Mariners match win total from last year with four weeks to go | Mariners Blog | The Seattle Times:
Progress! A goal for the end of the season is to climb above .500.
Thursday, September 06, 2012
Saving Obama, Saving Ourselves | Common Dreams
Saving Obama, Saving Ourselves | Common Dreams:
by Tom Hayden
"The threat of a Romney-Ryan regime should be enough to convince a narrow American majority to vote for Barack Obama, including the disappointed rank-and-file of social movements. A widening of economic and racial inequality. Cuts in Medicare and Medical. More global warming and extreme weather. Strangling of reproductive rights. Unaffordable tuition. The Neo-cons back in the saddle. Two or three more right-wing Supreme Court appointments to come. Romney as Trojan horse for Ryan the stalking horse and future presidential candidate."
by Tom Hayden
"The threat of a Romney-Ryan regime should be enough to convince a narrow American majority to vote for Barack Obama, including the disappointed rank-and-file of social movements. A widening of economic and racial inequality. Cuts in Medicare and Medical. More global warming and extreme weather. Strangling of reproductive rights. Unaffordable tuition. The Neo-cons back in the saddle. Two or three more right-wing Supreme Court appointments to come. Romney as Trojan horse for Ryan the stalking horse and future presidential candidate."
Elizabeth Warren speaks
"No, Governor Romney, corporations are not people. People have hearts, they have kids, they get jobs, they get sick, they cry, they dance. They live, they love, and they die. And that matters. That matters because we don't run this country for corporations. We run it for people," she said.
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
'A Great Silence Is Spreading Over the Natural World' | Common Dreams
'A Great Silence Is Spreading Over the Natural World' | Common Dreams:
"Bernie Krause has spent 40 years recording nature's sounds. But such is the rate of species and habitat loss that his tapes may become our only record of the original diversity of life"
You experience it everywhere, in little ways. All the butterflies we used to see in our yard a decade ago -- and not in recent years.
"Bernie Krause has spent 40 years recording nature's sounds. But such is the rate of species and habitat loss that his tapes may become our only record of the original diversity of life"
You experience it everywhere, in little ways. All the butterflies we used to see in our yard a decade ago -- and not in recent years.
The John Cage Century : The New Yorker
The John Cage Century : The New Yorker:
"John Cage would have been a hundred years old tomorrow. Scratch that: Cage is a hundred. He remains a palpably vivid presence, still provoking thought, still spurring argument, still spreading sublime mischief. He may have surpassed Stravinsky as the most widely cited, the most famous and/or notorious, of twentieth-century composers."
"John Cage would have been a hundred years old tomorrow. Scratch that: Cage is a hundred. He remains a palpably vivid presence, still provoking thought, still spurring argument, still spreading sublime mischief. He may have surpassed Stravinsky as the most widely cited, the most famous and/or notorious, of twentieth-century composers."
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Hard act to beat
As political speeches go, Michelle Obama hit a home run tonight. Conservative pundit Andrew Sullivan comments:
11 pm. Stunning, brilliant, moving, passionate and right. Flawless. That was a speech a presidential nominee would be proud to have given. The best speech of the conventions so far. There was an emotional arc and steel to this that was as suffused with patriotism as it was with love. Yes, I'm gushing. But gushing is what I feel. And this is live-blogging. So sue me. I've never heard a speech from a First Lady anywhere close to this.Text and video.
Good to hear
Email from a former graduate student:
I learned more about story structure in that class than any writing class I've ever taken, and it's paying off. I recently got a contract with a local publisher and am looking at a summer 2013 release of my first novel.I make a point of emphasizing story structure in my screenwriting class, buying William Goldman's remark that screenwriting is about "structure, structure and structure." Fiction writers sometimes rebel against this since their rhetorical gifts are of no use, or even negative use, in spec script writing. I try to convince them they can learn how to tell STORIES better (no matter how they are written) by paying attention to the beginning-middle-end story paradigm at the center of most screenwriting theories. So I'm thrilled to learn when someone gets the lesson and lets me know.
Office progress!
Actually spent a few hours cleaning my basement office this morning. A start! A huge job. But a start. More tomorrow or even later today. One foot after the other.
Summer at the cinema: busting blocks and bucking trends | Film | guardian.co.uk
Summer at the cinema: busting blocks and bucking trends | Film | guardian.co.uk:
"Look beyond the headlines, and you might think Americans are falling out of love with Hollywood. But there are reasons to cheer"
"Look beyond the headlines, and you might think Americans are falling out of love with Hollywood. But there are reasons to cheer"
Best oatmeal
Monday, September 03, 2012
Teams to beat
After one week I see three teams at the head of the BCS race ... USC, Alabama and Oregon, I mean Nike. Designer florescent puky uniforms and all, Oregon I mean Nike was very impressive. The early showdown in LA with the Trojans may determine it all. I hope Oregon I mean Nike doesnt get too distracted by their fashion shows and posturing.
Labor Day: A Tribute to the Wobblies
We Have Fed You All For A Thousand Years
I performed this, backed by the General Strike band, at the Unitarian Church in Portland. It must have been on a Sunday before Labor Day in the late 1990s.
Another labor play, grant supported, widely toured by the Portland Labor Players II, mostly in 1980: 1934: Blood and Roses. Became controversial, my only play ever given air time on NPR's "All Things Considered."
