Note: Out of Time is discussed below and the ending (though not expressly described) is discussed. Consider this a possible. spoiler alert.

The Cubs are one game closer to the World Series for the first time in nearly sixty years, but not quite there yet ... the Marlins finally had a truly excellent pitching performance, making the series 3-2, Cubs. The Jets, unlike the Giants, finally had a good game ... no, a very good game, beating the Bills 30-3. Every dog has his day, and Jets fans deserved a laugher after the drudgery that had to bear thus far. Meanwhile, Carolina beat the Colts (under ex-defensive coordinator of the Giants, John Fox) to regain unbeaten, coming from behind to do so as did the Kansas City Chiefs (KC has a reason to smile still). Dallas beat Philly to retain their surprising early division lead. Thus, three teams are unbeated, one team (bye week San Diego) has no win.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of the few cases where the television show was better than the original movie; Legally Blonde was one of those times when the movie was better than the book. Amanda Brown's (formerly a blonde law student, but of Stanford, not Harvard) original was easy reading, but lacked some of the depth of the movie. For instance, the enjoyable supporting character (the manicurist) that might not have been her social equal, but was her emotional one, was only a trivial one in the book. Elle Woods also had it too easy in the book (perfect LSAT? in the movie she had to get a certain score, doing so barely, to enter) and the "diversity" concept (she was chosen as a sort of "blonde" representative) was lacking. Also, no love interest. Brown's second novel, Family Trust, was also easy reading (perfect for plane trips), but even more trivial. All the same, one can get rich on such fare.

The book did have a good bit about Elle's idea of a "Blonde Defense Fund" to protect the interests of blondes everywhere ... great idea for a comedy bit. She also defined the true blonde: "True blondes, whether natural or not, could be identified by their inner light of buoyant, charmed confidence." The airy tone, on target satire of law school life (done rather thinly all the same), and pleasant story saved the book from being dreck ... and bits like this shows the hints of intelligence there. All the same, material was rather thin. The movie had its trite touches (the trial lawyer of the book was not a sexual harasser like the one in the movie), but it had more meat to it, which overall made it light, but still left you content after consumption.

As to movies, a word about the end of Out of Time. It was too easy, but fairly typical of the genre. My general annoyance is that such endings allow things to be tied together in a bow without the messiness of real life. Real life messiness is not pleasant, so this is sometimes not a bad thing, but sometimes the ending forces us to give something up along the way so how easy is it? Just how pleasant is it to have our hero finish up as he did, but having to do what he had to do to get there? I leave the blanks in place given the recent vintage of the movie, but the viewer can decide.

Friday: While on the subway today, I had to deal with one of those annoying performers, this one a heavyset black guy who apparently was doing some sort of magic tricks along with his cheerful banter. Said banter was appreciated by a few people on the train, but it was annoying to me, trying to read and/or not be bothered by someone trying to make a living sponging off train passengers. I apologize if I sound bitter, but though I am loathe to forbid people from giving money to such individuals, it is not enjoyable to be kept as a captive audience. Furthermore, these performers spend more time annoying passengers than your typical beggar who is in and out in more of a hurry.

"Miss Match" was pushed ahead an hour (bad sign), so I had a chance to watch "Joan of Arcadia." I had to shut it off after around twenty minutes. The parents, especial the mom (Mary Steenburgen) did seem to have potential, but the children (including Joan, perhaps) were pretty standard ... the smart aleck little brother was annoying. The use of a psychic in the police subplot (father is the police chief) was annoying (I'm a cynic, I admit it). The use of cutesy "God" gimmicks (God comes in the form of various people) was annoying. And, yes, God having her do weird things (e.g. learning chess) was annoying. Heck, the mom not wanting to accept the son is paralyzed permanently was even annoying. Maybe, I was in a bad mood. On the other hand, maybe gimmicks, standard plot devices, and the like is just not my cup of tea.

I only saw part of one episode, so I can not get a true sense of the nature of the show. All the same, why cannot we have a show that has a focus on religion and God without gimmicks? "You Can Count On Me" dealt with religious themes. "Seventh Heaven" is preachy, but from what I have saw of it, it really isn't supernatural or anything (as compared to "I'm an angel sent from God" deus ex machina proceedings in "Touch by An Angel"). Real life does not involve God coming in the form of various people (with witty banter), telling you what to do (sure, if God came that way, you'd know it's God), and at times even explaining things to you. I understand that this is a dramatic exercise (partially a "Joan of Arc" takeoff), but we can also use an examination of religion (and even religious experience) more real life. It's an important part of our culture and deserves more than this sort of thing.

For now, I will stick with "Miss Match" or whatever else happens to be on at the time. Today the Cubs/Marlins game was on, another exciting affair that lasted eleven innings (Game 2 was a blowout, Cubs up 2-1). Yesterdays, the Yanks won (shock), tying the series 1-1. Next up Clemens v. Pedro at Fenway. I shall repeat myself ... Pedro doesn't quite impress me. He keeps on getting hurt, missing chunks of games, and being treated as a hurt sparrow some more ... leading to games where he goes only six or so innings. The games he does play, he is often match up with front end starters, thus it turns out to be a pitching duel ... this is often the case in playoff games. The net result is that the elite teams can often stalemate him and since he rarely goes much more than seven, it's up to his flawed pen. This results in Tim Wakefield being as dangerous in the long run to the Yanks.

Frontline had a good somewhat cynical special on the war in Iraq (I watched in today; it was on Thursday night) ... I should watch more of these things, especially since the series is said to have somewhat of a liberal bias. If so, given that I kinda do as well, it would be easier to take my documentary medicine, lol.

Thoughts: Quick/Easy Voting with A Muffin To Go; the recall: groping, Arnold Supporters, and postmortem: and Cubs get trash delivery.

The Yanks/Red Sox have played nineteen times already ... let's root for the Cubs/Marlins series. Game 1: The Cubs score four in the first, Marlins five in the third, each score twice in the ninth to go into extra innings 8-8, and Marlins win in extras. We all want excitement, right? Just look at the winner of the recall!

I spoke about it already (see above), but honestly, you choose him? Yet again, the people cry out: give us a leader, someone who can fix things, and doesn't give us the same old sh*t. And, they grasp toward the inferior new voice out there. And, yet again, we see where desperation takes us. I didn't want to believe an actor, one who turns out to be a boor, would upset someone just re-elected last year. Someone who has no political experience, seems to have came out of the blue, and isn't really as independent (or able to push for change) as much as he implies. The signs were there, the result really wasn't a surprise ... just a tad bit of a travesty. The sky will not fall, out with the old/in with the new will probably bring some fresh air, but it really isn't a great way to play a ball game. It just isn't.

Out of Time with Denzel Washington as a small town police chief who gets into a tad bit of trouble and races against the clock to get out of it was a good summer flick. It took a bit too long to get going, but the lead is great, the story fun, and the atmosphere (the "feel" of a movie is core to my enjoyment) well crafted. Deep down its standard stuff, but most movies are ... not as many do it this good.

Baseball: It's official ... Oakland blows. They are the new Atlanta squared of the AL West ... yet again they get to the playoffs and lose in the first round. And, yet again, they win the first two, but drop three (this happened less often, but even once it's rare ... but twice?) and are eliminated. They couldn't win Game Three because of their own incompetence. Game Four because the pitching matchup finally caught up with them (starter out after one). Game Five ... they were destined to lose. Pedro started and left after six ... 4-2, Sox, on a four run inning. The As got another run in the eighth. They got first and second with no one out in the ninth. Second and Third with one out. Couldn't do it. So sad.

Many are hyped for a Red Sox/Yanks matchup ... they played close to 20 games already. I personally am bored with these guys ... they will be some exciting games, pitching and hitting duels. Pedro will be matched by Yankee pitching and might very well have a stellar effort [seven innings or so and an average of three runs is not really stellar ... suggesting a key to the team's problems]. Each bullpen is questionable but has shown itself to be stellar in key spots (the Red Sox pen in latter games vs the As surely did so, when push came to shove). And so forth. The edge, as it usually is, is slightly on the Yankees' side. If they lose, it would be special -- Red Sox v. Cubs or Marlins -- but really nothing special. Just things going their way, as it sometimes does, though not at the end.

The Marlins/Cubs matchup seems more interesting. I actually think the Marlins might have an edge ... they have stellar pitching and a bit more offense. The Cubs bullpen is questionable; the Marlins bullpen has shown their stuff repeatedly vs. the Giants. The Cubs won the season series, but only four of six, and it is almost meaningless given the greatly changed situation (and belief in the Marlins mind ... actually, they won more games! They are the underdog only because they won the Wild Card, not a division). And, unlike the Red Sox, the Cubs never quite was in this position before.

Weekend: I caught a fun movie that rocked, literally, School of Rock with Jack Black. The movie had a fun trite touches, including a bit forced scene where he talks about how he really cares about his kids ... kids he tricked into serving as his backup in a Battle of the Bands competition by taking over for his roommate (played by the wonderful Mike White, who also co-wrote) in a temp teacher position at a snooty grade school. It was criminal as well that Sarah Silverman was wasted in a role as the bitchy girlfriend. Still, the movie took a standard plot idea, built it around a role made for Jack Black, and took advantage of the general fun of the genre done right. And, new how to appreciate rock while also making fun of it.

