3/25/09 - Spring

	MOVIE - Monsters vs. Aliens -trailer- ART - Roller Girls -arg- LOCAL - ING, HOT & Liquor
	U.S. - Victory Garden -nyt- FRANCE - “La Princesse de Clèves” -link- WEB - Now you're cooking (w/o) gas -solar-

MOVIE NEWS - Monsters vs. Aliens -trailer- Looks cute, but, unfortunately, when it comes to spending money in this economy, it feels more like a choice of "Movie vs. Dinner".

(If that's not your style, consider this movie alternative: Donors to Shawn's YMCA Kid's Camp-aign will be entered into a drawing for our FAVORITE Metropolis event on Sunday, March 29th, at 12:00 PM - Mimosas, Massages, and "Mean Girls"!)

Enlighten Up - A skeptic's journey into the world of yoga ... you know ... me!

(Come experience yoga for yourself! All donors to Shawn's YMCA Kid's Camp-aign are invited to a complimentary beginner/intermediate OUTDOOR yoga session at Metropolis this Sunday, March 29th, at 2:00 PM!)

ART NEWS - Roller Girls -arg- Okay, it's not really "art", but it's "culture"...sorta...like couches on the front porch...and truck tire planters. It's $12 to get in, BYO-PBR, and then get your cheer on. How can you NOT love the team named "Sake Tuyas"? Or the bomber named "Merchant of Menace"? Besides, it's in the YAARAB Temple and it's probably the only chance you'll ever get to see...THE SLIDE!

LOCAL NEWS -

ING MARATHON - The ING, Atlanta's spring Marathon, is this Sunday! Both the full and half-marathons start in Olympic Centennial Park at 7:05 AM. -course pdf-

(Need inspiration to cheer? All donors to Shawn's YMCA Kid's Camp-aign are invited to bagels and coffee behind Metropolis at 8th and Juniper Sunday, March 29th, at 8:00 AM to cheer the runners! The intersection of 10th and Juniper is Mile 10 of the Half and Mile 23 of the Full. Go B!)

DRINK MORE LIQUOR - Guv'nor Sunshine won't let you vote on Sunday retail alcohol sales (cuz that big ole ham hock of a man knows what's best for us?), but you can still drink in restaurants! The following hotspot hopefuls are having their liquor license requests reviewed by the MNA this month:

- Ri Ra, The Irish Pub and Restaurant, 1080 Peachtree Street, New Business (In the 1010 Peachtree building....but "1010" is just the name of the building..."1080" is the address...because it's not already confusing enough that it's on one of the 33 "peachtree" streets in Atlanta!)

- Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Hotel Palomar, SAP for outdoor amplified music (YIPPEE! New outdoor spot on West Peachtree.... because the W is so 5 minutes ago).

- Waterhaven, 75 5th Street, New Business, Old Location (Could be the old "Globe" location? Sigh...I miss the Globe...hopefully this new place will be open in time for "Flicks on Fifth" in June)

- Midtown Mediterranean Diner, 112 10th Street, New Business, Old Location (The former "Jocks and Jills"?)

- Prickly Pear Taquena, 950 West Peachtree Street, New Business, Old Location (Something in Plaza Midtown?)

HIGHLY OFFICIOUS TRIPE - The Georgia DOT is soliciting input on their proposal to use federal money to convert existing HOV lanes into HOT lanes - High Occupancy Toll lanes.

"...lanes in the Atlanta region will allow qualified carpools to ride in the HOV lanes for free while other vehicles would enter for a fee."

At first I knee-jerked against it - HOV lanes are for cars with 2+ people in them, rewarding commuters who double up in one car and promoting fewer cars. HOT lanes are for cars with...what? ...overpaid DOT officials in them? Rewarding commuters who have lots of money? Promoting materialism?

