The Brave One (2007)

Actually you don't need sound to watch this movie. Somehow the plane noise was too loud for my iPod, so I just watched it without my headphones, fast forwarding through the portions with dialog. Later I read the spoiler and caught up on what I missed. It's pretty good: full of testosterone filled action. Perhaps not a surprise with Jodie Foster as the lead in a story of, well, revenge.

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Minor spoiler:

I had a problem with the ending. How can anyone have someone else shoot them point blank in the chest no matter how much one trusts the other person? It's simply crazy. How can you be sure that you won't be dead from blood loss or other complications or even if not immediately, have some long term nerve or other damage. Perhaps if it's a smaller caliber weapon the round could ricochet around internal organs, and with a larger caliber the wound is larger and the damage could be fatal. In the movie's case, no precautions were taken. Shit, you could be hit in an important artery or puncture a lung and die in minutes. Crazy. Improbable.

Gerrit Engle: Manhattan New York

A pretty picture book to be sure, but it is somewhat amazing the way the book is able to capture the changing architecture and scale of construction in New York starting from 1793 to today. He is even able to make the twin towers seem more intimate: by placing nearby smaller buildings closer in frame and making the towers like slightly bigger brothers to them.

Beowulf (2007)

The sort of animated blond Beowulf isn't exactly hot, but he does strut around naked a lot. The real star is apparently Angelina Jolie who as mother to monsters is -- I think -- made to look younger and more attractive in this film than in real life. But did I mistakenly detect a sort of gay story line with Wiglaf?

The Valet (2006)

Well done little chick flick, but a bit absurd to my gay little head. Would a rich supermodel of seemingly upright morals go for an utterly unattractive (almost repulsive) married billionaire CEO? With expensive gifts and trips and a promise of a divorce, I suppose it's within realm of possibility.

BTW, is Kristin Scott Thomas french? She seems to speak well enough.

Frost / Nixon (2008)

[Film not yet released] You might think W. has a lock on worst Presidency in recent history, but Nixon would probably rate a close second. Ron Howard brings those days back to life in this sometimes hilarious film and remake of the Broadway show about David Frost, a British talk show host, who was granted the only major interview with Nixon after he resigned.

The Conscience of a Liberal by Paul Krugman

An eye opening book about the history of the Democratic and Republican parties, the New Deal, and movement conservatism. I had heard many of the ideas in this book from disparate sources before. Krugman references the Frank book: What's the matter with Kansas, and confirms the belief stated in that book that conservative scaremongering about 'values' issues such as abortion and gay rights was used to win the election, but the result of lower taxes on the rich was effectively hidden by the distraction of going to war. In Conscience, I also hear echoes of the Carville/Beluga book Take It Back, about the impressive and scary movement conservatism machine which has taken over the Republican party.

But as an economist, Krugman brings it all together well (and really it's about money and cheapness), by bringing in history to demonstrate how the Republican party has essentially been put back together starting with Reagan really, after years of defeats, by the rich businessmen fighting against unions and the party has essentially been bought by m/billionaires who have created a money driven political machine which rewards loyal Republican politicians with patronage jobs in conservative 'think tanks' even after they've been voted out. The single minded goal seems to be to take apart FDR's New Deal and lower taxes on the rich (and their estates). And holy bejezzus, how scary is William Kristol.

Krugman does mention that the overreach of the Republican parties strategy to call on Southern white racist leanings is resulting in significant backlash. It may yet mobilize blacks and Latinos to vote solidly Democratic for years to come. And hopefully they will in fact go out and vote, something which was discouraged by Republican secretary of states.

Krugman holds out hope for future Democratic party victories and for universal health care which would move forward a big piece of the progressive agenda left unfinished since the New Deal. In this pre-2008 book, he does mention a key piece of any plan is mandated coverage which eliminates administrative jobs spent determining whether a person is worthy of coverage -- will not cost the insurer more money than premiums. This inefficiency and the lack of long term health vision or focus on prevention is why the US program is so costly. People end up changing insurers often enough and then going on medicare that insurance companies see it as monetarily favorable to avoid even low cost prevention options. Later patients end up costing the system more in life-saving measures as well as having a lower quality of life.

East Side Story (2006)

A gay-interest film with Latino flavor similar to Quinceanara. Both are set in LA. The protogonist is hotter in this film though.

Blake Lewis, Audio Daydream

I never thought I'd like a singer from American Idol. Lewis doesn't have a great voice, but apparently someone gave him some good music to sing to.