Rerunning tonight at midnight EDT on MSNBC.
I saw this at the halftime show for Boston’s recent Worldcon (from backstage) and enjoyed it. Now showing in NYC, just down the street from Virgil’s BBQ and St. Andrews Pub. Give it a shot, if you like that kind of thing.
There are those folks who say I don’t spend enough time listening to the other side of a conversation. In an attempt to remedy that, I offer you this.
Witness The Political Teen:
I haven’t really touched bases on Intelligent Design, but I really don’t see the problem with teaching it. It won’t be taught as though it was a fact, but it will be taught as an idea. Intelligent Design will be presented the same way evolution is, as “something to think about”. Of course as soon as President Bush announced his support for Intelligent Design we hear from liberals that he is trying to institute religion in curriculum. Too bad there is nothing about God or Jesus, but about a “higher being”.
You know, I was ignorant when I was a teenager too. But I didn’t go out of my way to learn things that were wrong.
If we’re talking about a higher being that isn’t God, then who? Aliens? Let’s play that game too, shall we?
Sigh…
TV producers seek to keep politics out of war (Reuters)
(Via Yahoo! News: Entertainment – Television.)
Seriously– what do they think war is about, if not politics?
V for Vendetta Pushed Back To 2006:
V for Vendetta, originally slated to open on Nov. 4, has been pushed back to next March, a Warner Brothers spokesperson told SCI FI Wire. In a statement, Warner said: “We have moved the release date of V for Vendetta to March 17, 2006, to accommodate the movie’s post-production schedule.”
The spokesperson, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, denied that the delay had anything to do with the movie’s subject matter or the current political climate. V for Vendetta has come under scrutiny for the coincidence of its subject matter and the recent terrorist bombings in London.
(Via Sci Fi Wire.)
And if you believe politics had nothing to do with it, I have some fine land in Nevada for you to buy.
This film was going to be a tough sell under any circumstances, if it was going to remain faithful to the original work. But this action fills me with foreboding for the final product. I find it very hard to believe that WB would happily remove the association with the 400th anniversary of Guy Fawkes if they didn’t have to.
Comic legend John Cleese is to undergo surgery on his colon to alleviate diverticulitis – and he plans to auction the parts of his anatomy surgeons remove on his personal website.
Driftglass’s prayerful poem for silence:
Now pretty pennies are at stake
The Supremes won’t fix the Rev’s Mistake;
Not the House of Newt, or Freeper’s Blog,
or Batshit loons, or Man-On-Dog,
Or peddlers of Special, “Schiavo” Laws
Can fuck with the Establishment Clause.
Screw with it, you’re in for trouble,
Like a hell-broth, boil and bubble.
And here it comes. Big Fat Trouble;
Christ is Pissed; His Daddy Double.Pray for rain or for the Cubs.
Pray for gain or tummy rubs.
Pray by your bed, on your head
Or in the shed, on the day you wed.
Pray out loud or quietly.
Pray for yourself, or pray for me.
Pray in a pew or on a mat.
Pray she doesn’t stop doing THAT.
Pray anyhow and anywhere,
But keep it out of the Public Square.
(Via d r i f t g l a s s.)
Well, I’ve given it a week, and the traffic from Mark Evanier’s post about us sent just shy of 800 visitors, of which about 20% seem to be sticking around. This is fascinating to watch on many levels, and we’ll be keeping an eye to see how long the boost lasts. Of course, it’s entirely possible that other people will be linking (like the brilliant Arthur Silber at The Light of Reason, who you ought to try if you haven’t already) and this is by no means an exact science– log analysis rarely is– but still, it amuses.
I wonder if Mark realizes exactly how much juice he has, and I’m always interested to see blog strength in action– like word of mouth on steriods.* Mark probably has a better idea from his Amazon sales figures and PayPal tips, but this is still interesting data. For that matter, I wonder how much traffic I’m sending his way. A smaller percentage, sure, but I’m curious what the crossover is. I assume that folks who read me were already reading his stuff.
Oh, and while I’m thinking about it: Mark, after San Diego I went to Vegas to recover (during the worst heat wave ever) and saw Ronn Lucas’s live show at the Rio on your recommendation. I spoke with him after the show and said you sent me, and he said you should give him a call. Ask him about the marriage proposal. And thanks for all the extra traffic.
* Remind me to tell you sometime about the test to see how fast we could spread the rumor that Marina Sirtis was going to play Catwoman in Batman Returns.
Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall: August 07, 2005 – August 13, 2005 Archives:
My literary powers failed me when I tried to come up with a joke suitably humorous and grim to fully capture the ridiculousness of President Bush’s continued insistence that he is willing to use force but only as a last resort. Perhaps someone out there can help?
The only conceivable joke is “Him and what army?”
I got a note about a really mean-spirited review of Creative Couplings the other day. (No, I’m not going to link to it. I’m not going to waste my newly acquired blog juice on this guy.) He calls the rabbi I consulted with on the story names I won’t repeat, says that TV shows require consultants but novels don’t, and that I could have done just as well reading Judiasm for Dummies rather than consult with a rabbi, and in general uses his little soapbox to slam the Forward, “which doesn’t seem capable of not promoting anything that secularizes or demeans judaism and jews”.
And then he follows up with a post saying “authentic talmidei chachamim are carefull (sic) in their words and don’t resort to slander and character assasination as a substitute for argument”.
For some reason he reminded me of Emo Philips trying to talk a potential suicide out of jumping off a bridge:
“I said, ‘Are you a Christian or a Jew?’ He said, ‘A Christian.’
I said, ‘Me too. Protestant or Catholic?’ He said, ‘Protestant.’
I said, ‘Me too. What franchise?’ He says, ‘Baptist.’
I said, ‘Me too. Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?’ He says, ‘Northern Baptist.’
I said, ‘Me too. Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?’ He says, ‘Northern Conservative Baptist.’
I said, ‘Me too. Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist or Northern Conservative Reformed Baptist?’ He says, ‘Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist.’
I said, ‘Me too. Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, Eastern Region?’ He says, ‘Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region.’
I said, ‘Me too. Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1879 or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1912?’ He says, Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1912.’
I said, ‘Die, heretic!’ and I pushed him over.”