Sports was a mixed bag. The Yanks did what they had to by beating the Twins and moving on. The Cubs did what it didn't do for about a hundred years and won a playoff series (admittedly in the past, it didn't have an option to play three sets until its third attempt in 1998) via another great effort by Kerry Wood. The As, likely helped by a bad umpire call but much more so by their own bungling, lost their best shot at advancing. They lost their second shot (helped by Hudson, pitching on short rest, leaving after an inning) and have to face Pedro (on full rest) their third and final shot. The Marlins blew a four run lead (after Dontrielle Willis got a triple on his third hit ... he might have been a tad too pumped up), but survived. So, the Giants and Braves, way ahead by mid-Summer, are eliminated. Oh, and the Giants (football) played shoddy football to drop into last place.

Harmful to Minors by Judith Levine got a lot of criticism around a year ago (feels like that, maybe I'm a bit off) because she had some good things to say about child sexuality. Her main focus was more on children learning about sexuality, playing around with it in safe contexts, and how attempts to "protect" children from sexuality often are counterproductive. She wrote the book right before the Catholic Church scandals came out, but her basic themes still hold. Someone who influenced her (and vice versa) is Sharon Lamb, who about the same time wrote a book entitled The Secret Lives of Girls: What Good Girls Really Do -- Sex Play, Aggression, and Their Guilt. The two can be read together and are both worthwhile at least for perusing, be it for parents, educators, or the regular reader.

Lamb's book is split into two parts, sexual play and aggression. Her overall theme is that both are and have long been (her interviewees range in age from literally eight to eighty) part of the lives of girls, though many seem to feel that they are weird or even bad for taking part. Lamb is not as blase as intersexual sexual contact itself as Levine at times is, but same sex playing is seen by her as important as a way to play around with sexuality, learn about it, and even to provide pleasure. A few intersexual incidents are discussed, but same sex/more balanced in power players seem more attractive to her. Likewise, she wishes society to face up to the fact that girls too deal with aggression, not just boys, and sometimes it might even be good for them (especially in sports, useful also as a way for girls to "take up space" and for "good girls" to be proactive).

The sexuality of children, though addressed in some cultures, is seen by many as dangerous. The fact is that children are in some sense sexual beings, and there are safe ways for them to examine this part of themselves. The same applies to aggression; and when aggression is excessive, it should be seen in a balanced way. Would it be as bad (or even bad at all) if boys were involved? Likewise, yes, some sorts of sex play (especially actual sex) might be deemed troubling, but it should be put in perspective. This is a crosscultural work ... one difference, though in part it is a matter of class, is that black girls more often play sexually with other boys (and are more likely to be deemed bad girls by nature, though white girls are sexual as well). Pretty quick reading with short chapters throughout ... good way to get a feel of a controversial societal topic.

Thoughts: Joseph Wilson as Enemy, Post Season Politics, Why Jet Blue Exposing Customer Info Matters, Hidden Punishments, Perfect Spy (Wilson's wife), and Barely Managing (Bush as manager).

Sports: I only caught bits and pieces of many of the games, but so far the playoffs have had some good ones. The best might be a 12th inning affair between Oakland and Boston with a ninth inning rally, a top of the twelfth save, and a game winning bunt. Unfortunately, after losing Game 1, the Braves showed some of their old magic vs. the Cubs. Hampton survived a bases loaded, no one out, two in, first inning. And, the Braves survived a blown Smoltz save (in the eighth), and got two RBI with two outs (after the pitcher barely allowed Smoltz to lay down a sacrifice on a 3-2 count). The Marlins and Giants also split with each having a chance to shine. The Yanks was totally messy, wasted a good Mussina effort, and good defense stopped a ninth inning rally. They won Game Two though ... only the Red Sox didn't manage to tie things up 1-1.

TV: The second episode of "West Wing" was disappointing; it was like the latter half of an extended episode, which always tend to be an attempt to stretch limited material over an extended amount of time. Not much action, a few cliches, and suddenly the daughter is found. It did take a chance to make fun of itself (fast walking). The second episode of "Coupling" was better, though it again was basically a replay of the original, just with a more annoying soundtrack and less skillful actors. It does seem like they are fitting into their roles. I also caught the theme song -- same song, just not as good. Sounds familiar.

Thoughts: Under the Tuscan Sun, Outing Joseph Wilson's Wife As CIA Agent, Tigers Lose Only 119!, Focus on Bush's Competence, and Bill O'Reilly's scouting report on Democratic candidates.

The Jets looked absolutely pathetic against the Dallas Cowboys; the Chicago Bears were just overmatched against the (had to win, 1-2, Packers), but if you want sad, Jets/Dallas was it. It might be true that Chad Pennington could have given life to the team, but he would have to be practically a miracle worker to have them more than 2-2 (better than 0-4, surely), if that. The team lost too many people in the off season ... it almost felt like the 2001 Mets ... everything had to fall in place, and one major problem, the team would fall like a house of cards.

Books: She's Not There by Jennifer Finney Boylan was a very enjoyable read, though at times I wanted a few more details about the switch. Details are important when you are reading about the development of a married transsexual college professor who decides to fully become her true self when s/he is around forty. Lucky for him, he had a depth of optimism and strength (and a fun life ... professor and musician with a great wife) ... in a way, it seemed a bit too easy. Surely, others without his advantages would have had a tougher time of it, especially if they lived in a less liberal environment.

The story as well as the concept is amazing and again the reason the book was so good was her ability to write an autobiographical account with such style. She is an author of around eight books after all (some are books for teenagers which were written under an assumed name that she apparently wants to keep secret ... have yet to find out what it is) as well as being an co-chair of the English department at Colby College. It is also interesting to note how many feminine traits are really biological, such as emotions (she felt more emotional when ruining dinner or watching certain movies). She also noted how women seem to have questioning tones, even when saying their names ("My name is Jennifer?"). So far, the women I asked about this didn't really agree. What do you think?

Definitely worth adding to your reading list. On the other hand, Gentleman Revolutionary: Governeur Morris - The Rake Who Wrote the Constitution by Richard Brookhiser was a disappointment. This was especially the case because Brookhiser was so great and amusing in interviews, including suggesting Morris (who is an interesting character that is underappreciated) would be the person who'd call if you were in trouble and/or jail. Unfortunately, the book, a relatively brief one, doesn't really do the man justice. I didn't quite understand why he had certain beliefs (e.g. why was someone who had a slave as a child and lived in slave heavy NY so anti-slavery?) and more than once the guy was made out to be an unpleasant spoiled rich kid ... I don't think that was his intention.

It was quick reading, and for those interested in the subject, of some benefit to get a thumbnail sketch of his life. I just didn't get much pleasure from reading it ... it's one of those books you just read to finish it, but are annoyed for having to waste your time to do so. The good part is that you learn something, and it is relatively painless. A quick pan of a recent book on Thomas Paine's Common Sense (forty two pages, or something or other) ... not bad, I guess, but overall trivial. I got as much from reading the original itself (it was one of those with an elongated introduction telling the life and times of the author, etc.). On the other hand, I wasn't that impressed with the author's presentation of the book either.

TGIF TV: ABC has its own lesser form of "Must See TV," namely TGIF (Thank God/Goodness It's Friday) that consists of light, often family friendly (or predictable) comedies, which ones included "Family Matters" and "Full House." The 9 o'clock hour is of some interest to me ... Hope & Faith (co-starring Faith Ford of "Murphy Brown) starts the hour. It is a formulaic comedy involving a self-centered soap star who goes to live with her more prim and proper (but still deep down a bit wild) married with children sister, after she loses her role. The television buff would be intrigued since Ted McGinley actually is in the show from its beginning. Many know of the "McGinley Effect," which involves Ted coming into a series late in its run, a sure sign it is going downhill (Happy Days, The Love Boat, and Married ... with Children). The show was mildly amusing and Kelly Ripa and Faith Ford are quite likeable, so maybe his presence won't taint things.

First, there was the 8 o'clock hour. I took NBC and watched Miss Match, which is sort of like Clueless: 10 Years Later ... Alicia Silverstone is a young divorce lawyer (she works at her father's firm) who has this gift of match making, but is a bit less lucky in love herself. It got mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it as light entertainment with a great lead and some pleasing supporting characters. The other show to watch is Joan of Arcadia (CBS), which I caught a taste of during a commercial (usually, it seems like every show, including professional sports, have commercials at the exact same time) as well as at the very end. It seems promising, but with the potential to be a bit heavyhanded (struggling family, teen who meets God, older brother paralyzed in an accident, younger smarty pants brother ... how couldn't it be??)

Life with Bonnie is a good fit in the TGIF lineup, moving in at 9:30 ... typical light comedy that is carried by Bonnie Hunt's own individual comic vision. I don't always care for the result, which seems a bit too precious (especially the annoyingly cute son), but I respect the effort. Along with The Handler at 10, Fridays have more to offer than one might think. On the hand, more people are home than one might think.

