i am a southpark person

this is the best I could do. I thought the eggs really sealed the deal

just a random entry

When I was a kid I was a big history buff thanks to my middle school history teacher, Mr. Wisehart. He taught me that the really important question to ask was WHY? and since then I always have enjoyed that question in connection with any historical fact, current event or with any story. Sometimes I think why? can even serve as an answer. That last sentence is really stupid now that I think about it. Really, that's only an answer a five-year-old can give.

This week I went to see the Annie Lebowitz exhibit at the High Museum of Art here in Atlanta. Her famous people stuff is cool, sure. Her landscapes, eh. but her work with families and groups is where its at. I love the group pictures and even some of the portraits. but I think she is put on a pedastel for shooting actors when she should be for just shooting her father and brother and families and Storming Norman. i may be stating what other people have said or think is wrong. and I am ill informed, I only saw a fraction of her work at the High, which was of the last 20 years or so, but from what I saw, her group shots and those of her family and other families touched me and pictures of Brad Pitt and the White Stripes just left me shrugging.

i want to mention that I am about to eat 28 cents of Ramen- and if you don't know- that's a good bit of Ramen noodles. my father swears by a recipe that his girlfriend, Chris (kris?) makes for him with Ramen. I will test her recipe and if i feel it is worthy, I will post it for you readers. Both of you. now pictures I saw....

well. I can't find the pics i wanna post online. Which is good. go to the museum lazy face and see them yourself. I really liked- Stormin' Norman, the mugshot of the Junkie Queer, the Bush Cabinet beside a photo of Micheal Moore and his crew and a picture of Lebowitz's father and brother after they just got out of the pool. they are standing with their arms crossed and looking into the lens and it is perfect. they say the famous folk are comfortable with Lebowitz, but these two men have so much more than that in their smiles and in their posture. It is just a great photo

I also saw some films.
Clean, Shaven- wow. see it. amazing sound. (I don't wanna say more because I like seeing movies blind. no trailers, no idea about the plot- it's fun)
Zodiac- why make this movie? why? i don't know. don't watch it if you missed it. if you saw it and you can tell me why the film got past the initial chat over coffee and saying, "that could be cool" i'd like to know.

I try to get people t go see Sicko but they say, "I don't want that propaganda!" I just can't understand why people are more interested in iphones than in things that will directly affect them or their families. My mom and stepdad went. my mom was fired up! she said, "those shitheads, I'll go move to France"

and I read some books
Youth in Revolt- it has funny parts. I laughed out loud. But the last third of the book tragged on for so fucking long that I grew to hate the main character, hate the author and hate the whole book. Missing an ending is just a killer.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret- by Brian Selznick-what a great book! I read it in a day. Its a kids book filled with film history. Its just great. go to the library and get it. RIGHT NOW! My friend Mike Brune gave me the book and said I had to read it but I put it off and I'm sorry i did.

I wish I could stop wishing to Stick It To The Man

This afternoon after I got home from an all-nighter at work on a stupid music video (someone needs to show me a music video set that is not full of shit because I'm starting to think they don't exist) I was bitching and tired. My wonderful cinephile girlfriend was watching a DVD of shorts that various filmmakers made with the Lumiere Camera invented by the Lumiere Brothers in 1895. In between the shorts they were asking filmmakers various questions that were all answered very seriously. One of the questions they asked was "Why do you film?" -or something close to that- people responded with "There's nothing else" and things like that. But one filmmaker said "I like subversion."

a bleary eyed and weary Alex exclaims, "Hell Yeah!"

My girlfriend responded by asking what exactly that means and I said, "Basically sticking it to the man, but let's look it up."

My little widget dictionary on my computer defines it as:

sub·vert undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution)

Later I got some much needed sleep and when I woke up started watching Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory. It is about Woody Guthrie who also liked to subvert or be subversive. The movie was great (Hal Ashby + Randy Quaid= life changing cinema) and it got me thinking about why I enjoy subversion so much. Why do I get so excited about people saying that they aren't having this shit anymore and doing something about it? When I see movies like Z, Reds, Battle of Algiers, Ghandi, Dr. Strangelove or docs that attempt social change, I go nuts. I love the idea of undermining authority in the hopes of reassessing things and changing them for the better. Questioning the guys in charge to see if things can be done a better way should be done constantly.

I was first a history major in college partly because the subject of people in revolt so interested me. The other part is that you can't understand the present without a grasp on the past which means I like to argue about politics with old people.

