Rats

As long as there are people in government who think they can tell you what to eat, what kind of light bulbs you can buy, what kind of car you can drive, and force you to buy health insurance or be punished.  .  .  your liberty is in danger.

If you don't vote to replace such people in November, you are a fool.

TOMORROW:

The United States will face the most important decision since 9/11/01.  In terms of the survival of the nation, it could be the most important decision ever, and in the morning, you will witness it.

(Or you could rush to the doctor during the announcement, so you can take advantage of your fellow citizens and suck up all the free health care you can in case it goes away.)

Inappropriate

"Debby" seems a little wimpy for the name of the hurricane that is presently ravaging Florida.  It's like naming a viscious murderer the Pussy Cat Killer, or one of the fires devastating Colorado, Old Smokey.  How about Attila the Hurricane?

SMALL VICTORY:  By a narrow margin, some of the sensible people of California defeated the proposed increased tobacco tax.  Maybe there's still hope.  .  .  if we can elect some of their number to office.
'

Real talent

I'm a big fan of '50-'60s Italian films.  Several of them are in my list of top ten favorites, and I would estimate that they comprise at least half of my top 20-30.

Therefore, surprisingly, I recently saw "L'Avventura" (1960) for the first time.  Well, actually, I saw about half of it, because I'm old and had to go to bed before its 145 minutes had run.  (I really must learn to program the timer on my DVD recorder, despite the daunting 100 page manual.)

IMDb comments suggest that the story demonstrates the amorality of the privileged class, because when one of their number disappears while the group is frolicking on a rocky island, her best friend and her lover get together while looking for her.  I suspect after they leave the island together, they forget her completely.  It certainly seems to be the appropriate ending that I'll have to view later.

The point is, the unfaithful friend is portrayed by Monica Vitti, and I would suggest that she is the most appealing woman who ever appeared on film.  Not only stunningly attractive, she can also act.  Be warned, however, her IMDb main photo does not do her justice.  Investigate others, while forgetting she is 80 now.

I WAS SURPRISED how much nudity there is in "The Last Picture Show" (1971).  Haven't I seen it before?  I wonder how "critically acclaimed" it would have been without it.

Po'try

Even a man who is pure in heart

and says his prayers by night

may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms

and the autumn moon is bright.

                                              --- "The Wolf Man" (1940)

When the wolfbane blooms emit perfume

and the moon is full and bright

Even a man who is pure in heart

can turn to a wolf by night.

                             --- "The Curse of Aquinaldo"  (student film c1950)

When the summer sun

hides in the sky

behind the satellite

the reception tends to go awry

and have to wait you might.

                                                         --- Yoda

The Dish manual warns of this phenomenon which can occur any hot afternoon, and last for an unspecified length of time.  I'm glad I'm not paying for it.

I've got mail

I just received a postcard from Mexico.  If I have interpreted the smudged cancellation stamp properly, it was mailed in May, so, apparently, it took longer to get here than loads of cocaine or illegals would.  Perhaps the text spoofing about gunfire at a Cancun resort was met with possible censorship, although it arrived seemingly intact.

I enjoyed it, as I do all such missives.  Parenthetically, I could not ascertain what the picture on the $15.00 stamp depicted.  It appears to be a Pemex oil rig or a piece of modern art.  I also learned that pesos are expressed with a $.  Copycats.

VEEP:  I was dozing during the HBO sitcom starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus being herself on a show pretending to be "adult" because of the liberal use of the word fuck in all its incarnations.  It was free HBO weekend again, but I wasn't tempted to sign up, as if I could.  Anyway, I was suddenly awakened by the words, "Something small crawled up a dead cow's ass," and I broke into a paroxysm of laughter, although I had no idea of the context.  It did seem completely consistent with the nonsense the show is, however.

Winners and losers

It appears the new citizen redistricting committee for whom I didn't vote has dumped me into a Democrat Assembly district.  In the run-off in November the top vote getter will be opposed by the conservative woman who was outvoted by 2-1.  I suspect he will treat my letters of concern much like my Senators do.  .  .  with a form letter reply spouting some liberal garbage which may or may not be on topic.  I'm beginning to feel slimed already.

It may still be better than New York City.  Today's political cartoon by Holbert of the Boston Herald has Mayor Bloomberg announcing, "No pants over waist size 38 will be sold in N.Y.C."  Makes about as much sense as his soda proclamation.

APPARENTLY, an officer of his National Guard unit says the "talent" served a month in Afghanistan, but was not wounded.  Mistaken identity?  Army snafu?  Lying sack?

Voting

Last night, the first obvious finalist appeared on the mis-named "America's Got Talent."  They are trying to snooker us again.  The man's talent (or lack of) is being overshadowed by the personal tragedy of his wounding as a soldier in the middle east.  While I am still wrestling with the argument over how much of the concept of talent is genetic, and how much involves training, I am sure that no part of talent has anything to do with unforeseen, unrelated physical or mental trauma that the performer has endured, and which he has been encouraged to attempt to exploit.  I allow myself to be offended enough not to vote for him.

While I spent this election day bemoaning the depths to which the state of California has sunk, I take heart in the knowledge that New York City is being even more besieged by their holier-than-thou, rich, banty-rooster mayor who has inserted himself into the lives of the citizens, most recently to attempt to deprive them of sugary drinks, and to exercise restraint of trade upon those who purvey them.  Who elected his nosy ass?

ADDENDUM:  Some social network is reporting that the story of the aforementioned "talent" is a pack of lies.  Because I can't go there, I can neither affirm nor deny the accuracy of the information.