Chasing the Wind

The Supreme Court made their schizophrenic ruling regarding placement of the Ten Commandments. Instead of making it a black and white issue, now you have to determine whether the placement is inside or outside or on of off government property, and then determine how religious or historical the monument is. Another ten years to sort out that ruling, I’m sure.

From The Colossus, “Top Ten Signs That The Supreme Court Ruled The Wrong Way on the Ten Commandments Cases:”

10. Justice Breyer’s first-born son suddenly feeling “under the weather”.
9. God now saying that justices are allowed “on” heaven, but not “in” heaven.
8. When the bailiff cried “God Save this Honorable Court!” at the beginning of the session, he suddenly turned into a pillar of salt.
7. Every evening, it seems like it now takes Justice Souter 40 years to find his car in the Supreme Court parking lot.
6. Justice Scalia’s Sunday golf game interrupted by plague of locusts.
5. Testimony from false witnesses now completely admissible.
4. Justice O’Connor suddenly the recipient of unwanted “coveting.”
3. The Potomac turned blood red. Wait! — that’s just pollution.
2. Manna supply has suddenly run out.
1. The golden calf the justices had installed inside the court suddenly burst in twain.

This is brilliant. Last week, the Supreme Court trampled the 5th Amendment, saying cities can confiscate private property if it leads to more tax revenue. In other words, anything the government wants to confiscate, it can, as long as it has a slick marketing campaign.

So today, developer Logan Darrow Clements filed a request to the town of Weare, New Hampshire, asking to build a hotel at 34 Cilley Hill Road. The new hotel will generate more taxes and economic benefits than the house that’s currently located there, which happens to be owned by Justice Souter. For now, anyway.

The proposed development, called “The Lost Liberty Hotel” will feature the “Just Desserts Café” and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon’s Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged.”

Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans.

“This is not a prank” said Clements, “The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development.”

Since this law was found to be constitutional, I think confiscating a Supreme Court Justice’s home is a good place to start. Brilliant idea.

The Blood Center came by the office this morning to accept blood donations. I heartily (ha!) recommend giving blood; it’s quick, nearly painless, saves lives, and they make you eat cookies afterward. Life is great.

True conversation:

Blood attendant #1: All set, you’re ready to give blood now. Make sure you hit him; I’ve been trying to hit him all morning but he’s too fast for me.

Me: Hi. The other attendant told me to hit you.

Blood attendant #2: I am about to stick you with a needle.

Me: You are my best friend. You are wise and handsome and you sing well, too.

Blood attendant #2: I think we can work together.

Men in Coats. Doing what men in coats do best. Amusing.

“Prince of Tides” Review

Acting was excellent. Costuming, sets were excellent. Plot, for the most part, was excellent. Movie stunk.

I know it’s an old movie, but I saw it for the first time last night. Nick Nolte plays a troubled father, Tom, avoiding dealing with traumatic childhood. When his sister attempts suicide, her psychiatrist Dr. Lowenstein (Barbara Streisand) wants to interview Nick to find out what makes sister tick.

That central plot was excellent. Nick’s got some real issues his sister is also dealing with, including a ruthless, unloving father, a manipulative mother, and a traumatic home invasion. Subplots of Lowenstein’s son, caught in a conflict between football and violin practice, Lowenstein’s ruthless husband, and Tom’s troubles sharing his feelings with his wife but not his daughters, are all excellent.

But you want to feel empathy for the main characters in a movie, but the movie spits up there. Lowenstein ends up sleeping with Tom (professional ethics of a psychiatrist sleeping with a patient aren’t even discussed). That’s ok with Tom, because Tom’s wife is sleeping with some motorcyclist. Lowenstein’s husband is sleeping with his pianist. The only other relationship ever shown is a gay neighbor. There wasn’t one example of any healthy relationships, but worse, when they portrayed the adulterous relationships, they were always shown as some beautiful, natural thing, especially if your spouse is already cheating. Then, on top of all the adultery going on, they take a potshot at God in the middle for no particular reason.

Eventually Tom goes back to his wife, which makes the psychiatrist miserable, but Tom decides that even though he’ll sleep with his wife, he’ll continue to love the psychiatrist. In other words, he ends up doing the right thing for the wrong reason.

This could have been an excellent movie with just a few tweaks. Tom and the psychiatrist could have drawn strength from each other without sleeping with each other, and the affair Tom’s wife had could have been eliminated completely. Just dealing with the issues of Tom’s past and how he works through forgiveness of himself and his mother and father would have been a powerful story in itself