From the BBC.
Open Mic Comedians…
January 7, 2009A random rant: Tonight I played a couple songs–just me and my acoustic–at a local open mic night. Specifically, it was at Solly’s here in DC. I had fun, but I think I would have preferred a venue with just acoustic music and no stand-up comedians. There were a few (two, really) comics who were funny and at least mildly intelligent. Call me an elitist, but I just don’t understand why ever standup in the world needs jokes about racism and ‘getting pussy’. Enough already!
Go Ahead, Make Another Baby
May 26, 2008China exempts earthquake victim families from its one child policy so they can have another child/ heir: Story
Other groups qualified for exemptions?
-certain ethnic groups
-rural families in some cases
-families where both parents are only children
And oh yeah, the Chinese government will no longer be fining parents for their children killed in the quake:
Chinese couples who have more than one child are commonly punished by fines. The announcement says that if a child born illegally was killed in the quake, the parents will no longer have to pay fines for that child — but the previously paid fines won’t be refunded.
Does this mean that parents whose children die or are killed in another way normally have to continue paying fines? Interesting…
More Than Meets the Eye
July 11, 2007Transformers. Great summer movie–amazing effects, good action sequences, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. And, I used to be in love with the 80’s Transformers movie. So I enjoyed myself tremendously. That said,
1) Did the Air Force underwrite the entire movie or something? It was like the entire movie was product placement for USAF, and it’s probably a good plan since they’re target demographic probably likes action movies about blowing stuff up.
2) I can root for the Air Force with a much cleaner conscience when they’re indiscriminately lobbing missiles and bombs at evil robots (call me a speciesist) than when the targets are people’s houses.
3) Does the “hot girl” in the movie have to wear a gallon of makeup and fry herself in a tanning bed?
4) It’s nice that all the invading alien plots happen to focus on the U.S. Oh wait, this is Hollywood.
5) What’s with the stereotyped Mexican and South Asian characters? And why is the lead always a white male? *Steps off PC soapbox.*
Connection, Redux
July 2, 2007I just ran my page through Gizoogle, which “transizlates” pages from standard English into jive. Here are some wonderful, culturally-appropriate excerpts from my previous post:
I work at a store . I’m a mutha fuckin 2-time felon.. Many, mizzle thugz come through mah checkout each dizzle though tha dominant group is Southern, middle-class, middle-age white bitchez. So when someone different comes through mah line, I often takes interest puttin tha smack down.
And then he was gizzy. If I Hadn’t had gangsta customa in line I probably would’ve asked wizzle brought him ta America, n especially ta Searcy in tha mutha fuckin club. There jizzle aren’t many (black) South Africans in mah ghetto (I kizzy a few white ones) n I’m always curious ta hizzle tha piznath that brought thugz fizzle so far away . Hollaz to the East Side. I enjoyed tha brief shawty connection of shared knowledge of a place, even in Small Tizzay USA with my hoes on my side, and my strap on my back. Maybe He’ll come B-to-tha-izzack through.
For the record, Gizoogle also translated Amy Richards’ book into Manifesta: Young Bitchez, Feminism, n tha Future.