Canadian Election

For most Americans, Canadian politics is akin to Sanskrit.....something they've heard of, but haven't the foggiest idea what it is, and what it might meant to them. I'm a bit of a fan of politics to the North.....and today's Parliamentary election may result in a cosmic shift in Ottawa.

I'm going out on a limb and predict that the Conservatives will win 161 seats, forming a true majority government. Check back on Tuesday and see how I did.

The making of "Munich"

Mister Bear loves a good movie. Even some not so good ones, at times. I remember watching "The Towering Inferno" three times in a row at a theater - about 9 hours sitting in a dark room watching sets go up in flames. (In my defense, I was much younger then, and not as wise as I am today). I also enjoy the business side of movies, amazed at how things eventually see the light of day. So, it was a delight to come across the story of the book behind Steven Spielberg's movie "Munich", and how it was "transformed" into the screenplay of the film.

George Jonas wrote the book "Vengeance". He tells his tale of the book, and of it's journey into film in this article. A few samplings:

My book was all about avenging evil. Then the King of Hollywood got hold of it.

and

The phrase used in Hollywood is "development hell." It means studio bigwigs trying to get screenwriters to write scripts they themselves would write if they knew how. It also means writers -- or "stenographers" as the ink-stained wretches are known locally -- trying to read the minds of the studio bigwigs. The winning stenographer guesses correctly, and the losing ones vanish into a black hole.

It will eventually take five writers to satisfy the masters of Universal and Spielberg's DreamWorks: two credited, three unsung. In hockey terms, Tony Kushner will get the goal and Eric Roth the assist for "Munich," but the puck will have been handled by at least three other players: Janet and David Peoples first, and later Charles Randolph.

and

[Spielberg] conceives of "Munich" as a prayer for peace. His screenwriter Tony Kushner says they do not wish to demonize either side. Such remarks illustrate why, in an era of moral chaos, Hollywood is unlikely to restore clarity. With due respect to pop culture and its undisputed master, one doesn't reach the moral high ground by being neutral between good and evil.

I highly recommend that you read the entire article - you'll come away with a deeper understanding of Hollywood today. A Hat Tip to It Comes in Pints? for the reference.

It's the playoffs, baby!

This bear happens to be a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. From my days as a cub, I loved the Black & Gold. I watched them play at Pitt Stadium, up on Cardiac Hill. I followed them from the days of John Henry Johnson, through the Steel Curtain, to today's team. And I don't know if I had a fan experience with more ups and downs than watching today's game.

I was thrilled to see them go off to the big lead, and how they kept Peyton Manning in check. I yelled at the television when the referee overturned Polamalu's interception. I got worried when the Colts scored and added the two-point conversion. I was overjoyed when Manning was sacked at the 2 yard line. I was ready to slit my throat when "The Bus" fumbled. And then I was finally reassured that there is justice in the world when the Colts' field goal try went as far right as one of my own tee shots.

Up in Heaven, Art Rooney is smiling right now. So am I down here.

Looking back at 2005

Dave Barry can be a very funny writer. His review of 2005 left me with a good case of the chuckles. You can find the entire article in this Washington Post Magazine article. A couple of great quotes to tide you over:

From the January entry:

In other government news, President Bush's nominee to be attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, undergoes a grueling Senate hearing in which Democrats probe him repeatedly about his views on torture. At one point, the Democrats threaten that, if Gonzales does not give them the information they want, they will force him to listen, without ear protection, to a question from Sen. Joe Biden. "No!" screams Gonzales. "Anything but that!"

From the March entry:

In economic news, financially troubled Delta Air Lines announces that it will no longer offer pillows on its flights, because passengers keep eating them. But the economy gets a boost when the jobless rate plummets, as hundreds of thousands of unemployed cable TV legal experts are hired to comment on the trial of Michael Jackson. Jackson is charged with 10 counts of being a space-alien freakadelic weirdo. Everybody agrees this will be very difficult to prove in California.

And from July:

Abroad, the news from London is grim as four terrorist bombs wreak deadly havoc on the city's transit systems, prompting Greta Van Susteren to do a series of urgent personal reports from Aruba on how these attacks could affect the investigation into the Natalee Holloway disappearance.

My hometown paper ran Barry's column today (probably not wanting to have it conflict with "their" review of 2005 - worried that readers couldn't tell the satire from their own reporting). After reading the WaPo version, I realized that my paper brutally butchered the column. Too bad no one does that to their own reporting (and editorials). Catch the WaPo version while it's available.

My kind of guy

Dan Freeman gets my vote for "The Bear's Man of the Year". Now, I know it doesn't have anywhere near the status or impact of Time magazine's choice, but this fellow instantly endeared himself to me when I found out how he spent 2005.

Dan reached retirement, and decided to have a "project" for 2005 -- to visit 1000 bars in the year. Now, he had a little help in that he lives in NYC. High density of drinking locales and a good transit/taxi system to get around the DUI problem. It would be a lot tougher living anywhere in Kansas. Or North Dakota.

Anyhow, Dan was blogging the entire year. You can find his odyssey at his site, 1000 Bars. Too bad that I just found out about this; I would have been following his exploits all year long. Probably would have been more interesting than following my favorite sports teams. Now I have lots of catching up to do, if only to prep for future trips to the Big Apple.

Starting Off

I'm Mister Bear, and welcome to my forest. I'll be posting thoughts and observations - hopefully you'll find some interesting, some thought-provoking. For now, I'm ready to start the new year and make it the best ever. I've some personal and professional challenges ahead of me, which will make 2006 interesting at the least.

Have fun!