Monthly Archive for November, 2006

The Fountain

Published on November 23, 2006 in ..The Dude, Films, Reviews and The Ill-Literates. 6 Comments

[image:202:l] Darren Aranofsky’s long labored over, much anticipated (at least among geeky film fans), movie is finally here. Many hoped it would be a modern 2001. Is it?

No.

This movie has very little in common Kubrick’s classic including the polarized passions it produces. People usually either love 2001 or hate it. I love it. But the impression I get with The Fountain is that people will either hate it or be kind of ambivalent. I’m ambivalent.

Yeah I’ve read a couple of glowing reviews to go along with the mostly tepid or lousy ones. But I think those will remain exceptions. This is going to be a hard movie for anyone to love. Ironic since love is one of it’s core elements. That and death. In fact it’s hard to know which of these Arranofsky himself is devoted to. Love or death. To some extent he’s made a sometimes turgid paean to death that in its exuberance in attempting to embrace it and help us to not fear death, seems more likely to have been fashioned out of a desperate fear of it himself.

That would be fine if it didn’t seem like one of it’s central themes is in coming to terms with death and realizing its not final. But in crafting a story that uses ancient archetypes of death avoidance like that of a tree perpetually renewing-a theme going back to fertility and agricultural worship motifs, playing right on through the Ash Tree of Nordic myth and Jesus on his cross shaped tree of wood-and the archetype of the eternally running fountain, Arranofsky certainly seems to be expressing a hopeful vision of the most feared thing in creation.

There’s even some Buddhist imagery as well as some transcendental touches in the films future vision that suggests breaking through to a greater understanding or awareness.

But none of it convinced me that Aranofsky or all those he borrowed from, are onto something.

Which isn’t necessarily his job as a filmaker. One thing this film does share with 2001 is in moving towards a sort of renewal. 2001 keeps this a bit more universal as he dehumanizes individuals, but it does suggest some sort of evolution of the spirit or mind of mankind. The movie doesn’t prove any of that. But it leaves room for interpretations that can range as far along the scale of believability or mysticism as you’re comfortable with. The Fountain certainly leaves room for interpretations too. I am not in anyway sure of what I just saw on that screen. There’s alot there up for debate and exploration upon further viewing.

I’m just not sure I want to see it again.

I’ll probably have at least one more viewing in me on DVD months from now to try and get a better grasp and see how it holds up. The movie was engrossing. At least for me. A group of people actually got up and left halfway through the movie where I saw it and another girl was in and out of the theater with her cell phone so much it was clear she was just killing time waiting for her boyfriend who seemed to want to stick it out or at least get his money’s worth. Me, I was riveted. I’m not sure why though. Was it my expectations or something there in the film that meant more to me in the sum of its parts than the full version?

I’m not sure because those parts were less than compelling while still being interesting. Maybe I need to coin a new term for this kind of film. It’s obtuse and compelling. Obtelling? Comptuse?

Solaris would be a film I’d put under that label. That too was Comptuse. It was also boring. Boring and interesting. Boresting.

Anyway, those parts consist of basically 3 milieus. 15th or 16th century Spain and the new World, somewhat modern period that’s possibly a bit in the future and that is the main ground of the film, and a far off future with Hugh Jackman travelling to a nebula in a round and transparent conveyance that looks like a dessicated snow globe.

The only part we’re sure is real is the modern area where most of the “action” takes place. One of the problems for alot of people is going to be in its non linear interspersing and shuffling of the three periods. Say what you want about how pretentious and arty you might think 2001 is but it was a straightforward story laid out in an encompassing linear progression. The Fountain is more Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind meets Donnie Darko and have a dyslexic child who does acid and likes going to the art houses of the moderately talented as a way of rebelling against its parents.

Or something.

As alluded to above there is also doubt about how real the past and far future segments really are. Jackman who plays Tommy, is married to the dying Izzy played by Arranofsky’s wife Rachael Weisz. She has apparently worked some of her death issues out working on a book which is apparently where the Jackman as Conquistador and Weisz as Queeen Isabella stuff take place. It deals with Mayan myths regarding a tree of life and has some scenes and symbols I’m not going to pretend to have figured out though they are not as complex as that makes them sound. [image:201:l]

Nor will I throw my theories on what that whole period was about and how it relates to the other segments. I’ll just mention that the Mayans apparently thought the dead went to a nebula they called Shambala and identified in the Orion cluster. One illuminated from within by a dying star. This is where future Jackman in his plastic bubble is headed.

