[UA] Mr. Death and more

[Timothy Toner]

Just finished watching The City of Lost Children, and damned if I know why
someone didn't beat me and force me to watch it before.  Wow.

Also saw Mr. Death, which, on top of it being a generally groovy
documentary, has a wonderfully chilling idea for an artifact.  Seems
Tennessee wanted Lichter, the Mr. Death of the title, to rework their old
electric chair to be more modern.  Lichter's bag is to redesign execution
devices to make them more effective, and in that sense, humane.  Tennessee,
however, had an odd request:  he could scrap any part of it, but he had to
use the wood in the chair.  Why?  Well, every death by electrocution since
the idea came into vogue in 1928 (thanks, TVA!) was performed on that chair.
On top of that, the chair was fashioned out of the gallows (!!!) that had
sent so many miscreants to their ultimate demise.  Lecther was surprised by
the dimensions of the chair--it seemed more fitted for a child or a woman.
He took several pictures before dismantling the thing, and one of them held
an odd image.  In impeccable style, documentarian Morris lets Lecther
narrate the picture, describing a weird aura that seems to be captured on
the film.  He continues, explaining that electrical devices give off an
aura, and the chair, being one hell of an electrical device, could be
powerful enough to manifest a permanent electromagnetic aura.  Just as we're
rolling our eyes at goofy Mr. Death, Morris zooms in on the right wrist
shackle, where there is unquestionably the hazy image of a hand!

So we've got this chair with this storied history behind it.  Could it be
possible that each snuffed life invests a certain amount of spectral energy
to the machine, so that after every 10 lives or so, the next one in the
chair gets a spiritual 'upgrade?'  Now free, the ubersoul sets off to make
mischief.  I like the idea that our fixation with final judgment causes more
death and despair.

Finally, Katie Couric has shoulders.  No kidding.  I clicked over to AOL,
where they have an image of her in a dress with spaghetti straps, and I
remarked that in all this time, I had never seen her with bared shoulders.
It's interesting the assumptions we make on images.  Is there an actor out
there so skilled at manipulation that he's managed to keep his 'bad side'
from appearing on film?  Just a silly thought.


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