Stop Frame

The Idiossey : Speak to me, O Muse, of this resourceful man who strides so boldly upon the golden shrine of Potomac, Between Ionic plywood columns, to the kleig light altar. Fair Obamacles, favored of the gods, ascends to Olympus Amidst lusty tributes and the strumming lyres of Media; Their mounted skyboxes echo with the singing of his name While Olbermos and Mattheus in their greasy togas wrassle For first honor of basking in their hero’s reflected glory. Who is this man, so bronzed in countenance, So skilled of TelePrompter, clean and articulate whose ears like a stately urn’s protrude? So now, daughter of Zeus, tell us his story. And just the Cliff Notes if you don’t mind, We don’t have all day.

Ah yes , about the pledge…. Rush transcript of the celebrity Pledge of Obama Allegiance video (for educational purposes only) [Fade in; cue pseudo-soulful electric piano dirge] Courtney Cox and her husband, what’s-his-name : I pledge. Demi Moore : I pledge. Cameron Diaz : Me pledge too!! Courtney Cox : To end hunger in America. Mr. Courtney Cox : By ordering smaller endive portions from craft services. Absolutely amazing. Hilarious, too.

And so here I sit, playing on my old computer, now running Microsoft Windows 7 Beta (Build 7000). It’s rather amazing, considering that this same machine was disqualified to run Vista. Very pretty, very smooth, only a hint of hesitation while some things run. What’s interesting right off the bat is that it’s not annoying. Every time I touch a Vista machine, it’s vaguely annoying. Things are moved around for no particular reason, as compared to XP. My son says I’m nuts…sorta. He’s been running Vista since the day it was available, built a machine on his own to handle it, and has never had a major issue. Eventually, though, he agrees that some things were changed for no good, or readily apparent reason. That’s yet to happen with me and Win7. There actually appears to be rhyme to the reason, or is that reason to the rhyme. Whatever. Bottom line is that for the few things I’ve done so far, I’m gone to the right menu, the right window, and voila, there’s what I’ve been looking for. Even...

Christopher Hitchens, on today's self-censorship : So there is now a hidden partner in our cultural and academic and publishing and broadcasting world: a shadowy figure that has, uninvited, drawn up a chair to the table. He never speaks. He doesn’t have to. But he is very well understood. The late playwright Simon Gray was alluding to him when he said that Nicholas Hytner, the head of London’s National Theatre, might put on a play mocking Christianity but never one that questioned Islam. All because, as Hitchens points out, the free press, the alleged defenders against censorship and repression of free expression, have surrendered to thugs.

Before I forget, again, belated: Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! I haven't seen many films lately, going to see only one at the theatre. Someone else paid, so I ended up seeing The Tale of Despereaux , drawn to the flame by my love of animation. Animation has different styles, just as different directors bring a distinct style to their works. This is oft-times strange in animation because they are such collaborative processes. Nonetheless, everyone can recognize a Disney cartoon from a Warner's. In the modern world, Pixar films have a familiar sheen to them, distinct from what Dreamworks is cranking out, etc. Despereaux is unique and, to my eyes, beautiful. It feels lush, rich, and alive. I can't say enough good things about the artistry and craft that went into the look, feel, and animation of this film. Would that I could say the same about the rest. The characters are flat, the story never seems to begin, and when it does it goes...