I have learned that travel to Traverse City, Michigan can be a very interesting 'road trip.' I left Sunday night at 11:23 pm due to circumstances that arose for obligations to fulfill when I was supposed to leave Friday or Saturday morning the lastest. What was to be a casual ride to the countryside turned into a 26 hour drive with a total of 4 hours sleep during that time. It went well. The fact I covered with in the speed limits of all states 1200 miles in 26 hours with napping, isn't the focus of this entry. It really was not a strain for someone whom did long haul trucking as a woman for a profession. It was all rather refreshing.
I was able to keep up with the news regarding the world with any trouble on the radio. I wasn't interested in toting around a laptop this trip and surpisingly enough there is an internet cafe' with a proprietor that understands how to make money. This is the capacity I make this entry. It's pleasant, I can sip on any custom make beverage and still put together an entry to my blog. I have tried on this capacity to enter a message on the New York Times message boards but this computer system doesn't recognize all the 'flash players' and animation glitz that accompanies many site on the net.
The trip was interesting in that every state had it's own character within this economy and it remarkably reflects either indulgence of 'red money' or denial to it. I'll get into it later as I have a film to view within the next hour and don't want to miss it.
Israel
Cease-Fire Diplomacy in Lebanon
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/opinion/01tue1.html
This is the editorial I first wanted to comment on. Everyone is ignoring a far greater set of circumstances brewing. I have to wonder if the White House is waiting for the 'pot to boil over' into a much larger and unresolvable quagmire. I hasten to alert Israel to a greater danger to fall into and it should concentrate on it's borders and the security of those borders by disarming Hezbollah. The UN resolution only allows same with the return of sovereign authority to Lebanon, rid of Syria.
Lebanon is attempting to 'up the ante' so to speak. It has lost a soldier. The soldier from what I understand was in a car without any indication as to the official capacity he carried with him. Lebanon needs to find a way to bring cooperation between it's military and that of the IDF and IAF. For the end purpose of peace and stability the methods of these two countries should be identical and completely cooperative.
My concern is the 'tone' the Lebanon leadership is taking. They are not identifying, as the world has done in the UN Security Council Resolution, Hezbollah as a terrorist network and entity to be removed from the infrastructure of Lebanon. Instead, much of the 'Anti-Israel' rhetoric of the Lebanese authority is that Hezbollah is an entity within Lebanon it recognizes REGARDLESS of it's 'anarchic' authority, 'anarchic' military capacity and attacks on a sovereign nation with the assitance of sophisticated devices supplied by Iran. By recognizing Hezbollah as an authority separate from itself, Lebanon is disssolving it's sovereignty and setting itself up much ridicule and scrutiny in these circumstances.
Israel could fall into a set of 'traps' that would lead to retaliation against it if Lebanon starts to insist it's military start to take up arms along side of Hezbollah. If that happens there is a far deeper possibility of a war that escalates uncontrolably.
I'll make more entries tomorrow morning when I will have more times on my hands. At least at this moment I have time on my hands. The other issue is that Lebanon is trying to demonize Israel over Sheba Farms and the lack cooperation of giving maps to Lebanon of the mines fields as if the authority upto now ever intended to anything about them. Israel's sovereign property regarding maps is irrelivant to these circumstances. If Lebanon disarms and there is border security, Israel can destroy all of the illegal munitions now in Lebanon owned by Hezbollah compliments of Iram while removing any and all mines when the borders no longer pose a threat to the Israeli people.
Later.
August 2, 2003 (8 Av 5766)
There is a lot to recap regarding the 'road trip' as well as the experience of the films here at The Traverse City Film Festival.
The 'road trip' analysis is rather gruelling and I am sure the 'return trip' will be as enlightning. To that end I'll postpone that aspect of the travesty of a government at the Federal Level of the government.
I have been watching my prediction of the first high category storm of the season as well. "Chris" manifested as predicted as it reached the Lesser Antilles to a Tropical Storm. Chris will become the first real menace of the Gulf Coast. Florida might be affected by it but as far as I am concerned the entire Gulf Coast needs to pay attention as well. Preparedness of Chris needs to begin now and should be well underway as I hope it is without really reading the usual newspaper articles I do frequently.
The 'evacuation routes' out of the Gulf Coast region should be well established by now and there needs to be public service annoucements on a regular basis including news broadcasts of the weather that PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW their evacuation routes.
In the past, it has been the practice of government to level annoucing evacuation to the very last minute so people won't get 'ticked off' at false alarms and hence believe the government does nothing but 'cry wolf.' That 'myth' of incompetent government in announcing false alarms and causing inconvenience to people and business has to become an antique of the past. Chris will prove to be as powerful a storm as Katrina and Rita as soon as it hits the very, very, very warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It was a very short period of time when Katrina went from a Cat 1 over southern Florida to a roaring Cat 5 over the Gulf of Mexico. EARLY, evacuation when even the 'first' storm path is known will save lives. EARLY, preparedness, by boarding up windows and the like will help protect those structures IF they can be protected outside of flood zones. I don't see people hunkering down with plenty of water, bread and milk to ride out these storms. They are hugely unpredictable. The prediction of the devastation is NOT reliable and trustworthy anymore. In reality, even though this is shaping up to be a more 'traditional' season; there is still huge vortices dominating the outcomes of these monster storms and providing 'skiddish' paths of destruction. One might recall "Charlie" two years ago as to the 'predicted' landfall and the actual landfall.
