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I need to start picking a theme or something.
Anyways, just making my FFAF blog rounds and wanted to stop by and say hello. :)
And I hope you all have a great weekend!
One of my favorites:
HARMONY: Is Antonio Banderas a vampire?
SPIKE: No.
HARMONY: Can I make him a vampire?
SPIKE: No. On second thought, yes. Go do that. Take your time. Do Melanie and the kids as well.
Tam, Sun-Dried Toad
That's how USA Today phrases it in the headline. "3rd adult movie performer tests for HIV." Which is better than the other screaming "HIV OUTBREAK IN PORN INDUSTRY" headlines other organizations are using. Very serious issue, so I shouldn't joke about it, but could the coverage be just a wee bit less sensationalistic? Just a tad?
Silly question, I know.
Started writing something along the lines of, "When I did sex work," but thought the better of it. I am trying to cut down on the level of pretention, after all.
Picked up Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is by the lovely and talented Abigail Garner at the library. Interlibrary loan; I did pester the poor woman behind the counter about getting their own copy, as I'd been ordered under theat of greivous bodily injury politely asked to do.
And tomorrow am possibly heading to REBIRTH: A Group Show of Works on Paper, featuring work by the possibly equally lovely and talented Kris Dresen. Never met the girl, but am looking forward to doing so. And not just because she promises free wine.
That does help, yes. . .
7-11PM at The Flat Iron Building, 1935 1/2 W North Ave, if you're thinking of ambling that way yourself. At the very least, we are also promised a "big drawing of a nekkid lady with vines on her." So, you know, there's also the chance of seeing Ashcroft's Justice Department in action. What more do you need?
By the bye, anyone with greater mad HTML skillz wanna tell me if you can adjust the spacing around an IFRAME? Not thrilled with how that flows up there. . .
So like, my name is Karsh, but you plebeians can call me the Black Gay Blogger. Here's a little poem I'd like to share with you good people by my favorite poet Etheridge Knight.
And, yeah brothers
while white America sings about the unsinkable molly brown
(who was hustling the titanic
when it went down)
I sing to thee of Shine
the stoker who was hip enough to flee the fucking ship
and let the white folks drown
with screams on their lips
(jumped his black ass into the dark sea, Shine did,
broke free from the straining steel).
Yeah, I sing to thee of Shine
and how the millionaire banker stood on the deck
and pulled from his pockets a million dollar check
saying Shine Shine save poor me
and I'll give you all the money a black boy needs�
how Shine looked at the money and then at the sea
and said jump in muthafucka and swim like me�
and Shine swam on�Shine swam on�
and how the banker's daughter ran naked on the deck
with her pink tits trembling and her pants roun her neck
screaming Shine Shine save poor me
and I'll give you all the pussy a black boy needs�
how Shine said now pussy is good and that's no jive
but you got to swim not fuck to stay alive�
And Shine swam on Shine Swam on�
How Shine swam past a preacher afloating on a board
crying save me nigger Shine in the name of the Lord�
and how the preacher grabbed Shine's arm and broke his stroke�
how Shine pulled his shank and cut the preacher's throat�
And Shine swam on�Shine swam on�
And when news hit shore that the titanic had sunk
Shine was up in Harlem damn near drunk�
Peace, love, and soy negro y'all. I'm out.
P.S.: Don't confuse Shine with Shyne. Something tells me he's treaded more than his fair share of water anyway. Outlaw.
Why yes, I did turn on the guest login last night, as you can tell from the Thursday Free-For-All Friday posts.
But now, it's officially FFAF, so you can officially post here. Officially.
http://www.uppity-negro.com/cgi-uppity-negro/mt.cgiAnd you can always drop by Just Janice or nikkiana's place. . . although I'm having problems opening the latter.
Er, I'm meant to post some rules, but figure people are sensible enough to know how to behave properly. This often leads to disappointment, yes, but I'll deal with that as it happens.
From Gapers' Block, which I reached from a link at Pound (and which they found at Skin Talk), in about a month Chicago plays host to Shibaricon, "the world's premiere international pansexual annual exhibition and conference that focuses on education and information exchange of rope bondage."
Work. Not safe for. As you can imagine.
There's classes to teach bondage safety, which seems like a good thing to know -- and that reminds me, I haven't recertified for CPR recently. Which might be a necessary fallback if. . . I shut up now.
There's also a class/sesson on tea ceremony. Since I never got 'round to taking it at U of I, because I sucked then as much as I do now.
They're also looking for volunteers, if there are any EMTs or nurses out there who have that weekend free, or if you just wanted to work the registration table, among a few other things.
Guess I could always use more volunteer experience on my resume. . .
Well, it's that time of the month again.
No, not that time, Free-For-All Friday time. Like Smile Time, only no one gets turned into a puppet. So far.
Your participants:
How it works is, you log in to http://www.uppity-negro.com/cgi-uppity-negro/mt.cgi, using
Username: guest
Password: guest
And using the intuitive MovableType interface -- so simple, even University of Minnesota students can use it -- to craft an entry, like the one you're reading right now.
Only, one hopes, much more interesting and better-written.
Obviously, management reserves the right to remove anything I don't particularly care for, but you've all been here long enough to know what does and doesn't fly around here, right?
Personally, I'm looking forward to some gratuitous sex and violence.
Update: Oh yes, and LiveJournal types, as well as DiaryLand scum are also encouraged to participate. If the latter think they're up to the task, that is.
Is this a good time to mention new links Sour Bob, luvabeans, Pound and (predictably) mimi smartypants?
No, I expect not. . .
Yeah, that's not obscure or anything. . . by way of Dwayne McDuffie's weblog, an announcement of Justice League: Starcrossed:
Subtitles: 1 English, 3 Francais, 2 Espanol
Sound Quality: 2.0=Dolby Surround Stereo - English, 2.0=Dolby Surround Stereo -
Spanish, 2.0=Dolby Surround Stereo - Portugese
What?
Sheesh. Plot summary and more pimping of product in the link. Do I have to do everything around here?
Possibly related -- I'm entirely too chickenshit to ask either Dwayne or Kris about the current status of Th* R**d T* H*ll -- braver souls may now interact with the lovely and talented Kris Dresen over at her forum bulletin board thingee. Plus, more McDuffie madness at The Milestone Delphi Forum. Although that isn't the current name, and possibly never was.
Yes, I saw about Hal coming back at The Sideshow (who saw it at Amygdala, for those of you playing the home game). Yeah, whatever, John Stewart ain't make the cover of the JLA direct-to-video movie, I'm too busy being bitter over that to say anything.
And wondering how this will effect Priest's novels.
I expect I should explain that title.
Yep, I should do that.
People are probably wondering why it doesn't say, "by Ben Bova."
And I'm not really planning on going to this:
Bruce Sterling will be speaking and signing
his new book THE ZENITH ANGLE in the following cities:Chicago, IL Thursday, April 29th @ 7:30 PM
Talk & Signing
Barbara's Bookstore
1100 Lake Street
Oak Park, IL 60301
Don't think I've ever actually read anything by Bruce Sterling. . .
Also, via Jessa Crispin at Blog of a Bookslut, the Guardian piece Porn and the novel :
Yet most writers who take on the subject of pornography are men, and for them it is usual to adopt a pretty breezy, often humorous view of the way that pornography works. In Adam Thirlwell's recent novel Politics, for example, we see a female character sitting at her computer, scrolling through the pornography on offer: "Having exhausted the fisting gallery, Anjali was offered 29 snaps of horny babe cucking [sic] lover off in back of class, 30 zooms of gorgeous sexy hottie opening fat bald beaver . . . This list bored Anjali . . . In fact, thought Anjali, only one description showed potential. This was 18 looks at neighbour boy fucking grandma after mowing her grass. It was the mown grass that was good. It showed such homely appreciation of context."Female writers who have tried to deal with pornography often write from a very different perspective. Although it was Martin Amis who said that pornography is littered with the death of feelings, it is women writers who have dramatised this most explicitly. Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, which was shortlisted for the Orange prize this week, is a fascinating exploration of a world in which pornography has taken over from sexual intimacy. She writes of a dystopian future in which the needs of the body rule, and in which the mind and the soul are entirely discredited, a culture in which "Executions were its tragedies, pornography was its romance".
This is a novel that rests on moral certainty, and one of those moral certainties is the way that the growth of pornography can threaten the individual's ability to love. The relationship between her protagonist, Jimmy, and the woman whom he first falls for on a pornographic website is a simulacrum of a real relationship, in which communication is stunted and he is constantly searching for a connection that cannot be achieved.
Another writer who has tried to grapple openly with what it means if you allow pornography to dominate sexuality is Helen Walsh, whose first novel was published to great interest last month. Brass, a coming-of-age novel set in Liverpool, is unusual because it engages so fiercely with what is troubling about porn. "I saw women through the eyes of a pornographer," her character Millie says; she learns to see other people whom she desires not as living, loving individuals but as objects to be used. Indeed, she goes so far as to pick up prostitutes and pay them to enact pornographic scenarios with her. There is something terrifying about the way she describes the sex in this unfeeling universe. "I manipulate myself hard and selfishly," says Millie, "the whore becoming nothing but a body. A cunt in a magazine."
Half-listened to a possibly appropriate discussion on Unfiltered this morning on Air America, but they don't appear to have a blog, unlike some of the other shows. Or, again, not looking hard enough.
Listened to the 'net stream; the Chicago affiliate sometimes airs shows, and sometimes plays music with the odd promo. Yes, it'll be going completely away soon. No, still no word on a replacement, but I'm confident that no matter what, the right wingers will prattle on mindlessly about the death of the network and how they're silencing the voices of people of color, which we all know the right wing is all about listening to.
Wankers.
Some commentary and sketchy details at Eric Zorn's Notebook, although I should warn you that he leaves me in the dust as far as Mimi Smartypants celebrity stalking goes.
Bringing this almost full circle, Blog of a Bookslut also linked the Guardian's excerpt of O: The Intimate History of the Orgasm by Jonathan Margolis.
Guess I should move the Sterling bit after the bit on. . . nah.
Just my jaundiced reading of the NYTimes article Answer, but No Cure, for a Social Disorder That Isolates Many:
Because Asperger's was not widely identified until recently, thousands of adults like Mr. [Steven Miller, a university librarian] — people who have never fit in socially — are only now stumbling across a neurological explanation for their lifelong struggles with ordinary human contact.As Mr. Miller learned from the article, autism is now believed to encompass a wide spectrum of impairment and intelligence, from the classically unreachable child to people with Asperger's and a similar condition called high-functioning autism, who have normal intelligence and often superior skills in a given area. But they all share a defining trait: They are what autism researchers call "mind blind." Lacking the ability to read cues like body language to intuit what other people are thinking, they have profound difficulty navigating basic social interactions. The diagnosis is reordering their lives. Some have become newly determined to learn how to compensate.
They are filling up scarce classes that teach skills like how close to stand next to someone at a party, or how to tell when people are angry even when they are smiling. Others, like Mr. Miller, have decided to disclose their diagnosis, hoping to deflect the often-hostile responses their odd manners and miscues provoke. In some cases, it has helped. In others, it seemed only to elicit one more rejection.
It's the last paragraph that jumped out at me. Puts me in mind of how no one really heard of lactose intolerance until lactaid came out and did a publicity blitz.
Of course, this could just be the Asperger's talkin-- no, that's just in poor taste. . .
Mentioned this a while back, after reading Clare Sainsbury's Martian in the Playground : Understanding the Schoolchild with Asperger's Syndrome. Link to Amazon.co.uk; don't see any evidence of a US print of the book, but may not be looking hard enough.
Article seen at Metafilter, which also had a link/discussion to/about The Obesity Myth over at Big Fat Blog.
Suppose I could explicitly tie these two apparently disparate topics together by mentioning the diet industry, but I just did, so why bother?
I forget what a sheltered life I've led. I'd never heard that pithy little aphorism before. From News Bureau: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Schools failing to accommodate teens who are pregnant or new mothers:
The Title IX legislation of 1972 has been celebrated for the dramatic benefits it brought to girls in school sports.But another group of girls, also guaranteed educational equality through Title IX, have seen little benefit, says Wanda Pillow, a professor of educational policy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
In a new book, “Unfit Subjects: Educational Policy and the Teen Mother” (RoutledgeFalmer), Pillow writes that schools today rarely make even small accommodations for pregnant and mothering teens. As in the pre-Title IX past, the majority of pregnant teens apparently still leave school and don’t return.
In some schools, the old understanding that “when you show, you go” is still in effect – at least in practice, Pillow said. In some larger school systems, pregnant students are encouraged to attend alternative schools, but the quality of these schools is unclear.
Title IX clearly requires access to equal educational opportunity for these students, but the interpretation has been left to the individual schools, Pillow writes. “Presently, beyond forbidding expulsion, there is no case law to enforce or guide the provision of educational services for teen mothers at the local or state level.”
I mean, yes, when I was in high school, pregnant girls did seem to disappear and never come back, but I'm old, and this was during the Reagan administration, so I just assumed it was death squads.
Death squad jokes. Always a good ice-breaker.
As are discussions of race and class:
Those homes [for unwed mothers] served mainly white, working-class women, and the program emphasized job skills training that would enable the single mother to support herself and her child, Pillow said. The emphasis on training would lead to a later concern about the teen mother’s right to an education, and helped lay the groundwork for Title IX.But the homes also helped establish a clear pattern of defining the issue of unwed pregnancy by race, Pillow said. “White, unwed mothers were seen as fallen women, women who had made a mistake in their life … but who could be redeemed.” For black women, however, unwed pregnancy was seen more as a “cultural deficit,” Pillow said, and “redeeming” them was not a goal.
Those attitudes, along with concerns about moral contamination, have helped bring about a divided and shifting discussion on teen pregnancy and education, Pillow writes. The divide is between policies that view education for the pregnant or mothering teen as a right, versus those that view it as a responsibility.
“We are still treating white girls, particularly the white girls who are good students, as entitled to an education,” she said, though in reality they still face “severe limitations.” For girls of lower income or racial minorities, however, the perspective is often that they are responsible for their schooling, no matter the barriers, to avoid becoming a “burden on society,” she said.
If you're not already appalled, there's a bit on abstinence-only education, "the only form of sex education taught in Illinois and 16 other abstinence-only states." Bigot that I am, I'll thank our downstate legislators for this (even though the Republican 'burbs no doubt helped). See, this is why Chicago should secede. . .
And I didn't want to come off as even more of a rube, but it did surprise me to see that about Illinois being an abstinence-only state. So, yes, I went digging for info, and came across a (registration-required, quit your whining) Trib article from 2001, Scope of sex education varies widely:
When Mark Temple asks parents if they want their schools' sex education classes to cover potentially touchy subjects such as birth control, abortion or homosexuality, they frequently throw a question back at him."They'll say, 'You mean they aren't teaching this already?'
