Really, don’t all of us feel this way sometimes?

But the pudu just keeps swimming, and he gets to the other side.

Worth remembering.

PS: Near as I can tell, the Spanish means "blessed, powerful river… wild Petrohu

Been watching TV Chile on the satellite.  I’ve been curious to see what Chilean TV news coverage of Pinochet’s death looks like.

Pretty damned amazing, I have to say, when you consider they’re still
pulling themselves out of brutal dictatorship.  My Spanish is still
pretty rough, so I’m not getting everything they’re saying, but the
visuals aren’t hard to follow.

They just did a piece about the Orlando Letelier bombing,
for example.  They used a supremely cheesy TV movie clip of a car
explosion as an illustration, which was odd, but then cut to actual
footage of the wreckage.  A few seconds later, they’re showing a
computer screen whose web browser is set to this page, yesterday’s posting of declassified documents by the National Security Archive.

When some of these reporters were children, a broadcast like this, even
if it were possible, would probably be enough to get you killed.  Now
that they have freedom, they’re using it.  Hard.

What’s most interesting, though, are the bits of programming which
aren’t about Pinochet — and yet still are.  I’m trying to grok just
how the years of dictatorship must color daily life, even now.

Like the sports report, for example.  Tonight, Colo Colo, a Santiago
team, is playing Pechuga from Mexico in the South American Cup.  Fans
cheer outside the gates excitedly, people wave flags, it looks a lot
like a U.S. sports report.  Then you learn that Colo Colo is closely
identified with Pinochet and his supporters, and that the game will be
held in the National Stadium, which Pinochet’s men used in 1973 as a
torture and death camp for 40,000 prisoners.

Hell of a subtext.  I believe I would be cheering for Pechuga.

Then they showed clips of previous matches held in the stadium, a
highlight reel almost exactly like any other.  Except the blurry 1970s
video clips were a constant reminder that the ground where these games
were played had been recently sprinkled with blood.

And yet these folks are willing themselves into a functional liberal democracy.

I feel something strangely akin to hope.

…aside from Prisoner of Trebekistan, of course.

And up front, yep, lots of these folks are friends of mine.  But if you enjoy this site or Trebekistan,
then you or a loved one will probably groove on at least something listed below.

If you think anything looks interesting, just hover your cursor over the link for more.

FUN
If you dig Jeopardy!: Brainiac by Ken Jennings, who once killed a man down south.  With his mind.

For readers of ThisModernWorld.com, where I co-blog: Hell In A Handbasket by Tom Tomorrow.

If you smiled at Scott Bateman’s Trebekistan video, try his Sketchbook of Secrets & Shame.  I tossed in a short essay, too.

Anyone who has not yet had their brain seized by the Great Hodg-man (the guy playing the PC in the Apple ads, who is also so funny in print that it’s almost sinister): The Areas Of My Expertise.  About which: the less said, the more accurate.

Firesign Theater fans: the All Things Firesign CD.

Or for anyone who just enjoys a monthly dose of Dave Barry, Molly Ivins, Matt Groening, etc.: a subscription to The Funny Times.

And if you’re not an Emo fan yet, you and everyone you know should be.  Try the E=MO2/Hasty Pudding CD.  Most comics I know consider him of the greatest joke-writers who ever lived.

TRAVEL
If you share my wanderlust (lately too unindulged-in, although that should change shortly), 1,000 Places To See Before You Die.  There are hundreds of things any of us would add or subtract from
the list, but quibbling is half the fun.

In the same aisle of the genremat, consider the derivatively-titled but nonetheless beautifully-photographed Unforgettable Things To Do Before You Die, Unforgettable Places To See Before You Die, and Unforgettable Journeys To Take Before You Die.  Warning: if you order all of these, you will need to live to be at least 700 years old.

Also good for putting serious miles on your armchair: One Planet, The Blue List, The Travel Book, and A Year of Adventures, all by Lonely Planet, What’s On In The World… And When from GlobeTrekker; and of course pretty much anything by Michael Palin — Sahara, Himalaya, you name it.  (These two also have DVD versions here and here.)  Now I just hope to find the time again to go out and do any of this. 

