What the fuck?
So far all I've seen are the commercials but I have to make a judgement call...the new Fox show called The Swan is some sick-ass shit.
Sunday, April 11, 2004
Friday, April 09, 2004
Neal Pollack returns home
Man, you gotta read Pollack's take on the Rice testimony. It's Killer stuff.
Man, you gotta read Pollack's take on the Rice testimony. It's Killer stuff.
On the cover
On the cover of the newspaper today I saw a photograph of a group of Marines kneeling with their arms around each other as they prayed over the body of a dead comrade. I hope our fucking goddamn president is enjoying his vacation. They always told us that Marines were born to fight and die but shouldn't it be for an honorable cause not for the hubris of a failed oilman that was unable to complete his own reservist duties.
God, sometimes he makes me just crazy...fergle nerp dwoggin fanny pack...rumplebut token jeshua stizzle...gloggle ferg norgan docka dork...phert nerder berger fluzz......
On the cover of the newspaper today I saw a photograph of a group of Marines kneeling with their arms around each other as they prayed over the body of a dead comrade. I hope our fucking goddamn president is enjoying his vacation. They always told us that Marines were born to fight and die but shouldn't it be for an honorable cause not for the hubris of a failed oilman that was unable to complete his own reservist duties.
God, sometimes he makes me just crazy...fergle nerp dwoggin fanny pack...rumplebut token jeshua stizzle...gloggle ferg norgan docka dork...phert nerder berger fluzz......
Thursday, April 08, 2004
Up and beyond
Looks like Heinlein might be right again. Private enterprise is going to eventually bypass the guv'ment in space travel.
I have always told my friends that space travel will not explode until it becomes profitable. That is what drove European exploration of the Americas: dough. Private companies making a profit by flying tourists into low-earth orbits is step two in busting our species off this rock.
Looks like Heinlein might be right again. Private enterprise is going to eventually bypass the guv'ment in space travel.
I have always told my friends that space travel will not explode until it becomes profitable. That is what drove European exploration of the Americas: dough. Private companies making a profit by flying tourists into low-earth orbits is step two in busting our species off this rock.
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Fumbled the ball and then picked it back up and scored a touchdown
Today I had my first booktalk. For some reason, several months ago I had convinced myself that the talk was supposed to take place in May. Nope, it was today. The type of talk I did was a club we call Mom's Book Break. Fifteen minutes after the talk was supposed to start two of the mothers came upstairs looking for the booktalk librarian. I asked them which book they were discussing today while thinking to myself "don't say Heroe's Daughter, Don't say Heroe's Daughter." One of the ladies looked at me and said, "Heroe's Daughter." Crap.
I ran downstairs and started the talk. It turned out pretty great, I have to say. I was prepared. I had read the book months ago and had worked out questions to ask the ladies weeks ago. Thank god I was ready. The three ladies that showed up had read the book and one of them had been to Russia which is where the book is set. The conversation flowed well and I asked good opening questions. I just hope that these were the only three that showed up and we didn't lose someone because it started late.
Maybe it worked out for the best that I had forgotten about the talk. I had no time to worry about it and was able to go downstairs and just do it. Having done this and having it go well will really help me with my big formal book talk that is coming up...uh...sometime soon. I'm not really sure when. Nah, I'm kidding, it's June 3rd.
Today I had my first booktalk. For some reason, several months ago I had convinced myself that the talk was supposed to take place in May. Nope, it was today. The type of talk I did was a club we call Mom's Book Break. Fifteen minutes after the talk was supposed to start two of the mothers came upstairs looking for the booktalk librarian. I asked them which book they were discussing today while thinking to myself "don't say Heroe's Daughter, Don't say Heroe's Daughter." One of the ladies looked at me and said, "Heroe's Daughter." Crap.
I ran downstairs and started the talk. It turned out pretty great, I have to say. I was prepared. I had read the book months ago and had worked out questions to ask the ladies weeks ago. Thank god I was ready. The three ladies that showed up had read the book and one of them had been to Russia which is where the book is set. The conversation flowed well and I asked good opening questions. I just hope that these were the only three that showed up and we didn't lose someone because it started late.
Maybe it worked out for the best that I had forgotten about the talk. I had no time to worry about it and was able to go downstairs and just do it. Having done this and having it go well will really help me with my big formal book talk that is coming up...uh...sometime soon. I'm not really sure when. Nah, I'm kidding, it's June 3rd.
Monday, April 05, 2004
Blood and guts
Today I went to see "The Passion of the Christ." I went with my new friend because she begged me to go because she wanted to see it and didn't want to see such a gruesome movie by her lonesome. I bitched and moaned a little bit because I wasn't all that keen on watching a man get beaten withing a couple inhces of his life, paraded through an angy rock-throwing mob, get crucified and then die painfully from exposure. I have to admit though, that I was curious. I had read and heard so much about the movie that I partly went to see what all the fuss was about.
