You all know about my fear of heights. Look what I found today — BASE jumping from the RenCen here in Detroit:
This makes my head whirl. Someone on the local forum where I found this pointed out it’s at least a few years old; it predates the riverfront improvements. Still. A friend told me once about his roommate, who did this crackbrain pursuit. (Does everyone know what BASE jumping refers to? Building, Antenna, Span, Earth.) He landed badly after jumping from a tall building in Los Angeles, perhaps because he didn’t have time to prepare, perhaps because security guards were chasing him and his buddies up the stairs to the top. In keeping with the agreement they all made ahead of time, the same buddies abandoned him at the bottom, so they wouldn’t be arrested. He screwed up his legs but good, and spent months in a rehab hospital learning to walk again. Good times!
This is the sort of activity that leads to terms like “testosterone poisoning.”
When I rode horses, I became acquainted with the idea there are certain equine personalities that are suited for certain jobs, and no amount of cross-training will ever overcome it. Fortunately, there are disciplines suited for nearly all of them, and thank God for that, because if there weren’t steeplechases left in the world, a lot of hard-charging jumpers would wither on the vine. Which is to say, I guess guys like this do stuff like this because there are no machine-gun nests to charge.
In my webby perambulations of late, I’ve found a bit of bloggage but no grand unifying theories, so let’s just cut to the chase, eh?
For you Chicagoans: Eric Zorn blogged Blago’s book so you don’t have to. Table of contents post here. Sample:
Blagojevich portrays himself as a great and noble and selfless man who fought for the people over the entrenched political interests. I believe this. What I mean by that is that I believe he sees himself this way — that he is nearly blind to his own personal failings.
Which suggests this book is going to be every bit as tedious and repetitive and uninsightful as the series of media interviews he gave in early January of this year. No self awareness. Just self justification.
Last September, here:
Quick tech question for some one who knows: There was a guy at the Dirtbombs concert Friday night with some thing I’ve never seen before. It looked like a horizontal mount for seven count ‘em seven identical digital cameras — Canon PowerShots, I b’lieve. He’d hold it up, they’d all twinkle their autofocus lights and fire as one. What the heck was it? And please don’t say “a horizontal mount for seven cameras.”
UPDATE: J.C. Burns and kind commenter DanG appear to have the answer: It’s how you get the ‘bullet-time’ effect…dollying dimensionally around a frozen or slo-mo image. The rig was similar to this, only wider and with an antenna-like thing above it that could have been a microphone. Think of an old-timey photographer’s flash bar; it was like that, only with cameras instead of flash powder. But I think they’re right — it’s for capturing that Matrix-y effect.
Not quite. Mystery solved:
Get yer old-skool 3-D glasses out … now! Most astute observers have no doubt seen local artist Chris Dean’s work somewhere around the city, whether it’s on those 1800 Tequila billboards or on the walls of the now-defunct CPOP Gallery. And if you’re a regular clubgoer, you’ve probably seen Dean himself at rock shows. He’s the guy lugging that unmistakable rig that includes seven digital cameras, which he uses to create three-dimensional “lenticular” images (you know, like those old Cracker Jack prizes). The artist recently switched from digital art to photography for a show — titled “D3D” — that debuts this Saturday.
A few of you asked when our 48 hour challenge film, “A Little Knowledge,” would be available for viewing. Here it is, on the imperfect 48.tv site, but there you go. You’ll need Flash, a fast connection and forgiveness in your heart.
Why birtherism will flourish forevermore.
Britney Spears was in town last night. The Freep critic was unimpressed; the News’, about the same. I’m wondering what the tickets cost. So far I’ve been pleased my own kid’s musical tastes ran toward the more alternative, i.e., less expensive acts like Paramore. Until I bought tickets for a show next month and paid a surcharge of about 40 percent. And I have to print them on my own computer! Now I see what Eddie Vedder was so pissed about.
Dorothy said on September 9, 2009 at 9:23 am
We paid $25 a ticket, plus a handling fee (can’t recall how much) to see Jonny Lang on September 23rd. I think ticket prices are outrageous for the most part so I am very discerning about who I go to see.
I mentioned pepper jelly/jam in yesterday’s comments section. Mike says he just used the recipe for any jelly or jam on the Sure Jell insert for canning jars. He added 6 cups of chopped peppers, though. The recipe only called for 4 cups. Hope that helps.
