This makes me gnash my teeth and stomp my hooves. Of course, the guy's pedigree (Iowa Workshop AND Harvard) no doubt helps, it still is killing me. Especially the reference about publishers scooping up paranormal tales -- which publishers?! AAAAUGH!
*GNASH*
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Gored?
I don't wish'em any ill will, really (except Tipper's record labeling thing was really annoying). Al would've been impeached if 9/11 had happened on his watch -- seriously, if Monicagate was impeachable for Bill Clinton, then 9/11 would've had the Republicans howling for Gore's blood, if it had happened to him (yes, quite the opposite stance of their whole "Let's put politics aside" charades in the wake of 9/11). He was probably better served as a presidential also-ran (or a "Hey, I actually won, but the fucking opposition actually stole the motherfucking election") than actually being a president.
The pictures at left amuse me -- photobooth pix are fun! I regret not having done nearly enough of'em! Something I'll have to remedy in the future!
Farming the Sun and Wind
As I watch that blight in the Gulf grow and grow and grow, this symbol of death and insanity and the lack of a coherent energy policy in our country (sorry, 'Baggers, but "Drill Baby Drill" doesn't count as a coherent energy policy), I find my mind drifts toward our country's farm subsidy program (quote Wikipedia)...
$20 billion a year. What if, instead of subsidizing farmers not to grow various crops, or to grow others, what if that farm subsidy money was used to encourage the creation of wind and solar farms? We always hear about the decline of family farms and what-not, and the reality of American energy independence is something that's been in dire need of being addressed for the past 40 years, so, I'm thinking of a reform to the farm subsidy program to have them develop actual alternative energy sources (wind and solar -- FUCK ethanol. Let me repeat that: FUCK ethanol).
Benefits: 1) help move American energy policy into the 21st century; 2) help with climate change; 3) help our country attain energy independence; 4) help the farms produce something of value (instead of being paid either to NOT grow things and/or to grow unnecessary things); 5) decentralize our country's energy grid, giving more power (literally and figuratively) to the local level (and making our energy infrastructure resistant to terrorist attacks); 6) contribute to rapid investment in and advancement of alternative energy in this country.
Try as I might, I just can't see anything wrong with this, EXCEPT that it steps on the toes of the fossil fuel industry, AND it would decentralize our energy grid.
The disaster in the Gulf qualifies as actual eco-terrorism, although it won't be seen as such, but the damage it'll do is worse than what happened on 9/11, hate to say it. More people will be impacted, more lives ruined, on and on and on. It's a clarion call (or should be) that our country absolutely must develop a proper alternative energy infrastructure. I've heard estimates that it's a $1 trillion market just waiting to be tapped -- and yet, it's always kept off the table. The technology is here, the need is here, the national will for change is even there. Win, win, win.
Must be why it's not being done.
The United States currently pays around $20 billion per year to farmers in direct subsidies as "farm income stabilization"[10][11][12] via U.S. farm bills. These bills date back to the economic turmoil of the Great Depression with 1922 Grain Futures Act, the 1929 Agricultural Marketing Act and the 1933 Agricultural Adjustment Act creating a tradition of government support.
The beneficiaries of the subsidies have changed as agriculture in the United States has changed. In the 1930s, about 25% of the country's population resided on the nation's 6,000,000 small farms. By 1997, 157,000 large farms accounted for 72% of farm sales, with only 2% of the U.S. population residing on farms. In 2006, the top 3 states receiving subsidies were Texas (10.4%), Iowa (9.0%), and Illinois (7.6%). The Total USDA Subsidies from farms in Iowa totaled $1,212,000,000 in 2006.[13] From 2003 to 2005 the top 1% of beneficiaries received 17% of subsidy payments.[13] In Texas, 72% of farms do not receive government subsidies. Of the close to $1.4 Billion in subsidy payments to farms in Texas, roughly 18% of the farms receive a portion of the payments.[14]
"Direct payment subsidies are provided without regard to the economic need of the recipients or the financial condition of the farm economy. Established in 1996, direct payments were originally meant to wean farmers off traditional subsidies that are triggered during periods of low prices for corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, rice, and other crops." [15]
Top states for direct payments were Iowa ($501 million), Illinois ($454 million), and Texas ($397 million). Direct payments of subsidies are limited to $40,000 per person or $80,000 per couple.[16]
The subsidy programs give farmers extra money for their crops and guarantee a price floor. For instance in the 2002 Farm Bill, for every bushel of wheat sold farmers were paid an extra 52 cents and guaranteed a price of 3.86 from 2002–03 and 3.92 from 2004–2007.[17] That is, if the price of wheat in 2002 was 3.80 farmers would get an extra 58 cents per bushel (52 cents plus the $0.06 price difference).
