I cancelled Netflix a few months ago, so I guess I’m going to have cross my fingers and hope that this is eventually available through Redbox:
A shot-by-shot remake of a Japanese film from the ’60s isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when talking about math. Yet this is exactly what UC Berkeley math professor Edward Frenkel has done, in collaboration with director Reine Graves, with his short film “Rites of Love and Math.” The original Japanese film, “The Rite of Love and Death,” by Yukio Mishima, is a bloody, earnestly serious work. Near the end of World War II, a lieutenant who has taken part in a failed coup d’etat returns home to make love to his wife one last time. The sex scene, oddly, is anything but passionate; the lovers’ movements feel stilted and staged, as if they are part of a ritualistic choreography. The film ends with the lieutenant committing seppuku, and his wife watching impassively as blood pumps out of the large gash in his abdomen.
Frenkel’s film hardly deviates from this structure, save in one important regard: the lieutenant is now a Mathematician (played by Frenkel himself) who, like some wizard, has possession of a magical math formula that bad guys want. So he responds by going home, fucking his wife and killing himself. To be fair, “Rites of Love and Math” looks gorgeous, and the spare sets are a pleasure to watch, but it’s difficult to narrow in on the tone. “Rites” can be humorous, but the production and acting are so painstakingly precise that its ritualistic qualities are nearly impossible to distinguish from the original.
What are you supposed to make of an extended scene, in which the Mathematician gives his wife a fervent tattoo job that culminates — complete with alarming screams — in a climax of Mathematical wonders? Especially when the climax results in a tattooed math formula scrawled across the wife’s body that I, as someone who was never particularly good at math, can’t at all understand.
After all that…consider this an open thread.
arguingwithsignposts
just out of curiosity, why did you cancel netflix?
BGinCHI
Dear Mel Gib San:
Please to also kill yourself in Japanese style movie picture.
DougJ
@arguingwithsignposts:
I didn’t use it enough.
arguingwithsignposts
@DougJ:
I have had the same DVD out since I got the service over a year ago, but I use the hell out of streaming. lots of good docs and stuff there.
cleek
Number 3: You have the right to freeeee
Speech as long as you’re not
Dumb enough to actually try it.
MikeJ
The best rant I’ve read in a while: Law of the Jungle.
DFS
Interesting. I read the Mishima short story the original flick is based on, called “Patriotism.” It’s exactly as billed here, a lovingly detailed description of a) sex, and b) gory suicide.
If you was to compile a list of the 20th century’s most fucked-up authors, Mishima would make the top five no problem. At least.
General Stuck
Why does this headline make me think, The Boston Strangler, Lex Luthur, and Ming the Merciless are all about to go on a crime spree.
kindness
Do we have to talk math formulas?
beltane
More protesting in Europe today, this time in Italy. Larger, and far more violent than last week’s protests in London. The youth of the world are rapidly becoming disillusioned with their elected governments. maybe what they all need is a Rally for Sanity.
beltane
@General Stuck: Does this make Texas secession more likely? If so, it’s like Santa arriving 10 days early.
Bella Q
Is there a mathematical formula with which to predict when Texas will draft articles of secession? If someone can give it to me, I’ll alert my tattoo artist.
burnspbesq
Want to escape from all the politico-econo-legal nonsense?
Potentially very good women’s college basketball game on espn2 in six minutes. Tennessee-Baylor. Baylor coach Kim Mulkey is a well-known fashion felon; part of the fun is speculating about what outrage she will be wearing on any given night.
Comrade Mary
If this flick has a Glass soundtrack, I’m sold.
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther
Ok, now that we have an official Open Thread, I’ll re-post this:
Are you a maker, a knitter, painter, photographer, author, any and all of the above and would you like to sell what you in your copious creativity create?
Come leave a link and a brief description in the comments of this freshly minted post! http://emilylhauserinmyhead.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/holiday-marketplace/ (Laura W.’s already there, and you know if she’s there, it’s a classy joint!)
