Martian Rover Opportunity In A Cool New Place

At the edge of Beagle Crater.

Confronting Failure

Don't wanna do it.....DO NOT want to do it. But the choices are getting harder - not easier. Not in my nature to give up, but the choices are getting harder, not easier.

And all I wanted was a shrubbery.....

Martin Peretz Speaks

In the Wall Street Journal, no less, about Joe Lieberman. Where to start with the TNR editor?

We have been here before. Left-wing Democrats are once again fielding single-issue "peace candidates," and the one in Connecticut, like several in the 1970s, is a middle-aged patrician, seeking office de haut en bas, and almost entirely because he can.

The domestic reaction to the Vietnam War was convulsive, but less so for the Iraq War, because fewer, volunteer troops are involved this time. So, without so many social convulsions, we will see how American democracy functions, slowly, but completely, when faced with unworkable policies. In a real sense we haven't been here before - close with Vietnam - but we are breaking new ground. Peretz's faux-populist stand against Lamont is laughable, when Peretz has been more than happy to promote the candidacies of other rich folks when their policies align with his views.

At least in this sense, Mr. Lamont comes to this campaign for the U.S. Senate from absolutely nowhere--and it shows in his pulpy statements on public issues.

...Mr. Lamont has almost no experience in public life. He was a cable television entrepreneur, a run-of-the-mill contemporary commercant with unusually easy access to capital.

When others feared to run, Lamont had the courage to step forward. Good for him. So, the business class of Connecticut is 'absolutely nowhere?' Interesting! I wonder where somewhere is?

But he does have one issue, and it is Iraq. He grasps little of the complexities of his issue, but then this, too, is true of the genus of the peace candidate. Peace candidates know only one thing, and that is why people vote for them. I know the type well.

Lamont is more than a peace candidate. He supports Social Security, for example, unlike a certain other Senatorial candidate from Connecticut. It isn't just about Iraq.

It was then that people like Joe Lieberman emerged, muscular on defense, assertive in foreign policy, genuinely liberal on social and economic matters, but not doctrinaire on regulatory issues.

But a politician with absolutely no loyalty to the Democratic Party.

But he has also been brave, and bravery is a rare trait in politicians, especially in states that are really true-blue or, for that matter, really true-red. The blogosphere Democrats, whose victory Mr. Lamont's will be if Mr. Lamont wins, have made Iraq the litmus test for incumbents. There are many reasonable, and even correct, reproofs that one may have for the conduct of the war. They are, to be sure, all retrospective. But one fault cannot be attributed to the U.S., and that is that we are on the wrong side. We are at war in a just cause, to protect the vulnerable masses of the country from the helter-skelter ideological and religious mass-murderers in their midst. Our enemies are not progressive peasants as was imagined three and four decades ago.

Lieberman hasn't been brave, he's been complacent. Not all reproofs were retrospective - in 2003, various authorities on Iraq and its culture feared we'd be getting into a mess we couldn't extricate ourselves from. We may not be on the wrong side, but we have to know whom to fight, when, and how. By creating many more terrorists than existed before, through our ham-handed actions, we've erased any benefit we might have had by being on the right side. If we linger in Iraq, the terrorists win.

If Mr. Lieberman goes down, the thought-enforcers of the left will target other centrists as if the center was the locus of a terrible heresy, an emphasis on national strength. Of course, they cannot touch Hillary Clinton, who lists rightward and then leftward so dexterously that she eludes positioning. Not so Mr. Lieberman. He does not camouflage his opinions. He does not play for safety, which is why he is now unsafe.

Along with other neocons, Mr. Peretz's vision of the center has weakened us, not made us stronger. Hillary Clinton is absolutely vulnerable, as long as she persists in supporting staying in Iraq. No amount 'it takes a village' babble will save her as long as she supports this war for losers. Lieberman has played for safety all along - why else the independent run? - but the ground has shifted under him. Other centrists need not be vulnerable, as long as they are not as pig-headedly stupid as Lieberman has been.