All of this takes place under the guise of profound love and a desire to keep Izzy alive.

That’s also all I’ll say there for now as far as plot points go.

But I have to comment on the nature of this angle as well as the death and rebirth one I’ve already mentioned.

Viewing this movie as a love story between Tommy and Izzy contributes to it falling short for me. Sure love is grand and all but how many mature people who have lived and loved really think love is this everlasting ideal anymore? We go through couplings and get over it when they’re over. It’s a nice feeling to have but there is plenty of evidence it’s in large part a poetic expression of lust and genetic imperatives meant to legitimize and elevate it over other bodily functions. True some people have it more fully and deeply than others. They have my jeolousy. But Arranofsky goes a long way to aggrandize the feeling that no matter how hard he feels for Weisz now, will almost surely let him down and lead to another inevitable divorce one day.

Ok that is a bit cynical. But it’s also likely. Feelings fade and very few couples, if any, love each other in a deep and passionate way forever.

That out of my system it does have a different interpretation if one chooses to look at the film and its characters as more of an archetype. Arranofsky likes those and tries to keep his characters from becoming too personal. So maybe Tommy and Izzy are Man and Woman. In that sense the love or whatever that binds us together will go on forever. At least as long as humanity anyway. In that sense the puching back of death is our eternal struggle.

And like I said this could be viewed more as about love of death and acceptance as a timeless love that Tommy feels for Izzy.

Except that it’s possible death is conquered in the movie.

Alot of all this depends on how how you view the final future segments as well as the final bit back in our time more or less, and how that fits in with the concept of Izzy’s book and her desire for it to be finished. But between needing another viewing to figure it out and nobody having seen this yet, discussion on that topic will have to wait.

Another element that was rumored to be strong, and indeed people have commented favorably on even when in overall negative reviews are the visuals. 2001 told much of its story visually and The Fountain was supposed to do the same thing. And it may very well have attempted to do so. But it doesn’t work as well. First off the imagery isn’t all that special. When 2001 came out is was unique trippy stuff to see on the big screen. The future segments here, though being lauded by many, seemed pretty pedestrian to me. In this day and age of offhand cgi technology I just wasn’t impressed. I’ve seen visuals as good on episodes of Farscape.

I’m not saying these segments weren’t still interesting to look at. But I don’t see them being as compelling as some do. They certainly will not become as iconographic as Kubrick’s. Or Battlestar Gallactica’s for that matter.

But if you’re not the typical moviegoer this is worth a look. I’m already starting to want to see it again. I just don’t want to pay to do so. That might tell you something. For all this movies warming to death, if that is indeed what it is doing, I’m no less afraid of it and what is more to the point I feel like Arranofsky is no less afraid. I get more of an impression of a director who has suffered loss and is creating his religion in film to help deal with it. A man whistling in the dark much like Clint Eastwood’s William Munie in The Unforgiven who kept saying that he was changed and not like that anymore thanks to his dear departed, over and over, trying to make himself believe it. Right up until he shoots everyone in sight.

Call Him Commando

Published on November 10, 2006 in ..The Dude, Irritations, Life and The Ill-Literates. 7 Comments

Or Commondo. Angry Bob has been going Commando all these years and I didn’t know it. How does one go about resuming normalcy after a bomb like this gets dropped? Well I start by putting it on the internet.

Sure the hints were there. i’d seen this mans ass crack on more than a few occasions and it should have registered that I didn’t see underwear bands. But until tonight when he confessed to this dark dark secret, I hadn’t let myself think about it. And it’s not a dark, dark secret to him. To me this is a dark, dark secret. I just wished it had remained one.

I’ve stood right next to this man on hundreds of occasions!

For the love of god he’s ridden in my cars countless times!

Even my new one!

And all of this without the normal expected extra barrier between his boys and me or my car seat.