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Hank Stuever said on September 9, 2009 at 9:30 am
Someone should do a short YouTube movie asking those BASE jumpers’ girlfriends and ex-girlfriends: maximum duration in bed? Shocked if it’s beyond 2 minutes.
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brian stouder said on September 9, 2009 at 9:57 am
Eddie and Pearl Jam were at the height of their Rock Stardom, and at the apex of their cultural impact, and they invested all that into a righteous struggle against a palpable injustice; and in the end, we all (including Eddie and PJ) still have to genuflect to our almighty TicketMaster. This is one reason why I’ll always be on the side of our government-employed rock star, no matter how tonight’s speech or the congressional debate results. In this imperfect world, having someone who will initiate the right fights is as important (in a basic sense) as whatever results.
And I agree with Hank’s theory, and enjoin one and all to ponder its corollary, with regard to people like me, who would never, ever, ever derive any pleasure from abruptly plunging over the edge of a tall structure
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Danny said on September 9, 2009 at 10:16 am
I don’t want to ponder that, Brian. It’s not a very enjoinable mental picture.
P.S. Although it does make me chuckle to imagine Pam saying, “Geez, could you hurry up! I have a hair appointment.” (Think Jane Fonda in Klute … looking at her watch)
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coozledad said on September 9, 2009 at 10:44 am
Back when I was bartending, one of the local news stations ran a clip of a skydiver videotaping his friends in free fall. He had forgotten his chute. It’s even there in the video, when he starts fumbling for it and realizes it’s not there. They ran that clip about the same time someone had seen Jesus’ face on a trailer window in Garner, and the anchor described the traffic conditions as “gridlocked”. When the camera panned the scene, it looked like about three drivers had pulled off the road to gawk.
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Danny said on September 9, 2009 at 10:51 am
Cooz, back in the mid-80s, I remember a video that some guy was taking of his own freefall when he had forgotten his ‘chute. The camera got real jerky towards the end.
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Jolene said on September 9, 2009 at 10:53 am
Good reviews of the Britney Spears concert. Both very sad, although Adam Graham, the Detroit News reviewer, points to a way forward for her if she chooses to take it.
Must be tough to be only 27, to have struggled hard to (sort of) get back to where you were when you were 17, and then to hear that it’s an empty, soulless achievement.
I suppose having millions of dollars helps to ease the pain, but still . . .
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brian stouder said on September 9, 2009 at 11:07 am
Speaking of empty soullessness, someone (maybe moe or Jolene) posted a link the other day that made me laugh – when I imagined how the Beck-ites (et al) would be reacting today, if the president had asked American students to pony up their lawn-mowing/birthday/allowance money and give it to little Muslim kids!!!
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,179328,00.html
from the article:
“President Bush Asks Kids For Help
During a news conference, President Bush asks American kids to help children in Afghanistan”
“During the first evening news conference of his Presidency, President Bush on Thursday night had a special request for the kids of America. “I ask you to join in a special effort to help the children of Afghanistan,” he said. “Their country has been through a great deal of war and suffering.” President Bush asked each child in America to earn one dollar for a special fund that will provide badly needed food and medicine for the children of Afghanistan.”
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Sue said on September 9, 2009 at 11:17 am
My daughter went skydiving a few weeks back with a bunch of friends and had a great time. I swear, sometimes it feels like my husband and I are a couple of robins who’ve hatched an eagle.
http://www.skydivemilwaukee.com/
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Joe Kobiela said on September 9, 2009 at 11:20 am
I flew jumpers for a number of years, what a great group of people. they definitely live life to the fullest,they kind of remind me of my old rugby team mates. It’s really to bad that the first comment you read is someone making fun or putting them down. Jumpers don’t ask you to understand them, just let them have fun. I use to have a jumper sit cross legged on the floor then pull up and push down, causing about 5-10 sec of weightlessness, kick left rudder and float them out the door. I also have had guys get out on the step grab a strut and swing their legs up and hook their feet on top of the wing hanging head down, raise their toes and drop straight down. One of the best jumpers I know is a girl that is 51 about 5’2 and only around 110 lbs, she lives to jump.
Pilot Joe
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LAMary said on September 9, 2009 at 11:22 am
Oh look, another family values politician is screwing around.
http://gawker.com/5355322/hot-mic-catches-gop-lawmakers-graphic-ooze+filled-sex-talk
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Sue said on September 9, 2009 at 11:30 am
Joe, one of the tandems somersaulted out of the plane. Another of the group jumped in a gorilla suit, for some reason. A good time was had by all except one girl who realized on the plane that she had made a big mistake, but jumped anyway.