Now Mr. Lamont's views are also not camouflaged. They are just simpleminded. Here, for instance, is his take on what should be done about Iran's nuclear-weapons venture: "We should work diplomatically and aggressively to give them reasons why they don't need to build a bomb, to give them incentives. We have to engage in very aggressive diplomacy. I'd like to bring in allies when we can. I'd like to use carrots as well as sticks to see if we can change the nature of the debate." Oh, I see. He thinks the problem is that they do not understand, and so we should explain things to them, and then they will do the right thing. It is a fortunate world that Mr. Lamont lives in, but it is not the real one. Anyway, this sort of plying is precisely what has been going on for years, and to no good effect. Mr. Lamont continues that "Lieberman is the one who keeps talking about keeping the military option on the table." And what is so plainly wrong with that? Would Mahmoud Ahmadinejad be more agreeable if he thought that we had disposed of the military option in favor of more country club behavior?

How does Mr. Peretz know that negotiations with the Iranians have been fruitless? Because the result isn't exactly what Mr. Peretz desired? Who, then, is detached from the real world? Who gets everything they want, except maybe Paris Hilton?

Finally, the contest in Connecticut tomorrow is about two views of the world. Mr. Lamont's view is that there are very few antagonists whom we cannot mollify or conciliate. Let's call this process by its correct name: appeasement. The Greenwich entrepreneur might call it "incentivization." Mr. Lieberman's view is that there are actually enemies who, intoxicated by millennial delusions, are not open to rational and reciprocal arbitration.

No, the battle is between a traitor to the Democratic Party, and a loyalist - it's not about worldviews. I'm sure every day is Munich 1938 in Mr. Peretz's world, but matters are a bit more mundane in the real world.

The Lamont ascendancy, if that is what it is, means nothing other than that the left is trying, and in places succeeding, to take back the Democratic Party. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Maxine Waters have stumped for Mr. Lamont. As I say, we have been here before. Ned Lamont is Karl Rove's dream come true. If he, and others of his stripe, carry the day, the Democratic party will lose the future, and deservedly.

Well, fight back, and fairly Mr. Peretz. If the Iraq War is so popular, then let your allies run candidates supporting it. Then, we'll have a fair vetting of views, something that was sadly lacking in Vietnam, and so far, with Iraq as well.

"A Death Sandwich" At The Crest Theater

(Left) Valerie Battenfeld, playing vixen Vivian Devereux, in "A Death Sandwich"


Midnight Madness, Saturday midnight, at the Crest Theater. About 25 people were in attendance, widely-scattered among the 400-or-so seats there.

Most of the short films were of a film-noir type. I entered late, managing to miss two (what must have been quite brief) short films. I caught the tail-end of a strange film about murder and deviant sexuality of some sort called Marionette (Director: Holly Paige Joyner). There was another gritty, violence-filled urban film called Voodoo Doll (Director: Roberto Minervini), which was even more disturbing - addicts poking themselves with needles was the least of it. 'Voodoo Doll' nevertheless made quite an impression on me - I recall it too vividly.

The most-colorful film of the program was
Confessions of a Drag Queen (Director: Darren McAllister), a frolicking interview full of fun energy. The Drag Queen liked to shock: his boyfriend was gay, but his girlfriend wasn't - that sort of thing. A good dancer too! But it wasn't film noir, so if that was the theme of the program, 'Drag Queen' was in the wrong pigeonhole.

Of course, I was there to see the film noir satire film A Death Sandwich (Director: Daniel Gurewitch), featuring Walt's friend, Valerie Battenfeld. Indeed, when the movie started running, I said (loud enough for all to hear) "Yay Death Sandwich!" Even in the near-vacuum of the sleepy audience, there was a little ripple, and I heard a faint, cynical 'yay' from across the hall: so hard-boiled you could almost imagine Humphrey Bogart himself had uttered it.

At first, I thought the audience ripple occurred because enthusiasm was so scarce at that late hour, but later, at the end of the evening, a Master of Ceremonies announced we could deposit ballots on the way out the door. Then, I realized there was a formal process of some sort at work, and people might have taken my 'Yay!' as an effort to campaign for a favorite - maybe a bit of a faux pas under the circumstances. Oh well, the laughter from the audience was real enough!