I witnessed an incredible (and sad) generation gap when this play was performed at a longshoreman's union picnic. The younger union members thought the play was "communist influenced" (!) for showing so much violence. The old-timers, a few of whom were at the historic moments portrayed, believed the play wasn''t violent enough! A real division in reaction. The younger members had little sense of how they got there.
I performed this, backed by the General Strike band, at the Unitarian Church in Portland. It must have been on a Sunday before Labor Day in the late 1990s.
I witnessed an incredible (and sad) generation gap when this play was performed at a longshoreman's union picnic. The younger union members thought the play was "communist influenced" (!) for showing so much violence. The old-timers, a few of whom were at the historic moments portrayed, believed the play wasn''t violent enough! A real division in reaction. The younger members had little sense of how they got there.
Sunday, September 02, 2012
Pasadena High School Class of 1957
Pasadena High School Class of 1957:
Just stumbled onto this. I still haven't made a reunion yet. I probably should some year. Links to photos and such, of interest to no one except "Bulldogs".
Current re-reading
This came up in an exchange recently. I realized, though I've read it twice, it's been a while. And there's a Kindle version! So off I go ...
A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present
A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present
*
“A corps of properly organized volunteers . . . would invade, overrun, and occupy Mexico. They would enable us not only to take California, but to keep it.” It was shortly after that, in the summer of 1845, that John O’Sullivan, editor of the Democratic Review, used the phrase that became famous, saying it was “Our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.” Yes, manifest destiny.
New Scientist Technology Blog: Death by radio waves: hacking a pacemaker - New Scientist
New Scientist Technology Blog: Death by radio waves: hacking a pacemaker - New Scientist:
"They're computer scientists demonstrating that pacemakers and other implants can be hacked. Their latest demonstration showed that using radio signals they could shut down a pacemaker made by US firm Medtronic, or have it deliver jolts of electricity that could be fatal."
I'll try not to lose any sleep over it. (Thanks to DL for link.)
"They're computer scientists demonstrating that pacemakers and other implants can be hacked. Their latest demonstration showed that using radio signals they could shut down a pacemaker made by US firm Medtronic, or have it deliver jolts of electricity that could be fatal."
I'll try not to lose any sleep over it. (Thanks to DL for link.)
Science and art
I've lived in both environments to varying degrees. I have an unscientific, personal observation. There are many more scientists literate in the arts than there are artists literate in the sciences.
Our wise politicians
From a collection of tidbits at Daily Kos:
My political animations of some years back: The Adventures of Sarah Stalin
I rec'd a racist comment noting that there's no derogatory example of our president here. The full list does include Democrats, such as Kerry. At any rate, without the racism I would have published the comment and said, look, the source should identify the bias (so it's remarkable they include Kerry) and if you want derogatory examples from Obama, there are many sites (such as Drudge) where you can find them. But I won't publish racist remarks.
American scientific companies are cross-breeding humans and animals and coming up with mice with fully functioning human brains
Senate Candidate Christine O'Donnell explaining why she does not trust science
I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out under...President Jimmy Carter. I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence. Representative Michele Bachmann, explaining the 2011 flue outbreak.
If you are not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin. Congresswoman Katherine Harris, explaining her reasons for being a Republican
I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law. New York. City Mayor David Dinkins, explaining why he did not pay his taxes
If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come he made them out of meat?' Alaska Governor Sarah PalinComplete list.
My political animations of some years back: The Adventures of Sarah Stalin
I rec'd a racist comment noting that there's no derogatory example of our president here. The full list does include Democrats, such as Kerry. At any rate, without the racism I would have published the comment and said, look, the source should identify the bias (so it's remarkable they include Kerry) and if you want derogatory examples from Obama, there are many sites (such as Drudge) where you can find them. But I won't publish racist remarks.
Would Wilder change his mind today?
Arctic Tipping Point: A North Pole Without Ice | Common Dreams
Arctic Tipping Point: A North Pole Without Ice | Common Dreams:
"This extreme melting offers dramatic evidence, many scientists say, that the region’s sea ice has passed a tipping point and that sometime in the next decade or two the North Pole will be largely ice-free in summer."
All the easier to drill!
"This extreme melting offers dramatic evidence, many scientists say, that the region’s sea ice has passed a tipping point and that sometime in the next decade or two the North Pole will be largely ice-free in summer."
All the easier to drill!
Barack Obama Promised A New Kind Of Politics, But Played The Same Old Game
Barack Obama Promised A New Kind Of Politics, But Played The Same Old Game:
Well, an obstructionist House made sure nothing got done. Where I fault him is in not using the "bully pulpit" to scream about this. I also don't understand why it's not a louder point in his reelection strategy. The bottom line to me is, Obama is probably "too nice" to be an effective politician in the real world. Benevolent tyrants like FDR do better in a crisis in our system.
Obama's tragedy is that he is such a powerful, effective speaker, he could have gained much support had he understood the obstruction strategy much earlier and screamed to the people about it.
Even now, the president is arguing that Republican ideas belong to the last century. To many folks, the last century looks pretty good!
Well, an obstructionist House made sure nothing got done. Where I fault him is in not using the "bully pulpit" to scream about this. I also don't understand why it's not a louder point in his reelection strategy. The bottom line to me is, Obama is probably "too nice" to be an effective politician in the real world. Benevolent tyrants like FDR do better in a crisis in our system.
Obama's tragedy is that he is such a powerful, effective speaker, he could have gained much support had he understood the obstruction strategy much earlier and screamed to the people about it.
Even now, the president is arguing that Republican ideas belong to the last century. To many folks, the last century looks pretty good!
