An old-ish (well, a couple months) print interview/profile I did with Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad and The Last House on the Left, finally sees the light of day online, perhaps unnerving Paul’s handlers, because he admits he’s not a leading man. Also, he doesn’t come right out and admit to trying crystal meth (blame my lack of Hardball-style follow-up), but read between the lines.
Daily Archives: September 10, 2009
An Email to Congressman Joe Wilson
A simple thing, really, my email to South Carolina Congressman and heckler extraordinaire Joe Wilson, and from the heart:
I was very disheartened to hear about and then see your display this past evening during the president’s speech to a joint session of Congress. How old are you, sir? It’s empty shenanigans like this — lame, self-centered theatrics, and hamfisted attempts at nominal political point-scoring instead of actually working constructively, like an adult, to solve our nation’s problems — that turn off so many people to the political process. Maybe that’s your motivation, and aim. I certainly hope not. Or maybe for you politics is just a cool, cushy job that has a lot of nice perks and a solid retirement package. But in debasing public debate on such a pivotal issue, on playing cheaply to ungrounded fears, you do a disservice to your constituents and all Americans.
I doubt you’ll find reason to take my words to heart, and give them a deeper consideration amidst the torrent of… oh, less reasoned vitriol you’ll no doubt be receiving in the coming days. But you have embarrassed yourself, your party and the state of South Carolina, Mr. Wilson. That is the truth of the matter. I understand that you have apologized, and that’s a good thing, honestly. But to me your behavior is symptomatic of a deeper ill, and for that reason I can only say that I hope you find yourself looking for a new job in the latter part of 2010.
And you can leave him a message too, don’t you know, via Twitter, or his endless-campaign web site.
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Adventures in Wonderland
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ranked as the top cable series with children under the age of 5 in February 2009, with a whopping 24 million-plus unique viewers — over 42 percent of preschool kids. No surprise, really. In an era of multitudinous and ever-expanding entertainment options for toddlers and the pre-verbal set, the show, which centers around the typical blend of genial slapstick and easy-to-digest storylines encouraging teamwork and problem-solving, has a leg up on other similar series in the form of the iconic characters of Mickey and friends.
Inspired by Disney’s animated classic Alice in Wonderland, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Adventures in Wonderland features all-new animation and original songs, set around a story involving Mickey, Donald Duck and other classic Disney characters. Slipping into a colorful alternate dimension full of giant mazes, mysterious riddles and zany croquet matches, Mickey and the entire Clubhouse gang encounter Tweedle Chip, Tweedle Dale, Goofy Hatter and other characters. Their zany quest becomes a race against time in order to get back to the clubhouse for Daisy’s surprise birthday party.
Housed in a regular plastic Amaray case in turn stored in a cardboard slipcover, Mickey’s Adventures in Wonderland is presented in a 1:78:1 widescreen aspect ratio, with English, French and Spanish language Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound audio tracks. Like a handful of other Disney DVD titles, it features interactive adventure modes, with two separate levels of difficulty. Using the remote control, kids ages 2-3 can answer fun, easy questions about colors, shapes and sizes as the story moves along. The second level, appropriate for kids ages 4-5, is slightly more difficult, with questions aimed at testing memory, logic and the ability to tell time.
While the feature presentation’s relatively scant 50-minute running time may serve as a strike in some quarters — that’s barely enough time to get small kids situated in front of the TV set, put away all the groceries and fix dinner for many parents — the DVD does also include a bonus Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode, “Goofy Goes Goofy,” in which Goofy accidentally gets slimed with the Professor’s latest experimental goop and splits into a half dozen different Goofys. Hey, it’s no Multiplicity, but it’s a serviceable kid-friendly rendering of a shopworn concept. To purchase the disc via Amazon, click here. B (Show) B (Disc)