The Country Pundit

MPAA Chief Wants More Bad

A quick visit to the IMDB yields this gem:

MPAA chief Dan Glickman is encouraging independent filmmakers to make more films that would earn them an NC-17 rating. According to Daily Variety, Glickman acknowledged that producers often face a stone wall erected by exhibitors to keep out NC-17 films. He said he plans to meet with theater owners to persuade them to drop the barrier. "It's one of our ratings, and I'd like to see it used more," he said.

The story, which came as mentioned from Daily Variety, is a troublesome one. Apparently, Mr. Glickman believes that there should be more of a place in (ostensibly) mainstream cinema for "edgier" fare, which would be typified by motion pictures that earn the NC-17 rating.

I am uncertain as to how the entertainment industry is improved by placing more NC-17 pictures in mainstream cinema. Likewise, I don't see any major problem in the apparent decision by distributors etc. to limit their commercial exposure by exhibiting few NC-17 pictures. I am of the opinion that fewer NC-17 pictures ought to be created; I don't see that they serve any purpose. That is, unless you posit that one of the objectives of the Hollywood entertainment industry is to coarsen the culture.

Here's a hint, Mr. Glickman: The entertainment industry is doing an excellent job of that with the tools that they have now; no additional tools are necessary.

New Service, Sort Of

Having dug around in Technorati for a bit, I managed to find Gilmore 2008, a blog ostensibly dedicated to "Independent news and commentary". They haven't updated in a while, but worth having around, nonetheless.

Where Governor Gilmore is concerned, there may simply be nothing to report.

Military Aircraft Quiz

Amusing.

Football Musings

To quote Galvatron:

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I'm sure anyone who heard my anguished cry when Brady was picked off at the end would have laughed. Bah, I hate the Colts. Our path is clear: The Bears must do what Brady and Belichick could not, the vanquishing of the hated Manning.

I had hoped to see the vengeance of Foxboro visited upon the Bears for the 1985 rout, but alas, it was not to be.

"Like it or not, we are allies now against a common foe."

A Light Joke

Overheard recently:

Q. Why do Tennessee fans wear orange?
A. So they can go hunting on Friday, to the football game on Saturday, and report back to jail on Sunday.

Lord of the Vista

I presume you've heard of the Vista operating system from Microsoft? Here's a bit of humor I found about it:

Microsoft Windows Vista's secret:

Recently one of my friends, a computer wizard, paid me a visit. As we were talking I mentioned having recently acquired Windows Vista for my PC and that I was very happy with this operating system. I showed him the Windows Vista CD, and to my surprise he threw it into my micro-wave oven and turned on the oven. Instantly I got very upset, because the CD had become precious to me, but he said: 'Do not worry, it is unharmed.'

After a few minutes he took the CD out, gave it to me and said: 'Take a close look at it.' To my surprise the CD was quite cold to hold and it seemed to be heavier than before. At first I could not see anything, but then on the inner edge of the central hole I saw an inscription; an inscription finer than anything I have ever seen before. The inscription shone piercingly bright, and yet remote, as if out of a great depth:

4F6E65204F5320746F2072756C65207468656D20616C6C2C20 4F6E65204F5320746
F2066696E64207468656D2CDA4F6E65204F5320746F2062726 96E67207468656D20
616C6C20616E6420696E20746865206461726B6E6573732062 696E64207468656D

'I cannot understand the fiery letters,' I said.

'No,' he said 'but I can. The letters are Hex, of an ancient mode, but the language is that of Microsoft, which I shall not utter here. But in common English this is what it says:

One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them,
One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

A Kossack's Attack on the NFL

I don't normally bother with The Daily Kos. As Liz Phair said, "I've got better ways to spend my time". Nevertheless, an entry posted by some sad chap over there has caught my attention: Man fuel: Is it in you?

