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Gritty war movie fights aliens in 'Battle: Los Angeles'
- Ted Kooser
American Life in Poetry: Night Drive
Peggy Shumaker lives in Alaska, but she gets around the world. Here she takes us with her on a 90-foot dive into colorful mid-Pacific waters.
Night Dive
Plankton rise toward the full moon
spread thin on Wakaya’s surface.
Manta rays’ great curls of jaw
scoop backward somersaults of ocean
in through painted caves of their mouths, out
through sliced gills. Red sea fans
pulse. The leopard shark
lounges on a smooth ramp of sand,
skin jeweled with small hangers-on.
Pyramid fish point the way to the surface.
Ninety feet down, blue ribbon eels cough,
their mouths neon cautions.
Ghost pipefish curl in the divemaster’s palm.
Soft corals unfurl rainbow polyps, thousands
of mouths held open to night.
Currents’ communion—giant clams
slam shut wavy jaws, send
shivers of water. Christmas tree worms
snap back, flat spirals tight,
living petroglyphs against the night.
American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2010 by Peggy Shumaker from her most recent book of poetry, Gnawed Bones, Red Hen Press, 2010. Reprinted by permission of Peggy Shumaker and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2011 by The Poetry Foundation.
The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Mike Wilhelm and Hired Guns new five-piece lineup will play the Blue Wing on Monday, March 14, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Former Hired Guns bassist Randy Hare has switched to guitar with the addition of veteran bassist Jamie Webber.
An Arkansas native, Webber grew up in Chicago which has infused his playing with a sensibility uniquely suited to Wilhelm's rootsy blues material.
He played the southside Chicago club scene during his teen years and played with the rock and blues guitar virtuoso Lonnie Mack.
The quintet's personnel are Wilhelm and Hare on guitars, Webber on bass with Hired Guns regulars James “Jimmy the Lion” Leonardis on tenor sax and “Slammin'” Scott Slagle on drums.
Part of the historic Tallman Hotel complex, the Blue Wing Saloon & Cafe is located at 9520 Main St., Upper Lake. Reservations are recommended for parties of six or more.
The telephone is 707-275-2233 and the Web site is www.BlueWingSaloon.com. Mike Wilhelm's Web site is www.Mike-Wilhelm.com.
THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (Rated PG-13)
To my mind, there’s not much point in making a movie so totally incomprehensible that the viewer is left to ponder the supposedly obvious brilliance of a masterpiece that is not easily understood by the casual observer.
That’s the way I felt about “Inception,” and I never intend to see it a second time just for the satisfaction of trying to figure out the puzzle. I’d rather do something more productive, like rearrange my sock drawer or alphabetize grocery coupons clipped from the Sunday paper.
Now along comes the adaptation of a story by Philip K. Dick, the noted sci-fi author, in “The Adjustment Bureau,” which raises its own set of questions about what makes sense.
All things considered, I find it easier to relate to the work of Philip K. Dick, whose stories have been adapted into the films “Blade Runner” and “Total Recall.”
In today’s upside-down world, the fantasy elements and visions of paranoia don’t seem totally out of whack.
“The Adjustment Bureau” plays very well into the mind-bending scenario of unseen forces controlling our destiny against every impulse of asserting one’s free will.
To be sure, there’s plenty of weirdness in this so-called fantasy science-fiction thriller-cum-love story, but the central core of the story rests on the plausible relationship between two very different people.
Matt Damon’s David Norris is a young, ambitious New York congressman with a colorful working-class background. He’s the leading candidate in a race for the U.S. Senate until a tabloid story about his racy past derails his campaign.
A chance meeting in the men’s bathroom at a fancy hotel on election night is a pivotal moment for David.
His encounter with free-spirited ballet dancer Elise (Emily Blunt) gives him the courage to be daring and bold in his concession speech, one that sets him apart from the usual political tripe and actually serves to make him a viable future contender.
But was this encounter really that random? We realize that it was not when David happens upon the mysterious men in business suits and fedoras who suddenly must assert themselves into his life.
