Our Opinions

Coffee Drinkers On Haiti Calamity

We’re not going to claim any expert opinions about Haiti relief efforts from Montclair’s coffee drinkers, but there’s a naturally-heightened interest among Hayward Fault residents like us.

The neighborly conversations were pretty lively earlier today.  With videos showing attempted and real rescues, dead bodies, and injured or bereft survivors, the aftermath seems so much more vivid than previous long-distance disasters.

Here’s a recap of the concepts examined by coffee klatschers.  We’re sure that locals have been influenced by whatever media they consumed, but these kinds of questions always came up:

  • Communications – Can you believe we see it all now, and probably know more than Haitians on the streets?  Did you see Anderson Cooper at the rescue scene?
  • Casualties – So is it really 150,000 dead or more now?  How many more won’t get counted?
  • Recovery – What will it truly take for Haitians to recover?  Are there achievable goals?  Is it better for Haitians to move and relocate across the island?
  • Government – Does government or centralized control matter there?  Who is in control there?  How are the Haitians reacting to Americans on the ground?
  • Fund-raising – What’s the best place to give now, the Red Cross?  How can we get George Clooney to help us raise money all the time?

The Haiti earthquake calamity is still raw news, yet there’s some battle fatigue.  Although most of the local chatting was about Haiti, the unstated “what happens when our Hayward quake hits” was right below the surface.

Closing The Budget Gaps, Maturely

Lately, the members of Make Oakland Better Now! have been putting their water glasses against the walls of Oakland homes and public places.  They are eager to learn what everyone thinks about closing this year’s budget gaps, currently pegged at $9 million.

MOBN doesn’t have any political axes to grind, but does want to communicate collective thoughts to the Oakland City Council before they make final budget cuts on February 16th.  MOBN leader Bruce Nye let us know that all Oaklanders may cast their ballots, through Friday at 5pm:  vote here.

What’s in this budget priorities ballot?  You’ll be able to support or oppose specific public safety, personnel and other cuts as well as revenue-generating (tax) measures.   Then you’ll be able to offer your own suggestions, too.

We encourage you to cast your ballot, and rest assured your opinions will be presented clearly to all the City Council members.  Although Oakland’s dealing with Hobson’s Choices, it’s better to consider the possibilities than remain part of the silent majority.

Montclarions Speak: Actors You Love

With the arrival of the movie awards season, it’s time to create a celebrity splash.  Based on our highly scientific survey, we’re ready to reveal the actors and actresses you love most.

The results are filled with well-known performers, but they are a real mix!  They come from independent as well as blockbuster movies.  They don’t all come from the latest pages of celebrity magazines, either.

Montclair’s Favorite Actors

This past year, your top actor picks were George Clooney, Clint Eastwood, Colin Firth and Robert Pattinson.  They changed plenty when switching to favorites this decade,  as Johnny Depp topped the list followed by George Clooney, Daniel Day Lewis, and Will Farrell.

Moving to favorite actors of all time, you loved Tom Hanks, Marlon Brando, Robert Redford and Harrison Ford.  We think the aughts weren’t permanently imprinted on the local cultural zeitgeist.

Montclair’s Favorite Actresses

During 2009, you favored Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Amy Adams and Kristen Stewart.  Looking at the past decade, you kept Meryl Streep on the list and replaced the others with Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon and Kate Winslet.

Gazing across the decades, the most-loved actresses were Meryl Streep (a three-peat), Jodie Foster, Katharine Hepburn and Frances McDormand.  Let’s go watch their tour de forces, right now.

Takeaway On Montclarion Tastes

We seem to enjoy good dramatic performers more than anything else, and avoid the all-American action stars.  Familiarity is a good thing, as our favorites have plenty of performances under their collective belts (Twilight stars excepted).

And everyone seems to dig George and Meryl, far and above the rest.

Montclarions Speak: Your Best Reads

Based on our year-end survey, Montclarions were simply eclectic when asked about their favorite magazines, books and authors.  You shared interests in the economy, politics, tech, home-nesting and a bit of pop culture for good measure.

Montclair’s Favorite Reads

These “best reads” were naturally biased, coming from Montclair neighbors taking our entertainment survey.  You contributed a long list of titles there, with only a handful receiving multiple mentions.  We haven’t read some of the books picked above, and feel gently pushed to give ’em a try.

P.S.  But wait, there’s more.  Some Montclair survey results have not been revealed – like musicians and local eats – so there’s still time to make your suggestions here.

Montclarions Speak: Favorite Movie Picks

During the holiday lull, we created a survey to capture the Montclarion zeitgeist.  Let’s reveal your contributions and opinions, starting with favorite movie picks…a real mash-up.

Montclair’s Favorite Movie Picks

We weren’t that surprised with your crowd-pleasing titles, a veritable cornucopia of Baby Boomer and Gen X delights.  You didn’t replay all the Oscar winners.  You didn’t go for all the box office blockbusters, either.  And you avoided the superheroes and most animated flicks.

What surprised us?  There’s a dearth of edgier or provocative movies, with no Kill Bill or Apocalypse Now in the bunch.  There’s fewer political or war picks too, like Schindler’s List or Coming Home.  Maybe everyone’s influenced (a little) by what’s shown on cable or satellite channels.

Since our entertainment zeitgeist survey’s still open, you may share favorite singers, actors, books and more.  Oddly enough, we see that your actor picks aren’t really aligned with your movies!  Anyway, please contribute your two cents here.

*Fine Print: Good Will Hunting wasn’t released this past decade, but we received multiple picks here.