I sometimes wonder how everyone can't see things that get them angry, or read about injustice and want to make a few molotov cocktails and attack a drive in. I guess my generation for the most part is more like the generation of the 50's. We don't care about anything really except for consumerism and self obsession. We like to blindly think everything is fine (except progressive opinions) and don't really rattle the cage- most of us that is. And even though I enjoy the ideas of civil disobedience and all things subversive and constantly having contempt for contentment I am really just am armchair activist.

I'm just a big jerk. I like to talk about this and that but I don't really do too much. I'll email or call a state representative and vote. I recycle and try not to waste gasoline because of some beliefs I have but really- who am i kidding? I don't try to talk to other people, get people to vote or any other things that involve actually striving for something bigger than knowing, at least I do my part. I'd be doing y part if I got other people to care enough to do their's. Someone got me to care, why can't I get other people to. I'm a filmmaker but I really don't use that to subvert either. I'm probably just another self obsessed person. (I do assume someone wants to read my rantings) I don't really want to make film because I love subversion, although I really want to believe that. I probably agree more with another filmmaker's answer to the question, "Why do you film?"

"I make movies because I want people to love me."- he responded.

Turtle Boys

This morning I woke up at 7am for no reason at all and started my day. Usually when I get up this early, i mess around the apartment for a couple of hours before I go bother my girlfriend, Katie, and wake her up too. I am frequently greeted by an unhappy, violently screeching, monster. But sometimes she wakes up and tells me about her bizarre dreams and I get a good laugh.

This mornings dream started with her opening a crate (like for a dog) she had in her house in the crate were two turtle boys. I picture them as about the size of a 7-year-old boy but turtles- that walk upright. One of them had on a red bomber jacket. They got out of the cage and rammed their heads into Katie as she sat on the floor. I think the head ramming thing was a game they played.

So the Turtles get up and one of my Katie's friends is there and she doesn't like them much because they have mouths full of rabbit food. Katie talks to the turtle boys for a minute and tells them she wished she didn't have to leave them in the crate all day when she was at work but she doesn't want them to go out. One of the turtle boys said they really wanted to go out and Katie told them if they did and something happened she would just kill herself.

Then the one turtle boy told Katie that his little brother's (turtle boy #2) skull was hurting him.

So she said to #2, "Don't make any plans for tomorrow."

"Huh?" said #2.

"You heard me. Your brother told me in secrecy your skull has been hurting you and the weather is not agreeing with you either. You're going to the doctor."

"Aww, man." said the younger turtle boy. and then she woke up.

If I had a flying monkey he would be a Populist

The other night I went to the Fox theatre with my family and friends and watched the Wizard of Oz. The projectionist wasn't on his game, but it was still a great time at the movies. I really love those flying monkeys and the end when the all powerful Oz is just another bureaucrat who can't really help people as much as he can run his mouth, cut ribbons and give people meaningless awards. And the only one that really needed help was Dorothy and she could help herself all along.

After the movie we started talking about the fact that the book is actually a political allegory of some sorts. Someone said, "Oh yeah the tinman is like a factory worker, right?" Someone else chimed in about the scarecrow being the farmers and that the slippers were silver in the book and someone joked that the Lion represents the zookeepers of America that had major problems at that time. When I got home later I did a little research to find out what the deal really is and really, no one knows for sure. Or i should say there is debate on the subject.

The book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written by L. Frank Baum who prefaced the book by saying that it was just a story for children and until the 1960's no one said anything different. L. Frank Baum never admitted it to be an allegory, but Henry M. Littlefield came up with the theory in '64 that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a monetary allegory for bimetallism in the 1890's.

from wikipedia:
From 1880 to 1896, the price level in the U.S. economy fell by 23% (deflation). Most farmers of the west during that time were debtors, making their interest owed to the banks worth more than expected due to the deflation. According to the Populists' beliefs of the time, the solution to the farmers' problem was free coinage of silver (the U.S. was operating under a gold standard at that time). Democratic presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan supported the free silver requisition, summarized in his Cross of Gold speech. However, Republican William McKinley won the presidency and the gold standard remained.