I myself made the switch from briefs a few years ago. Briefs are too tight. I want some extra room down there. I can understand that need. But holy dancing moses I don’t want them just swinging around all willy-nilly like paddle balls.

Someone could get hurt.

And you need a little something extra in the cold.

It’s not just water that produces shrinkage.

And what about zippers?

Do you really want to take that kind of a chance?

That’s like running with scissors.

Damn it Bob did Something About Mary teach us nothing?

Ok. Obviously this is a controversial subject. But despite the personal and societal implications of what I will objectivelly call “a choice,” we can not let these things divide us. I still love you Bob! Damn it I do!

I don’t care what anyone says.

No matter what the fallout I’m here for you.

I may not agree with your “choice,” but I’ll defend to the grave your right to make it.

You are

and forever will be

my friend.

Whatever they will say I’ll stand by you.

Well, not too closely.

Sleeper Cells

Published on November 9, 2006 in ..The Dude, Irritations and The Ill-Literates. 0 Comments

Why must I take part in people’s cell phone conversations?

More and more i’m finding that cell phone usage has become so much the norm that all restraint and propriety is shed as people carry on in public like these things are an organic part of not only their own bodies but of societies norms.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in public places with these people carrying on with loud phone conversations that show not the least awareness of those around them. THis smacks of not only inconsideration, since often these conversations go on in places like the book store where I and others are reading while someone screams into thier hand about the inconsequential details of their lives like sharing them will somehow make them more valid.

It also seems highly egotistical. Not only is it all about them and not the least bit about anybody else there at the moment who doesn’t want to hear about what their person on the other end is making for dinner tonight or how much they really want to see Borat or enjoyed that recent indie film they saw and highly recommend because blah blah blah. THey just carry on as loud as they can without getting arrested as if it matters. To all of us. I can only speak for me but it doesn’t matter to me. I’m not there because I want an inside peak into the private lives of these amazingly complex and worldly blazing stars.

An example of the complete disregard and lack of awareness of these people is a woman at Barnes & Noble who was having this loud conversation in the cafe area while I and others were reading or engaged in normal conversation. She was carrying on about where she was, what she was going to do next, what she thought about so and so and this and that. But then she had the temerity to loudly complain to her friend, therapist, or parole officer on the phone about how loud the music was in the store and how it made it impossible for her to relax and read.

What the fuck!

And even when it’s not disturbing the peace I have to wonder about people who are just walking along having conversations, often with unseen phones or those mics that allow for free hands. Often they appear to be crazies talking to themselves. But slowly I find myself not assuming madness but instead when i hear someone talking to themselves I assume they must be wired and having some pointless conversation that couldnt wait until getting home because their egos demanded immediate airing of whatever was on their minds and the gratification of suggesting to passersby taht they are really cool and important people with alot of shit going on.

When I see someone truly talking to themself that’s the surprise.

But I never see that anymore.

Why?

Because all the damn loonies have cell phones now!

And there’s such an intensity and focus to these people’s conversations you’d think they were passing on launch codes. Unless you’re Jack Bauer talking to Chloe or a terrorist, stop carrying on in front of me with your cellphone or racing up and down store aisles going at your little phones with a gravitas born only of your self-inflated worth.

There was a study recently indicating that excessive cell phone usage thins sperm counts in men. I can only hope that is natures way of thinning the herd of loud, overbearing people who think their shit don’t stink and that I want to smell it too.

If you need to discuss something that urgently step outside or find a spot where people aren’t engaged in quieter pursuits. At least lower your voice. Those phones work pretty well now and you don’t have to yell into them. THis isn’t C.B. technology anymore and you’re not truckers good buddies.

I don’t care about you. You didn’t do anything that interesting. You are not interesting. You are not Jack Bauer. And you obviously don’t care about me though you wish me to hear about the tired minutiae of your life. So let’s respect our respective indifference of each other. You don’t yell play by play into your hand about what you’re doing at the moment and I won’t get closer to flipping the frack out and bashing your face in with that damn phone!

Can we make this happen?

Thank you for listening.

