religion

Must-read post here, and its followup. The nail's head is barely recognizable it's been so firmly struck, particularly where he implores moderate/progressive Christians to rise up and tell the fundies you do not speak for us.



Matt did this very thing a few months ago and disowned Pat Robertson. Okay, so that's one; unfortunately Matt's assertion that if you have to invoke that man, you're disqualified is not yet valid. Because Robertson and his ilk are still the public face of American Christianity. And who's keeping him there? It's not the alleged "liberal media." It's other Christians who continue to let the charlatans run the temple.



Oh, and if Kerry is denied communion for being pro-abortion, is Scalia being denied same for being pro-death penalty?

Shaolin Soccer

I'm not sure whether to recommend seeing this film or not. The movie itself is fantastic; a cheesy great time. But I have misgivings about rewarding Miramax for their bad behavior regarding this film--buying the rights to this and all of Stephen Chow's other films, sitting on them, strongarming legal import companies into no longer carring legal copies of Chow's movies, cutting 20 minutes from Shaolin Soccer, dubbing it, undubbing it, playing with the special effects, adding a dumb hip-hop remake of Kung-Fu Fighting over the end credits, and so forth. On the other hand, if this cut (thankfully in Cantonese with subtitles) doesn't put fanbutts in seats, the other Chow films will get butchered more and dubbed, if they even come out at all. Damned if you do, etc., so I guess I recommend do.

Since it looks--sad as it may be--like reality television isn't going to go away anytime soon, isn't it high time for a full-on American Gladiators revival?

a dying art

The convenience of the web is nice and all, but there really is something to be said for picking up an actual newspaper now and then. Today's Tribune reviewed two recent concerts, and...well...where else are you going to see big, side-by-side photos of Britney Spears and Prof. Peter Schickele? not online, that's fo' sho'.

new to the roll of Nifty Strangers: Bob Mould, ex-Hüsker Dü guitarist. Probably one of the last things he wants me to think of him as some 15 years post-Hüskers, but there it is.

Never thought I'd see the day...



Tom Tomorrow and Scott Monty are about as politically polar as you can get, yet they both found common ground this week in a recent report that 60% of U.S. corporations paid no federal taxes between 1996 and 2000. Railing against corporate misdeeds and the government which allows same is familiar turf for the penguin-drawer, but not Mr. Monty. So welcome to the left, Scott. I'm hard at work on a tinfoil chapeau for you.

what's been going on

I got a job; another contract at the place I've been working at most steadily since 3Com broke up with me. This time through '04, but with as always, potential for more.



From one obscure sport to another: K. signed us up for a fencing class, and we're two weeks in. She's always wanted to try it and was looking for something to improve upper-body strength. I took a semester in college and enjoyed it quite a bit. I was actually looking for it a few years ago, but could only find inconveniently-located classes in those creepy adult education catalogs. Finally the Evanston park district got wise and offered classes. So, another way to settle domestic disputes.



And this dovetailed nicely with curling's end. Near the end of the season I went on my first two out-of-town bonspiels. My teams made the semifinals of the second event in one, and won the fourth event in another. At the club, my two March events were designed to give newer curlers experience at vice and skip. As such, I quickly found my level of incompetence and we went 2-3 in both. Barring some spring and summer events, that's it until October.



I got Kirsti the Best TV Show Ever for her birthday. Much enjoyment being had.



To those in the know attending TRASHionals, three words: Lunch. Money. Expansion. Bwahahaa!