Just Watched: Into the Wild

Interesting movie. Beautiful scenery. Nice to see Slab City and Salvation Mountain - I'd only read about them before - the strange alter-economy by the Salton Sea.

Also, the movie's ending was a complete surprise to me!

Has anyone else seen this? What did you think?

Just Watched: Away We Go

I enjoyed this movie, even though we had to go see it at the megaplex at the swanky mall. Bleah. And also I can't imagine choosing the Gulf Coast over Colorado, but hey, to each her own. Matt informed me half way through the movie that I am just like Verona. And I can never look at John Krasinski the same way again. But definitely a sweet movie.

We also saw some previews that intrigued me, for once: The Boat that Rocked, Paper Heart, and It Might Get Loud.

(In case you haven't noticed, instead of spending $40 on a TV converter box, we are spending $20 per week on movies. Such a good financial decision!)

Just Watched: The Hangover

It was kind of an accident. Matt had at one point suggested we see it because he had heard it was funny. I wanted to see Away We Go, and not just because I love John Krasinski. And we knew the little theater where we had seen up was also showing both the Hangover and Away We Go, and we knew that one was at 7:10 and one was at 7:20. And we left the Castro at 6:50.

Alas, the movies had all moved up by 20 minutes. Away We Go started at 6:50 and the Hangover started at 7:00. It was 7:03. So we hedged our bets and went to the Hangover.

I will give the movie some credit. Parts of it were quite funny. All I knew was that the movie was about a bachelor trip to Vegas. I had no idea the extent of the outrageousity (!) of the plot line. But everytime I started thinking it was stupid, something funny happened.

And the picture sequence at the end of the movie had me cracking up hysterically. As we walked home I kept thinking of funny scenes and lines in the movie.

I'm definitely not recommending you spend $10 for this movie as we did (we are apparently trying to spend all of my salary on movies and food), but maybe you could netflix it. I will probably never watch it again because I don't think it has repeat value - you have to be surprised by these jokes.

However, keep in mind that I for the most part don't dislike movies. As long as I am entertained for a couple hours and not bored, they're okay with me.

Just Watched: Up

This movie was wonderfully cute and and terribly sad all at the same time. Although it did have a happy ending. I really don't have much to say about it, but I would recommend you see it. Just be prepared for the tears.

And don't forget that life is an adventure.

Just Watched: Sicko

Somehow Matt and I managed not to watch this movie when it came out, but we finally Netflixed it. It was depressing, to say the least. So many stories of people dying because their health insurance failed them. So many fabulous stories of other countries - Canada, England, France, Norway, even Cuba. Now I am sure that there are downsides to socialized medicine too, but Moore does make some good points. Here in the US we have socialized fire, police, and education services. Is it really such a stretch to socialize medicine as well?

Every time Moore went to a new country, Matt decided we should move there. 5 weeks of vacation minimum? Plus unlimited sick days, lots of holidays, 35 hour work weeks (where overtime is paid out in vacation), 6 months paid maternity leave plus an optional 6 months unpaid, daycare that costs $1/hour.

The thing that most interested me about the movie, though, was the concept that in France, the government is afraid of the people, and in the US, the people are afraid of the government. People in other countries turn out in droves for protests on a regular basis. They showed one protest because the government was trying to take away one guaranteed holiday. Here in the US, these days we've only had really big protests regarding wars, and even those pale in comparison to other countries.

Here in the US, if you try to hold out for a job with more than 2 weeks vacation, people tell you you should be happy with any vacation at all. Here in the US, we just accept what is given to us. We are afraid to ask for more. Somebody will always be ready to step in and take your place if you ask for too much.

I'm interested in why this difference exists. Why do we think our workers don't deserve paid time off, just compensation, and excellent medical care? Why don't we believe the myriad studies that show productivity increases with shorter work weeks and more vacations? Why do we think that working 3 jobs to pay the bills is heroic and according to Bush, "uniquely American," as if it's a great thing and not a terrible thing? Why is it so much different in France?

I got three weeks of vacation. But I didn't hold out for a job that had the benefit package I really wanted. Still I got better than most. And that is because I had the luxury to be picky in my job-seeking.

But I really do think we have to figure out, as a nation, how to not settle for the bottom of the barrel. If we all decide we deserve better, couldn't we get it? Couldn't we decide to help ourselves and our neighbors?

I realize I'm way off the health care tracks right now, but I think the differences between the US and other countries of our means are astonishingly ridiculous. What happened to us?

Guess we'll be moving to Canada...