"They think it's being taught," and they want it to be taught, said Temple, an assistant professor of health education at Illinois State University and president of the Illinois School Health Association.
Like their parents, students also want plenty of straight talk on sex, said Nancy LaCursia, a health teacher at New Trier High School, which has one of the most comprehensive high school sex education programs in the Chicago area.
Later, my brain broke from irony overload on seeing the name of an organization:
Several organizations in the Chicago area are bringing abstinence-only messages into the schools. One of those is Project Reality, based in north suburban Golf and funded through grants from the Illinois Department of Human Services.The national, non-profit organization publishes texts and videos, trains teachers to use its curriculum and sends its speakers into middle school and high school classes.
Actually, guess it depends on the stress pattern you use for the first word, and the corresponding definitio-- sorry, linguistics geekery.
Link added -- also stuck one for the book/publisher site in the first quoted bit way at the top -- to Project Reality's site. It keeps showing yet more charming little aphorisms, like "True Love Waits" and "Avoid the Pain: Abstain."
And, of course, "Condoms don't protect the heart."
There's a joke there, somewhere, about not putting the thing on properly because you're a product of abstinence-only sex ed, but I have a broken brain.
Update: On Rhetoric.
There's a more recent, no-registration article at that bastion of journalistic integrity, the Fair and Balanced ones themselves, FOX NEWS: Bush Budget Fuels Debate Over Sex Ed:
Proponents of comprehensive sex education say telling teens to wait on intercourse is fine, but they also need straight talk about how to protect themselves from disease and unwanted pregnancy when they don't decide to wait. Safe-sex educators contend that abstinence-only programs drag schools and community outreach programs back to the dark ages by covering up frank sex talk with an unrealistic drumbeat about “waiting for marriage.”“It’s not what the public wants,” said Michael McGee of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which has received millions in federal money over the years for family planning services that include community-based programs for teens.
“Not one of these (abstinence) programs have been proven effective,” he said.
Contraceptive promotion and family planning programs receive an estimated $2.2 billion each year from the federal government. Abstinence advocates say by doubling the current spending on abstinence-only programs, funding will only reach $270 million in 2005.
“It’s a good step toward equalizing the funding,” said Bridget Maher of the Family Research Council.
“I wish the numbers were reversed,” said Peter LaBarbera, director of the Illinois Family Institute. “We would love it if Planned Parenthood weren’t subsidized at all.”
I wondered who we were in this context, and ended up at the Illinois Family Institute site.
They have issues:
Imagine the liberals’ outrage if public schools across Illinois endorsed a student protest organized by a national evangelical group that called on students to remain silent all day in school--and pass out Christian literature--to protest the lack of respect for Christianity in the education system.Now substitute “gay” for “Christian” and you see the hypocrisy of educators regarding Wednesday’s “Day of Silence” protests organized by the radical Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Once again, the policy at our schools is 'anything goes'--as long as it’s not religious (especially Christian). Some of the same administrators who are petrified at the idea of promoting belief in God are openly endorsing homosexual and “transgender” (read: cross-dressing) activism by students.
God is out. Sin and secularism are in. That’s the formula that has sucked the integrity out of our education system today.
Reading shit like that fucks with your head. I'm convinced of this.
It's a lovely example of the form, though. Overheated rhetoric, embrace of victimhood status for what the writer (mistakenly, in my opinion) labels Christianity, the almost amusing ignorance -- anyone want to explain that <sneer quotes>transgender</sneer quotes> should not be read cross-dressing? -- as long as you're not looking at it from the point of view of this lot having impact on public policy, or thinking you might actually have to converse with one of them, they're quite fascinating.
The Chicago Sun-Times sez:
Based in west suburban Glen Ellyn, the institute identifies itself as a "non-partisan, nonprofit, pro-family group." According to its Web site, it belongs to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and has a working partnership with Focus on the Family.
Note to self: Stay the hell away from west suburban Glen Ellyn.
I've gone days without a Buffy reference. Shut up.
Celebrating or observing, take your pick, five years of level-headedness and sensibility, Rebecca Blood writes of echo chambers, online and off:
And what about those neighborhoods? It seems they have become ideologically more homogeonous, less diverse than they were even in the 50's. And as the Austin American Stateman puts it, this is the unexamined backstage story of the nation's increasingly rancorous politics.[. . .] As you know, I've linked and written and talked about this before. And while the Internet exacerbates the problem, but it would appear that this is a general trend--one that we need to pay attention to if we care about the survival of our democracy.
Which dovetails nicely with the ongoing discussion of, phrasing it incredibly poorly, what progressives/the Left should do with the religious folk in our midst.
Problem is, well, although instead of babbling in my half-informed about the new Iraqi flag, I can easily link to/quote from, say, River Bend:
I also heard today that the Puppets are changing the flag. It looks nothing like the old one and at first I was angry and upset, but then I realized that it wouldn't make a difference. The Puppets are illegitimate, hence their constitution is null and void and their flag is theirs alone. It is as representative of Iraq as they are- it might as well have "Made in America" stitched along the inside seam. It can be their flag and every time we see it, we'll see Chalabi et al. against its pale white background.
But I'm possibly choosing her, of the many Iraqi bloggers, because I feel a sense of ideological affinity. Plus, she's writing in English, another limitation on which of them I could choose from.
Dunno, really. On the one hand, diversity of opinion and talking across ideological lines is clearly a Good Thing, but on the other, the key word there is "talking." As opposed to sneering, or playing "Gotcha!" or name-calling, all of which I'd prefer to avoid around here, if it's all the same.
Well, I can still do the name-calling, but it's my site, dammit.
Anyway, so, by way of anil dash's daily links, it's the Top 100 Biggest Cities in the US of A:
- New York, New York (pop 8,008,278)
- Los Angeles, California (pop 3,694,820)
- Chicago, Illinois (pop 2,896,016)
- Houston, Texas (pop 1,953,631)
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (pop 1,517,550)
- Phoenix, Arizona (pop 1,321,045)
- San Diego, California (pop 1,223,400)
- Dallas, Texas (pop 1,188,580)
- San Antonio, Texas (pop 1,144,646)
- Detroit, Michigan (pop 951,270)
What I forget is how few cities in the US have over a million people. Indianapolis and Columbus appear in the list as 12 and 16, respectively, and although both are nice enough to visit, it's a bit difficult wrapping my brain around them ranking that high. Austin, of course, falls right below Columbus.
I suppose some enterprising soul has already checked these numbers against where weblog/LiveJournal/Diaryland/etc. maintainter type people say they live. Obviously, people I read make up a seriously skewed sample set, but a first pass would seem to confirm that "flyover country" is an accurate name for the vast majority of the country. Or I'm feeling snarky. Take your pick.
Along those lines, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul combined still only make up about how many people you could expect to find at Taste of Chicago on a good day, around half a million.
Well, give or take 150,000 or so; they're #47, at 382,618, and #63, at 287,151. Dammit, Jim, I'm a linguist, not a. . . math guy.
Not looking at racial breakdowns, because ignorance is bliss.
Print, namely. Does film count?
Elvis Mitchell is not in the buildingGossip websites and media blogs circulated rumors last week that film critic Elvis Mitchell was leaving the New York Times since A.O. Scott was allegedly made head film critic. Sources even reported seeing a dejected Mitchell leaving the New York Times building last Friday. The web is raging Monday morning with the scoop that Mitchell is heading to the Chicago Tribune, in the Trib's attempt to bring a celebrity film critic in to compete with Ebert and Roeper over at the Sun-Times. So, is it bye-bye, Michael Wilmington, hello Elvis? "Uttterly false," says Deputy Features Editor Jim Warren when asked about the rumors.
Nertz. And since when is Roeper a celebrity or a film critic? Especially the latter?
Also, and this is approaching scary stalk-ness, so a brief mention:
Dear Diary
Mimi Smartypants' blog is now a book. Unfortunately.
Didn't see the article (in the print edition, with a photo of Herself gracing the cover) until after hearing the On the Media/All Things Considered piece on chick lit (I hate sneer quotes). So the thing about disembodied feet, and the shoes they're in? Apparently, it could have been worse.
And the paperback cover will be.
I'm sure the US version will be much more tasteful. Or something.
Not really interested in protesting that it's a journal, not a blog. Any takers?
Yet another book -- this is not a literary weblog, can't you tell from my grammar? -- available
A Collection of Essays about the experience of lesbians in the field of teaching. This book includes for the most part discussion of coming out to the school comminity and issues of how lesbians should represent themelves.
It's from 1988, so I'm going to pretend this stat from Anna Stein's contribution
60% of those surveyed in a recent Gallup Poll objected less to gay soldiers, salespeople, priests, and doctors than to gay educators.
is no longer accurate.
And that the percentage is lower now, thank you very much.
Found the book (where else?) at Brown Elephant, which, yes, is nowhere near Shampoo-Banana, but I decided that little road trip really wasn't going to help me decide whether to move back down there for the next several years or not.
It's a slim volume, 58 pages or so. Anyone out there want it after I'm done?
Not that this material would be of interest to anyone who reads this site, or anyone I know. . .
Which is the title of the upcoming short story collection by David Sedaris. Noticed a big banner at Unabridged Books week before last announcing his appearance/signing there. A brief list of that and others, from Steven Barclay Agency:
June 1 - NYC, NY. Barnes & Noble 7:00 PMJune 2 - NYC, NY. Symphony Space, DS will be presenting an evening of Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story. For more information go to http://www.symphonyspace.org/
June 3 - Minneapolis/ St. Paul, MN. University of Minnesota Bookstore 7:00 PM
June 4 - Chicago, IL. Unabridged Bookstore 7:00 PM
June 5 - Chicago, IL. Barbara’s Bookstore in Oak Park at 7:00 PM
And there's others on the West Coast and other places I'm even less likely to attend. Then later, in the Fall:
Sunday, October 31, 2004 - Chicago, IL. Chicago TheatreWednesday, November 3, 2004 - St. Paul, MN. Fitzgerald Theatre, 10 Exchange Street. Tickets are available in person at the Fitzgerald Theater box office. Minnesota Public Radio members will receive a discount by ordering tickets through the Fitzgerald Theater box office at 651-290-1221. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster at 612-673-0404, on-line at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at any Ticketmaster outlet, located at all Marshall Field's and Mervyn's stores.
Friday, November 5, 2004 - Austin, TX. Paramount Theatre. For information call 512-472-5470 or go to www.austintheatrealliance.org
And then some appearances in November in Hawai'i. Insert snarky comment here.
Related, in that they're both with Steven Barclay (and are doing some appearanes together in 2005), Sarah Vowell appears today/tonight at 8 at the Herbst Theatre, courtesy of City Arts & Lectures in San Francisco. And I'm confident I'll forget by then, but she'll also be at Butler University in Indianapolis on Thursday, October 7th.
Why yes, I am a This American Life fanboy, why do you ask?
Which is the title of a book of conversations with Arundhati Roy, conducted by Alternative Radio host David Barsamian:
DB: You were speaking to some students in New Mexico recently and you advised them to travel outside the United States, to put their ears against the wall and listen to the whispering. What did you have in mind in giving them that kind of advice?AR: That when you live in the United States, with the roar of the free market, the roar of this huge military power, the roar of being at the heart of empire, it's hard to hear the whispering of the rest of the world. And I think many U.S. citizens want to. I don't think that all of them necessarily are co-conspirators in this concept of empire. And those who are not, need to listen to other stories in the world-other voices, other people.
That's from an excerpt at South End Press's site, something else I haven't visited in entirely too long.
There's a listing at PublicRadioFan.com of air times of Alternative Radio, and a Broadcast/interviewee schedule at AR's site, if you're interested.
np: World Café on WFUV, with guest Sarah Harmer.
S'funny, I don't remember ordering the pain on tap last night. But there may be many parts of the evening I don't remember. . .
Best thing about the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban trailer is, of course, the first thing: Alan Rickman. There needs to be a Severus Snape: Potions Instructor movie. Or tv series. Or something.
Not sure why I hadn't heard of Other Magazine until today, when I noticed a link at Bad Subjects. It's one of those dead-tree thingees, although some gods-I-hate-the-word "content" from the first two issues is up on the site. You can snag the current issue at Tower Records for $4 (instead of $5), or could a few weeks back, at any rate. Contributors include The Ubiquitous Hanne Blank (see also The Chicklit Challenge at Alternet [but from the current Utne], something else I stumbled on earlier while trying to sober wake up), Nalo Hopkinson, Cecilia Tan and America's Other Other Sweetheart Annalee Newitz. And, as they say, many, many more.
I'm annoyed to see that FreakMagnet.com has already been taken, as this was the proposed name of the dating site me, TranceJen and luvabeans were cooking up at Simon's. Bugger.
Well, I'm sure they're a nice band.
Considered driving up to Minneapolis tomorrow, realized that the current price of petrol makes this economically unfeasable at this juncture, and will instead probably be making the much shorter jaunt to beautiful Shampoo-Banana. Just to see if the place gives me flashbacks, or causes me to flee screaming. Best to avoid the parking lot where my old apartment building used to be to prevent the former, and stay the hell away from Kam's and C.O. Daniels to prevent the latter. Not so much of a problem, managed to not go into either of the hellholes during me undergrad years, and see no reason to start now. Besides, the idea of drinking holds no appeal whatsoever at the moment.
np: Shakira, Ojos Asi, Random MiniDisc mix of Randomness
Well, apparently the good people at Alice & Friends were frightened by the prospect of entering Kitchen Stadium (or maybe they're just afraid of Chairman Kaga. Hell, who wouldn't be?), but they were a no-show last night.
Um, what I'm trying to say is, the restaurant was closed last night, although they do promise, on a note taped to the door, to re-open Saturday, May 1st. Instead, there was Moody's, and there were onion rings. And fries. And entirely too much sangria. This is a very bad combination, and readers are advised to avoid it.
One side effect is writing horribly elliptical blog entries with entirely unnecessary Iron Chef references.
If you believe there's any such thing as an unnecessary Iron Chef reference.
Not much point claiming I'll return to this and rewrite it into something coherent, is there? No one believes me when I say that anymore.
Details are hazy. I think I owe XXX and XXX a round of drinks, since they each bought one at Simon's and my vodka Red Bull's were probably the most expensive thing. Also, Preston Klik bands tend to break up, whether I'm involved or not. The one-man Steel Magnolias at Broadway Armory is worth your time and the quite reasonable cost, and the program is a work of art. And Ebert gave Shaolin Soccer three stars.
Elliptical, I said. And also, hazy.