Do Not Call Registry: Congress and the FTC seemed to have a good idea on its hands: a registry that allows people to block telemarketers from calling your house. Congress rushed to pass legislation directly giving the FTC a right to do this, after a federal judge questioned if previously law could be read so broadly. Then, another judge held that singling out telemarketers was a violation of the First Amendment, since commercial speech was wrongly targeted. These rulings had their share of ridicule, though some lawyer types argued the judge had a point. I think so too ... okay, so you think the law is great because it protects your privacy. How many equally are ignored when charities, poll takers, or politicians call you up? It is like being annoyed on subways ... begger or homeless organization ... either way it bothers my attempt to read or sleep.

True privacy protection would be across the board, right? Of course, this would affect the people who write the laws, even though legislation that allows you to pick who you want to block would be the most honest and/or fully inclusive protection of privacy they can offer. Is not privacy what we are aiming for here? Some ridicule the concern for telemarketing jobs (surely not a trivial concern, methinks) ... if we are going to ignore that, let's at least be consistent. Selling things (heck, sometimes, like for bank services or whatever, you actually buy it) are as much a part of our society than donating to charities and hearing pitches to vote for someone you either was going to vote for already, don't care about, or will vote against. And if they interrupt your supper, will you be that much less annoyed?

Thoughts: Anti-war voters against Clark?, 9th Circuit Recall (Non)Decision, More Ashcroft Follies, Bill O'Reilly, and Bush Hatred.

The Mets did a good job honoring Bob Murphy on his last day; he also gave a great speech, sounding full of energy (his physical problems compelled him to retire). Glavine started, but could go only five (no decision, 9-14 for the year ... his worst in a LONG time), and an error (ironically after a Piazza throw that should have caught someone stealing) helped the Mets lose again ... Cerda coming into the game with runners on First and Third and one out made it pretty clear that would be the outcome. Anyway, I switched over to Coupling a few times ... it was basically a direct remake of the British first episode, done with less finesse and an annoying laugh track. Meanwhile, BBC re-aired the superior original.

The NYT today (9/25) suggested it was partly a cultural thing ... the Brits are more polite, proper about sex, and so forth, so the show just doesn't translate as well ... this is just some sitcom. Also, though the British accents help (and they aren't that strong nor are the references too foreign), the original had an interesting extra bit of flavor to it. As the article notes, this new gang often seemed like bland sorts, and the Chicago location of little note (the bar had some sign with "Chicago" in it, like we wouldn't know it was there, if we weren't told. Compare this to various Bonnie Hunt shows in which you often get a flavor of the town). My cynicism was not helped by this first viewing.

"Must See TV" Thursday leaves a lot to be desired these days.

New Season (Part I): There promises to be some new life in television land this season ... so far, so good. There are many shows lingering on that I have grown tired of some time ago, including The Simpsons, NYPD Blue, ER, and (mostly) Friends. Perhaps, the last one still has something left. Anyway, season premieres of other shows suggest they too have life as well. The new season for me basically started on Tuesday with Gilmore Girls. It was basically a prologue to the major changes (Rory has not gone to Yale yet, Sookie is still pregnant, etc.), but it was still a good welcome back. Nothing too major, though there was some serious moments, but it was fun. Also fun was Less Than Perfect, and the addition of Will Grasso as a full time member of the cast is a good idea ... he was fun in his guest roles.

The major premiere was West Wing, which did not deserve "Best Drama" in last weekend's Emmys, given it's subpar year. As one might recall, the cliffhanger involved Zoey being kidnapped and the Republican Speaker of The House (played well by John Goodman, who has proved his serious acting chops in the past) became acting President when President Bartlett stepped down. It looks like this will be the start of a story arc, and again, the premiere only laid down some groundwork. And, as well, it was promising. The episode was well written and acted ... I was engrossed by the story and the possibilities. And, heck, the Mets actually won their second straight. Looks like Tuesday and Wednesday still has life in their old favorites.

There are various odds and ends still to look into, including the Coupling remake, but the next big day is Friday. I can say that Grounded For Life still looks worthy of my time (lol), though again, it isn't really "Must See TV" or anything. This, plus its time slot (Friday Night at 9 on the WB) makes it something to watch if I'm free. Still, low bar or not, it is one of the best shows on the WB.

Casa de los Babys: I was watching a "making of" sort feature that highlighted something that was somewhat lost as I viewed the film ... there are aspects to the film (surely intentions behind it) that are quite powerful. The long career of John Sayles, who made independent films when he wasn't writing or cleaning up scripts of more mainstream fare in order to have the money to do so, is very impressive. The same applies to his social conscience, though some people feel it overwhelms his storytelling. The messages being sent in this film, including the mothers wanting babies and the poverty/inferior status of the land where they went to get them hits home. And, as a whole, it is hard to find a false note in the acting ... Daryl Hannah is not someone you think of for dramatic work, but she is wonderful here, as are the rest. The movie as a whole is worth watching.

I still didn't really like it. I had mixed feelings about his last film, Sunshine State because I don't think the storytelling was tied together enough; but, I did feel it was a complete movie, and not just a connection of scenes and characters. This film has some powerful scenes (a favorite might be when a teenage maid and one of the potential moms to be each open their hearts, though at least one has no idea what the other one said), but it doesn't really work as a film. The ending especially seemed just to happen ... like they just ran out of film or something, while also feeling a bit of a cheat given an earlier scene.

A woman once told me that she feels that most films offer you something to enjoy, and her opinion fits this film as well. Other films might be more complete, but do not often the little gems that this film does. To speak in a cliche, the whole is not the sum of its parts, but the parts probably are worth the price of admission.

A final note ... John Sayles wrote/directed a film a few years entitled Men With Guns, and did so in Spanish, which was deemed notable at the time. It is not like he showed a big bilingual ability in the past. Now, he is giving interviews partly in Spanish. I don't know, but it's like one day he thought "let me learn Spanish so I can better examine subjects involving Latin America." [ed. In fact, he did write something that required he learn the language, and he went from there. Still, he basically learnt the language in adulthood, becoming more comfortable with it in the last few years.] I wouldn't be suprised if one day he decides to examine Asia or the Native American life, and learns to speak their language, and (like here) write character bios in the native tongue!

Movies and Stuff: After a drought of stuff to watch, television and movie season is starting to come into high gear ... right as baseball and football have their own stories to tell. "Lost in Translation" was the best movie I saw this summer and probably will be around come Oscar Time. "Underworld" was a fun vampire/werewolf flick and other good movies are due to come soon. Now, John Sayles, a director I usually enjoy, did not do a good job with "Casa de Los Babys," which was well acted, but felt like half a movie. The story of Americans going out of the country to try to adopt babies had potential, but was underwritten, and had no true momentum.

On the other hand, there will be many season premieres (and premieres in general) on tv this week, and I'm looking forward to several of them. What will happen on "West Wing" and "Gilmore Girls?" Will "Miss Match," [Cher of "Clueless" apparently did grow up to be a lawyer and her matchmaking ways continued] "Joan of Arcadia," (annoyingly on at the same time) and a few other shows be worth watching? How about "Coupling?" I fear this show ... the advertisements and hype make it sound too oversexed and overblown, while the British original (often hiliarious, intelligent, and touching) is partly so good because it is more restrained. I will give one example ... the nutty Jane (one article said she was less nutty here -- why?) says she is a bisexual, but thus far it seems it is just hype. The American Jane in one article was labeled bisexual, as if she actually is. Time will tell.

Ah, to have to deal with NY sports teams. The Nets, a NJ team that actually admits to the fact, is the current Knicks of the near past ... good, but not good enough to go all the way. The Yankees are the Yankees. The rest have brought their separate degrees of aggravation the last couple years. The Mets are now 1 out of 16 ... they had to work at it Saturday with bad baserunning decisions (one by the third base coach) key in their 10th inning defeat. Sunday was just another typical example of great pitching nullified by lack of hitting ... Trachsel, Leiter, and now Seo all gave up one or two runs, and all got nil out of it. Seo at least didn't get the indignity of a loss, helped out by the bullpen getting out of an eighth inning mess. Lost in the ninth, helped out by inferior outfielder defense.

The Jets lost again ... mediocrity mixed with missed chances, while the Giants almost blew another one (21-3 at the Half, they hung on to win 24-21 in OT). I saw the previously noted inferior Sayles film instead of biting my fingernails watching that game ... I had my full screaming and agonizing during the first one. I picked up some Chinese on the way ... somewhat inferior General Tao Shrimp. Let it never be said that all Chinese food is alike or fast food joints either. I have my regulars in which I order certain things, even though the one on the corner of my block is underused. Why? Well, when it takes a few minutes of me standing there before they take my order, is this that surprising?

CA Recall Delay: I think the 9th Circuit case delaying the recall has some validity, as suggested by the links supplied below, but it might clearly have certain flaws as well. For instance, is delaying things to March a great idea? Will not the new technology cause its own problems, though if mandated by law, perhaps more effort can be put in dealing with expected problems? It is true, no matter how many want to ignore the fact, that the state did admit that the push card system was especially flawed (and facts back it up), but it might be the best in this special case.

Other safeguards also could be put in place instead of the election being delayed ... safeguards that might actually have a better chance to be upheld on appeal. On the other hand, this would still be a big step for the federal courts to take, and probably would have been criticized (and perhaps overturned, as this might very well be). I think the problems inherent in a rushed election in the midst of voting procedure change is an overall problem that must be faced here, even if the Court's decision regarding the push card system in certain districts is held to be a bad idea.

