In Memoriam Maurice Blanchot 22 September 1907-20 February 2003. See the obituary (in French only) in Liberation.
Blanchot
In Memoriam Maurice Blanchot 22 September 1907-20 February 2003. See the obituary (in French only) in Liberation.
The Grammys
The 45th Annual GRAMMY Awards tonight were exactly as lame and stupid as usual–neither more, nor less. There’s nothing to say, that hasn’t already been said, many times. But did anyone else find some of the pairings as hilarious as I did?
The 45th Annual GRAMMY Awards tonight were exactly as lame and stupid as usual–neither more, nor less. There’s nothing to say, that hasn’t already been said, many times. But did anyone else find some of the pairings as hilarious as I did?
- James Taylor accompanied by Yo Yo Ma
- Queen Latifah introducing the Dixie Chicks
- P. Diddy and Kim Cattral together on stage, making lame jokes about “Best Male Performance”
- Coldplay accompanied by the New York Philharmonic
More on the Science Wars
John Brockman’s latest broadside rephrases the argument for a scientific culture that replaces what have traditionally been called the humanities, outdated in an age of evolutionary psychology and neuroscience. Sigh. Here we go again…
John Brockman’s latest broadside rephrases the argument for a scientific culture that replaces what have traditionally been called the humanities, outdated in an age of evolutionary psychology and neuroscience. Sigh. Here we go again…
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Scarlet Diva
There are some works of art that so boggle the mind that nothing you can say about them quite seems adequate. Such is the case with Asia Argento’s film (she wrote, directed, and starred in it) Scarlet Diva. This film is simultaneously so awful and so wonderful that it leaves me exhausted and defenseless. And I don’t mean that it’s so-bad-it’s-good, a la Ed Wood. I mean that it’s simultaneously both bad and good, in completely novel ways…
There are some works of art that so boggle the mind that nothing you can say about them quite seems adequate. Such is the case with Asia Argento’s film (she wrote, directed, and starred in it) Scarlet Diva. This film is simultaneously so awful and so wonderful that it leaves me exhausted and defenseless. And I don’t mean that it’s so-bad-it’s-good, a la Ed Wood. I mean that it’s simultaneously both bad and good, in completely novel ways…
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Jackson Redux
I wish I had more to say about tonight’s Michael Jackson Interview on Fox, but it was just lame. I doubt that anyone will be convinced by their repeated claims of objectivity, and that Michael had no editorial control over the show. Nor does it discredit Bashir very much to show his various ass-kissing comments to butter Michael up, as if they somehow threw into doubt his harsher judgments in the final edit of his documentary. All in all, it was more sad than anything else.
I wish I had more to say about tonight’s Michael Jackson Interview on Fox, but it was just lame. I doubt that anyone will be convinced by their repeated claims of objectivity, and that Michael had no editorial control over the show. Nor does it discredit Bashir very much to show his various ass-kissing comments to butter Michael up, as if they somehow threw into doubt his harsher judgments in the final edit of his documentary. All in all, it was more sad than anything else.
Saddam and Space Aliens
According to this article from Pravda (via Follow Me Here), Saddam Hussein has captured a crashed UFO, and it’s the technology he is getting from said UFO, or from alien survivors who are helping him, that makes him a danger to world peace. The stuff he is getting is techonlogically so advanced, it could make him the ruler of the world, unless the US intervenes before it is too late. All I can say is, this is the best explanation I’ve seen for the insane warmongering of the Bush administration. Believing in the threat of UFOs, and an alien invasion, is no weirder than believing in apocalyptic, evangelical Christianity, as Bush has shown himself to do on numerous occasions.
According to this article from Pravda (via Follow Me Here), Saddam Hussein has captured a crashed UFO, and it’s the technology he is getting from said UFO, or from alien survivors who are helping him, that makes him a danger to world peace. The stuff he is getting is techonlogically so advanced, it could make him the ruler of the world, unless the US intervenes before it is too late. All I can say is, this is the best explanation I’ve seen for the insane warmongering of the Bush administration. Believing in the threat of UFOs, and an alien invasion, is no weirder than believing in apocalyptic, evangelical Christianity, as Bush has shown himself to do on numerous occasions.
Global Frequency
Warren Ellis’ new comic book series _Global Frequency_ (four issues out so far) isn’t as mindblowing as _Transmetropolitan_ was, but it’s pretty much fun in the way it matches high-concept with low pulp. You see, Global Frequency is a worldwide organization, with 1001 members, which intervenes in crisis situations…
Warren Ellis’ new comic book series _Global Frequency_ (four issues out so far) isn’t as mindblowing as _Transmetropolitan_ was, but it’s pretty much fun in the way it matches high-concept with low pulp. You see, Global Frequency is a worldwide organization, with 1001 members, which intervenes in crisis situations…
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The Tipping Point
Malcolm Gladwell’s book _The Tipping Point_ is in many ways popular science writing at its best. The book is lucid and intelligent, and it gives concrete examples for its arguments–without being condescendingly simple-minded about those examples in the ways popular science books often are. The subject matter of the book is both fascinating and important: how the logic of epidemic contagion applies to social phenomena, often causing things to develop in ways that are nonlinear, and hence deeply counterintuitive. All in all, a worthwhile read. And yet I find myself having complex reservations about the arguments of The Tipping Point— though my problems are less with Gladwell himself, than with (I guess) the zeitgeist…
Malcolm Gladwell’s book _The Tipping Point_ is in many ways popular science writing at its best. The book is lucid and intelligent, and it gives concrete examples for its arguments–without being condescendingly simple-minded about those examples in the ways popular science books often are. The subject matter of the book is both fascinating and important: how the logic of epidemic contagion applies to social phenomena, often causing things to develop in ways that are nonlinear, and hence deeply counterintuitive. All in all, a worthwhile read. And yet I find myself having complex reservations about the arguments of The Tipping Point— though my problems are less with Gladwell himself, than with (I guess) the zeitgeist…
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Michael Jackson Unmasked
Tonight’s NBC Dateline special, Michael Jackson: Unmasked, was disappointingly lame; it was poorly edited and full of hot air, neither showing any intelligence nor feeding my morbid voyeuristic fascination. Still, it led me to some new thoughts on the situation…
Tonight’s NBC Dateline special, Michael Jackson: Unmasked, was disappointingly lame; it was poorly edited and full of hot air, neither showing any intelligence nor feeding my morbid voyeuristic fascination. Still, it led me to some new thoughts on the situation….
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Jacko TV
“The more we see of Mr. Jackson right now, the healthier we are as a nation: at least it indicates we are not at war…. The real pity is not that television has no shame; it is that there are not still more Michael Jackson specials scheduled beyond the Fox event on Thursday.” Thus
Alessandra Stanley in today’s New York Times; I couldn’t agree more. Let a thousand Jacko specials bloom.
“The more we see of Mr. Jackson right now, the healthier we are as a nation: at least it indicates we are not at war…. The real pity is not that television has no shame; it is that there are not still more Michael Jackson specials scheduled beyond the Fox event on Thursday.” Thus
Alessandra Stanley in today’s New York Times; I couldn’t agree more. Let a thousand Jacko specials bloom.