I bought the BSG Xbox game that came out a couple years ago. It's an interesting bird, as it was made to hype the mini-series, but also the original series DVD release. So the game's continuity is old galactica, but some ships look like new galactica, and you get to play as young William "Husker" Adama in the first Cylon War. Anyway, the game is hard as hell. On my first mission I flew alongside Cain and promptly got the Galactica blown up.

Australia (and a few other places) want to ban smoking in...cars. Yikes. Didn't the gay rights movement teach us that it's unwise and morally unfair to legislate people's private lives? At least that's what it taught me. Apparently Australia (and a few other places) wasn't listening.

My favorite military historian -- and old-timey Democrat -- Victor Davis Hanson answers a reader's question about what a modern national agenda from a Conservative Democrat should look like.

I was thinking the other day that political discourse about social issues in this country would be a hundred times more interesting if tomorrow we banned all abortions *and* we banned all executions. It's the sort of flip-flop that would get the abortion-on-demand and kill-the-bastard types angry, but prone to a fair amount of head scratching.

Then again, it might not solve anything at all.

Check out the list of keynote speakers at the upcoming Game Developers' Conference in San Jose.

This is just to let everyone know that Alex is writing for honest to god TV and I am doing concept art for Vivendi-Universal Games (through Psychic Bunny of course). We are honest to god professionals (If only we could be professional together life would be so grand). And Alex lives with his girlfriend and I have my own bedroom now. We're like adults!

Hey Alex, when are we going to watch those Garfield DVDs?

They're trying to name a new 7 Wonders of the World. And wouldn't you know it, they don't hold a candle to the ancient ones.

Anyway, here's my list:

1. Pyramids
2. Great Wall
3. The Church of Sophia in Instanbul
4. Roman Coliseum
5. Panama Canal/Suez Canal
6. Smithsonian
7. The Pentagon Building

Other Interesting Stuff
The Hoover Dam
Space Shuttle Main Engines (Just one of them produces more power than the Hoover Dam)
Kuala Lampur skyscrapers
That floating Hong Kong airport whose name I can't remember

Bacause it's a very good little story that has been reprinted in a new Jim Morrow collection, I direct the curious to "Apologue." Go read it, it's only a page long.

And if you're curious, an apologue is a moral fable, particularly one featuring animals or inanimate objects.

For any Red Stater who considers SoCal to be a sinful hive of godless liberal fornicators and simpering Mexican illegals, take a trip to Glendale someday (just don't stay -- it sucks). At one run-of-the-mill intersection, I counted 19 American flags. They were hanging from every avaiable pole, from public and private buildings alike. It's like this ALL the time in Glendale. They love the flag. I live on the LA/Glendale line, and I got a note in the mail from our block association wondering if Atwater Village should begin a massive flag decoration plan as well. It's so cute.

... and I won't support your right to say it.

It's really easy to forget that Britain is all into censorship in movies and speech and whatnot. Rather sad, that.

USA! USA!

Oh, and fuck Joe Leiberman. And Hilary Clinton. And most Republicans.

USA! USA!

So, I saw Brokeback Mountain over the weekend. I liked it. I didn't find it a particularly engaging love story, though. It's more of a lust story. Or a neo-western, revisionist cowboy movie. I think it works better as one of those.

And I didn't find the portrayal of homosexuality to be particularly progressive in its politics. Basically, they're two men who just like having anal sex every once in a while. Until the very, very end, the film seems to show gayness as just something you do, rather than something you are. Hell, the flick's notions of manly love are almost conservative thanks to their Homeric nature. Women, not to mention femininity, have little place in Brokeback Mountain; only men can enjoy the full burden of the human experience.

If you want to know what it's like to watch the Olympics with Alan and I (and you do. Last time we came up with Olympic Village!) then just head over to his place for a near complete transcription of Monday evening.

Shang Tsung's Socks!

Wow, I didn't get a single Friendster testimonial in all of 2005. There's a delightful character analysis from Rick in July 2004, and then nothing until Jeff shows up to mention the USC article.

Huh.

There's a Hanson-esque trio (I think one of them is actually a girl) that plays street music outside the Hollywood and Highland Metro. I'm not sure if my schedule is incredibly regular or if they are incredibly repetitive, but they seem to always be playing "Hotel California" whenever I get off the train. Always.

These people are creeping me out.