Galactica: So Say We All

Published on November 8, 2006 in ..The Dude, Television and The Ill-Literates. 6 Comments

Because I’ve seen them all. I’m all caught up like the rest of you kids.

Wasn’t crazy about New Caprica eps. Like the last 2 much better. Getting back to the mythology of the show. The ship just makes for a better self contained universe that magnifies tensions and issues. I like the fracturing along the lines of those on Caprica and those on Galctica during the occupation. People are like that. Always getting tribal and drawing lines between each other. Uniting only against something else. And feeling their trials give them a right to feel superior or worthy of sympathy.

Cant help feel i’ve seen alot of these plot threads and ideas in other sci fi venues over the years even if I can’t place them all. Seems some Star Trek plus a whole lot of Sci fi novels and movies.

But it’s still cool having them on a decent tv show. And hopefully they’ll find a new angle. It’s hard to tell where they stand philosophically. In my opinion there’s always been a sort of ambiguity when it comes to the Cylon threat and what kind of future is in keeping with our best interests and ideals. But with this virus thing introduced last week and the hybrid angle growing stronger you have to think they are closing in on having to take a stand.

The hybrid in the tank was too much Minority Report for my taste though. Seems like an advanced technological race wouldn’t leave themselves so vulnerable as to have so much hooked up and into 1 floating street poet doing free form beat verse with tubes sticking out of everywhere.

And hybrids were awesome when V did it 20 + years ago. They were cool when X Files sort of went there. They don’t have the same punch today though I like the idea. That’s where I stand philosophically. Call me a Cylon lover. I’d totally date #8. Tigh would surely cast me from an airlock for my beliefs.

BUt I think it’s silly to believe we’re not going to evolve even more over time. We don’t look or think like we did hundreds of thousands of years ago. With exponential technological growth we’ll surely have a different cast in the next few millenia if not sooner. We make the machines to be better than us. It only seems natural that we incorporate some of thier best characteristics. Science knows being all human makes a muddied mess out of far too many situations. A new paradigm must come. Has come. For the sake of the show I’m calling it the shape of things to come and I’m on board.

To a point.

The Cylons have some repressive and hypocritical aspects. And they have religious issues that makes me want to go medieval on their asses.

Well at least 2 of the models asses.

But the Baltar stuff is great as is the missing 5. I’ve been wondering about this for a while. Six said there were 12 models. We’ve seen 7. Why are these 5 unspeakable?

And how does Baltar get back into the fold? Is he spending the rest of his tenure on the show in the Cylon camp? I guess its possible. Maybe he saves them from the virus and gets his high perch like the Baltar from the old show. That’s all I remember from the old show thankfully and I’m not sure I want this Baltar to go there.

BUt all this Cylon projecting stuff and how it figures into Baltar’s communications with the iconic #6 that’s been all up inside his head is interesting. He’s not a Cylon. I think that’s obvious at this point. And laughable judging from 6′s reaction to the question. But could there be something else? If there is that other hybrid where did she come from? I thought Helo and Boomers kid was the first. Might it not have something to do with the virus? Or search for Earth?

Where did the virus come from?

Is anyone at home on Earth and if so just who or what are they?

Could it have anything to do with why we left there? Has this all happened before as the scriptures say? And could Baltar’s projecting chops be related to a circumspect ancestry dating back to this time?

And how the frack does Apollo get slimmed down that fast? They didn’t indicate a time jump between the last 2 episodes.

If it’s that easy in the future why doesn’t Bill drop a few pounds too?

Tigh is getting to be a problem.

Starbuck is the first woman I ever wanted to cut her hair. It just wasn’t her. Me happy now with her getting back to basics.

Roslin called up a little of that old time magic in that ep with the executions. She gave me one of those Stan speeches I so love. And giving Zarek an in is cool even if he cirumvented the law and almost got my boy Gaeta killed. That was my favorite ep of the season. Gaeta took it like a man though. No whining. He turned over the damned dog dish and he knew it. Frak these ungrateful doubters if they don’t trust him.

I may be getting a man crush on him.

He should get with one of the 8 models.

So say we all.

Or at least me.

Democrats Win House! Still Pussies And Corporate Whores!

