4.27.2004

kerry's ribbons

Bush has sent out his minions do to some dirty work and stir up trouble over Kerry lying about throwing away his medals in a major protest after he returned from Vietnam. You seem, Kerry didn't really throw away his medals. He throw away his ribbons. But in 1971, he said medals, so he's a no-good liar who doesn't deserve to be President unlike the saintly G.W. who was obviously doing nothing wrong in 1971. (cough)

One problem, though. Its all a great big lie.

Bush's people are counting on ordinary people's definition of medal. Meaning, those shiny metal things. Kerry didn't throw those away, but he said medal. The thing is, the Navy calls the ribbons he did throw away medals. Kerry was just using the Navy's terminology. Basically, if you've seen a formal Naval uniform, you may have noticed the field of ribbons worn over the chest. Every medal given out comes with a ribbon meant to represent the medal. The Navy regards these ribbons as Medals. Indeed, given that they are the symbolic representation of the medal, it made sense that Kerry would choose to return those as a symbolic expression of opposition to the continuing Vietnam War. When Kerry called them medals, he was 100% accurate. That is what the Navy calls them. But Bush are counting on people not learning the context and just accepting the 100% dishonest spin they are putting on it about Kerry being a liar.

So, they are lying to call Kerry a liar. Not that lying hasn't been a major part of their campaign to date, but this is getting even more absurd.

4.25.2004

low expectations

Hey, remember when I said this was going to be a pop culture blog and I would eventually start a separate blog for politics?

Oh, you don't? Well, I once said this was going to be a pop culture blog and I would eventually start a separate blog for politics. Forget I said it. Or, forget I just reminded you I said it. So, forget I just said this. I keep wanting to write about politics and its silly of me not to because I want to set up a separate political blog that I still haven't bothered to start. So screw it.

So, anyway, today was the March for Pro-Choice rights which drew somewhere in the area of a million people to the mall in Washington. I'm very happy that there was such a strong turn-out, since there has been such a growing concern of complacency over the issue by some on the left who take pro-choice rights for granted. Ralph Nader was a big part of this as he as often taken to ridiculing pro-choice advocates and mocking the suggestion that these rights may be at risk, ignoring the plain language of those on the rights. Meanwhile, the White House response to the March included a "bi-partisan" declaration that all people, regardless of their stance on abortion, could come together to support Bush's attacks on Pro-Choice rights. Seriously, they did this. More of W's "bi-partisan" means everyone agrees with me. But its not getting much play on the blogosphere for a big reason. Because Karen Hughes, Bush campaign big-wig and former Administration official, said this.

Yet again, its all about 9/11. Yet again, the Bush agenda is cleanly transformed into being all about terrorism. The Bush folks aren't like the terrorists, and that's why they aren't like us pro-choice advocates. Because, you know, so many fundamentalist Muslims are really into a woman's right to choose. But this is the same administration that compared teachers to terrorists, so no one is really surprised any more. The soft bigotry of low expectations is pretty big with the Bushies, don't you know?

4.22.2004

run for your life

I know I haven't been posting much lately. Sorry. Work has been busy with the end of our concert season. Also I'm just very worn out with looking for a new apartment and trying to find a part-time job. Asking people for things is, lets just say, not a skill of mine. I find it extraordinarily stressful so I'm just generally not in a good mood. It will all work itself out soon, but I'll be happier when its settled. Knowing it will be settled won't do much for me. The part-time job thing really is weighing on me. I know I need to, and I don't mind working retail though something nicer would be, well, nice. The easiest jobs to find, though, I'm not going to consider. Telemarketing and food service are non-starters for me, though I might get desperate and apply at Starbucks just because they seem to always be hiring and it could be much worse. I don't hate food service, but I know how draining it is. Telemarketing, I hate. Like I said above, I hate asking people for things. I did telemarketing for a week as a temp 4 years ago. Made me sick every night and I did an awful job.

Anyway, there is something I've been meaning to post since Monday. You see, Monday was what we here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts call Patriot's Day. Do other states have state holidays? Massachusetts has two of them. One isn't a big deal because no one really acknowledges it except the state (St. Patrick's Day is actually a legal holiday in MA; and we wonder where we got our reputation), but not Patriot's Day. Patriot's Day actually forces a change in Tax Filing many years since it falls near tax day. The City of Boston basically shuts down (I had to work, but it wasn't very productive since most everyone else was closed) and parties in honor of the Boston Marathon.

As you might guess, Patriot's Day's true origin lies in the American Revolution. It honors the first skirmishes between Colonials and British soldiers at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. Its now a Monday holiday but this year it actually fell on the real anniversery. Not that anyone really cares about this anymore. (Well, except the Revolutionary War re-enactors) Now, its just Marathon Monday. The biggest sports event in Boston, and that's saying a lot considering the devotion Boston holds for the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and Super Bowl Champion Patriots. Now, every year, some sports freaks start whining about how they don't get the Marathon. But the reasons they don't get it is the same reason I love it and why it draws huge crowds stretched out across 26 miles every year.

