(no subject)

I'm noticing a disturbing trend, wherein anything appearing in "alternate" news sources -- anything not CNN/BBC/etc. -- is automatically considered 100% true by those who consider themselves to be part of the "counterculture", no matter how wacky, unlikely, or plain unreasonable it sounds. These people tend to forget that "objective reporting" is a myth, and that every news source has a bias, and every news source is dependent on the sources it uses, as well as the reporter's biases and goals -- which are not always to tell the whole story or to even tell the truth.

A related phenomenon is the belief that activists always tell the whole truth -- at least, those who agree with the listener. Operation Rescue lies but Planned Parenthood doesn't, or vice versa. Ugh. You know what? They both distort things from time to time, they both overreact and commit logical fallacies every day.

Pro-war or anti-war, pro-Bush or anti-Bush, everyone has their biases and their distorted truths. Just because Kyle from "Silly Punk Band #472" says the government broke down his door and threatened him doesn't mean it really did. Just because Jeb from "Scary Militia Group #37" says the liberals and the homosexuals and the atheists are killing America doesn't mean they really are.

Now, I'm not saying this has never happened, and I'm not saying that nothing on, oh, Alternet or even Ain't It Cool News is true. Sometimes it is. What I'm saying is that just because something's in print -- no matter where it's in print -- doesn't make it true. And I wish more people read the news with a grain of salt.
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Someone at work (Nancy, for those keeping score at home) said something about the war on Iraq I agree with, so I'm repeating it:

I don't think we should have started this war, but now that we're there, I want them to win and come home safe. But my opposition to the reasons and the very fact we're in it haven't changed.

(no subject)

I saw a commercial last night that actually made me somewhat hopeful for the species.

It was for Wendy's, their new salads specifically. Two guys are eating, one mentions how good they are, the other says "Yeah, and they're so big, I may have to take some of this home." The other guy says:

Guy#2: Don't you think . . . here we are, two guys, talking about salads . . . don't you think that's kind of . . . (nervous head-toss) you know? (The clear indication being "gay")

Guy#1: (looks at him) Grow up, man.

I laughed. Hard.

(no subject)

Hey, is anyone (on the west coast) interested in seeing this film on April 18th at 9:45pm? It's in Berkeley, part of the San Francisco International Film Festival.

I can't see all the films I'd like to, but this one ought to be doable.

(no subject)

On the advice of g31g3r, and putting aside my feeling that the different format was a gimmick, I picked up The Clock Maker over the weekend.

Damn. It's pretty good.

(no subject)

Heaven for the costumer/enactor interested in swords, flintlocks (of the non-firing costume variety).

I found Alleyn's guns, and they're uber-affordable! (Most of the flintlock pistol replicas are around $30)