Author: Becca

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A Little Rage About the Road

Becca

Today, on my way home, I hopped onto the 5 freeway like any other day. Except today, the cars weren’t moving.

“Must be an accident,” was of course the first thing I said outloud to the invisible people in my car.

Half an hour later, I found the culprit. It WAS an accident—on the other side of the freeway. There was absolutely no reason for my side of the freeway to be stopped. Except that all those nosey people wanted to get a look at some other person’s misery.

Sure, it’s tempting. I understand. But I think rubbernecking is one of the most obnoxious acts that a human participates in.

And it’s not so safe either. A study found that rubbernecking causes 16 percent of accidents on the road. That was followed by driver fatigue, looking at scenery and changing your radio.

In a city like Los Angeles, with 8 million people clustered together in this cesspool, I would have to suggest that we all just mind our own business and keep our eyes on the uneven pavement.

animals

If they can get along, why can’t we?

Becca

I saw this video on YouTube a while ago, but it looks like CNN and other news sources have finally picked it up.

This guy is based in Santa Barbara, I think. A dog, a cat, a rat. If they can do it, shouldn’t we be able to?

My family had cats and dogs. I wouldn’t say they got along, but they coexisted, which is more than I can say for a lot of people I know.
 


 

Other

Strawberry Festival

Becca

Yesterday, we escaped the heat of L.A. and went up to Oxnard for the Strawberry Festival.

We ate, drank and toured the grounds, which weren’t quite as grand they made it out to be. There were over 50 food booths, musical shows, rides, games and arts for sale. Overall, it was a good time.

I also learned some interesting facts about the berry such as: Stawberries are the only fruit to wear their seeds on the outside.

A great way to start off summer.

film

Film review- Recount

Becca

“Recount” creates a time and place that seems both far, far away and too close for comfort.

The film makes the year 2000 seem light years away in just one line:

“Anybody ever heard of a hanging chad?”

But at the same time, HBO’s made-for-TV-movie about the weeks surrounding the 2000 U.S. presidential election magnifies how screwed up our system may really be. And with another historical election just around the bend, this quirky film couldn’t be more timely.

The film begins when the votes were rolling in, and through a nice montage of actual news footage, we are brought through the rollercoaster as Al Gore is declared the winner. Then the news media takes it back. Then George W. Bush is declared the winner. Then the news media takes that back, too.

And then all eyes turn to Florida. Kevin Spacey plays Ron Klain, who heads up the fight for the Democrats. Klain has the underdog story in his corner, as he was taken for granted by Gore’s group in previous years, but still decides to fight for his leader because he truly believes that Gore won. For the Republicans, James Baker (Tom Wilkinson) takes the reins.

The rest, as they say, is history, so there’s no need to really go into the plot. The story goes through all the ups and downs, protests, the recounts and the fights in state and federal supreme court.

Director Jay Roach (of the Austin Powers movies) succeeds because he makes politicians and lawyers into real people through the details. They make mistakes. They take Latin classes. They spill ice cream on the kitchen counter. There are some really subtle funny moments thrown into the drama and the film is stronger for it.

One of the best characters is Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris (Laura Dern) who at first seems too exaggerated to be a real person, but then becomes one of the easiest to believe, a striking resemblance to the real thing (garish makeup and horse riding included).

Sometimes, the creators have a little too much fun with editing tricks. The parallels become a tad too obvious. When one camp says one thing and the other says the opposite, it’s funny the first time, but gets old like any hat trick.

Apparently, the real guys behind Gore’s campaign are pretty upset about the film, according to news reports. And they probably should be—they don’t come of as the smartest guys in the room. Warren Christopher (John Hurt), the former secretary of state who led the Gore campaign seems out-of-tune with the real world of politics and a little delusional.

This movie is big enough for the big screen, but will only be shown on HBO. The most striking point made by the film is that the election system of the U.S. is just a big mess. And in 2000, it resembled more of a circus than a system. Instead of being about the people’s vote, it became about how liberal a judge is, or how silly a protester can dress, or if a dimpled chad should be counted.

The tale is more twisted than any fiction writer could ever dream up. And we all know how it ended. We all know who won and who lost that year. We all know how much the world has changed since.

So what does “Recount” tell us, as the dawn of the next election grows near? Politics is screwy. And so are politicians. We can only hope that this year things do go as awry.

