Have A Jolly Diwali
[ 1 Comment ]Posted on October 28, 2008 by admin in Holidays
Lord knows we could use some light and change for the good…
The fact that today is the first day of Diwali is a reminder that I need to buy some candles. Not that I’m Hindu, Jain, or Buddhist, but I’ll use any excuse to shed a little light on things at this time of year, as (especially at the latitude where I live) we accelerate into shorter and shorter days and the gloom of winter sets in. If you live in the U.K., where there is a higher concentration of Indian ex-pats than in most of the U.S., you’re probably already familiar with Diwali, which is derived from the Sanskrit word dipavali, meaning row of lights. Much like western religious holidays, aspects of Diwali have been secularized, and the holiday – in addition to its original specific religious meanings – has taken on a broader general feeling of being a time of fresh starts in business and in life, a time to let the good in and the bad out. By the way, I intentionally chose that swastika image to grab attention, and in the hope of further turning bad perceptions into good ones. Learn a little about the Hindu meaning of the symbol here. And for the environmentally conscious, here are some guidelines for a green Diwali.
Not That Anyone Cares, But Here’s My Endorsement
[ 1 Comment ]Posted on October 27, 2008 by admin in Editorial & Opinion
Dissociate Press Endorses Obama, World Keeps Turning
I’d like to state up front that I’m pretty sure that very few people really care who I’m voting for; I’m offering this information a little self-indulgently. You might gather from the content of this site that I’m a typical liberal who would automatically vote for the Democratic candidate. This is actually not at all the case; the market-research-based centrism and values-voter pitches of the two parties literally nauseate me. I queasily voted for Kerry in 2004, and a less-queasily voted for Gore in 2000, but easily could have voted for a Ronald Reagan at the time if one had been running. I’m not feeling at all queasy this time around, as I prepare to give my vote to Barack Obama. I feel pretty confident that he means a lot of what he says, and is level-headed, intelligent, and motivated enough to accomplish some of the things he claims he wants to do. Bring on the Hope & Change, those two things are enough for me to run with, how about you?
4 Out Of 5 Aging Cronies Recommend McWhat’sHisName
[ Comments Off ]Posted on October 26, 2008 by admin in Comics
What, no Condi?
If you missed John’s deer-in-the-headlights moment on Meet The Press, here it is.
Short Sites Worth A Long Look
[ 2 Comments ]Posted on October 26, 2008 by admin in Popular Media, Technology
Another reason to cancel your cable service
I’ve mentioned before why my goldfish-like attention span is a perfect fit for the YouTube era of short media. That’s why I was especially excited recently to discover two new HD-quality sites that focus specifically on short films and music videos. The clip at left is the first episode of Emily Time, a weekly show delivered only via the web at historyandtheuniverse.com, along with another show called Big Book of Lies. Both programs were created by David Lampson, a 29-year-old television writer from Boston who produces the shows in Buenos Aires. Both shows are quirky, cinematically slick, and intelligent. Big Book of Lies, for instance, features a dryly absurd, on-going subplot about Noam Chomsky’s sons Buck (a struggling beatbox artist) and John (a cop). On a grander scale, Australia-based PortableFilmFestival.com has a broad selection of seriously high-quality shorts that are “curated” by independent film professionals, guaranteeing a certain level of quality of content. After a painless (takes about 10 seconds and they don’t make you jump through any hoops) account signup, you’re able to view AND download some of the best indy film out there.
Dystropia
[ Comments Off ]Posted on October 25, 2008 by admin in Popular Media
Dystropia
–noun
a common or overused theme or plot device based on predictions of future human misery, squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.
I started this post in a dystopian future, but SkyNet firewalled my connection. I’ll be back.