The author, one Jason Miller, derides the National Football League thusly:

What could better reflect the collective psychosis of the American Empire than our mass obsession with the NFL? Born through violent revolution, expanded by genocide, enriched by slavery, and elevated to hegemony through imperialism, militarism, and economic tyranny, the United States, like NFL football, embodies avaricious savagery masked by a fastidiously maintained illusion of benevolent civility.

Wow. OK, eloquent language aside, this is either someone to laugh at or someone who Needs Help Now. I don't go in for the Man Hug thing---call me crazy, but Men Shouldn't Hug---but even my cold heart wants to simply pat this guy on the shoulder and tell him that, in the words of Deana Carter, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright".

Meh. People may write thousands of words against this chap, but really, is it necessary? I suppose it's more of that whole binary solution set that a lot of the Kos types seem to embrace, either you're out there at war in the streets for Social Justice Now! or somesuch, or you're part of the ancien regime defending against it, and must be smashed.

For my own part, I root for the Patriots. Have for years, even when Favre and the Packers were the darlings of Fox Sports and the nation. That doesn't mean that I'm somehow complicit in whatever goes on in the NFL. Like one guy's opinion---say, Tony Dungy got done wrong---matters, especially when that guy is me, and not Paul Tagliabue or the like. Not that I particularly care for some of the corporate end of things in the NFL. If Al Davis or Jerry Jones were drowning, Christian charity would require me to try and save them. I would, however, be less inclined to do so if I knew who they were. "Help me, I'm drowning!" "Hang on, sir!" "Help me, I'm Jerry Jones and I'm drowning!" "Sorry man, lunch break."

Enjoying a game of football does not an evil man make. I am perfectly capable of going from church, where I shell out money for the local and global Methodist relief efforts, to sitting on a couch and cheering for the Pats. Life is more complicated and subtle than this chap might appreciate it.

This post found from Soxaholix

---

To rebut another point this guy makes ("Provocatively undressed cheerleaders manifesting our culture’s ideal of feminine perfection...."), I say this: My idea of feminine perfection ain't an NFL cheerleader; don't know what he's ingesting. I'd rather that they weren't in the league, but it does provide a legal source of revenue for some women, so I won't get too bothered about it.

Roanoke Sells Out

It appears that the board of the Virginia Museum of Transportation ("VMT") have done something I disagree with, namely selling NYC&StL S-2 763 to the Ohio Central Railroad.

According to the following article by John B. Corns, the intent of the OCR is to return the Lima-built locomotive to service:

Roanoke, Jan. 3, 2007 - Ohio Central Railroad System CEO Jerry Joe Jacobson (left - click for larger image) shakes the hand of Virginia Transportation Museum Executive Director Bev Fitzpatrick during a meeting where OCRS agreed to purchase from VMT the former Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 763. Several options were discussed for the swapping of steam locomotives to bring the big Berk back home to the Buckeye State, but both organizations were in agreement that a straight cash sale would be better suited for all concerned. Details of the sale have not been announced. The OCRS has nine other steam locos (three of which are operational), and will bring the Berk to the railroad's Morgan Run Shop this spring where 763 will be rebuilt for service by OC shop forces. VMT is home to an impressive collection of railroad rolling stock, including historic steamers such as N&W J-class 4-8-4 611 and A-class 2-6-6-4 1218. Nickel Plate 763 was built by Lima in 1944, and was operated across Ohio in fast freight service. When NKP dieselized its road power in 1958 the 763 was stored in the yard at Bellevue for future donation to that town. However, after the 1964 merger of NKP into Norfolk & Western, N&W took the steamer to its headquarters city of Roanoke where 763 has been displayed ever since.

Despite the fact that 763 was in deplorable shape, I cannot applaud this action. Sure, the fanatics will hoot and holler at Big Steam In Service, but not I. The best possible argument for the sale is that 763 was deteriorating and could not be maintained in protection under the Claytor Pavilion. This would of course be true, but I would rather they tried to expand the facilities there, instead of reducing the collection.

