Or Is It Aword?

I give in. I think it's time to make "alot" a word.

Watch The Stage

From Ben Brantley's review of David Mamet's latest, Race, in The New York Times:

No sooner had the curtain fallen on David Mamet’s “Race” the other night than the predominantly white audience [so Brantley's become a racial bean counter?] rose, smiling, to its feet. Standing ovations on Broadway have become a conditioned reflex, but this one seemed a shade more self-conscious and self-congratulatory than usual [because Brantley has the power to read minds]. You could argue this was the perfect coda to a play that examines the self-consciousness that descends on American white people when they talk about, or to, black people.

But that easy demonstration of approval didn’t feel like a reaction to gladden the heart of a dramatist hoping to provoke, to stir, to disturb. As the cast, led by an excellent James Spader, took its curtain calls, there was a relieved feeling that the surprisingly slack “Race,” which opened Sunday night at the Ethel Barrymore Theater, had registered well within the comfort zone of those watching it.

I hate this sort of thing. Ben, review the play, not the audience.

PS According the John Lahr in The New Yorker:

...Mamet offers instead nothing but cynicism. In this, he is an equal-opportunity employer. “I don’t think we’re brothers beneath the skin, over the skin, or in any way associated with the skin,” Henry says to Charles. From the packed multiracial audience attending on the night I saw the show, the line got applause.

I guess you see what you want to see.

Reid Me

Yesterday, on the Senate floor, Harry Reid compared health care reform opponents to those who were against ending slavery.

I won't bother to analyze the analogy. I just have to wonder if Reid can possibly think this sort of statement helps his case.

Shot In The Dark

It's fascinating to watch the Lost third-season classic episode "The Man Behind The Curtain" now that we know a little more about the man (or men) behind the curtain.

This is the episode where Locke demands to see Jacob. He and Ben have a wild meeting with Jacob and Locke hears something. Ben isn't happy and ends up shooting Locke, (he steals Locke's gun and shoots him--does the same trick with Ceasar), taking out a problem just as he helped slaughter the Dharma Initiative.

We now assume that someone (probably Blackie) is behind both these men, pushing them toward the fateful moment. In particular, as we get our first glimpse at Ben's past, we see how Blackie was there all along, ready to scoop up poor Ben and recruit him. (I'm assuming Blackie's behind the appearances of Ben's mother. I could be wrong.)

Just a couple things about this episode. First, the question of Annie, Bens' girlfriend (he still has her doll) at the DI. We have no idea if she was killed in the purge. I'm guessing not--that's pretty cold, even for Ben. Either she died (which might have had some effect on Ben) or she left the Island (perhaps shipped off just before the Incident?).

The bigger question is what Ben did after he joined the Hostiles. We now have a better idea of the specifics of the conversion. Based on this episode, you might figure he just joined when the time was right, being so alienated from the DI. But now we know (or think we know) what happened in particular. As a kid he was shot by Sayid and, in order to save his life, was taken in by the Others, which changed everything about him, including even his memory of being shot.

Okay, fine, but in this episode we see he's still with the DI as a young adult, working with his father. So for years he stayed with them (or at least pretended to be with them) before he made his final move to the Others. I can buy this. Others often work undercover. But during all this time, did no one--especially his father--not make at least some small reference to him being shot, and by whom? And then being saved, and by whom?

Coming Down Fast

For the first time ever, Pollster.com shows President Obama's disapproval has surpassed his approval. While this may not be correct (the combined data includes Rasmussen, which is about five points tougher on Obama than other polls), there's no doubt a downward trend.

It's easy to make too much of it. He was almost bound to drop from the post-election high. And if the economy starts to improve significantly next year, those numbers should go back up. But I must say I'm surprised. If you offered me a bet in January that his polling would be above 50% by the end of the year, I'd not only have taken it, I'd have given you odds.

Speaking of which, it won't be long before I look at the predictions I made early in the year and see how I did.

Biden Their Time

The latest Saturday Night Live started with a bit where the White House gatecrashers break into an Obama press conference. I guess it figures they'd do something about them. But what it really underscored to me is how Fred Armisen's Obama just isn't funny. And it's hurting the show.