But, I just it's really a High Occupancy AND a Toll Lane...so it promotes both? The environment and the Wealthy? I guess that way it appeals to both Democrats and Republicans. -HOT-

U.S. NEWS - VICTORY GARDEN - The Obamas are putting in a vegetable garden at the White House, the first one since Eleanor Roosevelt. The article boasts that the garden only cost $200 in seeds, but didn't mention the price of labor to put it in; perhaps the 1st family did it themselves? That's how Michelle Obama got those toned arms everyone's talking about...she's a hoer! -nyt-

GET A CHAIR -nyt- If gardening seems like way too much work, here's an entire article in the New York Times about sitting. More specifically, about the the meticulous ways some LMNOP** Americans celebrate their fandom...by constructing their own Star Trek command chair. That got me to thinking...why stop there? Why just Captain Kirk's chair? Why not other famous TV and Movie chairs?

I offer up some of the chairs below as being just as good for decorating your home...or Dungeons and Dragons corner of your mom's basement.



FRANCE NEWS - I am reading “La Princesse de Clèves” -link- Not really; that 17th century french classic is a bit over my head, but, it seems Sarkozy has publicly condemned the novel, so his constituents are embracing en masse in a protest! Live le livre!

WEB NEWS - Now you're cooking (w/o) gas -solar- We are always noting that our south-facing balcony heats up like an oven in the summer sun. Well, put it to use!

** "loser male nerds obsessing pubescently"

...the rest of the story...

3/17/09 - Relance, Lance, relance!

	MOVIE - Duplicity & I Love You, Man ART - Variety -adele- LOCAL - Your Bib # 404 -ajc-
	U.S. - Seattle paper goes digital -nyt- FRANCE - Lance 'relance' -lemonde- WEB - Reuse plastic bottles -BUOY-

MOVIE NEWS - 'Duplicity' & 'I Love You, Man'. Clive Owens and Julia Roberts are back in theaters with the tagline "Outwit. Outspy. Outsmart. Outplay. Then get out". Let's hope that this incarnation of Julia from the Mismatched Duo Caper genre machine is more "Notting Hill" than "I Love Trouble"...Outlandish!.

With Paul Rudd "out" this Friday in "I Love You, Man", "bromance" hits the big screen

ART NEWS - 3/17 - Variety -adele- "The minute you hear that voice, the hair stands up on the back of your neck and you realize this is someone special. She's just 19, but Adele Laurie Blue Adkins - you can call her simply Adele - sings like a woman three times her age, a soul sensation in her native U.K. who is poised to conquer America with 19, her debut album"

3/19 - Actor's Express is doing "Suddenly Last Summer". "Secrets and denial explode on a steamy New Orleans afternoon in this scorching classic..." -actors-

3/20 - High Museum Jazz -high- DO check out the"Terracotta Warriors" at the High; DON'T check them out in "Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" (unless, maybe, you are stoned, too). "The army departs April 19th"

3/21 - East Atlanta, Sylvester Cemetery - How often are you invited to a Country/Bluegrass concert that takes place on a performer's grave? Check-out Fiddlin' John Carson's 141st Birthday -sylvester-

LOCAL NEWS - Your Bib # 404 -ajc- I hate it when I'm wrong, but I'm big enough to admit it when I am.

This past Sunday was the first time 45,000 applicants could register for the Peachtree Road Race, online, starting at 7:00 AM. When I first heard that announcement on February 6th, I immediately emailed J - "I would bet that their server goes down at 7:03". Here it is --> "I was wrong." It went down at 7:10.

It came back online later that morning, but, at any rate, for all those folks that weren't able to register online, you have 2 choices - shoot for the lottery this weekend by mailing in the registration form that comes in the printed AJC and pray for one of the remaining 10,000 spots, or have some fun with your own, made-up bib number "404". It's our area code...and the code for "URL not found".

U.S. NEWS - Seattle paper goes digital, only -nyt- Good thing the ajc hasn't done this, yet, or that clip-out, mail-in, back-up plan for the Peachtree Road Race wouldn't have worked.

Real life Wall-e -nyt-

FRANCE NEWS - Relance, Lance, relance -lemonde- Lance's first big "return" to the racing circuit came after being sidelined by cancer in 1996, winning the first of 8 consecutive Tours de France in 1999.

It seems he is returning again this year after being sidelined by...his own retirement.

