Oh, yeah, and in case you were wondering, this was how jury duty went yesterday:
8:15... Arrive at court house; wait in line for about 10 minutes to get through metal detector.
8:25... Take a seat in jury waiting room, which is a pretty nice jury waiting room. Two newer computers with free Internet access, a big TV in a separate room, comfy seating. I could get used to this.
9:00... Audio of juror orientation is played over the waiting room p.a. Sounds like it was supposed to be accompanied by video, but there's no video anywhere, so we all stare into space while a disembodied voice tells us how important we jurors are.
10:30... Half of the potential jurors - but not me - are called to a trial.
10:45... The other half are told that nothing else will happen until 1:30, so we're free to take a 2 hour, 45 minute lunch break. Which seems OK.
1:10... Return to jury waiting room 20 minutes early. Not sure why, except that...
1:18... Jury waiting room announcer lady announces about 15 names and tells us that the case we would have heard has been settled, and we're free to leave. Or we can stay until 2 to hear the judge explain what happened.
1:18.01... I decide not to stay until 2 to hear the judge explain what happened.
2:30... Nap.
So there you have it. America's justice system works again. I'm honored to have served. Look forward to doing it again next year.
December 9, 2008
... making O.J. the second-dumbest criminal in the news this week
Sure, this may seem sad, pathetic and hopeless.
But it's also totally awesome that a governor, who knows - and who everyone else knows - is the subject of a years-long investigation for... what was it? oh yeah... corruption gets busted for trying to sell a Senate seat to the highest bidder. Again: While he's under investiagation for doing that kind of thing anyway. It's just that now he's doing it with a Senate seat.
So I think it's incredibly cool that Illinois politicians keep coming up with new ways to break the law. So creative. So entrepreneurial.
I'm just... I'm... speechless? Yes. Impressed? You betcha.
What's the over-under on hours till Blagojevich's resignation? I'll take 18 hours from right now, although the smart money may be on "under."
But it's also totally awesome that a governor, who knows - and who everyone else knows - is the subject of a years-long investigation for... what was it? oh yeah... corruption gets busted for trying to sell a Senate seat to the highest bidder. Again: While he's under investiagation for doing that kind of thing anyway. It's just that now he's doing it with a Senate seat.
So I think it's incredibly cool that Illinois politicians keep coming up with new ways to break the law. So creative. So entrepreneurial.
I'm just... I'm... speechless? Yes. Impressed? You betcha.
What's the over-under on hours till Blagojevich's resignation? I'll take 18 hours from right now, although the smart money may be on "under."
December 7, 2008
Duty calls
I'm on jury duty starting Monday. I'm certainly in favor of everyone having to do their part for our wild and wacky legal system (I'm just calling it wacky because this was the weekend OJ got sent away for stealing sports memorabilia, a decade or so after skating for two murders), but I just hope it doesn't adversely affect my blogging schedule.
Actually, I'm probably the only person I know who actually looks forward to jury duty. I'd kinda like to get in the box and listening to some riveting testimony. We'll see how that works out.
Whatever happens, it'd sure be cool if I get to see an attorney wearing a shirt that says "No cupable" - y'know, like the guy in this post.
How am I preparing? I loaded some new This American Life, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me and All Songs Considered podcasts onto the magic little music box, in case I have to amuse myself while waiting to be called. I bought a 230-count box of granola bars at Costco (actually, it might have "only" been 96 bars) (you may mock me, but what if it's a long trial?). And I'm practicing saying awesome things like res ipsa loquitur and voir dire. Yes, I know I probably can leave those phrases to the professionals. But just in case.
Actually, I'm probably the only person I know who actually looks forward to jury duty. I'd kinda like to get in the box and listening to some riveting testimony. We'll see how that works out.
Whatever happens, it'd sure be cool if I get to see an attorney wearing a shirt that says "No cupable" - y'know, like the guy in this post.