Is it Baseball Season?

www.betterworld.com

This morning I finished reading a baseball book that Matt lent to me (I say lent because we keep our books on separate shelves - because of me - and he hates it when I turn down the pages on his books. He might fine me).

At the beginning I wasn't sure how I felt about it because the author, a former big league pitcher, tells a lot of stories that are often incongruous, with some being two lines and some being several pages. I found it hard to follow. But then I realized it was a perfect book for reading on the subway because it contains lots of convenient stopping places.

And by the time I finished reading the book today, I realized that I had really enjoyed it. The stories are entertaining and really telling of what goes on - or at least used to go on in 1969 in baseball clubhouses, dugouts, and bullpens. But the book also talks about the larger issues of what to do with your life and how playing in the big leagues doesn't even always make you feel like you're good enough as a person. (And if that doesn't, how do the rest of us get there? By realizing you don't have to cure cancer to be worthwhile.)

We also watched Bull Durham last night, which is a fantastic baseball movie. It's hard to believe it was made 20 years ago. Bull Durham, unlike Major League, is not only a funny baseball story, but also tells more interesting stories about life.

To be honest, I find baseball quite boring, especially on TV. Although I enjoy going to baseball games, often I just people watch. But I do recommend this book and movie.

Matt is currently reading a baseball book I lent him, by one of my favorite nature authors. I guess it's just that time of year.

Just Watched: Earth

So I confess to not having seen the Planet Earth DVD series. I guess we should netflix it. (Do you love how netflix has turned into a verb like google?) I'm hoping I would like it better.

I realize that Earth was made by Disney, rated G, and therefore directed mainly at kids, but I thought it would be a bit more adult-friendly. Don't get me wrong, the film contained some fantastic images: polar bears peaking out of the den, ducklings falling to the ground and bouncing off the leaves, elephants running into each other. Sadness also pervaded the movie: a polar bear starving to death, an elephant following its mother's footsteps in the wrong direction, baby animals being caught by predators.

However, the storyline jumps around all over the place between species as it tries to follow the seasons. Animals are anthropomorphized more than they probably ought to be, and the narration shoves things in your face that would be best left discovered yourself. However, the narration also fails to identify many of the species, and I didn't find the story very cohesive.

I suspect that your time would be more well-spent watching Planet Earth. I will let you know once I get around to it.

So Close to Greatness. Or, How An LA Times Story I Almost Worked On Won a Pulitzer Prize.

A big congratulations to Julie Cart and Bettina Boxall, awesome environment reporters at the Los Angeles Times. They won a Pulitzer Prize for their series, Big Burn, about wildfires.

Here's my question: Had I, as my editor first suggested, chosen to spend my summer doing research on the wildfire series instead of reporting and writing my own stories to get clips, would I have some tiny small share of a Pulitzer Prize?

Ah, the choices we make.

The National Parks: America's Best Idea

Last night Matt and I were lucky enough to see a sneak peek of this upcoming 12 hour documentary series made by the famous Ken Burns (and see an interview with Burns and Dayton Duncan, above). We saw just one hour, and it was fantastic. The clips reminded me, in so many ways, of why I once upon a time switched my major from engineering to outdoor recreation. I had become kind of tired of engineering, so I decided to add a minor in recreation management. One of the classes I took was REC 480: Wilderness and Parks in America, taught by Dr. Randy Virden. After sitting through classes of history and democratic ideals, learning about John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, and other historic figures in the movement to create National Parks, I was hooked. I never took another engineering class. The idea of National Parks may not have been this country's best idea, but surely it was one of our greatest - preserving magnificent landscapes for the enjoyment of the public, not just the rich and powerful. I believe this idea was truly empowering for our nation.

I could go on and on, but also you could see this film for yourself. Mark your calendars for September 27.

I was expecting a film of beautiful landscapes and maybe some history, but what surprised me is the focus this film also has on race. I know they will discuss the dispossession of the Indians that occurred in order to get some of the park lands, and we also saw clips that dealt with the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and their relationship with National Parks. I nearly cried.

This film will open your eyes not just to the history of the parks themselves, but to American history. It will discuss topics that are often left off the table, or brushed quickly aside, as they were in my classes. Ken Burns said the film deals with two themes, race and space (as in physical space, not outer). I think that in the end, the film will probably demonstrate that this country has made some terrible mistakes, but at least we have made a few good decisions as well, and perhaps the parks are one of those good decisions that have in the past, and hopefully will continue to, provided solace to some of those dispossessed and persecuted.

What a great film! I am so excited to see it in its entirety.

Just Watched: Garden State

Yup, behind the times as always.

I did not expect to like this movie, as I'm not too keen on either Zach Braff or Natalie Portman. However, I actually really liked it!

