Filed by Devon at 1:37 pm under General
3 Comments

From the makers of Planet Unicorn… brilliant.
That is all.

Filed by Bries at 1:44 pm under The Arts
12 Comments

This began as a reply to Trevor’s recent post, “Art, Norco-style”, but it grew to the edge of reply length and perhaps a little beyond, so I’m turning it into blog dialogue (or blogalogue, if you will). So read that one first, ya slackers.

I wonder how I would feel ’twere the tables turned and the liberal atheist were the one responsible for the anti-art?
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Trevor at 11:36 pm under Gay Agenda, General
3 Comments

Best. Animation. Ever.

Filed by Trevor at 10:36 pm under The Arts
No Comments

“I want you to remember that a liberal atheist has forgiven you today. I don’t want you to ever forget that, as long as you live, do not forget what happened here. I don’t have God behind me, but I speak for myself, and I forgive you for myself, and for you. Never forget this.” — Mike Daisey

On April 19th, Mike Daisey was performing his monologue INVINCIBLE SUMMER at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts when, ten minutes in, a group of 87 high school students visiting from Norco High School suddenly left en masse, but not before the group chaperone approached the stage and wordlessly doused Mike’s outline in water — his only copy. His reason? Naughty language. And for some reason, decided to announce to theater employees that they represented a Christian group. Which is fitting, since Norco is where hard-line Klan members go to die. The most amazing thing about this, however, is that despite the fact that destruction of property and disturbing the peace are both crimes in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, no arrests have been made. So beware, thespians: smoking and visiting high-school choirs are absolute anathema to your production.

Read Mike’s account of the incident here, and be sure to read the follow-up posts concerning his confrontation with the man responsible for the damage, as well as the Boston Globe’s coverage of the aftermath. But before you do, watch the idiocy for yourself:

Do be sure to watch all of it, if only for his vivid description of what the American Repertory Theater normally produces. Also, pay attention to the comments from the audience; any artist would die to have a house as cool as this. Well, save for the frothing, self-righteous cowards that defaced his work. I’m amazed at how restrained and professionally he handled the situation.

Incidentally, I’d like to point out that my hometown is roughly 20 miles north of Norco (short for North Corona), and anyone who thinks Southern California is a hippie liberal paradise ought to check out this place. Want to know who that mysterious 30% is that still supports Bush? Yeah. Just drive down I-15, and once the smell of cattle hits your nose, look out your window. And be sure to bring your Stetson and a shotgun.

Filed by Trevor at 5:14 pm under GOP, Homophobia, Religion
1 Comment

What exactly can you say when someone you despise passes away unexpectedly? I wonder if Robertson will be next — just a thought. Now, I know what you’re thinking; I’m certainly not going to say I’m glad Falwell is dead. I’m not. I will express, however, relief at the thought that his absence from the political forum brings us all one step closer to mending the rift between the religious right and the rest of the rational world. What do you think?

Filed by Bil at 1:45 pm under Damn Hippies, Fightin' Words, Social Issues
2 Comments

One strong disadvantage to getting on the bus before the crowded bus stop is that although you get your own choice of seat, you are left at the mercy of whoever chooses to sit next to you. You can’t just get up and move to another seat, because you’re at the window, not the aisle. And you can’t be rude and ask the other person to stand up just so you can go to a different part of the bus, God forbid.

Most of the time, I have fairly good luck with people sitting next to me – usually uneventful, hardly even memorable at all. Today, however, my lucky streak ended.

I was on the way back to the office from lunch. I had eaten at Chipotle, a tasty burrito joint secretly owned and operated by the sinister hand of McDonald’s. With me were my trusty iPod, a clean napkin from Chipotle that I for some reason had put into my pocket instead of leaving behind, and a large cup full of Coca-Cola. I was feeling good. I had an excellent seat all to myself when my bus reached its busiest stop and let on a flood of day travelers.

Time didn’t slow down or anything, because I had no idea what I was in for. Straight towards the empty seat beside me walked a tall, thin Asian guy. He was dressed in designer clothing and his carefully slanted hair covered one eye. He carried a small, unisex over-the-shoulder bag just big enough to carry a CD or two and a book by Kurt Vonnegut. Safety, I thought, just a run-of-the-mill hipster. I have been known to pass undetected in and out of hipster circles, so I figured this man would pose no threat. Then he sat down next to me.

Rarely have I smelled a worse-smelling individual than this dude. I mean, wow. Lordy. Lordy, lordy, lordy.
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Bil at 7:26 pm under The Arts
3 Comments

While searching for another silly old man on YouTube named Shane who teaches you how to sing three octaves above middle C, I instead found Urgelt. He has several hours worth of footage up on YouTube, all of it well worth watching (in short bursts, over many years), and sadly he has requested that none of it be available to embed on other pages. Bastard. So, I leave you with the following links to his videos; they are only a few of many that I recommend.

What Is Dance to Me?
What is a Human Being?
YouTube Dating Service #1764
McCavity, the Mystery Cat

Now please: bear in mind that this man is a real human being, and try not to judge him simply from what you see on the internet. He has friends and family. Don’t think that he’s just some clownish puppet, here to amuse us.