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Recount will debut on HBO on May 25, 2008 at 9 pm.

animals

News 21 – check it out.

Becca

It’s been a shameful while since I’ve blogged, but I have been living on a technological island (by choice) for the past few days, discussing our future fellowship at Harvard. The website for the project is up, so take a look. We’ll be writing about the campaign and related issues for the summer with reporters from Columbia, Harvard, UC Berkeley, and Northwestern. One of the best aspects is that because all of the reporters are relatively young and fresh, there should be some innovative ideas on the site, and underreported stories. So keep an eye on it.

 

In other news, I came home to my orange cat, Kodak, who I got at the pound about a year ago. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the Animal Shelters in Los Angeles.

 

It’s a big city, with lots of people who struggle. And yet, I’ve always had a soft spot for animals—the victims who can’t speak for themselves. I’m one of those people who cries for the animals that die in war movies. I’ve never made it through Homeward Bound.

 

Los Angeles’ record with animals is abysmal. In just the first quarter of 2008, 2,391 cats and dogs were euthanized, up 24 percent since last year.

 

This past February, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed the Spay/Neuter Ordinance, a law that requires all pet owners to neuter or spay their pets. Any person who violates the law is subject to a $500 fine or 40 hours of community service. The law took affect in March.

 

While this would seem a respectable effort by the mayor, I doubt that those who really cause the problem—the backyard breeders, puppy mill pet shops, or owners who simply ignore the pet laws—will take this effort to heart. And really, how regulated can it be?

 

I doubt that all the blame can be put on the pet shelters. While several have been accused of cruel treatment of animals, they are overburdened and underfunded.

 

What’s worse is that this city is infested with lack-luster pet owners. So many pets are returned when they get old, and aren’t “cute” anymore. And getting an older pet readopted is often a near-impossibility. People have no dedication to their pets. They’ll throw them away as quickly as yesterday’s trash.

 

I know cats and dogs aren’t the most pressing issue out there right now. But the tragedy that faces these defenseless animals is still sad. Some never even get a chance. So, if you are considering adopting, please go to your local pound and relieve some stress for them and find yourself a best friend at the same time.

film

Film Review- Son of Rambow

Becca

 “Make Believe. Not War”

 

The tagline for “Son of Rambow,” says it all. This imaginative, playful British film took the film festival circuit by storm, and has finally made its way to the U.S.

 

Director and writer Garth Jennings has created not only a quirky film, but a complete childhood universe, rich with possibility, imagination and the magic of movies.

 

Young Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) is raised in an isolated world, his family part of the Brethren, a religious group who shuns television and movies. He feeds his imagination only through his illustrations, many of which cover every inch of his schoolbooks. Yet, when an accidental friendship develops between Will and the school bully, Lee Carter, Will gets his first glimpse of film in the form of Rambo: First Blood. Lee and Will set out to make their own film about Rambo’s son, played by Will.

 

Their film includes a flying dog, intense stunts and complicated fight scenes, all shot on their simple home-video. As word spreads, other classmates join in on the project. At the same time, Will is fighting against his mother’s traditional religious views and constrictions on his life.

 

Milner, whose film credits only include a couple of other films at this time, seems like an old pro on screen. And yet, he carries with him the novelty of youth and the intensity of hope.

 

 “Son of Rambow” somehow feels like a short film, which would seem nearly impossible at 96 minutes long. But it is the smooth progression of the plot, and the subtle beauties embedded in the story which give it a refreshing point-of-view.

 

The characters in “Son of Rambow” are developed to their full potential. Quirky, lovable and imperfect, both Will and Lee grow and change in the film. They are interesting to watch, easy to root for, and memorable even after the credits have rolled.

 

It is funny without trying to be so. It is thoughtful without needing to be so. This film could make even the scroogiest of characters smile. The tenacity of the main characters inspires the audience to be more than they thought possible.

 

“Son of Rambow” reminds us all of the potential of life. If two awkward, scrappy young boys can make a film, can’t we all do anything we want?

 

 

Son of Rambow. In theaters Friday, May 2.

Other

In Memory

Becca

Today, I found out today that my classmate from grade school was killed in Afghanistan. I haven’t seen Jake  in several years, but this still hit me surprisingly hard. We come from a small town, went to a small private school. And maybe a bond like that never really goes away.

 

When I knew Jake he was just a wide-eyed gangly kid, wandering the playground like the rest of us. And always smiling.

