Friday, August 04, 2006

Ducktators Tonight!

If you're in the dc area tonight and looking for something to do, stop by Provisions Library for their free screening of Ducktators:

Ducktators
(Dir: Wolter Braamhorst, 1997, 46 mins)
Friday, August 4, 7 pm

Ducktators is a unique look at the use of cartoons during World War II. American propaganda during the war had to obey one golden rule: it had to be entertaining. Animated cartoons proved to be an excellent way to deliver propagandistic and educational ideas in a seemingly innocuous manner to the general public and armed forces alike. Ducktators not only offers a rare glimpse at forgotten cartoon material from this moment in history, but goes further to reveal insights about the psyche of the public at that time.

The film blends documentary war footage with animated material and music from the period. The attack on Pearl Harbor, for instance, is intertwined with a Japanese cartoon about the attack. As the 1940s was the period during which the American cinema was most heavily attended, the screening of these cartoons every week guaranteed that most Americans would be exposed to the messages. Among those interviewed in the film are Sody and Bob Clampett, the wife and son of animator Bob Clampett, and Chuck Jones.
This is part of their ongoing Cartoon Film Series, every Friday at 7pm.

Sometimes Democracy Makes you Feel Ill

There isn't much to be happy about these days. You can't swim in the beaches anymore because of bacteria. People continue to shoot, stab and explode other people in places like Lebanon, Israel, Iraq and DC. The NLRB is poised to strip millions of Americans of their union rights. Bush still lives down the street.

But every once in a while good overcomes evil. Most times though, good blends with evil and makes you feel queasy. The US Senate is a case in point. Recently, Democrats have been calling for an increase in the
minimum wage (and by recently I mean for the the past ten years). They figure it's impossible to live on five-dollars and fifteen cents an hour unless you live in a cardboard box and eat dish soap. And they're right.

Republicans, for their part, want to get rid of the
estate tax. They believe another tax-cut for the mega-rich would really help balance the budget. Plus, hard working debutantes billionaires Americans like Alice Walton could really use a break. I mean, she's got priceless artwork to buy!

Unfortunately for them, Republicans haven't had much luck repealing the estate tax. People just don't seem sympathetic to the eight people this law effects. Just when hope seemed lost, the brainiacs in the GOP had a "brain-storm". Why not tack on a choice amendment to the already-pending minimum-wage bill?

That's "crossing-the-aisle" at it's best! Lieberman would be proud!

And so they did. Suddenly the Minimum Wage Bill became the Minimum Wage and Idle-Rich Giveaway Bill. This put Democrats and other interested parties in the not-uncommon position of having to object to a bill they created.

Thankfully(?) Senate Democrats succeeded in blocking this Republican tour de force. It's a real cause for celebration. I'm sure you feel better, right? I do.

I also feel little throwing up. You know why? Because DEMOCRACY WORKS!

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Have No Fear

For the few of you who seem to regularly check this blog, please don't think I've forgotten about it. I've been under the weather the past few days. Things just haven't been right since going to the beach on Sunday. I can't tell if it was the annoyance of having children around, the three to four hour drive each way, or the bacteria-laden water. I blame the children.

Of course, it could be the moldy tiramusu we ate on Monday. Sure, it tasted "ok" but I'm no expert. It supposed to be cheesy, right?

Check back soon for a Mob-Book Roundup and pictures of The Ugliest Little Condo in DC.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Tracking Crime in DC


My next-door neighbor Tom has started a fantastic project called CrimeInDC. It seems he felt motivated to take action after witnessing a running gun battle up Euclid Street. From his website:

"It's the summer of 2006, it's heating up, and crime is starting to have an upswing in the District. Chief Ramsey has called it a 'crime emergency'. Crime is the topic du jour on the nightly news and in the paper and people are tired of it. I'm sick of the muggings, car break-ins, drunken fights, and shootings throughout the city.

I can't exactly go out and stop any of this crime myself, but where I can help is in putting this site together to make people aware of what's going on around them in their neighborhoods. If you know what crimes have happened in the past, you're probably less likely to be a victim of future crime. Through the power of the Internet, I can make all this information available to anyone that wants it free of charge."

The next step in my mind is tracking which crimes get solved and which crimes sink into oblivion.