Remember when I posted the trailer for AFTER LAST SEASON, which is probably the worst movie to get a theatrical release in 2009?
Well, here’s a review from a guy who tracked down a copy. It sounds even worse than the trailer made it seem, if that’s possible.
Enjoy!
Skip this if you’re not interested.
Conservatives and media types are already spinning Scott Brown’s senatorial win as a warning that Democrats have moved too far to the left. Even conservatives within the party are saying this. Witness Evan Bayh: “Whenever you have just the furthest left elements of the Dem party attempting to impose their will on the rest of the country — that’s not going to work too well.”
But this is, of course, a fucking fantasy. Coakley lost yesterday primarily because she was an awful, lazy, contemptuous candidate. Secondarily, she lost because her base is pissed off.
As much as the Washington media and political operatives like to tell us otherwise, polls have repeatedly shown that a majority of citizens support progressive agenda items if they’re presented without a party name attached. Once the party names are hung on them, voters switch heavily to Republicans.
Health care reform, which Bayh seems to think is progressive over-reaching? In truth it’s been stripped of most everything progressives wanted, including a public option. At this point, actual liberals in this country are angry because the legislation doesn’t go far enough–it doesn’t cover enough people, doesn’t break the poisonous connection between health insurance and employment benefits, and doesn’t actually change the health insurance situation for the great majority of Americans.
In other words, the Dems lost a seat because they weren’t progressive enough.
Now, I’m glad that the Democratic party has a big tent. The Blue Dogs might annoy me and make me roll my eyes, but I would hate to see a DINO-purging start. We ought to be able to work together–liberals, moderates, conservatives–to legislate, and that’s what the Democratic party has been doing. The results aren’t always pretty, and damn, the White House could have made the public option more of a priority, but it’s how governing is done. What’s more, I’d like to see the current reform bill reconciled and passed; we’re in for a disaster if we don’t.
But don’t try to tell me the government has been too far to the left. That’s absurd.
In the past, when I wanted to think over a plot problem, I would take a long walk. I was one of those guys who slumped down the street, head lowered, probably muttering to himself (which is no longer so alarming thanks to cell phones), solving my stories as best I could.
Then came the pain. I’ve always had knee pain, but my ankles finally began to hurt, and my heels and my feet and… wow. It got bad. I was born with twisted legs, and they’ve always been a problem, but this was the worst thing ever.
I got to the point where I saved my walking time for family outings, but even then it was tough to keep up. I came home to ibuprofen and ice packs and “give me a couple minutes, okay?”
So, I made a trip to Super Jock and Jill, where a sales person named Kira had me walk back and forth in the store. She declared that I has pronation in my right foot (I’d thought I was supinating) and selected a pair of shoes for me.
It’s been a couple weeks, but the difference has been incredible. I still have pain, but it’s nothing like it was. Yesterday, I took a long walk. The pain was entirely manageable, and it’s entirely gone today. Sure, I have to wear these ridiculous-looking running shoes, but I can at least get out of the apartment and do some thinking again.
There are still 30 copies of BATTLE FOR TERRA waiting to be given to anyone who donates at least $25 bucks to The Red Cross for their relief efforts in Haiti. The film’s producer says they’ve raised $2700 so far. See details for how to collect on his web site.
Mightygodking just posted this, saying it’s a couple years old but awesome for those who haven’t seen it before. That includes me, and maybe you:
Some strong language in there, mixed with the whoa!.
Second thing: You know those people at parties who don’t have a TV and make sure they tell as many people as possible? Well, that’s me now. I’ve mentioned this in comments once or twice, but never in an actual post: We can’t watch TV anymore.
It wasn’t planned and we didn’t renounce it in a big dramatic way. My wife rearranged the living room and suddenly the cable didn’t reach. This was… end of October? We were supposed to be upgrading to digital cable (broadcast TV in Seattle is a disaster) but I never bothered to get the box. So we didn’t have anything to watch except the occasional DVD from the library.
And it’s been better. My son falls to sleep easier at night. We all do more reading. I go to bed earlier. It’s surprising how comfortable it is to do without it. Also, I do not make sure to mention it to everyone I meet.
For now, at least. At some point I figure we’ll sign up for satellite TV or something. Until then, we have this DVD-player and Wii screen on the other side of the room, and things are much quieter around here.
My son just put the ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS dvd in. Get me out of here!
Yesterday I was feeling like death warmed over, and I told my wife to make sure I got to be early. (I have a habit of puttering when I’m tired or depressed). After dinner, I put away the leftovers, loaded the dishwasher, checked my emails, made suggestions to my son on his dirigible designs, then said “I’m going to bed now.”
My wife, who’d twice said we had to wrap thing things up early so I could go to sleep early, looked surprised. It wasn’t even 7:30 yet.
But I put Saturday clothes out in the living room and crawled into bed. Ten hours later, I was up. I changed, ate and hit the bus stop. And god, I feel so much better. Not well mind you; I have way too much sleep debt for that. But I honestly feel better. If only I could quit my day job, I’d be practically healthy.
Now, work!
For those who are interested, lit agent Kristin Nelson is breaking down and analyzing successful query letters on her blog (LiveJournal feed). I found her original series on queries very helpful.
2) Sushi Etiquette.
3) Crowd-sourcing: tool of evil. At some point later I may want to talk about this in more depth, but I’m not sure how I’d approach the subject. Maybe what I’d like to see in the hypothetical example is people gaming the TURK system by choosing the least likely matches–they’d earn those same pennies while giving bad information; downside: I’d hate to be the guy who looks least like the person Iranian authorities are trying to ID. Hmm.
5) Translucent concrete. So cool. That blog has a number of interesting items there. via email.
6) Run Linux without Windows?? Preposterous!!! I suspect some of you are going to look at the main URL for that link and start combing your delete folder for some emails to submit. You know who you are.
7) If I lived a different sort of life, I would already own one of these. And I would love it.
Author Kage Baker is very ill.
“If we are lucky, the therapies will win her a few months; if we are incredibly lucky, 6 months to a year. If she gets more than that, it will be a literal miracle. ”
Anyone who’s a fan of her work can find contact info at the link above and send good wishes.