My reaction:
1) The opening scene where Jesus is praying to god to allow him to not be tortured and killed was quite moving. It would have been a great final scene in a serious movie about the life of the man. Although Satan with a worm crawling out and back into his nose was superfluous. I guess that way people know for sure that the androgynous evil-looking fellow is either the prince of darkness or one of the guys from Jackass.
2) Antisemitism? Hmmm...I guess I did notice that all the guys that wanted Jesus dead had the stereotypical faciual features of what ignorant people would call "Jewish" and Jesus and Mary had nice European aquiline features. The Romans also looked very...uh...Roman. The actor that played Pontius Pilate looked like one of those busts of Julius Caesar. Maybe it was done to avoid confusion.
3) Best gory special effect: When Jesus was getting the bejesus whacked out of him by the cat o' nine tails one of the whips wrapped around his torso and the hooks got stuck in his flesh. When the Roman soldier yanked the hooks out flesh flew off the body like scales when you are cleaning a fish. I have to give a big shout out to the boys at Industrial Light and Magic for that one.
4) Another nice gory touch was when we were shown the point of a nail that has gone through the hand of Jesus and subsequently through the wood of the cross. Dripping off that nail and onto the ground? You got it: blood.
5) The movie was well-directed, I have to admit. It was genius in its manipulation of my emotions. Even as I went in ready to dismiss the movie I couldn't avoid being jolted by such horribly violent acts upon a peaceful person. This also brings about the question is it helpful to make the most violent movie ever about the man called the prince of peace?
6) Braveheart moment of the movie: The scene where guys are preparing to stone Magdalene. The camera is at ground level. We see a row of men with rocks. A sandle-clad foot thumps into the ground. Dust rises and settles. We see a hand draw a line in the sand. The hand then draws a symbol in the sand. The men all drop their stones since none of them is without sin. Man, that was a funny scene. I never realized that Jesus was such a stud.
7) Jesus invents the dinner table: In a flashback we see Jesus show his mother a table that is taller than normal. She is playfully aghast. How can one eat at such a tall table?! He then explains he has yet to build the taller-than-normal chairs. They both laugh. Fucking stupid.
8) Part I actually liked: A couple of the Roman soldiers involved in the crucifixion were surprisingly worthy of empathy. They go from pitying a man's suffering, to fear of what he may be to awe of what he is. Their reactions are paced well.
9) Overt symbolism: Remember the two criminals that are crucified along with Jesus? Like any good mythology one is sympathetic and one is scornful. The sympathetic one is promised that he will join Jesus in paradise (how lucky is that, to be crucified the same day as Jesus? Just be supportive and, boom! you're in heaven for all eternity.) and the scornful one gets his eye pecked out by a crow. Apparently his attitude is wrong. That made me laugh.
10) Over the top message of the movie: Mary staring into the camera as she holds the dead body of her son. She just stares and stares and stares at the audience as the camera pulls back. She is saying "how can you not be a good bible thumping Christian after watching this two-hour snuff film?"
11) I swear when Jesus rises from the dead you can see his butt for just a split second. Showing Adam's ass or Eve's boobies is legitimate since that's the way they were. Any good Christian would rise from the dead in suitably conservative attire.
11) I have to wonder what will give this movie a long video life, the supposed message or the awesome violence? I can picture this movie being shown in bible study classes and S & M clubs.
12) My overall reaction? A totally unnecessary movie. Either you believe or you don't, depends on your brain or how you was raised or a little bit of both according to recent studies.
Today I went to see "The Passion of the Christ." I went with my new friend because she begged me to go because she wanted to see it and didn't want to see such a gruesome movie by her lonesome. I bitched and moaned a little bit because I wasn't all that keen on watching a man get beaten withing a couple inhces of his life, paraded through an angy rock-throwing mob, get crucified and then die painfully from exposure. I have to admit though, that I was curious. I had read and heard so much about the movie that I partly went to see what all the fuss was about.
My reaction:
1) The opening scene where Jesus is praying to god to allow him to not be tortured and killed was quite moving. It would have been a great final scene in a serious movie about the life of the man. Although Satan with a worm crawling out and back into his nose was superfluous. I guess that way people know for sure that the androgynous evil-looking fellow is either the prince of darkness or one of the guys from Jackass.
2) Antisemitism? Hmmm...I guess I did notice that all the guys that wanted Jesus dead had the stereotypical faciual features of what ignorant people would call "Jewish" and Jesus and Mary had nice European aquiline features. The Romans also looked very...uh...Roman. The actor that played Pontius Pilate looked like one of those busts of Julius Caesar. Maybe it was done to avoid confusion.