From here on, citizens GET OUT OF THE WAY, including the evacuation of elderly in retirement homes, nursing homes and extended care facilities of any kind.
I'll pick up more about the my experience on this trip and how I feel the country has changed for an adverse outcome to it's society as soon as I have time, but, it will probably be after I return home when 'experiencing' the events are notes and not currently an investment of time.
All I know is that Lady Bird Johnson is rolling over in her grave with the reversal of her "Beautify America Campaign."
http://www.shoppbs.org/sm-pbs-lady-bird-vhs--pi-1404216.html
Highway Beautification Act
In announcing an America the Beautiful initiative in January 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson (D) said:
I want to make sure that the America we see from these major highways is a beautiful America.
The cornerstone of the initiative would be the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, which called for control of outdoor advertising, including removal of certain types of signs, along the Nation's growing Interstate System and the existing Federal-aid primary system. It also required certain junkyards along Interstate or primary highways to be removed or screened and encouraged scenic enhancement and roadside development.
With his wife Lady Bird Johnson leading the effort to secure passage of the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, President Johnson made passage of the Act a priority. But it would not be easy. The Senate passed a version of the legislation on September 16, but the key action would be in the House. As debate began on October 7, the usual pressure to pass this important but controversial legislation was intensified because Members of Congress and their wives had been invited to a Salute to Congress event at the State Department auditorium and a White House reception. Buses arrived at 7 pm to take the Members and their wives to the State Department. The bus drivers, and especially the wives, would have a long wait.
A PROVISION FROM THAT ACT.
(1) To promote the safety, convenience, and enjoyment of public travel and the free flow of interstate commerce and to protect the public investment in the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, hereinafter called the Interstate System, it is in the public interest to encourage and assist the States to control the use of and to improve areas adjacent to such system by controlling the erection and maintenance of outdoor advertising signs, displays, and devices adjacent to that system.
As a result of Lady Bird's love of flowers and horticulture, ornamental or not (Home Gardening) the 'legislative act' that primarily dealt with 'bill boards' resulted in most if not all states bring the beauty of nature to it's highway systems, especially the federal highways. The Interstate Highways were reconstructed to allow center medians that separated directions of traffic, lining them with scrubs, trees that would stop traffic accidents when crossover occurred and on either side of the highways were either natural beauty or flowers planted for 'affect' including wildflowers.
In most of the Red States I traveled through that has all been destroyed due to big money expenditures of construction to bolster a failing economy. I haven't seen the vast return of the billboards but the "Highway Beautification Act" needs to be reveiwed and expended to return 'the spirit' of President Johnson and Lady Bird to a scenic America.
Today, if the military ever needed the Interstate Highways for an emergency in Homeland Secruity they would be crippled by the vast expanse of construction projects and overwhelming changes to these highways. It's completely horrible to travel these roads and I do believe the lack of pleasing asthetics in driving has made drives worse in their abilities to deal with traffic and stress.
August 3, 2006
The Traverse City Film Festival is having a hugely successful second year. The films are incredibly poignant. I ordered tickets on line long before I realized how many of the films I wanted to view were directed by Terry George. That chilled me to the bones when I realized how 'in sync' this film festival and I were in the way of values. I'll make a complete review/analysis of all the films I attended. They all were incredibly done by independant film makers. There needs to be an Association of Independant Film Makers and Satirists. I firmly believe that along with the idea the American Public needs alternative movie rating systems. In addition, to listing the ONE rating system available through the motion picture industry in the USA, there should be listed along side of it, The European Rating System, BBFC. But. There needs to be a third alternative as well developed by independant film makers whereby their artistic content is respected rather than plowed under so the public cannot decide for themselves. American consumers needs choices. They demand them. Having a UNILATERAL ratings system for all films just isn't "The American Way."
August 4, 2006. Home again.
It looks as though "Chris" has diminished in capacity over the islands. It is possible it could completely dissipate, but, I sincerely doubt it.
I have seen it before in this climate that the storms hit land and 'distribute' their energy around small islands while still maintaining a central pressure to later become a more centralized storm. I recall the storm from last year, Ophelia (click on), that behaved very peculiarly and then managed to become a hurricane on several different occassions. For a while there it appeared as though the storm would completely dissipate as the 'formation' of a 'central' storm became so diffuse looking.
This is not ego here, but, pure and simple concern for prudent observation to save human lives. I strongly believe "Chris" will reorganize over open water, possibly the Carribean, which is currently very hot. The storm track could be similar to "Wilma" but taking a more 'gulf' approach to landfall. I find the 'glibness' of the US Weather Service in it's lack of vigilance and willingness to allow people to believe they are safe, an outrage when in fact this storm has yet to become completely benign. It is not. At all. Not yet. These storms are too volatile to ignore with a willingness to allow people to drop their guard. The USA government is AGAIN putting 'buzz' and 'economic tourism' before safety.
