Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Alice and Mia
Alice in Wonderland. I like it.
I think it's a brave but a good choice to make it another story, from later in Alice's life, rather than the classic book. You could give it more of a plot and drive, and fresh elements, which I thought generally were nice, unlike, say, those of the Hitchhiker's Guide movie.
Mia Wasikowska put the delicate face to Alice:
Superman No More?
Superman No More? article.
Superman has recently and famously threatened to renounce his US citizenship, because he was tired of the world seeing him as a tool of the US government.
This seems sensible to me. And frankly, a person as powerful as Superman is too big to have allegiance to only one country.
But of course is has upset many US nationalists. From the article above:
... in the end, the only truly interesting aspect of Superman’s character is his complete devotion to America. Because it’s this devotion—of which his citizenship is the anchor—that establishes all of his moral limits. Why does this demi-god not rule the earth according to his own will? The only satisfying answer is that he declines to do so because he believes in America and has chosen to be an American citizen first and a super man second.
Whuck? The only reason to not enslave mankind is because you're An American? That doesn't even make sense. For one thing, how would that stop you? For another thing, well, how about ordinary(?) ethics? Just fellowship for your human beings? It seems that to some people being a national (American for example) is the only thing making you not be an animal. It seems to be an alien idea to some people that a person can make his own ethical choices, and not choose to be ruled and run by church or state.
A whole 'nuther story is that to me, his citizenship is about the *least* interesting aspect of Superman. The character is a fascinating study of the ethics of having supreme power, and what it does to your relationship to the world and your fellow beings.
Superman believes in, and is part of, America. Once he’s a “citizen of the universe” what, exactly, will he believe in? [...] Does he believe in British interventionism or Swiss neutrality? You see where I’m going with this: If Superman doesn’t believe in America, then he doesn’t believe in anything.
Again, whuck?!? "If you don't believe in America, then you don't believe in anything."?! Are you serious? For one thing, all other beliefs are just Nothing? Talk about arrogance. For another thing, again: how about he decides on his own beliefs? Have you not heard of thinking for yourself? Is life just a choice between authorities, to you? Wow. That must be a gray, cold, cowed kind of life.
Superman has recently and famously threatened to renounce his US citizenship, because he was tired of the world seeing him as a tool of the US government.
This seems sensible to me. And frankly, a person as powerful as Superman is too big to have allegiance to only one country.
But of course is has upset many US nationalists. From the article above:
... in the end, the only truly interesting aspect of Superman’s character is his complete devotion to America. Because it’s this devotion—of which his citizenship is the anchor—that establishes all of his moral limits. Why does this demi-god not rule the earth according to his own will? The only satisfying answer is that he declines to do so because he believes in America and has chosen to be an American citizen first and a super man second.
Whuck? The only reason to not enslave mankind is because you're An American? That doesn't even make sense. For one thing, how would that stop you? For another thing, well, how about ordinary(?) ethics? Just fellowship for your human beings? It seems that to some people being a national (American for example) is the only thing making you not be an animal. It seems to be an alien idea to some people that a person can make his own ethical choices, and not choose to be ruled and run by church or state.
A whole 'nuther story is that to me, his citizenship is about the *least* interesting aspect of Superman. The character is a fascinating study of the ethics of having supreme power, and what it does to your relationship to the world and your fellow beings.
Superman believes in, and is part of, America. Once he’s a “citizen of the universe” what, exactly, will he believe in? [...] Does he believe in British interventionism or Swiss neutrality? You see where I’m going with this: If Superman doesn’t believe in America, then he doesn’t believe in anything.
Again, whuck?!? "If you don't believe in America, then you don't believe in anything."?! Are you serious? For one thing, all other beliefs are just Nothing? Talk about arrogance. For another thing, again: how about he decides on his own beliefs? Have you not heard of thinking for yourself? Is life just a choice between authorities, to you? Wow. That must be a gray, cold, cowed kind of life.
Monday, May 09, 2011
iPad 2 meets klutzy wife
iPad 2 meets klutzy wife, sad/funny video showing a test of a supposedly very protective iPad case...
when enclosed in its protective embrace, an iPad can take a 500-foot drop at terminal velocity from an ultralight aircraft and hit a grass field and can be pulled away, completely unharmed.
But withstand five seconds in my wife’s hands and take a rare direct corner hit on the weakest part of the design? Not so much.
when enclosed in its protective embrace, an iPad can take a 500-foot drop at terminal velocity from an ultralight aircraft and hit a grass field and can be pulled away, completely unharmed.
But withstand five seconds in my wife’s hands and take a rare direct corner hit on the weakest part of the design? Not so much.
Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years
Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years, box set on Amazon UK.
Thirty-five A-movies for sixty pounds sterling! (Ninety dollars about.) Clint's not my fave ever, but that's a good deal. You can find quite many such good deals in super-box collections. I got some earlier, like the Universal horror film collection, the Marilyn Monroe collection, the Complete Buffy...
(Of course a set like this is begging for blue-ray, but I think that'll take a while, I bet it's no trivial task to make a good blue-ray release, much less 35 ones.)
Thirty-five A-movies for sixty pounds sterling! (Ninety dollars about.) Clint's not my fave ever, but that's a good deal. You can find quite many such good deals in super-box collections. I got some earlier, like the Universal horror film collection, the Marilyn Monroe collection, the Complete Buffy...
(Of course a set like this is begging for blue-ray, but I think that'll take a while, I bet it's no trivial task to make a good blue-ray release, much less 35 ones.)
Same age inside
We are always the same age inside.
-- Gertrude Stein
I find that interesting, I suspect there's a lot of truth to it. Me, I've always been very old.
-- Gertrude Stein
I find that interesting, I suspect there's a lot of truth to it. Me, I've always been very old.
Alicia Witt Dancing in a Bikini
Alicia Witt Dancing in a Bikini, video. More funny than sexy really.
Again, I'm really curious as to why Alicia is not huge. She has everything a star needs. Perhaps she lacks an ability to kowtow, I suspect a strong mind can be difficult in Hollywood, particularly for a woman.
Again, I'm really curious as to why Alicia is not huge. She has everything a star needs. Perhaps she lacks an ability to kowtow, I suspect a strong mind can be difficult in Hollywood, particularly for a woman.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Red Cross and such
Does anybody have reliable info about how much of donations to Red Cross and such big charities actually goes towards the cause? Are they just big business or do they help?
The Polynesian Way of Loving
The Polynesian Way of Loving, article.
Soon, the ship would be surrounded by a flotilla of outriggers, each ornamented with the seductive figure of a copper-limbed nymph. These lovely maidens would leap into the waters, propelling themselves along with the ease and grace of dolphins, gliding along barely beneath the surface, then surfacing, diving again, and turning on their sides to exhibit the beauty of their forms.
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Soon, the ship would be surrounded by a flotilla of outriggers, each ornamented with the seductive figure of a copper-limbed nymph. These lovely maidens would leap into the waters, propelling themselves along with the ease and grace of dolphins, gliding along barely beneath the surface, then surfacing, diving again, and turning on their sides to exhibit the beauty of their forms.
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