Also, relying on Bush v. Gore, even if we try to give it precedential value the Supreme Court said it did not have, has its problems. Putting aside the issues discussed in the linked story, should we respect an opinion not worthy of our respect, even if the Court did so to rub their noses in it? One problem suggested is that we knew the election was real close last time, but this time it is but a possibility. I think it perhaps best to deal with problems before they happen, but even if it isn't close, miscounting skewers the vote count. For instance, if one candidate gets 5% of the vote, maybe it won't matter, but if only 1% is counted, there is a harm. Finally, in a time when partisanship is high and races often close, a honest and fair election process is that much more important. Why not face this beforehand?

Football Woes II: I couldn't watch the Giants after more after they dropped 20-7 at the Half ... good thing. I would have cheered as they came back 32-29 with :13 left on the clock, and watch them still blow it. In less than 1/4 of the time, the Dallas Cowboys did what the Giants could not do in the playoffs ... get an essential field goal. How? They didn't f-up. The Giants last year would have been much closer without an unsportmanlike conduct call ... Dallas also managed to get a long field goal off. And, they won in OT ... but given the Giants penchant for not finishing what they started and blowing the second chances they are given, that was almost mandatory.

Thoughts: Wesley Clark, CA Recall stopped using Bush v. Gore Reasoning (here and here), and In Praise of Older Women.

Football Woes: Oh, I did a lot of screaming today ... the Jets looked pathetic against the Dolphins in the First Half, and couldn't just hold them in place in the Second Half, but that is what they did ... losing 21-10. Last week was aggravating, but close ... this week, aggravating (Miami was given break, opportunity, after break, opportunity to go up 21-3), but not close. Meanwhile, after winning once in nine games, the Mets lost again ... badly (7-3, after being up 3-0 early). I find it hard just to watch as a fan, especially when teams don't just do bad, but do so bad that it is sad. This week, the early defense was made me so mad ... and they might of still lost with it, even with Chad. Ok ... I had my fun.

Buffalo did great again. My sentiment always was that the Bills are really the "NY" team in that they actually play in the state, even if the Jets are considered the NY team. Anyway, they are surely my AFC backup ... the losses the last couple weeks were especially annoying in that I really don't see Miami or the Redskins going that far; I surely don't care for either one of them. Oh, the Yanks have about clinched the East ... shocker, huh?

Thoughts: 911 (see also), Prop 12 (Texas), and Lost in Translation. Just a quick thing on the last item ... excellent movie ... perhaps the best movie of the summer thus far.

This year many popular members of the entertainment industry died; the latest were John Ritter and Johnny Cash, though with Cash's lifestyle, it is amazing he lasted this long. In a bit of black humor, the daily horoscope feature in my local paper featured Ritter, whose birthday was coming up ... it's words on his future was a bit mistaken. There is some talk of Ritter's tv show being continued with another actor, but I find this distressing. The show is built around him and is only moderately successful as it is; why force the issue by trying to replace Ritter? For instance, "NewsRadio" went downhill after Phil Hartman was replaced. I would also like to say that Ritter had shown more talent than some might think, especially in dramatic roles such as "Slingblade" and certain guest shots.

Losing 3-0 vs. Detroit ("hey, we need to win sometime") the day when both of its competitors also lost might just be seen as the final nail in the coffin of KC's season ... bad as they played of late, over the last week or two, they had a few chances to keep within spitting distance ... 3.5 games at this point isn't quite there. On the other hand, if they would lose, losing against 20 game loser Mike Maroth (still arguably the ace of the staff, and not as bad as his record suggests) is in some sense forgivable ... in the sense, that one feels sorry for the guy. Then again, that 20 game losing record wasn't matched for years, why not set a new record in futility? Well, he has a few games to do it.

More Thoughts: Alabama Governor Move For Tax Reform, strong man idea, humorous look at CA Recall, Bush's speech on Iraq, and campaign finance orals.

Mets Futility: The Mets are in the midst of a seven game losing streak, which basically helped the Phillies a bit more than the Marlins in their Wild Card Race because the former played four, to the Marlins three. The starting pitching was actually pretty good with several games tied (or one run difference) in the eighth or ninth, but the Mets kept on blowing it. Today's game was a true exercise in futility. The Mets brought up eight men in the first inning ... and got two runs, which is some feat. The Mets soon enough gave up the lead via two errors, so it was 4-2 (three unearned), giving Seo another game where he lasted only five. A rookie (the regs aren't doing much these days either, including Piazza, who is stuck on needing about four home runs to break the record as a catcher) got his first home run, and it was 4-3 in the eighth. The Mets lost 7-3.

A post linked above discusses it in more detail, but I want to underline my support of the fact that the audio of the oral arguments in the campaign finance law case were release by the Supreme Court, and immediately aired by C-SPAN. Why this is not done more often, at least for important cases, is unclear to me. Audio alone retains the "dignity" of the Court, and it is quite helpful that the questioners from the bench were labelled, unlike it is done in transcripts found on the SC website. I hope the use twice this year (the other being the college affirmative action case) points to a slight trend. It was educational and informative.

Football: The Mets/Phillies matchup as usual saw the Mets show life, but lose in the end ... this happened when the Mets were in contention, and it's happening now. As that played on, the Jets/Redskins game started things off for the NFL season ... other than the surely newsworthy story of Vinny Testaverde starting again, the game was surely not the ideal one for that purpose. If Chad was there, I do think the Jets would have won against an at best middle of the road team; this was the projected result when the game was scheduled. Likewise, the Jets had a busy pre-season with an extra game (Japan). So why were they chosen for a Thursday game? I guess they had their reasons as did those behind the conservative Jets offensive plan that did result in a close game, but unfortunately the wrong way ... 16-13, the difference being another key long field goal by John Hall, but again, unfortunately he's planning for the other side. The defense had their moments, including two turnovers, but also didn't stop the Redskins at key moments. The offense was a tad bit creaky. It was not a pleasant game.

Thoughts: GAO and O'Reilly and Natural Law. The first post is a bit tongue in cheek, but actually, I do somewhat respect O'Reilly ... people (including my mom) like him because he seems to care and attacks those who deserve to be attacked. His anti-government sentiment does overall seem to fall more on Democrats, but one can take his demand for accountability at face value. On the other hand, his has the tendency to be a hypocritical blowhard, and Al Franken's attack on him at a book event and elsewhere is classic. Franken is clearly a bit of a jerk himself, but (of course my political leanings help) he can be a hilarious sort of jerk as well. His anger is real and often well placed. And, as always, humor is a great way to send a message.

Another Democratic Debate is on right now. A couple things that annoy me is about these things ... well at times more, but two come to mind. First, how even long shots like Gephardt talk about "when I'm President ...." One smuck actually talked about his second term! Second, when these morons talk about how the President f-ed up Iraq, and how they warned him about it earlier, and so forth. These same guys gave the guy a blank check, did little to stop him when they saw where he was going (which was no great shock to most people), and now self-righteously speak in superior tones. The best shot they have is to say that the President lied or misled them about WMDs ... but the material supplied was dubious, and people knew that in early March, if not earlier. The fact that it is clearer now is relevant, but only to a degree. Oh, and yes, the debate was sponsored by a Spanish station or something, but the Spanish one-liners were stupid. Cringe!

Kansas City is not making it easy. They started yet another nobody v. Randy Johnson, and was up 4-1 in the 6th. All the same, they couldn't hang on for more than an inning or so, and soon it was tied 4-4 and 5-5 ... they lost in extra innings. The light hitting Diamondbacks vs. the leaky Kansas bullpen, and the former won again. A win would have put KC only 1/2 back, now it's 1 1/2 games, with another extra game to play. Poor competition, good hitting, and more than one deserves from a bunch of retread starters got them this far. A light schedule as well as some more games v. Chicago actually gives them a shot ... and one still hopes they have something left. It is time for them to go on one more run, like they did at least two times this year. They are due to fall short, but they surely are the Bad News Bears of the MLB (surely the AL), and lovable for that reason.

Sports: Lots of excitement in MLB ... the lowly Brewers won ten in a row, but lost before they would force a local business to sell hamburgers or something to the entire city [per a promise, which they actually had to do once a while back), the Wild Card race is something like a six way tie, and the Central races continue to be close. My underdog Royals are in trouble, needing to play a doubleheader today, as well as a couple other extra games ... while being statistically behind by a few percentage points. The Mets got their 5000 home run, Detroit their 100th loss before September (quite a feat), and Bonds came back from bereavement leave (his dad died of cancer) and hit a home run off Randy Johnson ... and was very emotional.

The Yanks eked out a 10-7 win vs. Boston, after a 8-4 lead dropped to 8-7 after Mariano almost completely gave up the lead ... inheriting three of Jeff "the latest nailbiter path to Mariano" reliever runs, but than the Red Sox's closer gave up yet another home run to the Yanks. Kim is iffy in other games too ... if Pedro can't hold on to a 3-0 [a Pettite error basically led to all three], 3-2 [a ground rule double and a wonderful catch stopped even more runs], and 4-2 [down 3-2, Pettite gave up a run in the very next inning, but that's it] leads ... the team just isn't going anywhere. Pedro lasted but four, but in general, he always is too tender. This and the failure of the Red Sox to cut back on the offense and get at least one more stud starter, is why they never will get anywhere.

