Saturday, November 06, 2004

The time for depression is over

From an editorial in the NY Times today by Bob Herbert:
Here's my advice: You had a couple of days to indulge your depression - now, get over it. The election's been lost but there's still a country to save, and with the current leadership that won't be easy. Crucial matters that have been taken for granted too long - like the Supreme Court and Social Security - are at risk. Caving in to depression and a sense of helplessness should not be an option when the country is speeding toward an abyss. Roll up your sleeves and do what you can. Talk to your neighbors. Call or write your elected officials. Volunteer to help in political campaigns. Circulate petitions. Attend meetings. Protest. Run for office. Support good candidates who are running for office. Register people to vote. Reach out to the young and the apathetic. Raise money. Stay informed. And vote, vote, vote - every chance you get. Democracy is a breeze during good times. It's when the storms are raging that citizenship is put to the test. And there's a hell of a wind blowing right now.

Sunday, October 31, 2004

Timeline

Ok - I get it now. I get why this book and movie failed. Talk about lost opportunities!

Its one thing to talk about why history is important, its another thing to show it. Timeline had ample means of demonstrating the differences in cultures yet we are never given any glimpse into 14th Century France.

Another frustration - the book/movie has the French as the good guys and the Brits as the bad. Why not show the good and bad in each?

As I've planned to get into the cultural differences AND show both the Romans and the Iceni as complex characters (or rather, gray characters) - filled with good and bad on both sides, I'm hoping CP will make for a better version of what was attempted with Timeline.