I've been lucky to see the Marathon live for each of the last 8 years. At least some part of it. I saw the Elites run through 4 of the 8 years, too, though a couple I only got out after work 3 hours after the leaders ran through and once I only watched it from my bedroom window. Nevertheless, its something I love. Part of it is the tradition. This was the 108th race. And because it is held on Patriot's Day, crowd participation has long been encouraged among all people. I don't get the feeling other cities have marathons anywhere near as iconic. The Marathon isn't a disruption. It isn't something to ignore (not that I think anyone could). Its something that brings everyone out. But more than that, its a sporting event where no one is rooting against anyone. Boston sports fans are infamously bitter and mean-spirited, which makes the Marathon all the better. This confuses some of those bitter fans, who don't know why they should care if they aren't rooting for someone who might win and if they don't understand why they should care about the Kenyans who've dominated the race in recent years.

Well, for starters, the fact that the Kenyans have so emphatically embraced the Boston Marathon. They LOVE us in Kenya. Really, the Boston Marathon is not a perfect Marathon, but the Kenyan runners have completely made it their own. I'm not entirely sure why, but there is no reason for Bostonians not to love the Kenyans right back and root for them. But aside from that, the race is all about cheering everyone. That's why going there 3 hours after the winner passed by isn't an excercise in futility. Its all part of the fun. You cheer on these people who've already run 20+ miles. On Monday, I saw the race from Kenmore Square which is about a mile away from the finish line. At this point, the runners are almost home. Easy for us to know, not so easy when you've run 25 miles already. That's where the crowd comes in. Even hours after the important stuff, the streets are lined with people cheering on everyone who passes by. These aren't athletes seen from the Upper Decks in Fenway Park. They aren't ball-players making millions (not that I have a problem with sports salaries). They are just regular folks here to compete and they are just a foot away. You just cheer. You encourage them. By name when possible, or at least by t-shirt. Everyone is in good spirits, everyone is there to have a good time. Its just a great thing to see and the kind of thing you really need to see for yourself. One of the reasons I love living in the city.

Well, except that I don't really live in the city anymore, but that's neither here nor there.

4.18.2004

he's rick james, bitch!

I've really been loving Chappelle's Show this season. I wrote a very long post about that, but it sucked. Suffice to say, I'm really loving Chappelle's Show.

Oh, and I'm also enjoying those Brawny commercials. You know, the one with the "softer" Brawny and the old-school Brawny. (Softer Brawny: "Look inside yourself. What do you see?" Old Brawny: "A cardboard tube.")

This post sucks. *sigh*

4.14.2004

rain, rain, go the f*** away already!

Sorry, just all this gray is really wearing me down. Man, they weren't kidding about April Showers this year. I know, this is some wonderful drought protection and all and that's good, but I really can't wait for it to be over and for the warm weather to return.

My subway train crosses a river on its way into Boston. Aparently the Mystic River, and thats the first time I've bothered to find that out. When the skies are clear, the water is this amazingly beautiful deep blue. Its very out of place for the surroundings. Heck, one side of the train shows a little industrial area on the river's edge, but still it is something to see. Lately, its just been this bland colorlessly dreck. That's the thing about bodies of water. On a beautiful day, they make it all the more beautiful. On an awful day, they make it all the more awful. They play to the surroundings, never making anything nice or making anything bad, just aiming for whatever's already there.

Meanwhile, I'm very close to giving up on finding a roommate. I have to find one by Saturday and don't have much in the way of strong leads. Oh, well. It sucks that I have to pay for my place on my own in May, but I'll get by. I'm going to try to do some little free-lance graphic design and/or get a retail-ish job to make up the difference. Wish me luck, and feel free to offer me work. hehe

4.07.2004

movie sign!

Again, I further push down my big long post. I guess its more personal than my previous big fat post so I'm both more interested in other's thoughts and expecting fewer comments. After all, its personal, not a general discussion. But, I need to get over it and start posting again. And since this was supposed to be a Pop Cult blog, I might as well post on the topic. The variet of pop cult? Movies!

Being girlfriendless, I haven't been really going to the movies lately but there is a backlog of films I want to see rapidly building and I really want to see several films right now. I've already written off getting to see Lord of the Rings (not happy about that, but oh well), so I want to see what I can now. My ex-girlfriend was kind enough to offer to pick up some discounted tickets from her employers HR office, so I wanted to figure out what I wanted to see. I was surprised to find 6 movies out recently or this month, but more surprised that there were only 4 for the rest of the summer.

I'm hardly an anti-Hollywood guy, but I'm just unimpressed with the remainder of the summer blockbusters. April isn't blockbuster time, so these flicks don't even count. Its not even like there were films that were close. I shouldn't be surprised, though. It was like this last year, too. Am I more of movie snob than I let on, or do the movies just suck? An open question. Anyway, here is what I'm looking forward, too.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (OUT NOW):I love, love, love, love Charlie Kaufmann, the screenwriter of this. I've seen all of his movies. (Being John Malkovich, Human Nature, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Adaptation) in the theaters and would like to keep that streak going. I actually own 2 of the 4 on DVD and want the other two. Though I've been sorta boycotting Winslett since she lost the weight and got viciously fat insulting, but I'll probably suck it up out of my Kaufmann admiration.

