http://www.eclectique916.com Culture = Arts = Politics = Living Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:59:04 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Why don't we just move New Years to September. It just feels right. I could actually get to a New Years eve party without having to wear my overcoat, pantyhose, and galoshes. Of course, we might keep the galoshes during hurricane season. It's that time of ... http://www.eclectique916.com/2010/09/02/september-issues/ My mother always emphasized the virtues of "being prepared" over "crisis management." Of course a combination of the two is probably the reality of any situation. But definitely a Stitch in Time Saves Nine. But for some reason, the prepared people do not get the rewards or ... http://www.eclectique916.com/2010/08/30/saving-the-day-are-we-addicted-to-the-disaster-movie-scenario/ In the years that followed, New Orleans could have remained a symbol of destruction and decay; of a storm that came and the inadequate response that followed. It was not hard to imagine a day when we’d tell our children that a once vibrant and wonderful city ... http://www.eclectique916.com/2010/08/29/the-presidents-post-katrina-vacation-lap/ When labor leader A. Philip Randolph, organized a special march in Washington, DC for "Jobs and Freedom" in 1963, I have no doubt Randolph made deliberate choices on the date -- August 28-- and the venue -- the Lincoln Memorial -- as organizers did on the program and selection of ... http://www.eclectique916.com/2010/08/28/what-a-difference-a-day-makes/ “Every man alone is sincere. At the entrance of a second person, hypocrisy begins.” --Ralph Waldo Emerson No one's accusing Fox. All people are asking is who's giving Fox the money for these stories. The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c http://www.eclectique916.com/2010/08/26/follow-the-money-into-the-fox-den/ Over the vacation week, I saw a number of movies en route on land and sea. Some were forgettable ("Rush Hour 2," "Did You Hear About the Morgans?") but a majority were worth being a coach potato for. That's allowed during vacation isn't it? The Princess Cruise ... http://www.eclectique916.com/2010/08/24/more-summer-screens-on-land-and-sea/ When the President shared his unfavorable opinion of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission case during his January state-of-the-Union address (the US Supreme Court decided 5-4 in favor of Citizens United), he got a visible tisk-tisk from Chief Justice John Roberts for admonishing the Court, ... http://www.eclectique916.com/2010/08/22/eclectique-citizen-the-presidents-weekly-14/ For some odd reason I've watched The Godfather twice this year (nearly 3 times): once from my personal DVD; once by accident on one of the UHF stations but had to cut it short; and finally to finish where I left off when the UHF station rebroadcast it. ... http://www.eclectique916.com/2010/08/20/summer-screens-the-godfather-i/ Once a year I pull out my VHS set of the 1981 miniseries Brideshead Revisited based [almost to the letter] on the 1945 novel by Evelyn Waugh. I have no idea why I love this series. Maybe it was the excellent writing, acting, costuming, setting and characters who ... http://www.eclectique916.com/2010/08/18/summer-screens-brideshead-revisited-the-original-version/ This was one I missed when it came out. Before "freedom fries," the last great butting of heads between the U.S. and the French was about [mais qui] wine: "Judgement of Paris." Bottle Shock (2008) dramatizes how California wines from Napa and Sonoma earned their props in ... http://www.eclectique916.com/2010/08/17/summer-screen-bottle-shock-with-pairings/