Beltmann

It counts for something, I suppose, but I doubt it's a trustworthy reflection of what might have happened had the candidates truly campaigned in Florida. I don't think it means very much.

If you hate Wilco so much, why do you come to their fan site? Real Wilco lovers don't want false crap from a bumbling idiot with no taste in music. Trust me, guy, you don't know MUSIC or ART, you are an IDIOT, a WASTE, you are what is WRONG with the music culture of our generation. Screw ction, I'm going to agree with myself: AM BT ST YHF AGIB SBS

Yet again you show yourself to be an utter philistine. You continue to listen with your ears blocked. Seriously--WTF? Do you have ten-foot steel poles jammed up in there? It's either that or a stunning inability to listen to music the right way. The correct answer is obviously: AM BT ST YHF AGIB SBS

I believe you have completely overlooked the satirical qualities inherent in this thread. It's a thread that makes fun of snobbish kindergarten tactics.

I don't get the "let's not vote" movement. I understand the idea of making a statement, but how will that message actually be received? Since it won

Fair point, but totally irrelevant to the topic at hand, for which there is only one correct answer: AM BT ST YHF AGIB SBS

I'm not sure what that has to do with this thread.

Was Dingell sleeping?

What I really need to know is how to introduce metal to a few Wilcoheads.

The Red Balloon / Albert Lamorisse / France / 1956 This simple, gorgeous, and poetic movie observes a mysterious red balloon as it willfully follows a young boy along the streets of Paris. I watched it tonight with my three-year-old daughter, and when it was over, I asked whether she liked it. She nodded and said,

I'd rather date a crack whore than a philistine, although it's tough to find a crack whore with taste.

If I wasn't already locked into other plans, I'd jump at this chance.

Yeah, I typically but not religiously avoid reading reviews until after I've seen the movie. (I like to know whether a movie is getting strong notices, because that helps me decide what to see, but I don't really want to know the specific reasons for the good reviews.) I like to experience things as fresh as possible, which is why I also studiously avoid spoilers; I enjoy being manipulated by the surprises in a movie--who doesn't? Unfortunately, for some reason I wasn't alert to the potential spoilers in my friend's email, so I stupidly walked into those. But I added the warning before pos

Illuminating interview with Matt Berninger at eMusic: A tiny, subtle diamond in a field of ten-foot neon exclamation points, Boxer, the stately, flawless fifth record from the Brooklyn group the National, draws strength from the power of suggestion. "Let's not try to figure out everything at once," Matt Berninger sings softly in the glowing opener "Fake Empire," and that line could be a statement of theme: On Boxer, the epiphanies take their time. Since their relocation from Ohio to New York, the National has built a career on writing wry songs that express sympathy for the bedeviled. Boxer

That is exactly what I wanted to hear.

I suppose so, but not as a concerted effort. I just stumble upon things. I do subscribe to quite a few publications like Sight & Sound and Film Comment, though, which means I read a lot about movies that I both have and haven't seen. It's the best way to learn about films that might be worth my time but aren't getting any kind of mainstream press. The only reason I haven't seen Cloverfield yet is because I haven't found the time. I was hoping to see it this weekend, but I only have time for one and that one must be There Will Be Blood.

Here's a review that briefly argues that the lousy characterizations actually enhance the movie:

This is an intriguing read: Andrew Sullivan's endorsement of Obama in Atlantic Monthly

I haven't seen Cloverfield yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Thought it might be fun to share an email sent to me today by a friend of mine who did not enjoy the movie:

I'm confused. Are you against the U.S. president defending law-abiding American citizens against persecution from fellow citizens who act according to fear, bigotry, and lawlessness? Or perhaps you do not consider maltreatment and discrimination to be "ugly" actions in the first place? Seems to me, if the political winds shift towards a tolerance of ignorant harassment, I'd like my president to stand up for common decency. I can't see how Obama's statement is even remotely controversial.

I have encountered plenty of people who fear Obama not for his policies but because they (wrongly) believe he is a Muslim. These people clearly do place religion ahead of common policy. I don't much care whether voters are concerned about a candidate's religion--that's entirely their right--but they should at least be aware of the facts.

I'm sure most people here have received one of the chain emails claiming Obama is a Muslim or jihadist. I keep getting them, and they usually have been forwarded to me by the right-wing nutjobs in my own family. I'm fed up, and not just because I support Obama. Tonight I "replied to all" with the following: The last paragraph was lifted from Obama's website. Feel free to steal this and use it to combat the crazies in your own family. Okay, venting over.

I liked Atonement plenty, but it's great in rather conventional ways... No Country's easily the greater achievement. Still, I can't get worked up about winners or losers, because I can't bring myself to view award shows as a reasonable way to discuss quality in cinema. I'm usually happy for the winning individuals--good for them!--and indifferent to everything else. After all, nobody remembers the awards, while historians and critics usually remember the movies that deserve to be remembered.