Off to NYC tonight

From which I will begin to post more frequently.
Thanks for the encouragement, Nick.

Farenheit 9/11

Just got back from seeing it at the Neptune, but I'm too incensed and depleted to even respond.

How much money is your kid worth?

I don't know what is more despicable, Jackson's alleged sexploitation of a 14-year-old or the unidealistic greed of his parents and lawyer.

Well, at least the 94' settlement taught him a lesson.

Another Disconnect

Most of us didn't need a 9/11 commission to figure this one out

Two Good Documentaries

I recently purchased Capturing the Friedmans, undoubtedly the best documentary I've ever seen. It tells the story of a seemingly-typical Long Island family wraught with deep dysfunction and some pretty horrific accusations of public scandal. Besides portraying a dramatic story, I find director Andrew Jarecki's genius in his ability to present truth where there is no truth.
The film even inspired a video project I created for my photography class this past semester.

It should have won the Oscar for Best Documentary over The Fog of War, which probably won out because of its current political context pertaining to the war in Iraq (and its incredible score by Philip Glass). Go see both.

Political Rant #1: Conservative Disconnects

The Republican party is typically known both for its unabashed patriotism and fervent free-enterprise. However, I can't understand how Bush patriots can also be diehard proponents of Reaganomics, since one of the most unpatriotic things corporate America can do now is move all their factories overseas and outsource all their jobs to foreigners abroad. With Americans losing these jobs of the corporate private sector and (if deregulators have their way) losing government jobs in the public sector, what major employers will be left?
(I hear the military is hiring these days.)

Enough with economic conservatives on to social conservatives:
Recently, activist bishops across the country are threatening to withhold communion from pro-choice Catholic politicians, for obvious reasons. I've also heard of similar standpoints concerning euthanasia and stem-cell research. However, similar outcries are not voiced over politicians who are pro-war in Iraq and pro-death penalty (both of which, coincidentally, are openly condemned by the Vatican). I can't understand how leaders in the Church will condemn the killing of unborn fetuses, suffering terminally-ill patients, and pin-sized clumps of zygotic cells, but won't condemn the killing of American troops, Iraqi civilians, and inmates. (Obviously this is greatly oversimplified, but you get the point.)

I think this archbishop actually gets it right.

Current IMDB crushes

Both redheads: One would get me incarcerated, the other castrated.

P.S. My dream came true last weekend when the former played the latter in an SNL skit.

Flight: American Airlines flight 260 (Non-Stop)
Depart: Seattle/Tacoma, WA (SEA) - Terminal Information Unavailable
" Wed, Jun 30 at 11:25pm
Arrive: New York-Kennedy, NY (JFK) - TERMINAL 9
" Thu, Jul 01 at 7:25am
Seat: 29F (Boeing 757 Jet)
Meal: No Meal Served
______________________________________________________
Flight: American Airlines flight 289 (Non-Stop)
Depart: New York-Kennedy, NY (JFK) - TERMINAL 9
" Sun, Jul 18 at 7:00pm
Arrive: Seattle/Tacoma, WA (SEA) - Terminal Information Unavailable
" Sun, Jul 18 at 10:10pm
Seat: 29A (Boeing 757 Jet)
Meal: Dinner

Finally!

Got my laptop back today. After over THR33! weeks in the shop.

I've never felt so impotent. Not because I'm so desperately dependent on my computer, but because my resume and all my writing samples I needed for job applications were held captive on my hard drive.

Injury #1: Every time I attempt to boot my laptop, it either completely fails to turn on at all, or makes it into Windows only to crash suddenly and terribly.
Treatment: Completely new motherboard.
Cost: $700-$800

Injury #2: After I get it back, the first time I attempt to boot, the screen goes almost completely black (the laptop's on, but too dim to see).
Treatment: Unsticking the tiny plastic button that normally turns off the screen when closing the laptop.
Cost: A week of my life.

The only silver-lining to come out of the whole thing was the fact that my laptop is still on warranty, so it cost me nothing (monetarily, that is).

Tim Dunk'n Sighting

Starbucks Coffee
'The Quarry' Shopping Center
San Antonio, Texas
June 7, 2004
2:56 pm

Confirmed.