How am I preparing? I loaded some new This American Life, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me and All Songs Considered podcasts onto the magic little music box, in case I have to amuse myself while waiting to be called. I bought a 230-count box of granola bars at Costco (actually, it might have "only" been 96 bars) (you may mock me, but what if it's a long trial?). And I'm practicing saying awesome things like res ipsa loquitur and voir dire. Yes, I know I probably can leave those phrases to the professionals. But just in case.
December 5, 2008
Into the woods
I'm not sure how you'd review a movie like Defiance in six words.
I can tell you that if you have a chance to see it for free at the supercool Majestic Crest theater in Westwood (an old-fashioned one-screen theater; the interior is even neater than the outside, but I can't find any photos of the auditorium) with screenwriters Ed Zwick and Clayton Frohman doing a post-screening Q&A, well, you should do that. Or you could wait till the late-December release and just see it in a movieplex near you, without the Q&A.
Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, the guy who played Billy Elliot and some kid who doesn't really talk play brothers who lead hundreds of Jews to escape Nazi persecution by hiding out in the forests of Belarussia, and while they're there, repel repeated Nazi attacks. The trailer is here, but - if you haven't seen the trailer yet - consider skipping it. I don't think it spoils any surprises, necessarily, but you might be better off watching the film knowing less in advance about the challenges the group faces.
I'll preface my patented Six-word Movie Review by writing that I thought Defiance was good - the true story is so amazing that the film is certainly worth seeing. But I don't think it was great, and I can't put my finger on exactly why.
The film: Defiance.
The six-word review: Amazing true story; just missing something.
Last thought: This movie took place in a forest; the last movie I saw, Benjamin Button, reminded me of Gump. What are the odds?
I can tell you that if you have a chance to see it for free at the supercool Majestic Crest theater in Westwood (an old-fashioned one-screen theater; the interior is even neater than the outside, but I can't find any photos of the auditorium) with screenwriters Ed Zwick and Clayton Frohman doing a post-screening Q&A, well, you should do that. Or you could wait till the late-December release and just see it in a movieplex near you, without the Q&A.
Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, the guy who played Billy Elliot and some kid who doesn't really talk play brothers who lead hundreds of Jews to escape Nazi persecution by hiding out in the forests of Belarussia, and while they're there, repel repeated Nazi attacks. The trailer is here, but - if you haven't seen the trailer yet - consider skipping it. I don't think it spoils any surprises, necessarily, but you might be better off watching the film knowing less in advance about the challenges the group faces.
I'll preface my patented Six-word Movie Review by writing that I thought Defiance was good - the true story is so amazing that the film is certainly worth seeing. But I don't think it was great, and I can't put my finger on exactly why.
The film: Defiance.
The six-word review: Amazing true story; just missing something.
Last thought: This movie took place in a forest; the last movie I saw, Benjamin Button, reminded me of Gump. What are the odds?
December 3, 2008
De-posed
Seeing someone stick it to the man is always fun.
But it's even more fun when the man who's sticking it to the man is the ex-man, in this case Mario Cuomo. New York's popular ex-governor is refusing to pose for an official portrait that's supposed to be hung in some Gallery of Governors in Albany. They're about to hang the painting of his successor, but I guess the space they saved for Cuomo's likeness will remain empty for the foreseeable future.
To which I say: Good call, Mario. Who needs the aggravation? (Besides, the article says, he'd have to pay for the picture himself. I'd back out on that basis alone.)
But voice your choice, America. Hit that Comments link below and tell me what you think.
But it's even more fun when the man who's sticking it to the man is the ex-man, in this case Mario Cuomo. New York's popular ex-governor is refusing to pose for an official portrait that's supposed to be hung in some Gallery of Governors in Albany. They're about to hang the painting of his successor, but I guess the space they saved for Cuomo's likeness will remain empty for the foreseeable future.
To which I say: Good call, Mario. Who needs the aggravation? (Besides, the article says, he'd have to pay for the picture himself. I'd back out on that basis alone.)
But voice your choice, America. Hit that Comments link below and tell me what you think.
Old and news
It's been a while since I've bored you with a nod to the New York Times' frequently awesome online infographics. There were just too many to choose from during the campaign, and besides, I had caribou on the brain.
