and his passport as he was showing his pockets were empty. Most professional magicians won't leave the house without a card up their sleeve or whatever else they need to do street-corner magic should the need arise. This is just smart business.

What Joe doesn't know is that I am a former magician prodigy.

I grew up circling magic tricks in the Magic Masters catalog that I wanted to learn. I still have big hardbound books on coin magic, and my card magic is probably still passable. I could probably still make a coin fit inside a coke bottle, and I even did rather well with Chinese linking rings. And I had a trick with coasters and foam balls that would knock your socks off.

But every book on magic had stories about how magicians were able to impress people with incredible--and impromptu--magic. Harry Blackstone was performing in a theater and the building next door caught fire. So he made it disappear (the books would always italicize that part). And David Copperfield made Claudia Schiffer's fries disappear. But in order to do so, he probably practiced a few dozen times and had tubing strapped to his arm with a small vacuum pump on his hip. I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea. No magic is going to work that well on the fly, and I think most examples of spontaneous acts of magic are to build the reputation of the magician rather than good chronicles of facts.

That said, all he did was palm some cash, a phone, and a passport (the passport sounds like the hardest part). Perhaps he did do it exactly like the story says, but I will remain a skeptic.

Random Question

How is it that American Idol is bigger now that it was when it started three or four Idols ago? The Apprentice took some bigs dips in ratings and interests after its first season. Same with Survivor, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. So why does this one continue, if not grow bigger? I don't get it.

If there is anything I feel like I am missing less than American Idol this week, I would be surprised.

Oh, the Humanity ...

Still no TV since Monday! And you have no idea how much it's killing me to know that at this very moment Thomas Friedman and Jon Stewart are talking about all sorts of cool things on The Daily Show.

If Andrew Sullivan and Roger Ebert made a guest appearance it'd be like I'd died and gone to heaven. Three fabulous writers on the funniest and smartest show on TV? And I'd be here not watching? Fortunately Lost was one of those re-caps they do to catch everyone up on everything that's taken place in the last 50 days on the island. Otherwise I would be pretty stir-crazy right now.

My first review!

Well, maybe it's not a review exactly, but the editor of TheNewsTribune.com did post a link to my blog on his blog with this to say:

Erik authors a “classic” blog. I say that because it’s not a narrow, specific topic that he focuses on; rather, it’s a meandering sampler of his personal life and insights touching on everything from golf to fantasy baseball to movies to newspaper editorials.

So it's a description more than a review. But cool! I'm, like, famous.

Neil Percival Kenneth Robert Ragland Young

He rocks the house!

Neil Young: Heart of Gold was a surprisingly good movie. Phil, his dad, and I went to see the late show of it tonight and found it to be both a great concert and a good movie.

The movie is assembled from two concerts; one right before and one right after brain surgery to remove an aneurysm. Both are filmed at a beautiful auditorium in Nashville, TN. If you like Neil Young, you'll probably like this movie. There was a song of his I'd never heard before that I'd like to include here:

Was he thinking about my country,
or the colour of my skin?
Was he thinking about my religion,
and the way I worshipped him?
Did he create just me in his image,
or every living thing?

When God made me.

Was he planning only for believers,
or for those who just had faith?
Did he envision all wars
that were fought in his name?
Did he say there was only one way
to be close to him?

When God made me.

Did he give me the gift of love
to say who I could choose?

When God made me.

Did he give me the gift of voice
so some could silence me?
Did he give me the gift of vision
not knowing what I might see?
Did he give me the gift of compassion
to help my fellow man?

It's hard out there for a magician

David Copperfield was mugged by three armed teenagers. He was with two assistants who gave up all their money, but when he was asked for his wallet, the magician showed the muggers that in fact all of his pockets were empty. Despite having a cell phone, passport, and wallet in them.

Uh huh.

First, how stupid were these armed teenagers to let a magician turn out his own pockets?

But anyway, who really believes the story anyway? David Copperfield was mugged by three armed teenagers. No problem there. But the only other witnesses to his feat of magic--which he called "reverse pickpocketing"--were two assistants whom he pays to keep secrets. Maybe I'm a little cynical but this sounds like a great PR piece. Like how he made Claudia Schiffer's french fries disappear on their first date. We like to think magicians are magical all the time, even in their every day life and that they find certain situations where magic is the best solution, like grocery shopping or dating or defeating muggers.

