Good Night, and Good Luck reminds us that history isn’t always rosy. Set in that halcyon era after World War Two, but before the Cuban Missile Crisis, Gary Powers’s U-2, or Castro’s revolution in Cuba, the film reveals that all is not right in Utopia.

Communists are everywhere, or so “the junior senator from Wisconsin,” Joseph McCarthy, would have them believe. As the film opens, it’s 1953, the height of McCarthyism, when folks with any prior association with Communists–even decades before–find themselves blacklisted and convicted with hearsay evidence. Accusation assures conviction, especially among intellecutals and entertainers.

This is a bit of a stretch, but here goes:

Imagine building an airplane not in a factory, but on the runway itself. Let’s say the runway is 5000 feet long, and you have to build the airplane as its accelerating for takeoff.

You’re the only one on the plane, because what kind of fool would tie himself to a plane that might not make it off the ground? :-)

Bourbon instead of jet fuel, LOL. Sort of like pr…

Jeff Roberts - May 3, 2007

Bourbon instead of jet fuel, LOL. Sort of like project decisions being made at Happy Hour instead of in meetings?

Here’s my impression of a Manager:

H, that’s a superb analogy and I totally get what you’re saying - we never have enough runway for these things. So I have a GENIOUS IDEA: From now on we only build HELICOPTERS! Eh? Eh?

Having passed him on my way out to lunch that day,…

Jeff Roberts - May 3, 2007

Having passed him on my way out to lunch that day, I’m left to wonder if EY inspired her hair gel comment. :-)

This is ridiculously mundane.

On our return trip from the Cane Ridge Shrine today, we needed gas and all I had was cash, so I went in at the Shell Station, corner of US460 and US68 an prepaid for $25.

So, I started the 87-octane fueling and checked the oil. By the time I was done, We’d pumped 8 or so gallons, at a bill of $25.08

Crap.

I never considered saying “too bad” and driving off. I fished out a nickel and 3 pennies and paid.

Here’s an e-pat on the back!

Jeff Roberts - May 1, 2007

Here’s an e-pat on the back!

As title states.

I took one of my India guys to the movies on our team outing two weeks ago, and it was a different sort of experience, just riding in the car with him. His mind seemed alive with questions about America–how we get to work, our various religions, how my family is organized, politics, culture, etc.

Then, when I got him back to his place, he invited me to come in and sit awhile, relax and have something to drink. We then continued our discussion of education, and the various differences between American and Indian public education.

They say we’re ignorant and apathetic, but I don’t…

Jeff Roberts - May 3, 2007

They say we’re ignorant and apathetic, but I don’t know and I don’t care. :-)

I have no words of wisdom. I’m sorta balancing right now but only precariously.

I can relate. I was borderline rude the other day to one of my co-workers just because she stopped in to chat for a moment at a moment while I was stressing over various work issues/questions. You have to maintain your humanity … it used to be so much easier for me. I’m not sure what has changed.

Watched The Rose last Sunday from 4am to 6am. Yeah, it’s been a weird week.

It was a very compelling story, if difficult to watch. Bette Midler is stunning as Janis Joplin…er…Mary Rose (“The Rose”) Foster. According to IMDB, the original script was the Janis Joplin story, but Midler said it was too soon after her death to portray the story onscreen so it was rewritten. In any case, the highpoints are similar–a tortured woman with an incredible voice whose story ends in an overdose.

Update from Jeff:

So, apparently, he went by Don Jacobs a couple of hours later, and the police were ESCORTING people in orderly caravans, with one cop car in the lead and another at the rear.

Yeah, I feel like crap.

Let me summarize: I got asked to leave and not come back. I was asked to LEAVE A CHARITY EVENT and not return.

This is not a proud story, but I’m learning to deal with it. Here goes:

I got to Don Jacobs BMW around 1:15 and signed my waiver with my information (including my cell phone #). They had all sorts of BMW’s to drive, from Z4 roadsters to 3-, 5-, 6-, and 7-series cars, all with different engines and Rear- and All-wheel-drive configurations. I was in heaven.