Corn is the top crop for subsidy payments. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 mandates that billions of gallons of ethanol be blended into vehicle fuel each year, guaranteeing demand, but US corn ethanol subsidies are between $5.5 billion and $7.3 billion per year. Producers also benefit from a federal subsidy of 51 cents per gallon, additional state subsidies and, federal crop subsidies that can bring the total to 85 cents per gallon or more.[18] (US corn-ethanol producers are also shielded from competition from cheaper Brazilian sugarcane-ethanol by a 54-cent-per-gallon tariff[19][20])
$20 billion a year. What if, instead of subsidizing farmers not to grow various crops, or to grow others, what if that farm subsidy money was used to encourage the creation of wind and solar farms? We always hear about the decline of family farms and what-not, and the reality of American energy independence is something that's been in dire need of being addressed for the past 40 years, so, I'm thinking of a reform to the farm subsidy program to have them develop actual alternative energy sources (wind and solar -- FUCK ethanol. Let me repeat that: FUCK ethanol).
Benefits: 1) help move American energy policy into the 21st century; 2) help with climate change; 3) help our country attain energy independence; 4) help the farms produce something of value (instead of being paid either to NOT grow things and/or to grow unnecessary things); 5) decentralize our country's energy grid, giving more power (literally and figuratively) to the local level (and making our energy infrastructure resistant to terrorist attacks); 6) contribute to rapid investment in and advancement of alternative energy in this country.
Try as I might, I just can't see anything wrong with this, EXCEPT that it steps on the toes of the fossil fuel industry, AND it would decentralize our energy grid.
The disaster in the Gulf qualifies as actual eco-terrorism, although it won't be seen as such, but the damage it'll do is worse than what happened on 9/11, hate to say it. More people will be impacted, more lives ruined, on and on and on. It's a clarion call (or should be) that our country absolutely must develop a proper alternative energy infrastructure. I've heard estimates that it's a $1 trillion market just waiting to be tapped -- and yet, it's always kept off the table. The technology is here, the need is here, the national will for change is even there. Win, win, win.
Must be why it's not being done.
Sleepy
I'm sleepy. Woke up too early. *yawn*
Up too late watching the hockey game. I dreamed about being at a bar, thirsty, and everything I drank didn't help. I had trouble ordering -- my brain was unable to articulate "PBR" so I muttered "Newcastle" in my dream, and even that didn't help.
So I woke up around 4ish and then got some water. It was very foggy outside. I didn't take any pictures of it.
B1 has two more soccer games left and then he's done. Maybe two more weeks of school, and he's done with that, too.
I took the boys to the zoo yesterday. They had a great time there, and it wasn't too crowded, as it had stormed most of the day, and so the usual Memorial Day crowds were comparatively slight, which made it more fun for the boys, in terms of getting to see the exhibits without dealing with lots of foot traffic, etc.
Up too late watching the hockey game. I dreamed about being at a bar, thirsty, and everything I drank didn't help. I had trouble ordering -- my brain was unable to articulate "PBR" so I muttered "Newcastle" in my dream, and even that didn't help.
So I woke up around 4ish and then got some water. It was very foggy outside. I didn't take any pictures of it.
B1 has two more soccer games left and then he's done. Maybe two more weeks of school, and he's done with that, too.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Passive Voice
This phrasing bugs me...
Because, clearly, the man was behind the wheel of this vehicle, and was, therefore, ostensibly in control of it. It's the usual "you're allowed to run people over if you're too old to be driving" thing that always happens.
Headline rewrite: Ohio vet strikes paradegoers when he loses control of his vehicle
First paragraph rewrite: Police in Ohio say a World War II veteran in a car lost control of his vehicle, went off the road, and struck five people lined up for a Memorial Day parade.
The original, by keeping it passive voice, it eliminates agency. And people might say "Oh, give the poor 84-year-old a break." And I'd say: 1) He shouldn't be driving anywhere at 84 years of age, least of all at a parade; and 2) five people got injured by this -- what about them?
