Worth Reading

There is an excellent article in Slate regarding the mosque near the site of the twin towers.  As all of you know I am not religious.  I think all of them are deeply silly, but I am fierce in my defense of our Constitution and what I think, hope, are American values. Here is a money quote from the article. “The latest plot against America, we’re told, is smoldering in the ashes of 9/11. A Muslim organization wants to build a “community center,” including a...

Interesting Realization

One of the non-programed events I attended at Comic-Con was a small, informal cocktail party with a producer of a popular TV show, several writers, actors, etc.  As I was getting ready to leave for my panel my host asked, “What power would I have if I were a superhero?”  For some reason the question took me aback, and put my brain into freeze lock.  I flashed through the usual — fly, invisible, teleport, etc. — and then I said.  “To be...

Inception — Spoiler Alert

Just got home from seeing INCEPTION with Ian.  I don’t quite know what to think about this movie.  It looked amazing.  The direction was terrific.  Di Caprio is a great actor, it was complex, it was thought provoking, and at times I hated it.  Other times I loved it. The questions raised about what is reality were intriguing, and I enjoyed some of the dream levels.  I particularly liked the second level where they run a sting on the mark.  But then we...

We’re Actually Pretty Awesome

I love my Nerd Herd.  Check out how my fellow nerds and geeks took on the haters of the Westboro Baptist Church here. Back from Comic-Con.  It was a ton of fun, though I did have one panic attack out on the sidewalk trying to cross the street to the Omni Hotel.  I’m a diminutive person, and that big a crowd when it just stops made me a little claustrophobic.  But I love this con.  More details after I’ve done some work (and played a little Dragon...

Correction

After Rand’s very perceptive comment about my Mote post, I went back and edited it to make it clear that Ms. Sherrod deserves nothing but priase for her dignified behavior.  Because I live in my own head I had thought that was clear but it wasn’t on the page.  And as I know from Hollywood if it ain’t on the page, it ain’t there.  You’ve got to say the words. I had congratulated the bravery and integrity of the farmer, but forgot to say it in plain...

Too Wonderful!

Courtesy of Ty Frank.  A look at Tea Party tendencies throughout American history.  Hilarious and so sadly true.  Enjoy.

Gergen Said it Best

Here is an incisive statement from David Gergen on CNN regarding the Sherrod story.   “This has ripped away the veil and shown us all that is wrong with politics today. An ideologue injects poison into the internet, other people rush to judgment on camera, and an administration gets stampeded and commits this travesty of justice. The NAACP has at least had the courage to come back and say ‘we were wrong’ and apologize. Now the administration needs to to the same thing....

The Mote in Their Eyes

Since I’ve been working and lost in the world of Dragon Age I haven’t been as much of a news junky recently — which is probably a good thing.  So, this flap about the “black racist” at the Agricultural Department went past me with only a small blip.Then Connie called last night and gave me some more information, and by this morning it had blown up into a huge story.  I’m washing dishes and watching the Today Show, and I’m reduced to...

Three Films

I’ve seen three movies in the past three weeks.  TOY STORY: THREE, KNIGHT AND DAY, and last night DESPICABLE ME.  Conclusion — the plotting, packing, and emotional content was far better in the two animated films then in the live action, the heart pounding excitement was more heart pounding, and the conclusion more satisfying. I don’t know if it’s because it takes so long to render an animated film so there is plenty of time to work and polish the script,...

Opera Should Be Spectacle

I went and saw The Magic Flute at the Santa Fe Opera last night.  While Flute doesn’t rise to the level of Don Giovanni, I truly love much of the music, and the charm of the fairy tale story liberally dosed with Masonic imagery.  The last time I saw Flute at Santa Fe the set had a giant dragon, giant Egyptian temple, the Queen of the Night entered on the top of this enormous rolling platform surrounded by flashing lighting, and rolls of thunder.  The three boys had a...

Pratchett – Good for What Ails You

Thank god for Terry Pratchett.  When life sucks he can always bring a smile, and nodding agreement to his ability to perfectly capture the absurdity of human beings. Started reading JINGO today while taking a long, hot bath.  It made the world better for the time I got to be on Discworld. Wish he could have given us a story from Ventinari’s point of view.  To my mind the most interesting character though I adore Sam Vimes.

Head Scratching

I just finished reading a science fiction novel by one of the eminent writers in the field.   I enjoyed the book (sort of), and I’ll probably read more in the series because now I have a sense of what’s at stake and what’s going on, but it’s maybe not the best structure model when I finally know what’s going on and what’s at stake around page 320 in a 423 page novel. The author also made an interesting structural choice in the beginning of the book....

Waiting

I woke today to a surprisingly warm morning, and considering it was 6:30 this was not happy making.  It’s officially the first day of summer, and I’m faced with the annual Wait for the Rains.  Every year in New Mexico, throughout all of May and June, we count down the hot, dry days, waiting for the summer monsoons.  Hoping they will come.  That this won’t be the year where climate change begins to make the Southwest uninhabitable. I love monsoon season not...

Too Wonderful

As a former attorney I found this exchange hilarious.  Check out the judge’s question to the defense in the Prop 8 Same Sex Marriage lawsuit. These people are going to lose, this will end up at the Supreme Court and we’ll find out if the Robert’s court is just a tool of the Right or actually applies the principles of the Constitution.