So I'm not buying it. Because if he really were magical, he would have just made their guns disappear. Like that would have been so much harder than making the Statue of Liberty disappear.

The College Experience

Carleton, from the eyes of a student, was pretty darn wonderful. Perhaps if I worked for the school the wool might be removed from my eyes, so I'm glad I didn't.

The New York Times has--intentionally or unintentionally--been publishing really really interesting behind-the-scenes articles about the college experience. Previously I linked to a piece by the Admissions Dean of Kenyon college. This op-ed is from a novelist who attempted to write a satirical novel about college administrations and found every ridiculous concept he could come up with was already being done somewhere.

Here's an article about colleges who go crazy trying to wow high school seniors trying to make up their mind by offering indoor soccer with the Dean and "Earthlust Sleepovers" (which I would probably immediately sign up for but leave disappointed and with the conviction I need to read brochures more carefully).

And another about the rise of the common application, which only a few schools offered when I was applying, and what that has done to the choices for college-bound seniors who can--and do--regularly apply to 20+ schools.

This is the kind of investigative reporting I like. Trend-spotting, paradigm-shifting, articles that show you what underlying things are changing our society. Big kudos to the NYT from this blogger. But stop hiding Thomas Friedman!

Robert Altman on APHC

If you like Altman or A Prairie Home Companion or both, you might enjoy this interview with him about his newest movie (and best movie since Gosford Park).

Buyer Beware

Bush has asked a Fox News commentator, Tony Snow, to be his new press secretary. I'll hear lots and lots of jokes about this on the Daily Show tonight. Oh wait. I haven't watched any TV since SNL on Monday; I'm on a TV strike. Well, I look forward to seeing what Jon Stewart has to next when I watch the episode next week.

I'm guessing it will be something like, "Why bother paying him for good coverage?"

Interestingly, Andrew Sullivan notes some pointed critiques Mr. Snow has made about Bush. According to him, Bush has "lost control of the federal budget and cannot resist the temptation to stop raiding the public fisc." Not to mention, "when it comes to federal spending, George W. Bush is the boy who can’t say no." Which I only point out because it will be interesting to hear what he says when he stands in front of the press and starts answering questions.

Back on Track

My favorite columnist, Thomas Friedman, is back in top form. I haven't read him regularly recently for a couple reasons. 1st, the new site at the NYT is harder to see when he's writing. 2nd, he hasn't been so good recently. Maybe this has something to do with behind the bizarre wall the NYT erected around their best columnists. So I can't link to his article about China and California and how they need to do some serious talking. But I really recommend finding it in the paper because it's interesting.

Here's one cool fact: because of strict energy laws, California uses about 1/2 of the kilowatt hours/person than the rest of the US. The probably just don't want to get screwed by Enron again.

13-3 Sox

Went to the Mariners tonight, but decided to leave after the 6th when it was 9-0, White Sox. The Mariners scored three, but the margin of loss still managed to increase. Depressing.

Although it was a spectacularly beautiful night and about the most perfect evening for a spring baseball game. (I say spring game because it got very cold after the sun set.)

I believe the children are the future

School levies are passing in today's election. At least they were at 9:00 tonight. Hopefully things will continue to go strong tomorrow as well.

John Kerry in Boston

18 months too late, but John Kerry nails it. The excerpt below is from a speech given at Faneuil Hall:

The true defeatists today are not those who call for recognizing the facts on the ground in Iraq. The true defeatists are those who believe America is so weak that it must sacrifice its principles to the pursuit of illusory power.

The true pessimists today are not those who know that America can handle the truth about the Administration's boastful claim of 'Mission Accomplished' in Iraq. The true pessimists are those who cannot accept that America's power and prestige depend on our credibility at home and around the world. The true pessimists are those who do not understand that fidelity to our principles is as critical to national security as our military power itself.

And the most dangerous defeatists, the most dispiriting pessimists, are those who invoke September 11th to argue that our traditional values are a luxury we can no longer afford.