Edit: just read the Britney reviews. My favorite: ‘and though the bondage portions of the evening sometimes turned tawdry, the show didn’t deride into the pure smut that was her pre-meltdown Onyx Hotel tour.’
Well that’s a relief.
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Jolene said on September 9, 2009 at 11:57 am
Re the California assemblyman: Ewwwww!
At this point in life, nothing should be surprising, but it still amazes me to see people behave so badly. Not the sex, but that 50-something men talk to each other about their sexual exploits during public meetings. So high school, so tacky.
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Jolene said on September 9, 2009 at 11:59 am
Re “didn’t deride”: Where was the copyeditor? That’s not the right word. Deride means something else entirely, as all the smarty-pants writers here know.
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coozledad said on September 9, 2009 at 11:59 am
Literally tacky. And an appetite suppressant to boot.
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Sue said on September 9, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Jolene, the first paragraph noted that Britney had ‘managed to garner a lot of public sympathy in her favor’. As opposed to public sympathy against her? I thought it was generally a messy article, and I’m not one of the smarty-pants writers so who knows what I missed.
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Jean S said on September 9, 2009 at 12:14 pm
onion marmalade recipe at the end of yesterday’s comments. Go for it, people.
I don’t have a fear of heights, but I do have a fear of falling, so no jumping out of planes for me. (hell, it took years to learn to do a headstand in yoga thanks to this issue) But I fondly remember the funny stories some college friends would tell about “things they barely missed” as they landed in fields…
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Jolene said on September 9, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Good catch, Sue, I had noticed the “deride” error when I read it, but missed “sympathy in favor of”. Lately, I see lots more errors such in the WaPo, as well as errors of fact, something that Gene Weingarten predicted would happened when they eliminated some of the layers of editing in their production processes.
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nancy said on September 9, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Joe, if these jumpers confined themselves to airplanes and big open fields, I’d have no problem. But there’s a reason it’s illegal to go off tall buildings in crowded urban areas.
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Dorothy said on September 9, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Thanks for the recipe, Jean. I saw it this morning on my computer at home before I left for work. I printed it out once I got here today!
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moe99 said on September 9, 2009 at 12:44 pm
http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0909/Rep_Schmidt_whispers_I_agree_with_you_to_birther.html
So what part of OH does Jean Schmidt represent? This woman’s a loony too!
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Jeff Borden said on September 9, 2009 at 12:47 pm
When will people start remembering that the microphone in front of them might be turned on? The fine upstanding California legislator, who has worked so hard to deny simple rights to gay people while defending traditional marriage, might still be getting away with screwing TWO lobbyists who represent companies he oversees in committee if not for his stupidity.
Now, does he resign? I’d argue he should, but not because of his adultery. How can he possibly be an effective legislator when he’s literally in the sack with the industries he is supposed to help regulate? Or will he pull a Mark Sanford, who is holding onto his governor’s chair because he believes it is part of God’s plan for him?
LAMary, you know anything about this cat? Is this a career ender for him in the Golden State, or will this blow over?
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Danny said on September 9, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Jeff, it’s hard to say. There is so little talent in the state assembly on either side of the aisle that I wouldn’t be surprised is this douche bag stays ensconced. California is in a heap of trouble from the leadership perspective.
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Jeff Borden said on September 9, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Moe,
As a former Ohioan, I am ashamed to report that her district is very close to the one held by Mr. Tan Man hisself, John Boehner. It is a part of Ohio that would not stand out if relocated to Georgia or South Carolina.
A friend of mine who lives in Boehner’s district has often said that if Jesus H. Christ ran as a Democrat against Charles Manson as a Republican, the Good Lord would be crushed by the maniac. It is that doctrinaire conservative.
Jean Schmidt isn’t in the same league as the dependably wacky Michelle Bachmann, but she puts her foot into her piehole every once in awhile. I know a few years ago she was calling John Murtha a coward for his stance on the war and mocking him with the remarks of some Marine in her district. She apparently was unaware that Murtha had joined the corps as a private and left as a colonel.
Due diligence: Murtha is a Democrat and is as ethically compromised as any politician in Washington. His military service to his country, however, cannot be questioned.
One other point, Boehner and Schmidt would not stand a chance if they lived in the Columbus or Cleveland areas. There are plenty of Republicans in those metro areas, but the vast majority walk erect and can handle simple utensils.
