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Kevin "Tom Servo" Murphy, part of the "Best Brains"-trust responsible for Mystery Science Theatre 3000, is blogging at The Interocitor. Surprisingly, there's nothing about movies to be found; he's exclusively doing libertarian-right politics. C'mon, Kevin! Please, just one "Movie Bad! Servo hate movie!" for old times' sake!
In other MST3K news, Mary Jo "Pearl Forrester" Pehl is ... attending a furry convention. I'm still struggling for a punchline.
A Guilford College student is being questioned in yesterday's Play-Doh (TM) scare: he somehow sneaked modeling clay, bleach and box cutters onto two Southwest Airlines planes yesterday. He apparently was trying to make the point to the Transportation Security Agency that, um, y'know, security could be tighter.
Considering I'm going to be hopping a plane next weekend to visit one of my dearest friends in Ohio, I think this guy has done the nation a profound service. I also think, given that there aren't any "making a statement" exceptions in federal law against sneaking knives and bleach onto a plane, that he'd better be prepared to face the consequences.
If Will had his way, every day would be Waffle Day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
With Great Big Sea's "Donkey Riding" as background music.
Talk about the blind man and the elephant. Evan Thomas writes a Newsweek piece about Rush Limbaugh's confession of prescription drug addiction.
Liberal cartoonist Dan "Tom Tomorrow" Perkins reads it and almost feels sorry for Limbaugh.
Somebody named "Quiddity" at some blog called "Uggabugga" accuses Thomas of whitewashing Limbaugh: "He's a son of a b----. Don't forget it. And don't let reporters like Evan Thomas mislead you."
Meanwhile, the conservative Media Research Center's Tim Graham writes in National Review's "The Corner" blog that the article "sneers" at Limbaugh: "...Newsweek suggests Rush is a pathetic little man who likes nothing better than scaring young girls from Kansas and their little dogs, too, but are [sic] really powerless."
Further proof that, on a clear day, you can find some people to argue the color of the sky.
For my part, I thought the article was well-reported but displayed a fair bit of anti-Limbaugh bias. I display a fair bit of anti-Limbaugh bias myself -- a few years ago I heard him describe the homeless as "human debris", for God's sake -- but I'd prefer not to see that bias in a major news magazine's cover story.
As for Limbaugh himself, though, I don't find any joy in his addiction. Addiction is hell, and the painkillers he's on are hideously difficult to escape. 30 days of detox may not do it -- he's reportedly tried twice before -- but I can't imagine it being anything but an agonizing process. People like "Quiddity" don't do progressivism any favors by clutching to bitterness in their responses. Bitter people make poor advocates, because it makes it so much easier for their opponents to dismiss them as cranks. (See also my upcoming, long-delayed review of Al Franken's book.) And it dehumanizes the guy -- turns him into an object of scorn in the same way that he did his opponents on the radio. It's "payback is hell" versus "two wrongs don't make a right."
I've actually said a prayer for Limbaugh's recovery. Granted, I now feel like I need a shower. But it's the right way to approach anyone in pain and trying to overcome it.
Some spammer is after my comments section. Leaving unfriendly links as well. Caveat lector.
We drive to Applebee's. We put a tape in the deck: Great Big Sea's Road Rage, one of the best live albums ever. The opening song is a bouncing Newfoundland traditional song, "Donkey Riding."
The song ends. The audience cheers.
A small voice from the car seat.
"Riding?"
We humor him. We rewind. We play the song again.
"Riding?"
Humor. Rewind. Replay.
"Riding?"
Humor. Rewind. Replay.
"Riding?"
Psychic internal scream. Rewind. Replay.
He was very happy.
I can't listen to the album again for a few days.