Meanwhile, after getting two of three from the Braves, the Mets were swept by the Phillies. Sao again had trouble in the fifth -- he seems to be five inning pitcher these days -- changing a 1-0 game to 4-0, and you knew it was over. They finally got a hit in the seventh [a player did get hit earlier] in the last game, but on the last play of the game, Reyes got hurt (a costly rare walk). Well, the Phillies always love playing at Shea. A nod to the Mets organization btw for having a special "cheap seats" promotion for the last month of the season. I think they probably should have did something like that earlier, and it obviously has something to do with the fact that school will mean a lot fewer fans to the lastest round of meaningless games. But, it's a good thought, anyhow.

Some Thoughts: "The Press Effect," Cheney v GAO, David Letterman, and Freddy v Jason. On the Rez by Ian Frazier is a pretty good book on Native American life (called "Indians" in the book without any comment on the name potentially being offensive), centering on the Oglala Sioux. Another pretty good thing is watching the NY Mets play good baseball, including taking two out of three vs. the Braves in Atlanta. I don't expect miracles, but next season might not be half bad.

Pre-Season Football: Chad Pennington broke his wrist, Michael Vick his leg, and various other star players were seriously injured in the pre-season aka the "too long series of meaningless games that just ask for trouble." I don't really understanding this whining. There are four or so (Jets this year have five, including one in Japan) pre-season games. These games are useful for conditioning, preparing for the regular season, and evaluating talent in real game situations. You obviously need some pre-season games. For instance, Spring Training in baseball might be too long, but it isn't meaningless. Just because they don't count in the standings, the games have various purposes. And, if not four, how many? Two? Is two games enough? The first game will often be badly played, as players get the cobwebs out. Also, it is useful to take a look at backups, and one game often is given to backup QBs. So, I think it is fairly clear that two to three games at least are necessary, probably at least three. One game is not worth that much carping.

And, what will be gained if the pre-season is shortened considerably? More regular season games? First off, two pre-season games are not equivalent to two regular season games as a matter of conditioning, energy levels, ability to perform, and so forth. So, we are not talking about a straight trade here. Also, when would the two games be played? August? I don't think so ... the heat of summer is not an ideal time. January? There must be a reason why games are not played into February, so this would questionable as well. Chopping a week off pre-season might help, but on the other hand, more games might require more training of backups because of the possibilities of injuries to starters will increase. Perhaps not ... either way, game or so won't matter that much.

Anyway, and most importantly, what is the difference if players get hurt in Week One as compared to pre-season? Not much, except that the latter way allows the player to get healthy before the season begins. Finally, Vick got injured not this weekend, but last weekend. And other players got hurt early as well ... so a shortened pre-season wouldn't have helped them! If anything, it would be worse, because some will be back near the beginning of the regular season instead of a few games into it. [In 1999, the Jets lost their QB for the season in Week One ... if it happened in the pre-season, maybe they would have been more prepared, instead of taking weeks to get fully behind Ray Lucas. Either way, the Jet fan wouldn't have felt much worse if Vinny Testaverde got hurt in a "meaningless" game.]

Pre-season is not "meaningless." It might be a week or so too long, but unless a vast majority of the injuries fall in the final game (which the regulars often don't even play in), injuries will continue even if we shorten it. Finally, I don't know if extending the regular season is a good idea (another game probably won't hurt), but it really is irrevelant to the matter at hand. Injuries will happen ... making the pre-season into a scapegoat is silly.

Still More Thoughts: I had a pretty heavy week apparently, huh? The computer message board can turn in a sort of online thoughts journal that (ideally) leads to some feedback and discussion. It also can be useful to determine how your words are being interpreted. For instance, I cited what others thought about the Pledge of Allegiance's use of "under God" (added in the 1950s to show we were a religious people, not atheistic communists) and was a bit taken aback when a reply mentioned my "prejudices." (The post concerned Roy Moore, see below, but this is what the person was responding to, as I later learned). It turned out that it was thought that I was discussing my own views. Others can result in additional information, as seen by an article referred to me by someone who read my post on Daniel Pipes. I appreciated this because though I discussed his nomination to the Institute of Peace, I really know very little about him per se. I hoped my post would add to my knowledge.

Some posts lead to predictable replies, as this one on Attorney General's Patriot Act Roadshow. I reeled back some of my rhetoric, as I try to do, because things tend to be more complex than either side thinks. It is hard to tell if I changed any in the last ten years, but I think I have become a bit more restrained ... except when watching sports ... and reflective. I hope so at least. Other replies are interesting in that they give me an opposing viewpoint, hopefully in a respectable and intelligent fashion. See, for instance, this post on Prop 54 (Racial Privacy Initiative), which was inspired not only by a Findlaw article (often an interesting piece leads me to contemplate some and feel a need to post), but an earlier post that supported the effort. Since I have mixed feelings about such things, and the original post got basically negative replies, I posted something. The responses were per usual appreciated.

A couple books. Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith (author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn) was an enjoyable story of young love that takes place in a college town in the 1920s. Not only is the primary character (a young newlywed named Anne) a charming character, it was unusual to have so many matter-of-fact mentions of sex. It was written in the early 1960s, but I bet it was somewhat controversial, especially since it clearly is partly geered to young adults (the husband and wife are twenty and eighteen, respectively). It was a nice find, since I have trouble finding fiction that I enjoy. The other was a good little book entitled Torn Between Two Cultures: An Afghan-American Speaks Out by Maryam Qudrat Aseel. The title is self-explanatory, but it was notable for putting a human face on a religious but modern first generation Afghan-American [I thought perhaps the term was "Afghani," but she doesn't mention any controversy regarding the matter]. I read stories like this and I can simply can not stereotype. We are not just dealing with "them" but people just like "us." This tends to compel one to look at things differently, or so I think anyway.

Some More Thoughts:: Excessive criticism of judicial picks is counterproductive, Death Penalty Irony (abortion doctor murderer), is the President evil? , and Roy Moore, defender of the faith and the 10A (ten commandments display).

Few Thoughts: Blackout coverage, conservative bloggist, power of the "fray," and cameraman killed in Iraq.

The Blackout: I really have nothing profound to say about it, but since I reside in NYC, a few words. Luckily, I was not in Manhattan, so was not stuck with the rest of the mass of humanity trying to get of there. I was outside reading and had no way to know there was a blackout until I noticed the streetlights were out. Again, it was not immediately apparent anything occurred an hour or so earlier ... there really didn't seem to be any more people on the street, and it was obviously quite light out around 5PM on an August day. I heard the news on the radio and thought "oh okay." I basically staid home until the lights came on ... so "Blackout 2003" (please) was mostly boring for me. I was annoyed hearing how others had power (including some not too far from me) long before me, but I survived to 4PM when it came back on. Also, I heard the Yanks on the radio (they are in Baltimore) and only later in the night was it even really dark. Though some places are still seriously effected, NYC handled things pretty well ... though I was getting annoyed, I lived through 1977, and that was days.

As I said, mostly boring. The one notable thing is that the NY subways were knocked out ... still are ... and even on 9/11 one was able to ride them fairly regularly hours after the events. Some cities have water issues ... our only water issue is that the beaches were closed (some pools were open) today because of sewage issues. The blackout does suggest that we need to update our electrical grids, and so forth, but the quick and fairly easy (on the whole) way that even this major and pretty unique event was dealt with, is pretty amazing. And, a day without electricity ... well, I survived. Nothing much happens in August, anyway, right?

Few Thoughts: I posted some stuff on various issues over the last week: Bush on Iraq (and Gore's Speech), nuances of language, some Iraqi thoughts, and concerns about judicial independence/sentencing discretion.

How about the CA recall? It is a bit of a joke that Arnold, benefits to Republicans aside, is the leading candidate/"solution" now offerred in California. The recall was started by a small bunch of rich guys to overturn a popularly elected governor who is only partly to blame for the mess over there, while the alternative last election was subpar, as it is this time (what exactly does Arnold know about running California? uh ...). He is a great scapegoat though, but still, this doesn't justified a rushed recall election (new governor, if elected, due to come in November) that might result in a "winner" that only receives a minority of the vote. The obvious nature of all of this makes it tiring to discuss, but then, quick "fixes" via direct democracy that involve easy choices (supporting Arnold is rather easy, isn't it?) is a longstanding practice over there.

On the other hand, the Mets are doing good ... not great, they are the Mets after all ... but challenging the Cards, Astros, and Giants, they held their own. Mike Piazza came back in style today. KC took two out of three of thier first series vs the Yanks, so are hanging on to 1st place. The Marlins actually took 1st place in the Wild Card race, and are surprising people just like its new manager said they would back a few months back. And, the Jets won their second game, thanks to some end of the game turnovers.

Baseball, Movies, and Books: KC finally did it ... after blowing a two run lead in the ninth vs. Tampa Bay, it lost again today (losing pitcher: Anaheim castaway, Kevin Appier) fell from first place because the White Sox beat the As. Armando Benitez gave up a key insurance run ... for Seattle ... and Roger Cedeno (yeah) is playing good for the Mets (showing some life of late).