POLITICS
The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind.  I thought I already knew just how insane Bush, Cheney, et al are.  But there’s more.  Dear gods.

Fiasco by Thomas Ricks.  What Bush hath wrought.

Cable News Confidential by
Jeff Cohen.  Jeff probably has more experience presenting an
authentically left side to debate on Fox, CNN, and MSNBC than anyone
else alive.  His behind-the-scenes stories are enough to make you swear
off — and swear at — cable "news" discussions for good.

Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers, the latest DVD from Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films.  Title says it all.

Silk Road To Ruin, Ted Rall’s stunning, funny, terrifying memoir of travels through the -stan countries of Central Asia.  With cartoons!

Who Killed The Electric Car?, now on DVD.  If your green friends aren’t already pissed off enough, this should put them right over.

Gus Russo’s Supermob.  Light
reading; only 623 pages.  Thumbnail: original research into Los
Angeles real estate records shows more power in fewer hands during the
growth of Hollywood than previously noticed, much of it centered around Sidney Korshak, who apparently used to hold court walking distance from where I’m sitting.  And it turns out that the best-paying gig I’ve ever had here involved working for the daughter of Korshak’s business partner.  Small, small world.

The Corporation and The Yes Men.  These DVDs should be viewed together, in this order, as a double feature.  Trust me; the gold lam

…aside from Prisoner of Trebekistan, of course.

And up front, yep, lots of these folks are friends of mine.  But if you enjoy this site or Trebekistan,
then you or a loved one will probably groove on at least something listed below.

If you think anything looks interesting, just hover your cursor over the link for more.

FUN
If you dig Jeopardy!: Brainiac by Ken Jennings, who once killed a man down south.  With his mind.

For readers of ThisModernWorld.com, where I co-blog: Hell In A Handbasket by Tom Tomorrow.

If you smiled at Scott Bateman’s Trebekistan video, try his Sketchbook of Secrets & Shame.  I tossed in a short essay, too.

Anyone who has not yet had their brain seized by the Great Hodg-man (the guy playing the PC in the Apple ads, who is also so funny in print that it’s almost sinister): The Areas Of My Expertise.  About which: the less said, the more accurate.

Firesign Theater fans: the All Things Firesign CD.

Or for anyone who just enjoys a monthly dose of Dave Barry, Molly Ivins, Matt Groening, etc.: a subscription to The Funny Times.

And if you’re not an Emo fan yet, you and everyone you know should be.  Try the E=MO2/Hasty Pudding CD.  Most comics I know consider him of the greatest joke-writers who ever lived.

TRAVEL
If you share my wanderlust (lately too unindulged-in, although that should change shortly), 1,000 Places To See Before You Die.  There are hundreds of things any of us would add or subtract from
the list, but quibbling is half the fun.

In the same aisle of the genremat, consider the derivatively-titled but nonetheless beautifully-photographed Unforgettable Things To Do Before You Die, Unforgettable Places To See Before You Die, and Unforgettable Journeys To Take Before You Die.  Warning: if you order all of these, you will need to live to be at least 700 years old.

Also good for putting serious miles on your armchair: One Planet, The Blue List, The Travel Book, and A Year of Adventures, all by Lonely Planet, What’s On In The World… And When from GlobeTrekker; and of course pretty much anything by Michael Palin — Sahara, Himalaya, you name it.  (These two also have DVD versions here and here.)  Now I just hope to find the time again to go out and do any of this. 

POLITICS
The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind.  I thought I already knew just how insane Bush, Cheney, et al are.  But there’s more.  Dear gods.

Fiasco by Thomas Ricks.  What Bush hath wrought.

Cable News Confidential by
Jeff Cohen.  Jeff probably has more experience presenting an
authentically left side to debate on Fox, CNN, and MSNBC than anyone
else alive.  His behind-the-scenes stories are enough to make you swear
off — and swear at — cable "news" discussions for good.

Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers, the latest DVD from Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films.  Title says it all.

Silk Road To Ruin, Ted Rall’s stunning, funny, terrifying memoir of travels through the -stan countries of Central Asia.  With cartoons!

