A Gaza Hospital

Taghreed El-Khodary, writing for the New York Times from Gaza. I feel compelled to repost in its entirety, rather than just link. No commentary necessary, even possible, on this.

GAZA — The emergency room at Shifa Hospital is never calm but on Thursday, the 13th day of Israel’s assault on Gaza, it was a scene of gore and despair and a lesson in the way ordinary people are squeezed between suicidal fighters and Israel's military.

Dr. Awni al-Jaru, 37, a surgeon at the hospital, rushed in from his home in the Gaza City neighborhood of Toufah, dressed in his scrubs. But he came not to work. His head was bleeding and his daughter’s jaw was broken.

Hamas militants, he said, next to his apartment building had fired mortar and rocket rounds. Israel fired back with enormous power, and his apartment was hit. His wife, Albina, originally from Ukraine, was killed, as was his 1-year-old son.

“My son has been turned into pieces,” he cried. “My wife was cut in half. I had to leave her body at home.” Since Albina was a foreigner, she could have left Gaza in recent days with her children. But, Dr. Jaru lamented, she refused, saying she would not leave her husband.

Within minutes, another car pulled up containing four more patients.

One of them was a 21-year-old man with shrapnel in his left leg demanding quick treatment. He turned out to be a militant with Islamic Jihad. He was smiling a big smile.

“Hurry, I must get back so I can keep fighting,” he told the doctors and anyone else who would listen.

He was told there were more serious cases than his and he needed to wait his turn. But he insisted. “We are fighting the Israelis,” he said. “When we fire we run but they hit back so fast. We run into the houses to get away.” He continued smiling.

“Why are you so happy?” someone asked. “Look around you.”

A girl who was maybe 18 was screaming from pain as a surgeon removed shrapnel from her leg. An elderly man was soaked in blood. A child who was a few weeks old and slightly injured was looking around helplessly. A man with a head injury had parts of his brain coming out. He was on a stretcher and his family was wailing at his side.

“Don’t you see that these people are hurting?” he was asked.

“But I am from the people too,” he said, his smile incandescent. “They lost their loved ones as martyrs. They should be happy. I want to be a martyr too.”

Joe Lieberman, amongst other Benedicts Arnold

Christopher Beam's article today poses the usual rhetorical Slate subheadline question, a mix of whodunnit and political intrigue: "What happened to all of those democrats for McCain?"

The answer? Nothing, basically. Retain political capital, blah blah blah, though if you depended on Democratic party patronage (read: lackeys), then you are pretty much f'ed.

(Although, honestly, who cares who Orson Scott Card endorsed? His books are capital 'K' crazy.)

Far more interesting, at least to me, is what would have happened to all of those democrats for McCain, had McCain won?

The answer? Awesome things (at least for them).

So in the end, really a no-brainer. Unless the "I told you so" is really worth a potentially plum, juicy patronage job.

(Speaking of which, why all fruit metaphors to describe sweet, delicious victory? The fruits of labor, &c.)

Twitter 4

The Twitter odyssey continues, as 33 members accounts were hijacked, including Barack Obama and Britney Spears.

Now, this suggests to me GOP involvment--FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO LINK THE TWO IN CELEBRITY.



Also, Paris Hilton's Sidekick was once hacked.

Coincidence?

I think not.

The Presidential Race is not over yet, apparently, for the McCain campaign

Most Favored Movies of 2008

Just for clarity: I find the whole "best of" thing, as well as the whole numbered list "thing," to be ridiculous.

In case of curiosity, though, some of the movies I have enjoyed from the past year, in order of release.


4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

Far from a date movie, this haunting, evocative film from the brilliant Romanian director Cristian Mungiu is what great art should be--both provocative and insightful. Heavy though never ponderous, the subject matter is handled with restraint, much like the film’s color palette, wherein occasional bursts of color punctuate the oppressive, industrial surroundings. 4 Months rightly won the Palme d’Or at Cannes for its suspenseful portrait of raw emotion, of real life and the choices and circumstances that constrain us.

The Band's Visit

One of those beautiful little movies, poignant without pretension. And so enjoyable and entertaining, which may be the even harder task. An Egyptian Police band gets lost in Israel, and ends up in a small village, where the countries and cultures and lives can meet, face-to-face.

The Visitor

It’s difficult to explain what makes The Visitor so great without divulging the small surprises and larger revelations that render it both heart-wrenching and joyful. The film intrigues in even the smallest, most intimate details. Take the title: Who is the visitor? Is it the lonely college professor (Richard Jenkins) who belongs neither in his university nor in his empty home? Is it the squatter he discovers in his long-vacant New York City apartment? The Oscar crowd, with its sights perennially set on the films with hallowed December release dates, paid The Visitor scant attention upon its arrival this summer. Not to be missed.