This certainly has nothing to do with any other recent events or entries, although I did touch on it way back when. I'm just waiting to head over to XXX to pick up XXX, head to Chi, meet up with XXX and have dinner at Alice & Friends.
What?
From The AFU and Urban Legend Archive: Death: Charles Drew:
In a recent article in McGill University's student newspaper, titled: "MCGILL ACCUSED OF RACISM FOR NOT REMEMBERING BLACK GRADUATE", the writer states:
'Drew's life ended tragically in the forties after a car accident in the southern United States. He died of blood loss at the doors of a hospital which would not admit him because of the color of his skin. Ironically, his own invention could have saved his life.' [trimmed]
Does anyone have any hard data on this?It's this weekend and I checked, the book thoroughly refutes the myth. Dr. Drew suffered fatal injuries in the wreck. Despite the immediate attentions of the three other physicians who were with him (two of whom were substantially uninjured), and prompt attention at a nearby mixed-race (segregated) hospital, where he was attended by three other physicians, one of whom was the co-owner of the hospital, Dr. Drew died from the massive injuries. Included in the treatment was the administration of "at least one blood transfusion" - the hospital stocked both whole blood and plasma.
The myth has been widely circulated, including _Time_ magazine. It also mentions:
"But the story lives on. A McGill University publication, the _McGill Reporter_, repeated it in its December 1981 issue. Fortunately, it brought a vigorous denial from Dr. Edward Bensley, professor emeritus of medicine at McGill, [...]. Part of the evidence that Dr. Bensley had was a copy of a letter written by Dr. Ford [another black physician who was with Dr. Drew in the accident], in which Ford tried to lay the 'bled to death' canard to rest."
And later, quoting Dr. Ford:
"Doctor Drew's cause of death was that of a broken neck and complete blockage of the blood flow back to the heart. Immediately following the accident in which he was half thrown out of the car, and actually crushed to death by the car as it turned over the second time, the doctors who were were able to, got out of the car quickly and came to Doctor Drew's rescue, but it was of no avail because even at that time, it was quite obvious that his chances of surviving were nil."
It also notes that the myth was circulating shortly after Dr. Drew's death, and speculates that it may be a mutation of a myth concerning Bessie Smith's death in 1937. She also died in a car crash in the South, and the myth circulated that she had died outside a "white's only" hospital after being refused admittance. In fact, she was taken directly to a "black" hospital by the black ambulance driver - half a mile from the nearby "white" hospital - where she died from internal injuries. (They amputated one of her arms while trying to save her, BTW). I guess the myth is just more believable than the truth somehow.
Emphasis added for no particular reason.
I, for one, welcome our new Michigan Senate Overlords, and look forward to a return to the bad old days.
. . . that previous sentence contradicts the introductory one, doesn't it?
Bugger.
The appearance of which on the cover of Mimi Smartypants' book means nothing, even if such were noted in the All Things Considered piece on chick lit. With a brief interview/comments by Miss Hanne Blank.
Yes, this entry sucks. Will come back to it later.
I have to finish watching Heroic Trio first.
Which had a preview for Shaolin Soccer, odd as the film is actually currently playing here in Chi. I asked The Irresistably Cute Lisa if she wanted to see it, but she's only into hockey.
That's cool. I just got one thing to say, though.
GO GRYFFINDOR!
I was worried that at some point I'd lose the ability to be surprised or disgusted with them anymore.
Michigan Preparing To Let Doctors Refuse To Treat GaysDoctors or other health care providers could not be disciplined or sued if they refuse to treat gay patients under legislation passed Wednesday by the Michigan House.
The bill allows health care workers to refuse service to anyone on moral, ethical or religious grounds.
The Republican dominated House passed the measure as dozens of Catholics looked on from the gallery. The Michigan Catholic Conference, which pushed for the bills, hosted a legislative day for Catholics on Wednesday at the state Capitol.
The bills now go the Senate, which also is controlled by Republicans.
And it's finally happened.
To their. . . let's say credit, "it would prohibit emergency treatment to be refused." So as long as someone's received fatal wounds from a fag-bashing, that pesky Hippocratic Oath would still be in effect. Yay them.
Linked all over creation: see blogdex for a run-down.
Is this part of that backlash we were told to expect in the wake of the SF marriage thing? Because, if so, I admit, I lack imagination. I never thought they'd go this far.
I actually underestimated how fucking evil they are.
It won't happen again.
Update: Let's be Fair and Balanced on this.
Catholics back freedom of conscience for doctors in US stateThe Michigan Catholic Conference has backed four bills which allow doctors and hospitals to refuse to perform abortions or other procedures they object to.
Health care providers in Wisconsin will also receive legal backing for their conscientious objection if pending bills pass.
The Wisconsin bills also allow doctors not to inform patients of treatments that might violate the doctor's conscience.
The legislation is focused on abortion, but the 365gay.com news service reports concern in the gay community that gays could be refused treatment by doctors because of their homosexuality.
Oh. Well, that's all right, then.
Apropos of nothing in particular:
In 1936 Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler created a Reich Central Office for the Combating of Homosexuality and Abortion: Special Office (II S), a subdepartment of Executive Department II of the Gestapo. The linking of homosexuality and abortion reflected the Nazi regimes population policies to promote a higher birthrate of its "Aryan" population.
Nothing at all.
Have I mentioned my unrequited and utterly foolish adoration for Spike lately?
Which isn't nearly as all-consuming as my equally if not greater unrequited and utterly foolish adoration for Kris Dresen, true, but. . . you know, this sentence can't possibly end well. Best to not have started it at all.
Let's just say the decline of Mickey Mouse (registration required, quit yer whinin') and
Like most guys named Mickey I know, it turns out that my own personal Mouse is a drunken Irishman.
And leave it at that.
It's fine, though. I'm sure at some point I'll fixate on someone who's a) available, b) dates boys and c) is actually interested in me.
And then the Cubs and the White Sox will face each other in the World Series, and wingéd monkeys will fly out of my butt, and we'll all be swept up in the Rapture. Or be forced to listen to Blondie's Rapture on an infinite loop. Or something.
Or I can become a monk. Them Shaolin guys seem to have fun, if you think wearing a wire harness while kicking arse and taking names is fun.
Which is the title of Karma Sutra's cd, and I truly wish I could remember what the word means, because I think it's appropriate to mentioning this entry at chandrasutra:
My article "Linked out: blogging, equality, and the future" is now live at Mindjack. Here is a passage:April 19 , 2004 | As I write this, another journalist is explaining what a blog is for the first time. Quite possibly, they are describing blogging as a trend created by actor Wil Wheaton. Most likely, they're announcing how blogs have just "hit" the mainstream. Blogging authority Rebecca Blood has named this repetitive rediscovery of blogging "Blood's Law of Weblog History." According to Blood, "the year you discovered weblogs and/or started your own is 'The Year Blogs Exploded'."
There's no limit to the number of embedded <blockquote>s you can put in. . . never mind. This bit pulled my attention:
[Clay] Shirky also argues that "there is no real A-list". Yet anyone who has spent even a small amount of time blogging knows that there are handful of bloggers who are so A-list their names are synonymous with the form itself (Clay Shirky, for example)."Cliquish preferences" play a very large role in creating and reinforcing blogging status. This influence determines by and large who we read and link to and what information is most heavily circulated. "People link to people like them," says Danah Boyd. Famous bloggers link to each other, blog about each other, speak at many of the same conferences, and endorse each others books.
Links added here and there.
And there's a quote from S-Train, which you should read the actual article to see, in context, since we all know that cherry-picking bits of linked material can (hell, does, intentionally or not) alter the meaning of. . .
Right, comments at S-Train, linkage at Boing Boing, Chuck D. and Ed Begley, Jr. on Air America's Unfiltered.
Clearly, shouldn't be listening to that while trying to write entries. Apologies in advance for multiple pings, as I find errors and correct 'em.
And I'd meant to put in something about how I've, apparently, been defining A-List wrong all this time (except I'm not sure how I was defining it. . .), or tying this into the Online Diarist/Blogger distinction, something else I'm slightly unclear on, but ain't even sure where to start with all that. . .
Bit difficult, as I'm listening to Alexandra Robbins on Morning Sedition, discussing Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities. Perhaps if it wasn't validating/reinforcing my prejudices. . . hang on, I'm supposed to actively seek out things that validate and reinforce my prejudices. I should be loving this. Weird.
I expect I should ask Jessica about this sort of thing, good little Kappa Slappa Ho that she is. . .
Caller just declared that, really, Black sororities aren't like the ones described in the book. And some of 'em are headed, en masse to DC this weekend for the March for Women's Lives. Robbins had mentioned she'd seen no indication that. . . mainstream, let's use mainstream as a euphemism for white. . . mainstream sororities were even aware of it, or had any interest in participating.
Expect I could have a look around the Zeta Phi Beta and AKA sites to confirm this, but I'm too busy pretending not to have noticed that the women pictured on the latter site are all lighter-skinned than those on the former.
Unclouded by hate. I can do this.
Clearly, reading or thinking about anything having to do with Greek systems is a bad way to accomplish this.
Forgot to mention that last Thursday at Northwestern was their Take Back the Night march. And that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Determining why I mention these last two events/facts in an entry about Greek systems is left as an exercise for the reader.
Update: Knew I'd seen this mentioned recently. . . very brief write-up of Pledged at Blog of a Bookslut from a few days back.
Also, there's a very nice t-shirt with art from Spike that you can buy to support the site. Ignore the bit saying his website is ironcircus.com. Typo, I'm sure.
'Cos it's true
I Do, I Do, I Do!
Part Deux
Adieu!
Ok, so it doesn't scan properly. . . new Max & Lily, as I've mentioned before, but this time on the official site. Officially.
Also, there's now a Girlamatic LiveJournal! And one for GirlAMatic.com 24 Hour Comics Challenge!
GAM is hosting a 24-Hour Comics Challenge on 24-Hour Comics Day, April 24, 2004.
More details on the Girlamatic stuff at the latest Editorial, brought to you by Lea Hernandez. Who, despite mentioning her in multiple entries, I assure you I'm not stalking.
I'm stalking Kris Dresen, silly.
I have more ABBA lyrics where the title/first paragraph of this entry came from.
Don't tempt me.
Just. . . don't.
Despite the interviews with interesting people, like Lea Hernandez:
Daniel Robert Epstein: Manga and anime focuses a lot on switching genders. Why is that?Lea Hernandez: If I was going to guess, based on what very little I know about Japan, I would say gender switching has a lot to do with the fact that they have a really regimented culture and society. That idea of getting to do something that’s not normally socially acceptable. For instance in Ranma one of the gags was that Ranma really liked these parfaits which is a very girly dessert. That was one of the times he liked being the girl because he could eat them without embarrassing himself and looking like a sissy.
DRE: What appeals to you about gender switching?
LH: I don’t know how guys feel about it but I like the way Margaret Cho put it “You’re in a drag all the time even when you think you are not.” That idea of being someone else and you can’t get more else than being the opposite gender of the way you are born. In the context of the story the gender switching wasn’t so much a statement about gender roles except that the engineered people are made to be either/or because they would have an easier time socially depending on what the occasion demanded. They could play for both teams. We have so much vanity in our culture that I thought that would be the ultimate vanity design to pay for your kid to have every advantage including gender. Taking it one step beyond wanting a boy or a girl.
Links added here and there.
This doesn't detract from SG's evil, and no, no particular reason for linking Nala, why do you ask?
Any road up, go read Rumble Girls after you finish the interview. And you do want to finish it.
But do I think our culture has an unhealthy focus on people who are built like 12 year olds with Pamela Anderson tits? Yes I do. I am very uncomfortable and distressed with our current standard of beauty. Its really depressing which is why whenever I go anywhere for an appearance I chant to myself “Margaret Cho, Kathy Bates, Camryn Manheim.” I have three role models.
Because the best bits are towards the end.
Which seems. . . very, very silly, for some reason I'm unable to put my finger on. Other than that I can just read her site, that is.
The World According to Mimi Smartypants
This is the real-life diary of a sassy, funny, straight-talking thirty-something Chicago girl who tells it like it is. Mimi first appeared on the hot internet site diaryland.com which hosts over 400,000 live diaries from – mostly girls – all over the world and has 800,000 registered users. Mimi became the most clicked diary and is now officially a web cult.
I wouldn't call us a cult, exactly. . . anyway, that's from the page at HarperCollins.co.uk for the book, which is available from Amazon.co.uk, but not from Amazon.com. Or Barnes & Noble. Or Powells. Um, not that I'm obsessively checking online bookstores looking for it or something. That would be cult-like. Or something equally disturbing.
No, this is more a local girl makes good sort of thing. If, unlike me, you actually are interested in getting the book from overseas, the ISBN is 0007173415. Bon chance.
Anyone care to speculate wildly about why there's been (from a couple quick Technorati and Google searches) so little coverage of this in the blogoswhateverthefuck? I mean, given how many of the "A-listers" *snicker* are angling to get some of that phat dead-tree-publishing cash and all.
I figure partly because the book (oddly) isn't (yet?) published here in the States, which seems dumb since I thought the whole point of the InterWeb is that we were no longer tied to physical locations. So, other stupid possible reasons are because she's on Diaryland, which is, what, one step up? Sideways? Down? from LiveJournal, and because the book is being marketed, at least, as chicklit. Apparently. I'm going by the "Hailed as 'the new Bridget Jones'" line on the publisher's site.
I rather hope people at least glance at her site before taking that blurb and running with it, but seeing as Wonkette has been tagged as. . . ok, this is getting entirely too theoretical for 6:30, seeing as I've not quite managed that sleep thing yet.
Short version: Me,TranceJen and luvabeans have seen Mimi reading live *twice* and you haven't.
So nyaaaaah.
Update: Actually, that was cruel.
I forgot to mention we also saw Wendy. My bad.
Want to know more, and not particularly concerned about accuracy? Wait, you're here, clearly that's not a concern. So you shouldn't worry about CSIndy: Blog jogging: From Internet diarist to published author, either:
This new cadre of writers has not gone unnoticed by publishing houses. Several blog authors, or "bloggers," have earned book deals. Mimi Smartypants of http://smartypants.diaryland. com and Wendy McClure of www.poundy.com are two such fortunate blogging celebrities.Both women, Chicago residents in their early 30s, write personal blogs covering distinct material. Pound, McClure's Web site handle, focuses primarily on her experience with weight loss and body image, while Mimi Smartypants describes her blog as "a big rambling E-Mail To The Internet."
And if it's crossed your mind that I'm only, or at least partly, writing about this because of that line in the previous entry about how, "until you're thirty, you really have nothing worthwhile to say, and should shut the fuck up," well, gosh, do you really think I would do something like that?
. . . and I ain't in it.