3) Best gory special effect: When Jesus was getting the bejesus whacked out of him by the cat o' nine tails one of the whips wrapped around his torso and the hooks got stuck in his flesh. When the Roman soldier yanked the hooks out flesh flew off the body like scales when you are cleaning a fish. I have to give a big shout out to the boys at Industrial Light and Magic for that one.
4) Another nice gory touch was when we were shown the point of a nail that has gone through the hand of Jesus and subsequently through the wood of the cross. Dripping off that nail and onto the ground? You got it: blood.
5) The movie was well-directed, I have to admit. It was genius in its manipulation of my emotions. Even as I went in ready to dismiss the movie I couldn't avoid being jolted by such horribly violent acts upon a peaceful person. This also brings about the question is it helpful to make the most violent movie ever about the man called the prince of peace?
6) Braveheart moment of the movie: The scene where guys are preparing to stone Magdalene. The camera is at ground level. We see a row of men with rocks. A sandle-clad foot thumps into the ground. Dust rises and settles. We see a hand draw a line in the sand. The hand then draws a symbol in the sand. The men all drop their stones since none of them is without sin. Man, that was a funny scene. I never realized that Jesus was such a stud.
7) Jesus invents the dinner table: In a flashback we see Jesus show his mother a table that is taller than normal. She is playfully aghast. How can one eat at such a tall table?! He then explains he has yet to build the taller-than-normal chairs. They both laugh. Fucking stupid.
8) Part I actually liked: A couple of the Roman soldiers involved in the crucifixion were surprisingly worthy of empathy. They go from pitying a man's suffering, to fear of what he may be to awe of what he is. Their reactions are paced well.
9) Overt symbolism: Remember the two criminals that are crucified along with Jesus? Like any good mythology one is sympathetic and one is scornful. The sympathetic one is promised that he will join Jesus in paradise (how lucky is that, to be crucified the same day as Jesus? Just be supportive and, boom! you're in heaven for all eternity.) and the scornful one gets his eye pecked out by a crow. Apparently his attitude is wrong. That made me laugh.
10) Over the top message of the movie: Mary staring into the camera as she holds the dead body of her son. She just stares and stares and stares at the audience as the camera pulls back. She is saying "how can you not be a good bible thumping Christian after watching this two-hour snuff film?"
11) I swear when Jesus rises from the dead you can see his butt for just a split second. Showing Adam's ass or Eve's boobies is legitimate since that's the way they were. Any good Christian would rise from the dead in suitably conservative attire.
11) I have to wonder what will give this movie a long video life, the supposed message or the awesome violence? I can picture this movie being shown in bible study classes and S & M clubs.
12) My overall reaction? A totally unnecessary movie. Either you believe or you don't, depends on your brain or how you was raised or a little bit of both according to recent studies.
Saturday, April 03, 2004
Al Franken sure is funny
Right now I am listening to a re-broadcast of a recent Al Franken show on the website of the new Air America Radio network. It's damn funny. In fact, right now he is playing a new skit by at least one half of the classic radio duo Bob and Ray! How cool is that?
Right now I am listening to a re-broadcast of a recent Al Franken show on the website of the new Air America Radio network. It's damn funny. In fact, right now he is playing a new skit by at least one half of the classic radio duo Bob and Ray! How cool is that?
Thursday, April 01, 2004
But once they are born it's OK to bomb and shoot them or send them somewhere to be shot or blown up.
"We stand for a culture of life in which every person counts and every person matters. We will not stand for the treatment of any life as a commodity to be experimented upon, exploited or cloned," the president told GOP donors to his campaign at a fund-raiser in Washington Tuesday night.
A personal note...
I have to say this attitude is my favorite form that hypocrisy takes with the anti-abortion right wing crowd. They are against the destruction of cells that may become human but think nothing of killing fellow human beings whether it be in a needless war or by executing retarded people.
I remember talking to a musician once at the Milestone club a long time ago and he told me about an anti-abortion rally he had witnessed. One of the slogans the protesters were chanting had something to do with not killing unborn babies because they were future soldiers. I think that sums up the attitude of our presidente perfectly.
"We stand for a culture of life in which every person counts and every person matters. We will not stand for the treatment of any life as a commodity to be experimented upon, exploited or cloned," the president told GOP donors to his campaign at a fund-raiser in Washington Tuesday night.
A personal note...
I have to say this attitude is my favorite form that hypocrisy takes with the anti-abortion right wing crowd. They are against the destruction of cells that may become human but think nothing of killing fellow human beings whether it be in a needless war or by executing retarded people.
I remember talking to a musician once at the Milestone club a long time ago and he told me about an anti-abortion rally he had witnessed. One of the slogans the protesters were chanting had something to do with not killing unborn babies because they were future soldiers. I think that sums up the attitude of our presidente perfectly.
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