Why Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina transcends the ages | Film | The Observer
Why Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina transcends the ages | Film | The Observer:
"Five writers give their personal takes on the appeal that makes Anna Karenina a literary masterpiece"
"Five writers give their personal takes on the appeal that makes Anna Karenina a literary masterpiece"
Tom Stoppard: 'Anna Karenina comes to grief because she has fallen in love for the first time' | Film | The Observer
Tom Stoppard: 'Anna Karenina comes to grief because she has fallen in love for the first time' | Film | The Observer:
"Tom Stoppard says his original approach to writing the screenplay for Joe Wright's new film adaptation of Anna Karenina was for a fast, modern movie about being in lust. Then wiser counsels – including his own – prevailed"
A lot of hoopla surrounding this upcoming film.
"Tom Stoppard says his original approach to writing the screenplay for Joe Wright's new film adaptation of Anna Karenina was for a fast, modern movie about being in lust. Then wiser counsels – including his own – prevailed"
A lot of hoopla surrounding this upcoming film.
Why genre fiction is an e-reader's best friend | Books | The Observer
Why genre fiction is an e-reader's best friend | Books | The Observer:
"Are thrillers and crime novels better suited to e-readers than more complex fiction?"
I think there's something to this. In serious work I find myself making more notes and bookmarks for easier back-tracking.
"Are thrillers and crime novels better suited to e-readers than more complex fiction?"
I think there's something to this. In serious work I find myself making more notes and bookmarks for easier back-tracking.
Curiosity starts quarter-mile journey that could reveal secrets of Mars | Science | The Observer
Curiosity starts quarter-mile journey that could reveal secrets of Mars | Science | The Observer:
"The Martian rover is already sending back dramatic images that are changing our view of the Red Planet. Now it is inching forward on its most crucial and perilous mission"
Extraordinary -- which we seem to take for granted.
"The Martian rover is already sending back dramatic images that are changing our view of the Red Planet. Now it is inching forward on its most crucial and perilous mission"
Extraordinary -- which we seem to take for granted.
Still no shame for thalidomide cover-up | Society | The Observer
Still no shame for thalidomide cover-up | Society | The Observer:
"Victims of the drug scandal have been offered an apology, but Harold Evans, who was in charge of the Sunday Times and broke the story, says there is still no proper recompense"
I believe it's called corporate ethics.
"Victims of the drug scandal have been offered an apology, but Harold Evans, who was in charge of the Sunday Times and broke the story, says there is still no proper recompense"
I believe it's called corporate ethics.
Tony Blair should face trial over Iraq war, says Desmond Tutu | Politics | The Observer
Tony Blair should face trial over Iraq war, says Desmond Tutu | Politics | The Observer:
""The then leaders of the United States and Great Britain," Tutu argues, "fabricated the grounds to behave like playground bullies and drive us further apart. They have driven us to the edge of a precipice where we now stand – with the spectre of Syria and Iran before us."
But it is Tutu's call for Blair and Bush to face justice in The Hague that is most startling."
I tend to believe there was more cultural arrogance and stupidity going on than planned conspiracy. But I've been wrong before.
""The then leaders of the United States and Great Britain," Tutu argues, "fabricated the grounds to behave like playground bullies and drive us further apart. They have driven us to the edge of a precipice where we now stand – with the spectre of Syria and Iran before us."
But it is Tutu's call for Blair and Bush to face justice in The Hague that is most startling."
I tend to believe there was more cultural arrogance and stupidity going on than planned conspiracy. But I've been wrong before.
Saturday, September 01, 2012
12 more days
Less than two weeks in my limited activity "convalescence" after the pacemaker surgery. I am very eager to return to normal activity. It's a drag seeing the lawn grow and being "forbidden" by the doc to cut it. Hopefully I'll get the green light at the next appointment.
I read there's a new pacemaker that is charged by external electronic waves and is smaller than the head of a pin!
I read there's a new pacemaker that is charged by external electronic waves and is smaller than the head of a pin!
A busy mellow Saturday
Chores, sports. Began at 6 a.m. with the Navy - Notre Dame game in Dublin. Navy got creamed 50-10 but I didn't last the first half. Checked the Penn St game, to see them come on the field and the fan reaction. T-shirts tell the story: We are STILL Penn State. Well, fans are fans, they want to root for THEIR team.
Later I watched the USA women (football/soccer) in an exhibition game with Costa Rica. 5-0 at the half, total mismatch, and yet there was far, far more drama here than in, say, the Navy - Notre Dame game. In soccer there is uninterrupted conflict, 75% of the time opposing teams fighting for the ball. It's relentless. Almost too dramatic: the action never stops, big moments can happen in a matter of seconds, the tension exhausting. Probably the most dramatic sport ever invented. No wonder it's what the WORLD calls football.
However, American football has a significant advantage over "soccer." Because it is slow with lots f dead time, it is a better SOCIAL sport. You can b.s. with your buddies during all the non-action. In soccer, if you do that you chance missing a big moment. Soccer only releases the attentive fan in small occasional measure. American football releases the fan most of the time, making it a better social barroom sport.
Whatever else is said, "football" IS America's sport and I not only grew up on it but played it. So I don't dislike it -- I'm just amazed how long it took me to realize the world is right about "football". So I'll check out the Michigan - Alabama game, hoping Mich scores so I can hear the best football fight song ever written, hands down. And later I'll check out Oregon, I mean Nike.