General Stuck
@beltane:
I think it may make the crazy coming out of the Lone Star state go toward critical mass, but whether it will be implosion, and isolation of secession, or they stay and explode it on the nation, remains to be seen.
Violet
@General Stuck:
From the interview with Peña, the guy who is flipping parties:
I think this is an issue that Democrats are not really paying any attention to. Dems seem to think that Latinos will fall in line, but a significant percentage of Latinos in Texas voted Republican and a record number of Latino Republicans were elected in Texas. If Dems think the Latino vote is just going to fall in line behind them, they’re delusional.
Brian S (formerly Incertus)
@arguingwithsignposts: Yeah, I’ve been in the same state for a while. I was about ready to cancel until I got streaming, and now for the first time in a while I feel like I’m getting my money’s worth, even though I’m not sending back DVDs any faster than I was before.
David
Richard Holbrooke is the new Vince Foster:
❝ . . . and it is difficult to believe that with all those doctors hovering around Obama that no one noticed Dick Holbrooke had hypertension or some connective tissue disease.
Why this is interesting is the manslaughter charges which can be filed as putting someone with a medical condition under stress like preparing reports is like making a cardiac patient run a marathon at gun point.
One might add that little George Soros Wikileak coup ran against the Clinton camp, which Holbrooke was one, done so by the Europeans to protect Obama for the cash flow they are reaping out of Obama bailing out European banks illegally . . .❞
lamecherry dot blogspot dot com
Brian S (formerly Incertus)
@Violet: And if Latinos think that Republicans are going to stop demonizing them anytime soon, then they’re delusional as well.
Politically Lost
I don’t know if that’s what you intended DougJ but I thought this post was fucking hilarious. But, I have been called Dr. Hibbert for penchant for laughing at inappropriate times.
burnspbesq
The kid announced to me yesterday that he has a boyfriend.
I am surprised at how calmly I am taking this.
Hunter Gathers
@Violet: The reasons he gave were:
Guns.
Abortion.
The forever disparaged small business owner.
He’s full of shit.
“Sure, they may call me a dirty, lazy spic but at least they won’t take away my guns, make baby Jesus cry, or raise my taxes!”
Mark Centz
@DFS- I had read the story myself before seeing Mishima star as the Lt. In his self-directed film when I was at school, considered myself beyond being psyched but I was wrong, nearly threw up during the film and felt pretty pale for some time afterwards. Its not that the special effects were good (nothing by today’s standards) , but his detailed description of the event from the story was informing my viewing of it . Bad juju. Doubt if most people would react that way, but this was also after having taken a course on 20th century politics through 1945, so his allusions weren’t all missed.
And yes, he was seriously fucked up. Big fan of Schrader’s biopic and Glass’s score of same, though.
General Stuck
@Violet:
I think this was a premeditated legislature coup in Texas. This guy ran unopposed in a solid dem district, not a swing one. It looks to me like the Texas GOP wants to spark toward Peak Wingnut, for at least until the next election.
Texas Hispanics are different that any other in the SW, as there seems to be a state pride thing that trumps national issues, even concerning Hispanics in general. Though I could be overstating this not being from Texas. But their voting patterns are way different than here in NM.
burnspbesq
@David:
WTF does that gibberish mean?
General Stuck
@burnspbesq:
Brown acid man
Zifnab
Check out Pi. It’s a similar idea.
The protagonist accidentally discovers a 216-digit number that serves as some kind of universal constant.
He’s pursued by religious radicals and Wall Street power brokers as he goes insane.
Mark Centz
Oops- ..20th century -Japanese- politics
Violet
@General Stuck:
That’s sort of my point, is that “Latinos” are not some monolith, same-same-same from state to state. If Democrats think that’s the case and are just hanging out waiting for the big demographic shift to happen and the Latinos suddenly start voting in massive number for them, they may be disappointed.
From a post-election article I posted here before:
I’m actually okay with Peak Wingnut in Texas for the nearterm, because the state is going to have huge financial problems very soon. Might as well keep the GOP in the control and let it be very, very clear to everyone who caused the problems.
