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12.18.2005
One more down, one more to go...
Torts I is officially over now, leaving only Contracts for me to complete. I have moved mostly into Christmas prep mode, but hopefully I can shift my mind into study mode enough to get my Contracts down pat for the final.
In celebration of one more final down, or perhaps as a distraction from the work still to come, Summer and I attended a matinee showing of Walk the Line today. I give it probably two and a half stars--Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon were quite good as Johnny Cash and June Carter, but the story focused almost exclusively on the two of them, surrounding them with flat, uninteresting characters. This worked to some extent when the supporting characters were, say, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, but less so when they were Johnny Cash's father, whose life and personality were portrayed as having been consumed entirely by the death of another of his sons. Outside the great performances of the two leads, the main strength of Walk the Line was the music--each shift in temporal setting was designated by a character switching on a radio--now young Johnny hearing 10-year-old June, now June tuning into popular 1950s Johnny, now Johnny having cleaned up his actand hearing nothing but electric guitars. Of course, there was plenty of music by Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, June Carter, and some folk folks like Bob Dylan. Anyway the movie is a good time if you're into the music involved or the history of popular music, and that's that. Well, maybe that's not quite that; I think on reflection that I might knock it up to three stars. We'll see.
I haven't been doing quite as much current events reading as usual, but given (a) President Bush seemingly shifting from the Cheney "what I do with my prisoners' toenails is my own business" camp to the McCain "um, Mr. Vice President, torture is pretty much bad" camp, (b) the new revelations about government "eavesdropping"--what exactly constitutes "eavesdropping" is my question (1984 or crowded middle school hallway or what?), and (c) the general international discussion regarding extraordinary rendition, Powell calling out Europe, the whole Canadian turmoil, and whatever diplomats have taken shots at each other in the last 12 hours, I feel like I have a lot to catch up on. Then of course there's the stalling of the renewed Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, about which I have mixed feelings even though I'm probably not supposed to as a civil libertarian (though I do strenuously object to the not-so-subtle government insinuations that to disagree with the act is unpatriotic), and the elections in Iraq. Oh and there's Iran's President denying the occurrence of the Holocaust and calling for, I believe, an autonomous Jewish state in Germany or Alaska...yep, the world's a crazy place.
Just found this delightful piece on the latest compromise on the torture issue. Summarized: the current version, while taking a step forward on the torture issue, has a little attachment courtesy of Sen. Graham which would also water down the just cause requirement for detaining prisoners, render admissible testimony coerced from detainees, and restrict detainees' appellate options. Way to go government.
As for apartment news, I don't think there's much if any. People are mostly well, the ice is finally mostly melted so hopefully I'll go running tomorrow, and there has been a call for more Christmas music so the oppressive academic climate doesn't get us down too much. Therefore I leave you with these words:
In celebration of one more final down, or perhaps as a distraction from the work still to come, Summer and I attended a matinee showing of Walk the Line today. I give it probably two and a half stars--Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon were quite good as Johnny Cash and June Carter, but the story focused almost exclusively on the two of them, surrounding them with flat, uninteresting characters. This worked to some extent when the supporting characters were, say, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, but less so when they were Johnny Cash's father, whose life and personality were portrayed as having been consumed entirely by the death of another of his sons. Outside the great performances of the two leads, the main strength of Walk the Line was the music--each shift in temporal setting was designated by a character switching on a radio--now young Johnny hearing 10-year-old June, now June tuning into popular 1950s Johnny, now Johnny having cleaned up his actand hearing nothing but electric guitars. Of course, there was plenty of music by Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, June Carter, and some folk folks like Bob Dylan. Anyway the movie is a good time if you're into the music involved or the history of popular music, and that's that. Well, maybe that's not quite that; I think on reflection that I might knock it up to three stars. We'll see.
I haven't been doing quite as much current events reading as usual, but given (a) President Bush seemingly shifting from the Cheney "what I do with my prisoners' toenails is my own business" camp to the McCain "um, Mr. Vice President, torture is pretty much bad" camp, (b) the new revelations about government "eavesdropping"--what exactly constitutes "eavesdropping" is my question (1984 or crowded middle school hallway or what?), and (c) the general international discussion regarding extraordinary rendition, Powell calling out Europe, the whole Canadian turmoil, and whatever diplomats have taken shots at each other in the last 12 hours, I feel like I have a lot to catch up on. Then of course there's the stalling of the renewed Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, about which I have mixed feelings even though I'm probably not supposed to as a civil libertarian (though I do strenuously object to the not-so-subtle government insinuations that to disagree with the act is unpatriotic), and the elections in Iraq. Oh and there's Iran's President denying the occurrence of the Holocaust and calling for, I believe, an autonomous Jewish state in Germany or Alaska...yep, the world's a crazy place.
Just found this delightful piece on the latest compromise on the torture issue. Summarized: the current version, while taking a step forward on the torture issue, has a little attachment courtesy of Sen. Graham which would also water down the just cause requirement for detaining prisoners, render admissible testimony coerced from detainees, and restrict detainees' appellate options. Way to go government.
As for apartment news, I don't think there's much if any. People are mostly well, the ice is finally mostly melted so hopefully I'll go running tomorrow, and there has been a call for more Christmas music so the oppressive academic climate doesn't get us down too much. Therefore I leave you with these words:
Christmas is a feeling, filling the air,One more thing: Kristin Hersh asks everyone to pass it on. Try it; maybe you'll like it.
It’s love and joy and laughter of people everywhere!
Christmas is a feeling, bringing good cheer;
It reaches out to touch you when the holiday draws near;
It’s mistletoe and falling snow and candles burning bright;
It’s a baby in a manager on a cold winter night;
It’s glad noel and chiming bells and presents by the tree;
It’s the spirit of giving in you and in me.
For Christmas is a feeling, filling the air,
It’s love and joy and laughter of people everywhere.
But if Christmas is a feeling bringing such good cheer,
then why, O why, don’t you and I try to make it last all year?
Why can’t it last all year?
posted by Max Greene at 1:34 AM
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