Namely, I ain't in the, ah, discussion at Pandagon about the draft. Or rather, about Oliver's take on the draft:
I believe a draft is immoral, and doubly so for this war in this situation.
He does expand on that a bit, in comments at Pandagon, but the end result is my liking him even less and disagreeing with him more, so I think I'll just sit this one out.
Will mention that, at the Samuel Delany lecture last week, a woman I met and whose name I promptly forgot said something to the extent that, until you're thirty, you really have nothing worthwhile to say, and should shut the fuck up.
Like I said, "to the extent." That last phrase, in particular, is more my spin on her statement, but I don't think it substantially changes the meaning. . . never mind. And I'd argue my own self that it ain't the years, it's the mileage. Naming no names, as this might cause 'em to appear and then I'd have to add them to my MT Blacklist along with Jeff from Protein Wisdom, there's more than a few bloggers who might have passed that age cutoff for having something to contribute, but as a result of never, ever having left the confines of lily-white suburbia (some of 'em only mentally, some of 'em physically and mentally), still really need to, as they say, STFU.
Yep, that's the 3:30 AM syntax, all right.
Oh, and the woman at the lecture who said that? Works in publishing. As an editor. And no, the irony of this statement, given who we'd just heard speak, was lost on neither of us.
Well, no offense to Utah -- actually, a lot of offense to Utah, maybe the great State of Illinois apologized for expelling the Mormons, but that doesn't mean I have to like 'em -- but I don't really associate jazz with y'all either.
At least Tapiola, Espoo has April Jazz 2004, an international jazz festival from the 21st through the 25th. Among the artists is/are Earth Wind & Fire Experience feat. Al McKay All Stars:
Al McKay had been an instrumental force behind the music of Earth Wind & Fire from the beginning. After his departure in 1981, Earth Wind & Fire landed only one more hit.Earth Wind & Fire – has touched the hearts of two generations with their incredible music. Al MacKay was one of the masterminds and sound-shapers behind their success.
From 1973, when he first joined the Earth Wind & Fire, Al was responsible not only for a lion’s share of the group’s instantly recognizable sound, but was also writer and co-writer on some of their most enduring hits.
Some people are just so much better at writing their bios, have you noticed that? I still don't have a proper About Me page here, and it's been years. . .
. . . sorry, I digress. Want to know more? See the Introduction from Martti Lappalainen, Artistic Director, April Jazz 2004:
From April 21 to 25 2004 the awakening Finnish spring will welcome its first major music festival, the 18th April Jazz Espoo. April Jazz has become established as the largest annual jazz event of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Its top class international events at the Espoo cultural Centre, versatile program of merrymaking in the E.ON jazz marquee and laid back, late night jam sessions at the Tapiola Garden Night Club have made April Jazz Espoo the most eagerly awaited spring happening in Finland.
Stop snickering back there, damn you.
Minor editing, as I don't think the intro'd been proofread by a native speaker. Or anyone else.
Found the festival site following an ad link at NewsRoom Finland. What was I doing there, you ask?
Nothin'.
In-jokes? Here? Never happen.
So, luvabeans is waxing enthusiastically about Patti Smith, so why wouldn't I mention to her that there's a new cd on the way:
Patti Smith
trampin'
Release Date : 04/27/2004Order now and get your FREE Patti Smith Lyric Booklet -- the photographs in the lyric booklet were taken by Patti Smith, herself, and is not included in the regular album packaging. Click here to see the lyric booklet. Limit 1 booklet per transaction. While supplies last.
Samples available at the link. From the 30 seconds, Radio Baghdad sounds more like Laurie Anderson than what I associate with Patti Smith, but what do I know?
Angélique Kidjo had a new cd on the way too, in May, but it's much too early to worry about that now. . .
Don't recognize that? You might be reading the wrong web site.
So, Yano sez go see Kill Bill Vol. 2.
Michelle sez she's enjoying it.
Tristan (on her LiveJournal, which I'm fairly confident you'll find within a few minutes, assuming the link is still there, and I should check that, and fuckit try here) seems. . . ambivalent.
And of course I've still not gotten 'round to seeing the first one.
Apropos of nothing, except a conversation with Lauriean and Ursula: it was this one. For the rest of you, that link is, um, possibly not safe for work.
Don't think it's a political decision, not calling myself a sex worker; I honestly don't think the label applies.. .
But, um, enough about that, have you seen Jason's redesign, he changed the subject abruptly.
Also, Nalo mentioned an interview in Hyphen Magazine with SF erotica writer and publisher Cecilia Tan, who, it turns out, is going to be at Marcon. Which I suppose gives me another excuse to head to Columbus, as if I need one.
And she has Rants and Political Essays, but my brain is still processing everything from last week and refuses to even look at them. It's a mite stubborn at times, I'm afraid.
Right, one last thing:
She made believe she was the Tan-Tan from the Carnival, or maybe the Robber Queen, entering the town square in high state for all the people to bring her accolades and praise and their widows' mites of gold and silver for saving them from the evil plantation boss (she wasn't too sure what an "accolade" was, oui, but she had heard Ben say it when he played the Robber King masque at Carnival time the year before).
Sorry. Very behind in my memes. And my reading.
I heard that you were drunk and mean
Down at the Dairy Queen
There just enough of you in me,
For me to have this sympathyAnd take it in stride,
I know I had mine,
And you were as kind,
I am told.
np: Dairy Queen (words and music by Amy Ray), Indigo Girls, All That We Let In
Coffee, tea, Stoli, I'm not particular. . .
You'll be astonished to learn that Gothic Beauty Magazine is available at Hot Topic, I'm su--
No, I haven't had coffee, tea or Stoli so far today, why do you ask?
If you're looking for slightly more coherent commentary, I suggest Priest:
But Bush is not even a shadow of Reagan, whom I didn't like, either, but at least I believed he believed in something. Bush doesn't seem to believe in much of anything. His shallowness fairly inhibits everything he does, and he owes his buoyancy to the fact the Democratic party is even more clueless than he is. Faced with an opponent who has wrecked the economy and taken us to war in the wrong place, all in baldly obvious attempts to please his rich buddies and avenge his daddy, the Democrats have come up with-- apparently nothing. This late in the day, I couldn't tell you who John Kerry is or what he stands for or why I should vote for him. As bereft of real ideas as the Bush camp is, the Kerry camp is bereft of soul. Kerry is the cardboard cutout candidate. The Guy Who Is Not Bush. That's his platform: I Am Not Bush. Beyond that, I haven't an earthly clue about him.
But that's just my opinion.
Sure, you could try Warren Ellis instead:
Bukkake is a Japanese innovation in porn video wherein groups of men. . .
But do you really want to do that? I think not.
If you haven't had enough Cynthia Fuchs -- is such a thing possible? -- there's also reviews of Dogville and The Spook Who Sat By the Door, which sounds like a fine double-bill to me, but I think we've established that I really shouldn't be posting right now.
And Heroic Trio, reviewed at Stomp Tokyo at that link, might fit better than Dogville.
Or I just have a thing for Michelle Yeoh doing wire-fu.
Oh look, coffee's done. Good. This was getting painful to write, I don't want to even think about how it reads. . .
From Mercury News | 04/19/2004 | Central Asian militants return home to fight:
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan - Islamist groups from Central Asia took heavy losses while fighting alongside the Taliban, but the remnants of those mini-armies have proved remarkably resilient in recent months and now appear to be regrouping with new recruits, new strategies and old terror money.No longer secure in Afghanistan, hundreds of Uzbek, Tajik and Chinese militants have recently returned home. Analysts believe they are retrenching at their former camps and hide-outs, mostly in the rugged and unpoliced mountains of Tajikistan.
These fighters are being joined by waves of new recruits, most of whom were moderate Muslims until becoming radicalized by harsh religious crackdowns in Uzbekistan and China.
[. . .] Many of these fierce, fresh recruits also brandish a rising anti-U.S. anger caused by Washington's financial and diplomatic backing of Central Asia's repressive regimes, especially that of Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov. The United States operates an air base in the south of the country.
``My sons and their cellmates hate the U.S. for siding with Karimov,'' said a woman in Tashkent whose three sons are serving seven-year prison terms for distributing Islamist leaflets. She asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals by the SNB, the Uzbek secret police.
``All these boys think Bush is going against Islam. My sons were not violent; they just wanted to live a clean, Islamic life. But prison has hardened them. Karimov has hardened them. My oldest son now says he wants to die fighting for Allah.''
And then there's a bit about Hizb ut-Tahrir, which organization is described as "virulently anti-Semitic and anti-Western," and also mentioned are the recent attacks in Tashkent and Bukhara:
At least 48 people died in the chaotic and poorly planned attacks. One intelligence official said the attacks were of such ``low quality'' that they were ``unworthy'' of Al-Qaida and could only have been locally planned. Among the dead were 34 terrorists, all of them Uzbeks.
Which should just serve as background for this more commonly linked/discussed piece, Soros' foundation closes in Uzbekistan.
I fail to see how any of this helps the Bush re-election effort, and instead see the sitch as further proof that the self-proclaimed "adults" are seriously out of their depth, but that's my answer to everything.
Sorry, I just wanted to share that.
From The Curse of Godzooky, or If I Should Fall From Grace With Godzilla part of the Godzilla at 50 Special Section at PopMatters.
There's also new Cynthia Fuchs goodness:
Reports the Associated Press, "The Seacrest show [featuring Janet Jackson] was aired on the East Coast with a seven-second tape delay, just in case Jackson was inspired to repeat the Super Bowl "incident." Because, of course, she must be wanting to do just that, again and again. Because she's out of control. Because she's devious.This ongoing effort to pathologize Janet Jackson -- by any means possible -- is wearying. It is also historically resonant (cf. the sanctions traditionally directed at black women's bodies) and imaginatively bereft (aren't there any other ways to think through seeming licentiousness than to blame performers delivering to commercial expectations?). As Joshunda Sanders notes, Janet "has always been juxtaposed, symbolically, against her white counterpart, Madonna, as a Jezebel. If Madonna makes an album of Bedtime Stories, she's a shrewd businesswoman; Jackson does it and she's a whore" (San Francisco Chronicle, 15 February 2004).
I'd argue that Janet Jackson, and the controversy about the Super Bowl thing, are all predictable artefacts of a culture that could even conceive, let alone produce, something called The Godzilla/Harlem Globetrotters Adventure Hour, but that's my answer to everything.
Link to PopMatters, which I haven't visited in ages, noticed at Enjoy and Exciting!
Although I'm not quite certain what "it" refers to. . . STOP Hillary PAC .com:
It is very likely that Hillary Rodham Clinton is going to run for Vice President of the United States in 2004. Right now the Bush Campaign is focused on how to defeat John Kerry. They are not taking the Hillary threat seriously. We at the StopHillaryPAC.com are not going to let it happen again! We are determined to keep Hillary out of the Vice-Presidency.
They're quite serious. They even have AOL Buddy Icons.
I know, I know, it's like shooting fish in a barrel, but since you lot insisted I leave La Shawn Barber alone, because it was like kicking a puppy (and again, I point out that I fucking hate puppies). . . I'll just make an attempt at this instead.
(Ok, two kicks, then I'll stop:
First, she criticizes Air America without having, you know, ever actually listened to any of the shows -- a shame there's not, like, an online archive, or live feed, or anything. Second, she fell for Blacks for Bush. If, as something called Beau says in this comment:
Sure, us conservative "brothers" are holdin it down, but you, the aforementioned and the like sisters are our true intellectual warriors.
I really suggest unconditional surrender, kids. Even without having the slighest idea who or what you're at war with. . . if that's your intellectual warriors, you're utterly, hopelessly fucked.)
Still with me after the parenthetical? Great, now on the Stop Hillary PAC home page, click through to Talking Points, and find (third item):
Hillary Praises Saddam's Women's Rights Record!
Again, Hillary makes an outlandish statement that goes nearly unreported in the mainstream media.
Those of you with half a brain probably know what you're going to find, but hitting that link brings up:
Hillary Praises Saddam's Women's Rights Record!Again, Hillary makes an outlandish statement that goes nearly unreported in the mainstream media. Recently, she actually claimed that Iraqi women had more rights under Saddam!
Iraqis Told of Hillary's Praise for Saddam
The Iraqi people learned on Sunday about former first lady Hillary Clinton's praise last week for Saddam Hussein, even as mainstream U.S. news outlets continued to cover up her comments.
According to the BBC, the Baghdad edition of the Saudi-owned publication Al-Sharq al-Awsat carried the headline "Hillary Clinton: 'Iraqi women were better off under Saddam's reign.'"
Clicking for more, of course, we find the rather obvious:
Last Wednesday Sen. Clinton told the Brookings Institution that Iraq had recently seen "pullbacks in the rights [women] were given under Saddam Hussein."The leading Democrat praised the Iraqi dictator for granting women a measure of equality, saying that under Saddam's rule "they went to school; they participated in the professions, they participated in the government and business and, as long as they stayed out of [Saddam's] way, they had considerable freedom of movement."
In comments reported exclusively by NewsMax.com on Friday, Sen. Clinton complained, "Now what we see happening in Iraq is the governing council attempting to shift large parts of civil law into religious jurisdiction." She called the development a "horrific mistake" for women.
Sen. Clinton said Iraqi women personally complained to her during her trip to Baghdad last November that they no longer feel safe since Saddam left.
"Women tell me they can't leave their homes, they can't go about their daily business. And there is a concerted effort to burn schools that are educating girls [and] to intimidate aid workers who are women," she told Brookings.
Well, if you can't trust NewsMax. . .
Sorry, that's glib. Again. I should work on that. Although it's possible to take Senator Clinton's statements and, through the magic of partisan insanity, twist them into praise for Saddam Hussein, or for his rights record, when they're clearly meant as a condemnation of the current way things are going. . . no, I think glib was actually the best way to respond to this, really.
See also: this comment from Patrick Nielsen Hayden:
Strangely enough, though, I think Riverbend has a point when she notes that, while she could once walk the streets in safety, now she's probably going to spend the rest of her life hiding from theocratic thugs who want her to conceal herself in a bag.Does her life matter? Is it worth two shits? Oh, but never mind that, it's much more important that we stop for our regular every-five-minutes collective expression of political correctness. Of Course It's Good That Saddam Is Gone. Gosh, I feel better! Down with Emmanuel Goldstein! We love Big Brother!
Link to Riverbend blog not in original, if anyone cares.
Next entry: By way of Atrios:
[. . .Condoleezza] Rice was reportedly overheard saying, "As I was telling my husb—" and then stopping herself abruptly, before saying, "As I was telling President Bush."
See the link at Eschaton or the original gossip column for context, and to see what I cut out, and stuff.
Actually, now I've done that, so no. Next entry: Neopets: Threat or Menace?