Also caught the Mariners through the afternoon. Baseball is by far the best game to watch without watching, that is by listening, either on the radio or TV play by play. Baseball is very exciting with audio only -- well, if you have a good announcer. Who can forget Dizzy Dean singing Wabash Cannonball during the 7th inning stretch?
In terms of my fan interest, I'd rank what I saw today: 1. football/soccer 2. baseball 3. Amer football.
But I'd rather watch a good 5K or 10K run over all of them!
Best chores of the day: my batch of brew for iced coffee for next 2 days ... and a new batch of scrapple, with yet another minor variation in my recipe. It's hard not to try something new.
Oh: and spring rolls for lunch, stuffed with my leftover fried rice from last night. Excellent!
Later I watched the USA women (football/soccer) in an exhibition game with Costa Rica. 5-0 at the half, total mismatch, and yet there was far, far more drama here than in, say, the Navy - Notre Dame game. In soccer there is uninterrupted conflict, 75% of the time opposing teams fighting for the ball. It's relentless. Almost too dramatic: the action never stops, big moments can happen in a matter of seconds, the tension exhausting. Probably the most dramatic sport ever invented. No wonder it's what the WORLD calls football.
However, American football has a significant advantage over "soccer." Because it is slow with lots f dead time, it is a better SOCIAL sport. You can b.s. with your buddies during all the non-action. In soccer, if you do that you chance missing a big moment. Soccer only releases the attentive fan in small occasional measure. American football releases the fan most of the time, making it a better social barroom sport.
Whatever else is said, "football" IS America's sport and I not only grew up on it but played it. So I don't dislike it -- I'm just amazed how long it took me to realize the world is right about "football". So I'll check out the Michigan - Alabama game, hoping Mich scores so I can hear the best football fight song ever written, hands down. And later I'll check out Oregon, I mean Nike.
Also caught the Mariners through the afternoon. Baseball is by far the best game to watch without watching, that is by listening, either on the radio or TV play by play. Baseball is very exciting with audio only -- well, if you have a good announcer. Who can forget Dizzy Dean singing Wabash Cannonball during the 7th inning stretch?
In terms of my fan interest, I'd rank what I saw today: 1. football/soccer 2. baseball 3. Amer football.
But I'd rather watch a good 5K or 10K run over all of them!
Best chores of the day: my batch of brew for iced coffee for next 2 days ... and a new batch of scrapple, with yet another minor variation in my recipe. It's hard not to try something new.
Oh: and spring rolls for lunch, stuffed with my leftover fried rice from last night. Excellent!
Erin DiMeglio, Florida Girl, Plays Quarterback In South Plantation High School Football Game (VIDEO)
Erin DiMeglio, Florida Girl, Plays Quarterback In South Plantation High School Football Game (VIDEO):
Decades ago a high school in McMinnville had a female QB. Young Helen Hunt starred in the movie based on it, Quarterback Princess (1983). Years ago a student of mine wrote a script about the first professional QB (fiction, of course), and I was sure he'd sell it. He didn't.
The 23 best film directors in the world today | Film | The Guardian
The 23 best film directors in the world today | Film | The Guardian:
"But who are the auteurs that are exciting us in 2012?"
It's just a list, folks. They're a dollar a dozen.
"But who are the auteurs that are exciting us in 2012?"
It's just a list, folks. They're a dollar a dozen.
Science and art should be partners rather than enemies | Giles Fraser | Guardian
Science and art should be partners rather than enemies | Giles Fraser | Comment is free | The Guardian:
"The Paralympic opening ceremony offered an understanding of science that did not strip the world of wonder"
"The Paralympic opening ceremony offered an understanding of science that did not strip the world of wonder"
Don't give climate change heretics an easy ride | Jay Griffiths | Comment | The Guardian
Don't give climate change heretics an easy ride | Jay Griffiths | Comment is free | The Guardian:
"Climate change heretics rarely have a science background, but editors are still happy to air their views"
"Climate change heretics rarely have a science background, but editors are still happy to air their views"
Venice film festival: female film director defies Saudi prejudice | Film | The Guardian
Venice film festival: female film director defies Saudi prejudice | Film | The Guardian:
"Saudi film pioneer Haifaa al-Mansour, who directed Wadjda, sometimes had to hide in van to film on location in Riyadh"
"Saudi film pioneer Haifaa al-Mansour, who directed Wadjda, sometimes had to hide in van to film on location in Riyadh"
The Big Online Rip-Off
The Big Online Rip-Off
“Where is this freedom they’re all talking about, if they can pull the plug on their service when they can’t get what they want for free?”
Friday, August 31, 2012
Why do I post what I post?
It's been a while since I've reminded readers that I don't agree with everthing to which I link here. I link to things I find interesting whether I agree or not. Sometimes I comment and sometimes not. So if you disagree with something linked from here, I may agree with you!
We Are Writing the Epilogue to the World We Knew | Common Dreams
We Are Writing the Epilogue to the World We Knew | Common Dreams:
"While politicians fiddle, the world burns. While the press plays he-said, she-said, the ice melts, the seas rise."
Curtain line to The Stiff:
"While politicians fiddle, the world burns. While the press plays he-said, she-said, the ice melts, the seas rise."