Zifnab
@General Stuck: This happened in 2002 as well, when DeLay launched his redistricting campaign. We had all sorts of fun legislation that year. *sigh*
This state is going to completely fuck itself, economically. We’re running a $19 billion deficit, if I remember correctly. And it’s not like there’s much to hack from the state budget that isn’t already going to Republican cronies.
I can’t wait for all the new toll roads.
Maody
@DougJ: I recommend to you The Pillow Book though it is doubtful it will ever be in RedBox.
beltane
A couple of weeks ago there was a discussion about newspaper comment threads and if there were any that were worthwhile. Since Julian Assange’s arrest I’ve developed an addiction to The Guardian’s website and I have to say that their comment threads are well moderated and mostly enjoyable to read.
srv
You think Mishima’s movie was strange, y’all should Netflix Honzo the Razor. (r-rated trailer).
Maody
@Zifnab: I didn’t like Pi at all though thought the idea was fantastic. Seemed just too mentally violent for my taste – the insanity portrayed was so very real, at least in some world.
Bruce (formerly Steve S.)
Wow, what a ridiculous load of crap that No Labels stuff is. Seriously, Sarah Palin’s Twitter page is a post graduate seminar in comparison. If you want to teach children how to say absolutely nothing of value, take them there. When are these shitheads going to learn that it was blessed bipartisanship that crafted the insane tax and financial regulatory policies that are destroying the country? And the people governing the country the last two years, sweet jesus, if they bent over backwards any farther to be centrist they’d be mobius strips.
In my dictatorship the first to go to the gulags will be these radical centrist morons.
WereBear
@DFS: Yeah, such a stylist; and really deranged. The amazing thing is not that he committed seppuku, but that he waited so long.
freelancer
The only way I could watch this is if it was made by Tommy Wiseau.
General Stuck
@Violet:
Dems for certain cannot take the Latino vote for granted, anywhere. But what happens in Texas, and in this specific instance, I don’t think has much, if any relation to the rest of the country. Whatever inroads the GOP makes nationally to woo Hispanic voters, the tea tarders and other xenophobic wingnuts taketh away. They are not monolithic, especially since many Hispanics are devout Catholics, that are pretty conservative on social issues, and will likely keep voting GOP, up to a point where they can no longer stomach the nativists bullshit. That is my take.
WereBear
@burnspbesq: Well, what are you gonna do? Just be open to having them over for dinner; gay or straight, the worst thing you can do is oppose the match, or you have instant Romeo & Juliet.
And we all know how that turned out.
@srv: Dayum! Yes. That’s a great one to spring on late night guests.
Japanese. Mickey Mouse worship and Honzo the Razor. Go figure.
Corner Stone
@Violet: There are more than a couple things going on here.
Not only is the TX Democratic Party rotten and corrupt to its very core, but the TX Republicans have so far resisted the widespread urge to demonize Hispanic voters. Individual Republican voters? Sure, they rail on the illegals all day. But leadership has been more or less very savvy to this point.
We’ll win the Hispanic vote in the longer term, as the crazy will reach a boiling point. It will just take longer than other states with significant Hispanic populations.
soonergrunt
@burnspbesq: It could be worse. He could’ve told you he was dating a conservative. Or even worse, that HE’s a conservative. I’d kick a kid out in the street for that shit.
Mnemosyne
@burnspbesq:
My brother-in-law came out a few weeks after his 19-year-old sister announced that she was pregnant by her boyfriend who was in jail for armed robbery.
I think he was a little startled by the family’s nonresponse. Either that, or he planned it that way since his parents were relieved that he was only gay and not a drug addict or something like that.
Corner Stone
@Zifnab: DeLay caused significant damage to the state of TX by removing Congressional Representatives from office with the redistricting. Sure, they gained short term R seats but the state itself lost a number of very senior elected Reps on the D side. And those Reps could’ve brought pork home for a while now.
