More over here.
Monthly Archives: July 2009
A not surprising result
I’m a Vulcanian.
Not Only Liberals
It’s not only godless liberals who want Sarah Palin to depart from the political stage.
That was Peggy Noonan. For those of you who don’t know her Peggy Noonan is currently a conservative columnist for the Wall Street Journal, a solid supporter of the Republican Party, and a former speech writer for Ronald Reagan. While Peggy Noonan and myself go our separate ways when it come to the Right-To-Life issues, there are many areas of agreement.
People who do not know me may assume from my frequent and sharp criticism of the GOP, Repiublicans, and the Conservative movement that my political leanings are to the left. This is not so. I personally favor small and less intrusive government. I think that many solutions can be found better in the private sector. I have a real repulsion to identity politics. For many years and several election cycles I voiced support and often voted for Republicans. (I have never voted a straight ticket for any party and I am very unlikely too.) My criticism of the right side of aisle develops from a greater expectation of that side. I am hurt and angry that the right has wandered off into a crazy land where image matters more than substance and that they have so casually abandoned their principles.
Peggy’s closing sentiments on why it is good that Palin should leave the political scene are dead on in my opinion.
It’s not a time to be frivolous, or to feel the temptation of resentment, or the temptation of thinking next year will be more or less like last year, and the assumptions of our childhoods will more or less reign in our future. It won’t be that way.
We are going to need the best.
Best review Yet for Transformers: The Revenge Of The Fallen
I saw the first film, Transformers on Blu-ray just a few weeks ago and I had to agree with an assessment I had heard about it. “The least stupid Michael Bay film.”Given that I have zero interest in seeing the new movie, but I have stumbled upon a rather delightful review of the film. This guy cracks up and I urge everyone to pay him a visit.
Outrageous comment
The follow is the most outrageous comment I heard during Westercon 62.
From the panelist Jacqueline Lichtenberg
The arrival of Star Trek on national television is the most important event in the history of civilization since the invention of agriculture. It is a paraphrase but she said it.
yesh I like Star Trek but this is really creepy stalker fandom territory.
The importance of detachment
About a week and a half ago I was in a spirited debate with a friend of mine about Conspiracy Movies. We had just seen a film that used a conspiracy as a central element of the film and that provoked the debate.
The energy levels of the debate increased when I took the position that The Manchurian Candidate (1962)was NOT a capital ‘C’ Conspiracy film.
On further reflection i realize that I was wrong in my position. Now I will admit that it does not feel like a Conspiracy film to me, but what it feels like and what it is are two different things. For many people the film 28 Days later is a Zombie film, even though the infected are not undead. Based upon the three criteria I outline in an essay on Zombie movies (1-Mindless, 2- communicable 3-Vast Numbers) this was a Zombie movie.
This incident brought to mind for me the importance of detachment in any form of analysis. Because I did not feel that The Manchurian Candidate was a Conspiracy Film like The International for example, I blinded myself to the sound arguments that it was in fact a Conspiracy Film. (Although The Manchurian Candidate is a rare GOOD Conspiracy Film.)
When you are getting emotionally involved in an argument, when it is close to your heart or feeling more than at any other time it is important to step back, draw a breath, and try to be objective.
This, I have learned, and I am sure I will have to re-learn too as I am only human.
A little surprised
So this site has been up and active since about the end of May and I am little surprised at the amount of traffic I am getting. I really expected nothing until at least I sold a story to a national market of some kind, and even then I expected no traffic for a while.
I am right now averaging about 30 unique visitors per day. Now in terms of the internet that is nothing. It is not even a speck on the google-dar, but it is a lot more than I expected before any sales.
To those people dropping in, Welcome! Please feel free to poke around and read the stories in the trunk it is why they are there.
Extended Thoughts on Sarah Palin
The more I think about it the more I think there’s something we do not know about what is going on with Sarah Palin.The resignation from the Governor’s desk makes no sense unless somethings else is going on. I think it comes down to a few scenarios.
1) Scandal. There’s some big terrible scandal coming down the way and the only way Sarah could avoid it was by quitting. The problem is that quitting doesn’t help. She loses the pulpit of the office and the services if the government lawyers if it is legal trouble. For the life of me I can’t figure out a scandal that would be improved by quitting.
2) She really is tired of the personal attacks. But if that is the case she’s not going to get away from them by campaigning for others and remaining in politics. The nature of modern politics is that lots of nasty personal attacks are hurled and you better be able to stand up to them. Again, without the bullhorn of the job she’s disarming herself in that fight.
3) She’s gotten a better offer. Some sort of TV show or other major media spotlight that pays better and flatters her ego better. This is credible if that’s what she really wants. To be the conservative Oprah would be a gig she is well suited for — but then again I don;t a high opinion of Oprah as a thinker either. If this is the case we’ll hear about it soon, otherwise why quite now?
4) The job’s not fun anymore. With Oil prices crashing and the economy in a shambles it’s no longer fun being in charge of Alaska. Suddenly there are lots of problems and the money’s much tighter. Perhaps she was never suited for a job that required real decision making and when it started to happen, she bailed.
5) She wants to head up a new party. There’s some talk from the Tea Party folks that they;d love Sarah as the head of their movement. Frankly I think it would kill all serious consideration of their cause. She’d be posion.
or finally–
Maybe her ego wasn’t getting stroked enough. The sort of ties into the criticism angle except instead of running away from attack she’s running toward adoration. Places where people pay $150 a dinner to hear her speak and won;t ask any questions that can’t be responded to with a pat answer.
Honestly, I would not rule out that last one.
Down and Safe
We’re home and safe from westercon 62.
I will return to regular blogging Monday July 6th.
Westercon update #3
We’ll be leaving about 2pm today. I had a lot of good lit panels yesterday meeting with editors and authors and getting good advice for my writing career.
I have several panels lined up for this morning and expect to have a good time before our 2 pm departure.
The fireworks last night were very good but watching them in a room packed full of punsters trying top each other was quite an experience.