It's appropriate that the french verb for 'revive' or 'relaunch' is 'relancer'...because that's just what Mr. Armstrong is attempting at the age of 38. (Is that the phone ringing, Mr. Armstrong? Answer it; it might be 39 year-old Brett Favre, who seems to be "re-retired" after a lackluster season with the Jets, August 7, 2008 - February 11, 2009.)

WEB NEWS - Reuse plastic bottles -BUOY- I would love to see this as an installation on Lake Clara Meer in Piedmont Park during the Arts Festival...awareness!

More green "instructables"!

...the rest of the story...

3/10/09 - Frozen

	MOVIE - "Last House" & "Witch Mtn" ART - These are your arts, on sale -high- LOCAL - No state stem cells -ajc-
	U.S. - Guilty consumption -nyt- FRANCE - Eat in NYC & Paris -nyt- WEB - Green Guide -nat geo-

Photo shoot at Beleza and March 1st Snow. After last weekend's gorgeous weather, it's hard to believe the snow pics are from only 6 days prior. Mother Nature isn't fooling me, though; the tomato plants are staying indoors.

MOVIE NEWS - "Last House on the Left" re-envisions the 1972 original & "Race to Witch Mountain", remakes "Escape to Witch Mountain" from 1975.

ART NEWS - These are your arts, on sale -high- I've been a member of the High Museum of Art since 1987 and I don't recall ever seeing so many discount tickets being promoted - 50% off evenings, $5 college night, aquarium/high discount passes. That, to me, is a real sign of the recession.

LOCAL NEWS - No state stem cells -ajc- A Senate Committee in our brilliant state legislature has approved a bill that would to define an embryo as a person, thereby making all stem cell research illegal and putting Georgia in the back of the line in the forward-moving science of stem cell research. Specifically, the bill would prohibit couples from donating their embryos to science or discarding them. Dan Becker, president of Georgia Right to Life, argued - “No one’s right for a cure supercedes another’s right to life." So, every embryo has a right to life, but some folks (with MS, Parkingson's, etc) only have a right to a shitty life.

Thanks, Guv'nor Sunshine; those frozen, future taxpayers would have more legal protection than I do; how about passing legislation for a Hate Crimes Bill that would protect us all right here and now? Because this could have been me ---> "Man Attacked Outside Popular Gay Bar" -wsb-

U.S. NEWS - Guilty Consumption -nyt- Finally! I'm cool! I've always been a little on the frugal side, preferring to have money than to spend it ("thanks, dad!"), but now apparently that is trendy: “I do think that maybe now it’s a little bit chic or something to save money, or to be pinching pennies”

FRANCE NEWS - Eating in NYC & Paris -nyt- I like the quote “Americans in a bistro are like ladybugs in a garden, a sign of its rude good health.”

WEB NEWS - Green Guide -nat geo-

"If I had a hammer..." ...I probably wouldn't wear it (exactly) like this --> nyt

...the rest of the story...

03/03/09 - Carol

	MOVIE - Watchmen ART - Chorus Line -fox- LOCAL - Sonny's Hookers -ajc-
	U.S. - Worms FRANCE - la famille homoparentale -fr- WEB - Spider, man -flash-

The world lost a beautiful person early Monday morning when my brother's mother-in-law, Carol Ehmer, passed away. She was much more than an "in-law-in-law" to me - she was the warm heart of Thanksgiving, the sweet smells of Christmas, the pastel promise of Easter. She welcomed everyone and questioned no one. Her quick smile, sharp wit, and bright laugh will be missed. God bless you, Carol.

MOVIE NEWS - Watchmen "... takes place in an alternate history United States where the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most costumed superheroes are in retirement or working for the government." Like Pixar doing the Reagan years - "Ronny's Incredibles".

ART NEWS - March 3-8, 2009 - "Chorus Line" does it again at the Fabulous -Fox-

This is the very first Broadway show I can remember seeing; Mom took me and Jay G. to see it in Portland in about the 8th grade.

People often want insight into why each of us turns out the way we do; I joke that seeing "Chorus Line" was a major contributing factor to my "lifestyle".