Curtain line to The Stiff:
NECK: Well, Charles, let's give the people their body.CHARLES: I hope they don't notice the difference.NECK: Perhaps we should cover the face as well. Just to be on the safe side. The eyes should suffice. Easy now ...(The doctor is put into the casket.)MRS. JONES: Charles?CHARLES: Yes, ma'am?(They regard one another. A beat.)CHARLES: Do you want me to come back?MRS. JONES: No. We can come back later. First I must make my appearance. I must show my grief.NECK: The people would expect grief, madam.MRS. JONES: What the people expect, they deserve. What they deserve, they get. Always.(All exit and BLACKOUT.)
Election 2012 and the Media: A Vast Rightwing Conspiracy of Stupid | Common Dreams
Election 2012 and the Media: A Vast Rightwing Conspiracy of Stupid | Common Dreams:
"The reason I write so little about the presidential election is that it's the ultimate expression of the CNN-ization of American politics: a tawdry, uber-contrived reality show that has less to do with political reality than the average rant one hears at any randomly chosen corner bar or family dinner. That does not mean the outcome is irrelevant, only that the process is suffocatingly dumb and deceitful, generating the desire to turn away and hope that it's over as quickly as possible."
"The reason I write so little about the presidential election is that it's the ultimate expression of the CNN-ization of American politics: a tawdry, uber-contrived reality show that has less to do with political reality than the average rant one hears at any randomly chosen corner bar or family dinner. That does not mean the outcome is irrelevant, only that the process is suffocatingly dumb and deceitful, generating the desire to turn away and hope that it's over as quickly as possible."
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The new UCLA football team
Won 49 - 24, which sounds impressive. I wasn't impressed. Yes, they are better than in earlier years and have an explosive offense. All last season, they had one TD over 70 yds. Tonight, three. And another over 50. They can score.
But they are still shooting themselves in the foot big time. 3 blocked PATs! That's unheard of. 2 dropped TD passes. Another TD brought back because of a dumb arrogant personal foul. They have a long way to go. And a poor defense, especially pass defense.
So they will score points but they're not going to cause anyone to shake in their cleats.
And American football after watching all that world football during the Olympics? Man, American football is SLOW. Eighty percent dead time -- world football has almost no dead time. And so many commercials here! I'm not sure I'll be watching a lot of American football this season. More like catching scores, seeing how favorite teams are doing.
But they are still shooting themselves in the foot big time. 3 blocked PATs! That's unheard of. 2 dropped TD passes. Another TD brought back because of a dumb arrogant personal foul. They have a long way to go. And a poor defense, especially pass defense.
So they will score points but they're not going to cause anyone to shake in their cleats.
And American football after watching all that world football during the Olympics? Man, American football is SLOW. Eighty percent dead time -- world football has almost no dead time. And so many commercials here! I'm not sure I'll be watching a lot of American football this season. More like catching scores, seeing how favorite teams are doing.
Cleantech Experts On Romney's Energy Plan: 'A Political Document Not Worth Serious Analysis' | ThinkProgress
Cleantech Experts On Romney's Energy Plan: 'A Political Document Not Worth Serious Analysis' | ThinkProgress:
"The central energy challenge we face as a nation and a planet is the transition away from fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change, to clean sources of energy. The most important debates in this area concern just how quickly this must be accomplished and how to do it in the cheapest way possible. Last week Mitt Romney’s campaign released its energy plan, which completely ignores all of this."
"The central energy challenge we face as a nation and a planet is the transition away from fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change, to clean sources of energy. The most important debates in this area concern just how quickly this must be accomplished and how to do it in the cheapest way possible. Last week Mitt Romney’s campaign released its energy plan, which completely ignores all of this."
A beautiful Thursday
Breakfast at Fat City with H ... daytime baseball Ms leading in seventh ... four hrs until Bruin fball ... put Kindle hyperdrama book online ... not too shabby a day in this crashing civ of ours. Voltaire sd tend own garden and I am.
CNN Camerawoman "Not Surprised" by Peanut-Throwing | The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education
CNN Camerawoman "Not Surprised" by Peanut-Throwing | The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education:
""I can't change these people's hearts and minds," Carroll added. "No, it doesn't feel good. But I know who I am. I'm a proud black woman. A lot of black people are upset. This should be a wake-up call to black people. . . . People were living in euphoria for a while. People think we're gone further than we have.""
""I can't change these people's hearts and minds," Carroll added. "No, it doesn't feel good. But I know who I am. I'm a proud black woman. A lot of black people are upset. This should be a wake-up call to black people. . . . People were living in euphoria for a while. People think we're gone further than we have.""
Hyperdrama: my obsession with a new theater form: Charles Deemer: Amazon.com: Kindle Store
Hyperdrama: my obsession with a new theater form: Charles Deemer: Amazon.com: Kindle Store:
Just reread this 14 page Kindle "book" and find it, well, extraordinary in its revolutionary ideas about theater. The high tech theater I design for the form will work. Hyperdrama indeed can have a permanent home. What it takes now is a young visionary theater director to make it happen. I probably won't live to see this but I think odds are good that it will happen. It's just too exciting an idea, once you understand it.
I need to make an html version of this and put it online for more exposure. Somebody, I swear, is going to get as excited about this as I am. I'm not the only person on the planet who sees the possibilities here.
YOU CAN NOW READ THIS ONLINE!
I need to make an html version of this and put it online for more exposure. Somebody, I swear, is going to get as excited about this as I am. I'm not the only person on the planet who sees the possibilities here.
YOU CAN NOW READ THIS ONLINE!