If a rational R voter existed in TX they would be pretty pissed at DeLay for a number of reasons.
arguingwithsignposts
whew, almost blew up the thread there, Mnemosyne
Mnemosyne
@DFS:
I read “The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea.” That was more than enough Mishima for me to last a lifetime.
WereBear
@Mnemosyne: The fellow showed an excellent sense of timing :)
Mnemosyne
@arguingwithsignposts:
Good thing I’m on a Mac and have the magical and rare Edit function available to me on this site. ;^)
Of course, saying that Macs Rule could cause a totally different kind of thread blow-up.
stuckinred
What’s up knuckleheads?
Mnemosyne
@WereBear:
I wouldn’t be surprised if he planned it that way but, either way, it wasn’t exactly a shock to the family, if you know what I mean. More like, “Oh, I’m glad you finally got around to figuring that out.”
stuckinred
He missed everyone he shot at except himself.
He pulls out a can of red spray paint, muttered something like ‘you’re a bunch of assholes’ to school board … and draws on the wall a red circle with ‘v’ through it. He pulls out this gun that turned out to be a cap gun, I think, and he started talking to the school board and told everyone to clear the room except the men on the school board.
debit
@burnspbesq: Good for the kid. And good for you for being a good parent.
@ thread: I had a shitty day and really hate my job and my coworkers and I have to go to court tomorrow on behalf of a client filing Chapter 11 and I hate her too and I would really like to never have to go outside again kthxbai. ::pulls covers over head::
Stillwater
DougJ, I read these posts from the Slacktivist and thought they were right in the strike zone of some of your recent posts. this one and the follow-up.
Here’s a taste:
Buck
@Stillwater:
Your quote… it sounds about right.
freelancer
@Stillwater:
Holy Shit.
Calouste
Arizona man invokes War on Christmas to avoid having to go back to work the next week.
Stillwater
@Buck: Damn. No shock value there? Gonna hit you again:
WereBear
@Stillwater: Sometimes, I swear, it looks like a contest over who can make the biggest fuss over loving God, no matter what.
I think they think there are tiers in Heaven.
burnspbesq
@WereBear:
I think his mom is mostly in denial about teh gheyness, and this is likely to bring that to the forefront. Hopefully unconditional love is like WD-40: spray enough of it around and you can fix anything.
junebug
I love you again, DougJ.
Buck
@Stillwater:
As I stated in another thread earlier about some members of my direct family telling me that, because I’m not hanging out in a Southern Baptist church EVERY weekend, that I am indeed going to burn in hell.
Nothing phases me any more.
arguingwithsignposts
@Stillwater:
Al Mohler is, always has been, and always will be a pompous idiot who got where he was because he toed the conservative SBC line back when Paige Patterson was bending the denomination over in a purity purge. His big job before being named president of Southern – he was editor of the Georgia state baptist newspaper.
Mnemosyne
@burnspbesq:
I think women are much more likely to think that their child turned out to be gay because they were Bad Mothers Who Screwed Them Up than men are to think it was because they were bad fathers. Some reassurance that there wasn’t anything she could have (or should have) done differently to change the outcome might help.
jibeaux
I don’t have cable, but I couldn’t cancel Netflix. I stream it to the Wii, it’s a bargain for on-demand stuff. Redbox is cheap and fine for new releases, but what are you supposed to do when you want to watch something at all unusual?
burnspbesq
@debit:
Once upon a time, somebody asked me how I put up with all the bullshit that comes along with being in BigLaw, and it forced me to think about it. I finally realized that I am a craftsperson. I take pleasure out of doing things well, and particularly when they are difficult to do well. Maybe that can be your way through days like today and tomorrow. Do good work and f**k the rest of it.
junebug
DougJ, have you ever seen Ichi the Killer?
I used the name Ichi to drive Jeff Goldstein crazy for a while. Until I got bored.
That is one movie that seeing once was enough. I love me some crazy Japanese film and writers. I’ve been a Mishima fan since I was a teen.
