- My photographer friend Brian MacDonald is currently visiting Africa. You can see his photos and some thoughts about what he is experiencing on his blog.
- Catherine takes the new green marketing machine to task. I am wholeheartedly unimpressed by what has become of our nation’s “green effort,” as well as the green efforts of nearly everyone I know – myself very much included. And here is why. Our environmental efforts have been subtly turned on their head. The whole point is to stop consuming; or at least, to consume less. But daily now I receive print ads encouraging me to be green, or email ads suggesting that I buy this or that latest green product.
- Gareth makes some observations about the American media diet. Most of us would like to believe that we have come a long way since the Roman circus – where human beings killed people for our entertainment – or even the Victorian circus – where we only abused the disabled and disadvantaged. Today’s circus may look like it only mocks the powerful – with the fabulously wealthy being humiliated as they emerge drunk and bloodied from a nightclub, or photographed while getting an embarrassing haircut. But I think we’re kidding ourselves if we think people are not harmed by the pornography of social humiliation offered up 24/7. Amy Winehouse’s visible bruises and alleged substance abuse problem, and Britney Spears’ obvious mental illness are not legitimate fodder for our entertainment, no matter how economically powerful these two women may be.
- I’ve been hearing a lot about the Ben Stein documentary, Expelled, from Christian friends who are excited about it. Here’s a website that is less enthusiastic, Expelled Exposed. In promoting the creationist propaganda film Expelled, Ben Stein managed to stick his foot in his mouth over and over again, issuing what seemed to be a ceaseless stream of ignorant, offensive, and just plain daffy claims.
links
One response to “links”
-
I’m really intrigued about Expelled. I hope it’s quality and not just rantery. If it’s good, then (1) How awesome is that? and (2) Who knew that Ben Stein, of all people, would be the one in Hollywood to stick his neck out and get a film like this made!?
But if it’s bad…then it’s yet one more piece of ammunition the world has against us. Which doesn’t really matter, but just kinda sucks.
David W. Swanson 
Leave a comment