To glib, zillion-word Camille Paglia piece, The Magic of Images: Word and Picture in a Media Age.
And that word is, of course, manga.
I could support this with sales figures, and toss out the flopped/unflopped thang just to really confuse the fuck out of people, but I think that's all she deserves, really.
Apropos of nothing:
Thursday, April 22
(9:00 pm) Director Tim Reid will be present in person with his film Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored, which Ebert named one of the best films of 1996. It is a heart-warming, heart-breaking coming-of-age story set between the years of 1946 and 1962, as segregation slowly crumbled. Stars include Al Freeman, Jr., Phylica Rashad and Salli Richardson.
I'm just typing stuff, is all.
Oh good, I found a new Harmony. Say hello to Tara, Crusader Rabbit Crusading Attorney, everyone.
No, see, Tara is her real na-- never mind. She's new to this blog thang, and it's so nice to see the enthusiasm and joie de vivre which will soon tranform into bitterness and apathy. Or bitterness and self-obsessed navel gazing. Or bitterness and. . . any of a number of things, but the key component here, is the bitter.
Also, congratulations to Tristan for being named Official Pin Up and Spokesmodel for Sin City. Just smile and nod, kids. This is a Good Thing, as is being Cinnamyn's Model of the Month. I mean, just because I intend to exact Terrible Vengeance on the girl is no reason not to support her and her work.
Wait, no, actually it is. Strike the previous.
Kris Dresen brings us new Max & Lily Goodness, which no one can argue with. No one worth listening to, anyway.
And Spike brings the Lucas & Odessa that we've all come to know and love, and if you love so much, why aren't you a Girlamatic subscriber, ya cheap bastard?
Had to give up on the warblog/right-winger tour. Glenn Reynolds still hasn't worked out that Negroes are, in fact, subjects to be spoken with, not merely objects to be spoken of. And Twisted Spinster, Amish Tech Support and Protein Wisdom, which I'm not even bothering to link because, really, they're not worth the effort, keep producing things that have the form of jokes, only without the being funny part. Kind'a like Day By Day; anyone got a link to one strip that actually made them laugh? Just one. I'm not asking much here, people.
Do think I've figured out their problem, though. You're dealing with people moving through and perceiving the world through a lens/bubble of het white (generally) male privilege, who think they're members of a marginalized culture. This is why they're so dismissive of those of us who actually are.
That, or they just ain't none too bright. But I'm not sure these are mutually exclusive explanations.
Update: You probably want to stop doing that now.
Who also brought us Homeboys in Outer Space, come to think of it. . .
Still dealing with major cultural shift from going from the symposium at Northwestern to the Gapers' Block Party, since at the former being a dreadlocked Negro made me just part of the crowd, while at the latter I think me and luva integrated the joint. And she spent most of the evening telling me to keep my paws off her girlfriend. I have gots to get my dykedar re-aligned. . .
I did avoid giving Sour Bob a racially motivated beatdown when he tried cutting in front of me at the bar (no Red Bull, hence no Vodka Red Bull. Barbarians.), and ain't tell him that just because he has a pitch in the pipeline at the home of "The Secret Life of Desmond Pfeiffer," that it don't mean he's all that. Honestly. Some people.
And yes, all of us were all about mimi smartypants' milkshake, which brought all the smokers from the lounge, or something like that, and yes, I did kick an extra buck to Gapers' Block at ten minutes to closing to take 'em to breaking even for the evening, and yes, Wendy was possibly dead-on accurate in her definition of the difference between diarists and bloggers, and that's all I have to say about that.
Well, I had fun, anyway. And wondered, briefly, about the unattendance of any of Chicago's right-wing bloggers, like Pejman, but since that may have contributed to the fun, it's all good.
Apologies to Kate, not only for using that link because I'm not sure what else to use, but also for confusing her for someone else. And to Wendy for not chasing away that fool took her seat at the table.
As for the symposium and reception. . . ok, I'm going to try to keep in mind that this should not allow me to think that grad school would actually be a good idea, since just because it featured lots of fascinating, intelligent people with interesting things to say, I should not fall into the trap of thinking this is how all seminars would be. And also, of course, it was at Northwestern. You know how folks talk about seeing how the other half lives? They're the other half.
Between that, Professor Delany's lecture, Abigail's reading/signing, and fitting in coffee with The GhettoFabulous Jessica and Sam, my poor wee brain is slightly overloaded just now.
I may be reading warbloggers just to let it rest for a bit. And to find someone to feel superior to.
Note to R. Gay: I ain't ask for a reading list for you, but will suggest Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction From the African Diaspora just on G.P.
You know that thing where you're having a pleasant conversation with Sheree Thomas at a reception, and Chip Delany comes to collect her so they can catch a ride, and she decides to mention your web site in front of him?
Causing you to say, "I have a bad feeling about this. . ."
And him to respond, eyes twinking, "I have a good feeling about this."
No, didn't think so.
Wish I had time to expunge certain entries and comments clean the place properly for guests, but am at the Screenz on Clark, about to head to the Gapers' Block Party at Ann Sather, down the way on Belmont.
The talks were wonderful, the Q&A session managed to touch on The Passion, the Matrix trilogy and, of course, Homeboys from Outer Space, and I felt, as usual, totally out of my depth the entire time.
And didn't want to admit that, although I didn't really care for Homeboys, that I thought Red Dwarf was brilliant. And possibly not apropos.
And didn't bother mentioning that I usually say Magical Nigger rather than Negro to describe films like Bagger Vance, Radio, Green Mile, etc. . .
So, went to the Samuel Delany Leon Forrest Lecture yesterday at Northwestern. If you get a chance to see the man doing a reading, drop everything and go. Yes, it was That Damned Good. A few of the sentences in the (thus far unpublished) piece he read were clearly meant for the page rather than being spoken aloud, as by the time he arrived at the end there was no way in hell anyone could possibly still remember what the beginning was, but perhaps this is just my damaged brain talking, and that caveat shouldn't deter you in the slightest.
No, I have no idea why I'm writing like that either.
And I realized after the reception which followed the reading that, perhaps paradoxically, it's much easier to have a decent conversation with strangers in what's quaintly referred to as "Real Life" than it is online, at least if you're dealing with people with a minimal level of social skills. Had to delete two comments from some random, anonymous right-winger yesterday because they just weren't worth responding to, something I possibly wouldn't have done if I hadn't come to expect better behavior from folks. I expect this is what comes of getting out more.
Which Heather used to tell me I needed to do, but since it's a fundamental Law of the Universe that one's ex is never, ever right about anything, I can safely go without mentioning this. Which I just did, but in a sarcastic, self-referential post-modern sort of a way, so it doesn't count. Ha!
Also, see from the news (is this news?) that the brother ain't win on Trump's show. The guy from Loyola did. Meaning The GhettoFabulous Jessica is going to be even more insufferable than usual. Damnation.
Possibly going to "The Politics of the Paraliterary: A Symposium of Afro Diasporic Speculative Fiction and Theory" this afternoon, definitely going to The 2nd Annual Gapers' Block Party this evening (8pm upstairs at Ann Sather, 929 W. Belmont, only $7 if you BYOB!). Perhaps mimi smartypants will bring puppets again.
Which reminds me, thought during the lecture that Henson, Inc. should have hired Delany to voice Kermit after Jim passed away. But resisted the urge, at the reception, to ask him to say quote any lines from The Muppet Show, just to check.
Yes, it's mangled, but I don't speak French.
Met Abigail Garner last night at her reading/signing, which was nice, because I very rarely hang out with high femmes, and. . .
No, no one is going to get that. Never mind.
And the poor dear did Mancow's show while she was in town. She's suffered enough, I think.
For those of you in Madison, today's appearance schedule thingee:
April 15, Thursday
5:30 p.m.
Outreach, Inc.
600 Williamson Street
Madison, WI
For those of you not into that whole clicking of links thing and wondering who I'm babbling about, I can do her (store-announced) bio from memory, after hearing it several times in Border's last night. Although the official one doesn't start off with <Movie Announcer Voice>In a world. . .</Movie Announcer Voice>. But it really should have.
Of course, the reading started on Lesbian Standard Time (ok, last time, I swear), but I'm figuring the Samuel Delany lecture today will kick off promptly at 4:30. So I should probably leave a wee bit more time to get there and find a seat and stuff. . .
Want to know more? See also: Washington Blade Online: All in the family - Abigail Garner, whose father is gay, explores what life is like for children with gay parents in her new book, ‘Families Like Mine.’
And with a title that long, who needs an excer-- oh, all right:
HER PREMISE IS THIS: Children with gay parents feel like they must defy the world’s negative expectation of them by being perfect, loving their gay parents absolutely, and by not being gay. It’s enough to cause you to pity the poor babies in strollers at Pride parades.“Because of our cultural assumption that gay people make bad parents, we need to have a conversation about what it’s like to grow up with gay parents,” Garner said. “Being gay is not an obstacle to having normal kids, but every gay parent is not going to be a good parent.”
Quoted material represents the opinions of the quoted author, in this case Adrian Brune, and not necessarily those of Uppity-Negro.com or any of its subsidiaries.
Update:
As always, click for larger image
You know, I don't think I've ever done a caption contest around here. . .
I don't watch much television. In fact, I'll be missing Angel tonight while I'm at Abigail Garner's reading. So I hadn't heard:
The O'Jays [song] "For the Love of Money," [is] now being used as the theme song for Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" television show.
. . .
Right, just saw something in this thread at Pandagon about people still Just Not Getting Springsteen's Born In the USA, but for the love of Nubian goddess and all that is holy how the fuck can anyone listen to the lyrics to For the Love of Money and. . .
Sorry. Sometimes I forget where I live.
In other pop culture news, Holy cluster of Catwomen!
You could call it a once-in-nine-lifetimes gathering. Three Catwomen who purr-fectly embodied Batman's feline archnemesis Julie Newmar, 68, and Eartha Kitt, 77, in the 1966-68 TV series, and Lee Meriwether, 68, in the 1966 movie — gathered for the first time earlier this month at the TV Land Awards (tonight, 9 ET/PT). The trio talked to USA TODAY's Bill Keveney about the appeal of a character who returns to the screen in July, when Halle Berry stars in Catwoman[.]
It's weird reading that, after looking at the transcript of Bush's press conference. There are, like, questions? And the actresses respond to them? With answers? That have to do with the question?
No, I'm not sure why I'm up-talking either. Shut up. I need coffee, and I need to wash Bush's drunken (I hope) frat-boy rambling out of my poor damaged brain. . .
Right then, missed the live coverage of the press conference last night. I expect I'll track down a transcript at some point, but from reactions am willing to go out on a limb and say that Josh Marshall's take:
Perhaps my opinions of the man and his record are too set in stone for me to provide an objective take. But, even setting aside the awkward moments where the president couldn't think of any mistake he'd ever made on foreign policy since 9/11, what I saw was a man with a quiver of cliches and a few simple stock arguments. Whatever the question, he grabbed a handful of those and tossed them back.
Is pretty much what mine would have been.
Trying and failing to engage anything written by the right on the subject. Over at a small victory, for example, Michele wrote:
Q Do you feel a sense of personal responsibility for September 11th?I don't know who asked that one, but I want to smack him across the face.
Bush is no more responsible for 9/11 than Clinton was the first WTC bombing. Let's hold repsonsible for these actions those who committed them.
Which, as the title of this entry points out, is a deliberate misreading of the question. At least I hope it's deliberate. Along with bringing a tactical nuclear device to a gunfight, I got a nasty tendency to overestimate the intelligence of The Playa-Haters on the Other Side. There's a reason I didn't go into primary education, or have children my own self; anyone with far more patience than I care to explain, in simple sentences and using very small words, exactly where she went wrong with that response?
The chess board is the world, the pieces the phenomena of the universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of nature. The player on the other side is hidden from us. All we know is that his play is always fair, just and patient. But, also, that he never overlooks a mistake or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance. To the man who plays well the highest stakes are paid with that sort of overflowing generosity with which the strong shows delight in strength. And one who plays ill is checkmated without haste, but without remorse. My metaphor will remind some of you of the famous picture in which Retzsch has depicted Satan playing at chess with man for his soul. Substitute for the mocking fiend in that picture a calm, strong angel who is playing for love as we say, and would rather lose than win, and I should accept it as an image of human life. Well, now what I mean by education is learning the rules of this mighty game. In other words, education is the instruction of the intellect in the laws of nature; and the fashioning of the affections, and of the will, into harmony with those laws.
Huxley's a bit dry, but I couldn't find anything in a quick glance over C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters that worked. I mean, this is ok:
The trouble about argument is that it moves the whole struggle onto the Enemy's own ground. He can argue too; whereas in really practical propoganda of the kind I am suggesting He has been shown for centuries to be greatly the inferior of Our Father Below. By the very act of arguing, you awake the patient's reason; and once it is awake, who can foresee the result? Even if a particular train of thought can be twisted so as to end in our favour, you will find that you have been strengthening in your patient the fatal habit of attending to universal issues and withdrawing his attention from the stream of immediate sense experiences. Your business is to fix his attention on the stream. Teach him to call it "real life" and don't let him ask what he means by "real."
But doesn't address the issue as well. Whatever the hell the issue is. I'm making this up as I go along.
I do recommend both Huxley's essay and Lewis' book, but who comes here for the reading list?
Let the ad hominem attacks begin.
Because of course everyone is interested in you tweaking your code. It's endlessly fascinating.
Removed some links, but prefer to focus on the positive: I added some links, including Leora the Sane, Hi. I'm Black!, Baghdad Burning, Space Waitress Gate A, Whiskey Bar and Sisyphus Shrugged. And changed Boston Dyke over to Yankee Dyke. And would have added the blogs for the Air America programs O'Franken Factor and Majority Report, but they don't appear to have feeds. . .
I'm sure I'm forgetting someone. But just remembered that TranceJen, per her request, is now Faith rather than Harmony, so that's all right. But I need a new Harmony. Tristan, maybe?
Added a bit of stolen code from WizbangTech to show the Technorati link cosmos for each entry, which isn't nearly as good as the Technorati Support at Boing Boing, but I'm prepared to deal with the cold, hard fact that they're just that damned cooler than I can ever hope to be.
And am grinding my teeth ever so slightly over the latest Suicide Girls thing (and am wondering about the logistics of establishing a brand in the print world without using the actual name of the site, but hey, that's why I don't make the big bucks), but again, positive, focus on.
It's very difficult for me to do that. There's years of inertia to resist.
Also added my Sanrio and Powell's Books wishlists under Filthy Lucre, for no particular reason.
Oh, right, and added Blacks for Bush and Public Radio Fan to the non-bloglines-generated links list.
