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	06 July 2004 MOVIE: BEFORE SUNSET (2004). A man and a woman run into each other for the first time since their original romantic encounter nine years ago. Remember the original Before Sunrise? Great conversation, oodles of sexual tension, the sense of loss at the end...this sequel, which Nik and me saw mostly just to find out what happens, don't got as much. The duo is older and more wary of life; Celine's still looking good, but Jesse's a bit more haggard all around, and even has the slightest hint of senior sex offender to his swagger. I think it's meant to indicate an awkward sort of eagerness, but it comes off wrong. But anyhoo: it's very sober this time around. After all the catch-up talk, which goes on for far too long, the two reveal how they've been quietly betrayed by life for the last nine years, and director Linklater finally allows them to maybe, possibly resume the yearning they had for each other years before. It's an excellent flare-up of emotion, but too late, and not enough. Not to say I didn't enjoy the movie. I did. Worth watching, yes. But not as good as the first. As in, it lacks the innocent passion of Before Sunrise. In doing so, it implies that dreariness inevitably comes with age, which is not only untrue but also betrays a fundamental cowardice hiding behind a false front of brutal honesty. I mean, you didn't actually show up at the train station six months later, did you?   Back to main PHOTO DIARY. It worked for Little Caesars, you see. To remind Angeleans that the city is still infested with pesky walking-people.   Back to main 04 July 2004 MOVIE: FAHRENHEIT 9/11 (2004). Now watch this drive. Michael Moore documents how the Bushes, the Sauds, and the Bin Ladens took advantage of 9/11 to dramatically expand their business interests. It's all stuff I already know: how the White House flew the Saud & Bin Laden family out of the country just hours after the attacks; how the Iraqi war was unjustififed and unwarranted; how everyone but everyone has a huge stake in Iraq (which holds the #2 largest oil deposits in the world) and Afghanistan (which was key in developing a natural gas pipeline from the Caspian Sea). Moore presents some powerful documentary moments, like horrifying images of charred bodies being carried away by truck in Baghdad just after the initial U.S. "shock & awe" strikes. Or a letter, written by a young soldier killed in Iraq, describing his confusion and anger at "George" for having sent him to a meaningless conflict. Or a speaker at a "Reconstructing Iraq" conference, who advises a group of blue-chip execs to "make connections now to get in on the action, which will be huge," and also, very plainly: "The best part is you don't have to worry about internal expenses, because the government will pay for all of it." The depth of human ruthlessness speaks for itself here. As a result, Moore's movie can't be considered a great documentary because of anything he did -- compare his witty, passionate arguments in both Bowling for Columbine and the classic Roger & Me -- it stands as a great documentary simply because it places the anti-war, anti-Bush argument firmly on the record. It is, in the end, a document of evidence. There's not a whole lot of Moore here, which was an appropriate choice, given the sheer amount of facts one has to digest simply to understand Bush & Iraq's synergistic relationship. What is still missing from the equation, in my mind, is Osama's motivation. Everyone else is in it for the money, and are willing to kill for it. That's clear. But Osama? Is he a McVeigh, but on a larger scale? Is he really just a crazed fundamentalist, plain and simple? Or, as I don my tin-foil hat, is he a Goldstein-esque puppet designed to foment and galvanize public opinion for the purposes of distraction? Or, retreating into my underground safe-room now, did the Bush administration engineer the 9/11 attacks? I'm not saying Moore is at fault for not exploring this question. I don't think he knows. I don't think anyone will ever really know. And that drives me crazy for some reason. In the meantime, I'm just infinitely glad we have Moore to rake the muck for us. Live in fear.   Back to main PHOTO DIARY. Last night we heard a steady boom-boom-boom echoing outside. So we went up to the rooftop to investigate, and lo: fireworks!   Back to main PHOTO DIARY. Well, what the hell else are you gonna talk about?   Back to main PHOTO DIARY. Josh is starting a web site called wheresET.com. It involves these little ET figurines.   Back to main Archives. 17 August 2003 — 24 August 2003 — 31 August 2003 — 07 September 2003 — 14 September 2003 — 02 November 2003 — 09 November 2003 — 16 November 2003 — 23 November 2003 — 30 November 2003 — 07 December 2003 — 01 February 2004 — 08 February 2004 — 15 February 2004 — 22 February 2004 — 29 February 2004 — 07 March 2004 — 14 March 2004 — 21 March 2004 — 28 March 2004 — 04 April 2004 — 11 April 2004 — 18 April 2004 — 25 April 2004 — 02 May 2004 — 09 May 2004 — 16 May 2004 — 23 May 2004 — 30 May 2004 — 06 June 2004 — 13 June 2004 — 20 June 2004 — 27 June 2004 — 04 July 2004 — 11 July 2004 — 18 July 2004 — 25 July 2004 — 01 August 2004 — 08 August 2004 — 15 August 2004 — 22 August 2004 — 29 August 2004 — 05 September 2004 — 12 September 2004 — 19 September 2004 — 26 September 2004 — 03 October 2004 — 10 October 2004 — 17 October 2004 — 24 October 2004 — 31 October 2004 — 07 November 2004 — 14 November 2004 — 21 November 2004 — 28 November 2004 — 05 December 2004 — 12 December 2004 — 19 December 2004 — 26 December 2004 — 02 January 2005 — 09 January 2005 — 23 January 2005 — 30 January 2005 — 06 February 2005 — 13 February 2005 — 20 February 2005 — 27 February 2005 — 13 March 2005 — 20 March 2005 — 27 March 2005 — 03 April 2005 — 10 April 2005 — 17 April 2005 — 24 April 2005 — 01 May 2005 — 08 May 2005 — 22 May 2005 — 29 May 2005 — 05 June 2005 — 12 June 2005 — 19 June 2005 — 26 June 2005 — 03 July 2005 — 10 July 2005 — 17 July 2005 — 24 July 2005 — 31 July 2005 — 07 August 2005 — 14 August 2005 — 28 August 2005 — 04 September 2005 — 25 September 2005 — 02 October 2005 — 09 October 2005 — 30 October 2005 — 06 November 2005 — 13 November 2005 — 20 November 2005 — 27 November 2005 — 04 December 2005 — 18 December 2005 — 01 January 2006 — 08 January 2006 — 15 January 2006 — 22 January 2006 — 05 February 2006 — 26 February 2006 — 12 March 2006 — 19 March 2006 — 26 March 2006 — 02 April 2006 — 16 April 2006 — 23 April 2006 — 30 April 2006 — 07 May 2006 — 14 May 2006 — 21 May 2006 — 04 June 2006 — 18 June 2006 — 25 June 2006 — 16 July 2006 — 23 July 2006 — 06 August 2006 — 13 August 2006 — 03 September 2006 — 17 September 2006 — 01 October 2006 —