adventures in disaster

Confession

I think Sean Penn is an asshole, a humourless, boring, talentless asshole. There, I said it and I don't care. You can come to my house you little bugger, I'm not afraid of a three foot tall gnome.
There was a time when I thought Sean Penn was kind of cool. He beat up stalkerazzi and when his house burned down he lived in a trailer while they rebuilt.
But he became sanctimonious.
He couldn't just do stuff, he had to talk about stuff. He couldn't spend a little money helping some people who needed it, he had to politicize his shit. He made the people he was helping his shills. He didn't help them because he thought it was the thing to do. He helped them because he wanted to make a statement.
I believe that helping is the statement. Doing something "good" in front of a reporter and a photographer is ass. Using needy people to demonstrate how right you are about your beliefs is a form of manipulation. These people don't give a shit if you are a conservative or a liberal, they want and need help and they don't care what your voting record is.
I guess when you got pissy at the Oscars is when I realized hey! this guy has become a little prick that thinks his opinion is the only correct version. It was the priggish condescension that pissed me off.
And then I watched the Interpreter. Sean Penn is a shit actor. I have not always been a fan of Nicole Kidman, she married Tom Cruise which puts her on a list of very suspect people for me but she can act. She is talented because she understands that we only need a tiny touch, the understatement of emotion is a pretty potent weapon on the big screen. Sean Penn is an emotional screamer. He over expresses so much it becomes parody. He has become Al Pacino.
He ticks and frowns and grimaces so much I want to smack him. What's worse is I know in his smug little brain he is thinking that bitch can't act. Look at me acting all over the place and that Nicole can't keep up. Sean, she kicked your ass and exposed you for the Inside the Actors Studio asshole you are.
Sadly, the movie sucked ass even with Nicole doing her best. She should have shot the guy right in the eye and Sean's character should have held him for her.

I did like how it tried to shine a light on the issues of Africa despite the over dramatics.
The situation is dire and nobody with any power gives a shit.
The people of Darfur and Chad and hell fifty percent of Africa are all going to die and we are all going to stand by and watch, yawning our way through another genocide.
The events in New Orleans parallel this event. They were poor mostly uneducated black people unable to access any resources. They were terrified that if they left their homes they would be robbed blind. They believed that no one cared about what happened to them. They were right.
They were left to die.
New Orleans was Darwinism at it's most frightening. Those that had access to resources survived. The fittest survived. I had thought we were a little too damn civilized to behave like this but obviously not. The rich made a run for it and didn't even think about anyone but themselves. The middle class did the same. The poor tried to help each other the best they could and they suffered horribly.
The priviledged white society told themselves it was completely acceptable to round up the poorest among them and house them in a football stadium like cattle. The rich were pleased with the "fix". Hell, they thought all we have to do is buy a couple of cases of water and they'll be fine until we get back. They treated the poor exactly the same way they treat their goddamn pets. Leave little Trixie some kibble and a bowl of water while they go off for a few days..It'll be fine!
They shoved them into that stadium because it was cheap. To arrange for buses and ambulances, housing, food and clothes? That would cost a fortune. Let's just put them in that "cool" stadium while we run for our lives.
So we have put all the refugees into camps, giant outdoor stadiums and we have put up a few bucks for water, then we washed our hands of it all and walked away.
Nice .
The world is a round ball. We all live on it.
The minute we decide that it's okay to ignore genocide we have become less than human.
it's not a religious thing, it's not a political thing..It's a human thing.
If I was starving and running for my life while being chased by raping murderers I would hope someone would give a shit.

where the hell is Oprah and Dr Phil and Bill Gates in this mess? Why aren't the wealthiest goddamn people in the world standing up and screaming their heads off?
Bill Clinton is silent along with all the political elite. I don't get it at all.
All I can do is yell in my little voice Darfur, darfur, Darfur you motherfuckers DO SOMETHING.


Dear Iran,
I get that you feel a little ignored and kinda slighted. I get that you tried pretty damn hard to make friends with the US for a few years there and they gave you the finger. But, take a deep breath here. Just because some ass like George Bush was rude doesn't mean you go bonkers and start trying to build a bomb.
It's George Bush dissing you. Why should you care at all?
You have a cool economy going on, the oil thing is working out okay. Relax okay?
I think it's just fine if you want to work with Russia on getting a nuclear power thing going on but you do remember Chernobyl right? Are you sure Russia is the right guy for the job?
Why don't you give Canada a call? We are doing okay with the nuclear thing and so far it's been pretty safe. We could give you some pointers and help you chill a bit. A ton of Iranians live here so you will have friends to hang with.
You need to stop getting all offended and defensive when some goofball starts with the shit okay? Chilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll already. You have seen what a damn mess George has made of Iraq, do what the rest of us are doing. Keeping our heads down and waiting for him to get his ass kicked out of office. It's only two years, damn..patience already.
We have to live right beside the idiot and you don't see us ranting and raving about building a bomb and blowing shit up do you? It's because we know Americans change their minds every eight years, like clockwork. If you don't like the president don't worry about it, there is a new guy right around the corner.
Try to be cool okay?
Canada

Dear United Nations Security Council
How about trying to help?
How about arresting dictators and chilling out Iran over there?
If you can't help why do you exist? Why do you talk, talk, talk and do nothing?
Why are you all so scattered? You can't finish one thing before you are on to another, always talking and talking and talking.
Shut up and do something.



Is it my obligation as a Canadian to adopt a polar bear? Am I going to have to grow seals to feed them? Is it our problem or the worlds problem? Does anyone care?
I like polar bears and if I have to pay an extra buck to keep them alive and fed I'll do it. It will make me cry that Polar bears will be welfare recipients but better that than dead and gone.
Funny that I am concerned about polar bears but the Inuit slip my attention. I guess I think they have a chance to adapt and evolve and find their way in a changing world with help and compassion. The polar bear can't apply for a student loan and train to be brown bear. It's hard to convince an animal that they can't do what they have been doing for a thousand years anymore. They like seals, ice and really cold water....converting them to fish, berries, blackflies and hot summers isn't going to be that easy.
The Inuit can understand what is happening, they may hate it but at least they can plan and strategize...polar bears can't access the weather network.Even if they could I don't think they would get the message.


The one thing I have to admit is I like the fact that really harsh Canadian winters may be a thing of the past. That's awful isn't it?
I know that despite my personal yeah! we aren't covered in ice for six months personal beliefs climate change must be halted. I cannot unilaterally decide that not freezing my ass off is a good thing.
The world needs snow and ice. I hate being frozen but the land loves the water. The spring melt off is the water we drink, the water that keeps us all alive. I have to freeze my butt off because the alternative is disaster...
Selfishness is what has driven us to this point. It's time to stop thinking about my butt and start thinking about that polar bears butt.


On a lighter note..I bought a car! It's as cute as a button and gets really great mileage.
My doctor says I am almost better, a few more days and I will be as good as new and back to work for me...sigh.

Check out Sludgie for highlights on the environment this week.
Think about what you want the world to look like ten years from now.

posted by adventures in disaster @ 10:36 PM