Buck
@WereBear:
Actually, according to Pat Robertson and others, there are. Some, such as Pat, will be sitting at “God’s table”, or “at his knee”. All others will just be hanging out in the foyer or some other such dumb place.
bemused
In five minutes, I read:
-Romney said workers should pay their own unemployment insurance
-Sen. Kyle said Sen. Reid is disrespecting Christians for wanting the Senate to work between Christmas and New Years Day.
Gov. Jan Brewer said if people are complaining their transplants won’t be paid for by Medicaid, they should ask the Federal government to send more money.
I can’t take the insanity anymore.
WereBear
@burnspbesq: Well, yes. I do believe love is like that.
It’s what matters. Delve down enough; it’s all that matters.
soonergrunt
For a run down of today’s events in the Court Martial of birther LTC Terry Lakin by an actual trained, experienced member of the military bar, please visit this thread at CAAFlog, a weblog by and for military justice practitioners. They tend to be pretty forgiving to people who are unfamiliar with concepts and terms of military law and legal customs.
And on a personal note, I had an EXTREMELY thorough physical exam today to start my VA claims process. It’s probably a good thing that I had a 90-minute drive after that because I was in a real “I hate you! I hate you all! die! die! die!” place. And what the fuck is up with the VA, who has a giant hospital 10 minutes from my house, and over 1,000 doctors on staff in OKC sending me to fucking Lawton 90 miles away to see some guy in a hole in the wall lab/clinic?
Buck
@bemused:
I’ve been piddling with PHP and RSS feeds (just for kicks), and wrote a script that pulls feeds from select sites so as to see quickly what’s going on. I’m constantly bombarding myself with crap like what you’ve listed.
I feel your pain.
Mnemosyne
@Buck:
This is why I always say that if by some freakish chance it turns out that the Robertsons and the Falwells of the world are right and Heaven will be as they pictured it, I will happily skip down to the fiery pits of Hell rather than be forced to spend eternity with those assholes.
stuckinred
@soonergrunt: So it’s a court martial but ” is being tried in the magistrate’s courtroom at Fort Meade”? I assume it is a general?
Buck
@Mnemosyne:
I have said the very same thing myself!
bemused
@burnspbesq:
One of our kids married a great girl who happens not to be the same skin shade as his family. She told me that she asked him how his parents would feel and he said we wouldn’t care if he was gay. I had to laugh. The kid knew us better than I realized.
I do have to agree with soonergrunt. If one of our kids had turned into a wingnut, that would have been a big crisis.
soonergrunt
@stuckinred: Yeah, it’s a General Court-Martial. And he’s already plead guilty to 4 specifications of Art 92. Not good for Terry Lakin.
stuckinred
@soonergrunt: Xin Loi mofo. Too bad LBJ is closed.
Suffern ACE
@burnspbesq: They grow up so fast. I am beginning to wonder if the reason I did so well in high school and college is that I didn’t have one of those. As a working adult, I found them to be very time consuming. Although it is better to have one than be looking for one.
Corner Stone
@jibeaux: It’s obvious DougJ doesn’t have any kids. Netflix rules.
Corner Stone
Is this site jumbled up for anyone else? Comments showing up in different orders when you refresh?
Buck
@Corner Stone:
I’ve noticed that a couple times myself. I think it may have something to do with WP cache manager, or something similar.
soonergrunt
@stuckinred: Well, what I think sealed his fate was the testimony of COL Gordon Roberts, LTC Lakin’s Brigade Commander with the Medal of Honor. He testified that he missed LTC Lakin on one day, and that Lakin and his birther attorney met with the Brigade XO instead. So when, having been apprised by the XO what Lakin was doing, he ordered Lakin to report to him the next day so that he could try to talk him out of a serious mistake, he got back a reply “You had your chance.”
That kind of insubordination will NOT go over with the Members, who are all full Colonels. COL Roberts was described as being so impressive that he makes the new Army Dress Uniform look good.
That is impressive indeed.
stuckinred
@soonergrunt: Yea, I read that. You don’t mess with those guys.