Several years ago, when looking forward to my 20-year reunion, I very much wanted to see Jay again and tell him how I "turned out" and to joke with him about how "Chorus Line" "did it" to me.

At the reunion, the little joke became even funnier, as I saw Jay across the crowded room...and he saw me...and he threw his arms up in the air...and waved his hands to get my attention... screaming "sweetie! sweetie!"

I guess "Chorus Line" "did it" to him, too.

LOCAL NEWS - Sonny's Hookers -ajc- Georgia's Guv'ner Sunshine is a teetotaler opposed to Sunday liquor sales. He compared allowing a vote on the issue to letting Georgians decide whether prostitution should be legal. WOW! Really? That's stretching a comparison pretty darn far...liquor sales are already legal 6 days of week; prostitution is only legal if you are lobbying the legislature.

The Lorax - Thanks to the state senate passing Senate Bill 164, billboard owners can now cut down all the public trees they want, as long as they replace that 100 year-old oak with some flowers. -ajc-

High budget cuts - I guess it should be no surprise that at a time when the High is offering unprecedented admission deals, it's also having to lay off staff. What surprised me was reading it in the nyt as well as the ajc. -nyt- -ajc-

U.S. NEWS - Good worms, bad worms -vermiculture- -virus-

FRANCE NEWS - la famille homoparentale -fr- This article addresses the beginning of the process in France to recognize and protect the rights of step-parents, regardless of their sexuality. My french is still evolving; I wasn't able to divine the exact term for "step-domestic-partner-in-law".

WEB NEWS - Spider, man -flash-

...the rest of the story...

02/03/09 - Clue

	MOVIE - Coraline, Push, Pink, He's Not... ART - Atl Contemp, "Make Room" -acac- LOCAL - Jesus Gate
	U.S. - The Graveyard Book -harper- FRANCE - President Kadhafi -lemonde- WEB - Carbon footprint -counter-

Part of the cast of S's "Clue Birthday Party"!

MOVIE NEWS - "Coraline", "Push", "Pink Panther 2", and "He's Just Not That Into You" are all coming out this Friday.

"Coraline" seems to be a morality tale about "honor thy family, even if mom is a bad cook" and "the grass is always greener, until they replace your eyes with buttons!" Eat your vegetables...or we will turn you into a stop-action, animated film.

"Push" is the telekenetics vs. the evil government; Stephen King's "Firestarter" meets "Jump". Looks like lots of flying glass and flapping overcoats and leaping dance-fighting, with Dakota Fanning as the new Drew Barrymore. If Chris Evan's shirt flies off, I'm there.

"Pink Panther" is a sequel to a remake and ought to make all those french-hating, slapstick loving movie-goers happy. That would be not me.

"He's Not that Into You" is a chick flick about how men and women miss the boat when trying to get to know each other. I'm not that into it.

Sunday's Superbowl advertising included previews for movies being released a little further out (like August 7 - 6 months away - for "GI Joe"!). All the trailers were posted on www.apple.com/trailers the next day. Seemed like quite a bit of rehash:

"Land of the Lost" - A TV show
"GI Joe Cobra" - A cartoon, based on a toy
"Angels & Demons" - A sequel movie from a prequel book
"Transformers 2" - A sequel, based on a cartoon, based on a toy
"Witch Mountain" - A remake (w/ one original film star bit part)
"Star Trek" - A prequel, based on a TV show, a cartoon, & films.
"Fast Furious" - A sequel to a sequel to a sequel

The other three were a little more original:
"Monsters v. Aliens" - Looks like X-men, with monsters.
"Year One" - 'School of History' w/Jack Black & Michael Cera
"Up" - Pixar

ART NEWS - Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, "Make Room" -acac-. The show starts February 5th.

LOCAL NEWS - The Atlantic Station "Millennium Gate" - you know, the one that caps a Superfund site? - has a latin inscription that translates to: "This American monument was erected to commemorate all peaceful accomplishment since the Birth of Jesus Christ". What? Because all those B.C. "peaceful accomplishments" don't count? ...nor do all those A.C. crusades.