So our man Littlefield's theory was used to teach what is described as "often the dullest episodes in money and banking"

So to get students interested in what the symbols could represent one has to learn the history behind the monetary allegory. Well, it worked on me. Here is a list of some of the symbols from the film and with the list some of the references by Bradley A Hansen, a former professor of economics at Mary Washington College. He wrote a paper that can be downloaded HERE about how the facts just don't add up to an allegory in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. There is another argument that Oz is China

Dorothy: traditional American values-she is dressed in red, white and blue in the film- but in the book she has a pink bonnet (symbolic meaning? I dunno)
Toto: Prohibitionist party (also called Teetotalers who were populist supporters)
Scarecrow: western farmers
Tin Woodsman: industrial workers but also Baum worked as
Cowardly Lion: William Jennings Bryan (who was said to be all roar, no bite)
Munchkins: citizens of the East
Wicked Witch of the East: Eastern business and financial interests
Wicked Witch of the West: William McKinley
or the drought that plauged the farmers of the west- since all that was needed to destroy her was a little water
Good Witches of the North and South: the southern and northern electoral mandate; that is, to see the agrarian south and the industrial north vote in harmony
Wizard: Mark Hanna (chairman of the Republican party)
Oz: abbreviation for ounce of gold (Oz)
Yellow Brick Road: gold standard
Cyclone: the free silver movement also a common symbol for political change
Emerald City: It is "emerald" only because those in it wear green glasses and hence think it is made of a green jewel; just as paper greenbacks have value only because people pretend that it has value. It is also a nice comment on people forced to see everything the same, no difference in opinion.
Silver Slippers: the free coinage of silver
Uncle Henry: In 1900 by far the most famous farmer in America was Henry Cantwell Wallace, editor of the leading farm magazine. Everyone called him "Uncle Henry
Flying Monkeys: Native Americans. the Winged monkeys in the West, whose leader tells Dorothy, "Once..we were a free people, living happily in the great forest, flying from tree to tree, eating nuts and fruit and doing just as we pleased without calling anybody master... This was many years ago, before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land."
Dainty China Country: Only exists in the book . in the China Country there is a Great Wall… And once Dorothy has climbed over it, its China people resent the intrusion of the foreigners, there is violence and they are forced to leave. People claim this section of the book is representative of the Boxer Rebellion in China.

I think it is really interesting all these different things people have projected on the story. I bet you could make Bush the Wizard and the characters are all factions of Americans looking for answers in tough times, which he doesn't provide. Modernize it a bit.
Tinman: He is technology. He wants a heart so he can care about the world around him, not just profits.He could stop deforestation and cut his dependence on oil.
Scarecrow: America's youth, so stoned (straw = weed, he's full of weed) he can't stand up straight. He's also disenfranchised to the point claiming to not have a brain, to avoid responsibility or having to take part in the ruined system. He's the kid that says voting doesn't matter.
Cowardly Lion: Al Gore, he should of put up a fight when they took his presidency
Flying Monkeys: 2008 Presidential candidates
Muchkins: Al Queda
Yellow Brick Road: Haliburton
ToTo: Michael Moore
Cyclone: 9/11
Emerald City: Iran

Actually that's just a bunch of nonsense but I bet someone could take that idea and run with it and write a magnificent pile of shit out of it. I personally would love to hear an argument that links the lollipop guild to Islamic Extremists.

Investigative Journalism

I think its time for me to grab a camera and do a little investigative journalism. let me give you the set up.



first I googled Investigative Journalism and I found this picture. I posted it to let you know this is serious buisness

Yesterday I had dinner with my father and brother. my brother and I were sitting around and he was telling me how to identify American Indians by the shape of their earlobes, a theory he came up with the day before. (He said that Indians have larger earlobes and larger ears- I said I don't think that's just an Indian thing and he won the argument with "How many Indians do you know") My brother then mentioned in passing that his landlord has him staying in the garage. He lives at a sort of half-way house for people with schzicophrenia. It's him and some war vets and the woman who owns the house. They cook him meals and that sort of thing. Well my brother mentioned that the house has room for 6 people but the woman has 10 staying there. I'm not sure if she has to be regulated by the state or what to have people like my brother in her care- but I'm going to research that today.

But if she has people sleeping in bunk beds and is charging their families or taking their social security checks then I better go stick a camera in her face and expose her, right? If she is the kind of person who earns money by exploiting the mentally ill and overcharging innocent people then it is my duty to do whatever I can to topple the system. What if I do that and those people have nowhere else to stay? or what if it is just a temporary thing and some of the residents are being relocated? Or what if my brother doesn't have his facts straight- like the earlobe theory- which I haven't disproven, I'm just skeptical. My brother wasn't complaining, he likes his place. He doesn't have to work and he goes fishing and ties flies all day. Flies for fly fishing like these:


My brother is actually a fly tying genius and many of the flies he has designed are sold at fishing shops around the country. Most of which were designed and tied at his current residence.

