Author: Sal

Back on the topic of movies
This independent film looks interesting. It’s a documentary on Dietrich Bonhoeffer made by a local – Martin Doblmeier of Journey Films in Alexandria. From the article “Spiritual film a big hit near Sundance festival” in today’s Washington Times. Emphasis mine, of course. You see the film was rejected by flakes, fruits and nuts running the Sundance Film Festival (no surprise there) and is showing in area churches instead.

I respectfully disagree with Mister Victor Lams….
The movie “Signs” was awful. In my opinion director M. Night Shamaladingdong’s best movie was “Unbreakable.” A much more plausible fantasy, if you get my drift. All the quirks of “Signs” came together in an absurdly contrived way. It really spoiled the movie when all these kooky twists and turns congealed at the end. Then again, the whole movie spoiled the movie, not just the climax. Again, this is just my opinion. I still consider Victor to be Das Man. The “plogging” video was a laugh riot. I can’t find a link for it on his blog right now – maybe he could provide one in the comments?

They just can’t get enough of them fermented berries!

Thousands of drunks are smashing into windows at Karlstad University, but it isn’t students blowing off steam.
Instead, birds feasting on fermented berries are getting drunk and playing chicken with the glass.
Thousands of waxwings began gathering in the trees outside the university late last week to feast on ripening rowanberries. The birds haven’t learned to say when.
“So far some 50 drunk birds have lost their lives when crashing into the university’s big windows,” University spokesman Hans Jensen said. “But the worst is over, the berries are beginning to run out.”

First you have to get the birds to recognize that they have a problem. A waxwing intervention if you will. If St. Francis were here I’m sure he could explain it to them.

Godless country vows ‘holy war’ link from the Washington Times

Forgive my editorializnig the headline. For the life of me I can’t understand why a Stalinist regime would be talking about “holy war.”

North Korea vowed to “smash U.S. nuclear maniacs” in a “holy war” and threatened to resume tests of long-range missiles capable of reaching Hawaii and America’s West Coast. It threatened to reprocess plutonium from its nuclear reactors to make atomic bombs.

Plundering ‘for the children’ Michelle Malkin in today’s Washington Times

When corporate moguls get nabbed for ripping off shareholders, the media go ape-wild. Last year’s front-page headlines were filled with Big Business scandals and barrels of op-ed indignation about capitalist greed. But when teachers’ union officials plunder their members’ coffers in Enronic proportions, the media go AWOL.

From the FBI affadavit filed last month in support of search and seizure warrants for three teachers’ union officials in Washington, D.C. This is what former Washington Teachers Union President Barbara Bullock allegedly spent union dues on:

“Among [her] purchases were: a $20,000 mink coat, along with other mink coats that have been stored at Miller Furs in Chevy Chase, Md.; nearly $500,000 in custom-made clothing from a Baltimore clothing-maker known as Van Style more than $9,000 at retailer Bloomingdale’s; more than $9,000 for clothing and accessories from a Florida vendor known as Body Scentre Limited; more than $11,000 in purchases from a retailer known as Friedman’s Shoes in Atlanta, Ga.; more than $5,000 to Galt Brothers Jewelry in Washington D.C.; more than $5,000 to Graffiti AudioVideo for electronic equipment; more than $12,000 at retailer Hecht Co.; more than $3,000 at the Hermes Boutique in Vienna, Va. “

And then….

“[M]ore than $5,000 for bedding and a desk pad from the Horchow Collection; more than $6,000 to vendor J. Crew; more than $15,000 for St. John Knit apparel; more than $4,000 for merchandise from Little Switzerland JNU, in Juneau, Alaska; more than $60,000 to MS Rau Antiques in New Orleans, La. (including $57,000 for a 288-piece Tiffany sterling silver set); more than $17,000 to Miller Furs; more than $150,000 at retailer Neiman-Marcus; more than $50,000 at retailer Nordstrom; more than $4,000 at beauty salon Oriental Oasis; more than $25,000 for services of the Parkway Custom Dry Cleaners in Chevy Chase, Md.; more than $9,000 to Ramee Art Gallery in Washington D.C.; more than $40,000 at retailer Saks Fifth Avenue; more than $50,000 at a vendor known as Snazzy Limited in Orange Park, Fla.; more than $4,000 at the St. John Boutique in Beverly Hills, Calif., and New York, N.Y.; more than $2,500 for china or crystal from the Lenox Shop in Williamsburg, Va., and Prince William, Va.; more than $6,000 in gourmet kitchen equipment from retailer Williams-Sonoma; almost $4,000 to jeweler Tiffany & Co.; more than $20,000 to the Atlanta gallery of the artist William Tolliver; and more than $7,000 to Wagner Opticians.”

That’s not all. Go read the column. What is a fitting punished for someone burned through union dues to live in luxury while the union’s rent, phone bills and health premiums for retired teachers went unpaid?