Joe's Predictions

I didn't realize Joe was predicting each week's games. Awesome! It's like I'm friends with SportsCenter now. Here's his take on my chances this week:

After a defeat of epic proportions (I wouldn't have called that, by the way) Mudville responded nicely with a split last week. will his newly acquired X factor (Nady, that is) power him to victory this week? also, I'll believe that London's claim that he checks the page every day when he puts Prior on the DL. with Lee on the DL as well, I like Mudville's lineup more. unfortuneately his staff is young, and that comes with predictable problems. Mudville'll take it, by quite a bit unless London makes some moves. like PUTTING MADDUX IN THE GODDAMN ROTATION! seriously, if I had a starter doing that well right now I'd be a hell of a lot closer to the top of those rankings. Mudville 13-5.

Whoo-hoo! Joe thinks I'm a winner.

I'm the best and the worst

in Fantasy Baseball. The Mudville 9 is at the absolute bottom of the Fantasy League that Mr. Joe Kreuser has set up. Mighty Casey certainly has struck out. And the Sundodgers (the original name for the UW Huskies, if you can believe it) are at the top of their league that Mr. Phil Miller set up.

... I don't know how to feel about myself.

Dreamz with a Z

Not exactly V for Vendetta but American Dreamz (with a z) is pretty darn good. Directed by Paul Weitz, who directed the wonderful In Good Company, About A Boy, and American Pie, the movie is a pretty daring satire, though I wish it weren't. It doesn't have the perfect pitch of Thank You For Smoking, and it cares too much about its characters to hate them. Mandy Moore and Hugh Grant were both good, actually, and Dennis Quaid turned G.W. Bush into a hero of sorts. It wasn't bad. Not as good as the other movies I mentioned, but about the only thing the Grand isn't playing this week that I really wanted to see.

Off the wagon

It didn't take long, but I watched Saturday Night Live with Lindsay Lohan today. So TV Turnoff week lasted a full 8 hours, from the time I posted until I got home from work. But the show was aired on the 15th, so I suppose that it doesn't actually fall into TV Turnoff Week. So I'm good!

To make up for my indiscretion I spent a half hour reading Schleshinger's biography of Kennedy in the White House, A Thousand Days. I've been reading it since last summer and I'm only 600 pages through it with 400 left to go. After my Minnesota trip last spring I came back with some good advice from Carleton's President Oden, as passed to me from Mike Hendel, "If you want to be a good leader, don't waste your time with books on how to be a good leader. Read biographies of good leaders." So I started with Kennedy. Next it'll probably be 1776, and then I'd like to re-read Anwar Al Sadat's auto-biography, In Search of Identity, which is a fascinating and inspirational read.

Two Op-Eds

The Tribune is dead on right twice today. First, a plan to restore the Winthrop to a hotel and relocate its low income families around downtown is the way to go.

Second, TV Turn off week is badly needed right now. It starts today and goes through Sunday. Even though it's intended to get kids away from the TV, I think I might participate. We'll see how I do. Here's the TV Turnoff website if you're interested.

The Morning Routine

I have a new Monday morning routine that is awesome! For the last 5 weeks or so, I've visited the dry cleaners and the grocery store before starting my day. I take 5 shirts to the store and pick up the 5 shirts from the week before. And I get produce and meat, etc (plus Triscuits, always. My new favorite is Rosemary & Olive Oil). It really is pretty great. I get shirts and food and I'm good to go for the week. Plus it makes me feel productive and ready to get work done, too.

Big thumbs up. Highly recommended if you're looking for a way to start the week.

113!

That was my golf score today. Played with Phil and his dad and my dad and it was about the most perfect day for it. And I got a 113!

Those who play golf know that that is not exactly a good score. At all. But I'm not so vain as to hide it. It marks a major improvement over the last time I played. Although I am vain enough not to want to specify how much of an improvement it is. :)

Biggest Nerd in the World?

JJ Abrams has agreed to direct the next Star Trek movie. The last film, Star Trek Nemesis, was kind of disappointing (though not nearly so much as Insurrection). But this is a good think for Star Trek, I think, as JJ Abrams seems like he can bring the Midas touch to transform Nerd Heaven into pop culture phenomenon.

Take Alias. The show is bizarre and incredible (which I use in the sense that it is unbelievable to the extreme, with deux ex machinas every other commercial break). Mixed in with the good ol' fashioned spy scenes are prophesies, ancient predictions, and science fiction like you wouldn't believe. And it works. It certainly helps, of course, that the show is like Barbie For Men, where the writers get to dress up Jennifer Garner in about every fantasy costume they can think of.