 

He volunteered to return to Afghanistan for a second tour. He was proud of what he was doing for himself and for his country. It sounds like he had found purpose in life; that he was growing up.

 

Jake is the first person I have personally known who has died because of this war. Something like this can fuel an anger unrelenting. According to The Washington Post’s tally,  4,531 American soldiers have fallen in the Iraq and Afghanistan missions.

 

I wish his family the best and I hope they know how many people are thinking and praying for them.

Other

A Week of Lasts

Becca

Yesterday, I had my last two classes. And as I walked out of Kenneth Turan‘s film review class at 9:30 p.m., I was struck with how beautiful USC’s campus really is. I walked (in flip-flops mind you) by the beautiful brick buildings, and around the track field, illuminated by the football lights, and all I could think about was how fast these two years had passed me by. I’ve been blessed with some great teachers and mentors, and met some amazing people. I’ve juggled more than I thought possible (two jobs, an internship, and a full school load) and learned about myself and the limitless possibilities of my life. I’ll miss hearing the marching band rehearse, and even dodging the bicycles. But I’m ready for the next chapter of my life. And I know that as each year passes, and USC becomes just a distant memory, it will become all the more clear how truly monumental this time was to my life.

news

Festival of Books

Becca
Today I attended Los Angeles Times’ Festival of Books, an annual event where some of the best writers in the country gather to participate in panels and book signing on the UCLA campus. 

The event is free, and apparently about 140,000 people show up every year, according to their website. 

So I thought it would be a relaxing event, stroll around to a few speakers, buy a few books and get some free stuff. 

I was mistaken.

The attendees of this event are NOT kidding around. We discovered that you could order tickets for the panels ahead of time. We had not done this. THEY had.

There were serious lines for some of the events. Outside of the first panel I saw a line of about four people. That wasn’t so bad for an event about to start in ten minutes. But what I had yet to learn was that there were actually the stragglers. And in emergency-state-like fashion the volunteers almost let us in, then sent us back out, then told us to go in, then told us to wait because people with tickets deserved to get it. People with tickets held them up in the air, waving them around like they just don’t care. The tickets were golden. Golden tickets.

In the end, we got in. But clearly, we were way out of our league with these people.

The first panel was titled “Moments that Shaped America,” with Douglas Brinkley, Michael Eric Dyson, Edward Humes and Bruce Watson. All of these men had very interesting, thoughtful things to say. But Michael Eric Dyson just blew the crowd away. His cadence of speech is mesmerizing, and the thoughts he has to share profound. His words are a mix of part minister, part poet and part rapper. He is one of the best speakers I’ve ever heard, if not the best. In one answer, he quoted both Jay-Z and Martin Luther King, Jr. I am buying his book tomorrow.

The next panel we went to was “Campaign ‘08” with David Frum, Garrett M. Graff, Hugh Hewitt and Robert Scheer. Of course, Bob Scheer got a loud round of applause when introduced. The others—not so much. David Frum is a former speechwriter for Pres. George W. Bush, and now a journalist. Graff is editor of Washingtonian Magazine, a professor at Georgetown, and founding editor of Fishbowl D.C. Hugh Hewitt is a radio talk show host, and executive editor of Townhall.com. Bob Scheer, fittingly sitting to the left of these other men, is the editor of Truthdig.

 

 

The debate brushed on several topics including Obama’s electability, McCain’s age and Hillary’s predicament. I found it very interesting to hear to opinions of Republicans on the current Democratic Party situation. Many said that Obama is a risk. But some also admitted that it will be very difficult for McCain to win this race.

 One main point the more conservative speakers made was that people located in liberal urban areas are stuck in a bubble, believing only their opinions to be the beliefs of the entire country. This was met with severe booing. But when a woman in front of me, thirty years my senior, started heckling the speakers, I was severely disappointed. Here is this woman refusing to even hear the other side out. Why is she even attending this debate?

 She was the perfect example of what these men were talking about: people who refuse to even entertain the thought of other viewpoints. Not whether those points of view are right or wrong, but that they do exist. This country is a mosaic of beliefs and opinions, and we’d all be better off if we could just see that for what it is.

 Hugh Hewitt, David Frum, Garrett M. Graff, and Robert Scheer

Hugh Hewitt, David Frum, Garrett M. Graff, and Robert Scheer.