It seems to be another questionable decision on the part of the VMT. I haven't been there for a while after seeing their "new look" gift shop. Prior to 2006, the Roanoke Chapter of the NRHS ran that shop, and had a lot of publications relating to, gee, railroading. More than once I stopped in there and laid out fifty or sixty bucks for a book on various rail-related subjects. However, the shop was overhauled at some point in the last year or so, and was refocused. I was intially happy; the NRHS merchandise selection had stagnated just a little bit.

I was immediately horrified by what I saw in the new store; the large selection of books and rail-related material (including N&&W system maps from the 1960s) had been depleted and replaced by wine and Roanoke-branded merchandise, like glasses and napkins. The cheerful old railfans behind the counter were also gone, replaced by two creepily metrosexual (or worse, I strongly suspected) men who didn't appear to know a thing about railroads or the raison d'etre of the museum. I departedly quickly and walked down the street to the O. Winston Link museum, where I spent an hour or so watching trains roll by while chatting with the gift store staff there. And oh yes, money was spent.

Anyways. Congratulations to the Nickel Plate fans and the OCR; you've just made the VMT a little less interesting, because I always performed a walkaround of 763 when I was there. I hope you're happy. Maybe VMT will spend the money on restoring some of the remaining collection, which is starting to look shabby. (The best solution is, of course, raiding funds earmarked for Northern Virginia's never-slaked thirst; that would be fun.)

C&O GP7 Stolen

A pair of teenagers in a Nelsonville, Ohio juvenile hall broke out and stole Hocking Valley Scenic Railway GP7 5833. The two operated the locomotive for several miles, heading south from the HV's facility.

Local police were able to apprehend the pair after the locomotive stopped at South Logan, Ohio. Engineer Earl Defibaugh of the HV says that the ex-Chesapeake & Ohio GP7 was undamaged but for a few scratches on the paint.

The NBC4 report on this is really amusing, making use of the Man in Black for its background music.

Another Virginian for Pennsylvania Avenue?

With the apparent demise of the George Allen Presidential effort---curse you, Northern Virginia!---it is now necessary to examine another son of the Commonwealth who seeks the Presidency. He will, of course, have my support until such time as he does not.

Visit Draft Gilmore for more information. Y'know, 'cause the Federal car tax is so onerous.

A bit of free advice to the proprietors of that site: Can't download blog buttons if they don't exist.

Vintage Earl Weaver

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Earl Weaver.

Due to explicit content, Mr. Weaver's discussion with AL umpire Bill Haller is placed below the fold. Be advised, this little gem contains numerous profanities and is not work safe. This movie comes to us courtesy of the Soxaholix.

Another Mine Incident

There has been an incident claiming two lives in the coal mines of West Virginia. I am dissatisified with the fact that the owning corporation was a Virginia-based concern. Other reports indicate that there may have been some history of citation for safety violations.

That is infuriating. Allow me a variation on the usual slogan I see around railroad yards: "No profit is so important that safety should be compromised."

See the CBC for more details.

Woo Hoo

The pretender to the throne of Lawrence Taylor was defeated and we are happy now, for the evil Chargers have been defeated while virtue and rightness ride high in the saddle.

Thank you, Tom Brady & Co.

Also: You're a loser, Tomlinson. As a commenter elsewhere wrote, enjoy Hawaii.

Indianapolis versus Baltimore

Was this a football game, or did David Beckham hit the beach a little ahead of schedule? Seriously, I thought football was where you run the ball in, not kick it in. It matters not; New England shall annihilate the shallow pretender to the initials of "LT"---the True King is Lawrence Taylor---on their way to a Super Bowl championship.

If that cannot come about, then go Saints.

Another View on the President and the Delta Dagger

This has made the rounds of the blogs before, but I figured I'd repost it just for the heck of it, since I've got nothing else today:

The F-102 in Vietnam

It's a long article by the folks at aerospaceweb.org talking about what the Convair F-102A Delta Dagger did in Vietnam. This was produced back when the story was "Bush coward in old worthless aircraft; Kerry in swift boats like Captain Willard". The truth about the F-102A was something different than that, but hey, who's counting?

