May 2010 archive

OPEN THREAD

Here’s something that we can all do.

Sign the petition for Alan Grayson’s new The War is Making YOU Poor Act.

See Alan Grayson: http://www.TheWarIsMakingYouPoor.com

Sign The Petition!!

Crossposted at Daily Kos

What makes a movie memorable?  Is it the talented cast of actors who engross themselves in unforgettable roles, the producers who spare no expense to achieve perfection, the technical production staff who polish the film’s rough edges, the magical sound makers who captivate an audience, the advertising geniuses who convince a skeptical public, or something else?

The most compelling case can be made for someone who brings all these diverse people together and meshes their talents into a compelling and coherent whole

(Peter Lewis, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon)

Sydney Pollack directed such high-profile and critically-acclaimed movies as They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, Three Days of the Condor, Absence of Malice, Out of Africa, Tootsie, and Havana

IT’S GETTING CROWDED IN HERE

For the first time in history, Tokyo’s population topped 13 million. According to the TMG, 13.01 million people were living in the city as of April 1.

A recently released Cabinet Office study predicts that if a major inland quake were to strike the Tokyo area, 11,000 people would die, 850,000 buildings would be destroyed, and the damage would total ¥112 trillion.

The report also said that over 1.5 million households would “still be living as evacuees” one month after the quake.

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology predicted that global warming may cause the “frequency of violent typhoons whose winds exceed 194kph” to increase 1,000 percent by the year 2100.

The transport ministry is mulling whether to increase the number of international flights in and out of Haneda Airport to 120 per day by 2013.

This diary is for curmudgeon who asked in last week’s post of FEPB “are there other gardens that you’d include in a must-see list for visitors to your fair city?” As a matter of fact there is.

A few here who enjoy my flower fluff from the New York Botanical Garden might be surprised to learn that I live just a couple of blocks from another Botanical Garden. Wave Hill has a view that is similar to my many sunset diaries. Wave Hill is a truly fascinating legacy and this is a good time to remember some American who once held a deep respect for nature.  

The Wave Hill grounds were not opened to the public until 1960 but before becoming the newcomer to public gardens, this New York City oasis had a long and very rich history as a private garden. The perfect location, rolling hills down to the Hudson River and vistas of the Palisades also holds two historic houses. Wave Hill was once the residence of “Darwin’s Bulldog” Thomas Henry Huxley and Theodore Roosevelt spent summers there in his teen years. Both Mark Twain and Arturo Toscanini lived and were inspired by the sights and sounds of Wave Hill.

Below are some photos from this spring at Wave Hill and a few little stories about this New York City respite that seems so far from New York City.      

The lyrics for this week’s feature song could have very easily been lifted from the script of a lobbyist from one of our largest corporate rulers when they are meeting with their leased members of Congress. The song conveys a message that propels the matter of taking someone for granted to new heights.

That aside, this week’s selection is far more about the original performer and some of the greats who covered this song, including a then seemingly insignificant, but ultimately a major turning point in rock and roll history.  

The inspiration from this week’s feature song was derived from a trip to the movies by members of the band. A phrase frequently used by John Wayne in the film, “The Searchers” would become the title of this song.