DIVERSIONS

Finally got a load of "Bowling For Columbine" at the 19th Street Theatre in Allentown, and, as might be expected, it had a more lasting effect on me than the LOTR flick, which I saw earlier in the week. LOTR2 and the latest Harry Potter installment actually complement each other, especially because Ian McKellen/Gandalf and Richard Harris/Dumbeldore could've been interchangeable. Switching the actors would've brought a slightly wiseass edge to LOTR2 and a slightly threatening vibe to Potter. Someday digital technology will allow us to play around with that kind of thing, the same way the Brits are ga-ga for bootlegs/mashups/etc. Back to Columbine: I'm not nearly as big of a Michael Moore fan as Jon-bless, but the flick makes an excellent point about fear, and the way people in the United States are fed a steady dose of it. To tie in last week's big celebrity death: I think that's why I like "London Calling" so much -- it's fearless. Moore should run for Congress.