One of the mainstays of SNL has always been an ongoing routine about the latest President. While it sometimes took a few months to get it going, sooner or later they'd figure out an angle and from then on the bit would work. Actually, with most politicians they knew where to go the first or second time. Even a boring, fairly straightforward guy like, says, Bob Dole, could become a figure of fun in almost no time.

But with Obama, who's been on the national scene for about two years now, they've still got nothing. Nothing that's working, anyway. If they're not willing to go with some tic or oddity--and I can think of plenty--I'd rather they drop Obama and start going with Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

Night Is Falling

The comments on a discussion of good bad movies of the past decade, which listed The Happening at #6, turned into an analysis of M. Night Shyamalan's oeuvre. It confirmed something I've been noticing for a while--the rising reputation of Unbreakable.

Many list it as Shyamalan's best. I suppose they want to avoid the obvious, Sixth Sense, so pick the next film, even though it was a disappointment in its day.

It does have its moments, and both Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson are pretty good. The idea isn't bad either--what if there were a superhero in real life. But the story doesn't hold together that well.

I'll still take it over his next film (and bigger hit) Signs. On the other hnad, I've stated more than once I find The Village to be his most interesting film. There are numerous flaws, and the surprise ending surprises no one. But it looks great (I generally agree with the argument that M. Night is a far better director than writer), captures a mood and plays better on second viewing. I think his mistake was not revealing the secret of the elders about halfway. Then we could see the artificial world they created, and even wonder if they've given a gift to their children or are crushing them under their psychotic rule.

Above all, there's Bryce Dallas Howard, who has never looked better or given a better performance, The scene near the end when she confronts the world outside the village is the most beautiful thing Shyamalan has ever done.

Good or not, the stuff M. Night's made since then--Lady In The Water, The Happening--are horrible. He needs to try something different. Maybe direct someone else's script?

A Cunning Plan

I've been watching DVDs of Blackadder. The BBC broadcast four series of six episodes each back it the 1980s, following the adventures of various incarnations of Edmund Blackadder. The first series is set in the 1400s, and by the last they're up to WWI.

Blackadder keeps getting smarter but less powerful, while his aid Baldrick keeps getting stupider and dirtier. More important, the show keeps getting funnier. In fact, I wouldn't even recommend the first series.

The big change was between the first and second series. The first is big, shot on location, fancy costumes, oversized performances. They seem to want to be the opposite of something like Fawlty Towers, just to show their independence. The BBC canceled the show, but brought it back with a smaller budget, which meant a few sets and a live audience. The second season is also where the Blackadder repertory company is truly set up. It also switches the basic concept, since the first series has a rather stupid and ineffectual Edmund with a rather clever Baldrick. It also get jokier, which may have gone against star Rowan Atkinson's original conception, but saves the show.

So I highly recommend the show, but if you don't have a lot of time, just get the final series, Blackadder Goes Forth, and keep going backwards until you don't like it any more.

Don't Ask, Alice

Tin Man turned Wizard Of Oz into an action movie. Now it looks like Alice In Wonderland is getting the same treatment.

I've always loved the Alice books. Don't think I like this.

Turn Off The Phone

I'm seeing ads for new 24. Should be starting soon. Seems to me Jack Bauer's getting a bit long in the tooth to be running around, saving the world? I hear this season two hours will be taken up by his nap.

They're The Top

Here's a list of the top twenty movie performances of the past decade. It's a pretty good list. The main problem is 11-20 are better than the top ten.

If I had to pick the best performance of the decade, it'd be Naomi Watts in Mulholland Dr., who happens to be #13 on the list. She'd been around for a while but I didn't know her and had no idea what to expect. (I didn't even know her she was putting on an accent.) It's a tricky, constantly surprising performance, requiring her to take all sorts of chances. She never misses.

New Year's Countdown

The House quickly passed a bill that makes permanent the estate tax with the current exemption (no index for inflation). The Senate has similar, if slightly more generous, legislation it's considering.

Under current law, the tax disappears in 2010, and then comes back in 2011, with a much smaller exemption.

I highly recommend Congress act on this one way or another, and soon. The key here is consistency. If nothing happens, I can imagine an awful lot of anxious people next December 31st wondering if they should pull the plug.

Who Knows?

