3 Women

is a movie by Robert Altman. Filmed in '73, I think same year I was born. Takes place in a dusty town/area east of LA. The beginning of the film is odd, almost boring. But by the end of the film, I was entranced. Such sad characters, the intense feeling of loneliness, quite a powerful film in that way. I am sure that many people would not like the film, as it sits with you after it is over. And what is sitting with you is not "life affirming" or "heart warming". But that is the sign of good art, when the film/object/performance creates such a complete feeling/flavor that lasts beyond the immediate viewing. And maybe it is not the experience you were looking for, but one that the artist intended. See this film.

Makes me think of the first time I saw a porn. I was in highschool, junior year I think, still a virgin. Two friends used a fake id and rented a movie from the local video store. Don't remember the premise but a bunch of women, grapes, beads, etc. Scared the bejeezus out of me. I think for abstinence programs the curriculum should be forcing kids to watch raunchy porn, scare them away from sex for a few years. My point is that although that movie created a strong reaction in me, it was not the one intended. Revulsion instead of arousal. So, I would say that that porn was an artistic failure.

The next movie in our Netflix queue is "The Good Shepherd".

Outsourcing President Bush

Congress Votes to Outsource Presidency, Washington, DC (AP)

Congress today announced that the office of President of the United States of America will be outsourced to India as of July 1, 2007. The move is being made in order to save the President's $500,000 yearly salary, and also a record $521 Billion in deficit expenditures and related overhead the office has incurred during the last 5 years.

"We believe this is a wise financial move. The cost savings are huge," stated Congressman Thomas Reynolds (R-WA).

"We cannot remain competitive on the world stage with the current level of cash outlay," Reynolds noted.

Mr. Bush was informed by e-mail this morning of his termination. Preparations for the job move have been underway for some time.

Gurvinder Singh of Indus Teleservices ( Mumbai , India ) will assume the office of President as of July 1, 2007. Mr. Singh was born in the United States while his Indian parents were vacationing at Niagara Falls, thus making him eligible for the position. He will receive a salary of $320 (USD) a month but with no health coverage or other benefits.

It is believed that Mr. Singh will be able to handle his job responsibilities without a support staff. Due to the time difference between the US and India , he will be working primarily at night, when few offices of the US Government will be open. "Working nights will allow me to keep my day job at the Dell Computer call center," stated Mr. Singh in an exclusive interview. "I am excited about this position. I always hoped I would be President."

A Congressional spokesperson noted that while Mr. Singh may not be fully aware of all the issues involved in the office of President, this should not be a problem, as President Bush was not familiar with the issues either.

It is not yet clear if plans are being considered for outsourcing the Senate and the House of Representatives. This could seriously affect staffing efficiency at the Dell call center. Special interests and lobbyists here are expected to seriously push back on any such efforts. It is thought that saving the hundreds of millions of dollars now spent annually on campaign financing could positively affect the U.S. economy.

Mr. Singh will rely upon a script tree that will enable him to respond effectively to most topics of concern. Using these canned responses, he can address common concerns without having to understand the underlying issue at all. "We know these scripting tools work," stated the spokesperson. "President Bush has used them successfully for years."

Bush will receive health coverage, expenses, and salary until his final day of employment. Following a two-week waiting period, he will be eligible for $140 a week unemployment for 13 weeks.

He will not also be eligible for Medicaid, as his unemployment benefits will exceed the allowed limit. Mr. Bush has been provided the outplacement services of Manpower, Inc., to help him write a resume and prepare for his upcoming job transition.

According to Manpower, Mr. Bush may have difficulties in securing a new position due to limited practical or successful work experience. A greeter position at Wal-Mart was suggested due to Bush's extensive experience shaking hands, as well as his special smile.

If approved, most of the affected Congressional positions would probably revert to entry level Internet bloggers or on-call street activists. If nothing else, they may be offered jobs as reporters or TV commentators.

National Bingo Night

Why, oh, why

is there a TV show about Bingo? Has collective American consciousness been completely wiped out, that we can not come up with any else?

The enemy of my enemy is...

who exactly? You'd think that Fatah and Hamas would get along. They are on the

SAME #%$^% SIDE?

Do they really think it's a good idea to start shooting each other, when they have Israel to deal with. Makes them look like morons. I'll probably get shot for writing this on my blog that no one reads. At least then I would get my 15 minutes. Better late than never.

Tangent -

was watching Studio 60 today while making lunch. An episode in which one of the cast member's brothers was taken hostage in Iraq. Before they knew of the kidnapping, his family was worried because they had not heard from him in 48 hours. He at war...how often does he need to check in with his family? Amazing how connected we are to the people fighting the war, but we are so disconnected from the reality and the death we as a culture are creating over in Iraq.

tangent -
he skits on Studio 60, from the snippets you see, are funnier than anything on SNL. Maybe time to switch writers.

Medium

Earlier today I watched an episode of the show "medium" called "Better Off Dead" on NBC.com.

Wow, is it a really bad show.

I'd say it would be better off the air.

Rum

Rum, when mixed with lime juice, mulled mint leaves, sugar, and club soda, is quite palatable.

Why did you see this show?

A friend of mine, also a dancer asked me that question the other day after seeing Project Agora at Dance Mission. "do you know anyone in the show?" I did know several people, none very well, but just from the dance scene in the Bay Area. I was taken aback by my friend's question. Did she mean that the main reason for seeing a show is to see friend's dancing? Which seems to be the main reason for many dancers to go to see work in the Bay Area. Either go see your friends dance or the famous company of the week, Bill T., Taylor, Morris, Brown. Then the occasional company from Africa at Yerba Buena.

But what about professional curiosity? Aren`t people curious about what other artists in the same field are doing? Once I was talking to a well established choreographer in the Bay Area about going to see work. He said that after seeing all his friend's shows he did not have much desire to see other people's work. Maybe he has a lot of friends and so he sees a wide range of work.

I think as working artists it is our duty to inform ourselves and see as much as possible.