Auld Lang Syne

I don't much care for New Year's Eve.
Partly because it's always been an excuse for me to drink too much and act the fool. But partly because at its core it seems sort of a sad holiday. Its themes are aging, loss and saying goodbye as much as they are hope and Great Expectations.
In honor of the day, here is A Blast From The Past, the Del Fuegos. I went to college with their sister. They were a great band, albeit one known as much for their hard-drinking as for their artistry. Anyway, the tune is as good as a song about aging, loss and saying goodbye can be.

Goodbye 2008

Let's end it with a little poetry, shall we?

Tigers are perfect
The epitome
Of good looks and grace
And quiet dignity

- Calvin

Revolutionary Road

This is a very good film. Kate Winslet 's performance is probably the best of her career, which in my opinion is really saying something. Di Caprio is fine, but the real surprise is the rather new Zoe Kazan who is nothing less than compelling in a very small part.....watching her, I experienced the same sensation as I did seeing the young MIckey Rourke effortlessly steal scenes in Body Heat.
As you doubtless have heard, the movie is quite depressing and, in parts, even difficult to watch. Go see it anyway.

Genitalia?....Tinny! Tinny!

I am not an Elizabeth Alexander fan. I do not think she is a particularly good poet, though far from an utter fraud such as Maya Angelou. If we must have an "inaugural poet", I would prefer that it be another.
Having said that, the criticism of her poem "The Venus Hottentot" from NRO's Candace de Russy is simply pathetic.

Alexander's best-known poem, "The Venus Hottentot," contains the following lines: "Her genitalia will float inside a labeled pickling jar," "Monsieur Cuvier investigates between my legs, poking, prodding," "Since my own genitals are public I have made other parts private."

I don't much care for the specific language of the poem, which strikes me as unmusical and ordinary....traits it shares with the rest of Alexander's ouvre. However, given the horrifying details of the story behind the so-called "Venus Hottentot", some form of morbid sexual expression seems nearly unavoidable. To do otherwise would be like writing a war poem without reference to death, which arguably has been done, but not often.
I fear that Professor de Russy give her game away with the title of her post, "X-Rated Yale Poet at Inaugural?". It is hard to imagine a poem less likely to evoke an erotic or prurient response in most audiences. Could it be that de Russy is unaware of the unusual aspects of the historical model's genitals? The encyclopedia is your friend, Ms. de Russy. I regretfully suspect, though, that the mere appearance of the word "genitalia" in conjunction with the words "poking, prodding" is enough to disqualify the poet.

Christmas Hell

Some helpful suggestions for how to handle that fruitcake.

Headline Of The Year

Zimbabwe asks Bush to leave office quietly.
(h/t: NRO's Corner)

Kinda Wow, Kinda Now

Now this is some impressive comix spelunking. Notice the creators' names? Clayton and Chick? Now look at the art again. Could it be.....No way, but...YES! It is! It's world-class lunatic Jack Chick back in the good ol' days before he let us all know that Catholics were on the express way to Hell. Follow the link to Stripper's Guide for more art and the whole skinny.