Triumph and disaster. Mostly disaster.

Conditions: Dark... with a possible ray of hope, far distant.

"The genius of our founders is that they designed a system of government that can be changed. And we should take heart, because we've changed this country before. In the face of tyranny, a band of patriots brought an Empire to its knees. In the face of secession, we unified a nation and set the captives free. In the face of Depression, we put people back to work and lifted millions out of poverty. We welcomed immigrants to our shores, we opened railroads to the west, we landed a man on the moon, and we heard a King's call to let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Each and every time, a new generation has risen up and done what's needed to be done. Today we are called once more - and it is time for our generation to answer that call.

For that is our unyielding faith - that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it."

Link

Op-ed: Right wing attack politics:



YouTube goodness

Since you've been good, here's Die Hard, the olde-time musical.

The ballad of John McClane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StuihXsyEqU



Car Update: Ah, crap.

Well. On my way to get a new radiator cap, I got the runaround from a certain multi-branch store who shall remain nameless, and in a fit of rage the car overheated and cut out in the middle of town. After letting it cool down, it still wouldn't start, and had to be towed (professionally) to a nearby garage. Sitrep pending. It's not looking good.



Film review: Hollywoodland

Ben Affleck deserves some credit. Yes, he's chosen the odd poor role, but on occasion he's demonstrated a willingness to take on a project that is both somewhat difficult and doesn't portray him in the best light. This is one of those roles, in the form of George Reeves - the (v. reluctant) fifties Superman for a generation of tv-watching kids. This is not a happy story, since it starts after his death, includes a number of flashbacks, and centers on a down-on-his luck Private Investigator (Adrian Brody, in fine form), who's trying to make a buck while figuring out if Reeves killed himself, or was killed by someone else. It's gritty, it's somewhat stylish, it's 'real' and well acted. Ultimately, the film can't decide what actually happened, likely because no-one really knows, so while the various scenarios are intriguing, eventually the film cannot satisfy with a definitive ending. Forget it, kid. It's Hollywoodland. Three and a half holes in the floor out of five.


End transmission.