Then take Lost. The premise is nerd heaven, as Internet websites have proven. It's like the cult following behind X-Files, but this time everyone is watching.

My point is that JJ Abrams might be the biggest nerd ever. But a good nerd. And one who might be able to bring Star Trek back with a really really awesome movie. Here's hoping!

The Gentle Sounds of Spring

Woke up this morning at 7:30 am to a whole lot of tapping. Turns out a robin was convinced this was the place to be. But of course he was right. Because I'm at the lake again and when it's 70 degrees and sunny, this is the place to be. Even at 7:30 am.

Another Attempted Bid Ends in Failure

The Hapsburgs in Austria-Hungary got greedy this game. After initial successes, Mother Russian and the Ottoman Turks joined forces against our valiant Bavarians and stalled their continued gains. A brief foray into Munich was unsuccessful, too, and Austria eventually collapsed, ceding Greece to the Turks and Rumania to the Russians and surrendered to the French assault on Venice. It was a sad day for the glory of the Austrians.

My New View

It looks like my beautiful view of Mount Rainier will disappear some time next year. I had always thought it was pretty safe, but an 18 story condo project will be going up right in the way, I think. It's not for sure--I haven't been outside to really investigate but I'm about 99% sure. I'll just have to take extra care to appreciate it this summer I guess!

Best. Mysteries. Ever.

And finally I want to say the Reginald Hill is about the surest bet for a good read that I can find anywhere. I have trouble with his slang, since he sets his fiction in Mid-Yorkshire, England, and writes things like, "It's owt for nowt, yon bugger." Plus he's got a fantastic vocabulary and every third word it seems like I have to try to figure out whether he's writing English slang or some word that I should actually know.

But man they are good books. I cannot recommend "Arms and the Women" enough, followed by "Dialogues of the Dead" and the immediate successor, "Death's Jest Book" which picks up days after Dialogues. He's been writing the Andy Dalziel and Peter Pascoe series since the 70s and it's incredible to see that they've just gotten better.

I forgot to mention that "Picture of Perfection" is easily one of my absolute most favorite books ever, but I don't recommend starting with it because it's nice to know the characters first.

Time Slip

Once again, I'm going to exercise my muscles and try to rule the world in Diplomacy tomorrow morning. Kind of nice to find a couple folks who are interested in playing ...

But first it's an early morning Board Training before I scatter my fortunes to the winds of war.

The Penny

In case you thought the government was wasting money, I have proof that it is: the penny. Here's a fascinating article in the New York Times about that little piece of copper and zinc.

Awhile ago Sam Seaborn on the West Wing convinced me that we should abolish the penny. So this article convinced me once again because of one incredible fact: it costs more to produce a penny now than it's actually worth. That's right, it costs 1.4 cents to make a 1 cent penny.

What's more, last year the US Mint manufactured 7.7 billion pennies, or 28 pennies for every American (that's my own math there) in just one year! That means, though, that the mint produced 7.7 billion dollars in pennies at a cost of 10.78 billion, which meant we lost 3 billion just manufacturing the stupid thing.

This is the equivalent, by the way, of it costing 35 cents to mint a quarter, to put it into a little perspective. I'm officially going to add "Abolishment of the Penny" to my assorted Bizarre Hot Button Issues, which means it joins the ranks of Aggressive Municipal Annexation, Repeal of the Marine Mammal Act, and Nationalization of US Railroads. Of course I have other serious issues I believe in like gay marriage rights, First Amendment protection, etc, but sometimes it seems a whole bunch more interesting to get all worked up about issues that no one else could give a hoot. So: down with the penny!

My Old View

I used to watch all the happenings on Broadway when I lived in the Bostwick. Directly across from me was the Crystal Ballroom in the Winthrop Hotel and I could watch wedding parties come and go, waving goodbye to the bride and groom right under my window.

And right next to the Winthrop was the Mecca Theater, probably one of the last adult theaters in the country. I saw many a man rush into that theater. It actually took me awhile to figure out when they were closed. They'd be open when I went to bed and open when I woke up. And I saw a couple guys get into a fight over a cigarette in front of their doorway once, which was very funny to watch because the cigarette was in one guy's mouth and the other guy kept swatting at it trying to get it back.

But that era is ending. The Winthrop is being fixed up and the Mecca is closing after 30 years in business. The giant hotel-turned-low-income and the adult theater next door have held the revitalization of the Theater District back.