2/17 - Georgia Aquarium - Martha Stewart Book Signing - Really? She's signing a cookbook? What is it..."Martha Stewart's Beluga Whale 7 Ways"? "I Love Penguins...with Bernaise"? -ga aqua-

Last week, The City and The Piedmont Park Conservancy announced they are letting the Peachtree Road Race back into Piedmont Park. Where the heck is the "reporting" in this story? No follow-up questions like:

- What is different this year's from last year banned one?
- Was the Finish Line modified?
- Will the Finish Line have a different impact on the park?
- Is the park grass recovering?
- Is the drought over?
- Are the wells working?
- How has the city changed it's drought policy?
- Is there a city drought/park policy?
- Has the recession affected any of the decision regarding the park?
- Will any other park changes be in place in time for these events?
i.e. new pool/poolhouse, parking deck.

Pride also "gets" to be in Piedmont Park...on the city's terms...and in October. "We know you want to celebrate the June anniversary of the Stonewall Riots - the first time homosexuals stood up to a repressive society - but our grass won't be ready until October. So you can have your little party...the same weekend as Halloween." Thanks.

U.S. NEWS - - Newberry - The Graveyard Book. Read an exerpt of the children's book prize winner about Nobody Owens who was raised by...ghosts. -harper-

Making babies - The story broke that the 46-person medical team asisting a woman expecting to birth a litter of 7 babies was surprised by the birth of an 8th. What shocked me about that? "46-person medical team"! Holy crap! Who's paying for that? My suspicion wasn't confirmed until a few days later - she was taking fertility drugs, even though she already had 6 children...as a single mom! I know who should be paying that medical bill; the woman taking the drugs. Or her church. -ajc-

Superbowl ads -nyt- Best and worst -time-

Eating dirt is good for you -nyt- What I suspected all along. Read this, mom!

Buddy Holly died 50 years ago today. He would have been 72. Pope Pius XXII also died in 1958; he would have been 142.

FRANCE NEWS - Mouammar Kadhafi was elected president of the African Union. I kind of missed reading about that in the American media outlets. -lemonde-

WEB NEWS - Carbon footprint -counter-

...the rest of the story...

01/27/09 - Dawn

	MOVIE - Academy Award Noms -nyt- ART - Silver Scream Spook Show -plaza- LOCAL - The Return of the Gays -ajc-
	U.S. - Elec car=no gas=no gas tax? - nyt- FRANCE - Obama extends a hand -lemonde- WEB - Fantastic Contraption

MOVIE NEWS - Academy Award Noms -nyt- - For the first time ever, we've seen 2 of the 5 Best Picture nominated films before the nominations! Does that mean we won't spend the entire day before the awards show scrambling to watch as many movies as we can? Not necessarily ... -last year's oscars-

ART NEWS - 1/27, Outwrite Books - Meet author E Lynn Harris. "This winter, Harris returns to familiar turf with BASKETBALL JONES, another story of sex, secrets and scandal set in the sports world."

1/31 - Silver Scream Spook Show -plaza- This month, it's "Godzirra"...

1/31 - The New American Shakespeare Tavern performs "Romeo and Juliet". Pretty, Tragic, Doomed. You know how it ends; kind of like Governor Blogojovich. -shax-

LOCAL NEWS - The Return of the Gays -ajc- - The City of Atlanta votes to "let" Gay Pride back into Piedmont Park, an extremely mixed blessing:

YEAH! Pride is in the park!
BOO! The date is not anywhere near the anniversary of the event it celebrates (Stonewall Riots at the end of June, 1969, when for the first time, homosexuals stood up to the police in an illegal raid of a gay bar).

YEAH! It's on Halloween! Twice the fun on one day!
BOO! It's on Halloween! Half the number of weekends to party.

YEAH! It might not rain!
BOO! It might be too cold to be shirtless.

...and speaking of cultural events that Atlanta is attempting to destroy in favor of its precious grass, the Midtown Tour of Homes (in conjunction with the Dogwood Festival) needs volunteer homes. Be a show-off! -mna-

U.S. NEWS - Elec car=no gas=no gas tax? - nyt- - How do we replace the current road-funding gas tax when electric cars use no gas? Tax everyone for the number of miles they drive. That seems fair; use 100 miles of an interstate and pay accordingly.