Crisis And Opportunity In The Environmental Century: Inspiring A Generation To Greatness In The Classroom | ThinkProgress
Crisis And Opportunity In The Environmental Century: Inspiring A Generation To Greatness In The Classroom | ThinkProgress:
"As an ecologist, I know that we have precious little time to prepare a generation to respond to the ecological crisis of our planet in peril. As the president of Unity College, I am alarmed by how little progress has been made in focusing higher learning on what is undoubtedly the most important challenge facing humankind. Given the overwhelming scientific evidence of imminent climate disruption, failure to make climate literacy a requisite part of any undergraduate curriculum is inexcusable."
"As an ecologist, I know that we have precious little time to prepare a generation to respond to the ecological crisis of our planet in peril. As the president of Unity College, I am alarmed by how little progress has been made in focusing higher learning on what is undoubtedly the most important challenge facing humankind. Given the overwhelming scientific evidence of imminent climate disruption, failure to make climate literacy a requisite part of any undergraduate curriculum is inexcusable."
Blue Moon Set For August 31, 2012, With Next One Occurring In 2015
Blue Moon Set For August 31, 2012, With Next One Occurring In 2015:
"In fact, "blue moon" refers not to color, but to rarity. Blue moons are defined as either the fourth full moon in a season, or, more recently, as the second full moon in a month. It's the second definition that covers August's blue moon; the month's first full moon was on Aug. 1."
"In fact, "blue moon" refers not to color, but to rarity. Blue moons are defined as either the fourth full moon in a season, or, more recently, as the second full moon in a month. It's the second definition that covers August's blue moon; the month's first full moon was on Aug. 1."
Fox News' Sally Kohn: Paul Ryan's RNC Speech 'Was Attempt To Set World Record For Blatant Lies'
Fox News' Sally Kohn: Paul Ryan's RNC Speech 'Was Attempt To Set World Record For Blatant Lies':
"In a surprising move, Fox News joined CNN, The Huffington Post, the Washington Post's Wonkblog, and ThinkProgress in publishing a fact-check of the Republican vice presidential nominee's speech, finding that the speech was full of lies and misleading assertions."
"In a surprising move, Fox News joined CNN, The Huffington Post, the Washington Post's Wonkblog, and ThinkProgress in publishing a fact-check of the Republican vice presidential nominee's speech, finding that the speech was full of lies and misleading assertions."
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
24 hours
Greed and Debt: The True Story of Mitt Romney and Bain Capital | Politics News | Rolling Stone
Greed and Debt: The True Story of Mitt Romney and Bain Capital | Politics News | Rolling Stone:
"How the GOP presidential candidate and his private equity firm staged an epic wealth grab, destroyed jobs – and stuck others with the bill"
"How the GOP presidential candidate and his private equity firm staged an epic wealth grab, destroyed jobs – and stuck others with the bill"
A Critic's Manifesto: The Intersection of Expertise and Taste : The New Yorker
A Critic's Manifesto: The Intersection of Expertise and Taste : The New Yorker:
"The serious critic ultimately loves his subject more than he loves his reader—a consideration that brings you to the question of what ought to be reviewed in the first place. When you write criticism about literature or any other subject, you’re writing for literature or that subject, even more than you’re writing for your reader: you’re adding to the accumulated sum of things that have been said about your subject over the years. If the subject is an interesting one, that’s a worthy project. Because the serious literary critic (or dance critic, or music critic) loves his subject above anything else, he will review, either negatively or positively, those works of literature or dance or music—high and low, rarefied and popular, celebrated and neglected—that he finds worthy of examination, analysis, and interpretation. "
"The serious critic ultimately loves his subject more than he loves his reader—a consideration that brings you to the question of what ought to be reviewed in the first place. When you write criticism about literature or any other subject, you’re writing for literature or that subject, even more than you’re writing for your reader: you’re adding to the accumulated sum of things that have been said about your subject over the years. If the subject is an interesting one, that’s a worthy project. Because the serious literary critic (or dance critic, or music critic) loves his subject above anything else, he will review, either negatively or positively, those works of literature or dance or music—high and low, rarefied and popular, celebrated and neglected—that he finds worthy of examination, analysis, and interpretation. "
Israeli court rejects US activist's family lawsuit | Local News | The Seattle Times
Israeli court rejects US activist's family lawsuit | Local News | The Seattle Times:
"An Israeli court on Tuesday cleared the military of wrongdoing in the death of a young American activist who was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer during a protest in the Gaza Strip nearly a decade ago, rejecting claims by her parents that the driver acted recklessly."
I smell a rat.
"An Israeli court on Tuesday cleared the military of wrongdoing in the death of a young American activist who was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer during a protest in the Gaza Strip nearly a decade ago, rejecting claims by her parents that the driver acted recklessly."
I smell a rat.
Portland Loo, a public toilet that skips to the head of its class - latimes.com
Portland Loo, a public toilet that skips to the head of its class - latimes.com:
"The Oregon city has successfully tackled several urban issues with its solar-powered, not-that-private public toilets. Now other cities smell a winner."
Portland is famous for something!
"The Oregon city has successfully tackled several urban issues with its solar-powered, not-that-private public toilets. Now other cities smell a winner."
Portland is famous for something!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
A conservative live blogs the convention
Andrew Sullivan, a rational conservative, live blogs. Some highlights:
9.34 pm. Santorum is saying that Obama has "waived the work requirement for welfare". This is a lie - spoken by the runner-up for the nomination. It is a lie. The waivers have been routine for state experimentation. Many were sought by Republican governors. They were designed to ensure more efficient ways to get work as part of the welfare requirement.Santorum is a devout Catholic. So why is he lying out loud on national television? And why is he stirring up racial division by lying? If you ever thought the guy had some integrity, you now know he doesn't.
