Brian Preston likes it.
Category Archives: Popular Culture
Dance Crazes
Why “we” can’t resist them.
Speak for yourself, lady. I have a very high resistance.
The Book
The web site has gone live.
Space Colonies That Looked Like Home
When I was in college, disillusioned by the end of Apollo, these were the images, from Don Davis and others, that re-inspired me to get involved in space again.
Dennis Rodman
If there were any lingering doubts that the man is an irredeemable moron, they were put to rest this morning on ABC.
Hating The Bullies
Some thoughts from Jeremy Boreing, on the anniversary of Andrew Breitbart’s death. Hard to believe it’s been a year.
[Update late evening]
Iowahawk remembers Andrew as well:
Despite the differences in our extroversion (the mere idea of appearing on camera sends me diving under the furniture) I considered him a kindred spirit – another guy who loved his wife and kids, happy despite being sick of the bullshit. Although I can’t claim to have known him as well as others here at Breitbart, I cherished him a friend whose passing is still personally painful.
With all the tributes and venom being churned out today it’s obvious he still looms large in the political conversation, and it’s hard to think of another figure in media or activism who would be a trending topic a year after their death. I think the reason why is that he represented a new kind of cultural/social conservative. Maybe not in the conventional sense (it’s still fun to freak my liberal friends by noting Andrew’s status as a pro-gay marriage, pro-pot decriminalization Jewish activist for women and minorities who loved of 80s New Wave), but on the value of honesty. I’ve heard him referred to as a “reactionary.” I suppose he as a reactionary – in the literal sense – against an increasingly contrived, vapid, narrative-driven news culture, one that attacks and marginalizes any non-conforming message. He studied the bullies’ playbook, called them out, and bloodied their noses. Hard as it may be for these bloody-nosed bullies to believe, it had nothing to do with their ‘liberal’ politics. If there was a parallel universe with a dominant right wing media culture as dishonest and conformist and thuggish as the left wing one here, Andrew would’ve been more than happy to rocket there and punch them in the mouth, too. If that’s what a reactionary is, then sign me up for the t-shirt.
Me too.
The Sequester
OK, so when is Hitler going to learn that it happened and it wasn’t as apocalyptic as the president said?
Obama And Star Wars Fans
A new White House petition demanding an apology.
<TROLL TYPE=”SELF”>Frankly, Star Wars and Star Trek both suck. They’re for people who can’t handle real SF.</TROLL>
The Onion And The C Word
A screed from Lileks.
The Raj Koothrappali Approach
…to Constitutional law:
I don’t know if you watch Big Bang Theory, but Raj is Indian of course, and he’s lecturing his sister from India on Hindu rules about modesty and sexual propriety, and she just looks at him and says, “You’re talking to me about this, as you’re eating a cheeseburger!” He just looks at her and says, “Some of it makes sense; some of it’s crazy – whatta do?!” And that’s basically the Seidman approach to the Constitution, right? The parts he likes make sense, and the others are crazy – whatta do?
This reminds me of cafeteria Catholics, who want to pick and choose which aspects of the religion they want to accept.
So if we’re going to start ignoring the Constitution, I’m fine with that. The first part I’m going to start ignoring is the part that says, I have to do whatever they say.
Yup. Particularly the part where we’re supposed to pretend along with them that the Second Amendment doesn’t exist, or that it’s about hunting, while they try to disarm us.
[Update a while later]
Whine, whine, whine. OK, here‘s the link.