Filed under: Internet and Media
If you want to while away a few hours, and find out more about one of the more unnerving celebrity-sponsored cults out there, I recommend checking out Operation Clambake when you have some time to spare.
What I get out of this is a low-level sense of fear that the reportage we get on the subject of scientology — or the lack thereof, more accurately — is a reflection of a more thorough penetration of the media by this very media-savvy organization.
And then I accuse myself of being paranoid and move on… but never completely without a care.
Scientology is the one and only thing that makes me glad it is impossible to be elected in the US or Canada without professing to some christian belief system.
This post brought to you as a tiny, tiny shot from the Internet’s side of Scientology vs. The Internet.
Filed under: Asides and Media
Aaron mentioned TED to me some time ago as an interesting place to go for talks about the world; technology, science, economics, politics.
I finally got around to checking it out, and I have to admit, there’s a lot there.
It’s a time-consumer, no question, with the video talks running to 20 minutes each, so you might not get to see all of it at a shot, but I’m convinced it’s worthwhile. Right now I’m watching a talk on the application of economics to explaining AIDS in Africa, and there’s more like that.
Check it out.
Filed under: General Thoughts
What’s next?
We’ve all heard about the shootings at Virginia Tech, and now more information is going to come out, leading to a wave of media speculation, blog postings (my bad), and calls for emotionally-driven action.
So, how will you react?
Will you use this incident as a stalking horse for your issue of choice, as the gun-control and pro-gun lobbies are doing?
Will you demand immediate, emotion-fueled legislation aimed at preventing another event just like this, forgetting that almost every other tragedy will be very little like this one?
Will you point your finger at everyone, demanding that someone who is alive and can feel your revenge take some part of the fall?
Will you forget, next time, that none of the quick fixes you demanded this time made a difference?
Will you remember that we live in the safest, least-violent epoch in human history, with lower violent crime rates and murder rates than humanity has enjoyed at any time in history?
Will you glue yourself to the television, to WikiPedia, to Metafilter, to Google News, to Little Green Footballs, to the Virginia Tech website, to CNN, NBC, CBS, and Fox, thereby providing validation to those that would use their homicidal urges as a cry for attention?
Will you make no difference at all?
Filed under: General Thoughts, Internet, Media and Rants
Nothing on internet censorship (note: If you’re on a Canadian ISP and reading this, there are now sites blocked for all Canadians. Right now they’re kiddie porn only… but it’s a short step from that to deciding other sites are objectionable and blockable. Your ISP — the one you pay to provide you with internet access — is doing this. Respond as you will).
What I’m actually posting on is an excellent interview with Maynard James Keenan (of Tool) at the Onion AV Club.
The quote that really got me is this one:
All I can do is say I smell a rat. I don’t know where it is or what kind of rat it is, but as an artist,
I can express how [I feel about it]. But I couldn’t responsibly stand up and tell people which way to go,
because then I’m just as guilty as the people who are telling everybody else what to do and where to
go.
He’s quite a guy, one with whom I’ve no doubt that I could argue for days.
Filed under: Asides, Humour, Internet and Media
Odds are, Beau should not be allowed to see this link: We Are Your Friends
It’s video, so don’t bother, on a slow connection.
Update:
The file at the original location was moved, so this Youtube link has it. If I find the better version again, I’ll upload it and host it here.
Justice vs. Simian: We Are Your Friends
Update again
The link is fixed, it’s a local file now. Will work ‘til doomsday.
Filed under: Asides, General Thoughts and Media
As the strains of John Williams’ score waft from the speakers, and the 1977 edition of the opening text scrolls by…
This is a bit like coming home after a long voyage, or finding a friend long thought lost.
I’m an emotional geek, I know.
Filed under: Humour, Internet, Media and Rants
In a world of fearmongering media and government, it seems to me that life would be better if we could just fucking count!
Filed under: General Thoughts and Media
Well, short-term at least, this blog has talked more about hockey than anything.
Not to say I’ve been verbose, or anything like that.
But what a game, again.
On schooly notes, I’ve got a final exam tomorrow that I expect to do… poorly at. If I had known that Philosophy courses deliberately eschewed clear english in favour of meaningless jumbles of ten-dollar words, I’d have passed on the course. Now, I’ll be happy to simply pass the course.
Bah.
Filed under: Asides, General Thoughts, Internet and Media
A: Looking forward to a good game of hockey tonight, good hamburgers, and good company.
W: Found a nifty site called Luxist that blogs the things of the rich and famous. I smack my lips in consumerist glee at some of them, and shake my head in vague discomfort at others.
S: Against all odds, my iPod works again!
If you could see me, I couldn’t claim to be dancing a merry jig. Since you can’t, I am.
Filed under: General Thoughts
Well, not so much. But I really do have nothing to say.
A quick sum-up:
Work: Active, rewarding, and busy.
Friends: Hanging out with a bit more, which is good.
School: Really iffy on Philosophy 250 — this is some wonky stuff, if you ask me.
The world: Fucked, man. Hypocrisy in Congress down south, media shutdown up here…
I’d rather not think about it.
Posted on January 31st, 2008 by Chris
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