I think I just like hearing about people who are more f**cked up than I am. I also must be a hopeless romantic at heart, because I am fascinated by couples who meet and fall in love after just a few days. I know some real life examples, and I have always been a bit flabbergasted by how such a deep connection can be made so quickly. I guess it just depends on the circumstances, and probably a bit of luck. And in the end I guess it just gains you a few months or years on the rest of us normal couples who take awhile to figure it all out.

I also imagine this movie to be kind of how I would perceive life in the town from which I graduated high school, if I ever really tried to go back. Everybody working at odd jobs around town, still partying together at night.

And my favorite quote:

"Don't make fun of my hobbies; I don't make fun of you for being an asshole."

I told Matt that he could use that quote against me. It is so perfect for us!

Just Watched: The Squid and the Whale

www.amazon.com

Have you seen this movie? I do not recommend it. I thought that it would be an interesting take on the difficulties of marriage, but instead it just featured an asshole of a husband and a very young child masturbating at school. At only 1 hour 20 minutes, it still seemed long. If anyone out there liked it, I am very interested in hearing what you might see as its redeeming qualities. Surely there are some?

Just Read: Cradle to Cradle

www.betterworld.com

I've been reading another "eco-classic," this one published way back in 2002. And boy I should have read it then. If so, I might not have purchased my lovely rug made of recycled soda bottles that is apparently releasing terrible toxins into the air as it abrades. The authors point out many cases in which recycling isn't always better. In which doing less harm is just prolonging the fate of the planet. In which environmentalists should be depressed and guilt-ridden.

The upshot of this book is that we can redesign the man-made world and our products and buildings and everything else in way that not only "does no harm" but also does good. Their point is that we shouldn't just try to improve the current processes and focus on efficiency, but we should start back at the beginning and re-imagine a whole new product or existence.

Well, that is hopeful, and definitely something more people and companies should be pursuing. But I can't help but think that it is a bad idea to dissuade people from recycling. To me, these efficiency and recycling initiatives are just a stop on the way towards greater design and a healthier planet. Or maybe I just don't want to feel bad about myself for being suckered into buying recycled products that may be terrible for both my health and the environment. Ah well...

Easy, fast read, so why not judge for yourself.

Catching up on Inhabitat

I've been trying to be less obsessed with blogs lately, so today I just caught up on months of posts from one of my favorite blogs, Inhabitat. Some highlights:

New green ferry to Alcatraz.

A cool website for you mothers and mothers-to-be (and people who need to buy presents for such people.)

New green library in Scottsdale.

Eco-resort being built in Monterey.

Is IKEA green? (Other than a thrift shop, where else can you get fairly green products at an affordable price?)

Just Read: The End of Poverty

www.betterworld.com

Finally, a book that makes economics interesting! Mostly because Jeffrey Sachs discusses all the factors that contribute to extreme poverty, from environment to politics to technology to geography. I have to admit the book was a bit long, at 368 pages, with some points belabored multiple times. However, if you want to feel bad about yourself for living in comparative richness when billions of people live in extreme poverty, this is the book for you... It's actually not all that depressing and guilt-instigating. The redeeming quality of the book is hope, information, and a plan for action. A very slight increase in our taxes, and a heavier burden on the richest of the rich, could easily provide enough money to release millions of people around the globe from the poverty trap. And apparently most Americans are all for foreign aid and actually think the US government contributes more than it actually does.

I do have a couple concerns from this book, although I must admit that I accept most of it at face value because I know so little about economics and because Sachs is so famous.

1) Sachs praises the Green Revolution over and over again for dramatically increasing crop yields the world over. However, I have learned and read many times that the Green Revolution also had disastrous side effects, as the crops must be grown from seed every year, requiring seeds to be bought instead of saved. In addition many of the crop varieties were not designed for specific climates and locations. They may demand excessive insecticide and require monoculture crops. Does anyone know if the benefits outweigh the negatives?

2) This book basically centers on the premise of globalization. Historically countries that have been sealed off have not improved their economic well-being, leaving millions in extreme poverty. Countries that open their doors to trade experience a much higher growth rate and enable more citizens to climb out of poverty. That all sounds great. So how do I reconcile this with the movement toward local sustainability here in the US. If I am supposed to follow a 100 mile diet and buy all local, and if everybody in our country eventually jumps on this bandwagon, are we relegating the rest of the world to poor quality of life?

If any poli sci majors in the proverbial room have insights into these topics, I would be eager to learn.

I recommend picking up this book and reading at least part of it.