But in the face of a complete and utter lack of requests from you, the SFTC reader, for more coverage of the great and wonderful ways that the NYT presents information in pretty charts, graphs and photos, I thought it was about time to pay a visit to those mad geniuses who make the old Gray Lady's web site so newsgeeky-fun.
It's not terribly new, but my latest find is this weekly series of then-and-now pictures from various parts of NYC. The writer/photographer took a bunch of photos in 1978 for a New York guidebook, and now is returning to the same spots to show what they look like from the same vantage point in 2008. These are probably more interesting if you live in New York, but either way, I love how the site displays the photos with a roll-bar that lets you reveal portions of the new picture in the same frame as the old picture - or to just see either picture on its own. Fun, right?
Maybe some day I'll have the patience - 30 years is a lot of patience, but whatever - to do something like this.
Unrelated random thought: For no apparent reason, I was wondering if anyone else had thought of this idea for a web page. And of course, someone had. A long time ago. But I like it.
December 2, 2008
All about the Benjamin
I've been lax in my blogging duties lately. I apologize. I think it's partly because I knew this post would be my 200th - would it look more momentous if I spelled it out: my two-hundredth post? No, I guess not.
The point is, I was trying to save up for a high-quality update worthy of this mini landmark in blogging. But it turns out this is the best I could come up with:
Yeah, it's expensive as all get out to live in L.A. But it's worth it because (1) the weather is close to perfect and (2) free movie screenings, baby!
Last year, somehow, I got myself onto a list to receive email invites to screenings, and for whatever reason, those invites are picking up heading into the end of 2008. Last night, my indescribably beautiful wife and caught a sneak preview of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (high-def trailer here), which doesn't even open until Christmas! Now that's a preview. Next up is a freebie of Defiance, later this week. Don't worry, I'll report back on that one.
(Last night's screening was held at the Directors Guild of America's headquarters on Sunset Blvd. We'd driven by the building about 100 times before and never noticed it, which is strange because it looks like this.)
As you may know by now, TCCBB follows the life of Pitt's character, who is born a tiny old man and ages in reverse.
The title of the film comes from an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story on which it's based - well, very very loosely based (really the only leftovers from the original text were the character named Benjamin Button and the idea that he grows younger). So the title made sense. But I kept wondering if they considered renaming it to something like "In Which Brad Pitt Just Keeps Getting Better Looking For The Better Part of Three Hours."
At one point, when Pitt comes on screen having un-aged a few more years, appearing now to be in his early 20s, two women sitting behind me just laughed. I'm postive that what made them laugh was the absurdity of watching Brad Pitt's rugged good looks improve right before their very eyes. Unquestionably, they figured they'd already seen the guy at his most movie-star handsome: How much gorgeouser could he get? This isn't like a weird male crush observation - I'm just giving you the cold hard facts, people.
As the movie went on, I kept thinking that it reminded me an awful lot of Forrest Gump, and when the movie was over and the screenwriter came out for Q&A, I figured out why. Said screenwriter was Eric Roth, who also wrote Gump, and a few other pretty memorable flicks. Gump and Button are definitely not the same movie, but they share several major elements - the short moment-in-time episodes, the way they use a narrator and flashbacks, a star-crossed love story and, in the background, the evolution of American culture throughout the 20th century. (Or twentieth century, if, again, you find that kind of thing more momentous-sounding.) Which is to say that if you liked Forrest Gump, I think you'd probably be safe with a trip to see the Button.
Two more quick asides before I get to my patented Six-word Movie Review.
1) For no apparent reason, the movie had a weird scene that involved Teddy Roosevelt watching some blind clockmaker (the guy was blind, not the clocks) install a big clock in a train station. The clock worked backwards, which matched the theme of the movie, but the whole storyline, which set up the movie, seemed pretty extraneous. Why am I telling you this? Because Ed Metzger, the dude who played President Roosevelt, has apparently carved out an interesting career playing dead famous guys, including Einstein (at least five times in different TV shows and movies!) and George Washington. Weird, I know, but cool.