Dee Loralei
Can anyone suggest a good e-reader I can get for my mom? She doesn’t really want one, but I want her to have one. I’ve held off the last few years because of her preference, but also because I know she would want one where she could do crosswords and sudokus also. Do any of them hook up to a printer? Are any of the major cooking mags available in that format?
I know she’d love it once she finally got used to it. Because everytime I threaten her with one, her eyes kinda light-up. And I know she’d love the convenience of buying a book at home and having it immediately.
She wouldn’t like an ebook or even an IPad for reading. But I think ereaders are small and light enough that she wouldn’t feel different than holding a book. ( She falls asleep sometimes and doesn’t want something heavy and hard falling on her nose.) Any ideas or suggestions? I’m completely stumped this year.
Also, we have U-Verse for internet. Is that compatible with ereader d/ling? Or would I have to unplogged a ‘puter or dvd player to d/l a book?
Suffern ACE
@Dee Loralei: This year, my parents finally started using the answering machine I bought them 10 years ago. I don’t know how long it would take for them to give up paper.
soonergrunt
@Dee Loralei:
Any of the E-readers should work with your high speed internet if you have a wireless access point. The Barnes & Noble Nook Color is pretty good. I helped a neighbor get his running on his home wireless in about five minutes. I think I’d like one. Books, magazines, the whole nine yards.
jwb
@General Stuck: Don’t worry, it’s just Texas, and the Goopers have more important things to worry about—like whether they can bear to have a Jewish Speaker of the House and still call themselves Christians. Baby Jeebus on a popsicle stick.
jwb
@beltane: No, the $24-$30 billion deficit is going to take all the fun out of succession.
Jewish Steel
Part Aguira: Wrath of God, part Seventh Seal, part Immigrant Song. Deadwood level quality facial hair. Almost no dialog. Did I love Valhala Rising? Let me answer by staring solemnly into the distance while the cold, biting wind whips through my hair.
<>
jwb
@Violet: We’ll see if the Texas Goopers can shoot straight. All it takes is one goofball teabagger to introduce an Arizona style immigration bill at the wrong moment for all hell to break loose and chase the Hispanic vote to the Dems for a generation just as they did in California. We’re already looking at voter ID this session. On the one hand, the leaders among the Texas Goopers recognize the demographic danger, and I’m sure they’ll try to prevent it from coming up. On the other hand, the Goopers elected some real wingnuts (even by Texas standards) this time around so they might find it tough to keep the crazy under control. A good test is the Speakers race. If Straus is defeated, look for the Goopers to go full wingnut.
Lurker
@Dee Loralei:
My 60+ year old mom *loves* her 3G Kindle. No computer or WiFi needed. She just needs to be within range of a cell phone tower to purchase and download eBooks, and Amazon offers many out-of-copyright classics for free. Plus, she can play games on it.
In the past six years I’ve had three eReaders — a PDA, a 5″ Sony Reader and an Amazon Kindle. I’m partial to my Sony Reader, because it’s simple, tiny and I don’t have to fret about Amazon messing with my books. However, I have to hand it to the Kindle for its versatility, larger library and friendliness to non-techies. Because of this, I would recommend a Kindle for your mom.
I do not know if the major cooking magazines are available in eBook format. The folks at the MobileRead forums might know, though:
http://mobileread.com
jwb
@General Stuck: The Texas Goopers, at least at the leadership level, have not been nearly as tone deaf on Hispanic issues as the national GOP for one thing.
jwb
@Violet: “I’m actually okay with Peak Wingnut in Texas for the near term, because the state is going to have huge financial problems very soon.” Try: …is having huge financial problems even as we speak. It’s going to be a California-sized disaster come spring.
junebug
@jwb:
and all the lege will work on is sonograms before abortions and making grants for universities have a marketable outcome.
Texas has finally elected the stupidest persons on the planet. One New York transplant has decided that denying legal standing to foreigners — as plaintiffs only — is a good idea and we will probably focus on some nitwit calling the USAG on the carpet for the New Panthers.