On the movie front, Freaky Friday was fun ... it started off annoyingly predictable, but the leads are good, especially once they switch. A few are annoyed that Asians are treated in a stereotypical matter (the switch is thanks to a charmed fortune cookie), and they have a makings of a point. It was not necessary ... amounting at best a couple of cute characters. I also saw the British immigrants being exploited (and struggling to survive) drama/thriller Dirty Pretty Things. Well, part of it ... the leads were too good to be true, and the story was a bit dull. It had potential, but not good follow through.

After a bit of a dry spell, I found a few good books as well. A couple were of the "enjoyable but been there, read that" sort of nonfiction that is like watching average television. A bit more notable was The First Impeachment: The Constitutional Framers and The Case of Senator William Blount by Buckner F. Melton Jr. It is the little known story of the very first impeachment, which actually was against a U.S. senator involved in an Aaron Burr sort plan (the subject of a later book by the author) to invade Spanish territory in the West.

After summarizing the constitutional history of impeachments and the background to the Blount (Blunt) Conspiracy itself, Melton discusses the complex goings on in Congress, which ended in a whimper -- the Senate did expel Blount, who jumped bail and eventually was elected to his home state legislature (and presided over an impeachment there!), but wound up deciding it didn't have the power to try for impeachment. Why? Apparently ... though they didn't specify ... because senators are were not considered impeachable. This is so even though many framers of the Constitution originally thought they were.

Interesting bit of history, American and constitutional. Good notes (footnotes, not endnotes, which is fairly rare) and bibliography.

Summer Time Blues: Oh well. KC lost again, after coming back from a defecit (thus Lima still is perfect), but blowing it ... for the second time Lloyd had a role (this time he got the loss, last time he just gave up the runs that decided the game). They now are tied with the White Sox, who beat up on slumping Seattle, and behind in the win column. They survived one drop off, helped by the Twins slumping ... the White Sox can't keep this up, can they? Oh they might ... and August brings six games against the Yanks and other trouble for KC. Buckle up guys!

The Red Sox lost for the second time in two days vs subpar teams (the first time Pedro pitched ... it's almost a bad thing these days when he pitches for them), and the As won, so Oakland is inching back to that Wild Card lead. The As beat the Yanks, who are having hitting woes. Hitting woes, such as getting a lead runner to second with no one out in the ninth, but not scoring, makes Benitez not getting that third out in the eighth ... opening up a chance for the unearned run that decided the game (homer with two outs off Osuna, by the person who got that unearned run, won it in the tenth) ... matter. Meanwhile, the Mets are currently losing it via the bullpen. Another wasted effort by Trachsel (6.2, one run vs the Cards) because of a six run eighth. Now it's time for previously dependable Wheeler to mess up. So it goes. The Mets actually showed life for a little while ... now they are losing eight games out of ten, and basically simply suck. A team like the Brewers suck, but actually show some life now and again ... currently, the Mets need to show a bit more life ... is four out of ten too much to ask for?

I was not up to see it, but the Jets lost to Tampa in the opening game of pre-season football ... in Japan. A few years ago the Mets played the Cubs there, but I think it is a lot easier when the game is pre-season action like this. The As/Mariners was scheduled to play last March, before the hostilities cancelled their plans, but I think baseball is more popular in Japan than football. Given all those European football games I see (Rhine Fire seems to predominate), wouldn't Western Europe be a more logical site? Anyway, football in August is a bit hard to take ... heat and football does not go great together.

Baseball Update: One loses track of all the moves that the Yankees are making these days ... now they have Aaron Boone at third, Ventura went to the Dodgers (sorry Robin), and Gabe White also came over from the Reds (he's a good, if currently hurt, reliever). Recently, troublesome Mondesi was sent out (it is nice in a way that ball players have the pride to be upset when they feel they are being underplayed or not treated fairly, but given his mixed performance, such players also have some nerve complaining ... like "poor baby") and yet another outfielder came. Meanwhile, the Mets got rid of some more veterans, including Lloyd, who went to Kansas City. Sadly, Kansas City just got swepted by the White Sox, so are but two games (in the loss column) separated ... there is still a long way to go, and I fear that the Sox's recent surge might mean they will be the Central winner. Deserved, if they can do it, but sad in a way ... maybe, like the Twins, a late drop-off will still be followed by a great year. I don't know though ... I think the KC owners want to have an excuse to cut payroll and so forth.

You Can Count On Me ... but not universal fate: I recently saw the DVD version of a favorite movie of mine, You Can Count On Me, in which Laura Linney is excellent and pretty hot (a crude comment perhaps, but every time I watch it, I am reminded about how cute and sexy she looks in the film ... in fact, she looks much better in this film than in various other roles she played). I am starting to get DVDs out just to listen to the commentary (this one also had a sort of promotional set of interviews with the cast as well), and being a bit of a film nerd (geek?), I continue to love this sort of thing.

The writer/director made a comment early on that helped me admire his point of view ... he does not believe in any overreaching "purpose" to the world or any particular "reason" why two people meet and fall in love. It's not like it is some question of fate or anything, just a combination of little things, which seems to be a pretty common sense view. It annoys me, for instance, that Jamie on Mad About You has this in my view egotistical view that somehow her love and marriage with Paul is unique ... they in particular, it seems, were "meant" to be in a way that others were not. Nice idea, but I don't think it's true. It might be true that the couple has any number of traits, life experiences, and so on that makes their match more ideal than many others. I do not know if that is true as compared to both of them being somewhat full of themselves in regard of their own self importance ... a theme that the show at times jokes about.

The director also notes that perhaps, who knows, there might be some universial purpose. Such a purpose is far above his cognizance (my word, so don't blame him, if it is used badly) though, and I'm willing to agree with that. There are things we don't understand. On the other hand, I just do not see much evidence of some overreaching fate or some anthropomorphized version of the concept of good/creation/life that many call "God." The use of such a problematic concept to explain life's mysteries or because it provides some solace (I guess some celestial Easter Bunny can serve a similiar purpose without all the shit "God" leads to) does not work for me. This does not mean life has no meaning ... there are rhymes and reason to our lives, and we can benefit from even the bad parts of it. I don't think this means the bad stuff was somehow "necessary" or anything though, and I find unreasoned leaps of faith as cheating. For if we don't use reason, why be human at all? Walking upright is great and all, but it's not something be that proud of.

Unintelligent Response To Intelligence Proposal: A quick blip during an otherwise slow news cycle (time for President Bush to go on vacation for a month again, isn't it?) involved a twist on the future market, this time as a tool for intelligence gathering. The basic idea is that the markets as a whole are a useful tool to determine information and has been shown to be so even outside the usual economic context. For instance, it has been shown to be a good determinant of political campaigns. Thus, the Pentagon suggested that it be used to collect intelligence ... using financial incentives in a creative, and hopefully successful way. It was struck down as an immoral gambling of human lives. The level of moralistic holier than thou breast-beating involved was a tad sickening.

Various arguments made against it suggest that knee-jerk emotional appeals are as unwise as the term implies. First, the very moral horror at "gambling" is ridiculous given our basic financial system is based on such risk taking, including areas such as insurance and the basic well being of millions of people that surely at some level involves betting on human lives. I don't care what you call it, if "gambling" provides a service, name calling will not make it any less useful. Second, many suggest the information is not as open and verifiable as other markets offer ... but again, in economic and other markets, the information is often not "clean" and at times involves specialized information that means only a limited group can "bet" or "play." A related concern is that the people involved, let's say terrorists, are not rational actors. This is a dubious preposition (e.g. it is a timed honored falsehood that Saddam is an irrational actor and your average suicide bomber does not kill himself for no reason ... and experts in the field will tell you that) and the implication that other markets (e.g. political campaign strategy) do not have irrationality inherent to it is erroneous. All the same, markets have some value in such fields.

Next, some suggest that the market would benefit terrorists. As some note, an intelligent terrorist could benefit from the financial markets now ... for instance, some well timed investments pre-9/11, or how about if one knew a certain captain of industry would die in a car crash the next day? Second, do these critics suggest that any useful intelligence collection techniques be totally secret, and not open to public view? If not, any number of useful techniques has a potential to benefit terrorism ... the argument is that in the long run, openness will benefit the "good guys" more.

A related concern is that "successful" predictions would result in the U.S. stopping the event, and therefore there would be no "payoff." This could be factored in, so the predictions alone would benefit the investor. Likewise, the idea that terrorists or others can "fix" the system would suggest that any number of very important markets also is unwise. Again, the idea is that in the long run we will benefit more than we will suffer. Fear of some kind of foreign policy backlash also is raised ... but if the net result is less harm, I don't quite understand why this is a problem. Is the "this looks bad" factor that troubling to require a potentially useful tool not be used? And note that it is but "a" tool ... some criticism somehow seems to feel that it is misplaced use of money and effort better earmarked elsewhere, as if such alternatives will not be offered anyway. The distrust in this system alone would counsel policy makers not to put too many eggs in this one basket, and to have many other alternatives and even redundant sources of information for those loathe to rely on future markets such as this.