Yeeeouch!

Jeff Roberts - May 2, 2007

Yeeeouch!

Just thought I’d let you know that you fit nicely into this morning’s devotion about how even if you only break a small part of the law, you’ve broken the whole law and thus no matter how “good” you are, we all need Jesus bc even a little sin is a sin and sinners don’t go to heaven…eg, even if the light is only a little pink, it’s still breaking the law and …..

Spiderman 3 is a boring mess. The story is a mishmash of plotlines, centering around the three (yes, THREE) villains – Goblin Jr., Sandman, and Venom. Overlong, the film languishes in its many plots, opening with Spidey wounding his friend Harry Osborne, now the reborn Green Goblin, then sauntering to the Sandman, and the Venom super-spidey suit.

There’s no discernible momentum until Mary Jane calls it quits with Peter, who’s been quite an ass, though she herself has been a needy baggage for 4 reels. In any case, this sets off a battle between Harry and Peter, and FINALLY some action. Had the movie begun here and run for a tight 85 minutes, cutting out the Sandman character altogether, it would’ve been awesome. As it stands, this bloated ($300 million) mess has probably killed its franchise.

Oh, the movie was OK, I guess. I had low expectat…

Jeff Roberts - May 6, 2007

Oh, the movie was OK, I guess. I had low expectations and a free ticket.

Myself, I almost left before the previews were over. I know the movie was PG-13, just like the last Star Wars was, but surely they know there are going to be kids at a super hero movie?! I think I’ve about had it with the theater experience.

The Day After Tomorrow is a strangely compelling disaster flick tarring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhal. Quaid plays climatologist Jack Hall, who predicts a nightmarish return of an ice age if the world doesn’t wise up and stop pumping Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere.

Yeah, ‘bout that…looks like when Gaia gets pissed, she doesn’t take gradual measures. Over the course of a week, the weather rakes the Northern Hemisphere with globe-spanning ice hurricanes that flash-freeze everything. Millions die, with the small-scale human story of Hall and his son (Gyllenhall) framing the events.

I sequestered myself all weekend. It was wonderful! I’m lightly sunburned, but my grass is mowed and I rotated the tires and flushed the brakes on my car, as well as washing both of ’em.

I organized the garage a bit, so I can (once again!) get both cars inside.

Getting both cars in the garage is as satisfying a…

Jeff Roberts - Apr 1, 2007

Getting both cars in the garage is as satisfying as working oneself back into one’s “skinny jeans” :-)

Indeed! Now, if we could just get ri… HarryC - Apr 1, 2007

@Jeff

Indeed! Now, if we could just get rid of 1/2 the stuff in the garage and the attic above it….

(In other news, my life now revolves around Kate Beckinsdale movies)

I loved this movie the first time I watched it. It was called Tora, Tora, Tora and Thirty Seconds over Tokyo.

Many of the supporting cast are an unexpected delight, particularly Cuba Gooding, Jr as Petty Officer Miller, and Jon Voight as President Roosevelt. The main love triangle…meh. Not plausible in the least.

Additionally, yeah, a P-40 outmaneuvering six Zeros? Sure. :-)

Why is Jon Voight suddenly the man who must be hir…

DavidJarvis - May 1, 2007

Why is Jon Voight suddenly the man who must be hired to play every historical figure? Roosevelt, Coach Rupp, the Pope … the list goes on and on.

Hrm…so, when using your snazzy power bleeder from bavarian automotive, you note the following:

1. You’re unable to get the pressure in the bleeder past 10 psi, no matter how hard you pump the cylinder.

2. You’re hearing a strange hissing, dripping sound

3. You peer past the master cylinder and reservoir to note the large puddle of brake fluid pooling beneath your car.

Sir, you have two alternatives:

(A) You just asploded your 17-year-old master cylinder by pressurizing the system past the seal tolerance