Yesterday was a bit of a zen-like day. All was calm & happy & even-keeled. Thank goodness. I need a break from the crazies every once in a while.
I actually got out on the patio outside my office for about an hour and a half while I graded lab notebooks. Maybe the sunshine & this spring weather were a factor in my mood. Must remember to get outside more often before the heat kicks in and becomes unbearably oppressive.
As for films, I finally saw some good ones! Two documentaries. The first was The Way We Get By, about 3 elderly folks who give real meaning and purpose to their lives by greeting or sending off the troops that travel through their Bangor, Maine airport. For most soldiers this airport is their last stop before heading off to or coming home from Iraq. The greeters don't necessarily support this war, but they do support our troops, which I think many, many people can relate. Tear-jerker.
The second was The Yes Men Fix the World, a doc about a group of activists who draw attention to important issues (and sometimes the absurdity with which they are being dealt) by pulling off elaborate and ballsy pranks. They basically set up fake company websites and wait for someone to contact them. More often than not, they're invited to be speakers and representatives of that company at various conferences and show up with some remarkable presentations, props, and grandiose statements about the company's intentions to right their own wrongs. The most elaborate - or perhaps most far-reaching/attention-grabbing - stunt was when the BBC actually broadcast their live interview with a man who they thought was a representative of Dow Chemical on the 20th anniversary of the horrible Union Carbide plant explosion in Bhopal, India that killed thousands and continues to affect over 120,000. This clip is a long one, but it sums up this particular episode quite well.
Toward the end of the interview, the BBC reporter goes after Andy for raising false hopes for the people of Bhopal. In the documentary, Andy & Mike actually travel to the region and talk to the survivors. It may be edited in their favor, of course, but they spoke with several people who are in the trenches in Bhopal, dealing with the aftermath. If anything, they seemed grateful that someone still cared and was willing to shine a light on this tragedy.
After the film, Andy & Mike were up on stage to answer questions and said that they've never been sued or been the target of any kind of legal action as a result of their pranks. I suspect they're banking on the fact most of these companies wish they and the controversy they stir would just go away. Anyway, excellent film. Highly recommended.
Since I didn't see anything on Wednesday night, I had missed the frenzy that is the start of the SXSW music festival. Not so last night! My films were at the Austin Convention Center and the Alamo Ritz so I was walking around right in the thick of it. I have to say, one of my favorite things about Austin is the people and consequently the people-watching. And what better opportunity than a ginormous music festival. Love it! Love the vibe, love the music you can hear at every turn, love the skinny hipsters, love it all! But I was also painfully aware of how I must look to all these guys. Here they are, half of them drunk or stoned or both, and up plods this pony-tailed, flip-flop wearing, woman sporting an enormous pregnant belly. Tragically un-hip. Oh well. Still fun even if I did get more than a few sideways glances.
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