9.38 pm. The fact-checking of Boehner's speech is brutal as well. This is a convention based on lies, it appears. Kessler:
House Speaker John Boehner’s speech starts out with just about every out-of-context quote used by Republicans to bash President Obama. Two of his examples were featured in our Gaffe-check videos: “The private sector is doing fine” and “If you’ve got a business, “you didn’t build that.”Such gaffes are effective when they reinforce an existing stereotype—in this case, the notion that Obama is hostile to private enterprise. But as our videos show, both of these quotes were taken out of context.
This seems a natural next step for a fundamentalist party, inventing its own reality, insisting on its own truths, and simply refusing to acknowledge reality. There is a case to be made against Obama; but what we have been hearing so far is an attack on a president who exists entirely in the imagination of the GOP base.etc etc etc
Top 10 Lists | America's Best Places To Live, Visit, Travel & Relocate | Livability
Top 10 Lists | America's Best Places To Live, Visit, Travel & Relocate | Livability:
Corvallis (Oregon State) is #6 and only town in the west on the list. I love Corvallis, falling in love with its recent changes a few years back when I was in town when a theater did a play of mine. Really charming town.
Corvallis (Oregon State) is #6 and only town in the west on the list. I love Corvallis, falling in love with its recent changes a few years back when I was in town when a theater did a play of mine. Really charming town.
How Romney scores points
Here's a scenario.
The storm floods New Orleans. Obama's team, aware of the images of Katrina, wants Obama to make a visit to the victims. However, Obama, always and overly cautious, fears he will be accused of upstaging the GOP convention. He stays put.
But on Thursday, Romney suddenly visits the victims in New Orleans in a much publicized human gesture. He leaves N.O. just in time to give his acceptance speech at the convention, a returning, caring hero.
This can happen. Obama constantly shows he is "too nice" to be an effective politician. All one has to do is revisit FDR's speeches to bankers, calling them crooks, to see the difference. FDR was a benevolent tyrant, which in crisis can be more effective than a well-meaning wimp.
I hope this scenario doesn't come to pass because I think Romney could score major points with it. I hope it never occurs to him. I hope Obama's team convinces the president to go to New Orleans, despite the accusations. The contrast to Katrina would be significant.
We'll see what happens.
But on Thursday, Romney suddenly visits the victims in New Orleans in a much publicized human gesture. He leaves N.O. just in time to give his acceptance speech at the convention, a returning, caring hero.
This can happen. Obama constantly shows he is "too nice" to be an effective politician. All one has to do is revisit FDR's speeches to bankers, calling them crooks, to see the difference. FDR was a benevolent tyrant, which in crisis can be more effective than a well-meaning wimp.
I hope this scenario doesn't come to pass because I think Romney could score major points with it. I hope it never occurs to him. I hope Obama's team convinces the president to go to New Orleans, despite the accusations. The contrast to Katrina would be significant.
We'll see what happens.
Tomgram: Ernest Callenbach, Last Words to an America in Decline | TomDispatch
Tomgram: Ernest Callenbach, Last Words to an America in Decline | TomDispatch:
"Chick had left a final document on his computer, something he had been preparing in the months before he knew he would die, and asked if TomDispatch would run it. Indeed, we would."
Posthumous essay by the author of Ecotopia.
"Chick had left a final document on his computer, something he had been preparing in the months before he knew he would die, and asked if TomDispatch would run it. Indeed, we would."
Posthumous essay by the author of Ecotopia.
In the next epoch, which we are still in and which may be our last as a great nation, capitalists who grew rich and powerful by making things gave way to a new breed: financiers who grasped that you could make even more money by manipulating money. (And by persuading Congress to subsidize them -- the system should have been called Subsidism, not Capitalism.) They had no concern for the productivity of the nation or the welfare of its people; with religious fervor, they believed in maximizing profit as the absolute economic goal. They recognized that, by capturing the government through the election finance system and removing government regulation, they could turn the financial system into a giant casino.*
Since I wrote Ecotopia, I have become less confident of humans' political ability to act on commonsense, shared values. Our era has become one of spectacular polarization, with folly multiplying on every hand. That is the way empires crumble: they are taken over by looter elites, who sooner or later cause collapse. But then new games become possible, and with luck Ecotopia might be among them.
Humans tend to try to manage things: land, structures, even rivers. We spend enormous amounts of time, energy, and treasure in imposing our will on nature, on preexisting or inherited structures, dreaming of permanent solutions, monuments to our ambitions and dreams. But in periods of slack, decline, or collapse, our abilities no longer suffice for all this management. We have to let things go.*
Let us embrace decay, for it is the source of all new life and growth.Everything I read lately strikes me as preaching to the choir. No wonder CJ (my most recent protagonist) drops out. No wonder near death pushes him into a laughing fit.
Bill Nye, The Science Guy, Says Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children (VIDEO)
Bill Nye, The Science Guy, Says Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children (VIDEO):
""I say to the grownups, 'If you want to deny evolution and live in your world that's completely inconsistent with everything we've observed in the universe that's fine. But don't make your kids do it,'" said Nye, best known as host of the educational TV series "Bill Nye the Science Guy.""
Preaching to the choir, alas.