Oddly enough, these men look like Madison Avenue executives from the early 1960s, which explains how John Slattery, from “Mad Men,” is so well-suited for the role of an Adjuster named Richardson, who is assisted by his colleague Harry (Anthony Mackie).
On election night, they found it convenient for the benefit of David’s life plan to bring him together with Elise. Now, to keep David on a path to his political destiny of apparent greatness, they must keep the two apart.
The problem, of course, is that David is so totally smitten by Elise that he pursues her with vigor.
The refugees from “Mad Men” conspire to keep them separated forever, but one little slip up in scheduling allows them to meet once again on an MTA bus.
David is absolutely certain that he and Elise are meant for each other and he strongly resists the efforts of the men in hats to interfere.
The suspense thriller elements kick in when David and Elise are forced on the run, and even more so when David learns that the shadowy men are not so infallible.
Furthermore, he acquires some supernatural power of his own when wearing an Adjustment Bureau-issued fedora. It allows for some clever opportunities for him and Elise to alter the physical landscape by going in and out of various portals, thus staying one step ahead of the Bureau.
One thing that is puzzling is that the omnipotent Chairman (Terence Stamp) of the Adjustment Bureau has delegated a whole continent of his agents, besides Harry and Richardson, to disabuse David of the notion that the true love of his life is Elise. They will try deceit, subterfuge and even physical restraint as weapons in their mission.
What makes “The Adjustment Bureau” so intriguing is that there really is great chemistry between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt as the opposites who are greatly attracted to each other.
This hard-to-categorize film works very well as a romantic love story, but of course it is much more than that.
Some may argue that “The Adjustment Bureau” is a light, or softer, version of films like “The Matrix” or “Inception.”
That could be true, but for my money, “The Adjustment Bureau” is much more satisfying and entertaining than other fantasy films only remotely in the same thematic orbit.
The difference could well be ascribed to the touch of humor and real emotion lacking elsewhere as well as the fact that the other films didn’t star Damon and Blunt, the near perfect couple.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) urged high school students in California’s 1st Congressional District to enter their artwork in the 2011 Congressional Art Competition.
The annual competition showcases the artistic talents and abilities of students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories.
“At a time when tight budgets are forcing many of our schools to scale back art and music programs, I think it’s important to recognize and encourage young artists,” said Rep. Thompson. “The Congressional Art Competition gives our community the opportunity to do that. I encourage all eligible students in our district to apply and look forward to reviewing this year’s submissions.”
Since 1982, the Congressional Art Competition has given members of Congress the opportunity to encourage the artistic talents of their young constituents.
Each member of Congress hosts a competition among high school students in his or her district. The winning artwork from each district is then displayed in the United States Capitol for one year.
In addition, the grand prize winner will be flown with a guest to Washington, D.C. to attend an awards ceremony in June.
A panel of judges will select the winning entries and their decision will be announced at a special ceremony and exhibit (details TBD).
All artwork is due by Monday, April 25, and can be submitted at any of Congressman Thompson’s district offices:
Humboldt: 317 3rd St., Suite 1, Eureka, CA 95501;
Mendocino: 430 North Franklin St., PO Box 2208, Fort Bragg, CA 95437;
Napa: 1040 Main St., Suite 101, Napa, CA 94559;
Yolo: 712 Main St., Suite 101, Woodland, CA 95695.
Guidelines for the Congressional Art Competition include the following:
Artwork must be two-dimensional.
Each piece can be no larger than 28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 4 inches deep, including the frame.
Artwork cannot weigh more than 15 pounds.
Acceptable media for artwork are as follows:
Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers.
Collage.
Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints.
Mixed media: use of more than two medias such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
Computer-generated art.
Photography.
All submissions must be accompanied by a completed Student Information/Release Form (PDF).
Students and teachers interested in the Congressional Art Competition should contact Lindsay Righter in Congressman Thompson’s Humboldt office at 707-269-9595 for further guidelines and information.
Guidelines and information can be downloaded at www.house.gov/house/ArtGuidelines.shtml .
Congressman Mike Thompson represents California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and portions of Sonoma and Yolo counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson also is a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and Co-Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