That being said, this guy makes me laugh — at him, of course, not with him. What a weirdo!

I was so inspired both by Urgelt and by the fact that my new computer is still new, I decided to create the following video. I decided to do it now, immediately, while inspiration was high and my beard, meager though it may be in comparison, is nevertheless currently at the height of its power.

EDIT: By the way, this was my very first YouTube video. Because I am a curious monkey and I like to know these things, the videos that get recommended by YouTube after you view my video are: 1) Virginia Tech Memorial -Theres No Sunset In; 2) Sexy Alien Cartoon Band (my favorite); 3) Domino PCs: The Real Thing: 86 PCs in a row!; 4) Thread Heads Quickie - How to Turn a T-shirt; 5) SHOW ME YOUR HOMEMADE INSTRUMENTS; 6) Ode to Zach Braff; 7) Eight O’Clock Coffee (Day Two); 8) We Are All Complaining.

Those are great titles.

Filed by Bries at 2:36 pm under Fightin' Words, Social Issues, The Arts
2 Comments

A letter to non-smokers: I appreciate your decision not to smoke. I really do. Hell, it’s not like I’m even a regular smoker, I’m only on the heavy side of social. When the smoking ban kicked in, I said “All right, non-smokers, I can deal with this.” When the smoking ban, Mk II will kick in, eliminating smoking in bars as well, I may grumble, but I will cede, saying, “All right, non-smokers, I can deal with the fact that your sort are the ones in power.” But, non-smokers (and I understand I only speak to a fraction of you when saying this), you’re not gonna fuck with my art.

Non-smoking theatre goers: Don’t like it? Leave the show. No, you do NOT have the ‘right’ to a comfortable smoke-free evening of theatre. You have the right to whatever the artists in front of you decide to give you, and you have the right to leave if you don’t like it. Beyond that, it’s our rules, and if our rules say that we smoke, you can either suck it up or you can leave. As much as the Great White Way has persuaded you otherwise, art is not created for your best interests. We make what we want, yearn, need to make. You are welcome to tag along — if you can keep up. But you don’t make the rules, any of them. And I dare you to try. Those who know me will attest that there ain’t much that I truly get up in arms about, but A-Number One is my right — and not some “bleeding heart, constitutional, don’t pick on me” right, but my “inalienable (in the truest sense), primitive, I will fight your entire family for this” right — to be an artist. In every manner that that term applies. So grow some thicker skin, ’cause I will not allow you to use my art to further hide from your fears.

Non-smoking actors: Do your thing, man, that’s cool by me. If you are that die-hard dedicated to not smoking that you must avoid its presence at all times that’s fine, but then you need to come to terms with the fact that you have automatically decreased your work potential. Your prerogative, but don’t think you can have it both ways, because the rest of us aren’t going to tip-toe around your delicate sensibilities. You’re an artist, learn to suffer.

To Lisa, the allergic theatre critic (the comment posted on May 8, 3:44 pm): That sucks. I’m truly sorry you have such a shitty allergy. That said, where do you get off asserting that your right to be able to sit in and criticize my work trumps my right to create that work? Either find a new profession or find a colleague who can cover the smoking shows, because you are no longer welcome.

To the MPAA: Suck my dick.

Bries.

Filed by Trevor at 1:39 am under Atheism, Religion
1 Comment

Pat Condell is a wonderfully articulate comedian with some of the most astute observations on religion and modern society since Eddie Izzard. Have a look:

Yet another sign that modern atheism seems finally to be shedding the angry, bitter vestiges of Madalyn Murray-O’Hair and more toward the world of snarky intellectualism. His entire stable of videos can be found here; I spent a good hour this afternoon watching and re-watching each of them. I can’t say I share all of his viewpoints or even — and I can’t believe I’m actually writing this — all of his cynicism, but that’s the wonderful thing about thinking for oneself, isn’t it?

Filed by Trevor at 12:29 am under Pop Culture
1 Comment

Danna, you were robbed. OK, not really — it’s just crap you had to be sent packing the day after winning both challenges. Do the world a favor, though: consider a career in voice-overs. Really. I’d TiVo a whole fleet of women’s hygiene commercials if I knew you were the one hawking them.

In other reality-show news, a prediction I made concerning American Idol was partially fulfilled this evening, provided you use the word “fulfilled” in the most charitable way possible:

From “The Death of Reality Television”, posted March 23rd
I suppose if I get the hankering for a healthy spoonful of Lakisha in the forthcoming weeks, I can always catch the detailed recaps Rickey provides so faithfully every week. Before she’s eliminated in a surprise turn of events, that is. Just wait for it.

And I’m sure you can guess what finally happened tonight. Now, I’ve kept my word about giving up on the show, but I’ll be honest: I’ve dutifully checked rickey.org every Wednesday night just to see who was eliminated so I could jump at the opportunity to write the requisite fuck-I’m-good-just-ask-me post about my amazing psychic abilities. But I’m afraid this as good as it gets. Oh well.