As a one-time fan of the Delta Dagger, I figured that I could post it out of respect for my second favorite 1950s fighter manufacturer. (Of course, Lockheed with its F-104 Starfighter reigns supreme.)

In re Mark McGwire

Itappears that Mark McGwire has not been confirmed to Cooperstown. As an amateur fan of baseball, I am pleased.

I don't care if he hit a baseball into low Earth orbit. Likewise, I don't care if the McGwire-Sosa chase of Mantle & Maris reignited baseball for the masses during the late 1990s. If he was on the juice, he doesn't belong in the hall, period.

That is, unless space is made on his plaque for his chemist.

The President's Speech

2102 - Talk of the lighter footprint, loss of political gains Iraqis had gained. Holy shrine, blah. They've got a million of them. The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to him and this country.

2103 - Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me. C-SPAN is cutting in and out in audio.

2104 - No magic formula for success in Iraq. Failure in Iraq strengthens extremist Islam and its groups, as would be Iran in its nuclear quest. Further attacks could result; 11 September 2001 showed what a foreign refuge could do
to us.

Dozed off.

2117 - Expect more casualties. Believes strategy will work. "No surrender ceremony on the deck of a battleship". About bloody time someone says this!

2105 - 80% of all sectarian violence is within 30 miles of Baghdad. Attempts to secure Baghdad failed; not enough troops and too many restrictions. Military commanders looked at a new Iraqi plan and believe in it.

2106 - New military district of urban Baghdad. Iraqi police to be replaced or supplanted by Iraqi national military. We will change our strategy to help the Iraqis contain sectarian violence; more than 20,000 additional troops will be sent. Five brigades for Baghdad, embedded with the Iraqis for security operations.

2107 - Previously, terrorists returned after we left. Apparently, now the plan is to take, clear, and hold. Also, Iraqi-American forces will ignore political or sectarian interference. POTUS says "our commitment not open-ended"; Iraq could lose our support. PM Maliki understands this.

2108 - No safe havens for criminals. No immediate end to suicide attacks etc. Enemy will hope to fill our TV screens with images of death. (So what?) Breathing space for Iraqi government. "Most Sunni and Shiites want to live together", hah. I think they'd rather kill each other.

2110 - Sharing of oil revenues among all Iraqis---shouldn't this be spent on reconstruction?---and Baghdad's responsibility for security in all provinces by November 2007.

2111 - . . .

2112 - Will continue to pursue al-Qaeda and foreign fighters. Al-Qaeda home base is Anbar province; most violent outside the capital. We have captured data suggesting al-Qaeda wants to knock out the Anbar government. Tribal leaders have recently showed interest in going after al-Qaeda. Four thousand new US troops for Anbar.

"We will not allow [al-Qaeda] to re-establish a safe haven in Anbar."

2113 - Iran and Syria allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory. Iran supplying attacks on our troops. Additional carrier battlegroup to the region. Work with Turkey and Iraq to solve border problems.

2119 - All involved have a responsibility to explain how their path leads to victory. New bipartisan study group to be led by Senator Lieberman to tinker with this; first step is expanding the armed forces.

Oops, I went to sleep again. I doubt the Cindy Sheehans of the world will be convinced, but I thought it was OK. I hope this works.

MBTA Accident Claims Two Lives

Earlier in the day, I had a joyous morning report. Well, that's changed, and for good reason. Two MOW men were killed today in Woburn, Massachusetts, after their vehicle was struck by an MBTA commuter train.

At the time, the MBTA (or other agency) stated that it believed a switching error put the train from the designated active track to the one being worked on. For full information, visit CBS 4 in Boston.

This publication's thoughts and prayers are with the families of Christopher Macaulay and James Zipps.

Ha Ha

Since I don't like the State of New York (concurring with the opinion here), I am for a variety of reasons not particularly eager to endorse the candidacy of Rudolph Giuliani.