The double standard with oldsters behind the wheel is dangerous to them, and to the people around them. Camouflaging it with passive voice doesn't do anybody any favors. Passive voice is used all the time in the news to spin things this way or that.
Ohio vet's car strikes people lined up for parade
By Associated Press
Police in Ohio say a car driven by a World War II veteran went off the road and struck five people lined up for a Memorial Day parade.
Authorities say 84-year-old Everett Cole's vehicle rolled over and hit a tree in front of a house in West Chester, about 15 miles north of Cincinnati.
Cole was conscious and talked with emergency personnel as they extracted him from the car. There was no immediate word on the extent of any injuries to him or others.
Because, clearly, the man was behind the wheel of this vehicle, and was, therefore, ostensibly in control of it. It's the usual "you're allowed to run people over if you're too old to be driving" thing that always happens.
Headline rewrite: Ohio vet strikes paradegoers when he loses control of his vehicle
First paragraph rewrite: Police in Ohio say a World War II veteran in a car lost control of his vehicle, went off the road, and struck five people lined up for a Memorial Day parade.
The original, by keeping it passive voice, it eliminates agency. And people might say "Oh, give the poor 84-year-old a break." And I'd say: 1) He shouldn't be driving anywhere at 84 years of age, least of all at a parade; and 2) five people got injured by this -- what about them?
The double standard with oldsters behind the wheel is dangerous to them, and to the people around them. Camouflaging it with passive voice doesn't do anybody any favors. Passive voice is used all the time in the news to spin things this way or that.
Rainy
Doesn't it always rain on Memorial Day? It sure seems to. We have storms here today.
Nothing fancy going on; just working on the screenplay, minding the boys, gonna watch the Blackhawks game tonight, gear up for the workweek.
The boys amuse me -- they conceived of "Daddy Club" -- basically getting to do stuff with me. If one of them does something that bothers the other one, they say "Now you're gonna have to be in Mommy Club." Which prompts Exene to say "Hey, what's wrong with that?" They know. Daddy Club is much more fun, at least to my boys.
I guess I won't stay on; it's thundery today.
Nothing fancy going on; just working on the screenplay, minding the boys, gonna watch the Blackhawks game tonight, gear up for the workweek.
The boys amuse me -- they conceived of "Daddy Club" -- basically getting to do stuff with me. If one of them does something that bothers the other one, they say "Now you're gonna have to be in Mommy Club." Which prompts Exene to say "Hey, what's wrong with that?" They know. Daddy Club is much more fun, at least to my boys.
I guess I won't stay on; it's thundery today.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Lane Change
I saw this article in the NYT about Nathan Lane, and I was reminded immediately of my comments about Stanley Tucci a few months ago -- Nathan Lane is another of those East Coast cold-eyed "I can do anything" type of performers. Who may, in fact, be very professional and capable performers, but that iron-shod professionalism makes them, in my view, cold and a little creepy. Sure, they can sing and dance and act, but what's going on behind that mask? I dunno. The eyes always creep me out. Cold eyes, cold heart? I don't know -- maybe he's the nicest guy in the world, I don't know him, but I've seen clips of him talking (when not in character -- and even when in character, the eyes creep me out). I always see this with the East Coast entertainer types. Not all of them, but it does seem to be more prominent with them. I don't care if he can cock both his eyebrows up in a faux-affable expression -- the eyes are fucking blank.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Haunting
Friday, May 28, 2010
Sunny Afternoon
I walked to Subway and back (Tuscan Chicken Melt, if you must know), and enjoyed the good light today, and the mild-but-sunny weather. Just lovely. Snapped a few pictures on my way, including that haunted fucking house I've photographed before (but likely haven't put on this blog). Just a loomy kind of old Victorian building. Gotta watch out for those looming Victorians! Anyway, I was disappointed at Powell's -- their free book box was ransacked by a codger who snapped up a thick stack of novelized screenplays just before I got there. D'oh! Had I gone to Powell's before Subway, I'd have snagged a treasure trove of'em, but I was hungry, and I wanted to get ahead of the Subway lunch rush, so there you go. I thought of asking the old guy for the "Deliverance" and "Taxi Driver" (two that I saw, among the baker's dozen he snagged), but I figured he might as well enjoy'em, but I was peevish at being thwarted!
