Despite the fact that my word processing program puts a red line under the word “waterboarding,” William Safire recently declared this phrase officially part of our lexicon (March 9 The New York Times Magazine). The following week, the Sunday Times ran a joke about waterboarding by Nick Anderson.
This is a timely and difficult subject, and [...]
Notes from the Back Porch
Perspectives on being.
Archive for March, 2008
Quotable
“To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.”
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Book List
The Language of Power
[ Rosemary Kirstein ]
A World Too Near: Book Two of The Entire and The Rose (The Entire and The Rose 2) (Bk. 2)
[ Kay Kenyon ]
The Magus
[ John Fowles ]
Ride with Me, Mariah Montana
[ Ivan Doig ]
Bright of the Sky: Book One of The Entire and The Rose (The Entire and The Rose 1)
[ Kay Kenyon ]
The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
[ Michael Pollan ]
Worth Watching
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Stranger than Fiction
Despite its slow start, “Stranger than Fiction,” is one of those movies you will think about for a long time after it is over. Meaningful and insightful, yet laughing-out-loud funny, the acting, direction, and cinematography are refreshingly intelligent and polished. Will Ferrell is perfect; Emma Thompson is endearing; and Dustin Hoffman–well, brilliant as usual.
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In the Valley of Elah
Superb movie. Distressing but timely and meaningful. Every aspect of this film is noteworthy from the acting by the major and minor characters to the directions, filming, editing, and scripting. What makes its impact even stronger is knowing it is based on a true story. Tommy Lee Jones at his best.
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Babel
A surprising small part for big actor Brad Pitt, and a fine collaboration by all characters to make a haunting, suspenseful film that moves at a rapid pace as it unfolds the connections of three diverse stories in an unexpected way. A disturbing but important perspective of the global community that we ignore but desperately need to understand.