Was going to add one for Blogcritics finally, seeing as they've managed to justify their existence with interviews with Emmylou Harris and the producers of Mau Mau Sex Sex, which from the trailer I'm really going to have to get around to renting one of these days, but seeing as the latter is republished from GreenCine and the former is from StarPolish, I feel perfectly justified in not doing so. So nyaah.
See, told you that positive stuff just wasn't me. . .
Update: And, apparently, neither is properly installing plugins and updates. . .
Not sure how I managed to break comments and MT-Blacklist; I expect I'm just That Damn Good. Should be sorted.
Ok, I tell a lie, pretty sure they broke because I tried installing Plugin Manager, realized there were bits (Perl modules, but I like saying "bits" because it makes me sound like I know less than I actually do, rather than the opposite, which is much more dangerous) I'd have to ask Hostway about installing, and rather than removing the bits I'd put in, left them.
This, as it turned out, was a Very Bad Idea Indeed.
Cleaned those out, and put in MovableType 2.661 while I was mucking about. And now would like to turn off the redirect thingee, which I expect will take seconds of research. Pay no attention to the idjit behind the curtain.
Unless, again, something breaks.
You know, I'm tempted to make a much larger show of asking for readers to send money via PayPal or Bitpass so I can justify going to see Rasputina on Sunday than I am in this very entry.
Well, that's a lovely sentence. . .
And I realize other bloggers have much more convincing pitches -- they're going to lose the farm, or really need a laptop to cover the Republican National Convention, or that sort of thing -- but I think the Negro seeing hot goth chicks playing cello is at least as important.
Ok, maybe not as important as the saving the farm one. . .
np: What else? My Captivity by Savages, from Frustration Plantation, by Rasputina.
I should set a macro for that. . .
April 2 “Last Angel in History”—Film Showing!A sci-fi drama-documentary on Afro-futurism and black unpopular culture. A computer hacker enters a Faustian pact in which he trades his soul for secrets of his future. With interviews from Ishmael Reed, Octavia Butler, Goldie, Nichelle Nichols, George Clinton, Underground Resistance. Director John Akomfrah examines the hitherto unexplored relationships between Pan-African culture, science fiction, intergalactic travel, and rapidly progressing computer technology. This cinematic essay posits science fiction (with tropes such as alien abduction, estrangement, and genetic engineering) as a metaphor for the Pan-African experience of forced displacement, cultural alienation, and otherness.
That's from the Spring 2004 Lecture Series of Stanford's African & African American Studies (AAAS) Department, Afro-Futurism: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Speculations. This Friday, they describe, or rather hint at:
April 16* A Very Special Guest "A Few Points about Racism and Science Fiction."
*TIME & LOCATION TBA
Bastards, all of them.
And I'm a bit surprised Condi didn't shut down the department back when she was. . . oops, was that out loud?
Lots of nice things in the schedule, which I won't bore those of you/us who don't live on the West Coast with. And for the same reason, won't mention (as Nalo did) AfroGeeks: From Technophobia to Technophilia, at UC Santa Barbara May 7th and 8th.
No, I'll just idly mention WisCon, because at least that's just a drive to Madison. . .
Update: I wonder if any of these SF authors are Blacks for Bush. I mean, that 9% had to come from somewhere. Unless, like Augustus Freeman, they're all Others from a Brother Planet. . .
Blame Ronn Taylor for this update. Or thank. Depending on your point of view.
Well, not bloody likely I'll be able to afford to buy any any time soon.
Abigail Garner
Author of "Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is"
Reading and book signingWednesday, April 14, 2004
7:30 p.m.
Borders
2817 North Clark St.
Chicago, IL
Not sure about that multi-line link, but didn't want to do "Reading and book signing" because it's too close to the previous one for the book. . . no one cares, do they?
But you should go and buy Abigail's book and stuff.
Oh, and any suggestions on a good First Delany Novel? I'm thinking yes on Nova, (Trouble On) Triton or Babel-17, definite no way in hell on Dhalgren.
I would offer to loan my copies, but this would involve locating my copies, and I'm not even sure where my address book is these days. . .
Which is, what, a buck and a quarter in real money?
Not the best of images. Neither is this one:
But that's all I can find at this point. Well, other than this one, but that took like thirty seconds of research. American research, so two hours Canadian.
And that's Reginald Hudlin, Aaron McGruder and Kyle Baker, despite what the Amazon link says.
Why Random House Canada has a page (albeit a sketchy one) up while the US branch, apparently, does not, is left as an exercise for the student.
Mind you, another ten seconds of research brings up this page at Random House US, but then I can't make the joke. And find out it's $25 in our boring money.
Right, think I've had too much coffee today. . .
Okay, sitting at the Heartland Cafe, abusing their free WiFi by having a cup of coffee, and reading up on new disturbing obsession Tina Fey. . . that link goes to an interview with The Believer from November of last year. . . and she says:
When I moved to Chicago in the early nineties, I shared an apartment with a female friend from college. We lived right next to the Morse el stop, which was a pretty rough neighborhood. I got a day job at the Evanston YMCA, working at the front desk. I had the worst shift imaginable. Five thirty in the morning till two in the afternoon. But I had my nights free to take classes at Second City. I used to take the el to work at four in the morning. It was just me and a bunch of Polish cleaning ladies. They were a pretty close-knit group. They all seemed to know each other. They were just coming home from their jobs, I think. I was always glad to see them because they made me feel safe. I never actually spoke to any of them, but just being near them made me feel very protected. I was convinced that they were looking out for me.
The Heartland can be reached by taking the Red Line and exiting at, you guessed it, the Morse stop.
Either the neighborhood has changed/gentrified in the last decade, or it only seems "pretty rough" if you grew up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
Or I'm a bad judge of such things. The people up in Minneapolis, including James Lileks, used to say the place I lived there, near Loring Park, was a bad neighborhood, but I think that's just because a) there were sometimes more than four people of color in the place at once and b) The Gay convene there once a year for Pride.
(Parenthetical: See also: 'Minnesota Nice' = Ice if you're not white, also from November of last year, and Whites in denial over local police brutality, from June, 2003. In case you weren't willing to listen to me on these issues, as was generally the case with white Minnesotans. Which rather confirms. . . ok, I'll stop.)
Since I haven't watched SNL regularly this millennium, I've never actually seen Tina Fey doing her bit, but she made the cover of Bust this month. No, I don't know why I was looking at it either.
While we're not on the subject there's a cover-featured interview with the Indigo Girls in the current Girlfriends Magazine, and no, I'm not sure why I'm looking at that either. Shut up.
Did finally buy that copy of The Clitourist at Women & Children First. The nice woman behind the counter asked if I wanted a bag. At first I declined, then thought about it and asked for a nice, plain brown bag. She suggested I hold it up high and march proudly with it instead. "Actually, that might help me get dates," I said.
I kid, I kid. Nothing would help me. . . nah, done the self-pity thing, I need a new schtick. Any suggestions?
Apropos of nothing, the W&CF home page mentions:
Tina Fey is on the new Bust magazine, Indigo Girls are on the new Girlfriends magazine, local publications Pistil & Tuffy (sex issue!) are in stock, & where else in the neighborhood can you pick up your issues of 'Radical Teacher,' 'Chocolatier,' & 'On Our Backs' at the same time?
I swear, I wrote the entry before noticing that. . .
What a strange. . . oh, right, done that one too. Never mind.
I think they dropped a word from that. . .
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Author Sheree R. Thomas put an end to the myth that African Americans don’t write science fiction four years ago when her 427-page anthology titled “Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora” was published.Thomas will be among the panelists Friday, April 16, at “The Politics of the Paraliterary: A Symposium of Afro Diasporic Speculative Fiction and Theory” at Northwestern University.
The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will explore the contributions of black writers from around the world to the genres of science fiction, horror, fantasy, futurism and magical realism. It will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. in Room 107 of Harris Hall, 1881 Sheridan Road, Evanston.
The event follows by a day the April 15 free, public lecture by prominent African American science fiction writer Samuel R. Delany. That event will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the Abbott Auditorium, Pancoe-Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Life Sciences Pavilion, 2200 Campus Drive.
The speculative literature conference also will include panelists Kodwo Eshun, author of “More Brilliant than the Sun,” a treatise on futurism in black popular music; Yale University assistant professor Alondra Nelson, co-editor of “Technicolor: Race, Technology and Everyday Life” and founder and moderator of an Internet discussion group called AfroFuturism; and Village Voice staff writer Greg Tate, author of “Flyboy in the Buttermilk” and “Midnight Lightning: Jimi Hendrix and the Black Experience.”
Symposium participants will discuss recent artistic and academic developments concerned with images of the future and with questions of race and technology as envisioned by black authors, including Delany, Steven Barnes, Octavia Butler, Tananarive Due, Jewelle Gomez, Nalo Hopkinson, Brandon Massey and Walter Mosley.
From a press release up at Northwestern's site. Delany's lecture rated a mention in The Reader, so I maybe want to get there early for it. And although I definitely could use the money, if I manage to swing a temp assignment for next week, I'll let 'em know I'm going to both events.
Ok, I'll go for the money. But I'll regret it bitterly afterwards.
Well, ok, no, it was the SPEC Chicago reading at MoJoe's Cafe Lounge, but it was still good. Even if a disproportionate number of people broke up with geographic locations. And we still haven't determined if Godzilla could beat the Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man. . .
Bought a copy of a shout in the street zine from Jessica Disobedience (who read a bit from her upcoming, Dru-you-need-to-get-this novel). She said they were usually $3, but offered to let me have it for two. But I managed to talk her up to $2.50, and not a penny less! Ha!
I'm working on my haggling skills, yes. . .
Haven't looked through it yet. I'm still working on Men on Rape: What They Have to Say About Sexual Violence, which I picked up at Evanston Public Library's book sale, and although it's definitely worth reading:
In cases where the man and woman knew each other, you just have to feel it out. If it's a dating situation and she says, "Well, I let him undress me and then I changed my mind," when it gets to that point you decide, "Well, you can hang it up." But the woman who goes out on a date and she asks him to take her home and he refuses and drives out on a dirt road or something, that one you can understatnd for sure. The girl just didn't know the guy that well and that's the kind of guy we'd charge.If the woman's been living with the guy for two or three years and he rapes her, we generally talk to them and they dedcide against pressing charges. You try to explain the situation to them, what they'll go through in court and help them look at it realistically and let them know that they don't stand a chance. If they're living together and the guy beat her up and knocked her out and raped her, then she'd have a chance. If the guy said, "Dammit, I own you, I'm going to beat your tail and kick you out of the house," and the woman decided to submit and lay there and let him have his fun, then she'd have a very tough time with that and there'd be no point in going to court. I've had enough cases in front of juries so I can just about tell which way it's going to go, so why waste time with something? Why lie to them? All I can say is, "I know how you feel but this is the way it is. You've got to accept it." I try to tell them in a nice way.
(From Chapter 7: Policemen)
It ain't exactly what you'd call light reading.
What else, what else. . . the site is up for Lunapads International:
We are the manufacturer of Lunapads washable cloth menstrual pads and Lunapanties padded panties. We also sell the Keeper menstrual cup, Sea Pearls natural sea sponge tampons, and many other environmentally responsible products for women’s wellness.
Transitions. Work on haggling skills and transitions.
Trying to figure out what to do to get the hell away from the extended family today. Called Strawberry Fields down in Shampoo-Banana, and they ain't open today. So I guess I'd need to find somewhere else there to have lunch and dinner.
Why am I headed down there today?
Extended family. The hell away from. Any excuse will do.
Because it's all Angry Black Guy Stuff, All The Time, here at Uppity-Negro.com. Yes indeedy do.
Alison Krauss + Union Station will perform the National Anthem at the Sunday, April 11th Playoff Series between the Nashville Predators and the Detroit Red Wings. This will be the third game of this Western Conference Quaterfinal Playoff. The game starts at 3:00 PM CST, and for those of you who cannot attend the sold out game it will be broadcast on ESPN and FOX. Check your local listings.
From the Official Site of Alison Krauss + Union Station, which is a huge hangout for Angry Black Guys. Totally.
Not speaking of which:
AKUS Tour Dates
- Thursday, May 6, 2004 Columbus, OH
- Friday, May 7, 2004 Cincinnati, OH
- Saturday, May 8, 2004 Chicago, IL
- Sunday, May 9, 2004 Milwaukee, WI
- Tuesday, May 11, 2004 Minneapolis, MN
I'm confident I'll miss all of these -- never met an opportunity I couldn't squander/blow in some way, shape or form -- but perhaps someone else will manage to make it to one of them.
Oh, and while we're not on the subject, from Sony Music Nashville:
Upcoming TV Appearances
April 21 Mary Chapin Carpenter on NBC's "Today Show"
April 27 Mary Chapin Carpenter on David Letterman
In support of Between Here And Gone, her new cd set for release on the 27th.
Also, from Emmylou.net Tour Dates:
Emmylou, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will join one another for a unique tour beginning in August in Atlanta, Georgia. Dubbing the tour "Sweet Harmony Traveling Revue," the set will be varied, featuring ensemble performances, solo numbers and, at times, instrument swapping. "Sweet Harmony Traveling Revue" will visit 14 cities on its three-week run, including New York's Central Park on August 18, and will wrap up August 29 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Closest show to me is the August 25th performance in beautiful(?) Cleveland, OH.
Road trip, baby.
I suppose Michelle won't let me stand on a chair front-row center while Emmylou plays, wearing a t-shirt saying DO ME, so maybe I shouldn't go with her. . .
She's an Angry Black Guy too, you know.
Do I mean Michelle or Emmylou?
Yes.
Good night England.
Good night Home Service and V for Victory.
Hello the Voice of Fate and V for Vendetta.
--Alan Moore.
From the introduction to V for Vendetta, which, like anything else by Alan Moore, is a Comic Worth Reading.
Even if Johanna doesn't appear to have reviewed it yet. . .
Anyway, that's the source of the current slogan. The current site name is from:
The Double V Campaign
Victory at Home Victory AbroadShortly after America’s entrance in to World War II, The [Pittsburgh] Courier launched "The Double V Campaign" (Double V). Under the theme of "Democracy: Victory at Home, Victory Abroad" The Courier remained patriotic, yet pushed for civil rights for blacks. It was very important that the campaign show loyalty towards the war effort, since the black press had been criticized for pushing their own agenda ahead of the national agenda.
[. . .] The campaign was created by James G. Thompson, of Wichita, KS. In a January 31, 1942 letter to the editor, titled, "Should I Sacrifice To Live ‘Half American?’" Thompson urged that such a campaign would set apart the confusion of a black American at the time. Formally debuting February 7, 1942, Double V, appeared only as the insignia; DEMOCRACY on top of two interlocking "V’s" with a crest that included "Double Victory" and AT HOME - ABROAD at the bottom of the logo. An eagle perched across the crest.