Here's a page of some celebrity nose jobs. Actually, it's pretty impressive what a little nip and tuck can do.

Use It Or Lose It

I've noticed the "exterior shot" of Peter Griffin's house on Family Guy has some sort of sun porch. How come no scene has ever been set in it?

Not So Fine

I heard this line on a TV ad for Everybody's Fine: "only one film will touch your heart as no other film this season." They're so insistent, they've stumbled onto a tautology.

Apologists Accepted

I don't usually buy the LA Times, especially since they raised the price to 75 cents. But I bought it Friday, and here was the main headline: Bank bailouts appear to be paying off. So that's the big news for the day.

The other main above-the-fold healdine was Why he named pullout date. The subhead explains further: In Obama's Afghan war sessions, a mantra arose: to make the biggest military impact in the shortest time. Once again, news, not an editorial.

I'm sure the stories go on to present both sides, but if you just pass by a newsstand, you'd more likely think the job of the Times is to back up Obama's decisions.

The Whole Story

Interesting interview with Whole Foods CEO John Mackey in the latest issue of Reason. I'd describe him as a hippie capitalist. Here he is discussing the evolution of his politics:

The philosophy that I had prior to starting Whole Foods was just kind of "business is evil and government's good." Then I started a business and was trying to meet a payroll and realized that a lot of people thought I'd become the bad guy because I had become a greedy businessperson. And so I had to throw out my worldview.

It's good to work as a lowly employee so you can understand that viewpoint. Of course, most people do that at one point in their life. It would be just as useful to view things from the other side, but most don't, which allows a lot of people to see big business as a conspiracy of rich people hoarding their money.

By the way, I'm glad Whole Foods is around but I generally don't shop there. It's a bit too expensive.

PO'ed

I've been at the post office twice this week. First time there was a long line--of the six stations, only one had someone at his post (and this is the post office). Oh, there were other workers there, but they were walking in and out of the back room, doing something more important.

The next time, there were two workers, but the line was just about as slow. The lady in front of me moaned. She said the reason they're so slow is if they go faster, the station might get a reputation and they'll only get more customers.

Perdidos

Here's a pretty cool promo for Lost, season 6, in Spanish. No spoilers, except perhaps by implication.

Predictable

Afghanist and Pakistan are central to the fight against terror. That's not what I say, that's what Obama says. Somehow, though, he believes we should also start pulling out our troops from that area in 18 months.

The New York Times reports this has rattled our allies there:

President Obama’s timetable for American forces in Afghanistan rattled nerves in that country and in Pakistan on Wednesday, as American diplomats worked to convince the two countries at the center of the president’s war strategy that the United States would not cut and run [....]

In Pakistan, Mr. Obama’s declaration fed longstanding fears that America would abruptly withdraw, leaving Pakistan to fend for itself.

Many in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, argued that the short timetable diminished any incentive for Pakistan to cut ties to Taliban militants who were its allies in the past, and whom Pakistan might want to use to shape a friendly government in Afghanistan after the American withdrawal.

“The most serious issue, as far as we see it, is the exit date,” said a senior Pakistani security official who spoke anonymously because he was not allowed to speak publicly. “It will have serious implications.” [....]

Leaders in both countries, at least publicly, offered near silence or only a tepid embrace of the Obama plan on Wednesday.

If Obama does not appear to have the stomach to do what's needed to prevail, why would anyone there publicly support the U.S.? If I were an Afghan, I wouldn't put my family in danger by siding with a country that apparently can't wait to leave.

Who's The Boss?

Jim, now co-manager on The Office, has been ordering Ryan around. Seems weird. Doesn't seem that long ago Ryan was his boss. In fact, it's still pretty hard to buy Ryan is even allowed to work at Dunder Mifflin.

Leftover Vanity Plates Of The Month

On a Mercedes: PALOMA M. I hope the M doesn't stand for Mercedes.

Also saw a HEADSET. Hardly seems worth bragging about.

There was an FNNCNNC. Is that a very fancy way of saying "fancy"? Or a fan of CNN?

On a black mustang: UZI RAY. I'm not sure what this is, but I wouldn't mess with this person.

Also saw FONTNHD. Probably an Ayn Rand fan--I'd give him wide berth as well.