Good news along that front from the O-ministration includes signing legislation allowing states to set their own (higher) gas mileage requirements. That means California can demand higher mileage; the car companies will want to sell cars in Cali, so they will have to improvement their product. It's a good solution, but a VERY long term one.

If the goal is to reduce emissions, Obama could accomplish that immediately by increasing the federal gas tax. Gas would be more expensive and folks would drive less (of course, that would increase the price to ship goods and add to inflation, but hey, I can't fix everything!)

FRANCE NEWS - Barack Obama extends a hand to the Muslim world -lemonde- - The french paper reports that Obama wants to restore relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world, and thereby the U.S.'s position in conflicts in the Israel, Iraq, and elsewhere.

WEB NEWS - Fantastic Contraption - Your whole day...gone.

...the rest of the story...

01/20/09 - Out w/ the Old

	MOVIE - "Were the World Mine" (not O's) ART - AIA tour of Fulton Cotton Lofts -aia- LOCAL - Sunday liquor sales!? -ajc- Gamble on Underground casino? -ajc-
	U.S. - Andrew Wyeth passed. BUSH - A letter about our ex-president WEB - Bushisms -slate- or wordle.net

Thanks to this week's model...good luck on your clothing line!

MOVIE NEWS - "Were the World Mine" (not Obama's...) - I've been looking forward to this flick...gay kid just trying to fit in at a prep school when the drama teacher puts him in the school play...as a faerie. Puberty ensues (No guest appearance by Zack Efron.)

ART NEWS - 1/24, 2:00 - 5:00 PM - AIA Atlanta tour of Fulton Cotton Lofts -aia-

1/24 - At Primal...Pamela Anderson?!? I'd kinda love to see her...in a "hey, I've met Dolly Parton's, too!" kinda way. -primal-

LOCAL NEWS - Sunday liquor sales!? -ajc- Why should Alabama get all the pro-football boozing revenue? Once again, the legislature may take up the debate on why it's okay to drive to a restaurant, drink, and drive home on Sunday, but you can't buy beer to consume in the safety of your home.

Gamble on Underground casino? -ajc- - Interesting proposal for reinvigorating the draw of Underground Atlanta - a casino. I thought this was reasonable in light of a report on the failings of the initial Underground of the 70's - in addition to increased crime in the city, liquor laws changed in counties surrounding Atlanta; fewer dry counties meant fewer people had to drive to Atlanta to get a drink. It seems Underground survives whenever it can give people something they can't get close to home - alcohol in the 70's and maybe gambling today. If that doesn't work, at least we've still Prostitution!

U.S. NEWS -

Andrew Wyeth passed away. Just this past weekend, I referred to this painting of his. Me...on a hill in Piedmont Park...lying on the grass with my legs trailing out behind me... looking up to the Midtown skyline...calling out to a (younger) friend. "Look, I'm Christina!" He said..."What? You mean that Stephen King car?"

BUSH - (An email to my brother) I do agree that W. doesn't seem to get a lot of support - even from the people that voted him into office - and that we should display a modicum of decency and tolerance when referring to or respectfully disagreeing with the man (some have) chosen to lead our country.

Your email did make me think about what I haven't liked about his presidency (besides the whole anti-gay thing) and to look back and make sure my feelings are based on facts and not just the "liberal media" (I do listen to Rush Limbaugh, occasionally).

Here's what I found out about myself:

The Kyoto Protocol - He rejected it and stated that it was unfair because it excluded some developing countries from following the same guidelines the U.S. would be forced to adopt. To be fair, it seems that Clinton recommended not approving it without first amending the wording. That may be true, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't work hard to make the planet a cleaner, safer, less-polluted place. (But there is no telling if the Senate would have approved it even if Bush did). The whole thing, while putting Bush in a tough position, does not make him come across as an environmental president - nor one willing to pursue cooperation on a global scale. (NEGATIVE)

The Environment - A Bush's Secretary of the Interior until 2006, Gale Norton advocated drilling in ANWAR, selling of federal land (as a fund-raiser), commercially developing protected land, reducing environmental protections in mining laws, and reducing protection of endangered species. "Many National Park Service employees oppose her rewrite of the service's management philosophy, a rewrite favoring recreational use over conservation." We aren't making any new land, any new species, and any new water; I strongly feel we have to do everything possible to protect what we have (NEGATIVE).