""I say to the grownups, 'If you want to deny evolution and live in your world that's completely inconsistent with everything we've observed in the universe that's fine. But don't make your kids do it,'" said Nye, best known as host of the educational TV series "Bill Nye the Science Guy.""
Preaching to the choir, alas.
Monday, August 27, 2012
"The King" is king
College football cranks up Thurs. Wash St, UCLA and Oregon all have games on TV. And talk about strange scheduling: Navy - Notre Dame is live at 6 a.m. Saturday here! I'll be watching.
I asked DL in Florida if he was surviving the storm ... and he said it was a non-event where he is.
Afghanistan: Taliban Insurgents Behead 17 Afghans As Punishment For Attending Party, Dancing
Afghanistan: Taliban Insurgents Behead 17 Afghans As Punishment For Attending Party, Dancing:
Reality 101, or the world we live in. It's like having parallel universes.
Reality 101, or the world we live in. It's like having parallel universes.
Starwatch: The September night sky | Science | The Guardian
Starwatch: The September night sky | Science | The Guardian:
"Saturn and Mars hover just above our WSW horizon as the evening twilight fades,"
"Saturn and Mars hover just above our WSW horizon as the evening twilight fades,"
US Republican convention: an ocean of difference | | The Guardian
US Republican convention: an ocean of difference | Comment is free | The Guardian:
"A Republican win in November would be a domestic disaster for America and show that the gulf between America and the rest of the developed world is widening even more"
"A Republican win in November would be a domestic disaster for America and show that the gulf between America and the rest of the developed world is widening even more"
Sunday, August 26, 2012
The Chekhov Hyperdrama
I did get some strokes from the university for this. A dean wrote me a nice letter about it. However, he didn't actually say he'd read it, as opposed to being impressed by the work involved. Virtually all of my hyperdrama fans are in Europe, and I assume that's where the few readers of this are as well.
When I came up with a design for a hyperdrama theater, making production of this far easier, I wished I were younger, as I rarely do, so I might produce it myself. (This design is in the final "Nuts & Bolts" video in the Changing Key sequence. I continue to hope, perhaps against long odds, that a young playwright will discover hyperdrama and run with his enthusiasm, perhaps even producing this.)
Daily Kos: If It Walks Like a Duck and Talks Like a Duck: Racism and the Death of Responsible Conservatism
Daily Kos: If It Walks Like a Duck and Talks Like a Duck: Racism and the Death of Responsible Conservatism:
"I thought it might be helpful to gather together, in one place, all the evidence -- both explicit and implicit -- that the narrative of the modern conservative right (and especially the attack on President Obama) is overwhelmingly about race. "
Hear, hear!
"I thought it might be helpful to gather together, in one place, all the evidence -- both explicit and implicit -- that the narrative of the modern conservative right (and especially the attack on President Obama) is overwhelmingly about race. "
Hear, hear!
The Screenwriting Life
The classic book about the screenwriting life is William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade, in which Goldman makes his oft-quoted pronouncement, Nobody knows anything. I hereby nominate a second book to join his, the short novel by Rafael Lima called Screenwriter, which nails it but which unfortunately is only available as a Kindle book, so I can't assign it to my students.
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In Lima's novel, here is a crusty old screenwriter talking to an idealistic young playwright and screenwriter, who confesses a desire to write a novel. The old pro is answering the question, "But don't you think there is more to being a writer than--":
This, my friends, is brilliant. This nails it. This is reality. Past and present. In Hollywood. In America. Homo consumerus.
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Than what. Than making a living? Then providing for your family? Than succeeding at what many would fucking consider to be a dream?
The old writer gets up. He swings his coffee cup and coffee spills on the rug. "Who are you kidding? You want to be this writer. This artist. Get a grip, son. You are here, look out the window. What is out there? Out there is nine to five employment in retail. Out there is some waitressing job for your wife and life as a union plumber for you. All those writers trying to get in here where you and I are, making six figures and riding around in fucking limousines. Who the fuck are you kidding? Get a Grip. The novel is dead. We are the new theatre and we are what replaces literature.
You have this idea that your writing is like this untouchable holy vision. Nothing is holy. There are no visions. There is commerce. Life is commerce. Everything in life Bobby, everything is negotiable. Everything is product. Your talent? Your writing? It's negotiable. You have this idea that you have to be the Joan of Arch. This long suffering artist. Bullshit. What you have to be is smart. What you have to be is a negotiator. You're a playwright. You're used to having your lines spoken word for word the way you wrote them. Like holy scripture. The director defers to you. I was in New York. I know in New York it's the playwright that gets the adulation. You get to be the artist. But you get paid shit for it. You own nothing and you can never own anything. You want a home for your wife? You want children? You want them to go to private schools? Have nice clothes? This is the movies. You work in the movies you can have those things. For your wife. For your kids. You know what America is? It isn't the home of the free and the land of the brave. It's the land of the consumer. It's the land of the deal and the land of the dollar. America is the land of the buyer. Bobby, you know what America wants in their movies? What the buyer wants in his movies? They want the strong silent type to get the girl. They want the girl to have cleavage and the boy to have a square jaw. They want the alien from outer space to drool and have claws and be killed in the biggest explosion that producers can afford. They want their romantic comedies funny and their sad stories to have happy endings. They want it all tied up neatly for them at the end and they want to feel good after paying their 7.50 at the door. Don't re-invent the wheel.
This, my friends, is brilliant. This nails it. This is reality. Past and present. In Hollywood. In America. Homo consumerus.
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