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Joe Kobiela said on September 9, 2009 at 12:55 pm
N,
Most but not all base jumpers will go off a building on a weekend when it’s not to busy. The video showed almost no traffic or pedestrians. Why is it illegal?
Most jumpers get busted for Trespassing. Sue I have never had a girl refuse to jump, but have had my share of big tough guys ride back down with me. If you have someone try to get back in the plane, you just reach out your hand to help them back in, The jumper reaches out to you and guess what? Their gone.
I have dropped naked divers before, but never in a tandem. I hear they whistle on the way down.
Pilot Joe
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coozledad said on September 9, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Jeff Borden: I believe the man’s what you’d call a double naught spy.
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Jeff Borden said on September 9, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Danny,
We face the same thing in Illinois. Our legislature is filled with petty little people whose own power trips obscure any service they might render to their constituents. I’m pretty obviously a liberal, but the Illinois Dems are a pretty foul bunch, by and large, and I would not mourn their replacement. I’ve voted for plenty of Republicans since moving here, but the local GOP has been just as corrupt as the Dems, so they lack any real power to sway the public. We’re really stuck.
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Danny said on September 9, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Finally, a natural resource that America has in abundance. Fat from liposuction is found to contain easily reprogrammable stem cells.
I’m happy that this seems to be a viable alternative to embryonic stem cells.
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Julie Robinson said on September 9, 2009 at 1:18 pm
When our daughter was living in Colorado, a BASE jumper died in a bridge jump–smacked into the pillars while swinging after the jump. She met a paramedic who had responded to the scene and was seriously traumatized. I bet the jumper thought he was being free and independent, but the actions we take always affect others.
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jeff borden said on September 9, 2009 at 1:20 pm
More good news.
Disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley, (R-Teen Boys), is getting his own radio show in West Palm Beach, where he will discuss political issues weekly. There’s a pretty hilarious interview with the station manager who is hiring Foley over at Talking Points Memo.
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LAMary said on September 9, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Jeff, I don’t know about this guy really. As Danny said, it’s hard to pick anyone in our state legislature who is a standout. There are a few, but very few. This guy Duvall is pretty disgusting and certainly compromised. He’s repping a part of the state that might not put up with him being such a slimeball.
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Danny said on September 9, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Mary, I wonder if Duvall is circumcised. We definitely need to know that to judge his fitness for office.
Jeff, “(R-Teen Boys)?” Hilarious!
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moe99 said on September 9, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Frankly, pound for pound, measure for measure I think the ratio of bad Republicans to bad Dems currently seems to be about 10 to 1.
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Danny said on September 9, 2009 at 1:32 pm
That’s because your scale is broken.
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basset said on September 9, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I’ll repeat Norman Blake’s line… “I like to live life at ground level – no higher than the barn loft, no lower than the ‘taters.”
that said… my father-in-law was in the 11th Airborne in WWII, says they used to jump out the C-47 door, then try & slap the tail of the plane as they went by.
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jeff borden said on September 9, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Danny, you are on a roll today, lol.
I think all political parties and movements, being made up of human beings, are going to have members who do not live up to the standards they set for themselves. John Edwards is not more noble than Rep. Duvall simply because he tried to keep his affair under wraps, while the clown in California was bragging about his conquests to a fellow legislator. They’re both creeps who cheated on their wives and betrayed the trusts of their spouses and their children.
The fallout, however, is much worse for guys like Rep. Duvall in California, who shout their moral superiority from the treetops while flouting the very morals they claim to uphold. Edwards is a narcissistic dick, but hadn’t held himself up as a paragon of morality prior to his affair.
It’s the hypocrisy that really amplifies these stories. Anti-gay senators like Larry Craig arrested in a men’s room, or public crusaders against child pornography like Mark Foley, who turn out to lust for teenaged boys.
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James said on September 9, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Moe:
RE: 10 to 1
I don’t think that the number of bad Republicans to Democrats is in that ratio, but I do believe that the “stupid Republicans who get caught” to “smarter Dems who don’t” is probably somewhere in that neighborhood.
What a buncha morons.
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moe99 said on September 9, 2009 at 2:43 pm
This list is two years old, so there’s a few more to add to it like Senator Vitter and Governor Sanford, but it’s pretty long:
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/october172007/repub_scandals_10_17_07.php
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ROgirl said on September 9, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Sounds like a lot of cases of testosterone poisoning in that crowd.