Comes now an anonymous commenter to the Romney Cheerleader-in-Chief, Kathryn Jean Lopez:

The scariest thing about Hillary and Rudy being the presumptive nominees of their respective parties is the inescapable fact that, if the both of them actually win those nominations, then the next President of the United States will be a dress wearing liberal fron New York regardless of which one wins the general election. Romney looks better with every passing day.

The last sentence is of course why Lopez posted it. I wonder if the Romney campaign should be billed for services rendered by NRO. I don't want HRC or Giuliani in the Oval Office. But for the interference of Northern Virginia, the Allen campaign could still very well be on track.

Bah.

The Morning Report

It's 1030 hours here in the East, and all is well in the Commonwealth of Virginia, because

IT'S SNOWING!

We have no threat of a Denver-style result, but nonetheless, after a winter season that saw me in short sleeves and light khaki pants for essentially all of November and December, this is cause to celebrate.

I ain't got no meadow, but hopefully I can still build a snowman. Too bad there's no Miss Country Pundit with which to pretend that said snowman is Parson Brown.

ADDENDUM:

"I would have waited an eternity for this." (Surprise, you basically did.) It's been snowing for a solid hour and the ground is progressively turning white. There are still a few obstinate holdouts in the yard, but they too shall fall.










Well, bother. I should have known that using Megatron as an icon for anything other than abject failure was bound to end badly; the snow has backed off and the roads are clearing. I suppose it was weather-based irrational exuberance.

Dear Lord, Colonel Deering!

Ack! I've been spending too many hours at the controls of a train or a plane (but no automobiles, mind you) and thus I've missed this.

Happy Birthday (belatedly) to Erin Gray, whose role as Colonel Wilma Deering, United Earth Directorate, was a splendid high point in 1970s television sci-fi. Born 07 January 1950 in Hawaii, she's probably one of the better things to come to us from our Pacific lands.

I of course am embarrassed that I made the mistake of missing this monumentous occasion, especially given my somewhat obnoxious cheering for her a while back. I think I wound up calling Pamela Hensley's Princess Ardala a space whore, although that may or may not have ever been posted.

Anyways, in tribute to Colonel Deering, a brief selection of images I recovered from an old backup tape that I made when the Internet was new. I quite obviously favor the Defense Directorate dress blues worn in the pilot. Check below the fold for 'em.

Feathered hair lives, even in 2491. Farrah Forever!

"Anything's possible, Captain Rogers. Except perhaps a good performance from you."

In Which Wilma Takes Aim At Ardala With A Brick

Oh, Nothing

Goooooooooooooooo Gators! Take that, you Yankee slime!

That is all.

Full Metal Elf

Weather Advisory

For the Attention Of: The State of Colorado
From: The Commonwealth of Virginia

Subject: Snow

STOP HOGGING THE SNOW, YOU THIEVING WESTERN SCUM.

That is all.

Happiness Is...

A nicely configured Convair 990A screeching through the skies in Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2004.

In other news, I haven't watched a lick of La Pelosi; can't be bothered when the opportunity to read a book, drive a simulated passenger train, or fly a classic jetliner exists.

Norfolk Southern Christmas Card

About a month late, but who's counting?

The 2006 Norfolk Southern Christmas card. It's a nifty little Flash animation that I liked and saved.

Railroad Marital Vows

This came by way of e-mail recently:

Dearly Beloved,
We are gathered here today in accordance with the FRA, AAR, ICC, UTU and other regulatory bodies to unite these two units in M.U. service. If anyone takes exception, file your grievance or get in the clear.

(Groom's name), Do you take this woman to be your trailing unit, tying down your pin lifter forever, and permanently restricting yourself from interchange service, even with newer, freshly-painted units, remaining coupled despite flat wheels, sticking brakes, even unto bad orders and major derailments, until you are both rendered unto scrap?

If so, signify by sounding your whistle as prescribed by GCOR Rule 5.8.2, example 4.

And, (Groom's name), do you promise to pull this unit up ruling grade, using throttle and brake wisely to prevent rough train handling, broken knuckles, and pulled drawbars, applying sand as necessary to prevent wheel slip, so that you both crest the hill together, regardless of the trailing tonnage?