Published on November 8, 2006 in ..The Dude, Politics and The Ill-Literates. 1 Comment

[image:199:l] Ok the polls held and the Nazi Party loses control of the House of Reps. The Senate is still in question. Democrats are already acting like assholes.

Tester is kicking ass in Montana for Senate while Webb is edging Macaca boy George Allen in Virginia. If they hold and the Dems can get Missouri Dems get Senate too. That would be way cool. Doubtful though.

One thing we know is that Nancy Pelosi will be the first female Speaker Of The House. That means we are one supreme moment of justice taking Bush and Cheney out in a wonderful shooting accident or something from having a woman President. I guess this marks progress since I don’t think Hillary has a quails chance on a Cheney hunt of winning in 08. Pelosi is a favorite whipping person of Republicans and the right wing media in general so I’m happy they aren’t happy.

And I mostly like her. After reading her blog entry linked here on Huffington Post I also want to hit that.

But we’re already hearing these Democratic twits who didn’t show an ounce of resolve or guts when it mattered a few years ago, go on and on in Bush-like tones about this mandate from the people.

It wasn’t a mandate or referendum in 2000 or 2004 and it’s not now. Yes the corrupt Congress they’ve controlled is an issue but not many people are voting with confidence in Democratic values or ethics. They’re voting against the current administrations lack thereof. It’s a somewhat natural and historically consistent reaction to electoral cycles that we’ve seen on the Presidential level this decade.

So just shut up and govern reasonably and start doing your jobs.

I said last year that even if they won they’d back off impeachment and we’re already hearing that it won’t be an issue with this Democratic House. Hiding behind the usual guises of lack of national stomach for such a thing these shills for big business are just afraid to cross the CEO’s and media power structure that ultimately control them as well as the Republicans.

I’m glad they won the House. But all it’s doing is restoring a little of the natural balance our country was supposed to have and that we were in gross historical mistep in operating under the past few years. Hopefully there will be some follow up and the national debate will get refreshed a bit. But there will be no new legislation. Maybe some hearings on things like stem cells. But the Republicnas still have the hammer and Democrats are still politicians and have alot to prove before I believe all this talk about the most ethical Congress ever.

And what the frak is wrong with Connecticut? How do they reelect Lieberman after everything? Did Karl Rove personally supply ever male voter with hot hooker action?

I guess I won’t be happy without Bush and Cheney facing execution for treason, and yes though i don’t believe in capitol punishment I would cheer their painful and gruesome deaths because I do believe in irony. And I believe maybe you make exceptions for the worst of our criminals and killers. Bush and Cheney certainly qualify. They are Jeffrey Dahmer thousands and thousands, if not millions of times over when you consider the possible long term consequences of their selfish and ruthless acts of greed and aggression.

But at least they lost something during this awful 8 year reign that never should have happened. And that putrid scum filled cum bubble Rick Santorum lost in Pennsylvania. THat’s sweet. Couldn’t have happened to a bigger piece of shit. Hopefully it’s the beginning of a trend. But with Democrats still arguing amongst themselves about long term strategies and platforms, with them debating whether courting the Christian right and moving even more beyond center to get an audience that would be just as happy living in fuedal times with it’s god given heirarchies and static social norms and categories, we’re still on the cusp of something. Good or bad. Don’t know. I think history has mainly moved forward and the forces of ignorance, anti-science, and superstition, keep diminishing and dying out. Some recent fundamentalist trends with a growing born again contingent and a media bent on giving them their unearned and discredited view, are worrisome. [image:200:l]

But I have a dream. I have an awesome dream.

And it involves Dick Cheney in a locked room with me and a waterboard.

And Grace Park.

It involves Grace Park so help me science.

Tommy Can I Hear You?: The Director’s Cut Of My Last Post.

Published on November 3, 2006 in ..The Dude, Music and The Ill-Literates. 0 Comments

Tommy Can You Hear Me? The unedited and unexpurgated single topic bootleg version.

I love a good concept album. “The Wall” and “Operation Mindcrime” are my 2 all time favorites with honorable mention going to Green Day’s recent “American Idiot”. I hear My Chemical Romance’s new one is a concept album and good but I haven’t heard any of it. System Of The Down’s most recent may be but I haven’t heard enough of it.