2) Most of the movie takes place in New Orleans. But Fitzgerald's story and - according to Roth himself - the original screenplay were set in Baltimore. The Cajuns offered the filmmakers a better financial deal, so they took the production down to the bayou. Nice goin', Charm City: You could've had Brangelina and Cate Blanchett hanging out at Bertha's Mussels and Ravens games! Opportunity missed.
Good god, this post is almost as long as the movie itself. Before I overdo it, ladies and gentlemen, your Six-word Movie Review!
The film: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
The six-word review: Reverse in story love Gump-like melancholy.
The point is, I was trying to save up for a high-quality update worthy of this mini landmark in blogging. But it turns out this is the best I could come up with:
Yeah, it's expensive as all get out to live in L.A. But it's worth it because (1) the weather is close to perfect and (2) free movie screenings, baby!
Last year, somehow, I got myself onto a list to receive email invites to screenings, and for whatever reason, those invites are picking up heading into the end of 2008. Last night, my indescribably beautiful wife and caught a sneak preview of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (high-def trailer here), which doesn't even open until Christmas! Now that's a preview. Next up is a freebie of Defiance, later this week. Don't worry, I'll report back on that one.
(Last night's screening was held at the Directors Guild of America's headquarters on Sunset Blvd. We'd driven by the building about 100 times before and never noticed it, which is strange because it looks like this.)
As you may know by now, TCCBB follows the life of Pitt's character, who is born a tiny old man and ages in reverse.
The title of the film comes from an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story on which it's based - well, very very loosely based (really the only leftovers from the original text were the character named Benjamin Button and the idea that he grows younger). So the title made sense. But I kept wondering if they considered renaming it to something like "In Which Brad Pitt Just Keeps Getting Better Looking For The Better Part of Three Hours."
At one point, when Pitt comes on screen having un-aged a few more years, appearing now to be in his early 20s, two women sitting behind me just laughed. I'm postive that what made them laugh was the absurdity of watching Brad Pitt's rugged good looks improve right before their very eyes. Unquestionably, they figured they'd already seen the guy at his most movie-star handsome: How much gorgeouser could he get? This isn't like a weird male crush observation - I'm just giving you the cold hard facts, people.
As the movie went on, I kept thinking that it reminded me an awful lot of Forrest Gump, and when the movie was over and the screenwriter came out for Q&A, I figured out why. Said screenwriter was Eric Roth, who also wrote Gump, and a few other pretty memorable flicks. Gump and Button are definitely not the same movie, but they share several major elements - the short moment-in-time episodes, the way they use a narrator and flashbacks, a star-crossed love story and, in the background, the evolution of American culture throughout the 20th century. (Or twentieth century, if, again, you find that kind of thing more momentous-sounding.) Which is to say that if you liked Forrest Gump, I think you'd probably be safe with a trip to see the Button.
Two more quick asides before I get to my patented Six-word Movie Review.
1) For no apparent reason, the movie had a weird scene that involved Teddy Roosevelt watching some blind clockmaker (the guy was blind, not the clocks) install a big clock in a train station. The clock worked backwards, which matched the theme of the movie, but the whole storyline, which set up the movie, seemed pretty extraneous. Why am I telling you this? Because Ed Metzger, the dude who played President Roosevelt, has apparently carved out an interesting career playing dead famous guys, including Einstein (at least five times in different TV shows and movies!) and George Washington. Weird, I know, but cool.
2) Most of the movie takes place in New Orleans. But Fitzgerald's story and - according to Roth himself - the original screenplay were set in Baltimore. The Cajuns offered the filmmakers a better financial deal, so they took the production down to the bayou. Nice goin', Charm City: You could've had Brangelina and Cate Blanchett hanging out at Bertha's Mussels and Ravens games! Opportunity missed.
Good god, this post is almost as long as the movie itself. Before I overdo it, ladies and gentlemen, your Six-word Movie Review!
The film: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
The six-word review: Reverse in story love Gump-like melancholy.
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