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Sue said on September 9, 2009 at 2:59 pm
The sidebar entertainment – well, maybe not entertainment but I can’t think of a better word – for me is guessing what the wives will do. I always hope there will be a public “Not with me you don’t, asshole” walkaway. It’s so awful to watch this destroyed wife standing next to her husband as he resigns/asks forgiveness/says it’s ok because God’s forgiven him/rails against the people who are really responsible for his predicament. I would like a few more of them to do the Jenny Sanford Waltz, minus the Elizabeth Edwards media blitz. The patron saint of these ladies seems to be Pat Nixon, whose heartbreaking expression during the resignation speech always got to me. Forget Watergate – I find Nixon despicable for his disgusting treatment of his wife.
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Jeff Borden said on September 9, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Well, there are enough randy fools in politics that there will be an entire prime-time series this fall exploring the fallout from the wife’s point of view.
I like ROgirl’s thought that there is a lot of testosterone poisoning in the halls of government. Wasn’t it Henry Kissinger, who dated the likes of bombshells like Jill St. John, who said power was the ultimate aphrodisiac? How else to explain how a toadish looking little man would be able to date someone like that?
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coozledad said on September 9, 2009 at 4:11 pm
If I’d been that reporter, I think the first question I’d have tried to get him to answer would be “How long do you estimate it will take to pull your wife’s foot out of your ass?”
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LAMary said on September 9, 2009 at 4:19 pm
http://crooksandliars.com/2007/08/29/bbcs-little-britain-channels-republican-larry-craigs-bath-room-bust
This was on Little Britain before the Larry Craig bathroom incident.
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Sue said on September 9, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Baucus health plan is out. Cooperatives instead of a public option, tax on insurance companies, fines for families and individuals who do not obtain coverage. Nothing in the article about safeguards against recission.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/09/baucus-plan-would-fine-uninsured/
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jeff borden said on September 9, 2009 at 4:55 pm
The creep from California already has resigned. His statement acknowledges the damage he has done to his family and the legislature, but is refreshingly free from the usual “I know my God has forgiven me” boilerplate that Mark Sanford continuously evokes.
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coozledad said on September 9, 2009 at 5:02 pm
I was hoping he’d say something along the lines of “I’m resigning to devote more time to avoiding being slowly and painfully killed.”
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Sue said on September 9, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Jeff, any word on the fate of the lobbyists/fluid recipients?
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on September 9, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Where Britney Spears can work in a few years — http://www.sweet-juniper.com/2009/09/most-magical-place-in-upstate-new-york.html
If it weren’t Sweet Juniper, i’d suspect some photoshopping, but no, it appears to be real, if real is the right word.
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Rana said on September 9, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Canadians talking calmly and sensibly about health care reform. Too bad we don’t do calm and sensible in this country…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXXBCFnhsUc
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Jeff Borden said on September 9, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I wonder if there will be any fallout for the lobbyists? One of them was identified because Mr. Big Mouth told his seatmate the birthday of his inamorata, and an enterprising reporter went to work. The identity of the other remains unknown.
Even in the ethics-challenged world of lobbyists, is sleeping with a politician allowed? Or, as someone at another site not nearly as populated with clever folks as NN.C posted, were they were “just doing their jobs?”
God help us all if the U.S. Supreme Court decides there is nothing wrong with direct campaign contributions from corporations. If you think our government is being bought and sold now, imagine what that flood of cash would do.
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LAMary said on September 9, 2009 at 5:34 pm
The amusement park Sweet Juniper visits a real gem. Wow. I’ve seen places sort of like that, but the theory that all the crap from amusement parks that go under ends up there seems valid.
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MichaelG said on September 9, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Plenty of scumbags, sell outs and incompetents on both sides of the aisle here in Sacto. At this point I wouldn’t give you a dime for the whole lot of them.
When jumping a C-130 you have to make a strong exit (jump real good) to avoid bumping the side of the aircraft as it passes you by. There are no consequences other than your fatigues picking up whatever dirt and oil are on the side of the aircraft for all on the ground to behold. And hearing about it.