Finally, various other emotional appeals were raised. I will note two that suggest the misplaced concerns that contributed to the quick disposal of a potentially useful idea. Some see this as just one more unsavory technique offered by the Bush White House or the current bunch of intelligence types ... the same class of people who have been criticized for not thinking "outside of the box" or creatively enough to prevent harm ... as if the idea actually came from other fields such as economic theorists. Anyway, the whole concept seems comparable to "Game Theory" (the area John Nash of A Beautiful Mind helped originate), which has been around for around fifty years or more, and also is involved various decisions that affects life and death. One person suggested terrorism has "no demand" or even "negative demand," which is wrong, since obvious someone wants it! Experts, experts the country as a whole in some form pays for and is willing to "gamble" on as worth their salaries, spend their careers analyzing such demand.

The ultimate success of the process, dropped like a hot potato, is unclear, but it was worth trying. I would not be surprised if it is actually tried in some form, perhaps as an unofficial market or as an unpublicized field study of some sort. Putting aside largely misplaced moral concerns, the cost/benefits of potentially risky activities and procedures can only be determined if they are actually field tested. A country that accepted the rather controversial and potentially dangerous concept of pre-emptive war should not be so opposed to the use of a potentially valuable, and probably much less lethal, additional tool in the ongoing struggle against domestic and foreign insecurity.

Political Strategy and Perceptives: Recently, I discussed and took part in discussions about the appropriate winning strategy for the Democrats. First off, I responded to some conservative praise of Prime Minister Blair's speech to Congress. I think Blair put forth an eloquent speech with many Democratic themes, though the overall point of it all was really to support President Bush and his flawed Iraqi policy. This is why conservatives who in most cases don't think much of the Prime Minister's policies went out of their way to rave about his speech. A speech some demeaned as his "white man's burden" speech ... good intentions, but done so in an unsavory, almost colonialist way.

I added some two cents to a more general discussion on "values and arguments" here with some additional comments here (the response that took Dave Barry's quote seriously is amusing). An interesting article by Harmful To Minors author Judith Levine about the alternatives to marriage is found here. I support her general attempt to argue that in the current era there are many "marriage like" relationships that should not all be put into one box known as "marriage," but still receive some governmental sanction for various reasons, including care of children. I also talk about how the current administration is no fan of free trade in a somewhat amusing, though serious, case involving Vietnam and catfish.

While on the political theme, the NYT reports that the President has nominated two more for the DC Appeals Court, where Miguel Estrada is destined to go whenever the filibuster against him fails. There are various reasons why these nominees show yet again the I got to say slimy nature of the Bush judicial nomination process. One nominee is Janice R. Brown, a black conservative [who wrote a key anti-affirmative action decision] that has gotten some controversy, but though I'm not familiar with her record enough to make any conclusions, my tentative belief is she is likely just a conservative pick whose color helps smooth the way.

It is true that many Clinton picks were struck down for ideological reasons, so this is a factor, but it is the least of the problems in this case. First, the President is making three nominations to a key circuit court with openings largely because Republicans blocked Clinton nominees, and also argued there was no need for a full bench. Apparently, now they changed their mind.

Second, the other nominee is thirty-eight year old Brett M. Kavanaugh, an associate White House counsel, a key player in choosing other nominees to the federal bench. Thus, the Democrats in the Senate as well as others involved in the process would likely distrust him, not unjustly seeing him as an ideologue in a time when we need noncontroversial picks to the bench. His age is also a factor ... I do wonder if he is so qualified that it is justified to place someone so young on a federal appellate bench. Finally, guess what else he is known for? Yes! He was a key aide to Kenneth Starr, having a big role in the investigation of President Clinton and writing the infamous Starr Report. You [expletive deleted] got to be kidding me! How in the hell is this guy a good choice, especially to this court when Justice (in California) Brown alone is controversial for her views? It is this sort of thing that aggravates me to no end ... the arrogance, lack of desire to even try not to be divisive, and the lack of guts to even admit the fact half the time that makes by blood boil.

I am unsure who I support among those running for the Democratic nomination, but my basic belief is that many of them are acceptable choices because they share certain basic beliefs. All the same, perhaps my key requirement is someone who does not act like this. Someone with the moral integrity not only to cook evidence but also not have the gall to pervert the judicial nomination process, not willing to give an inch, but instead only inflaming the situation more. He has help, it is true ... the Republicans in the Senate cannot even resolve that a very controversial nominee such as William Pryor crosses some line ... can't throw that bone to the opposition, not even Sen. Spector, who has spoken of his misgivings, but voted with the rest to send his nomination out of the committee. The result? The Democrats might be forced to filibuster ... yes a whopping third of one for a hundred nominations ... thus inflaming things further. And, who is blamed? The Democrats, more often than not! Sigh.

New Threat To The Universe: Apparently, there is new evidence of Dark Energy that is "wrenching the universe apart." A team of scientists has discovered what they called "the shadow of dark energy." This would add to "emerging consensus of a universe dominated by mysterious dark matter and even more mysterious dark energy" that "means that parallel lines drawn across the cosmos will not meet." Like duh.

"If we can just keep collecting a few more clues about it," Dr. Riess added, "we might actually be able to figure out what the heck it is." It is theorized, however, that " the passage of microwaves through the modern universe" might be involved here. Imagine if each had a burrito or worse yet a bag of microwavable popcorn! Or a microwave tiolet.

Anyway, clearly the "Dark Side" is involved and we can use "the force" to stop it.

It also apparently has something to do with credit cards: Dr. Max Tegmark, a cosmologist at the University of Pennsylvania, compared the effect to racking up credit card debts in an inflationary era. "The payback is less than what is borrowed," Dr. Tegmark said. Sounds like an okay deal to me.

"Dr. Scranton, also in an e-mail message, said his team's work was important in validating the dark energy because it relied on sky survey data not available to other teams." They got it from the Brits.

More Baseball and Stuff: The last couple nights gave us some chances to view the results of some recent baseball trades involving Mets personnel. Armando Benitez came on with a four run lead tonight and pitched two innings largely without incident, though he had a bit of trouble getting the third out. Yesterday, John Franco blew a hold opportunity in the ninth, taking the loss ... 3-2 vs. the Braves. Jeremy Burnitz made an error as a Dodgers, but redeemed himself later on with his bat and base running. Also, former Met Rickey Henderson got a home run tonight for the Dodgers, showing he still has something left.

Meanwhile, I saw Swimming Pool, the latest Charlotte Rampling film, an actress many might best remember as Paul Newman's love interest (in a matter of speaking) in The Verdict. This movie is mostly style with little point ... the leads are fine as is the setting ... there is nice eye candy in the form of a young nubile niece. All the same, you are left wondering, "um, will there be like something happening sometime?" Rampling's last movie with this director, Under the Sand, was largely stylistic as well, but there was more meat to it. This has a point, but drags on and on without much of a plot, so one wonders after around a half hour, what the point really is. It can be enjoyed for style alone, but I got bored after a while. It is a movie you can look back upon and admire, but still are left with the realization it really wasn't that enjoyable overall.

Baseball and Stuff: Good All Stars ... Dontrelle Willis [Clemens did w/o incident] should have got a chance to pitch, over either Woody Williams (2 runs) or Russ Ortiz, and it was sad in a way that the NL All Stars blew a 5-1, fifth inning lead, but it was all in all enjoyable. Armando Benitez, who probably couldn't have done worse in the eighth than Eric Gagne (who decided to give up his first save since last summer here ... WHEN IT COUNTS!!!), looked a bit lonely when he was introduced. He now is with the Yanks, for Jason Anderson (young kid, seems to have some potential from the little I saw of him) and two other prospects. Maybe, he will do good as a right handed set-up man ... does suggest the desperation of the Yanks though. They, as much as anyone other than the Braves and the Phillies, know his history. As to Gagne, he helped complete the AL come from behind effort that we saw in Game Six of the Series ... and probably shouldn't have faced two run homer/Blaylock. But then, Dusty Baker left pitchers in too long in the Series as well, didn't he?

I might have saw the first summer blockbluster that I actually fully enjoyed in a summer blockbuster way ... Pirates of the Caribbean, which is no prize in the plot department, but Johnny Depp is fun, as is the movie on the whole. As a fan of the British show Coupling, it was fun to see its "Chandler" sort character play an English naval captain. The movie needed at least one good naval set piece ... battle it had left something to be desired ... but its scale on the whole still was blockbuster worthy. I'm also a sucker for historical fiction, including the tongue in cheek kind.

The President is having a bit of trouble these days with some statements he made in regards to Iraq ... the implication being he defended the path to war based on flawed evidence. Meanwhile, economic numbers continue to look bad, conservatives are upset at his protectionalist moves in regards to free trade, and the administration continues to support big government that interferes with our lives. This led me to start a new series discussing why Republicans and conservatives should feel wary about the guy. One post (targeting doctors who talk about medicinal marijuana use with their patients) that links to my other post (international trade plus "ethics") suggests my overall strategy.