Just Read: Break Through

www.betterworld.com

I loved this book! And I would say that it's a must-read not just for environmentalists, but also for those interested in politics, particularly of the left.

From the blurbs on the back of the book:

Nordhaus and Shellenberger are right. The Industrial Age gave us an environmentalism of limits and a politics of 'no.' The Creative Age requires a politics and culture of 'yes' - one that rekindles human aspirations for a better future and unleashes the vast human potential all around us to accomplish it.
~Richard Florida, author of Rise of the Creative Class

Environmentalists, along with many other causes of the left, often focus on very specific issues, declining to address a multitude of situations that may be involved in any one problem. How can we protect the Amazon, the authors argue, when many people who live in Brazil have not had their basic needs met? How can we address high asthma rates in cities by trying to reduce pollution when secondhand smoke or mold in inadequate housing may be a bigger trigger? How can we combat or prepare for global climate change when we embed the message in sacrifice rather than economic possibilities? How can we garner support for universal health care when many people are worried that adding additional burdens on the system would make their own coverage even more insecure?

This book is a fascinating compilation of social science theory, history, and so much more. The authors suggest how environmentalism and politics can be redefined in a way that will work better. In ways that might finally achieve more fuel efficient cars, more access to health care and insurance, and more possibilities for the economic and ecologic future.

Addressing global climate change starts with economic investment and development. No matter how you feel about it, money is more motivating to people than guilt and sacrifice. In fact, the authors discuss how guilt immobilizes people and how couching things in economic opportunity and potential addresses people's insecurity.

"Whereas guilt drives us to deny our wealth, gratitude inspires us to share it. It is gratitude, not guilt, that will motivate Americans to embrace the aspirations of others to become as wealthy, free, and fortunate as we are."

Check this book out from your local library!

Just Read: Biomimicry - Innovation Inspired by Nature

www.betterworld.com

I may be behind the times, as always, since I am reviewing a book published in 1998. None-the-less, this book features some really cool stuff! From trying to create super-strong yet somewhat flexible materials based on spider silk to trying to grow replica rhinoceros horn to help preserve the animals from extinction caused by people killing them for their desirable bodily feature, this book takes on many aspects of using nature as inspiration for innovation. Super-fast computers built out of tiny biological parts - maybe coming down a pipeline to you. Watching animal behavior to learn more about natural medicinal cures - happening as we speak. Figuring out how the "mind" is attached to the physical body and using those properties to create cool new functions - an anesthesiologist's dream.

I think in the ten years since this book was published, a lot of people have picked up the mantle of biomimicry. But I don't think it has really started to reshape the world in the meaningful and comprehensive ways the author imagines. Something to think about!

Just Watched: Milk

www.netflix.com

We just saw this fabulous movie at a fabulous theater (old and ornate) on the street where it all started. I have taken it for granted since we moved here that the Castro, where we spend much time, was not always a safe place to be gay. Acceptance happened not just from an overwhelming number of gay people moving into the neighborhood, but from the work of Harvey Milk and his "recruits." This movie illuminates both how far we have come and how far we have yet to go. Go see it now!

***

Watching the Oscars right now, and Dustin Lance Black, screenwriter of Milk, won for Best Original Screenplay. He made an exceptional acceptance speech, thanking Milk for the courage he had given him to come out, and telling youth that no matter what anyone tells them, it is not wrong to be gay.

Sean Penn just won Best Actor, thanking the "commie, homo-loving sons of guns." He also took the opportunity to tell the supporters of Proposition 8 that they should take the time to reflect on what they have done and how ashamed their grandchildren will be of them if they remain so anti-civil rights for gays. Apparently something happened to their cars on the way into the Oscars as well - some people can't even tolerate such a film. Such a shame.

Just Watched: I Am Legend

I love Will Smith. Unfortunately he may have been a little crazy in this movie. And I could have done without all the suspense. And probably with less religion. However, it does make one think about the unknown consequences of messing with biology and chemistry. Who knows when we will accidentally unleash something terrible (...or maybe I'm talking about global climate change)? Its short length of 90 minutes is the only thing that might tempt me to recommend checking out this movie just once. But you could also spend your time doing other things...

Just Watched: The Dark Knight

Figured we had to go see this if only to check out Heath Ledger's performance. Definitely creepy as the Joker, and of course sad that he died. I don't care much for Batman though, and could have done without this movie. Alas...

Just Read: The Man Who Loved China

www.betterworld.com

As promised, the review of Simon Winchester's book.

Loved it!

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in science, China, Cambridge, philandering, good writing, the left wing, or pretty much any topic. This book was highly engaging throughout; I could barely put it down. I'm really not sure what else to say about it, except - read it!