But is a story about a deaf and blind guy who has a facility for playing pinball machines really worthy of an hour concept album?

There’s alot of good songs on Tommy, as well as alot of filler, but it’s just kind of hard to get too involved in a story so specific.

I mean no matter how hard I try I just can’t quite relate to being deaf, dumb, and blind.

Or rocking the pinball machines.

And being named Tommy Walker.

Yeah there’s some non-literal connections I have to the idea of feeling isolated and unable to connect to the world around me.

But for me Pink Floyd’s The Wall covers this territory better without drawing too fine a characterization that it takes me out of the concept.

Plus The Wall is more thematic than narrative. I think that helps offer itself to a wider interpretation.

I just thought it was about time I spoke out about this.

Plus i just wanted to talk about rock music. I was thinking about Classic Rock in particular yesterday. I think it was because I was hanging at my friend Jeff’s. He is a hippie from back in the day. He grew up with this stuff. But even though I was unborn or too young to remember alot of the stuff, I was thinking about how much I’ve always felt a connection to 60′s and 70′s music.

Those who know me know I’ve had an 80s thing going on for a while. Understandable since i was around and had first hand knowledge of it that created memories which now in my later 30′s have bled into memories sticky, creepy stalkers, nostalgia. But when i hear alot of that stuff like some of Tommy, or CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel, Led Zep, The Byrds or whoever, I kind of feel like I’m connecting in a personal way to a time and place even though I wasn’t in that time and place.

This is probably just a testimony to the great musicians that were so inspired during the period. But sometimes I wish I had been older then. Like I missed my time. I think that’s one of the appeals of Almost Famous, which has become one of my all time favorite movies. I was dropping the DVD off for Jeff to borrow when I got to thinking about all this. I couldn’t believe he’d not ever seen it. I love that movie the way a man loves the first teacher he had a crush on and always felt he belonged with if only she’d wait for him to get older.

For me it’s the kind of movie you just want to hug and be around all the time.

And of course I can’t not mention The Beatles while I’m going on about the era. They are the first older woman you do have a relationship with.

Ok I never actually had a relationship with an older woman but you get my point.

The Beatles are amazing. I can remember the joy of discovery when I really found them. I was in my late teens-early twenties. Having that whole catalogue of material suddenly open before me was magical. An experience of discovery of such wide eyed wonder and pure joy I’ll probably never experience again. Sure there could be other bands in other genres that have gone largely untapped. But rock will always be first and no one in any genre could touch what the Beatles did. Maybe I’ll get into Jazz and Coltrane in a way I’ve never thought to before someday. But I’ve listened to enough Jazz to know it can never make me smile or feel a connection to others the way the Beatles or rock music can.

Throw in the fact that music becomes harder and harder for me over time as my hearing fails in one of my ears and there is certainly a joy and purity lost in that simple physiological fact of my existence. “Don’t it always seem to go that you dont know what you got till it’s gone,” indeed Joni.

Motown can also make me feel alot of that kind of funneled emotion. As a whole that music, of that era made for quite an enjoyable year or so of discovery. I brought boxed sets of the Temptations and Marvin Gaye and just gave myself over to it wondering why it took me so long. I think I was in my mid twenties. The Funk Brothers were the common element running through all the music coming out of Detroit at the time. And I guess Smokey wrote alot of stuff for other acts as well. I had this prejudice against musicians who didn’t play their own instruments until The Four Tops and the rest. I kind of still have it but I suspend it for these guys. Some of the Stax guys down South as well.

But even though no one group captures the mega-status or garners the intimate relationship the Beatles do, the Motown sound as a whole was really a great high point that can still awaken in me a feeling of innocence that resonates with a good kind of naivete about love and a hopeful longing unencumbered by wisdoms cynicism.

Will people listen to all of the above the same way in 25 years? 50? I don’t know. Judging from the music of the past 10-15 years it doesn’t seem like much of it will be worth remembering or preserving. Even the stuff I like just doesn’t have the same life. Maybe it was the drugs of the era.