If so, signify by sounding your whistle as prescribed by GCOR Rule 5.8.2, example 4.

And do you also promise not to cut away from your trailing unit, even when her side sheets have rusted through, and her paint job has faded?

If so, signify by sounding your whistle as prescribed by GCOR Rule 5.8.2, example 4.

Now, (Bride's name), do you take this man to be your lead unit, tying down your pin-lifter forever, and permanently removing yourself from interchange service, even with newer series, high-adhesion, high-horsepower units, remaining coupled despite flat wheels, sticking brakes, even unto bad orders and major derailments, until you are both rendered unto scrap?

If so, signify by sounding your whistle as prescribed by GCOR Rule 5.8.2, example 4.

And do you promise to respond promptly to throttle and brake commands from your lead unit, handling your share of the tonnage, and helping your lead unit up ruling grade when necessary, being ever cautious to avoid unnecessary drawbar buff?

If so, signify by sounding your whistle as prescribed by GCOR Rule 5.8.2, example 4.

Do you also promise to remain coupled to your lead unit, even when he has a couple of traction motors cut out, and can no longer develop full horsepower?

If so, signify by sounding your whistle as prescribed by GCOR Rule 5.8.2, example 4.

Now, (Bride and Groom), as a token of your intent to M.U., make the joint and stretch the slack.

By the power vested in me by the General Manager, Superintendent of Operations, and the Road Foreman of Engines, I now pronounce you permanently coupled.

You may cut in the air.

I make no warranties as to the rules compliance of these statements.

St. Pundit of the Country?

Gratuitously stolen from Robbo:

Which Saint Would You Be?

Saint Clelia is praying for you! To learn more about this lovely young saint go to the Patron Saint Index at http://www.catholic-forum.com
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

---

Since I, like Robbo, don't have the slightest clue about any saints other than the ones in the Bible, I had to look this lass up. From her entry at the Catholic Forum, "From her earliest life, she paid no attention to this world, focused solely on the spiritual life. Founded the Congregation of Minims of the Sorrowful Mother who concentrate on ministering in hospitals and elementary schools to the sick, the aged, the lonely, and a prayer ministry for the poor. Since her death, her voice has been heard in the houses of her order, accompanying her sisters in song."

Her feast day(?) is 13th July, if I read the data correctly. And great, she haunts the houses of her order. Wonderful! I hope nobody calls the Ghostbusters. At least her heart seems to be in the right place, although I'd be interested in knowing what specific miracles were attributed to her in the canonization process.

For further information on this woman, here is an official(?) Vatican page on her.

New UN Secretary-General Steps In It

We are amused, said Her Majesty.

According to the Associated Press, the new United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, has found himself in a bit of a pinch regarding the UN's reaction to the execution of Saddam Hussein.

Mr. Ban, who replaced Kofi Annan earlier this year, did not follow the Annan policy of frequent mention of the UN's opposition to capital punishment. In response to a reporter's question earlier today, Mr. Ban stated, "Saddam Hussein was responsible for committing heinous crimes and unspeakable atrocities against Iraqi people and we should never forget victims of his crime," "The issue of capital punishment is for each and every member state to decide."

It appears that the UN press corps began asking whether there had been a change in policy based upon this statement. The spokesman for the Secretary-General, Michele Montas, denied any changes of policy while Ban himself noted that it was a personal nuance of his. Mrs. Montas' remarks included a reiteration of the UN's stance, but noted that states retain their own methods of applying laws regarding capital punishment.

Well, at least she recognizes a sliver of sovereignty. Perhaps it will be interesting to see what other nuances that Mr. Ban is capable of.

New Year Blues

Felgercarb.

I took my 2006 railroad calendar down yesterday, and now there's a giant white space on the wall where it used to be. My 2007 calendars haven't been ordered yet, alas. Time to stick one of the porcelain signs up there for the time being.