That's the symbol I mentioned yesterday.
I think it's time to bring that one back.
It's just, not only am I not sure what "Victory" means, or would look like, I'm not entirely certain that's what the Vs should stand for in the first place.
And I confess, Vendetta may not be the best choice.
Put in mind of This Old Entry by a post at Electrolite:
These people aren’t frightening because they’re strong. They’re frightening because they’re cowardly and weak.
Where "These people" is a reference to the hard right. Or that's my reading anyway; hit the link and see if you agree. Or, you know, you could ask. Wacky idea, and one I certainly wouldn't follow through on my own self.
I figure this because Patrick quotes Rivka, who writes:
The hard right aren’t interested in apologies or corrections. If this were really about promoting civility of discourse, they’d have plenty to attack on their own side without hunting down people on ours. They want us to shut up, and that’s pretty much all that will satisfy them. Whether or not you agree with Kos, or Kathryn, it’s important that we not let them be drowned in a sea of right-wing viciousness. They have a right to be free of harrassment.
Which I been saying for years, hence the re-post. And although I did try a bit ago to do the whole reaching out and building bridges and looking for shared interests thang, I've come to the conclusion that it's just not worth trying with most of them.
I wish I could honestly say that I'm either surprised or disappointed.
The people at Warblogger Watch are writing about the disturbing philosophy of anti-Americanism. This is because they're always looking at the negative. Instead, we should look at Americanism.Like any religion, Americanism is based on Faith and Faith Alone. Instead of things like logic, internal consistency, inquiry, observation, or rational thought.
The United States has a high regard for religion. This is why, unlike most of the planet, we refuse to have elections on the weekend, and instead schedule them on workdays.
Conservatives, arguably the closest to high priests of Americanism, generally see no problem with this, figuring that if people really wanted to vote, they'd just have the maid wake them up early that day and have the chauffeur drive them to the polling place (which the chauffeur should know the location of, why should you have to remember things like that?).
They also hate jokes like that, because they're divisive (a feature of anti-Americanism) and contribute to class warfare (ditto).
This does not apply to jokes about limousine liberals.
Remember that bit about internal consistency? There you go.
Another feature of Americanism is the recognition that the U.S. is Good. With a capital Guh. Foreigners, who are not adherents of Americanism and therefore by definition anti-American, often fail to grasp this simple idea. So when, for example, the American President starts declaring that one side or another of a conflict is a true partner for peace, or defining what constitute the legitimate political aspirations of someone on the other side of the planet, they tend to wonder who, exactly, gave him
(and it's been a he, and a white he at that, up until now. One of the things proponents of Americanism proudly point to are surveys indicating that a large percent of the population show a willingness to vote for a woman or a black person for president. [However, any other surveys showing support for the political aspirations of these groups should be discounted as resulting from not wishing to be seen as politically incorrect.] There are no surveys asking if, say, women would be willing to vote for a man, or if blacks would be willing to vote for a white person, because the questions are themselves incoherent. Such is the Power of Faith.)
the right to decide such things.
True believers in Americanism can ignore such heresy, usually because they're not even capable of understanding it. They are a simple people. Very simple. Simpletons, actually.
Oh, and while I'm at it:
Fifteen years later, Harold Lasswell explained in the Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences that we should not succumb to "democratic dogmatisms about men being the best judges of their own interests." They are not; the best judges are the elites, who must, therefore, be ensured the means to impose their will, for the common good. When social arrangements deny them the requisite force to compel obedience, it is necessary to turn to "a whole new technique of control, largely through propaganda" because of the "ignorance and superstition [of]...the masses." In the same years, Reinhold Niebuhr argued that "rationality belongs to the cool observers," while "the proletarian" follows not reason but faith, based upon a crucial element of "necessary illusion." Without such illusion, the ordinary person will descend to "inertia." Then in his Marxist phase, Niebuhr urged that those he addressed -- presumably, the cool observers -- recognize "the stupidity of the average man" and provide the "emotionally potent oversimplifications" required to keep the proletarian on course to create a new society; the basic conceptions underwent little change as Niebuhr became "the official establishment theologian" (Richard Rovere), offering counsel to those who "face the responsibilities of power."
That'd be The Noamster, from Necessary Illuisions, Chapter One: Democracy and the Media.
Right wingers are all about the emotionally potent oversimplifications.
I don't think they're capable of grasping anything more complex.
Ok, found issue #5 of THE TRUTH in the quarter bin at AF Books, and Josiah's dad did have a shield with "Double V" on it. Question is, do I track down the other issues, or just break down and buy the collection? Decisions, decisions. . .
Didn't see the Black Fetish Dress Hello Kitty, but did find another of the ones I got Lisa last week. Cute, ain't she? I'm torn between the auction, the essay contest, or just keeping the thing myself.
Nothing to add to the discussion of Dr. Rice's testimony, I'm afraid. Mostly because I've completely lost the ability to even pretend taking the right wing seriously. Tried reading a few of their blogs, treating 'em like over-the-top parodies of self-important losers, but no, they just come across as self-important losers with nothing vaguely resembling a sense of humor or basic human decency. What can you do?
Was going to do the quote'n'insult thang, but what's the point? Give a look at the blog for The O'Franken Factor instead. Which, if you're into that whole clicking of links thing, should lead you to Operation Hero Miles:
Operation Hero Miles provides a way for you to help our troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan by donating your unused frequent flyer miles. Efforts are underway to make the donated miles more broadly available to all U.S. military personnel.
Hey, I ain't got enough miles on American for me to do anything with. May as well give 'em to a good cause. And send a politely worded message to Northwest asking 'em to get with the program.
So, how was your day?
Looking through THE CREW #7 (the final issue of what was most definitely not supposed to be a seven issue miniseries), and finally took a good look at Josiah X's shield on page 3.
It's an old-school Captain America style shield, not that round thingee. It has an eagle on it, and the possibly-confusing words, "Double V".
Still haven't even picked up the trade for THE TRUTH. Is this the same one the character was carrying in that?
If so, might have to break down and buy the damned thing. . .
If you have no idea what I'm babbling about, don't sweat it. Unfortunately, it's a Black thing.
If you don't understand, ask somebody.
Politely.
The Three Fates spread is an exceptionally popular way to gain insight into the emerging arc of the past, present, and future. The Cat People Tarot paints a picture of faraway lands trod by mystical archetypes and their feline companions. This deck is a perfect tool for dreamers and idealists, and is a great choice for divining the nature of human imagination. If you would like your own copy of the Cat People Tarot, you can buy it now!
The significator, not shown is the card you have chosen to embody your presence and the focus of the reading. Queen of Swords: Sharp, quick-witted, keen person. Intense perceptions. A subtle person. May signify a widow or woman of sadness. Mourning. Privation. Absence. Loneliness. Separation. One who has savored great happiness but who presently knows the anxiety of misfortune and reversal. The left card represents an important element of the past. Page of Pentacles, when reversed: An unrealistic person. Failure to recognize obvious facts. Dissipation of ideas. Illogical thinking. Rebelliousness. Wastefulness. Loss. Unfavorable news. The middle card represents a deciding element of the present. Queen of Cups, when reversed: Inconsistency of honor. Possible immorality. Dishonesty. Unreliability. Vice. The right card represents a critical element of the future. King of Wands, when reversed: Severity. Austerity. Somewhat excessive and exaggerated ideas. Dogmatic, deliberate person.
I was wondering about that.
This is why I like being proven wrong.
Should there be a possessive apostrophe in tha-- never mind.
SPEC Chicago presents an evening of readings concerning "Breakups & Ex's"
Saturday, April 10 at 7:00 pm
at Mojoe's Cafe Lounge in Roscoe Village
(2256 W. Roscoe, Chicago)SPEC Chicago presents a reading dedicated to the theme of "Breakups & Ex's", hosted by Andrew Mall.
Contact Brent Ritzel (www.zineguide.net) at spec@selfpublishers.org for more information.
Readers include:
Andrew Mall (Living Proof zine)
Grant Schreiber (Judas Goat Quarterly)
Emerson Dameron (Kazoo zine)
Anna Weiler (independent writer)
Brandon Wetherbee (www.foulinc.com)
Brent Ritzel (Zine Guide & Tail Spins)
Aaron Cynic (Diatribe zine)
Keight Sandler (Backstabber zine)
Jessica Disobedience (Safety Pin Girl)
Larry O. Dean (www.larryodean.com)
Leonard "The Ludic Kid" Pierce (The Ludic Log - www.ludickid.com)
Ziggy Cyanide (Zygote and Choking Hazard zines)
Tara? TranceJen? Lauriean? Ursula? Any of you crazy kids planning on going to this?
Even I should be able to hold this in my brain for just one fucking week. . .
2004 Leon Forrest Lecturer, Samuel R. Delany
Event Date: April 15, 2004
Event Time: 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Event Location: Abbott Auditorium - Pancoe Life Sciences Pavilion, 2200 Campus Drive, Evanston Campus
Then again, I managed to miss Nalo Hopkinson when she was in town, and I'd known about that in advance, too. My track record with SF authors of color ain't so great, true, but there are so very many of them. It's like missing a bus. Another will be along shortly.
Sorry, Condi is boring the hell out of me with the "inserting oft-repeated info into answers as total non-sequitur" thang. . .
Anyway, so. As is my wont, went to the Brown Elephant Resale Shop last weekend, and found a couple things that those of you with childrens might be interested in.
Turned on the hearings. Uh oh. Condi has her pissed-off look. And they ain't even ask the first question yet. . .
Anyway, since I'm unlikely to adopt, and have forgotten what sex is at this point, anyone out there who has kids want these?
Just to pre-empt any right-wingers thinking about recycling Clarence Thomas' old line about "a high-tech lynching for an uppity black" with regards to Dr. Condoleezza Rice's upcoming testimony before the 9-11 commission: She ain't uppity. You don't reach that level of government -- or corporate, or academia -- being uppity. Trust me on this one. I come from a long line of uppity negroes. We know these things.
No, that last bit is too subtle. Let me restate as simply as possible: white folks, particularly right-wing white folks, who are even thinking about getting into an argument with me concerning the definition of "uppity" are wasting their time. Not mine, since no way am I taking that bait. As far as this subject goes, you don't know shit about shit, and needs to shut the fuck up.
There, that should be clear enough.
Might as well also mention that it's entirely possible to criticize the woman without being sexist and/or racist, as I'm fairly confident the idjits will charge. Don't worry, they don't believe anyone who does criticize her is being one or both of those either; it's just a convenient blunt object to attack opponents with. Like the crusade Glenn Reynolds is on about Air America reducing broadcast diversity in the, what, five or six cities where they air at the moment.
They wouldn't be sincere about the uppity/lynching thing either.
This is just one of the many, many reasons I'd prefer not hearing from 'em here. Bad enough they're evil fucking assholes, but evil fucking assholes making spurious charges about what are actually serious issues, just ones that don't directly effect them, is just. . . not something I particularly care to deal with, if it's all the same to you.
I've used that one before, haven't I?
Now in its 14th year, Chick Singer Night is the nation's original and longest-running songfest for female artists. The format is a simple one. All singers are welcome; all styles of music, all levels of experience, all walks of life. Each singer shows up the afternoon of the show, charts in hand, and runs her songs with the CSN Band. Later that evening they hit the stage with a hot band in a cool venue and give the performance of a lifetime!
I'm really not sure why I hadn't heard of Chick Singer Night before now, or how I missed Chicago Songfest back in February. We'll chalk this up to lack of advertising on their part, rather than lack of attention on mine. Ok, me, not we. Shut up.
HotHouse
The Center for Performance & Exhibition
Saturday, April 10 7:30pm $30 in Advance,
$35 at the door, (21 & Over)A magical night marking the end of Lent and the first real night of partying and celebration, come enjoy the best in Brasilian entertainment with music by Paulo Garcia, Capirinhas, and a spectacular Brasilian dinner by Sinha. Elegant Cuisine. If you can’t fly down to Rio, this Carnival is the next best thing!
http://www.sinhaelegantcuisine.com
Me, I can't fly down to Rio and don't think I'll make it there. Have I mentioned lately that my life sucks?
Well, it bears repeating.
In this case, on the chances of success (or even continued publication) of Captain America & The Falcon:
Thanks, in no small part, to you, CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON will remain on Marvel's publishing schedule at least through Year One. Marvel informed me today we are green lit through issue #12, so no danger of CREW-ing this book (at least for now). Thank you all for supporting this title, thank you Bart for your brilliant work giving us a great Nitrus boost out of the gate. and for those of you doing the wait-and-see, you heard it here first: the book is solid. Get on board!
"CREW-ing," of course, is a reference to. . . aw, skip it.
Besides, you'd know if you were reading Priest's blog. And I have no idea why you wouldn't.
Unless you're too busy reading Dwayne's blog:
In other Justice League Unlimited news: * The Continuum has learned that an episode of the show will be an adaptation of sorts of the Alan Moore Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything."
Definitely something to look forward to -- I'd ask how one could screw up Alan Moore, but someone would just cough and suggest I rent League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or From Hell, and I'd look all sheepish and stuff.
Don't enjoy being proven wrong that much, or that frequently, at least. . .
Going through the list o'links, making sure everything is working, and actually visiting everthing for a change. Had to rename one or two, and make some additions. Spike made mention of Joey Manley's Blog, f'r instance (if you don't know who that is, hit the link. He has, like, a photo, and a brief bio, and stuff).
Also, I'd been ignoring the whole tempest in a teapot about Daily Kos, also added, because I figured anyone taking advice on morality from the right. . . is a complete fucking moron, basically. And clearly has never read, say, one of the comment threads at Little Green Footballs, where you'll find commentary that makes Kos' look positively Christlike. But Patrick Nielsen Hayden says what I'd like to, better, and without the profanity, so go read his comment at Making Light instead.
Because of course the political Right in this country is so very, very careful to police itself and dissociate itself from extremist or violent sentiments. So naturally it's incumbent on every single liberal in America, certainly including every weblogger and political campaign, to get out there and grovel if one single prominent person says one single dumb thing.
Because, you know, I could be quoting out of context or something.
Changed the Sherman Alexie link to point to the stuff i like page at his official site. Not quite a blog, but as good as we're likely to get, so quit your whining.
I thought this NBA Slam Dunk contest was the best ever, not because of the successful dunks, but because of the glorious failures. Foolish ambition is a beautiful thing.
Didn't see the contest, but agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment. I'm all about the foolish ambition.
Updates as I do that copy and paste and read thingee. Possibly.
