You never know who you'll see in Philadelphia. This afternoon I stumbled across the storied Italian soccer club Juventus F.C., which is somewhat quietly staying in a Center City hotel this week to train for a series of North American matches (none of which, weirdly enough, are in Philly). However, I stumbled right past them to say hello to another legend who's in town right now -- a Friend of Attytood, believe it or not -- and that would be comedian/actor/radio host/political hellraiser Harry Shearer.
Hey, how often do you get to talk with Mr. Burns AND Derek Smalls in one fell swoop?
But Shearer's not in Philadelphia for those things. He's on a mission -- and it's an important one: To make sure that people understand the truth of what really almost destroyed his adopted hometown of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck, so that we make damn sure it never happens again. He's written and produced a hard-hitting documentary called The Big Uneasy, (watch the trailer) to help keep America's eye on the ball in Katrina's wake.
As summed up in the Village Voice:
Shearer’s documentary is a scathing indictment of the Army Corps—not only its staggering incompetence but also the scope of its power to sabotage outside investigators and steamroll dissenting voices. But it’s not just the Army Corps that the film prosecutes. Ecologists and environmentalists weigh in on how corporate greed and shortsightedness from decades ago to today have led to devastating losses of the wetlands, which are nature’s own defense against the destruction of hurricanes.
He'll be screening the movie and answering questions at the Ibrahim Theatre at International House on the Penn campus at 3701 Walnut Street tomorrow (Friday) night at 7 p.m. (More info here.) Please check it out. Maybe if you're nice he'll also say, "Smithers, unleash the hounds!" -- but I kind of doubt it.
I'm also recommending outside entertainment since you won't have Attytood to kick around for nearly three weeks. I'll be back later in August, by which time the Daily News will be completely redesigned but no one will be able to afford it because the United States will have defaulted on its debts and we'll all be wearing those wooden barrels instead of clothes. Should be fun!
Oh yes, the EVIL Army Corps of Engineers conspired to create the chaos of Katrina. LOL. Bunch you're a waste. You need a vacation. Like one for a few years. BTW, You need to call the local cooper to make you an XXXXL.— blackhawk90- blackhawk you have no idea (as usual) what you are talking about. The Army Corps of Engineers corruption and incompetence (aided by government officials at all levels no doubt)is what allowed Katrina to flood and devastate New Orleans. Beyond that, I stopped making fat jokes when I was in the seventh grade. Grow up.— BillHicksLives!
- BillHicksLives - please tell your leftwing friends to grow up and stop making fat jokes about Chris Christie.— Thoughtful&concernedvoter
- How can you take a vacation knowing that the poor can't even get government issued sunscreen?— jmc
Comment removed.- Wasn't Katrina 5 years ago??? Get over it!— Timo3004
Timo, I condemn you to repeating history.- When you learn from the failed experiments in socialism and communism then you can talk. Will Bunch and his like hates freedom and individuality. They want a strong central government telling you what toilet paper to use, what light bulbs you can have, how much electricity you are alloted, how much of the American Dream you can make. If you make over $250k as a couple you are evil and need to hand over the rest. He obviously was abused as a child and is looking for a soft dictatorship to help him through.
— MoRacker - Comment removed.
- The Will Bunch blame game again - now it's the Army Corps of Engineers. How about when the Louisiana purchase occurred the whole area was at or below sea level. When man messes with the environment and mother nature, man generally loses. There is a reason that if you drive south from Margate through Ventnor - and keep going - that the street names stop at 11th street - there is not tenth through first. Guess the Army Corps of Engineers spent a summer down there. You're an idiot.— Taranis
- Drive south fom Margate though Ventnor? Yeah, I'd say it's a stretch blaming the Corps for reversing the earth's poles.
- "blackhawk you have no idea (as usual) what you are talking about" . . . . . . Bill, let's take it easy on Blackie. As a child, didn't you ever lash out in anger when daddy had to go away for a few weeks?
- I wonder if there'll ever be a documetary made that's a "scathing indictment" of the dummies who - after being told for a week that Katrina was going to hit - stayed where they were. If I were in that situation and saw the satalite photos of the impending storm - my family and I would have evacuated well ahead of it. But that's what life is - we make our own choices - right?— michael_b
- "I wonder if there'll ever be a documetary...." . . . . . michael_b, I wonder why you can't make it yourself? Obviously you've lived through many hurricanes.
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
E-mail Will by clicking here.
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