So after I get to the bottom of whether any wrong doings is going on I should make sure that if I stir up trouble that the landlord doesn't kick my brother out of his room or put any Vietnam Vetrans out on the street because she is not following some sort of county code. I will also get some of those "I am a reporter" glasses at the top of the page.

At first this bit of Investigative Journalism seemed like a no brainer. Put a camera in the face of evil and expose it, but things only seem that simple if you don't stop and think about them. Or am I just over thinking it and things are all that simple unless you have time to think of ways to complicate them?

I like movies

Hello. This is my Blog. I’m trying to get into the habit of writing something everyday and this is something. In theatres a few great movies are playing (in Atlanta where I live) they are

ONCE (at the Tara)- which is probably the best film of the year. Its great. If you need to know more than the movie is great- google that shit. I don’t want to give you plot descriptions, I like just hearing a movie is great and going to see it.

Also playing at Cinefest is THE HOST this is the other movie in contention for best movie of the year. It is just about perfect. It’s a brilliant allegory about America and its reaction to 9/11.

THE LIVES OF OTHERS is still running at the plaza- film students should study the script it’s so tight.

KNOCKED UP- yeah- it’s really funny. Sure it could be cut down by 20 minutes but I never thought about it while watching the movie. It’s sweet and there are a ton of great jokes. I had no expectations even though the film gets good reviews everywhere (the NY Times and the Post liked it- that’s rare) and yes I saw 40-Year-Old Virgin and yes, it sucks but this is funny.

SICKO- come on. You want something to talk about while you eat your fish tacos? Its SICKO. It will fire your ass up. It makes me want to move to Paris. - The health care, the protesting and the fact that the French watch movies in theatres. If you don’t like Michael Moore because of Fahrenheit 9/11 or whatever you should get over it. I personally enjoy his attempts at social change through filmmaking- movies are that powerful to me.

And on video I saw some stuff too, the most memorable being PARIS, TEXAS. I was reading Tom Hall’s BLOG and he was doing his version of the New Yorker pieces about why you love movies and he wrote about Paris, Texas- so I watched it. For about 95 minutes I watched the movie and was interested and really loved the photography- but I wasn’t enthralled. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll watch Harry Dean Stanton walk around the desert in 35mm for quite a while- but when I started the movie I had come off reading this blog about how Paris, Texas was the movie that made Tom Hall love movies and that guy really loves some fucking movies. So I’m watching and then the third act comes around and I am devastated. The end of that film tore me apart. Everything that leads up to the scenes with Natassja Kinski was the best set up for that ending. I recommend you watch that film.

And because the 4th has been around, so has been hanging by the pool and drinking. Usually when I have too much to drink, I force my girlfriend to watch Jaws with me and I blather about how awesome it is until I pass out. But lately I switched it up and have thrown in some movies from my childhood. When I was a kid I watched a lot of movies on TBS. 80’s action flicks and westerns and ROAD HOUSE, ahhhh Road House, you brilliant turd. So on the fourth I watched DIE HARD- still awesome. Enough said. And Last night I watched RAMBO- First Blood.

Awesome. The ending and what it is trying to say about anything is beyond me. But it runs fast and is great for the bad ass pushed too far sub genre. That is a genre of movies that TBS swore by when I was a kid. Charles Bronson, Jeremiah Johnson (have you seen this? I remember R. Redford killing a shit ton of Indians on a racist revenge mission. I need to watch that again) Well the first Rambo was a good time. How Brian Dennehy holds it together in the face of all that horrible acting from the supporting cast is beyond me. Then we watched Predator. Predator is for kids. My memories of Predator were so great and I only saw the for TV version. Seeing the movie last night I think it goes on the Gremlins list. That is a list of movies that were awesome to 10 year old or 6 year old Alex, but not to this one. That happens though. I’m sure Predator is being discovered by a bored preteen this very Sunday afternoon on TBS and he is loving it.

For a minute I wanna type about the Hollywood machine. I’m not watching any more crap movies. There are too many good movies out there that I haven’t seen or there is playing Frisbee or cleaning my apt or learning to make a better omelet or anything better than the poop Hollywood has been feeding me the last few years. If I read something is actually good- I’ll watch it. But when I read that everything is just fucking mediocre- I’m not in. I’m not, nor will I see Spiderman3, Pirates 3, Transformers (I did sneak in and watch 10 minutes, that was enough) or that Silver Surfer trash. If you would like to join me in my boycott of over-marketed crap then stop giving them your money.

Ok. When I find the digital camera I will Blog about 4th o July and soapbox derby races.