Who Killed The Electric Car?, now on DVD.  If your green friends aren’t already pissed off enough, this should put them right over.

Gus Russo’s Supermob.  Light
reading; only 623 pages.  Thumbnail: original research into Los
Angeles real estate records shows more power in fewer hands during the
growth of Hollywood than previously noticed, much of it centered around Sidney Korshak, who apparently used to hold court walking distance from where I’m sitting.  And it turns out that the best-paying gig I’ve ever had here involved working for the daughter of Korshak’s business partner.  Small, small world.

The Corporation and The Yes Men.  These DVDs should be viewed together, in this order, as a double feature.  Trust me; the gold lam

…aside from Prisoner of Trebekistan, of course.

And up front, yep, lots of these folks are friends of mine.  But if you enjoy this site or Trebekistan,
then you or a loved one will probably groove on at least something listed below.

If you think anything looks interesting, just hover your cursor over the link for more.

FUN
If you dig Jeopardy!: Brainiac by Ken Jennings, who once killed a man down south.  With his mind.

For readers of ThisModernWorld.com, where I co-blog: Hell In A Handbasket by Tom Tomorrow.

If you smiled at Scott Bateman’s Trebekistan video, try his Sketchbook of Secrets & Shame.  I tossed in a short essay, too.

Anyone who has not yet had their brain seized by the Great Hodg-man (the guy playing the PC in the Apple ads, who is also so funny in print that it’s almost sinister): The Areas Of My Expertise.  About which: the less said, the more accurate.

Firesign Theater fans: the All Things Firesign CD.

Or for anyone who just enjoys a monthly dose of Dave Barry, Molly Ivins, Matt Groening, etc.: a subscription to The Funny Times.

And if you’re not an Emo fan yet, you and everyone you know should be.  Try the E=MO2/Hasty Pudding CD.  Most comics I know consider him of the greatest joke-writers who ever lived.

TRAVEL
If you share my wanderlust (lately too unindulged-in, although that should change shortly), 1,000 Places To See Before You Die.  There are hundreds of things any of us would add or subtract from
the list, but quibbling is half the fun.

In the same aisle of the genremat, consider the derivatively-titled but nonetheless beautifully-photographed Unforgettable Things To Do Before You Die, Unforgettable Places To See Before You Die, and Unforgettable Journeys To Take Before You Die.  Warning: if you order all of these, you will need to live to be at least 700 years old.

Also good for putting serious miles on your armchair: One Planet, The Blue List, The Travel Book, and A Year of Adventures, all by Lonely Planet, What’s On In The World… And When from GlobeTrekker; and of course pretty much anything by Michael Palin — Sahara, Himalaya, you name it.  (These two also have DVD versions here and here.)  Now I just hope to find the time again to go out and do any of this. 

POLITICS
The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind.  I thought I already knew just how insane Bush, Cheney, et al are.  But there’s more.  Dear gods.

Fiasco by Thomas Ricks.  What Bush hath wrought.

Cable News Confidential by
Jeff Cohen.  Jeff probably has more experience presenting an
authentically left side to debate on Fox, CNN, and MSNBC than anyone
else alive.  His behind-the-scenes stories are enough to make you swear
off — and swear at — cable "news" discussions for good.

Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers, the latest DVD from Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films.  Title says it all.

Silk Road To Ruin, Ted Rall’s stunning, funny, terrifying memoir of travels through the -stan countries of Central Asia.  With cartoons!

Who Killed The Electric Car?, now on DVD.  If your green friends aren’t already pissed off enough, this should put them right over.

Gus Russo’s Supermob.  Light
reading; only 623 pages.  Thumbnail: original research into Los
Angeles real estate records shows more power in fewer hands during the
growth of Hollywood than previously noticed, much of it centered around Sidney Korshak, who apparently used to hold court walking distance from where I’m sitting.  And it turns out that the best-paying gig I’ve ever had here involved working for the daughter of Korshak’s business partner.  Small, small world.

The Corporation and The Yes Men.  These DVDs should be viewed together, in this order, as a double feature.  Trust me; the gold lam