Not a good time to live in Texas.
Jewish Steel
@burnspbesq:
I know it’s a dreadful cliche but some of my best friends are gay. Splendid chaps all of them.
Statistically they have a tough row to hoe. Whereas you and I have 95% of the eligible population to draw upon when seeking out a mate, they are stuck with around 5%. It takes courage to do battle with those odds, I think.
Francis
Cooking questions:
1. In years past I have gotten a Smithfield ham from smithfieldham.com. But last year it wasn’t so good. So I got a country ham from Johnston County Hams (countrycuredhams.com). All I tasted was salt. So, anyone have any recommendations on a good mail-order smithfield-style ham that comes in a 3-5 lb size?
2. Who has a good recipe for goose with fruit?
3. What are people making/having on Xmas day?
maye
@burnspbesq: Were you surprised? How old is he? Did he have previous girlfriends?
I’m asking all this becase I’m waiting with bated breath for my 15-year old to come out. Sometimes Mom is last on the list to tell.
maye
@Francis: have you tried honey baked? http://www.honeybaked.com (It’s a west coast favorite).
midge
did anyone else think that “tattoo job” was a euphemism for some kind of weirdo sex act?
Jewish Steel
@midge:
I did.
General Stuck
I’m almost afraid to voice it, but this blog is oddly peaceful tonight.
stuckinred
@Francis: You have to soak a real country ham.
freelancer
Oh. My. God. You guys. Check this out!
Me, here in the doggie thread at 5:32 PM EST:
OT – Sully on the standalone DADT repeal push:
If it fails, the gay lobby and the White House better look out for a sternly-worded post from the world’s most whiplashed bear.
Sullivan at 8:25 PM EST:
Jesus Tittyfucking Christ. Make up your mind, asshole.
Triassic Sands
@Zifnab:
I’m pretty sure the Texas deficit is way bigger than $19 billion now. A while back I heard a Texas state legislator on the radio. He was such an idiot I went and looked at his website. It was kind of funny (in a sad way). He had a blog, which had periodic entries (not every day like a full-time blog). And nearly every entry reported a bigger and bigger projected deficit. The last one was about $25 billion. (Hey, that’s only about a third larger than $19 billion — chicken feed.)
Of course, the legislator’s response was always the same, and, if nothing else, consistent — cut taxes, cut spending, screw the poor. The last was implicit in his policy prescriptions, despite lip service to the contrary, him being a devout Christian and all. Increasing revenue was never suggested as a possible response to even part of the deficit and, in fact, he explicitly rejected the idea.
martha
@Dee Loralei: Honestly, it sounds like she needs an iPad. I love mine. I use the Kindle app the most, but have books from the Borders app and iBooks too right now. I have Suduku and Scrabble that I play alot on business trips, etc. There are tons of other games. And of course, she can do emails…
stuckinred
@martha: And if she waits a month she can take pictures and hook up goodies on the USB.
Mr Stagger Lee
My condolences to the Pittsburgh Penguins, 12 game streak is over.
Triassic Sands
I’ve never rented from Redbox, but I have glanced at its selection — I’d say Redbox stocking this one has to qualify as a long shot. Although, I suppose, if they select films based on the local audience, you might have a better chance if you live in say Cambridge, Mass. than if you live in Deming, NM.
soonergrunt
@General Stuck: Fuck you!
martha
@stuckinred: yes she can! I barely use the camera on my phone, so I’m not so enthused. But I do love the one I’ve got…did get the 3G version and it’s handy at my dad’s (no wireless there, of course).
Suffern ACE
@soonergrunt: @General Stuck: I will beat both of your bigoted, hairy asses if either of you take one more step to breaking thies peace. Cudlips.
With Love,
ACE
XOXOXO
And no. I don’t care who started it.
General Stuck
@soonergrunt:
Ha! me, I’m ready for some blog peace.
stuckinred
@Suffern ACE: Back off chump.
martha
@General Stuck: If you jinxed things sir, we know where to find you :)
Jewish Steel
@soonergrunt:
Ha!