I thought the folks who produced this movie did a fine job. It struck me as juvenile (in a good way), meaning it was done by young people from a young person's perspective. I thought it was interesting that the songs were not obvious imitations of Broadway stuff, meaning they took the singing stuff rather seriously - it wasn't cobbled together in a bad Broadway imitation, in the manner of 'Family Guy.' Instead, it was original music, nevertheless using the 'Family Guy' over-the-top approach, but with an older 'South Park' edge to the humor.

There were other touches too. The chief becoming an angel at the end comes directly from 'Hudsucker Proxy': not an obvious film-noir reference, but the cinematography of that movie was captivating, and it clearly had an big impact here (it's funny how we learn about the past from movies, even the fantasy art deco past of Gotham) - I bet there are Coen Brothers fans among the film's creators. 'Double Indemnity' had its fingerprints all over this movie (Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck), and Humphrey Bogart, of course, as well as Dashiell Hammett's now-classic stories of murder and mayhem in San Francisco, where this all started!

I wonder which short film found the judge's favor? If you are Quentin Tarantino, 'Voodoo Doll' would be your choice, but if you like interviews, 'Confessions of a Drag Queen' would be the one. And if you like musical comedy - 'A Death Sandwich!'

"Falsettos" Strike

Went over to help clean the warehouse while everyone else was involved with the "Falsettos" strike. I was impressed with the Ken-like Erik doll the cast got for Erik - just need a Barbie-like doll for Sarah!

Big Brother Is Watching You!

Big Brother Is Watching You! Big Brother is *yawn* watching.... Big Brother....big brother....bbbbbnnn.....zzzzzzzz

Hair Of The Dog That Licked Me

My master works hard, and he means well, but when it comes to trimming canine coiffures, he is strictly an amateur!

DMTC Advanced Summer Youth Workshop

(Left) As seen from the back row late on Thursday evening, Kennedy Wenning lectures the Velveteen Rabbit. Bad, bad bunny! Bad bunny! Bad! Bunny!

Forced Abortions For Christ

Yesterday, I was destroying old letters sent to me years ago by a family friend. My friend is an evangelical Christian, and a member of the 700 Club, and is most concerned about Evolution and Secular Humanism. Nevertheless, I wonder what he would think of Tom DeLay, Ralph Reed, Frank Abramoff, and Rocklin's own John Doolittle, in regard to the Northern Marianas Island sweatshops?

Out of economic desperation, many poorly-paid immigrant women workers slipped into prostitution, were then forced to have abortions in order to keep sewing, and then were subsequently used to support evangelical missions in their home countries. Forced Abortions for Christ! And it's clear these Republican statesmen of ours saw the Northern Marianas Islands as a laboratory of the deregulated labor-market vision they wanted to impose on the rest of the United States. Creeps all!

A vote against Rocklin's own John Doolittle this November is a vote against forced abortions.

Life In A Desert

Just gets weirder by the day:

Residents near Downtown El Paso have been evacuated as officials warn that an earthen dam across the border in Ciudad Juarez might be on the verge of breaking.

Up to 6 million gallons could rush into El Paso if the 30-year-old dam is breached, according to an Army Corps of Engineers estimate given to Mayor John Cook on Thursday.

"We're talking like a tidal wave hitting El Paso," Cook said.

And I Thought Age Would Shield Me

From that eager recruiter:

The Defense Department quietly asked Congress on Monday to raise the maximum age for military recruits to 42 for all branches of the service.

Well, I'm shielded for a little bit, until they raise the maximum age to 52...

Mad Max Beyond Dome Of The Rock

The worst day yet, according to Onion Radio News, and no sign of a ceasefire:

Mel Gibson Launches Rockets Into Israel

From "The Onion"

They report, you decide:

In a decisive 1–0 decision Monday, President Bush voted to grant the president the constitutional power to grant himself additional powers.

President Bush announces announcement of the new power-granting announcement.

