Adopt-a-Pull Out Program

A piece by Alexandra Lange in today's New York Times reminded me of an idea I had back in August 2003;

Adopt-A-Pullout program is a shorter and less expensive way to be a part of the Adopt-A-Highway program. If you can’t afford to "adopt" a long stretch of highway, or freeway, perhaps you could support the maintenance of a pull out or passing lane, or even a cul-de-sac?

The Oscar for Extras

Written: {3/10/10}

Since the Academy Awards has expanded it’s award categories over the years - in 2010 there were (10) films, up from (5), nominated for best picture, and they are considering a future award for best Movie Titles Sequence, why not an Oscar for Extras?

It would obviously have to be a separate event from the main red carpet event in Hollywood. There could be thousands in wings and in the audience! They would show clips of extras scenes from the nominated films – Pure extras! No stars! No Story!

This idea came to me back in 2005 after having seen Shaun of the Dead. The extras in that film were remarkable and would have won hands down as far as I’m concerned.

The film Gandhi had 300,000 extras. What a bill to pay if it had won!

Question: What does a single Oscar statue cost to produce?

Things to consider: The engraving of the winning picture on 10,000 awards would take months.

It would take hours for the winners (10,000 soldiers, perhaps in make up and costume?) to accept the statues.

Corporate America Announces Partnership With Nature

Back in February of 2004 I wrote a piece satirizing our corporate culture.

Five years later, in August of 2009,

I saw a review of Rebecca Solnit’s book "A Paradise Built in Hell" in the N.Y. Times.

Is this another instance of parallel thinking?

My satire went a bit further than Solnit’s analysis,

applying our mutual observation to its ultimate conclusion;

corporations will eventually embrace this oblique perspective.

Corporate America Announces

Partnership with Nature.

Judging from mankind’s overwhelmingly generous responses to natural disasters, it is obvious that catastrophe brings out the best in mankind: i.e. Hurricane Katrina.

Whereas the Bush Administration was a disaster in leadership,

the people of America pitched in wholeheartedly and came to the rescue.

Since natural disasters bring out the best in all of us we think nature’s on to something

and that’s why we’re philosophically joining together.

Mankind, at its best, needs catastrophes.

Because of the Bush Administration, we have a great future to look forward to.

Mankind will have to be at it’s best, thanks to them, for a long time to come.

Perhaps our recent leadership should be honored instead of vilified

for their contribution to our future disasters.

Therefore, we, the Corporations of America, Wall Street Financiers, and the Banking Industry

now believe that, only if we have a future of ongoing catastrophes,

will mankind be at its best and achieve true nobility.

If Nature can forge disasters and bring out the best in mankind…

so can we.

I THINK THEREFORE I AM

2/28/10

In regards to the matter of blogging...

It dawns on me that linking up things I’ve written in the past with current events could be fodder for a blogging blurb.

Therefore, in reference to the recent article in the N.Y. Times...

about one of Descartes letters being found, I hereby submit the following originally written in 1967.

HOW DESCARTES ARRIVED AT HIS

PHILOSOPHICAL STATEMENT

Descartes' search for a simple explanation of his philosophy had been formulating in his mind for a long time, but how exactly to state it precisely and concisely eluded him. However, one night as he struggled with the problem it came to him in a flash in the following way;

It was very late, the deepest part of the night. There were scraps of paper scattered about with notes scrawled on them; half finished sentences, marked through words; the detritus of forging an idea's existence.

His roommate, on a bed directly behind his desk, lay fast asleep. Descartes, weary from the mental frustration, rubbed his eyes, yawned and leaned back in his chair. Losing his balance, he fell over backwards, and crashed against his roommates bed. Awakened suddenly, his roommate sat up and seeing Descartes sprawled on the floor said, "What the hell's going on?"

Picking himself up off the floor Descartes replied, "I was stretching and leaned back too far in my chair and it tipped over. Sorry."

"Well, what time is it anyway?" the roommate asked.

“I think it's 4:00 a.m.,” Descartes replied.

"What did you say?”

“I said 'I think it's 4:00 am’"

“Oh…” answered his roommate,

“That makes more sense… I thought you said

‘I think, Therefore I am.’”