Iraq War - Even if it did seem that there was reason attack a country preemptively to protect the U.S. (because of "weapons of mass destruction"), I don't think that we started the war with any kind of understanding of the existing political/cultural/religious conditions in Iraq. It just seems that whatever concrete reasons we had for attacking, we did not really understand how we could "win". Anytime I start on a project, there has to be a definite list of deliverables to be accomplished and that is how I prove to the customer that I am done, that he should be satisfied, and that I should get paid. I don't think we had that before entering Iraq and the only way I can rationalize that is by thinking we must be really arrogant, that we are the only world's superpower, and we could just go in, kick butt, and declare "Democracy". (NEGATIVE)

Human Rights - I don't understand at all how the greatest nation on earth, and the one with the most liberties, can imprison people (or "detain them") for as long as they like, without formally charging them and without a legal process. NEGATIVE...but maybe arguably just because I have a narrow understanding of wartime" imprisonment).

Israel - It seems like no one can doing anything about that horrifying mess and W. hasn't made it worse or better. (NEUTRAL)

Africa - W does seem to have done a LOT of good there, from AIDS anti-viral treatment programs to agricultural support to debt relief. --- It has been said, in Time Magazine, that Africa is the "triumph of American foreign policy" and is the "Bush Administration's greatest achievement" (POSITIVE)

Grammar - I mean, come on. I'm just not inspired listening to him speak. I know, I know, actions, not words, but I'm sorry, English is my native language and I like to hear the leader of my county use it eloquently. (NEGATIVE)

Katrina - I don't know that anything really could have been done better there. I know (from talking to Shawn's relatives and their friends) that the attitude during an approaching hurricane is so often to "help yourself" and not evacuate, so you can't depend on someone else to take care of you after the fact. BUT, it sure does seem like W's aids didn't do a very good job of helping him understand the gravity of the situation after the fact. People spent up to 4 days at the Convention Center, yet "FEMA head Michael Brown and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff both claimed to have no knowledge of the use of the Convention Center as a shelter until the afternoon of September 1." (SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE, but not for the common, scapegoating reasons most people have.)

China, Japan, South Korea - We seem to have improved relations with most Asian nations (GOOD), but I don't understand why human rights and business relations are okay in Communist China, but not okay in Communist Cuba, so I'm going to remain (NEUTRAL).

International Free Trade - It seems that we have signed free trade treaties with several countries, so I guess some other countries still like the U.S. (POSITIVE).

Immigration - I like what he said in his 2008 State of the Union address - "Yet we also need to acknowledge that we will never fully secure our border until we create a lawful way for foreign workers to come here and support our economy." ...mostly because he acknowledges that people only come here illegally to "support our economy"...because Americans pay them to come here (and mow their lawns or build their houses or raise their children). The next step to be to remove the incentive for illegals to come here by punishing the Americans who pay them to. (NEUTRAL).

National Debt - It's huge. $10 Trillion? I heard people during the election ay-saying Obama for being "socialist"; taking one person's money and giving to someone else. How is it not "socialist" to keep spending money (on ourselves) today that our kids and grandkids and great-grandkids will have to pay off tomorrow? (NEGATIVE).

National Budget - It's huge, too. The budget has grown from $1.9 Trillion in 2001 to $3.1 Trillion for 2009. --- "From FY 2003-2007, the national debt increased approximately $550 billion per year on average. For the first time in FY 2008, the U.S. added $1 trillion to the National Debt. In relative terms, from 2003-2007 the government spent roughly $1.20 for each $1.00 it collected in taxes." (NEGATIVE)

Tax cuts - I am totally for lower taxes, but it's pretty easy to give people back some of their tax money without reducing federal spending; just add it to the National Debt! Republicans were crying foul at Obama's "spread the wealth" comment, but what were the "stimulus checks"? I realize that the (mostly Democratic?) congress probably distorted his original plan, but I DO know that the more money you made, the smaller stimulus check you got. (POSITIVE IDEA, BUT NEGATIVELY EXECUTED and HYPOCRITICALLY PROMOTED).

