Cinema: WALL-E

In the couple of days right before we sent Amy off to Canada I started getting a more and more intense desire to go see Wall-E. I don't know why exactly. I'd seen things about it for years of course, but had not gotten too horribly excited. But in the last few days, I kept asking Brandy, "Can we go see Wall-E?". Eventually on the night before Amy left on her trip, her last rehersal ended with enough time left over for us to catch the next to last showing at the nearby movie place. So we got our tickets, we got our popcorn, and in we went.

Bottom line here, If you've read any other reviews of this movie, I'm not going to say anything new here. I'm going to agree with all of them. This was a great movie. Looking quickly at my list of movies I've seen at the theater in the last few years, it is easily the best of all of them since I have been keeping track. That might be true of the DVD list too.

Now, those of you who pay attention know the kind of movie I like... emotional, cute, a little humor, a little different... this completely does all of those and does it well.

The first half hour is wordless. Just getting to know Wall-E and his world. It is great. The use of Hello Dolly!... Great. Oh, I dunno. This is just the kind of movie that hits pretty much all of my buttons directly. I'm sure it is not for everybody. Some people hate things that are a little sappy... and yes, predictable... I don't think there is ever even one second of doubt about how the movie will end... and there are some folks who have been mad that in some ways it looks like a bit of environmentalist propaganda... but whatever. It made me cry and laugh and had me in rapt attention from the first few seconds to the last seconds of the credits when there was a dedication to a member of the production team who passed away.

This is an awesome movie. Regardless of the presence or absence of children in your life (the theoretical primary audience for a "family" movie of this sort) if you didn't see it yet, make room on this holiday weekend to go see it. Really. Go see it. Now.

	Abulsme - Fri, 4 Jul 2008, 17:48:20 UTC
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Electoral College: Montana weakens for McCain

The bounce continues. Surely at some point things will start heading back in McCain's direction, right?

In any case, a new poll in Montanta. We've had very few polls in Montana. This is only the third since November 5th, 2007 (one year before the election). This one moves the state from "Weak McCain" to "Lean McCain". (Obama is actually ahead in the newest poll, but McCain keeps the lean on the strength of the two older polls.) This effectively makes Montana a swing state. Of course, Montana is only 3 electoral votes, so it only has a small effect on Obama's best case number. But little states do add up. Oh, and it looks big on the map. :-)

Current Summary:

McCain Best Case - McCain 303, Obama 235
Obama Best Case - Obama 381, McCain 157

If everybody gets their leans (and Obama gets DC) - Obama 306, McCain 232

	Abulsme - Thu, 3 Jul 2008, 15:09:50 UTC
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Amy in Canada

Yesterday we dropped Amy off with her chorus and later in the day they crossed the border into Canada on the way to the Kathaumixw festival. According to their website:

The International Choral Kathaumixw is a global gathering of choirs and conductors, featuring international concerts, choral and vocal solo competitions, common song singing, conductors round tables, concert tours, social events, workshops, and seminars.

The International Choral Kathaumixw takes place in the picturesque seaside town of Powell River, British Columbia, Canada.

...

“A gathering together of different peoples.” When organizers chose the Sliammon name “Kathaumixw” (pronounced Ka-thou-mew) for their festival more than 20 years ago, they never dreamed how fitting a name it would be.

Over the past two decades, International Choral Kathaumixw has become an illustrious event. More than 30 choirs from all over the world take part in each festival, which is held every second summer in the small town Powell River on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. International concerts, choral and vocal solo competitions, common song singing, conductors’ round tables, concert tours, social events, workshops and seminars are the focus of the festival.

International Choral Kathaumixw is known not only for the high quality of its music, but also because of the philosophy that defines it. The festival brings together musicians and music lovers, and it celebrates music and music’s ability to bring peace to the world. The setting, a quiet town in the midst of a temperate rainforest overlooking mountains and ocean, is conducive to this philosophy.

She will be gone about a week. Brandy doesn't like it at all when Amy is away. :-) But we will be fine and get some things done at home over the holiday, and Amy will have a great time.

(Edited 2008 Jul 4 06:02 UTC to make the image a bit smaller.)

	Abulsme - Tue, 1 Jul 2008, 16:06:06 UTC
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Electoral College: Virginia flips to Obama

It is very much a swing state, the margins being very close at the moment in the "last five polls average", but Virginia now flips from "Leaning McCain" to "Leaning Obama". This doesn't change either candidate's "best case" numbers in my summary, since I allow for leaning states to go either way. But this does push Obama's lead in the "everybody gets their leans" number further ahead.

The bounce continues.

Current Summary:

McCain Best Case - McCain 303, Obama 235
Obama Best Case - Obama 378, McCain 160

If everybody gets their leans (and Obama gets DC) - Obama 306, McCain 232

Obama's lead in that metric is now bigger than McCain's was at his peak from May 15th to May 20th, but not yet larger than the lead McCain had from March 8th to March 10th when we first had polls in all 50 states.

	Abulsme - Tue, 1 Jul 2008, 15:40:26 UTC
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You Can Stop Now Please

	Abulsme - Tue, 1 Jul 2008, 15:06:32 UTC
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Woo! Profiles Stay!

From Netflix in my inbox, timestamped Mon, June 30, 2008 20:54 UTC.

We Are Keeping Netflix Profiles

Dear Samuel,

You spoke, and we listened. We are keeping Profiles. Thank you for all the calls and emails telling us how important Profiles are.

We are sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused. We hope the next time you hear from us we will delight, and not disappoint, you.

-Your friends at Netflix

Guess we'll be keeping Netflix after all then.

	Abulsme - Tue, 1 Jul 2008, 03:32:12 UTC
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Any Reason

Is there any reason why I should care about this Wes Clark dust up that is all over everywhere right now? So far I haven't really seen anything that makes me want to care or think it is in any way relevant to anything. Am I missing something?

	Abulsme - Tue, 1 Jul 2008, 03:03:56 UTC
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Hersh on Iran

Another Seymour Hersh piece. They are always somewhat controversial, and many people always dispute the facts. Personally, I don't have any idea how much of his pieces are really true, what is exaggeration, what is someone feeding Hersh what they want him to say to push one agenda or another, etc... But regardless, these articles are always very interesting.

And if even 10% of it is true... shudder. Well... 204 days, 16 hours left to go. Regardless who wins in November, they can't be worse than this bunch.

Preparing the Battlefield
(Seymour Hersh, The New Yorker, 29 Jun 2008)

ate last year, Congress agreed to a request from President Bush to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, according to current and former military, intelligence, and congressional sources. These operations, for which the President sought up to four hundred million dollars, were described in a Presidential Finding signed by Bush, and are designed to destabilize the country’s religious leadership. The covert activities involve support of the minority Ahwazi Arab and Baluchi groups and other dissident organizations. They also include gathering intelligence about Iran’s suspected nuclear-weapons program.

It is long, but worth reading in full.

	Abulsme - Mon, 30 Jun 2008, 00:51:10 UTC
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Curmudgeon's Corner: Shoot the Economy

Sam and Ivan talk about:

• Supremes on Guantanamo
• Afghanistan and Iraq
• Supremes on Guns
• Evolving Constitution
• FISA Issues
• The Economy
• Garfield Minus Garfield

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	Abulsme - Sun, 29 Jun 2008, 11:15:59 UTC
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Roscoe and the Hose

	Abulsme - Sat, 28 Jun 2008, 21:38:58 UTC
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