Well, dear readers, I guess today there is no mail, no banking, and no school, so I suppose I shall just sit here like so much fish and take the day. Tomorrow, of course, things will resume and there will be much to attend to, like trying to get our fershluganah final funding check – it is, of course, an outrage that we have not received it yet, and from where I sit, it looks like we won’t be receiving it for at least another four to six days – reprehensible, but that’s the nature of the beast, I suppose. Speaking of the nature of the beast, or, to put it another way, the beast’s nature, yesterday was a perfectly pleasant day in which I did perfectly pleasant things, like really sleep late. Once up, I had to run an errand and then I took a drive, and then I came home and did some things on the computer. I had a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich for lunch and it was quite yummilicious. I organized a few things, had a couple of telephonic conversations, answered a few e-mails, then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I watched two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled Sicko, a film of Michael Moore. I do not always love Mr. Moore or his films, but Sicko is as good as he’s done and it’s a documentary that paints a shameful picture of United States health care – and I don’t think any feeling human being could dispute much of what’s being said here. I did have to laugh at one of the extras showing some TV commentators criticizing the film and calling Mr. Moore a pathetic propagandist. Only, what is he propagandizing? What does he gain? It is shameful that ours is a country in which the uninsured cannot get medical attention. It doesn’t happen in England, France, Canada, Norway, or even Cuba. Some of the naysayers dispute the quality of health care in those countries, but whether one believes that or not what does it matter if the quality is better here if people cannot afford it. Clearly, the insurance companies and medical institutions are making billions of dollars every year, but continue taking every opportunity to turn down even the people who HAVE insurance at any opportunity. As several people state, these institutions give bonuses to people who save them the most money from not having to process claims. And the naysayers, of course, other than hurling their invective, offer no figures, no proof, no facts, no nothing. Something is wrong here and something needs to be done about it – sadly, while this film will at least get some awareness out, most people don’t want to hear about it, and because the voting public of the US has always been afraid to rock boats and have been so propagandized and manipulated that nothing ever changes. Why would any thinking person not want health care as their RIGHT? The film is difficult to watch and at times it makes you want to scream. One also wants to scream at these supposed critics who are quoted on the DVD cover as saying this film is hilarious and one of the funniest of the year. Hilarious it ain’t. Oh, it has a few amusing moments, but it’s not a comedy, and these critics just show their extreme stupidity by saying it is. And it demeans the film, so I’m surprised Mr. Moore would allow it. Transfer is fine. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Ratatouille. I think the Pixar films are, for the most part, amazing, but I’ve been noticing a trend that really took a turn for the worse with Cars, and that trend is that the films get longer and longer, and the “messages” get heavier and heavier and more formulaic – something I could never say about the early Pixars. I liked Ratatouille much better than Cars – it’s beautifully realized, the characters are fun, and I like anything that’s about food. But, it’s too long – it could be cut by ten minutes easily and should have been. The score is very busy and not as good as the Randy Newman scores of old. Some of the score sounds a bit like The Triplets of Belleville, which I’m sure they used as a temp track (among many other things). Still, it’s very entertaining and I’ll probably watch it again in the near future. The transfer is perfection as is the sound.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because doing so is, after all, the nature of the beast.
Today, I shall be doing nothing, I suppose – oh, I may do a bit of writing, and I do have to get some checks written and sent, and I do have to organize some more stuff around these here parts, but mostly, I guess I’ll just watch DVDs and putter about like a gazelle in a nurse’s uniform.
I have several events to attend this week, and I have to get back to work mentoring the musical I’m mentoring. We’re going to try and have a reading in January, so there is much work to be done.
I’m also pondering a little notion I have, but I’m not ready to talk about it yet, and it will depend on certain elements being to my liking. Sorry to be enigmatic, but more will be revealed soon.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, putter, mutter, and perhaps eat some butter. Today’s topic of discussion: Since health care is a controversial issue, what are your thoughts on it? We will, of course, keep the discussion civil, but I’m curious to know if anyone has opposing viewpoints to the one presented in Mr. Moore’s film. I know so many people who have no health insurance who, if they were to be taken ill, would not have the money to be able to get admitted to a hospital, and I find that scary. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we ponder the nature of the beast.