8 1/2

Fellini, again. I rented the DVD and got through the first 45 minutes or so. Really excellent books and movies always have the effect of making me feel, "I could do that." Organic simplicity, with all the parts fitting together and flowing naturally from each other, makes a real work of art seem so obvious, so easy. Like life. This movie has it.

I wish I could do that.

UPDATE: Sunday. I finished it. I love it. There just isn't another filmaker like Fellini. Dreams, art, life, illusion, humor, reality. Truth and the frustration of trying to express it. It's hard not to sound pretentious when dealing with these things. Somehow he manages it; I can't, so I'll leave it at that. This movie is poetry.

A Confession

Ok, this seems weird, I know, but I find I actually like Monica Lewinski. I've seen her a few times on various TV shows, and there's something charming about her, sexy even.

Right. Go ahead and laugh at me. Ha, ha.

Ok. You can stop now.

I said, you can stop laughing now---for Christsake it's not that funny.

You Just Never Know

And here's proof. Would you have pegged this kid as someone on his way to becoming the richest man in the world?

The Value of a Bad Memory

I watch the fish in my aquarium swim to one end, turn around and swim to the other. I get the impression they are surprised each time they reach a wall. Sometimes I get the feeling that's me.

I can remember that certain books and movies are good or boring, but after about 10 years I can't remember exactly why. So, I revisit the ones I remember as being good, and hey, I was right! My taste in art exactly matches my own. (Or something like that) Often, and this is especially true for science fiction, of which I've read a ton, I get halfway through a book before I realize I've read it before. But it's generally still fresh and amusing, and I seldom remember the ending, so I read on. I've read all the Nero Wolfe mysteries at least twice, starting circa 1975, and I figure around 2005 I'll be ready to start working my way through again. I'm looking forward to that. (I hope I remember to do it. Maybe I should leave myself a note...)

I rented Amadeus the other night, and bingo, it's a great movie, just as I had it so incitefully classified (although it has about as much in common with the real Mozart's life as Shakespear In Love does with the life of that Stratfordian fraud, Shaksper). It left me wanting to listen to "The Magic Flute," and "Requiem." And now that I think of it, that's just the effect it had the first time I saw it. (Oh, and one other opera who's name I will remember when I see it... ahhh, I've got it---low baritone, rising then sinking at the end: "Don Giovaaaaaaaaanni")

Airtoons

Heh, Heh. You're gonna want to visit this link pointed out by Buttafly. Reminds me a little of MST2K (only different).

Amnesia International

Amnesty International is apparently already prepared to forgive and forget Iraq's human right's abuses. AI's main concern, after all the emerging evidence of torture and murder by Sadaam's regime, is "...about the mounting toll of civilian casualties in Iraq and the reported use of cluster bombs by US forces in heavily populated areas." Reported by whom? They don't present credible evidence that these things were widespread, or even existed. Oh, wait! They cite the BBC and Robert Fisk.... Like I said, no credible evidence.

And, instead of celebrating the fact that the US has freed Iraqis from the grip of human rights abuse of Biblical proportions, AI complains about,

"Widespread looting and arson. Lawlessness and reprisal attacks. Water shortages and power cuts. Overwhelmed and ransacked hospitals. Disorder hampering humanitarian relief agencies. This is the grim reality facing millions of Iraqi civilians in areas newly under the control of US/UK forces."

True, I suppose, but these are all expected side-effects of any war, and, more importantly, none have been inflicted by the US on purpose. In fact the US is trying hard to ameliorate them. If these problems turn out to be anything other than short term, then I may pay attention to leftists' whining complaints about them.

And, after the U.N. basically left the Iraqis hanging out to dry (by their thumbs) for the last 12 years:

"Amnesty International calls for the urgent establishment of a United Nations (UN) commission of experts to develop proposals for a program that would address comprehensively the issue of justice in Iraq, with the participation of Iraqi civil society."

A UN commission of experts...right. What an excellent idea. The commission could put Turkey in charge of the Kurdish region, as a reward for refusing entry privileges to the US aggressors. To Syria could go the job of managing Iraq's northern oil fields and the Saudis could be in charge of the southern oil fields.They could put Chirac in charge of Iraq's economy and Putin could handle rebuilding Iraq's defense forces. China should be an excellent choice for covering up, I mean disposing of, Iraq's WMD, since they probably know where they are all located. Oh, and they could put Libya in charge of investigating Sadaam's human rights abuses.

AI has an article about "excessive use of police force" against war protesters by the United States. But nowhere on their site can I find even a mention of the torture chambers, electric torture devices, and mass graves that are the scummy residue of Sadaam's fithy regime. It has a high-sounding name, but what is Amnesty International really about?