Tongue-in-cheek backhanded compliment of the week
“I wish I had interests as common and vulgar as yours.”
–Mike Benedetto, during an AIM conversation about “American Idol”
Month: July 2002 (Page 2 of 5)
Interesting. I have a feeling this will be a good place to check in the near future for some cool new writing and perspectives. Also, a huge boost for Userland Software and Dave Winer.
Phrase You Just Don’t Hear Enough These Days:
Heaven forfend!
Funny Double-Oxymoron Business Division Title
Marketing Communications.
Best. Movie. Poster. Ever.
Movie quote of the week
“And why, I ask myself, why have I put up with you? I can’t imagine but I know. Fear. Yellow freakin’ fear. I’ve been too afraid to live my life so I sold it to you for three hundred freakin’ dollars a week!”
-Joe Banks, “Joe Versus the Volcano”
People have often made fun of my fondness for “Joe Versus the Volcano.” But I think one of the reasons I like it so much is that I’m a lot like Joe – or at least I was. I was afraid of so many things. I’ve spent the last few years trying to get past those fears, and I’ve made great progress. I’ll tell you, it’s not fun or easy to face up to the things you’re afraid of. But it’s worth it.
Does anyone else think that Operation TIPS is the scariest thing yet to come out the Bush Jr. administration? As if “Homeland Security” wasn’t enough echo of Hitler’s Germany, now we’ve got a program designed to turn us into a nation of snitches. Even the U.S. Postal Service, which had earlier said it wouldn’t participate, is already backing down. Better cancel that subscription to “Busty Arab Virgins” magazine now.
I’m making a joke about this, but it’s deadly serious. What’s so scary about this is not even so much the plans, but the fact that the American people are so comfortable with the unquestioning obedience and loyalty to their leaders. No proposal is apparently too outrageous, when it’s wrapped in the flag and justified by “national security.”
Exempt the new national police force from the Freedom of Information Act? Sure. Convict and execute “war criminals” in secret military tribunals? No problem. Hike funding to neighborhood watch groups so they can report “unfamiliar” activities to the feds? Sounds like a good idea to me.
Why are people so complacent about these outrageous plans? Is this the way we really want our country to run? Is this what we want America to stand for? We better decide now, before we can’t make any more decisions.
Best Movie Review Non Sequitur Ever
“As any copy editor could tell you, this title suggests that the movie is about eight freaks, each of whom possesses at least one leg.”
-Charles Taylor of Salon, commenting on “Eight Legged Freaks”
As usual, I enjoyed Jon Stewart’s interview with right-wing nut (and best-selling author) Ann Coulter tonight. But in trying to expose her wacky ideas using his trademark low-key snarkiness, Stewart missed the golden opportunity to ask a relaxed and non-defensive Coulter some eminently fair questions, like:
-You say all liberals hate America. Does Jimmy Carter hate America? Did Martin Luther King hate America? Isn’t that the sort of slanderous generalization you accuse liberals of in your book?
-Why is it OK to criticize a Democratic president and not a Republican one?
-You’re upset that liberals are questioning the war on terror. But wasn’t this country founded on a tradition of criticism and skepticism of governmental power?
-How do you feel now about your own quote, “We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity”?
I sort of want to read her book now, just to marvel at it. Maybe someone will loan it to me.