michael moore, who famously said "we like nonfiction" in his oscar acceptance speech, is making another movie. for someone who likes nonfiction, he used it pretty sparingly in "bowling for columbine." let's hope moore doesn't take the easy way out again this time, but i'm not too hopeful. if the truth made for sensational movies more people would watch documentaries.
Posted by ash at 11:37 AM"A group of American anti-war demonstrators who came to Iraq with Japanese human shield volunteers made it across the border today with 14 hours of uncensored video, all shot without Iraqi government minders present. Kenneth Joseph, a young American pastor with the Assyrian Church of the East, told UPI the trip "had shocked me back to reality." Some of the Iraqis he interviewed on camera "told me they would commit suicide if American bombing didn't start. They were willing to see their homes demolished to gain their freedom from Saddam's bloody tyranny. They convinced me that Saddam was a monster the likes of which the world had not seen since Stalin and Hitler. He and his sons are sick sadists. Their tales of slow torture and killing made me ill, such as people put in a huge shredder for plastic products, feet first so they could hear their screams as bodies got chewed up from foot to head."
excellent post on the dissident frogman aptly titled "coalition of simpletons" about anti-war protesters who realised upon arriving in iraq that they had no f-ing clue. imagine.
yesterday i was in NYC for a meeting. that is one of the places in the world where people love to live. you never hear anyone wanting to get out of the city. well, i never do. one of the people i met with had bought a house and moved to the suburbs. "but I miss the City," she said. she works there every day, and yet when she goes home at night she misses it. i love places like that.
i went to a diner with a friend last night. as i was telling a story i gestured with my left hand and knocked over a glass of milk. a full glass, too! and he said, "don't cry" which struck me as unbelievably funny and endearing, although i didn't laugh at the time. i was too busy worrying whether i got milk on someone's boot. but i saved it in my head, and later when i reflected on the evening it made me happy.
today i had lunch with a friend from work. as i was telling a story i gestured with my right hand and knocked over a glass of water. a pretty full glass! and my friend, he said - nothing. just kept eating and put a napkin on it. it was a little disconcerting, because the water went in his tea and all over his plate, and it looked like all over his lap. i said "are you ok?" and he said "yeah" and kept talking. but i couldn't stop looking at the pool of water around his plate and asked again - "did i get water on you?" and he looked down and said "a little" and kept talking.
how do i end up with such cool and unruffled people around me? and how do i knock over two glasses in two days after such a long (i mean, years) tip-free run? thank F i have friends who don't think i am as much of a spaz as i actually am.
four days of having the house to myself! i walked around naked, watched lifetime, and ate popsicles for dinner. oh, how luxurious privacy feels!
Posted by ash at 09:06 PMi'm home, i'm home. my vacation was gorgeous. sydney was beautiful and warm, and i made the best of my time there. saw several museums and galleries, spent a day on the beach. i stayed right on darling harbour, and there was a festival on to celebrate the chinese new year, complete with dragon boat racing. i met fellow north americans at the zoo, which must have the loveliest view of any zoo.
i headed over to auckland, new zealand, to attend the SOLO conference. i so love new zealand, and this trip was as good as any. auckand was all spiffy for the america's cup racing, although team nz was beset by problems during the time i was there. things haven't improved for them, by all accounts.
in auckland i visited another zoo, this one with baby giraffes. i also met some delightful people, both at SOLO and othewise. i will go on about that another time. just wanted to let you know i was home.
Posted by ash at 01:40 PM