Methinks some people in the t-shirt business misunderstand the basic idea of funniness. For example, I just got a little ad on Facebook, which claims this is “the funniest Star Trek t-shirt ever … !” Well, um … no. That’s not especially funny. Sure, “Make it so” was Captain Picard’s catchphrase. But there’s nothing funny […]
Entries from June 27th, 2008
Remedial Comedy-Writing for T-Shirt Companies
June 27th, 2008 · 11 Comments · Advertising, Comedy, Culture, Facebook, Science Fiction, TV
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Guantanamo, False Imprisonment, and the Human Rights Toggle Switch
June 27th, 2008 · Comments Off on Guantanamo, False Imprisonment, and the Human Rights Toggle Switch · Human Rights, Journalism, Media, News, Politics, Terrorism, TESK, Torture
This story is about a week old at this point, but it goes in the “things everyone should know” category. One of the most common talking points from right-wing pundits, especially on Fox News, is that whatever happens to the people in Guantanamo Bay is okay because all those prisoners are really bad guys — […]
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Roundup: Maracas and Purple Pants Edition
June 24th, 2008 · 5 Comments · Chicago, Comedy, Culture, Doctor Who, Fantasy, Grammar, LGBT, News, Politics, Science Fiction, Terrorism, TV
Just a few things that are on my radar at the moment … • First up, I just found this interview with Gore Vidal from May, in which he gives his current takes on Obama and McCain. Vidal says he’s a fan of Obama now, but it took him a while to get there (hey, […]
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New Music from Dan: I Was a Cub Scout, Alphabeat, and The Helio Sequence
June 24th, 2008 · Comments Off on New Music from Dan: I Was a Cub Scout, Alphabeat, and The Helio Sequence · Culture, Music, New Wave, TV, Video
My old college pal Dan (well, actually we got to be friends after college, but that’s a long story), who was the master of the new-music mix tape back in the middle-eighties, turned up on Facebook recently and has been freshening up my iTunes with all sorts of fun new stuff. So here are a […]
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Uncertain Smile: McCain Shredded by His Own Side
June 5th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Media, News, Politics, TV, Video
Watch the Republican pundits on Faux News shred McCain’s speech from Tuesday night. I daresay we won’t see him get within a mile of a green backdrop again. And suddenly, I can’t wait for the debates this fall with Obama and McCain on stage together. In the meantime, I’m dedicating my favorite The The […]
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Wordslingers Appearance Now Online, and Poem of the Week on Deep Dish
June 4th, 2008 · Comments Off on Wordslingers Appearance Now Online, and Poem of the Week on Deep Dish · Blogs, Books, Chicago, Culture, Fringe, Journal, Lit, Performance, Poetry, Politics
For those of you who didn’t hear it on the public airwaves a couple of weeks back, because you were busy painting your toenails or defending the earth or something, my appearance on the Wordslingers poetry radio show from Sunday 5/18 is now online in the Vox Cafe archive on the Wordslingers Web site — […]
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