Size of Government - How can you run as the candidate of the "smaller government is better" party and then oversee the expansion of the federal workforce by 2.5 million employees from 2002 to 2008? It seems that the largest growth was in "contractors", which I have to assume is "civilians" being paid to go to war zones and accomplish all the "non-fighting" work that we don't have enough soldiers to do. ---"They often performed vital work such as researching new vaccines, running federal computer systems and making body armor, weapons and meals for the military." (NEGATIVE).

Gay Rights - I won't even go into the whole "marriage" thing, because it will never be solved. I just want a president that makes it so Shawn can inherit my $$ (and/or my social security and medicare benefits) when I die without having to pay inheritance tax. Let's just call it "Picking one other human being that you want to take care of for the rest of your life". W sez "The amendment should fully protect marriage, while leaving the state legislatures free to make their own choices in defining legal arrangements other than marriage." I find that INCREDIBLY HYPOCRITICAL. Why should the president lead the charge in DENYING me rights at a federal level, then leaving me to cross my fingers and hope that my state government will pick up the slack? Why can't it be U.S. Constitutional Amendment "fully protecting legal arrangements for ALL AMERICANS at the federal level, then leaving states to make their own choices in defining marriage"?

PHEW!

So, after researching all that, I did find a president with values that I share; and he's a Republican!

He distrusted wealthy businessmen and dissolved forty monopolistic corporations as a "trust buster"...he did not disagree with trusts and capitalism in principle but was only against corrupt, illegal practices.

He was the first U.S. president to call for universal health care and national health insurance.

He promoted the conservation movement, emphasizing efficient use of natural resources.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT in '12! (Okay, so he lost to Woodrow Wilson in 1912, but it still sounds good.)

WEB NEWS -
My blog...in 50 words or less:

www.wordle.net

...the rest of the story...

01/06/09 - Night & Morn

	MOVIE - Nothing new - See "Slumdog"! ART - King-sized @ Variety Playhouse LOCAL - Recycle your Xmas tree
	U.S. - Simulate war, stimulate recruiting -nyt- FRANCE - Sarkozy in the Middle East -lemonde- WEB - National Geographic Photo winners

The pics are both the same Midtown skyline view - one Friday evening and one the next morning.

MOVIE NEWS - Nothing new - See "Slumdog"! Upon going to Tara, we were torn between seeing the assassinated gay guy pic, the nasty nun pic, or the itinerant Indian kid pic. He's not just milking the down-trodden ghetto kid material; no doubt, "Slumdog Millionaire" is terrific!

ART NEWS - King-sized @ Variety Playhouse. It's no secret this is my favorite local live show...we are taking our moms to see his Elvis Birthday show this Saturday! (It is written...just this week we saw a license plate reading "ATLVIS".)

LOCAL NEWS - Recycle your Xmas tree (Now more than ever, with the drought, our city needs the mulch!)

U.S. NEWS - Simulate war, stimulate recruiting -nyt-. They say video games promote violent behavior in kids, so why not use them as tools during the recrument/evaluation process to hand-pick our next generation of warriors? Don't ask, don't tell - I love "Rock Band".

FRANCE NEWS - Sarkozy in the Middle East -lemonde- . France does much to try and make up for their treatment (deportation) of jews during WWII; balancing apologetic policies towards jews with apologetic policies towards former colonial Arab states puts France in a position to evaluate this conflict relatively even-handedly."Well, we've kinda screwed 'em both over...no where to go but up!"

WEB NEWS - National Geographic Photo winners Pretty...and thought-provoking.

...the rest of the story...

Cards!!!

"City Photographer Jeffrey Keesee" featured on "Daily Candy"

A selection available at Yes Home, Twelve Boutique, and Utrecht on Peachtree...or in quantities of 12+ directly from me!

...the rest of the story...