This might be rambling, but so what? That's how I get when I feel overwhelmed with grief.
Just about every day that I live on this earth, I feel I can't bear it another second, cannot bear the whole-scale slaughter of every beautiful precious magic-infused being in service to profit and power by the psychopathic criminals who have come to run corporations and governments that span the globe, but particularly in the U.S.
Now a study shows that whales the world over are filled with toxins. The lead researcher says the only future he can see for whales is extinction.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100624/ap_on_sc/whaling
It hurts my heart and soul to a depth I can't express. When the US invaded Iraq to steal their oil and establish military bases, I suggested to our peace group that we have weekly grief circles on the MIT campus. I thought really wailing out our anger and desperation and soul-searing pain might be a good first step. I was ridiculed. But maybe that is what we need, for real. Grief. And then ACTION.
Maybe grief circles for the prehistoric Pelicans who are being slaughtered by British Petroleum (a company with one of the worst safety records ever, and no oversight from the oil boys' hand-picked government reps, and WHERE are the criminal arrests?) would start the process.
Then grief circles for the bees, who are dying of a "mysterious" illness which just HAPPENS to coincide with widespread introduction of genetically modified crops and newer better pesticides specifically DESIGNED to kill insects? (colonies are, not surprisingly, testing with deadly high levels of pesticides)
Oh but Monsanto needs to make MORE money, dontcha know? Who cares if we lose 3/4 of our food supply as a result of bees dying out, not to mention the simple tragic loss of a most amazing insect?
How about grief circles for the poor people of Baghdad who could not escape the bombs launched at no risk to American invaders, and shown on TV like some really cool video game? The rich Iraqis had plenty of advanced warning, and left the country. Only the poor were left behind to deal with the "shock and awe" of dead and maimed babies and grandmothers, as the US and their power- and oil-mad "allies" (i.e. partners in crime) killed several birds with one stone. A HUGE defense industry DEMANDS invasions and invented enemies. Otherwise, who will buy the bombs? And Iraq has the "richest" oilfields on earth, but Saddam had become reticent about "sharing" these riches with the US and its allies. Oh, but this is all old news, right?
Not so for the poor people of Baghdad. Hard enough to deal with a child growing up missing a limb or too with decent health care. Just try it with NO health care and NO money. And don't forget, the US is STILL in Iraq. And Afghanistan.
And how about grief circles for the Florida panther, trying its very best to repopulate (with help from a few wonderful scientists) despite being wiped out sometime last century. And then mowed down by a car driven by someone speeding to his/her vacation in the sun, at some fake oceanside resort. Wonder how these folks are enjoying the oil soaked beaches? Oh right. Small price to pay to drive that car, which killed that panther, who lay there dying in an incomprehending daze. What predator had pulled him down? The predator of greed and stupidity. The predator with insatiable need, the predator who can never stop and ask, "What can I do to CHANGE this catastrophe?".
Here's a suggestion: STOP DRIVING YOUR CAR!!! You KNOW you can!!! Walk or take a bus or commuter rail or ride a bicycle. And if your community doesn't offer public transit, ORGANIZE to change that. At least, if you MUST drive, SLOW THE FUCK DOWN for wildlife!!!
Or if you are living in the burbs, too far removed for biking, consider downsizing intentionally and moving closer to the city, where it will be easier to bike, walk and take a bus.
What ELSE can you do? Stop buying CRAP that you don't need. Start looking for ways to truly connect and those toys will lose their meaning.
And start speaking up. Call and write your government reps. Take your money OUT of oil stocks. Vote! Organize! Boycott! Go live in a cabin in the woods. Do whatever it takes to change the path these killer criminals have put us on and save our precious planet.
Oh hell, maybe nothing will help. But if we all stand here in a catatonic daze and shrug our shoulders, it is CERTAIN nothing will change. WAKE THE HELL UP NOW PEOPLE!!!! Grieve, and then organize, and ACT TO CHANGE this insanity. You know you can. You know you can.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sex and the City 2 Review, Part 2 and a BP comment
Well gosh darn it, I HAVE to finish my SATC2 review so that I can move onto other things, such as WHY aren't the BP pricks all in JAIL, arrested and charged for their heinous crimes against nature and humanity?
OK, back to SATC2, and why I liked it. First, I LOVED the gay wedding. Waaayyy over the top--it was dazzling! Liza Minnelli singing and dancing to "Single Ladies" was pure ART, so inspired, and so absolutely perfect. She puts all the fake lip-syncing music industry product "singers" to shame.
Thought it was a pretty interesting move to bring a big chunk of the movie to Abu Dhabi in the middle east, and show the abundance of wealth over there. Oil money has not been confined to the rich creepy American oil boys, clearly. Made me think about the future of the American Empire, or perhaps, the illusion of such. These days, isn't it really a Global Corporate Capitalist empire, with no national boundary? The boundary is really, "I have the money and power, so I will make the laws I want. You have no money or power, so you either shut up or go to jail." Need to have a government of, by and FOR the people!!! Isn't that what the constitution says? Oh, wait, I forgot, the Supreme Court decided recently that corporations ARE people. Oops. Time to limit Supreme Court appointments to 4 years at a time.