Two pre-recorded MiniDiscs, that is; Indigo Girls' Swamp Ophelia (which previous link takes you to their Artist Direct page -- more on that in a minute) and Mary Chapin Carpenter's Come On Come On (which, yes, I bought just for Passionate Kisses, but the rest is good, too). Which just puts me that much closer to total freakhood, I expect.
Looking forward to the launch of CONNECT, and just signed up for the beta program. Figure the freakhood might actually work in my favor for once. . .
Artist Direct, mentioned up there in a parenthetical, describe themselves thusly:
Talk about a sonic boom: Bursting onto computer screens in 1994, ARTISTdirect's online network quickly became one of the most popular music destinations on the Internet. The network-which averages 3 million visitors per month-consists of: ARTISTdirect.com www.artistdirect.com, home of the official online channels operated and maintained on behalf of a myriad of superstar acts; UBL www.ubl.com, an award-winning, all-inclusive music portal and search engine with a database of more than 500,000 artists and millions of links; iMusic (www.imusic.com), the premier online music community site with message boards; and the ARTISTdirect Superstore, a full-service online shopping mall that features exclusive artist merchandise and other collectibles, limited edition CDs, and an advance concert ticket window, from artists including *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Cher, Metallica, Korn, Blink 182, Beastie Boys, and many others. Said Rolling Stone, "If you're looking for music on the Internet, you won't find a more comprehensive, exhaustive or downright addictive place to start."
Marketing speak. Honestly. Not sure what "official online channels operated and maintained on behalf of" means for the artists, but since the Indigo Girls linked to 'em from their official site, guess they can't be doing too badly by folks.
Tying this together, more or less, if you squint a little, tried visitng OpenMG in the built-in (translation: embedded IE) browser in SonicStage, and got this:
On March 29 (Monday), 2004, we have closed down the OpenMG Home Page, and in notifying you of this scheduled development, we would like to take the opportunity to thank you for visiting and using this home page for the long time when it was up: your keen interest and attention have been very much appreciated. After the OpenMG Home Page has been discontinued, we will continue to provide OpenMG-related information, announcements and support for both our products and software so please be sure to check out the home pages given below. In response to the impending arrival of the age of full-blown broadband access, OpenMG--as a technology which will continue to support all sorts of digital contents in the future--will be coming up with some exciting suggestions for fun-filled lifestyles, and we hope that you will enjoy what we will be offering.
Again with the marketing speak. . . dropping by MiniDisc.org brought up a link to a registration-required Chicago Tribune/LA Times article from a few days back, McDonald's, Sony Said to Be in Music Pact:
Hungry for a taste of the online music business, Sony Corp. is aiming to line up McDonald's Corp. to market the Japanese conglomerate's new download service, according to people familiar with the deal.The two companies have been hammering out the details of a pact in which McDonald's would provide fast-food diners with free songs from Sony's online music store, Sony Connect, these people said. The deal is expected to be announced this week.
Representatives from Sony and McDonald's declined to comment.
The sources said McDonald's was expected to commit about $30 million to advertise the program in the U.S. and beef up the launch of Sony Connect, which will charge 99 cents per song when it starts up this spring.
With my finger far from the pulse of popular culture, I had no idea Sony was planning on jumping into the online music bidness. Luckily, they have a press release:
LAS VEGAS (CES, Booth #N109), Jan. 7, 2004 -- Sony Corporation of America (SCA) today formally announced plans to launch its new Connect™ online music service in the United States. The Connect service will offer consumers an easy-to-use, affordable and secure means of purchasing music online and downloading it to a wide variety of Sony® portable devices including Net MD™ Walkman® recorders, Hi-MD™ Walkman recorders, ATRAC® CD Walkman players, and Network Walkman™ players.[. . .] At launch, the Connectservice will feature more than 500,000 tracks from the major music companies and many independent labels. Users will be able to easily browse through content by artist, title or genre. The Connect service will also feature special content not available on any other music site. Singles will be available for 99 cents, and entire albums can be downloaded for $9.95. The Connect service will not have a subscription fee.
The service will feature ATRAC3™ audio compression that effectively reduces the size of audio files while delivering superb sound quality.With ATRAC3 compression, music can be recorded and compressed to 132kbps (kilobits per second), allowing consumers to store more high fidelity audio on CD recordable, MD, Hi-MD™ or Memory Stick® media.
Damn, that's some ugly HTML source up in there; just deleted lots of (apparently) pointless <font color=""> and corresponding font-closing. . . no one cares, do they? Right, moving on:
The obvious difference between Connect and other services is offering the tracks in/using ATRAC3, rather than mp3 format. To their credit, gotta say the sound quality (from the MiniDisc player) is pretty damn good even at the lowest setting. On the other hand, it's proprietary, and as a former Slashdot reader (and current Linux user), I'm required by law to be opposed formats that ain't open. For a start, doubt they'll be releasing a Linux client to "talk to" the player. Possibly. Sony seems a lot more open to the Penguin-Powered; see also: Linux for Playstation 2.
So, um, the practical upshot of all this is, their schemes for World Domination through Digital Convergence continue unabated. And given a choice between them and MicroSoft -- who are, of course, also developing a music download service, probably also using a proprietary format, in their case Windows Media -- personally, I'll go with Sony.
Or, I'm only saying that to get into the beta.
Think it'll work?
And can't find the Teen Attitude (or was it Teen Angst?) Hello Kitty I bought for the Irresistably Cute Lisa a few days back.
It wasn't this one, although I can think of several people who deserve would very much appreciate having Black Fetish Dress Hello, Kitty.
I know entirely too many people who would appreciate it, in fact.
No, this one had Hello, Kitty in a bustier, and black (p)leather boots, and. . . why are you looking at me like that?
Not sure if this Hello, Kitty line is called Teen Angst or Teen Attitude; remember seeing both on the various merchandise at AF Books on Friday. Or maybe that's two different lines?
Been waking up at 3 (when not actually working until/past 3, that is) the last few weeks. Woke up at 2 this morning, which adjusted for daylight savings time. . . means my insomnia adjusts for daylight savings time.
This also may explain the. . . quality of this entry. Kube sleep now.
Update: not that Kube can sleep after Kube wakes up. . . Stole the image from the Hello, Kitty Punk Teens page at Atamaii Anime Toys. Perhaps if I send 'em some bidness, they won't ask me to pull it. Also, bought Lisa's at Amazing Fantasy Books and Comics in beautiful(?) Frankfort, IL. Lori wasn't there on Friday when I went, though. Bummer. Did pick up the first issue of the new Swamp Thing series, based on the card saying she recommended it (as do I, but I think my knowing who the characters are might contribute to the enjoyment, and if you left the book when Alan Moore did, or have never read an issue, you'll probably be totally lost [was Constantine even named in the book?]), along with (finally) Captain America and the Falcon -- I agree with what others have said, great story, not-so-great artwork -- and some detritus from the quarter bin. Including one of the issues of Lea Hernandez' Rumble Girls with the Warren Ellis-penned Poppy backup, an issue of Chyna's comic (it was a quarter) and one of the Left Behind comics (again, quarter).
Not sure I'll ever get around to reading those last two, mind.
| Your Overall Fortune... : | You are easily distracted and make many silly mistakes as a result. Avoid trying to do two things at once. You need to prioritize those tasks! Start with the most important thing. If you are stumped and need advice, ask someone older or in a more senior position. |
| Love : | Your feelings are not getting through. You may be irritated, but patience is the key. |
| Friendship : | Your best partner will be a fellow classmate. You can discuss whatever is bothering you. |
| Lucky Stars : | 2 |
| Lucky Day : | 12,24 |
| Unlucky Day : | 11,22 |
 |
Quarrel with someone you like? You can patch things up by e-mailing an apology, but the result will be better if you gaze at his/her picture first. Lucky Item : tote bag |
Tote bag?
Any road up, you can get your own from the fortune link up there, and choose your own favorite character instead of the (belated) birthday boy. Was tempted to go with Keroppi myself. . .
As for the love advice, huh. Patience. I suppose this means just coming out and saying, "I want to fuck your brains out, you idiot" isn't the way to go. Rats. Tooks me weeks to come up with that cunning and subtle plot.
Some links/articles noticed on Negrophile. Like I said, nothing new here.
From the entry Once government turns on one minority, who knows where it will stop?, a link to No Votes Here by Peter Beinart:
If Republicans stopped trying to redistribute wealth upward (and changed their views on explicitly racial issues like the Confederate flag), blacks might listen to them on gay marriage. But that's like saying that, if Democrats changed their views on abortion, they could win over white evangelicals like Gary Bauer who oppose privatizing Social Security and support raising the minimum wage. You don't win voters over by agreeing with them on issues they consider peripheral; you win them over by agreeing with them on the issues they care about most.There's one more problem for the GOP. It's not just that blacks get squeamish when gay marriage becomes associated with Republicans; they get squeamish when it becomes associated with government in general. It's one thing to want the government to legislate morality when you're the cultural and racial majority. It's quite another when you're a racial minority with an acute memory of that morality being legislated against you.
And from 'Like, I want to go there, but then again, I don't, because of the racial aspect of it.', the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel piece UW minority students alone in a sea of white:
Minority students at UW-Madison often are the only ones - the only one in a class, the only one in a restaurant, the only one on a bus. People ask if they are athletes. If they favor certain kinds of foods. When a class breaks into small groups, they feel shunned.Often, the attention from non-minorities is not malicious but can still be insulting.
"They want to pet your hair like you're a dog," said Tamara Middleton, 20, a junior from Milwaukee, chuckling.
Then there's the classic scenario: the lone minority student in a class is asked, often by a well-meaning professor, "What do (insert race or ethnicity here) people think about (insert issue)?"
True, that last one is depressing as fuck, as I'd kind'a hoped there would'a been some progress on that sort of thing since I graduated (and see comments at Negrophile in that entry for something even more cheerful).
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the right-wingers pounce on the anecdotes related in the second article as evidence of racism on the left.
Disgusted, yes, but not surprised.
I'd be surprised and impressed if they managed to tackle the issues raised in the first article up there in an intelligent fashion, but I'm not holding out much hope on that.
In happier non-news, check out yesterday's All Fools Day edition of La Cucaracha. Which, I point out, is La Cucaracha; I actually skimmed over it yesterday (thinking it was something else) because, um, I'm easily fooled, apparently.
From memory; too out of it to go hunting down random Buffy quotes. Besides, there are sample chapters to read, in this case from Families Like Mine, from Abigail Garner:
Many times throughout my life people have been shocked when they find out my father is gay. "I had no idea," they say. "You'd never know just by looking at you." They make me feel like a rare species as their eyes scan me for any abnormalities they missed that could have tipped them off. Ladies and Gentleman, step right up! Look closely at the child of a gay dad. No horns! No tail! In fact, she could pass for anybody's child.What do people think kids of LGBT parents "look" like? If they don't know any personally, they might believe the anti-gay rhetoric about why children shouldn't be raised by gay parents: it's abnormal, it's deviant; the children will grow up confused, lacking values and morals; the children will be recruited into homosexuality. This rhetoric is what stands in the way of LGBT parents gaining parental rights equal to those of straight parents.
Every time religious leaders, conservative politicians, or even radio talk-show hosts express their homo-hostile opinions, children in these families cannot help but notice. In 2003, the Vatican released a document opposing gay marriage which stated: "allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children." This cruel allegation completely ignored the fact that there are children who are already in these families. These children were being told by a major world religion that being raised by their parents was "not conducive to their full human development."
As I said a bit ago, timely reading. First link up there takes you to the sample chapter at Harper-Collins' site, the second to a list of signings/appearances. For Chi, we get:
April 14, Wednesday
7:30 p.m.
Borders
2817 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL
773-255-8582
I'm going to try to remember this. I owe Abigail a beer.
And you, too, would know these things if you signed up for the Families Like Mine newsletter. For instance, there are endorsements:
"A profound book that captures many aspects of gay parenting that I have experienced personally. Strongly recommended."
--Melissa Etheridge
Suppose I can stop by Women & Children First tomorrow. . ,
Assuming she can read the site from where-ever she is. . . anyway, she has an anecdote about Ms. Steinem, which I mention before linking Time Magazine's 10 Questions For Gloria Steinem:
Some younger women seem to run from the Feminist label. How can you inspire them to be passionate about Women's Rights?If younger women have a problem [with the label], it's only that they don't know yet that there's a problem. The kind of radicalization that happened to my generation when we tried to get a job happens to them 10 or 15 years into the job, when they fail to get promoted. Women tend to be conservative in youth and get more radical as they get older because they lose power with age. So if a young woman is not a feminist, I say just wait.
I'd point out the word "tend" up there, but since the people who violently (in some cases, literally, violently) disagree with anything she says are so effective at that whole frothing-at-the-mouth demonization of enemies thing, there's not much point. Any adults care to discuss that quote, or anything else from the brief QA session, feel free.
And if any children want to toss out something pointless, the rest of you may safely ignore it, as I've adopted the "I don't feel like paying to host your stupid shit" approach towards comments these days. You might have noticed some vanish recently. Or, if I'm doing this quickly enough, not.
This is hardly censorship; there's lots of places where stupid shit is not only accepted, but actively encouraged. I'm showing a great deal of restraint in not linking those places, in fact.
Actually, fuckit, Glenn Reynolds (who, I point out, does not allow comments) sez:
Al Franken and Air America: "Silencing Minorities Since 2004!"
Wow. I wonder if Chuck D. knows about this.
Ignore the looney. This is another manifestation of that "The Left are the real racists" meme that white conservatives seem so desperate to push. I'd suggest it might go over a wee bit better if they could persuade some people of color of this first, but as we're all brainwashed zombie servants of the Democratic Party, they're not even able to convince us of how racist, um, we are.
(They don't count us as part of the Left, you see. Like how "Americans" are tired of having the Gay Agenda shoved down their throats, or Bush would'a won in a landslide if you ignore the Negro vote. They're pathetically transparent in their bigotry, which makes the accusations all the more amusing)
Perhaps that would have increased attendance at the Babes With Blades benefit last night.
Think they did well. Got like eight bucks out of me for raffle tickets alone, plus some temporary tattooos (I pluralized that badly, I know, but it's early, and I have a slight hangover [but they got a cut of the drink sales too, so it's all good {but Four Moon really should get in some Red Bull; deprived of my normal Vodka Red Bull, I was forced, forced I tell you, to settle for a whiskey sour}]) and a fetching black t-shirt with the company's logo and slogan. After all, one can never be too rich, too thin or have too many black t-shirts.
I won nothing in the raffle, by the bye, showing it was fair, since I know a member or two and. . . hang on, most of the winners were members of the company. Never mind.
They won most of the silent auctions too, in fact. They'll probably be scheduling a benefit to pay for the money they spent buying things at this benefit.
If so, again, hot, buff women in tank tops.
