Yet Another George Lucas Regurgitation

I remember trying to rent Star Wars at this video store down the street from where I lived in San Francisco (Crazzzzy Video). The owner refused to stock the Star Wars movies out of disdain for Lucas’ continual repackaging of the original three movies. This repackaging, however interesting, reminds me of that store owner’s complaint. Dead on, really.

P.S.  I also like the “they (the kids) think that the Germans were our allies and the martians were our enemies” line.

Recent Happenings: Part I

 I See Warren Beatty Introduce Bonnie and Clyde at The Arclight

I go alone, as I am running late and, therefore, miss my chance to see Rocky, introduced by Sylvester Stallone. Ali leaves a ticket for me in a potted plant outside the theater, in case I make it on time, which I do. Bonnie and Clyde turns out to be a great movie. Gene Wilder is a genius. Warren Beatty speaks off the cuff and alleges he won’t tell any anecdotes, but then he tells one. Annette Benning is apparently there as well. We all see her hand wave when Beatty introduces her. She’s sitting in the front of the theater.

None Of The Below

Bill has warned me against discussing any hot button issues on the blog and, after much consideration, I don’t want to stay away from commenting on the upcoming election. I think it is far too important an issue to overlook. I will start by saying that my opinions, my perceptions and feelings, about politics are not as well informed as they should be. I wish I had a better sense of the complexities of all the issues surrounding the election and the current state of the State, but I don’t feel I have the means or the time to thoroughly keep up. Or maybe that’s just an excuse. Maybe that’s just an easy way of saying “this is what I believe and that’s that!”. I’m willing to admit this, but I still believe in what my gut tells me and this is what I think about the campaign so far…I don’t think that any of the candidates out there are worthwhile.

People chide Thompson for his late (and flashy) entrance to the campaign, but I think his entry and all the other candidates’ are too early. Thompson comes and joins the race a little later than everyone else and suddenly the national attention is no longer aware of how early these elections are starting because one guy started a little later. This is exactly how our collective perceptions get blown way out of proportion. Using a very convoluted metaphor, it’s like we’re staring at a monkey juggling on top of the head of a clown wearing a tuxedo and tap shoes. We’re so focused on the monkey that we don’t even ask ourselves why the clown isn’t wearing big red shoes. Ok, so maybe it’s nothing like that, but I’d still like to see a monkey juggle some day.

This whole process has become far too partisan. Does anyone else get the feeling that politics has become so much about politics that the people who are losing out are the people? (I’m sure I’ll be pegged as a communist for that one). What I’m looking for in a President is someone who is pragmatic, reasonable, intelligent, thoughtful, and good person. In essence, I’m probably hoping for someone who could never stomach the idea of running for office. And I also recognize that we all have our own definitions of what a good person is. I’d like to continue this rant under the assumption that a good person is someone who really wants to do what is best for everyone and recognizes that they can’t know what is best for everyone. The goal would be to do their business while always answering the question “how do I make this country a place where people can access what they believe is the best situation for their own life without having that endeavor impede the lives and drives and needs of others?”.

I believe that for hundreds of years, people have had concerns about the moral compass of politicians and political bodies. This is not always the case but, historically speaking, there has often been a general wariness of political doings. Certainly, there has been recent disapproval of our elected officials. I find it fascinating that people would take issue with Obama’s lack of political experience. How could that hurt his role as President? He would obviously not be alone in the White House and, thus, could surround himself with very capable political operatives. In fact, since he is the freshest face, and people are generally dissatisfied with politics, he appears to be the most likely candidate to insert fresh ideas and energy into the nation’s bloodstream. If I had to go with someone right now, based on (as I mentioned) limited information, I would likely vote for Obama.

But I don’t want Obama and I don’t really want any of these guys (Ok. Is Kucinich still in the race? I always liked him. You definitely know where he stands on things. And he’s all about getting things done. If he is in, I’d pick him right now.) I really believe that the best candidate for President will be someone with very strong administrative leadership skills who can see beyond Republican and Democrat and make important decisions based on good evidence, input from trustworthy and intelligent advisors, and personal meditation. It needs to be someone who understands how complex and large systems operate and the needs of everyone who is in them and is effected by them. We need someone to say “here are the problems that touch many people’s lives every day and here are some really good short term and long term solutions. Furthermore, here are some problems that may arise in the future. Let’s work together to prevent them.” I think we also need an Educator In Chief. Someone who will encourage the population to be very educated on the topics that the government grapples with, so they can make good personal and political decisions down the road.

So, I feel I’ve said my piece without offending too many people. I don’t have a solution but I will say that we have the power to say that we don’t want anyone who is going to fight over petty issues and attack the parts of their opponents’ lives that have nothing to do with politics. We have the power to decide that we no longer want any candidate for President to be tied to obligations to corporations or oil companies or any large industries (and I want to be clear that that isn’t meant to be just a jab at one party.) If the election were today I would vote and I would vote for none of the above. We can truly decide how we want this election to go. Why do we have to be forced to just vote Democrat or Republican? Especially when the options seem so bleak, once again.

Thanks.

Yoni