I loved the grunge era, still dig the Pearl Jam and Audioslave that are its byproducts today. Radiohead, Beck, Green Day, and a few others stand out for me. But even these are hard to imagine resonating with new generations who discover it and through it connect to a time and place. Maybe this has something to do with my generations not living through particularly memorable times. To paraphrase Tyler Durden we have no war, no depression, only our lives. THere is no WWII. No clear cut battle against evil. There is no deep soul searching born of Vietnam or civil rights movements. Yeah we had 9-11 but that’s been muddied and forever linked to grave mistakes and wanton lies. And Iraq’s been done in Vietnam.

Sure there have been changes. I’d say mostly for the better despite the Bush years. But it happens so fast and there is so much happening that nothing serves as defining. Growth and change is exponential and we’re so specialized now. It’s all important but is it memorable? Maybe the music is a byproduct of that. I shudder at the thought of one day not having music as a source of joy, inspiration, or just energy in my life. Individually I will certainly always sing Pearl Jam songs to myself even if they don’t become the stuff of lore for our cyborg grandchildren in a hundred years.

Even if I can’t hear it mysef. I don’t know if things will get bad enough that it will be like that ever but I know it’s harder now and will get harder. It’s only to what degree that remains in question. Hopefully I’ll have enough to keep on rockin in the free world for a long long time.

Even if I can’t do it very loudly.

And Tommy is still overrated. But with some great songs nonetheless.

Tommy Can You Hear Me? Or Anybody Else?

Published on November 2, 2006 in ..The Dude and The Ill-Literates. 0 Comments

The Who, 9-11 conspiracy theories, Kerry makes bid for his Presidential manhood 2 years too late, and Heroes starts getting me sleepy.

I love a good concept album. “The Wall” and “Operation Mindcrime” are my 2 all time favorites with honorable mention going to Green Day’s recent “American Idiot”. I hear My Chemical Romance’s new one is a concept album and good but I haven’t heard any of it. System Of The Down’s most recent may be but I haven’t heard enough of it.

But is a story about a deaf and blind guy who has a facility for playing pinball machines really worthy of an hour concept album?

There’s alot of good songs on Tommy, as well as alot of filler, but it’s just kind of hard to get too involved in a story so specific.

I mean no matter how hard I try I just can’t quite relate to being deaf, dumb, and blind.

Or rocking the pinball machines.

And being named Tommy Walker.

Yeah there’s some non-literal connections I have to the idea of feeling isolated and unable to connect to the world around me.

But for me Pink Floyd’s The Wall covers this territory better without drawing too fine a characterization that it takes me out of the concept.

Plus The Wall is more thematic than narrative. I think that helps offer itself to a wider interpretation.

I just thought it was about time I spoke out about this.
__________

9-11 conspiracy theorists.

Yeah there’s some interesting and troubling information out there. But why do all the books and sites I’ve seen not go more in depth into the questions they ponder and ignore quite possible and practical interpretation?

And how about legit contrarian views?

So a White House-Air Force code was used to say Air Force 1 was going to be hit next.

Does that have to mean terrorists were given our codes by insiders?

Isn’t it more likely that someone in our own military was throwing out the possiblitly that the terrorists were targeting Air Force 1 with flight 93?

Would terrorists announce that they were about to go after Air Force 1? They didn’t announce that they were about to hit Tower 2 did they?

Bush and My Pet Goat. Yeah there are questions about how he saw tower 1 get hit before going into the class when there was no footage of that until later that night at the earliest. But maybe he really did just have faulty recollection and got his words all wrong.

He is kind of prone to that.

But saying him sitting there when an attack is under way that for all he knew was targeting him is a stretch. I don’t think one of the 6 year olds was operating out of a sleeper cell and about to toss a grenade onto the floor.

And if a hijacked plane could have hit a little school than damn you just have to give that one to Osama and say “you guys are fucking good.”

There are much bigger contradictions to hit these guys on than the tower 1 thing.

THere’s alot of other stuff like that. But the biggest omissions is the lack of differing viewpoints allowed into their internal debates.

