Are You Sick of Star Wars Yet?
Episode 2: Star Wars, Nothing But Star Wars Podbean link here. iTunes link here. And remember: to listen is human, to subscribe is divine.
Monarchial Legitimist Assails the Throne of Gondor
Thus demonstrating that it is not possible to reach a ne plus ultra of nerdiness. (h/t Sarah Hoyt at Instapundit) Gondor’s own laws and rulers even recognized how ridiculous Aragorn’s claim was. Arvedui, the last king of Arnor before he drowned in a shipwreck, once claimed the throne of Gondor, but the Council of Gondor rightly… Read More Monarchial Legitimist Assails the Throne of Gondor
Actual Having a Baby vs. Having a Cat: A Riposte to The Oatmeal
Imagine your grandfather parsing that title. Anyhoo, Matt Inman, hilarious scribbler of The Oatmeal, has ribbingly touted the virtues of cat-ownership vis-a-vis human reproduction. Inman’s antipathy to babies are known, so this is not suprising. Nor am I going to pretend that it is not funny. But in this day and age, we breeders deserve… Read More Actual Having a Baby vs. Having a Cat: A Riposte to The Oatmeal
Trumbo Should Not Be Seen By Anyone
As my wife belongs to SAG, we get SAG screeners. One of them is the new Bryan Cranston movie Trumbo, a biopic of one of the Hollywood Ten. I’ve decided that I’m not watching it. Yes, that’s right, I’m judging a movie before I’ve seen it, phillistine that I am. Here is why: How many Blacklist pietas Does… Read More Trumbo Should Not Be Seen By Anyone
Is Writing Art, or Commerce?
Why not both? A discussion of the Great Unsurprise of the New Year – the unfinishing of The Winds of Winter – has prompted Joe Vasicek to point out that for indie authors, it may be more the latter: In the traditional system, writers were paid an advance on royalties by their publishers. The contract also… Read More Is Writing Art, or Commerce?
Does Every British Rock Star Have to Be a Knight?
I like the fact that they’re thinking of naming one of the new heavy metallic elements after Lemmy Kilmister. Science should be pop-cultural whenever possible. I don’t like this sentiment, expressed in the article: Speaking of why he started the petition, Wright said: “In terms of record sales impact, Lemmy should have been offered an… Read More Does Every British Rock Star Have to Be a Knight?
Income Inequality is the Symptom, Not the Disease
So writes Jeffrey Carter at Points and Figures. (h/t: Insty) The policies that will solve for income inequality empower people. They don’t “take care” of people. People shouldn’t be warehoused and pushed aside or ignored from cradle to grave. People are assets. They aren’t liabilities to society. I think the second part of this quote… Read More Income Inequality is the Symptom, Not the Disease
Content Creation Blues
A Song of Ice and Fire, Hold the Ice If you’re on Reddit, you probably noticed or took part in the New Year’s Night vigil of watching George R.R. Martin’s livejournal for the update on The Winds of Winter. I myself did, and it was an instructive lesson in group emotions: first excitement, then frustration,… Read More Content Creation Blues
Trump is not a Candidate. Trump is a Nemesis.
Anyone who has ever said of the Democrats and Republicans, “A plague on both their houses”, behold the plague. My own view on Trump is fairly plain — he is a boor and a hyper-egotist, a shallow and avaricious blowhard, whose candidacy can almost stand as a rebuke to the idea of a democracy. But it… Read More Trump is not a Candidate. Trump is a Nemesis.
How do you Know Star Wars is Back? Because You Can Critique it and Still Love it.
I’m going to discuss the film at length in the next podcast, but here’s a point dependent on my memory: A gulf in tone lies between the reviews about The Force Awakens and those that greeted The Phantom Menace sixteen years ago. Then, the critics were numb and bored with the exercise of finding something to say… Read More How do you Know Star Wars is Back? Because You Can Critique it and Still Love it.