I know some may object to the caricature of Muslim men oppressing women, and in particular scantily clad 50 year old women. But I felt really that they were a stand-in for men in general, in the good old US of A-holes. And don't tell me women are not oppressed in this country.
Women still earn only 75 cents on the dollar to men for comparable work. Men are still not held accountable for their crimes (for example, only a tiny percentage of rapes on campuses are ever reported, and an even smaller fraction end up in court). Women still face aggression, judgment, abuse, ridicule, impoverishment, and all sorts of other very damaging treatment at the hands of men. So I LOVED the scene where Samantha tells an entire group of judgmental tittering men, "YES I HAVE SEX" and then gives them all the finger.
After all, so much of women's oppression is STILL about controlling or filtering their sexuality. If it can be turned into a commodity, objectified, used to make women even more insecure, then, hey, that's GREAT. But if a woman truly claims the right to her OWN body and her OWN sexuality, that is dangerous as hell. Just might lead to a revolution.
What else did I like in this movie? OK, yes it was fun to experience the vicarious thrill of riding in true first class luxury on a plane to Abu Dhabi. Individual compartments, enough space to sleep, food and drink and warm towels. Made me think I might overcome my fear of flying in such conditions. Might...
I loved the almost ridiculous homage to old-time movie-making. A handsomely rugged man rides up out of nowhere to a desert tent, leaving the four women gasping. (although admittedly I was the only person laughing at this scene, oh well...)
I HATED Big and Carrie's really fancy NYC apartment. Also not a fan of the luxury suite in the hotel in Abu Dhabi. Too much Trump-style clutter, and too many dark blues and greys. Maybe a new art director in SATC3?
Also, the male partners of these women were pretty much relegated to the background. That's OK, but for SATC3, I would LIKE to see more of Miranda's bespectacled ex-bartender hubby Steve and Charlotte's sweaty bald sexy Jewish lawyer spouse Harry. A little bit of Big goes a long way, but maybe Samantha's younger hunk Smith Jarrod could make more of an appearance next time?
OK, that's about it for SATC2. Next, the much less happy subject of oil criminals who have fully infiltrated the US government. Ciao for now.
OK, back to SATC2, and why I liked it. First, I LOVED the gay wedding. Waaayyy over the top--it was dazzling! Liza Minnelli singing and dancing to "Single Ladies" was pure ART, so inspired, and so absolutely perfect. She puts all the fake lip-syncing music industry product "singers" to shame.
Thought it was a pretty interesting move to bring a big chunk of the movie to Abu Dhabi in the middle east, and show the abundance of wealth over there. Oil money has not been confined to the rich creepy American oil boys, clearly. Made me think about the future of the American Empire, or perhaps, the illusion of such. These days, isn't it really a Global Corporate Capitalist empire, with no national boundary? The boundary is really, "I have the money and power, so I will make the laws I want. You have no money or power, so you either shut up or go to jail." Need to have a government of, by and FOR the people!!! Isn't that what the constitution says? Oh, wait, I forgot, the Supreme Court decided recently that corporations ARE people. Oops. Time to limit Supreme Court appointments to 4 years at a time.
I know some may object to the caricature of Muslim men oppressing women, and in particular scantily clad 50 year old women. But I felt really that they were a stand-in for men in general, in the good old US of A-holes. And don't tell me women are not oppressed in this country.
Women still earn only 75 cents on the dollar to men for comparable work. Men are still not held accountable for their crimes (for example, only a tiny percentage of rapes on campuses are ever reported, and an even smaller fraction end up in court). Women still face aggression, judgment, abuse, ridicule, impoverishment, and all sorts of other very damaging treatment at the hands of men. So I LOVED the scene where Samantha tells an entire group of judgmental tittering men, "YES I HAVE SEX" and then gives them all the finger.
After all, so much of women's oppression is STILL about controlling or filtering their sexuality. If it can be turned into a commodity, objectified, used to make women even more insecure, then, hey, that's GREAT. But if a woman truly claims the right to her OWN body and her OWN sexuality, that is dangerous as hell. Just might lead to a revolution.
What else did I like in this movie? OK, yes it was fun to experience the vicarious thrill of riding in true first class luxury on a plane to Abu Dhabi. Individual compartments, enough space to sleep, food and drink and warm towels. Made me think I might overcome my fear of flying in such conditions. Might...
I loved the almost ridiculous homage to old-time movie-making. A handsomely rugged man rides up out of nowhere to a desert tent, leaving the four women gasping. (although admittedly I was the only person laughing at this scene, oh well...)
I HATED Big and Carrie's really fancy NYC apartment. Also not a fan of the luxury suite in the hotel in Abu Dhabi. Too much Trump-style clutter, and too many dark blues and greys. Maybe a new art director in SATC3?