I can’t stand the right wing for being so onesided and I feel no less impatience, if not contempt for those that tie them to conspiracy theories. They are alot just like the administration which tries to silence the voices of science and reason. In fact most reputable scientists have perfectly plausible reasons for how the towers fell for instance. Those that can’t understand it, rather than being at the forefront of scientific discovery, are more like those corporate-administration shills who don’t think there’s any real evidence for global warming or environmental catastrophe.

I mean yeah I got off on that whole steel melts at 2800 degrees and jet fuel only burns up to 1500.

But steel is weakened at about 1200.

And there was more burning than jet fuel which poured down utility shafts the planes severed and acted as an incindiary device for all kinds of stuff in those towers.

The Bush administration is evil and cynically and cowardly acted in their best interest after 9-11. Perhaps they even acted a bit slowly for some nefarious reasons and were aware of something brewing. But most of the stuff out there has been debunked and alot of the stuff used is just plain illogical.

They are evil and stupid but a little common sense here people.
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Why does Kerry have to keep reminding me that he’s smart and tough AFTER the 04 campaign. The latest comment about educations and getting stuck in Iraq is a generalization but still a pretty fair one. I mean there is a reason the armed forces recruit in low income areas and get school records to find out who’s doing the worst so they can step up efforts to recruit them.

I love that Kerry refused to completely apologize even if his explanation was a bit equivicating. Yeah you forgot the “us,” John. Whatever.

Why couldn’t you be less of a snivelling puppet 2 years ago asshole?

And Republicans trying to turn this into a rallying point for the midterms is both hilarious and irritating. These guys are amazing in how coordinated they are getting on to a new talking point aimed at digging into the subconscious of the weakminded. Even Bush was out there the next day driving a crowd into a frothing frenzy of hate and derision against Kerry like he’s still campaigning against him.

This is replacing the most recent talking point which was all the rage for a week or so where every right wing pundit and politician was asking people who showed disagreement with them if they even wanted to see our troops win. Bill O’Reilly even did it to David Lettermen last week.

And I’m so sick of these hatemongers hiding behind the military. They use these men and women to grant themselves a cloak of validity the same way they use religion. Here’s one from Laura Bush today:

“Responsible candidates understand that the men and women of our military are risking their lives for us, and that we must conduct our debate here at home in a way that does not jeopardize our troops in harm’s way,” she said, calling for “conversations conducted with civility and respect.”

Fuck you Stepford Bitch.

That’s just how much respect you’ve earned.

Would it chock me if they and the media succeed into turning this Kerry thing into a shift in polls?

No. I’ve said all along I expect the Democrats to find a way to screw things up. Yeah I thought Kerry was done being one of the guys doing it. But hey for old times sake right John?

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Onto less important tv matters.

Heroes is starting to suck.

IT kind of started when Claire went from the cool “Holy shit” ending line to “Oh my god” when they started off in that spot the next week.

But it was no biggie. At least in that same ep we got Hiro and his pal doing the casino escalator homage to Rain Man.

But the last 2 eps haven’t been good and last Monday’s absolutely bored the spit out of me.

Could I be any less interested in Nikki and her mirror mirror on the wall who’s the craziest superhero of them all bit?

I suppose.

But not by much.

And yeah we have to suspend alot of belief with this thing but plumes and rocket noises when Petrelli flies? If for one moment I could by evolutionary adaptation requiring the defiance of gravity, why would it be so pronounced and exaggerated?

And why would walking through stuff be an adaptation?

Alot of Minotaurian mazes in the future maybe. But in 2006 not so much.

And evolution isn’t usually one for ever defying physics.

I suppose some quantum mechanical genetically engineered psuedo scientific explanation could be offered that I can live with. But Shuresh keeps going on and on about evolution and its inner workings, logic, and processes in those annoying voice overs. And though it’s all pretty much true we’re not talking about opposable thumbs or a cerebral cortex here.

Give me more Hiro and Isaac and I can hang in a bit longer and hope for things to get better. I really do want to screw the cheerleader to save the world like Hiro said but that Nikki is just annoying every second she’s on screen.

We had her pegged for a bad guy and it turns out she is and not DL who I do kind of like even if I’m embarrased I can’t tell the difference between him and the mind wiper guy working with Claire’s dad. Or Gunn from “Angel,” for that matter.