I forgive you, Mitzi Gaynor!

I forgive you, Mitzi Gaynor. I gave Anything Goes another view, just because. And I still didn't like it. Except ... the above sequence is just magical. I've decided it's one of my favorite all-time movie scenes hands down.

I started watching George Cukor's A Star is Born a week ago, and I was initially immensely impressed. But I continued watching it last night and initially it was still great but THEN, endless dance numbers to terrible songs. These words flashed across my squishy brain: WHEN IS THIS MOVIE GOING TO END??? It didn't help when my father entered the room and after a brief silence (and during one of the worst numbers), noted, "You know all those people are dead now." Greeeaaat. There was also some embarrasingly hammy acting from Garland; it's a pity because she was an actress capable of such depth and raw energy, but I don't think she ever in her career truly utilized those acting gifts (other than through song).

I started to get annoyed, when suddenly after two hours of praying for it to end, James Mason completely broke my heart. My God. I have rarely seen an actor so realistically and agonizingly portray such pain onscreen. It was at that moment that I realized Mason made the film, and that I realized he had been consistent and authentic throughout the entire picture, even when everything around him was glitz and cheese. A Star is Born is not a movie about the travails of fame; it is a film about the self-destructive trauma of alcoholism. See it for Judy singing The Man That Got Away, but mostly see it for James Mason's performance.

* * * * *

And....

OMG! Corrupt Politician Alert I have my surprised face on. Not really.

We Need A Cure

Dark Knight DVD as Disappointing As the Movie Was No Heath Ledger extras. And he was the best thing about the film.

The Mouse is 40!

Greedy Fannie

NYT on Kate Winslet's The Reader

John Lennon The Rolling Stone interview "I always wrote about me when I could. I didn't really enjoy writing third person songs about people who lived in concrete flats and things like that. I like first person music."

Flor, You Can't Have Ed Norton, He and I Are in Love

On Health Care (cue the violin)

Sick Girl

Mark Ryden

I'm so ridiculously sick. Hacking, coughing, wheezing sick. And yet here I am at work, spreading my germs and trying to keep the pile of tissues in check. It got me thinking about the health care situation in the country and the notion of sick leave (I say 'notion,' because in a lot of work environments, it's just that - a notion). My presence here has nothing to do with my bosses, who are incredible, but just in the system itself. When we are sick, we are expected to buck up, get in our cars, drive to our school/jobs and cough through the days, in the process (again) spreading our sickness to our fellow students and co-workers.

I watched Michael Moore's Sicko a while back, and while I know one must take any Moore documentary with a grain of salt, I found so much of what he had to say compelling. The film wasn't as bombastic and melodramatic as most of his work; it was sound and practical, specifically much of what he said regarding Canada and Europe and their respective systems. I found this great Business Week article to back up certain claims he makes:

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2007/gb20070613_921562.htm

The article examines France and Britain's health care approach and finds that Britain's is rather lacking, while France seems to have the right idea. It's 62 million citizens are healthier than Americans, and "per capita spending on health care is also roughly half as much." The U.S. ranked terribly in a Commonwealth Study assessing the health and quality of our lives.

Meanwhile, the John de Graaf article "Thinking Differently About Health Care" notes that "Americans rank 45th in life expectancy, right there with Albania."

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/008803.html

"Finally, and this is no small matter, every other industrial country guarantees its workers paid time off from work when they are sick; only the US does not. In many cases, as much as a month of leave is allowed. These countries know that without paid time off, workers will come to work sick, as many American workers do. They will get others sick and stay sick longer, often requiring more expensive treatment for their illnesses. This is not rocket science. Most Americans get this immediately. That is why more than 80 percent of them favor a law that would guarantee paid sick days for workers."

The article is fascinating because it focuses on preventative measures, and not just matters of cost and insurance. If we take care of ourselves in the first place, and if policies are implemented which ensure we are taken care of at our places of work when we are ill, billions of dollars may be saved in medicine and care. But thinking long-term is simply not our forte. We love our credit cards and we eat our hamburgers, and the debt, illness, and fatigue that may follow get little consideration.

{cough, cough}

I'm out.

Great Big Moon, Poor Rosie, and My Throat Hurts!

I have so little on my mind right now, because I'm exhausted. Thanks to a certain blonde-headed flake, I'm working early hours on my day off. I got up at 6 in the morning cursing said blonde girl's name. But it's overtime, so I suppose I should be happy :) What brings me more delight than extra cash is the following Washington Post article.

The Jupiter-Venus conjuction takes place tomorrow night, and it should be spectacular:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/29/AR2008112901775.html

Even better -

"The full moon Dec. 12 will be at its closest (356,556 kilometers, or 221,554 miles) to Earth since 1993, and the full moon won't be this close again until 2016."

Get your telescopes ready!

* * * *

Rosie O'Donnell's new variety show bombed, which is not a surprise. I watched it with my brother the other night, and it was terrible. Stale jokes, bizarre set concept, and mystifying acts (and not 'mystifying' in a good way whatsoever). I actually like Rosie, and I feel sorry for her. But, man, was that terrible.

* * * * *

This new Elvis Costello show on Sundance looks amazing:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2008/11/30/2008-11-30_elvis_costello_puts_serious_eye_on_music.html

Spectacle is an indepth music show featuring Lou Reed, Jenny Lewis and The Police. It premieres this Wednesday.

* * * * *

My throat is killing me today, so my supervisor gave me this recipe; I'm making it as soon as I get home:

1 cup milk

1 tsp butter

1/4 tsp turmeric

1. Place milk and butter in saucepan. Bring to a boil.

2. Add turmeric and set stove to lowest setting.

3. Simmer a few minutes and serve.

4. Don't ingest anything for at least an hour.

I always thought dairy was bad for the throat, but I'm curious to see how this works out. I'm also a little desperate, so I'll try anything!