Roger Clemens Too: Well, looks like the another "he shoulda have been an All Star" somehow got to be one ... though Barry Zito was perhaps the late one to know, it was announced the PTB decided he could not pitch, after pitching yesterday. So, suddenly there was a shot for a retiring/300 game winner (eventually). Meanwhile, Mets All Star Benitez decided to blow a save on the last game before the break. Jason Philips saved the day ... and pitch runner's Roger Cedeno's ass (a long double barely got him to third, after he twice stopped to make sure it wasn't caught) ... by hitting the winning RBI in the bottom of the inning. Thus, it was not surprising someone lost their job ... Jeremy Burnitz was traded to the LA Dodgers, probably one of the few teams who might have even a harder time to score runs than the Mets. Unless you count the White Sox, who recently loss a game 1-0 vs the Detroit Tigers. Robby Alomar doesn't seem to have put them over the hump.

Meanwhile, last weekend I caught some of the Degrassi marathon, including the well done date rape episode. The show itself harkens from Canada, is shown over here on the Noggin Network and is a sort of teenage soap opera.

I also recently finally found a book that was fairly enjoyable, Religious Liberty in American: Political Safeguards by Louis Fisher. The book argues that the political process is more important than the courts in protecting religious liberty and provides a history lesson from past to present to summarize how this was true over time. I think he somewhat overstates his case at times (and generally focuses on Free Exercise over the Establishment Clause), but it is a good rebuttal to those who put too much faith in the courts. It also is well written in a style accessible to both a general audience as well as those specifically interested in the field.

Dontrelle Willis Update: The Associated Press reported today that rookie sensation Dontrelle Willis will be on the All Star Game after all, replacing injuried All Star Kevin Brown. Meanwhile, Dodgers fans are gritting their teeth just a bit more, given how their inability to hit will be just that much worse now. The article notes that Willis was originally left off so Kerry Wood could play. As AP points out: "Wood is 9-6 with a 3.19 ERA, while Willis is 8-1 with a 1.98 ERA." The article also says that Dusty Baker apparently suggested at the time the reason why he did not pick DW was because "he had never seen him pitch." If you say so, Dusty.

Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines: Well, I saw the latest Terminator flick. On the whole, it was a bit lame. The movie really gave us nothing new (besides a female villian ... nothing special), had the intelligence level of your average Beavis and Butthead episode (especially removing the pretentious voiceovers), and less action than its predecessors. Claire Danes did not get much of a role as the love interest. She tricks John Connor early on (given his experiences thus far, it didn't take much), but soon enough she is whiny and scared for her life for half of the film. The ending was a blatant cliffhanger ... not even pretending to be the true end of the film, and left something to be desired (to not spoil anything by submitting plot details). Finally, the action level seemed a bit down and the FX did not show much signs of new twists. It went down fairly easily, wasn't boring or anything, and was basically fun ... unless you thought how a summer flick should be a bit better than this.

Open To Ideas, Including From Outside Our Usual Borders: "Americans' ability to draw on ideas from all around the world, synthesize them and integrate them into our lives and our institutions is one of the abiding features of American ingenuity and one of the abiding strengths of American [society]. Something tells we that we will survive the occasional citation of a European court." A few sound words concluding a criticism (citation in my discussion) of the suggestion that a reference to an European Court decision in the Supreme Court's homosexual sodomy opinion was somehow a threat to our sovereignty. It is but one of a line of often passionate criticisms of Supreme Court justices finding international judicial decisions of some relevance to our system. Others can be guided by us, but not us they ... how sadly parochial.

As I note in the linked piece, it is just a piece of an overall xenophobia. For instance, other nations who disagree with us on Iraq are not just mistaken ... they aren't worth our respect. The alternative is a threat to our "sovereignty" ... a "sovereign" is a king. Aren't we over that? Doesn't the Constitution bar titles of nobility partly because of that very fact? I might be stretching here, but the word continues to leave a bad taste in my mouth. It got my notice when a libertarian party candidate suggested removing sovereign immunity so governments too can be sue for wrongs. They would probably appreciate this too ... a piece (with personal commentary) on how blacks need to change directions in the fight for civil rights, including a good deal of personal effort to help build the necessary foundation for success. If Bob Herbert can listen to views libertarians might honor, we can admit that foreigners have something to teach us as well.

Baseball: Tonight was typical of the Mets ... these guys are not ten or so games below .500 for nothing. After coming from behind in the final game and thus sweeping the Reds (first sweep of the season), they lost the first two games vs. the Braves. No shock. Seo had his third bad game ... the game turned on a pair of three run homers (two pitches). The second game was slow water torture. Jason Roach (filling in for Leiter, who surely had the potential to pitch comparably given his year thus far) pitched six, coming within a batter of leaving with a very respectable 3-2 score. The Braves got the home run though, so it was 5-2. The Mets, on the other hand, missed opportunity after opportunity down to the eighth where an error assisted bases loaded situation (one that even upset the usually copacetic Braves pitching coach) ended with a f-ing pathetic grounder back to the pitcher. Bound to happen. Still, even the lowly Devil Rays and Brewers have their days. The Indians tonight one hit the Yanks. The Mets have so few days against good teams ... and not one truly exciting late inning result that I recall. Tonight would not be the first.

All Star Picks: The added edge of this year's All Star Game is that it will determine home court advantage in the World Series, which also will be the case next year as well. I really do not see this as mattering too much ... both teams generally play to win anyway, except in select moments, such as the somewhat noteworthy home run by Ripkin in his final appearance. On the other hand, I don't recall that being a nailbiter anyway. Also, overall, home team advantage is somewhat weaker in baseball ... it does matter to some degree, especially for certain stadiums. The picks also have been chosen differently in various ways: two more were added to help avoid another tie and allow for a bigger pool of players; also, managers, players, and the Internet all will have a new role this year. It is no big surprise, however, that the result was the same -- some dissatisfaction with the picks.

Some were upset that certain fan favorites, including Sosa, Clemens, and Mariano Rivera were not chosen, even though injuries and not too elite records factored into the equation. This is for the fans, after all, and they want some of these people. We aren't just talking about records here, which is why fans continued to pick Cal Ripkin, even when he past his prime. There is something to this, and my key criticism would be the absence of exciting rookie phenemom Dontrelle Willis . Though he just might get a spot through as an injury replacement or for some other reason, his absence from the first batch of players is annoying because there was really no reason why he could not be chosen, unlike some other picks perhaps mandated by the "every team gets a player" rule. After all, his numbers and record were as a whole more impressive than Braves Russ Ortiz, and that team surely had enough representatives. Also, since Dusty Baker is managing, including his ex-player smells of favoritism.

The need to pick a player from every team has received some criticism since it skewers the choices, but throwing bad teams a bone (usually, most bad teams have a good player anyhow) is not in my view a bad thing. We do have the unlikely (if given the alternatives, reasonable) pick of Armando Benitez as the Mets representative, but only because of the glut of good outfielders, and the injury to Mike Piazza. We also have the pick of Lance Carter, Tampa Bay's average closer, but the rule did not dictate this ... there were other people to pick, including a few decent pitchers. Also, I am not too upset that no Yankee pitcher was chosen ... the roster is still quite respectable, and the Seattle reliever chosen (perhaps over Rivera) actually is pitching lights out (ERA under .90). And, if the game is fairly close, and Benitez blows it in the seventh or eight inning (perhaps to one of the big bats from the Braves) ... Mets fans with a sense of humor can appreciate it.

Blogging Ecosystem Picks Me Up: I found out my little blog actually has web presence ... ok, it is only mentioned as one insignificant pick-up by the "Blogging Ecosystem" project, but it's a start.

Films: While I'm here, let me quickly note that I watched 1776 today, which is probably at least the sixth, if not more times I saw it in various media. For instance, this time was my first DVD experience, which not only has a few added scenes, but commentary from the director (and some other guy). I just love this sort of thing and enjoyed all but one ("Two Week's Notice," where the two stars goof off too much) of the commentaries I have heard so far. It is quite interesting if not fascinating to hear about the film from the director's (or for Crazy/Beautiful, the director and star) point of view. Of course, as they talk, you can only watch the film, which usually provides one with a special perspective. DVDs are so great for movie geeks like myself. For instance, the To Kill A Mockingbird DVD not only had a commentary track, but a full length documentary on the film. btw I also caught 1776 on Broadway, the revival that had Brent Spiner (Data) as John Adams. This too was fun to see, even though I already had seen the film a few times by then.

Well, since this has turned into movie night ... I found the films of the last two months (not counting this week's releases) to be rather lame, leading me to take in some foreign and documentary films instead. This allowed me to see some enjoyable films off the beaten path ... Respiro (mentally troubled Italian mother of three ... bad last third), Whale Rider (New Zealand fable), Jet Lag (comedy French trifle), The Weatherman, The Nazi Officer's Wife (Jew who becomes a wife of a Nazi during WWII), and Human Weapon/My Terrorist (terrorism and a Jewish terrorist victim who decides to speak for the man who shot her). The last three are docs, though second and last one would have made good feature movies.

I summarized the 2002-3 Supreme Court Term here. As to baseball, it is nice that the Mets started on the road of cutting the waste ... Roberto Alomar can thrive or whatever over in Chicago, and hopefully those prospects are actually worth something. Kansas City actually picked up a decent reliever ... their relief staff is on par with the Red Sox these days (both teams also have some pretty good starters, bats, and a couple relievers it can generally trust ... most of the time). They are back on top of their division ... the AL Least ... and it's not like their competition is that dangerous.