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Mar. 5th, 2012 03:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* I watched the President do the verbal equivalent of juggling chainsaws at the AIPAC Conference. Why juggling chainsaws? he was needing to balance the following: 1. Reassuring Israel we are on their side while 2. not encouraging them to preemptively strike Iran because 3. That would push countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordon, and Egypt which are unfriendly to Iran and not wanting them to get the bomb either into having to side with Iran against their own interests because that's how the middle east works while also 4. convincing pro-Israeli voters to vote for him next fall. Chainsaws, Darlings, chainsaws. I give him bonus points for the dig about panic driving up gas prices and thus helping Iran. Lets call that plaing chess while juggling chainsaws. We'll see if any hands get lopped off as it plats through the next news cycle.
* "Women central part of pre-colonial Maya society:" http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-03-women-central-pre-colonial-maya-society.html
* Melissa Harris-Perry lays down some lovely snark on Santorum: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/melissa-harris-perry/46419672#46613246
* "I want to know what it's Like:" http://www.sparkindarkness.com/2012/03/i-want-to-know-what-its-like.html
* "Berlin: Sex, death and pop-culture — not in that order:" http://lettersfromtitan.com/2012/03/04/berlin-sex-death-and-pop-culture-not-in-that-order/
* Interesting Manhole covers: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2012/02/worlds-coolest-manhole-cover-designs/1269/
I was going to say Kobe was my favorite, but then I saw the Kamakura one. O.o
* So Pushing Daisies. I can see why some people are fanatical about it, and why it didn't attract a broad audience. Visually, it's stunning with the over-saturated Wizard of Oz colours, beautiful set design, costuming, fairytale feel, and narration reminiscent of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. (They dress Olive in olive and pimento!) The core conceit is interesting. There are also some lovely performances here, both in the core cast and with the guest stars. Seriously, I get all the ways it's cool. At the same time, it's yet another story of a white straight man who has a power with a comedy black sidekick, and women fighting over him. I'm having trouble getting past that. Sure, it's vastly better written, cast, and designed, than say, Psych, but it's still ultimately a formula I've seen so often in the past 50 years or so of tv, movies, comics, books, etc. under all that lovely fairytale framing and visual beauty. This may make me a bad person, but I keep doing alternate casting in my head as I watch. What if they had switched everyone, so it would be a white comedy sidekick in an otherwise all POC core cast? (Yes, the coroner is black, and gets a scene every episode, but he's not listed as core cast on the DVD case, and isn't part of the main dynamic. Also, so far in my watching there have only been two POC guest stars, the rest all white). Alternately, what if the all American girl and her lovable eccentric Aunts where Asian or black, or... you see what I mean? What if Ned and his sweetheart were both black and he was rejecting a blond woman? I'm fascinated thinking how these things would change the subtext. It doesn't mean I hjate the show. It's certainly potato chip viewing, but I pick at it like a scab. I am still having fun playing "what else was this person in?" with the cast, marveling at how much better Anna Friel is at acting than Zooey Deschanel in the sort of role Ms. Deschanel specializes in, and picking out visual details that mirror characterization. I just wish such a gorgeous and well executed presentation had something equally interesting to present.
* Cake: http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2012/3/4/sunday-sweets-anything-goes.html
* "Women central part of pre-colonial Maya society:" http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-03-women-central-pre-colonial-maya-society.html
* Melissa Harris-Perry lays down some lovely snark on Santorum: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/melissa-harris-perry/46419672#46613246
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* "I want to know what it's Like:" http://www.sparkindarkness.com/2012/03/i-want-to-know-what-its-like.html
* "Berlin: Sex, death and pop-culture — not in that order:" http://lettersfromtitan.com/2012/03/04/berlin-sex-death-and-pop-culture-not-in-that-order/
* Interesting Manhole covers: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2012/02/worlds-coolest-manhole-cover-designs/1269/
I was going to say Kobe was my favorite, but then I saw the Kamakura one. O.o
* So Pushing Daisies. I can see why some people are fanatical about it, and why it didn't attract a broad audience. Visually, it's stunning with the over-saturated Wizard of Oz colours, beautiful set design, costuming, fairytale feel, and narration reminiscent of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. (They dress Olive in olive and pimento!) The core conceit is interesting. There are also some lovely performances here, both in the core cast and with the guest stars. Seriously, I get all the ways it's cool. At the same time, it's yet another story of a white straight man who has a power with a comedy black sidekick, and women fighting over him. I'm having trouble getting past that. Sure, it's vastly better written, cast, and designed, than say, Psych, but it's still ultimately a formula I've seen so often in the past 50 years or so of tv, movies, comics, books, etc. under all that lovely fairytale framing and visual beauty. This may make me a bad person, but I keep doing alternate casting in my head as I watch. What if they had switched everyone, so it would be a white comedy sidekick in an otherwise all POC core cast? (Yes, the coroner is black, and gets a scene every episode, but he's not listed as core cast on the DVD case, and isn't part of the main dynamic. Also, so far in my watching there have only been two POC guest stars, the rest all white). Alternately, what if the all American girl and her lovable eccentric Aunts where Asian or black, or... you see what I mean? What if Ned and his sweetheart were both black and he was rejecting a blond woman? I'm fascinated thinking how these things would change the subtext. It doesn't mean I hjate the show. It's certainly potato chip viewing, but I pick at it like a scab. I am still having fun playing "what else was this person in?" with the cast, marveling at how much better Anna Friel is at acting than Zooey Deschanel in the sort of role Ms. Deschanel specializes in, and picking out visual details that mirror characterization. I just wish such a gorgeous and well executed presentation had something equally interesting to present.
* Cake: http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2012/3/4/sunday-sweets-anything-goes.html