GRABBINGSAND

A simple question: Is the Bush that is running for re-election in 2004 the same Bush that was elected in 2000? There is an obvious difference between the “running” Bush and the “presiding” Bush, and the gap of ideology between the two is continuing to widen. Before 9/11, we had a president who was untested, but who had surrounded himself with names that were tried and dependable. Condoleeza Rice. Colin Powell. If he was unsure, then we could count on one of his advisors. But now… just look at him go.

He’s working on his own now. Sure, the advisors are there and still vocal, but Bush has steadilly gained confidence in the last two years and that growing pride is making him unafraid to reveal his nature. Even if you ignore his volatile international stance, his domestic agenda is becoming more intrusive everyday. His latest target is gay marriage. Admittedly, a touchy subject. One that politicians usually ignore. He’s never understood it, never made an issue of it, but now he’s using his position to actively oppose it. Marriage has always been an unavoidable point of intersection between church and state. While blessed by God (in Christian ceremony), marriage is also a civil ceremony that joins two people for the purposes of taxation, insurance, beneficiary and so on. And while the President may exercise his right as this country’s executive branch to oppose anything on civil or legal means, it is over-stepping to take umbrage against a state-sponsored institution on the basis of purely religious terms. He even invoked Christian doctrine while taking his stand. In a mis-mash of Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 3, he said:

“Yes, I am mindful that we’re all sinners,” the president said Wednesday when asked for his views on homosexuality. “And I caution those who may try to take the speck out of the neighbor’s eye when they’ve got a log in their own.”

Close. The actual verse is more like this: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? And the saddest thing of all is that Bush only seems to recall the third verse from that Sunday School lesson of Matthew 7, and not the first verse…

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

And today, just a day after Bush’s declaration of opposition, isn’t it eerie that another powerful public figure is echoing his very stance? It’s not a prime minister or any other leader of a democratically-designed country. No. It’s the Pope, actually. But then… that’s not surprising. The Pope is a religious leader, one that lives according to a declared religious catechism. While our president, he is supposed to be the democratically-elected voice of the people, the head of a secular institution made up of agreed-upon laws. That is still true, isn’t it? Will it still be true tomorrow?

Typically, this is the time of year when I look forward anxiously to the autumn, looking for clearer skys and cooler days. But I fear we’re going to have to wait until the autumn after next to see any hope of relief… [more at MeFi]

they’re just not realistic. they’ve outlived their era. this is the new millennium, baby, and it is time to turn off the showtunes and turn on the reality television. i mean, nobody actually ever breaks into song in public anymore, do they?

see more brilliantly bastardized images at the star wars photoshopping project.

not? ignore.

atlantans! romans! athenians! albanians! your state government would like you to go out and do some spending this weekend. to encourage such behavior, georgia is having another sales tax holiday. what does this mean? well, if you’re buying a new PC for less than $1,500, you won’t pay sales tax. or if you’re buying certain articles of clothing (belts, coats, bowling shoes) for less than $100 each, they will be tax free. however, if you’re wanting to replace your worn out fanny pack or buy your auntie a new wig, then you’re out of luck. in other words, you might want to use the official list to plan your shopping spree.

we’re morocco bound!”

most of my generation knew him as the guy with the christmas specials. the older fellow who brought on starlet guest stars like brooke shields or farrah fawcett or so on. and he liked golf. he really liked golf. and exxon. if i remember correctly (i didn’t at first), exxon texaco was always his corporate sponsor. and though my parents would laugh, i never really found him all that funny, but i liked him anyway. he seemed to be the all-american guy. this became more apparent when i learned about his work with the USO, how he’d been bringing entertainment of every stripe to america’s armed forces abroad for over fifty years. that dedication takes on an even deeper hue when you remember that he wasn’t even born here.

but then i saw my first “road” movie and i realized just what my parents saw. these movies were made in the 1940s. bob hope was in his comedic prime and at his side was the equally talented bing crosby. bob was the wise-acre nut who never got the girl on purpose, but would usually end up with her on accident. bing was the suave one with the cigarette, the sly grin and the voice to make the ladies swoon. they were hilarious. sometimes the jokes don’t work, but it doesn’t matter because you can tell that bob and bing are loving every minute of it.

and that’s the bob hope i will remember.

i spotted this van on friday morning and scrambled to break out my camera to capture it. now, you might not see anything odd about the back of this particular vehicle, but i think it is hilarious. it is the kind of thing that would almost make you want to ask the driver to pull over, just so you could ask “why?” take a look, directing your attention to the upper left and right corners, then the lower right corner:

see what i mean? you just don’t see the chrome jesus fish combined with a pair of mirrored trucker girls very often. and what is he trying to say?

“Jesus loves me… and I love the ladies!”

maybe you can come up with something better, eh?

okay. do you remember the first time you saw kirsten dunst? it was in a movie, right? interview with the vampire. she was claudia, the vampire trapped in a child’s body, and she did a darn good job. in television appearances, that movie is always cited as her first foray into the realm of entertainment.

but here i am, watching a little television, and there she is. little blonde girl. those same eyes. the grin. ignore the prosthetic thingies stuck on either side of her head and hey… it’s a little kirsten dunst in a season 7 episode of star trek: the next generation. dark page. it’s a lwuxana troi episode, which usually makes me cringe, but it’s worth watching just to see spider-man’s future girlfriend running around the enterprise.

in light of the upcoming domestic release of the movie of the same name, comicsone will be publishing a graphic novel adaptation of stephen chow’s shaolin soccer. as the live action movie plays much like an anime fim anyway, this should prove to be quite a treat and a welcome supplement to the movie itself. you can even take it with you to the theatre and read along with the…

well … maybe that’s not such a good idea, but hey, a comic book is much more portable than a big screen movie, so you could take your shaolin soccer comic everywhere! think of the fun you could have!

it could be like your new best friend that happens to be made of paper and bound together with a pair of staples!

now that they’ve taken down the big two, i guess they’ll be after the other brothers next. you know, like marlon, tito, randy, jermaine…. or is it dimitri, ivan, kolya and katya? no? what about shawn, marlon and damon? i get so confused…

i told you. a year and a half ago, i told you all. i said, this is really good. this is worth your time. go to your local independent video rental shop, i said. seek out this little movie because it is 90 of the best-spent film-minutes you can see. it’s not citizen kane, not the godfather, not even star wars, but you’ll be a happier little person after seeing it.

and next month, if you’ve not sought it out via rental or purchased it through some international hong kong connection, you can finally see it in the comfort of your local multiplex — assuming miramax doesn’t delay it again.