Month: October 2003

The moment Arnold entered the ring, it was all over…much to the chagrin of Issa, the GOP millionaire who set the entire recall into motion so he could become governor without having to bother with messy things like the Republican primary.

And now we’re faced with the reality that eighteen other states have recall provisions. Now that wealthy politicos have seen how the process can be abused, you can bet that governing in those other states is going to be that much more problematic. When you govern, sooner or later you’re going to wind up making decisions that won’t be embraced by the populace. These are the tough decisions, the ones that separate the leaders from the tentative and cautious. But now any governor serving in a recall state is going to have to spend as much time watching his back as doing his job, because now–thanks to California–every year is an election year, and every decision is going to have to be scrutinized six ways from Sunday as to how it could backfire.

Look how quickly and emphatically the government can get things done when they’re sure voters won’t protest, such as the law against telemarketers…which, by the way, I think just might fly in the face of the First Amendment. I mean, isn’t this a classic example of congress making a law infringing? Not only does Congress not have the power to tell someone they can’t call someone else, but they specifically *don’t* have that power. Doesn’t matter. It’s a popular move, so they embrace it.

The California recall is a giant step toward making governing what it should never be: An incessant drive to win a popularity contest. And when one considers the words of Thomas Jefferson about a people getting the kind of government they deserve, well…’nuff said.

PAD

I officially retract the “Frickin’ Red Sox” blog entry from a few days past.

I wasn’t wild about Ramirez’s pointing at the A’s dugout after the home run, no matter what the provocation. The gods of karma apparently took note if we can judge by the subsequent outfield collision that had me flashing back to the end of “Jerry McGuire” (yeah, I know, it was football. I mean the whole thing with the guy lying there flat and then they cut to commercials. I was picturing his poor family at home freaking out watching.)

But, oh man. With the game teetering on the edge, they reached deep and pulled it out. I loved the quick cuts back to Jillians to watch the Red Sox fans living and dying with every batter.

The odds are the Yankees will annihilate them, but hey…at this point, I wouldn’t make bets either way.

Happy belated Yom Kippur, by the way.

UPDATEI’m a bit confused now. It appeared to me that Ramirez was pointing in the direction of the first base dugout, which is traditionally the home team’s place. But the AOL newsfeed states he was pointing toward the Sox dugout. Anyone know for sure? Either way it was showboating, but it’s marginally better if he was pointing toward his own guys.

PAD

If anyone’s been wondering why I’ve worked so hard to push “Fallen Angel,” I can respond with two words: “Bad Girls.”

Some months ago (as some of you may remember) I discussed how DC was starting up several new books with kick-ášš female protagonists. My feeling had been that they should be launched as a new imprint, collectively called “Dangerous Curves.” My concern was that otherwise they’d get little-to-no retailer support. I’m not even talking fan support here; I’m saying that orders wouldn’t be sufficient for the fans to sample the book. That, combined with two prevalent attitudes–(1) we can always reorder DC titles, so not to worry and (2) I’ll wait for the trade paperback, so not to worry–might provide insurmountable hurdles.

Well, ultimately the new label idea was nixed in favor of a sort of oh-by-the-way mention in the back pages of DC comics after the solicits were already in. Outcome: “Bad Girls,” intended as a six issue series, is canceled as of #5.

Meantime “Fallen Angel” gets sterling reviews, but retailers are freaking over whether to sell it to readers under eighteen (deftly throwing a monkey wrench into sales) even though it features language and material no more extreme than you’d see or hear in the average PG-13 film.

So: No, you can’t always reorder DC titles, and trade paperbacks aren’t guaranteed. So if you’re going to read “Fallen Angel,” do it now.

PAD

Saw three major instances of rocking this evening.

First was taking Ariel to see “School of Rock,” a film I cannot recommend highly enough, especially if you’re looking for a good family film that doesn’t condescend. In some respects it’s by the numbers, but you finally yourself really not caring because it’s just that entertaining.

Second was our watching an old video of “Heartbreak Hotel,” a charming film by Chris Columbus in which a teenage boy kidnaps Elvis (grandly played by David Keith, doing his own singing.) If you haven’t seen it, check it out.

And last was just now watching the Red Sox keep their hopes alive with a two run homer in the bottom of the 11th to make the series 2-1. Whereas the Sox are worried about stuff that happened eighty years ago with Babe Ruth, the A’s are concerned with meltdowns during playoffs that happened two years ago, so who is carrying more pressure?

PAD

This “Survivor” guy definitely has the bigger-than-life presence to do well in movies, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if people in Hollywood snap him up. Granted, I don’t know that he can act, but that certainly hasn’t stopped some folks in Hollywood from carving out successful careers.

First and foremost, they’ve GOT to write him into the sequel to “Pirates of the Caribbean.” This is the most natural fit for a role since Shelly Duvall was cast as “Olive Oyl.” After that, no, I wouldn’t cast him as Hagrid because I’m perfectly happy with the current actor in the role. But if anyone in Hollywood has a new version of “The Adventures of Robin Hood” in development, Rupert would be the ideal Little John.

Any other perfect roles for him?

PAD

What, I need to say more than the subject heading?

PAD

I happened to catch the last 40 minutes or so of “True Lies,” watching the future governor of California rescuing his daughter, Faith the Vampire Slayer, and I’m thinking, Wow. Now how spectacular would that have been on “West Wing.” Zoey Bartlett is being threatened at gunpoint, clinging for her life with a two mile drop yawning beneath her…and suddenly President Bartlett shows up in a harrier, hauls her aboard, aims a missile at the terrorists and says, “You’re vetoed.” He fires, blows them to bits, and flies away to the tune of “Hail to the Chief.”

Boy, that would sure stake out a tone for the post-Sorkin attitude, wouldn’t it.

PAD