I have a lot of work to do...

...which of course means, cat video time!! I'm afraid to say it, but my cat is almost as bad as this one:

Just when I thought Ryan Gosling couldn't be hotter...

DEAD MAN'S BONES - "NAME IN STONE" from biz3 publicity on Vimeo.

Mad Men is disappointing...

SPOILERS BELOW

The first two seasons of Mad Men were great; mysteries, inappropriate comments, drinking like fish throughout the workday - fabulous.

But now, as we near the end of the 3rd season, it's unclear what the point is anymore. We get it: suburban life is stifling and the Mad Men early-60s society is on the brink of dramatic change (possibly?). Don Draper is a mean, womanizing bastard who occasionally cuts someone down in a funny way. He's hot; we get it.

I was excited by Betty's discovery last week, only for it to go nowhere. There's the hope she'll confront Don, or at least have another tryst in the bathroom of some NYC bar again, but so what?

The episodes this season have been meandering and incomplete, and it seems like the writers/directors/producers are self-consciously trying to create a meditative or contemplative atmosphere in the show that simply falls flat.

The show gets a lot of accolades, but in the third season it is truly about nothing. Aside from the fabulous Joan, who cares about these people? They are all awful. They've completely ruined the Peggy story-arch by having her screw Ducky... that was so pathetic.

I'm hoping for a comeback, but expecting to be disappointed over the next month!

Radical lawyer, William Kunstler

There are many people I find inspiring, and William Kunstler is one of them. He was a controversial lawyer who represented a wide-range of clients, including the American Indian Movement and John Gotti.

His daughters produced a documentary about his life as a lawyer and a father. Here's the trailer:

River Phoenix at 16

RIP... what a cutie. I used to swoon for him!

Good Hair

Saw this recently.... so good, very funny, lots of interesting ideas/layers/commentary:

10/13

Happy Birthday Chris Carter!

Found this on the interscapes... the sound is sometimes off from the video but it's still funny:

Sustainability

"...someday people like me will end up in jail."

Movies

After nearly a six month hiatus, I went to the movies today and saw Capitalism: A Love Story, Michael Moore's latest opus about the corruption that led to the economic meltdown.

He is pretty masterful at tugging at your heart strings, and even though I knew was being manipulated emotionally I was glad I went along for the ride. Seeing this movie now couldn't have been timelier - it helps me stay in touch with the reasons I decided to be a lawyer, and the kind of person I want to be when I begin practicing...

On a lighter note, there were some great trailers before the film! I'm excited for both of these:

Ewan and Clooney together!


Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, John Krasinksi!!

Be wary of white men who co-opt Native traditions

Not all who co-opt traditions, culture, and spirituality are necessarily bad.

Michael Meade is someone I really admire, and I am no New Ager. Meade is a poet and storyteller who weaves together the philosophical and spiritual teachings of many different cultures across the world to help find perspective and meaning in life when (at least in America) it seems that traditions, reflection, perspective, meaning, and purpose are not valued things.

Anyway, my point is, there is a lot to learn from other cultures and perspectives, but it should be done in a respectful manner. There should never be a tragedy like what happened this weekend in Sedona.

This weekend, James Arthur Ray hosted a "Spiritual Warrior" retreat in Sedona. Ray is a motivational speaker affiliated with The Secret (which I think is worth checking out). He has been blessed by Oprah and charges a shit-ton of cash to see him espouse his wisdom and insight. The retreat in Sedona was sold at $9,665.00 per person.

Part of the retreat featured a "sweat lodge purification ceremony." As far as I can tell, the ceremony was not done in conformity with Native traditions, placing participants at great risk. They crammed about 64 people inside a make-shift, tent-like structure that was only about 400 square feet, had them remain in the small space and the heat for several hours.

Two people died and another 19 needed to be treated for burns and other ailments. Here is a news report regarding the incident:



One news report pointed out the problems with the "ceremony":

The ritual in sweat lodges is helpful in restoring balance and changing people's attitudes and self-image, said Joseph Bruchac, author of "The Native American Sweat Lodge: History and Legends."

People have died in sweat lodges in the past. They were either sick tribal elders who voluntarily stayed until they died or people who were in poor health.

"The sweat lodge needs to be respected," Bruchac said. "When you imitate someone's tradition, and you don't know what you are doing, there's a danger of doing something very wrong."

A local resident was interviewed for the same report:

Sedona is an international mecca for New Age beliefs and purportedly the site of numerous "vortexes," or natural energy confluences thought to enhance spirituality and well-being.

Some questioned why there were so many people in the sweat lodge at once.

Jennifer Gentry, a sales associate at Sedona Crystal Vortex in uptown Sedona, said that she has been in several sweat-lodge ceremonies and that they typically are events for four to five people, maybe as many as 10, but never something she has done with strangers.

"In my opinion, it's a sacred ceremony," she said. "You shouldn't sell it, and you shouldn't have that many people in it."

James Arthur Ray has left Arizona and is refusing to discuss the incident with investigators.

He's sending dispatches from his Twitter account, saying he's been in constant prayer and meditation for the lives that have been lost. I guess this is guru speak for "I'm maintaining constant contact with my lawyer."

President's Speech at the Human Rights Campaign dinner

Wowsa!

Hope this makes up for my absence...

So many clips from TDS are worth sharing but this one was the best from last week:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Democratic Super Majority
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

I thought this series of ads was cool. I saw one for the first time this week. There are different versions... here's one:


And, an extended preview for the documentary on the National Parks by Ken Burns. One of my dream jobs would be to practice natural resources law focusing on the protection of our National Parks!