The Devil Wastes My Time

I want approximately 109 minutes of my life back. Last night, I made the mistake of assenting to watch a movie that was brought over, and that movie was The Devil Wears Prada. This movie is a waste of celluloid, but I could have figured that out from simply knowing its subject matter.

Honestly, fashion? Does anyone outside of Milan, New York, Paris, or the like actually care? Yes, I know it creates employment for lots of people, but so does the illegal narcotics trade. Come to think of it, there's probably a bit of overlap between the two. Disposing of both would be, I think, a cultural benefit.

Suffice it to say that I didn't like any of the characters in the picture. Emily Blunt's character was annoying and unlikable; my only regret is that she was struck by a car and not a locomotive. She reminded me of the girl who's so desperate to be on the cutting edge and embraced by haute couture that she winds up being nothing but a reactive shell. For crying out loud, have some backbone!

Andrea Sachs is yet another one of those people I can't stand, the type of folks who have such a poor sense of self that they get swept up in enabling other people's dreams at the costs of their own, et cetera. I can't figure out if I have more sympathy for her or Emily, because although I frown upon Sachs' stomping of Emily, I'm sure the latter has done that herself. In other words, the Zhukovsky Principle: "They were ruthless people. They got what they deserved." I can state with considerable certainty that I wouldn't maintain a relationship interest with Miss Sachs for long, especially when her life is focused upon pleasing Miranda Priestly.

And here we come to the center of our discontent. I'm not a Meryl Streep fan, but I don't loathe her as I do Julia Roberts, either. So, enough about her. Miranda Priestly is the kind of individual that I don't like, the one who despite being at a pinnacle in their industry, is a miserable person. Granted, I'm certain that she has to keep a pack of wolves (represented by Jacqueline Follet?) at bay. Granted, she has made choices and sacrifices that have shaped her (despicable) character. That does not, however, justify her attitude and behavior in my opinion.

Miranda Priestly is at some level a failure if she doesn't have strength of character or sufficient courage, intelligence, what have you to impose a manageable order on her workplace. I don't get the sense that she knows this, because she is apparently happy with the way things are---who wouldn't be, with fawning sycophants in the industry worshipping you---and the only apparent costs are that she's gone through husbands only slightly slower than Elizabeth Taylor. This might be more understandable if she was Dr. Miranda Priestly, National Security Advisor par excellence, the wily bureaucrat who advances America's interests at home and abroad.¹ But, she's not.

It's not like fashion is foreign policy.

The closing sequences are similarly unsatisfying. From what I understand about the novel, the written Andrea Sachs delivers a profane tirade to Priestly over a telephone, instead of chucking said cellular telephone in a fountain. Either action is inherently unprofessional, but it may be the best that can be expected from someone who thinks New York City is something to aspire to.

I suppose the only joy that can come from this misbegotten project is that a) Andrea Sachs turns her back on the world that Miranda Priestly offers and b) Lauren Weisberger's second novel was, reportedly, a commercial flop. Perhaps we shall hear no more from this whiny, self-absorbed woman. (On the other hand, Anna Wintour maintains her place, so perhaps we will continue to hear from an imperious loser such as her.)²

I'm sure someone will ask---I hope---"If you hated the movie so, why did you write this extended piece?" The answer is "Because I thought it valuable to openly and decisively reject the values of the Priestly world, and heap scorn upon her ilk while I was at it."

Chick lit/chick cinema and I don't mix. Bring on Transformers: The Movie.

---
¹ Er, Jeane Kirkpatrick, anyone?

² Of course, it could be that Wintour's great sin was failing to validate Lauren Weisberger's own life or whatever; you never can tell with these annoying Northeastern types.

Work Continues

Doing some behind-the-scenes stuff. A large portion of it is essentially thinking through the sorts of coverage that I'd like to provide. Haven't figured that out yet, since the whole election thing isn't really my scene any more. There's no money in it, you see.

In sports news, congratulations to the Penn State Nittany Lions. Better luck next year, Tennessee!