Also, the male partners of these women were pretty much relegated to the background. That's OK, but for SATC3, I would LIKE to see more of Miranda's bespectacled ex-bartender hubby Steve and Charlotte's sweaty bald sexy Jewish lawyer spouse Harry. A little bit of Big goes a long way, but maybe Samantha's younger hunk Smith Jarrod could make more of an appearance next time?
OK, that's about it for SATC2. Next, the much less happy subject of oil criminals who have fully infiltrated the US government. Ciao for now.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Why I Like Sex and The City 2 (Part One)
Disclaimer: I am NOT a SATC fanatic, never have been. But I really enjoyed SATC 2. SATC1 was a little too fluffy for my taste, but SATC2 deals with some hefty issues (OK, not hefty in the sense of war and famine, but how about mother-guilt, workplace bullying, anti-women behavior, pro-sex menopause, gay marriage?). AND it made me laugh. So here is MY review, Part One:
I am 100% convinced that one reason some movie critics are shitting all over SATC 2 is because they are closet misogynists. Misogynists REALLY hate women past the age of about 30, because that is typically the age when women start to SPEAK UP and become less inclined to put up with crap. And of course the SATC women are in fact all over the age of 40, even 50. OMG!!! How shocking!!! Aren't women supposed to be knitting socks and sitting home watching soap operas by that point? How DARE they be out in the world, sharing opinions, traveling to Dubai, getting in trouble, having sex? Don't they KNOW BETTER???? What is WRONG with the world? It seems to have gone completely HAYWIRE!!!
Kathie Lee Gifford commented that "the girls were not well-lit". OK, she has a point. The lighting was not terribly flattering. But you now what, I kind of LIKED that about this movie. It meant that the actresses actually LOOK like 40 or 50-something women, rather than a 45 year old woman with the smooth (botoxed, surgically enhanced, perfectly lit) skin of a 17 year old.
Yes!!! It's a REVOLUTION!!! Again, how shocking. A 50 year old woman on screen, having sex, and sporting a wrinkle or two. No doubt the whole capitalist system is set for a collapse in another year or two, with this kind of revolution taking place on screen.
The funny thing is, a 30-something guy like Ewan McGregor is considered a sexy hunk even when he's got lines and blemishes all over his pretty face. But a 50 year old actress needs to be smooth as a 15 year old, to be considered fuckable (i.e. attractive), at least in Hollywood-land.
Now what is THAT all about? Maybe Hollywood is run by a bunch of borderline pedophiles who really crave pre-pubescent girls? I know the music biz is--I've been to a few music industry events and witnessed the not-so-yummy middle aged creeps slobbering over talentless 16 year olds while passing up interaction with a talented 27 year old woman. So maybe the same is true in H-Wood Land.
OK That's part one. In part two I will deal with fashion vs violence and asexual crones vs sexy hormonal 50 year olds. I will also comment on Carrie and Big's UGLY fancy apartment (PLEASE HIRE a better Art Director for the next film!!!) and the wonderful gay wedding.
I am 100% convinced that one reason some movie critics are shitting all over SATC 2 is because they are closet misogynists. Misogynists REALLY hate women past the age of about 30, because that is typically the age when women start to SPEAK UP and become less inclined to put up with crap. And of course the SATC women are in fact all over the age of 40, even 50. OMG!!! How shocking!!! Aren't women supposed to be knitting socks and sitting home watching soap operas by that point? How DARE they be out in the world, sharing opinions, traveling to Dubai, getting in trouble, having sex? Don't they KNOW BETTER???? What is WRONG with the world? It seems to have gone completely HAYWIRE!!!
Kathie Lee Gifford commented that "the girls were not well-lit". OK, she has a point. The lighting was not terribly flattering. But you now what, I kind of LIKED that about this movie. It meant that the actresses actually LOOK like 40 or 50-something women, rather than a 45 year old woman with the smooth (botoxed, surgically enhanced, perfectly lit) skin of a 17 year old.
Yes!!! It's a REVOLUTION!!! Again, how shocking. A 50 year old woman on screen, having sex, and sporting a wrinkle or two. No doubt the whole capitalist system is set for a collapse in another year or two, with this kind of revolution taking place on screen.
The funny thing is, a 30-something guy like Ewan McGregor is considered a sexy hunk even when he's got lines and blemishes all over his pretty face. But a 50 year old actress needs to be smooth as a 15 year old, to be considered fuckable (i.e. attractive), at least in Hollywood-land.
Now what is THAT all about? Maybe Hollywood is run by a bunch of borderline pedophiles who really crave pre-pubescent girls? I know the music biz is--I've been to a few music industry events and witnessed the not-so-yummy middle aged creeps slobbering over talentless 16 year olds while passing up interaction with a talented 27 year old woman. So maybe the same is true in H-Wood Land.
OK That's part one. In part two I will deal with fashion vs violence and asexual crones vs sexy hormonal 50 year olds. I will also comment on Carrie and Big's UGLY fancy apartment (PLEASE HIRE a better Art Director for the next film!!!) and the wonderful gay wedding.
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