I think of both of those movies are Horror, even though they're not actually officially branded that way. But how can anyone watch "Deliverance" and not feel the terror and horror throuthout it? And I'm not just talking about poor Ned Beatty's character getting piggy-raped in the Georgia forest; the whole movie is deeply, darkly Southern Gothic in all sorts of harrowing ways. Even the banjo duel just drips Southern Gothic...
Banjo Duel
One scene in particular scared the hell out of me as a teen -- I remember watching it, must've been my senior year in high school, in our big house, all alone. Our den had some doors you could close to seal it off from the rest of the place. Anyway, I would watch movies by myself and shut those doors, feel reasonably safe in there.
So, I'm watching "Deliverance" and it's skeeving me out, as it always does, and because it was on late, I dozed off on the sofa, and I woke up during this part when Jon Voight dreams that the body of the man they killed surfaces -- and it's this creepy-as-hell moment where there's the water of the lake made from the dam, and this hand surfaces from the water with this droning music playing.
Anyway, I woke up to that music, that fucking hand rising from the water, alone in my folks' house, and I was completely creeped out!
I think of both of those movies are Horror, even though they're not actually officially branded that way. But how can anyone watch "Deliverance" and not feel the terror and horror throuthout it? And I'm not just talking about poor Ned Beatty's character getting piggy-raped in the Georgia forest; the whole movie is deeply, darkly Southern Gothic in all sorts of harrowing ways. Even the banjo duel just drips Southern Gothic...
Banjo Duel
One scene in particular scared the hell out of me as a teen -- I remember watching it, must've been my senior year in high school, in our big house, all alone. Our den had some doors you could close to seal it off from the rest of the place. Anyway, I would watch movies by myself and shut those doors, feel reasonably safe in there.
So, I'm watching "Deliverance" and it's skeeving me out, as it always does, and because it was on late, I dozed off on the sofa, and I woke up during this part when Jon Voight dreams that the body of the man they killed surfaces -- and it's this creepy-as-hell moment where there's the water of the lake made from the dam, and this hand surfaces from the water with this droning music playing.
Anyway, I woke up to that music, that fucking hand rising from the water, alone in my folks' house, and I was completely creeped out!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Scene: Boy, Howdy
Man, this Michigander wannabe Lothario named "Ted" was really, really working hard to try to pick up a gal on the bus tonight. He and his wingman were dogging this moderately attractive gal -- he was wearing his aviator shades, had his gelled hair, his worn jeans and flip-flops, overtanned face, teeth way too white (he looked like one of my former high school classmates set to Frat Boy), and chewing gum while offering 20 Questions to the gal (she was brunette, reasonably tall but seeming taller in her cork heeled sandals) -- endless question after question, which she gamely answered, while trying politely to communicate lack of interest. The guy kept going in that frat boy monotone that involves name-dropping various places around town, trying to gauge her interest. "Ever been to...?" and on and on. Finally, he turned to his friend (back to the gal) and said "Lemme borrow your iPhone; set it up, I need to get a phone number, here." and he turns and says "How about those digits?" and she looks at him, like "I can't believe he's trying to pick me up on the bus." and she gives him a number, which he duly enters, then hands the phone back to his buddy, says "Dial it up, see if it's really hers." then turns to her, says "He's gonna call you, see if it's yours." and the buddy dials it and her phone (which she's had out the whole time, as she's been texting) doesn't ring. "Ted" is like "Whoa...." and she says "Must be a dropped call or something." and he's like "I dunno, man." and his buddy tries again, but no dice. Now, the whole time, "Ted" is busy cracking his gum and trying to be cool, but at this point, he's got no play left, and his buddy's snickering (he was seated next to me), and says "Man, you got shot down, Ted. What a great start to the evening! That was awesome." Meanwhile, "Ted" is busy trying to salvage what's left of his douchebag dignity, turning his back on the gal and bantering with his buddy about what they're gonna do this evening.
It was amusing seeing him go down in flames, just because he wouldn't leave that gal alone. For her part, she just handled it pretty coolly. I wanted to laugh, had to bite my lip.
It was amusing seeing him go down in flames, just because he wouldn't leave that gal alone. For her part, she just handled it pretty coolly. I wanted to laugh, had to bite my lip.
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