WALL-E

Just a joy to watch. Robots and romance, freedom and flying... You cannot ask for more. Thank you, Pixar!

The Dark Knight

It's hard to say why exactly, but I don't feel as strongly about this movies as when it came out. Even still, solid, solid, solid. And I don't even like superhero movies.

Pineapple Express

Arresting the slide of Apatow Productions comedies with a very modern, very funny, very absurdist stoner film. In fact, I wasn't even sure this genre had any life left in it (or ever?)

Tropic Thunder

Thank you for making me laugh, again. Not perfect, but a remarkable movie, if only for gathering so much celebrity--for the sole purpose of mercilessly mocking Hollywood, and the practices of its celebrities.

Quantum of Solace

Avant-garde James Bond? Yes, please. The Times took umbrage for the revenge driven plotline, but it seems to speak to our times. Messing with the formula a bit, keepin' it fresh. Pierce Brosnan's films grew exponentially less rewarding as the series tried to top itself. Hopefully the reinvention will continue.

Milk

Gus van Sant, Sean Penn = so so much pretension.

But they pull off a moving biopic, though sadly timed. It's tough times, reflecting on the passage of Prop 8, which complicates the message of this movie a bit.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

A beautiful film, especially with the increasingly talented David Fincher at the helm (Fight Club, Se7en, Zodiac), showing he can do something other than dark, ominous tales of death. Although that might partially describe this film, it's more about hope

Slumdog Millionaire

OK, this is out of order, but only because this might be my favorite movie right now (best for last!).

Original and inventive, blending genres and cultures, forging an intense (but also uplifting) drama, this may speak to me and perhaps the wider country better than any other movie right now.

Danny Boyle also has to be one of my favorite directors right now. Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and the incomparable (and absolutely unknown) Sunshine.

And now this. Thank you!

The best movies of 2008

No, scratch that. It's too easy (or maybe too hard, at least this year) to just run down the best.

Worst movies of 2008.

(Which I actually saw.)

(Weighted by overratedness.)

1) Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Proving once again that it's hard to be funny, when there is no originality to be found. Except for the Count Chocula Rock Opera.

NO! Wait a minute: for a far superior absurd rock opera, see It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Nightman Cometh (full show on Hulu)

2) Sweeney Todd

Gory gory violence with no purpose, and all the singing singing singing... but, why? Who can say, really, except to show that we once lived in gruesome times. Or is it set so far at a remove so we don't question its absurdity, or so we can enjoy grotesque violence?

(P.S. I actually rather enjoyed the singing, and the movie But, please, give it a rest fanguys and gals)

3) 27 Dresses

Oh wait, I didn't actually see this. I just thought I did, because it's identical to every other rom-com ever.

4) Vantage Point

Oh wait, I didn't actually see this either. I just thought I did, because it's identical to every single pointless action movie ever.

5) Star Wars: The Clone Wars

I love Star Wars, but... How far it has fallen. And George Lucas didn't even write it!



IN CONCLUSION:

2008 has not been a good year for movies. But it hasn't been that bad either. 2008 seems pledged to mediocrity, with even the standouts not standing out too far.

But it gives me hope, aside from the economic crisis and havoc for film financing.

And isn't that what movies can do at their best, give hope?


(FOOTNOTE: It's not very fair to label these the worst of the year. They were mostly enjoyable, and set out to do exactly what they then did. Except for Forgetting Sarah Marshall... so disappointing.)

Journalism: Fair(ly) (Un)Balanced

I was watching CNN coverage of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, which really drove home how useless the practiced objectivity of the media can be sometimes.

In one corner, we have the Israeli Ambassador, who feigns regret at civilian casualties while subtly propagandizing, reinforcing the need for invasion and its justness.

In the other corner, we have some crazy statement from a Hamas spokesperson about the end of Israel, or whatever he usually says.

In the middle, we have the anchor, careful not to step on anyone's toes, lest they lose access--or worse, the Ambassador refuses to come back on the program.

Perhaps cliche, perhaps apocryphal, but still a funny notion: no matter how popular or great an initiative may be, the journalist must find the one nut who objects, and puts in their opinion, to give it balance. (Was that in the last season of the Wire?)

Should the news just keep on presenting (or pretending to present) "both sides" of the story, to let us decide? Does this really remove bias? Consider: the presentation of the news and the inherent selection involved--i.e., what is considered news and what is not--which allows significant room for bias.

At what point does purported objectivity become self-defeating?

The Gulf: The opposite of the Green

A Dubai-based resort is seeking to build a climate controlled beach, in which the sand is somehow cooled for the toes of the ultra-rich.

Business as usual it seems. But why should we stop there?

Go ice-skating in Qatar (multiple locations)!

Ski in Dubai!

Obscenely wasteful? Or creative whimsy?