Seriously though, did someone just call me a hymie?
General Stuck
@martha:
:-)
And this may be old news, but I came across a pretty good public interest news aggregator called Pro Publica. For anyone interested in that sort of thing.
soonergrunt
I just didn’t feel right with everybody being nice to each other. Especially after the day I’ve had.
Suffern ACE
@stuckinred: O.K. I will. (I can’t really argue about being a chump).
Capn America
haha where can I sign up for a gig like that? Having sex with a hot actress on screen in order to popularize my own math formula? :P
martha
@General Stuck: I really like their work. Their app for the iPad is quite good. They’re actually rather old fashioned, in a good way. They try to do real journalism. What a concept.
Nom de Plume
@DFS:
I read the Mishima short story the original flick is based on, called “Patriotism.”
I’m not sure what this says about me, but I found that story one of the most erotic I’d ever read.
Anne Laurie
@Francis: __
I was under the impression that ‘country hams’ needed to be soaked in water for 24-48 hours before eating, to remove the excess salt?
If that’s what you like, not sure this is much help, but my foodie friends swear by Dakin Farms hams. They are indeed very tasty, although my palate isn’t sophisticated enough that I wouldn’t be just as happy with the Honeybaked product. (Both Dakin & Honeybaked, as I understand it, are ‘smoke cured’ as opposed to ‘salt cured’ hams, so they don’t require soaking.)
Cain
@burnspbesq:
Looks like a host of issues have become a lot more personal. Good on you, that’s a hard shock for parents to take. It’ll probably get easier as time goes by. Until then, sending you some strength by thought.
cain
General Stuck
burns
Your son is lucky to have you as his dad
Cain
@bemused:
She’s not out of the woods yet, he might still end up being a wingnut. That would be an ugly situation.
cain
Cain
@General Stuck:
I don’t have one as of yet and I’m past 40. But that hit an emotional chord with me. So I thank you. :)Oops.. there was some wordpress error and the comment looked like it was addressing me. FYWP.
cain
Xenos
I am confused as to how parents can be so surprised when a child comes out… but then in my family (in-law, really, but soon enough showing up in my kids) there is a pretty clear genetic link to homosexuality and fairly clear personality traits that seem to be linked to it. There is no reason to think it should be so clear in other families, I suppose.
It is good that we are getting past the stigma and on towards functioning, relatively happy families now.
General Stuck
@Cain:
No error, I misaddressed it, and changed with editor
SectarianSofa
@Comrade Mary:
Wish I had seen that earlier. That soundtrack has some great pieces. (Then, I am a bit of a Glass-head.)
burnspbesq
@maye:
No surprise. I’ve known since he was about 14. I worry a LOT about chicken-hawks; he’s pretty naive. So I am actually somewhat relieved that he is sucking face with someone his own age.
Yutsano
@burnspbesq: Okay ya ol’ country lawyer, I gots a bone to pick with you for holding this out on me. But I’m totally seconding he’s lucky you’re the responsible sperm donor sentiment. I have a shit ton more to say but it’s not best suited to this forum. Suffice it to say don’t be afraid to meet the other kid while cleaning out a shotgun.
Oh, and if he gets shy about introducing the boyfriend, take that as a HUGE warning. He’s been this open with you so far, hiding that turns incongruous, and merits exploration.
Comrade Baron Elmo
Coincidentally, I just caught the Mishima film last week… it’s utterly fascinating. Anyone interested in the erotic potential of death should certainly check out this 27-minute hymn to suicide. I’m actually surprised that it’s not revered as a Goth touchstone.
By the way, the Criterion DVD of this film is entitled Patriotism, not The Rite of Love and Death. Netflix has it, but then you won’t get to see the beautiful book that comes with the set, featuring the Mishima short story upon which his film is based.
Oh, and Doug… Netflix does NOT list Rites of Love and Math. So you didn’t miss out by axing your account.