The Traverse City Film Festival is a wonderful occassion to watch 'good movies.' This is the second year for the festival. It spawned from the fact Traverse City, Michigan is so far away from a large city that they usually wait for the DVDs to come out which can be a six month time. Michael stated, his first suggestion to his friends was to find a garage wall to project the movies and invite the neighborhood. Well, that was one idea, but, Mike's friends were especially interested in having a 'festival' of film and not just a movie theater in the rough. So, hence, the beginnings last year of The Traverse City Film Festival.
It has grown in leaps and bounds and now presents some of the most profoundly moving films of our time. I won't get into the films right now. I plan to do 'Saturday Night' on the films I EXPERIENCED at the festival. The Festival itself is in the best kept secret of the USA. Traverse City is a charming town with a populous of about 75,000. It is completely self-contained with it's own 'Burn Unit' as the next hospital is about 60 miles away by helicopter flight. The Traverse City Hospital has it's own helicopter as well.
The town is nestled on a bay of Lake Michigan. The weather is occassionally turbulent with 'lake effect storms' which cancelled the Outdoor Venue and showing of Jurassic Park. The local newspaper, The Traverse Record Eagle, which sold out everyday, called it "Jurassic Dark."
Jurassic Dark
Storm drenches crowd gathered for movie
http://www.record-eagle.com/2006/aug/02ff-jurassic.htm
The Open Air Venue has been up and operating ever since that one set back, which is to be expected. The Open Air Theater had a much larger screen this year. Most of the people whom watched movies there loved it.
As with the open air theater, the entire festival has been upgraded. Michael Moore sponsored upgrades at The State Theater (click on) with a much larger viewing screen. Actually, the largest that could be accomodated. There was new lighting installed as well. Overall, the venues are moving to complete restoration for year round use with the help of the festival but also through diligent citizens whom have obtained 'circas' on most of these charming old world style theaters.
Speaking of year round, Traverse City, Michigan is a year round resort city. Skiing in the winter, lakes for sailing and boating in the summer, mostly mild temperatures all year round. In conversing with several of the residents in town whom also volunteer for the success of their movie festival I found out over the last three years the winter climate has become rather mild. Last year as a matter of fact they were worried they would not have snow for Christmas. To a more senior member of that town, that was a first. But, the snow arrived in time for the Christian celebration of Christmas.
And get this.
I stayed on a Tall Ship on my last night in this wonderful town. The owner of this 'lake based' Bed and Breakfast was on board that morning. We engaged in a conversation about the film festival and the films. It was completely obvious he liked politics. As he walked me from the dock to my car he asked if I thought Traverse City was a 'Blue City.' Of course my reply was yes. Michigan has a Democratic governor, it tends to be a 'Blue State' and considering the Traverse City Film Festival was such an enjoyable event for me I thought for sure it was a "Blue City." He kindly stated, although he considered himself a 'Moderate Liberal' (His words not mine.) he was only represented by a Democrat at the Governor's mansion and in fact all the House both federal and state representatives were Republican. As a matter of fact Traverse City has a Republican Mayor. I was surprised, but, then recalled at one time it was difficult to tell the difference between moderate anything. Moderate Democrats looked and sounded, for the most part, like Moderate Republicans. The difference today was that Moderate Republicans have disappeared from the face of politics in the USA. I made that observation to my engaging friend and he agreeded without a second thought.
The experience of attending these films was none that I've had before. The theaters were primarily full with scattered empty seats on an occassion. The audience was mixed in ages and gender. There were no children and as a matter of fact there was a mom that turned in her tickets to the box office for a chance someone else might use them, because she had a conflict with childcare. I wished at that moment there was some kind of child care center connected to the festival, but, perhaps there was not that much of a need.
In the venues, I found myself stamped out of a mold that nearly everyone else was. We laughed at the same moments. Cried at the same moments. Valued the same aspects of the film. It was a very rich experience in a wide range of emotions and thoughts. Sharing after the venues and moving onto the next I found there was little difference in the words I shared with perfect strangers and as the days wore on there was virtually no need for words so much as looks, smiles, wiping of tears, and sighs. We all were experiencing profound values we all shared together. It was one of the richest times of theater I've had. I plan to return next year, but, this time for the entire festival and a couple days before and after. There is also great golfing as well.
Traverse City has a 'little town' attitude with the glitz and glitter of any larger city. I'll tell you how sweet these people are. I have a bit of a 'need' for help back home. I was put in touch with Oleson's Grocery, at the top of the hill before you left town. It was the only place that had moneygram capacity. Not only were they helpful, but, they made sure before we sent the moneygram that there was a place of convenience at the other end for the recipient. No one had to be that nice. They didn't know I was attending the festival or that I was a paying guest at a very nice hotel near the festival. They did it because they wanted to do it and make their lives more full and mine that much easier.
Traverse City Film Festival was more than good movies to me. It was validating every aspect of whom I was reflected in an entire town. It was flat out wonderful. I can't wait next year.
MICHAEL MOORE. HERO !!!