Jersey Girl (OUT NOW): Ah, Kevin Smith. I'm a HUGE Kevin Smith fan and have been looking forward to this for a while now. Its gotten some teppid reviews, but I know I like Smith so I'll like the film. Plus, it just looks good. Affleck does his best work with Smith, its got a great extended cast, some cool cameos from the sound of it, and I'm quiet excited about seeing it.

The Ladykillers (OUT NOW): Never saw the original, but my Coen Brothers fandom is second only to my Kevin Smith fandom. I trust their work to know it will entertain and amuse me. And Tom Hanks looks like he's having a lot of fun, too. Another easy call for me.

Hellboy (OUT NOW): I've got a thing for superheros, as I suspect I've touched on. Not comic books, mind you, but I love the idea of the characters and enjoy superhero films and tv shows. Don't know much about the character, but the whole package intrigues me. The director is really dedicated to the material and passed over a couple VERY high profile jobs to take this one (like Harry Potter), so you have to respect that. Equally respectable was the casting on Ron Pearleman as the lead. Its beautfiully unconventional, but perfect casting all the same. At the end of the day, does a famous face mean anything under so much make-up? Why not go with a good actor who's look will lend to the character. Very positive reviews, too.

The Punisher (April 16): Speaking of Superheros, I'm especially fond of Marvel's core characters and Punisher is one of them. They made a horrible film out of it way back when, but this looks promissing though tough to pin down. The source material is tailor made for an action film, but the promos look like its got a lot of poetry to it, as well. (Visual and story poetry, mind you. I don't think there will be any E. E. Cummings) (And yes, E. E.'s name should be capitalized so don't try to correce me. heh) It could be a very interesting character if done right.

Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (April 16): My ex-girlfriend HATED the first part with a major passion. She found it horribly disconcerting, which I can respect. Tarrentino can be a horrifically violent director, but I can't deny the beauty of his work. Besides, I want to see how it ends.

Shrek 2 (May 21): I liked the first one. Simple as that.

The Day After Tomorrow (May 28): From the folks who brought us Independance Day, its the return of the great big city destruction genre. Instead of comets or aliens or Godzilla, this time its weather. Yep. A big ass storm is set to destroy the world. The next Ice Age to be specific. Not sure how they intend to resolve it, either since its, well, weather. But it has Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead and I've long enjoyed mass destruction films. Obviously, such films have been off-limits for a couple years after we, you know, actually saw mass destruction on September 11. It was tough to enjoy the excitement and terror of the destruction of a city when we actually saw it for real. When we actually saw the debris cloud engulf a city. Actually saw an airplane plow into a landmark. But we're getting back to normal, it seems, so we can stomach watching a massive tornado tear apart and utterly destroy Los Angeles. Even New York is back in play, as it gets engulfed by tidal waves plowing through Wall Street, depositing tankers on the streets of NYC. Eventually, Manhatten is incased in ice and snow and we see the disturbing images of a new ice age overtaking the city, sealing the Statue of Liberty. We see the Public Library destroyed and frozen. All compelling images and I find it interesting. ANYWAY...

Spiderman 2 (June 30): Liked the first, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Anchorman (July 9): Loved Will Ferrell in Elf, so I'm more than happy to give him a shot in this film.

There are some others I'd consider. The Village, I, Robot, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Bourne Supremacy, Garfield, The Terminal, Troy etc. but nothing I'm too big into. Well, that's enough for one day. Sorry for boring you.

4.06.2004

let us let you do It yourself

I was reminded of what I still consider the most insane service ever advertised. I'm sure it has a point I'm missing, but I guess that's my point.

New from H&R Block! Do your taxes yourself!

Um, okay. Close as I can tell, for $35, they'll do the math. Or rather, some computer program will do the math. Now, you can by a well-known computer program to do the math for $20, so I still don't get the service. I even less get the pitch.

Its the commercial all about how some people have the "Do-it-Yourself" gene and now H&R Block has something for them. Um, okay. But, I've been doing my own taxes for years. I'm young enough and make little enough that my return is entirely uncomplicated. But, if I got complicated and I wanted to do it myself, would I figure that out, ya know, by myself? Doesn't paying someone blatantly defeat the purpose of Do-it-Yourself? Especially when they don't seem to be offering much in the first place. I don't know, I just don't get it. I mean, "Let us let you do-it-yourself!" just strikes me as a weird pitch.

But I'm all proud of myself, anyway, since I did my taxes a month ago. Already have my returns, too. Yay me!

4.05.2004

nothing important.

So, this has really gotten to be more of a personal blog than a pop-cult blog. Oh, well. I probably could have seen it coming. Though I've touched on politics with Fat Acceptance, I've still mostly left that subject off limits as I do want to start a political blog, still. And this will be for all other wastes of time.

I really need to do it soon, though, because I keep wanting to write something political. I admire the hell out of the great Poliblogs out there. I know I can't do what the best of them do, but I'd like to do what I can. Especially while I'm short of funds and unable to support the causes I really want to support.

Anyway, nothing important. Just felt like posting and I figured I might as well be done with it. I'm always hesitant to post after a long one like my last post, but had to do it sooner or later.