When jumping a C-141 it’s possible for jumpers from the opposite doors to get sucked together in the wake of the aircraft. It happened to me at Ft. Bragg, NC. I was third man right door and he was second man left door. Right and left are reversed when looking to the rear of the plane. We came together, my foot and his face. The impact was the first I knew of it. I never saw him until he popped up in front of me and ended up in my rigging above my head. He climbed down and we hugged to avoid being bounced into each other on the way down. Then I fell on top of him. He was second man. He should have been gone by the time I got there. On the other hand we tended to unass an airplane rapidly since the trucks were parked at the entry to the drop zone and the aircraft flew over the entry through the DZ and every second aboard the A/C carried one that much farther from the trucks. The chutes were hopelessly tangled and I got him to carry them back to the trucks since he was a rigger and supposed to know better. These were static line jumps.
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jeff borden said on September 9, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Well, this could turn out to be some fun for our friends in California. The disgraced creep, Michael Duval, ain’t out of the woods yet. Check this out from Americablog:
After California Assemblyman Michael Duvall (R-Orange County) was caught making obscene boasts about sex with married lobbyists on a live microphone in committee meeting, the 700,000-member Courage Campaign called on Attorney General Jerry Brown to investigate.
“This isn’t just a sex scandal, it’s a corruption scandal,” said Rick Jacobs, Courage Campaign founder and chair.
“A vice-chairman of the Committee on Utilities and Commerce was literally in bed with Sempra Energy’s lobbyist. Assemblyman Duvall’s ‘sex for votes’ affairs have cheated Californians out of honest government. We call on the attorney general to investigate Mr. Duvall to see if he can be prosecuted for selling his votes.”
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ROgirl said on September 9, 2009 at 6:09 pm
The guy in California may be a douchebag, but at least he realized that he’d committed a serious breach of etiquette (and worse) and chose to resign. Sanford is spinning out a scenario that apparently doesn’t acknowledge that his behavior betrayed his family and made a mockery of his office.
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moe99 said on September 9, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Politics is Hollywood for ugly people. Don’t know who said it, but it is apt more than not.
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jeff borden said on September 9, 2009 at 6:35 pm
What’s puzzling to me about Mark Sanford is the why? His fellow Republicans hate him and want him to resign. The Democrats hate him and want him to resign. He has ethics issues aplenty for the use of state money and vehicles. His wife and family have moved from Columbia to Charleston. He can’t run for reelection and his behavior in office has rendered him electoral toast for anything beyond the Official Laughingstock of South Carolina.
And yet. . .he soldiers on. He’s constantly invoking God for his every decision, so perhaps he honestly believes that Jehovah is guiding him toward something.
Or does he need the money? Mrs. Sanford is the wealthy one here, not him. Here in Illinois, Governor Blago will do anything for a buck because he’s up to his feathered haircut in legal expenses and has two elementary school age daughters. Perhaps Sanford stands to pocket a bigger pension? There must be some reason for him to continue to be the skunk at the garden party.
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MichaelG said on September 9, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Jeff B., Karen Bass, Speaker of the Assembly, says she is going to start an investigation into Duvall’s activities because of the ethics issue.
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MichaelG said on September 9, 2009 at 6:43 pm
The movie was a lot of fun. The star was excellent (though I had reservations about her hairstyle). You guys do a really professional job.
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jeff borden said on September 9, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Michael G.
Thanks for the update. I think that’s great news for California and very bad news for Rep. Duval. I wonder how many other upstanding family men in the California legislature are already quaking in their loafers?? I’m willing to bet Mr. Duval is not the only guy enjoying this kind of treatment from lobbyists, but then, I’m an utter cynic.
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LAMary said on September 9, 2009 at 6:52 pm
I’ve got to watch the movie at home. I can get video here at the office, but folks might look askance at me watching a movie at my desk.
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Jolene said on September 9, 2009 at 7:44 pm
The movie! Forgot to comment. I really liked it. Good story. Also liked the pacing and the look of it (settings, lighting, costumes) a lot.
You should definitely put screenwriter on your resume.
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Deborah said on September 9, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Great story. Somehow I missed the movie when I read the post this morning. Didn’t know it was there until I read the comments. I loved the setting in the creepy carnival or whatever that was too.
Jim from Sweet Juniper is going to be at a gallery in Chicago where his feral dog photos are being exhibited. I’m going.
Then on Saturday I’m going to U2 concert for free at Soldier Field. A vendor I’ve been hoping to do business with invited a bunch of potential customers, to a party first then they take us on a shuttle to the concert. These are the folks who fabricated the three dimensional digital display background for the concert. It’s either going to be fabulous or horrible. I love U2 though, I’ve been to a few of their concerts before, but had to pay… a lot.