Here's a very Hollywood plate: PRYMTME--which is something I don't think this person is ready for.

Also there was NEVRNUF. Maybe so, but I wouldn't broadcast it.

I saw USB USC, if I'm not mistaken. Fairly entertaining.

Saw an RUOKAYY. Took me a few second to figure it out. The final Y seems pointless. Maybe he wanted all the letters he'd paid for.

Latest From The Lab

Here's an article on research from the University of Montreal someone sent me. It's about pornography. The researchers wanted to compare male users and non-users, but couldn't find any of the latter.

Not exactly surprising. Not because it's widely available, but because most men interested in sex are interested in visual representations of sex. Wider availability simply means they can get it, rather than having to use their imaginations (which, I suppose, is another form of pornography--the one kind that no one can take away).

According the the link, "The study found that men watched pornography that matched their own image of sexuality, and quickly discarded material they found offensive or distasteful." Once again, this makes sense. Pornography doesn't create one's taste so much as cater to it.

Bad Medicine

I've been saying all along I can't imagine the Dems won't pass a health care bill. You might think the polls would give them the willies, but the argument that we might as well pass it now because we won't get another chance this good (and any bill is better than no bill) seems to be winning. The Dems also seem to be hoping if they get it done soon, people will forget by 2010. (And in the long run come to love it.)

Republican party activists recognize this and are already planning a new campaign. They think this will be a big enough issue to run on next year. They'll remind everyone the Democrats (regardless of individuals votes) passed this bill and so Republican candidates will promise to reverse it. It's hard to know what will be on people's minds in a year's time, but I think this can work. It's one thing to pass massive social legislation. It's quite another to do it against the will of the voters. I'm not even sure if I can remember it ever happening before.

And if it works in 2010, it may even work in 2012, since they won't be able to overturn health care reform no matter how well they do next year. (And any changes in the health care system will probably still be too new to have widespread popularity yet.) I'm not sure if the Democrats just don't believe this will happen, or just don't care.

One Down

It's too early to talk about the 2012 election, since the world could change a lot by then. (According to Hollywood Mayans, it could end by then.) Still, I'd say Mike Huckabee's pardon of a cop killer ends whatever chances he had to represent his party.

I don't personally care, but isn't this just the sort of thing that Republicans would believe disqualifies a candidate?

That leaves a smaller group of big-name Repubs--Romney, Palin, Gingrich and a few others--none of whom is the clear front-runner. I wouldn't be surprised if a new name rises to the top.

Meanwhile, I think we can safely say Obama will run again. The last time a sitting President didn't get his party's nomination was 1968. I suppose if, for whatever reasons, Obama's tremendously unpopular in a few years, Hillary Clinton would say "I didn't want to do this but I have to" and run against him, but otherwise no one will seriously challenge him.

No More Room

Lately, I've been seeing the phrase "800-pound [sometimes the weight varies] gorilla in the room."

It's just "800-pound gorilla," meaning "one that is dominating or uncontrollable because of great size or power." Doesn't matter where he is. In fact, that's the point of the original joke:

Q: Where does an 800-pound gorilla sleep?

A: Anywhere he wants.

Don't confuse it with the "elephant in the room," referring to something that's obviously there but no one wants to talk about.

Latch On To The Affirmative

I saw an ad on TCM for a DVD of their Johnny Mercer special. The copy noted it had a bunch of his songs "compiled together." I wonder what he'd think if he heard that.

Three-Quarters Measures

I certainly hope President Obama's plans for Afghanistan work out, but he didn't give the generals all they'd hoped for. He still had to throw some sops ("sop" can be plural, can't it?) to his left flank. (They'll still be unhappy. I suppose this is what Joe Biden's apocalyptic language before the election was referring to.) He's sending less soldiers than requested and plans to start pulling out in 18 months--which must be comforting to the Taliban, who can lay low and wait out the clock.

This is a war of necessity, according to Obama himself. (I realize a lot of people just said that to look tough, all the better to attack Iraq, but he's repeated the idea recently). You either fight a war or you don't. The "exit strategy" is win or surrender. Half measures are worse than nothing.

So there's no point in splitting the difference. Solomon threatened to cut the baby in half, but he didn't plan to do it.