I hope the tide will begin to swing the other way.

Another bit of technology

Apparently, having a second computer monitor on your system is the thing to do right now. Just read this column in the NYT today. It's about the most compelling case to add a second screen to my computer as I've ever seen. Plus it just sounds so cool ...

Luck o' the Irish

Made my second foray to the new Irish pub on my street, Doyle's Public House, and am continually impressed. It's a great combination of class and neighborhood-y feel. I hope it will be a frequent stop for me. Kinda nice to have such a place two blocks away. Hopefully I'll find lots of good reasons to go so that I can practice stumbling home.

The food was surprisingly good for a dinner and the beer is very European. Also, they have some of the best cider I've had in a long time. Joe, my friend, if they have Magner's in Minnesota, you should find some.

And yet we must laugh

Because no matter how worrisome a problem, like loss of privacy and tracking of our every movement with an RFID tag, there is someone who is so far out in Left Field that the whole problem becomes silly.

According to the same Wikipedia page on RFIDs, there is a discussion among "Christian Anarchists" who think RFID tags are the Mark of the Beast referred to in the Book of Revelation. Since credit cards and UPC codes didn't pan out as the Mark of the Beast, this is the new pick.

For the record: whether RFID tags signal the end of the world or not is very low on my list of concerns about them.

The Luddite

I've got a love-hate relationship with technology. I love it cause it can be so incredibly cool and helpful. E-mailing photos of my Torino trip from the plane, blogging, etc. But I'm also wary. The Narrows Bridge, for example, is introducing a feature where I can pay my toll with a pre-paid sticker on my car that is read by a sensor when I cross. And then when I start to get low, I can add more money on-line.

What the News Tribune article doesn't say, and what the WSDOT doesn't say either, is how this great gizmo works. Which is telling because very soon someone is going to ask, "Will WSDOT protect my privacy?" The sticker must be--and I have no proof for this, but it's the only reasonable way for this to work--an RFID tag. That means my car will carry around a Radio Frequency Identification. Here's the Wikipedia page on RFID (Wikipedia, of course, is one of the truly great benefits of technology).

But if RFID doesn't give you the willies, it should. A guy in Washington installed a chip in his hand that he uses to open and start his Toyota just by waving his hand around. The State Department is putting them into passports. Wal-Mart uses them to track products along their entire supply chain. Anyway. If you're worried about privacy in the US, RFID tags should be your primary concern.

Burt Munro

My dad and I saw The World's Fastest Indian last night. It's a slow-paced feel-good movie with the great ending. Fun to watch and Anthony Hopkins is great. Not a great movie by any means, but it will suck you in eventually. And not nearly as good as Thank You For Smoking, which is pretty darn awesome.

Tom and Katie's Babe

Here's an interesting letter to the new child, Suri, from novelist Walter Kirn (who wrote Thumbsucker, which was turned into a film last year). It's published in full at andrewsullivan.com under the title "Save the Childen. Here's the best excerpt:

For Holmes and 'Cruise' to have marched a helpless new spirit into the global media s***-storm that they, their publicists and their clerical overseers have been whipping up for many months now should not only be an actionable infraction but a grave reminder to all of us not to toy around with unformed soul material.

Suri, lovely child, you are free. You just don't know it yet. You don't even have to, ultimately, keep that name they gave you. You can be an 'Amy' like your friends. None of what happened is your responsibility. Your mother, she chose to relinquish her personal liberty. Your father, he chose to forsake his humanness. But you, at eighteen, as an American citizen and-- in the words of the Desiderata-- 'a child of the universe' will have the right to hop any bus you want and take it as far as you want and never return.

I'm a stranger, child, but I'm a parent, too, and on behalf of many millions of parents who cherish the awesome power that we wield over those who come to earth with none , I make you this promise:

You shall be released.

-- Walter Kirn

Poor child.

What's in a name?

I think Scott McClellan has been such a disaster because his name is McClellan. As Phil, or any other Civil War buff, will tell you, General George McClellan was one of the worst Generals ever. Reading his Wikipedia bio is like reading a laundry list of mistakes.

And then the Democrats nominated him for President to run against Abe Lincoln. I didn't realize that my party of choice had been struggling to find good candidates for such a long time ...