"As president, I strongly believe that my first duty as president is to support and serve the president," Bush said during a televised address from the East Room of the White House shortly after signing his executive order. "I promise the American people that I will not abuse this new power, unless it becomes necessary to grant myself the power to do so at a later time."

...Despite the president's new powers, the role of Congress and the Supreme Court has not been overlooked. Under the new law, both enjoy the newly broadened ability to grant the president the authority to increase his presidential powers.

..."This gives the president the tools he needs to ensure that the president has all the necessary tools to expedite what needs to be done, unfettered by presidential restrictions on himself," said Rep. John Cornyn (R-TX). "It's long overdue."

Arrests In Phoenix

Arrests in the "Serial Shooter" cases that have terrorized the entire Phoenix metropolitan area. Nothing yet on the equally-dangerous "Baseline Killer," though, so the fear remains:

Authorities arrested two men Friday in connection with a series of fatal shootings that have terrorized Phoenix area residents for more than a year.

"These are the two monsters we've been hunting," Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said at a news conference Friday.

The men were considered suspects in the "Serial Shooter" case -- one of two serial killers whom authorities say have been operating in the Phoenix area.

The men were apprehended at a gated apartment complex and were being held at Phoenix police headquarters, police Sgt. Andy Hill said.

Authorities have said that the so-called "Serial Shooter" is believed to be responsible for killing six people and wounding 17 others, mostly pedestrians and bicyclists, since May 2005.

The most recent was Sunday in Mesa when a 22-year-old woman was fatally shot as she was walking from her parents' home to her boyfriend's house, authorities said.

Walid Jumblatt, Survivor

Here is an interesting quote by Walid Jumblatt, Lebanese Druze chieftain. I'll provide the link to Obsidian Wings, rather than the original source at the (registration-only) Financial Times.

Jumblatt is, of course, the ultimate survivor of Lebanese politics. Of all the major participants, he's just about the only one who survived the decade-long Civil War. He started militias when they were needed, and got out of the business when they weren't (and would start them again if he has to). He was, and is, deeply involved with the Syrians, the Americans, the Israelis, Hezbollah, and anyone else with any influence in the area. How anyone can be a major participant in the viper's nest of Middle East politics, and avoid the car bombs and the sniper shots and the army coups and the foreign invasions and the terror plots, not just for a few years, but for decades, is beyond me. Jumblatt has gotta be the smartest guy in the universe....

What does Walid Jumblatt think about the latest war?:

"Walid Jumblatt, leader of the most powerful clan in Lebanon’s Druze community, said on Tuesday the conflict between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas had dealt a fatal blow to Lebanese hopes of a strong independent state, free of Iranian and Syrian influence. (...)

“After the 12 July, Lebanon is now unfortunately being entrenched solidly into the Syrian-Iranian axis,” he said. “The hopes of a stable, prosperous Lebanon where we could attract investments is over for now. It is a fatal blow for confidence.”

Mr Jumblatt has shrewdly navigated the ups and downs of Lebanon’s treacherous politics, gaining influence beyond the weight of his Druze community, a breakaway sect from Shia Islam that makes up around 10 per cent of the population.

As a militia leader during Lebanon’s civil war he accommodated Syria’s expansionary aims. But last year he emerged as one of the Syrian regime’s fiercest opponents in an alliance of groups that came together following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and led a coalition government following elections.

At that time, Mr Jumblatt held out hope that a new wave of democratic activism was sweeping the Arab world.

But on Tuesday he offered a bleak and outspoken assessment of the prospects for Lebanon.

He said among Syrian-backed politicians there was already talk of forming an emergency government to replace Prime Minister Fouad Siniora’s coalition. He said he feared that an “organised mob” might be used to force the government’s resignation. (...)

There was also little prospect that Hizbollah, having emerged as a champion in the Arab and Muslim world, would be willing now to incorporate its armed wing under the Lebanese state apparatus – the issue at the centre of international diplomatic efforts to end the conflict with Israel.

