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News, culture, and politics. Not necessarily in that order.

 

Entries from September 2007

High Ate Us: OcPot on Temporary Leave of Absence Till Early October-ish

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 24th, 2007 at 11:52 am

As you can probably deduce from Kiwi’s guest post a few days ago, the packing operations have escalated from Major to Serious. It’s now less than a week till the movers come, and all holy heck is being unleashed. Mountains of books, CDs, and various other items are indeed being dismantled and certain dodgy pieces […]

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Tags: Meta · Food · Cats · Journal

Video of the Week

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 24th, 2007 at 12:30 am

In case you missed it, Keith Olbermann was on fire this week. His special comment was possibly the most powerful I’ve seen him deliver. And his ultimate point about the sacred dividing line between the civilian leadership and the military is one that needs to be heard more often — too many people don’t seem […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Media · George W. Bush · TV · Iraq · History · Foreign Policy · Video · Journalism · Keith Olbermann

Nodilogue (and Blogscratching)

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 22nd, 2007 at 8:46 pm

I’m a little behind the times with this, but I wanted to offer some belated shoutings-out and linkback lurve to my fellow participants from The Nod this past Wednesday evening.
Don Hall and Joe Janes did a great job of hosting the evening, making everyone feel welcome and creating the opportunity for the gaggle to mingle […]

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Tags: Culture · Blogs · Journal · Chicago · Internet · Fringe · Performance

Observations on the Recent and Continuing Unpleasantness

Posted by Kiwi on September 20th, 2007 at 3:22 pm

Disturbing changes are taking place in the world, and we do not know what they signify. We are afraid that something terrible is going on, some fundamental destructive process that is entirely outside of our experience. You can read this in our wide-eyed stares, our defensive crouches, our tendency to go into hiding for longer […]

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Tags: Culture · Cats · Journal · Essays · Kiwi · Mr. Blue

Progress

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 18th, 2007 at 1:23 pm

I just threw out four years worth of Harper’s and Macworld.
Major packing operations have begun …

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Tags: Meta · Journal

Roundup: Swiftly Tilting Planet Edition

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 17th, 2007 at 2:05 am

Eric Alterman has an outstanding column in The Nation on how the media’s mean girls (of all genders) develop the narratives they use to bring down the presidential candidates they take a dislike to. With examples of what they did to Gore in 2000, and what they’re doing to Obama and Edwards right now.
Two of […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Science · Tech · Chicago · LGBT · Media · Activism · Film · Climate Change · Democrats · Barack Obama · Books · Comics · HIV · Lit · Science Fiction · AIDS · Peace · Health · Iraq · Animals & Environment · History · Al Gore · U.S. Senate · Foreign Policy · Nature · John Edwards · 2008 Election · Hate Crimes · Fantasy · Cancer · Astronomy · U.S. Congress · Journalism · Elections · Roundup · Jamaica · Middle East · Infrastructure · Public Transportation

The Bright Side of Death

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 15th, 2007 at 11:49 pm

This week’s smash-hit viral video is a cheery little mash-up in which a Monty Python classic gets its peanut butter in the chocolate of the modern-day healthcare crisis.

 
… and here’s the handy action link.
If William Jennings Bryan were alive today, he might say something about not crucifying mankind upon a Cross of Blue.
… while we’re […]

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Tags: Politics · Culture · Comedy · Activism · Health · History · Human Rights · Video · Healthcare Crisis · The Economy, Stupid · Animation

The Song Lyric That Made Me Cry Today

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 15th, 2007 at 8:53 pm

This one:
I guess all I’m really saying
is how I think you’re wrong here
and some things are worth the chaos
that they come along with
— Trembling Blue Stars, “Letter Never Sent” (which has a bridge worthy of Neil Finn)
 

(First installment in a possible recurring series … feel free to share your own favorite tear-jerking lyrics in the […]

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Tags: Culture · Music · Journal · Poetry · Cardy Pop · UK/England · Modern Rock

The Nod: Wednesday, September 19 (with a Moving Addendum)

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 12th, 2007 at 2:49 pm

Next Wednesday, September 19, I’m going to be participating in a way-fun event called The Nod, in which some of Chicago’s best bloggers will be reading posts from their blogs live at the Uptown Writer’s Space.
And for some reason they’ve asked me to be on the bill, as well. Possibly to make the rest of […]

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Tags: Meta · News · Culture · Blogs · Journal · Chicago · Comedy · Theater · Neo-Futurists · Fringe · Performance · Kiwi · Mr. Blue

Colbert on the Klingon-Republican Alliance

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 12th, 2007 at 2:10 pm

Stephen notices the Republicans’ rhetorical reliance on the word honor, and points out who else tends to use that word a lot.

 

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Tags: Politics · Culture · Media · Comedy · TV · Stephen Colbert · Peace · Iraq · Foreign Policy · Video · 2008 Election · Elections

Roundup: Pink Elephant Edition

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 10th, 2007 at 3:58 pm

General Petraeus says that “victory” in Iraq will require 9-10 more years. I’m trying to imagine how ten more years of bloody occupation can possibly work out to a victory. More on that subject here.

A bill has been introduced in Venezuela to restrict baby names to a list of 100 approved choices. “The bill’s ambition, […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Music · Science · Tech · LGBT · Media · Activism · Film · Climate Change · Internet · Language · Books · Theater · Comics · Performance · HIV · AIDS · Cardy Pop · Peace · Health · Iraq · Animals & Environment · History · Human Rights · U.S. Senate · Foreign Policy · Solar Power · Energy · Nature · Darfur · 2008 Election · U.S. Congress · Journalism · Europe · Roundup · Middle East · Racism · San Francisco

Trailer for Rendition, with Meryl Streep, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Reese Witherspoon

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 10th, 2007 at 1:28 pm

Via Towleroad, the trailer for the new movie Rendition, scheduled for release October 19 in the US.

 
I’m not usually one for movies that get the “thriller” label, but the political dimension to this one — and the quality of the cast — make it look like an early standout among fall releases.
There’s some interview with […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Blogs · Media · Film · Democrats · Comics · Torture · Human Rights · U.S. Senate · Video · Civil Rights

Russell Hoban News: New Releases and More

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 7th, 2007 at 1:30 pm

I just updated the News page over at The Head of Orpheus, the Russell Hoban Web site I maintain, so I figured I might as well cross-post the info here as well (with a few slight formatting tweaks).
Autumn 2007 is shaping up to be a great season for Hoban fans, with Russ’s next novel My […]

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Tags: News · Culture · Film · Books · Theater · Lit · Science Fiction · UK/England · Documentaries · Russell Hoban · Fiction

Music: Deborah Harry, “Two Times Blue”

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 7th, 2007 at 12:16 pm

From Debbie Harry’s forthcoming solo album Necessary Evil, which is due out October 9 in the US.
I’m not entirely sure about the video, but I really like the song.

 
You can hear another track from the album, “If I Had You,” on Ms. Harry’s official MySpace page.
 

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Tags: News · Culture · Music · New Wave · Deborah Harry & Blondie · Video · Modern Rock