So, at long last, some of the Cornwall pictures and descriptions are up. I'm sure my vast reading public can breathe a sigh of relief knowing this, but for anyone who's wanted to know how it all went, it's there, rash and all. At least, the first three days of it. Still have a few more to append on, but it could be a couple of days. Head over here to enjoy (or to find an easy way to take a nap at your desk).
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In otherwise completely unrelated other thoughts:
In the newly-released "Scoop," Woody Allen gives himself a line that goes something like this: "Jewish? No, those people sense any kind of slur and they start writing letters." (He's got a better one where he talks about growing up in the Hebraic persuasion, but then converting to narcissism.)
There's a lot of letter writing going on, at least on the Web.
I've got so many conflicting emotions about what's going on between Israel and Lebanon that there's no way to put them into a blog without sounding like a complete moron. So I'll stick with something I think I can at least put my mind around: The massive attack going on following Mel Gibson's recent arrest. It seems that a large number of blog sites, both attached to the MSM and amateur, have leapt on TMZ.com's PDF of "notes" that were allegedly made during Gibson's recent drunk driving arrest, but suppressed by the police (or thrown out, depending on who you talk to) in order to save the actor from embarrassment. (Or, if you believe the people who think that in addition to the Jews Having All The Money, the Jews Run Hollywood, ergo Mel will be run out on his ass for what he said.)
Allegedly.
Look, I've been to the TMZ.com site. I've read the article, I've downloaded the notes. Here's why I don't yet buy them:
a) they're barely legible (like a fax of a fax)
b) they start on page "5 of 8"
c) there's no connection on any page to any kind of official paperwork source
d) I could have written these up on my own.
I find when I bring this subject up with others, I'm immediately told:
a) Gibson made "Passion of the Christ," and that proves he's an anti-Semite
b) Gibson's father is a Holocaust denier
c) Gibson has take a full dose of the crazy and is out of his mind
d) We're just tired of Gibson, so let's toss him out.
The thing is this: Even if a, b, c and d are true, that does not mean he said what he's alleged to have said. TMZ does not resemble anything like a MSM or legit news site, and the fact that the only other sources who have reportd on this have referred to TMZ is like the Washington Post calling Nixon out on Watergate because of documents found in the National Enquirer.
Gibson may well have said those things. He's offered a blanket statement for saying "despicable" things, but that's not the same as admitting to all of the alleged statements. I'm waiting for a fuller analysis, particularly from the Smoking Gun. It's what I would want, were I in his position.
An addendum: I might be a bit softer on Gibson than some others, because he called me once. Not like out of the blue, precisely -- it was for a 2003 article in which Peter Weir, the great Australian director who directed him in "Gallipoli" and "The Year of Living Dangerously," was being honored. Anyway, Gibson called me direct, didn't reach me at work and left a message: "Hi, this is Mel." Etc. Later on we hooked up on my home line, and he and was genial and not crazy and answered even unrelated questions, even though he was in the midst of making "Passion" at the time.
Afterwards, I joked with others: See, he can't be an anti-Semite, 'cause he called a Jew. See?
I'd like to think better of him. So sue me.
Now go look at some pretty pictures of ponies.
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