Brock, oh he of the Mayday Contest and whatnot, is putting together a feature film and selling a CD to raise funds. I designed the CD case! I'm reprinting the email he sent out so you can hear all about it and maybe go buy a CD:

For those of you who don't know, for the last 6 months I have been
working on a movie (Late Night Driving Project) that I will be
directing in March. The bulk of the funds for the movie come from my
now-thin pockets. In order to raise additional funds (and protect my
credit card), we are releasing as a fundraiser, a "Pre-Release
Soundtrack" for the film, called "Late Night Driving Music: Inspired by
the script of the upcoming Jack Left Town Feature."

The CD's have been professionally printed and contain 15 songs of
various genres that were graciously donated by friends. The music is
good. I promise.

We are selling the CD online at www.jacklefttown.com. All sales are
through PayPal, so rest assured that every transaction is secure.

Please help support this worthwhile and promising cause. Thanks for
your time (and space in your inbox). Hope life is good.

!!!

(Last Islam-related post for a while. Promise.)

Hadn't realized this.

In a world in which Danish cartoons insult the prophet and Disney Piglet mugs insult the prophet and Burger King chocolate ice-cream swirl designs insult the prophet, maybe it would just be easier to make a list of things that don't insult him. Nonetheless, the Muslim Association wrote to the Ann Summers sex-shop chain, "We are asking you to have our Most Revered Prophet's name 'Mustafa' and the afflicted word 'shag' removed."

If I were a Muslim, I'd be "hurt" and "humiliated" that the revered prophet's name is given not to latex blowup males but to so many real blowup males: The leader of the 9/11 plotters? Mohammed Atta. The British Muslim who self-detonated in a Tel Aviv bar? Asif Mohammed Hanif. The gunman who shot up the El Al counter at LAX? Heshamed Mohamed Hedayet. The former U.S. Army sergeant who masterminded the slaughter at the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania? Ali Mohamed. The murderer of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh? Mohammed Bouyeri. The notorious Sydney gang rapist? Mohammed Skaf. The Washington sniper? John Allen Muhammed. If I were a Muslim, I would be deeply offended that the prophet's name is the preferred appellation of so many killers and suicide bombers on every corner of the earth.

I once read that the richest guy during the CA gold rush was not the first man to hit a rich gold vein, but the guy who sold shovels. Similarly, Arabs selling Danish flags are probably making a killing.

Kenneth put this survey up on Begum, and I'm curious to hear Alex's answers:

1. Favorite Season of a TV Series?
2. Favorite Pilot?
3. Favorite Season/Series Finale?
4. Favorite Unresolved Sexual Tension (lasting at least a season)?
5. Favorite Holiday Episode?
6. Favorite Guest/Recurring Character?
7. Favorite Plot Twist/Cliffhanger?
8. Favorite (or least favorite) Shark Jumping?

As for me, the only things I can do off the top of my head are:
3. Favorite Season/Series Finale?
Battlestar Galactica Season 1 finale
4. Favorite Unresolved Sexual Tension (lasting at least a season)?
Sam and Diane (first season)
5. Favorite Holiday Episode?
Batman: the Animated Series, "Holiday Knights" Mainly for the diner scene at the end.
7. Favorite Plot Twist/Cliffhanger?
Buffy has a little sister. That episode (the Dracula one) kind of sucked, but that ending, and the subsequent few episodes, were completely mind blowing.

Once I come up with ym others answers I'll put them on Begum.

I thought Asa might enjoy this Mario-themed painting, provided he hasn't already seen it.

Still Thursday by 9 minutes and the new Cash is up. Sorry about that. It was a very busy day today. I fixed a budget. it sucked.

More importantly, I promised Kevin a fart joke, and a fart joke he has recieved.

Okay, we all know that this new Pink Panther movie is going to suck panther-sized balls, but what really bothers me is that...

A. Peter Sellers is long dead. He was amazing. Let's honor his memory by perserving, rather than crapping on one of his most memorable characters.

B. The Pink Panther franchise is more well known among today's under-45 crowd for simply having a cartoony pink panther as its mascot.

C. Wouldn't it make more financial sense to just make an animated movie with the pink panther character? Maybe make it set in a world of panthers, and the Pink Panther is the goofy police detective or something. ANYTHING other than a 60-something Steve Martin and...ugh...Beyonce traisping around Paris.

That yesterday was Wednesday completely slipped my mind. new Cash will be up later today.