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September 30, 2005  Lately I've become obsessed with the giant inflatable rats used by unions to protest at non-union job sites. I saw a few large rats in Brooklyn this summer, and after doing some research I've discovered that even the giant rat has not been immune to the filthy excesses of the Bush Administration: A cadre of Republican appointees and management lawyers are attempting somewhat successfully to get the giant rat declared an "unlawful" picket. In other news, I have a suggestion for a neutral-minded party who can serve as the forewoman for the jury in Tom DeLay's forthcoming criminal proceedings: Beaumont, Texas-based drag queen Shirley Q. Liquor. She'll ensure that Mr. DeLay gets what's coming to him. September 21, 2005  For some reason, a few thoughts have sprung into my head recently about the lunacy of several 90s movies. For instance, I was driving around one day and realized that Kevin Costner directed a movie in which the unveiling of a statue of Kevin Costner serves as the denouement. It just seemed stupid at the time, but the addition of eight years has made it somehow more remarkable. I am talking about the much-maligned (and three-hour long) The Postman, which I'm very proud to say that I sat through in the theater in 1997. Wait, let's recap that: At the end of the movie the grateful citizens of the reconstituted United States dedicate a statue ... of Kevin Costner. Also, one that has definitely slipped through the cracks is the preposterous 1992 Mel Gibson vehicle Forever Young, in which Mel plays a cryogenically frozen and thawed World War II fighter ace who must adjust to life in the 90s. That's all fine and good, but I recall the ending being beyond the pale: His sweetheart from the 40s turns out to be like 80 years old and living on a beautiful beach or something. Mel races to meet her, and, in the process, is subjected to rapid aging so that he's an old man when he arrives to fall in love with her all over again. September 18, 2005 September 16, 2005  Things have been moving faster than the speed of night lately, although I have say that the process of applying and interviewing for jobs with big law firms is more dehumanizing than the Dred Scott case. September 01, 2005
You may not want to miss the drama as a crazy Moonie GOP official in Iowa has put up a cybersquat site -- gorenfeld.com -- criticizing the reporting of my good friend and fellow J-school refugee John Gorenfeld. Amazingly enough, I have been implicated in the "web of bias" because of my material support of Mr. Gorenfeld and my creation of this simple endeavor, which was actually a tribute to one of my favorite places on the internet, khaaan.com.
Also, many readers probably know that I lived in New Orleans for a year as part of Teach for America. Some people have asked me about my students, who lived in St. John Parish, about 40 miles to the west of New Orleans. I love them dearly and have been back many times to visit. I've done some research and, thankfully, St. John Parish has not been flooded and instead suffered wind and rain damage from the hurricane itself. Apparently, the damage was extensive and resources scarce but it has not caused a crisis on the order of what is happening in the city. I plan to go down there after it is possible to do so to meet up with them again and see what I can do. |