“We will be just a weak state next to a very strong militia. Our government will be like the government of Abu Mazen (Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas) next to Hamas or maybe worse like the government of [Nouri al] Maliki in Iraq.”

“All American policy in the Middle East is at stake,” he continued, “because their failure in Palestine, their failure in Iraq and now this failure in Lebanon will lead to a new Arab world where the so called radical Arabs will profit.

“This is the new Middle East. Not the new Middle East of Ms [US secretary of state Condoleezza] Rice. Darkness everywhere.”

The Actress And The Serial Killer

A match made in TV-Land!

"I trust Wayne with my life…. He's got such a kindness to him and such a conscience," she said, her eyes briefly filling with tears during an interview at a cafe in Studio City last week. "He is so tuned in to me and I to him that sometimes words don't have to be said."

...The unusual relationship between Redstall and the defendant is causing waves at the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and appears to have unnerved Ford's attorneys.

..."Everyone tells me, 'Be careful, he's a serial killer' … but they don't know Wayne like I do," she said. "We've all got evil in us — all of us. He took it to the extent of killing humans…. But I'm going on the man he is today and the remorse that he has today."

The irony of a model for breast enhancement pills, Herbal Grobust, seeking out a killer with a breast fetish is not lost on her, and she addresses it with the dark humor that both shocks and entertains the people she talks to in the courtroom.

"It's hysterical," she said.

"Falsettos" Review

By Bev Sykes, at The Davis Enterprise.

Pat Robertson 'Gets Religion' On Global Warming

Interesting! There must be an unsuspected 'end times' connection here somewhere:

Conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson said on Thursday the wave of scorching temperatures across the United States has converted him into a believer in global warming.

"We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels," Robertson said on his "700 Club" broadcast. "It is getting hotter, and the icecaps are melting and there is a buildup of carbon dioxide in the air."

This week the heat index, the perceived temperature based on both air temperatures and humidity, reached 115 Fahrenheit in some regions of the U.S. East Coast. The 76-year-old Robertson told viewers that was "the most convincing evidence I've seen on global warming in a long time."

"Death Sandwich" Coming To The Crest!

Aha! Coming to The Crest! A chance to see "Death Sandwich" on the big screen here in Sacra-Tomatoe!

The film will be shown during 'Midnight Shorts Madness,' after Saturday midnight (actually the wee hours of Sunday morning):

A Death Sandwich (38:21) Bloomfield, NJ - Student Film

Detective Malcolm 'Mac' Drake has had better days. Haunted by enigmatic nightmares and hounded by a cigar-chomping police chief with a penchant for opera, he struggles in vain to link an infuriating case to the kingpin of the Scottish Mafia. That is, until blonde bombshell Vivienne Devereux saunters into his life with legs like a 7-9 split and a bosom that heaves with the power of shifting tectonic plates. How many musical numbers will it take before Drake realizes that things aren't what they seem? Two.

Director: Daniel Gurewitch

The Clairvoyants Start Scrambling

The sort of reminds me of that old TV ad, with an angry mob boiling around a street corner and charging down the street, followed by a hapless politician, sweating in his three-piece suit, shouting "Wait! I am your leader!"

In any event, so far, the Atlantic hurricane season looks like it will be milder than some had foreseen, and the hurricane climatologists have to shift position, and fast:

The Colorado State University hurricane forecast is predicting that the upcoming hurricane season won't be as bad as earlier predicted.

Colorado State professor William Gray's reducing the number of likely hurricanes from nine to seven and intense hurricanes from five to three.

Gray, who's one of the nation's leading hurricane forecasters, says the fact that there have only been two hurricanes in July is not the reason for the revision.

He says Atlantic sea surface temperatures are not quite as warm and surface pressure is not quite as low. Also, the eastern equatorial Pacific has warmed some and trade winds in the tropical Atlantic are slightly stronger.

Gray and he team says hurricane activity will continue to be above average and will continue to be for another 15 to 20 years.

Thirteen major hurricanes have formed in the Atlantic Basin the past two years, seven of them striking the U.S. coast with devastating damage resulting from four of them.