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moe99 said on September 9, 2009 at 8:56 pm
The movie cut off right where the paint can is being swung, or is that the end? I couldn’t get it to advance any further. Dang.
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alex said on September 9, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Well, Boustany wasn’t a bust like Jindal, but he came across as insincere and his message was just a rehash of every spurious charge that has already been made. Obama’s speech was killer. I’m not writing off health care reform yet.
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coozledad said on September 9, 2009 at 9:42 pm
South Carolina needs to keep its horrific genetic errors at home, chained in the attic, according to the time honored traditions of incestuous backwaters everywhere. Joe Wilson ought to be cleaning toilets, at most.
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Deborah said on September 9, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Jim from Sweet Juniper’s Feral House photos not dog photos.
I missed the Obama speech, from what I’ve heard from the pundits it sounds like it went well. Good news.
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derwood said on September 9, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Standing O for the movie. Really nice job. You may have told us before but where did you shoot the old carnival areas?
daron
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nancy said on September 9, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Thanks, all. (And sorry for playback problems. It’s outta my hands.) We were very fortunate to have use of Theatre Bizarre, a performance space under more or less constant construction by a couple of artists, who live in houses that bookend the lot(s). They have a few events a year, chief among them a big Halloween party, but for the most part it’s just a place to play in, and one of their requirements of us was that the work be entirely non-commercial. (No problem THERE.)
We had about half a dozen locations lined up, and were lucky our genre was thriller/suspense. I think a romantic comedy would have been a harder sell there.
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Jolene said on September 9, 2009 at 10:15 pm
cooz, according to Keith Olbermann, John McCain said that Wilson should apologize to the president and do so immediately.
I thought the speech was good. Seemed to me that both recalcitrant Democrats and Republicans were put on notice.
Many miles to go, but, still, it seemed to me a big step forward.
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brian stouder said on September 9, 2009 at 10:59 pm
The president’s speech: excellent.
The now-apologetic member of congress from South Carolina: idiotic.
The 48 hour film: engrossing; I wasn’t ready for it to end! One had to smile as soon as the creepy clown tattoo came into view – classic bit of NN.c atmosphere, that phobia about clowns. A question – was the spinning fan a nod to …was it that Mickey Rourke movie Angel Heart? Whenever Satan (De Niro?) wisped into a room, there would be a fan turning.
And we thought we’d gone off to hell with the clueless waitress who loves crap!
(btw – I’m a brunette fan, but the blonde at the center of the movie is hot!)
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on September 9, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Who does the lighting for the Republican responses? Or the makeup? Ed Wood?
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whitebeard said on September 10, 2009 at 12:06 am
Gee, now even Fort Wayne knows where Hartford is, two wit:
Last updated: September 9, 2009 6:42 p.m.
Conflict of what?
Courant assigns daughter to cover dad’s team
By Ben Smith
The Journal Gazette
Great Moments in Sports Journalism, Vol. 6,937: The Associated Press is reporting that the Hartford Courant, whose editors may or may not have had their brains sucked out by powerful suctions hoses, has assigned Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma’s daughter Alysa to cover her father’s basketball team.
All together now: Say what?!
Look, I understand that the concept of conflict of interest has pretty much gone out the window in this country (See: Health care reform, insurance company lobbyists, legislators). But, seriously, how can the Courant do this? Hello, is anyone awake over there?
I’m trying to think of a circumstance where my editors would allow me to cover a team coached by my father. I can’t. We may not be a major East Coast publication, but at least we still understand where you draw the line.
The Courant, apparently, does not. This reminds me of a a similar circumstance that happened in Indianapolis a few years back, in which a certain Indy TV reporter was allowed to stay on the auto racing beat despite the fact she was dating one of the drivers. The general manager of the station released a statement saying that the reporter had assured him this would not interfere with the quality of her reporting.
I don’t know where that GM is now. On the street, I hope.
Meanwhile, Alysa Auriemma assures everyone she won’t be writing “anything controversial” about her father’s team.
Gee, ya think?
Original AP story follows”
UConn coach’s daughter hired to cover his team
By PATRICK SANDERS (AP) – 4 hours ago
HARTFORD, Conn. — A daughter of Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said Wednesday she’s been hired by The Hartford Courant to help cover the six-time national championship team.
Alysa Auriemma told The Associated Press that she’ll regularly give an insider’s viewpoint about her father and the team beginning this fall. The articles will be published on her blog and linked to the Courant’s Web site, she said.
She said The Courant is paying her “a pretty good amount per article” but declined to say how much she’ll be paid.
The 23-year-old, who graduated from UConn with a degree in dramatic arts, said she’ll take readers behind the scenes, but will not write anything controversial about her father’s team.
She said she’ll also counter what she called “false press” about her father, a Hall of Famer who will coach the women’s basketball team in the 2012 Olympics.
“There’s a lot of false press about my father,” she said. “This is a good format to kind of clear up some things and kind of get the truth out there.”
The Courant did not return telephone calls. John Altavilla, a Courant reporter who covers the team, said on his Courant blog Wednesday that Auriemma will blog, write stories and participate in question and a nswer sessions during the season.
He compared her hiring to ABC News hiring former President Ronald Reagan’s son, Ronnie, and NBC’s recent decision to hire former first daughter Jenna Bush Hager as a “Today” correspondent.
“Her blog, an inside look at what it’s like to be her, is an entertaining read, and a nice insight into the life of the women’s basketball team you all care about so much,” Altavilla said.
Geno Auriemma did not return a telephone call.
The move was questioned by a journalism ethics expert and media observers of the Courant, which has come under fire in recent weeks for allegedly stealing news stories from competitors and allegations that it dismissed its consumer columnist because he wrote columns critical of advertisers.
Kelly McBride, head of the ethics faculty at the Poynter Institute in Florida, said Alysa Auriemma’s job poses problems for the Courant and its readers.
“When you hire the coach’s daughter, as an institution your independence is compromised,” McBride said. “They’re going to have to explain how this does not imply that they’re essentially not going to become part of the family.”
Alysa Auriemma blogged about the team and answered some of Altavilla’s questions in a Q-and-A format last season, but she was not paid and her work was not linked on the Courant. She wrote a bylined story this spring at the end of the team’s undefeated, national championship season that still appears on the Courant’s online archive , but it’s not known if she was paid.
Auriemma said she’s learned that her readers want a behind-the-scenes look at the program and her father, which she’ll get by watching practices, watching the players interact with each other and talking to her father about what he may tell them.
“In Connecticut, everyone views this team as their family,” she said. “They always say, ‘How are your girls doing’ or ‘How are our girls going to be this year?’ It’s a very close-knit familial feel that the team generates.”
The hiring is one of several recent ethics controversies at the Courant, owned by Chicago-based Tribune Co. Editors at several area newspapers have accused the Courant, which cut its news staff in half in recent months because of sagging advertising revenues, of stealing news stories and republishing them online and in the Courant.
The Courant’s publisher apologized last week for plagiarism, saying it improperly stripped attribution from stories it published in the Courant that were first reported by its competitors. But it says it will maintain what it calls its “aggregation policy” of taking stories off of other newspaper’s Web sites to use on its own site.
Last month, the Courant dismissed its former consumer columnist, who has accused the Courant of firing him because he wrote columns critical of the newspaper’s advertisers. The Courant has said columnist George Gombossy’s position was eliminated and that advertisers don’t play a role in news decisions.
Duby McDowell, who runs a Hartford communications company and publishes a blog that covers the Connecticut news media, said the Courant’s arrangement with the coach’s daughter is an ethical lapse that would have been unthinkable until recently at the nation’s oldest continuously published newspaper.
“If you had told me this a year ago, I wouldn’t have believed you,” McDowell said. “But the way that upper management has been willing over the past few months to dismantle the newspaper’s journalistic reputation, it doesn’t surprise me.”
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Dexter said on September 10, 2009 at 12:18 am
Welly welly well well, as Dim Droog might say…Mitch Albom mentioned straight-off…and a dreamy carnival the set…and while we are not meeting “The Five People you Meet in Heaven”, we do meet the one person we’ll meet in hell, and he meets an end similar to Eddie the carny in Albom’s book! It’s ALL so Detroity! I loved it! ( Sorry, but I also loved the book.)
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Dexter said on September 10, 2009 at 1:25 am
Autumn in New York…Billie Holiday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl_e7UW-bz8
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John said on September 10, 2009 at 8:26 am
I liked the movie a lot, especially the score, the camera work, and the editing. Very impressive considering the time constraint.
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Connie said on September 10, 2009 at 9:19 am
On this morning’s news, while he did not use these words, Souder pretty much called the President a liar, stating there were many falsehoods in his speech to congress.
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