update.

Good heavens - has it been 5 whole days already?

Apparently.

Well.

umm.

I'd make the usual excuses - I was busy, I had to get mow the lawn, I had to wash my hair, Kids were sick, not tonight honey - I have a headache...

...but then we both stand there all awkward like and it is all crap anyway.

Anyway,

I was busy - but not busier than normal. I forgot. Or didn't have anything interesting to say... I'm never sure which one is correct. Either way. I hope it doesn’t happen again. It might. I'll be contrite then. No point in crying over milk that hasn’t spilled yet.

In other news,

Have you been watching Battlestar Galactica? Could it get any better? I mean - I suppose it could, but then Sci-fi would pull a Farscape on it and cancel it mid-season. Bastards.

(not bitter or anything)

Or a Firefly....

OH. Forgot to mention. We are finally watching Firefly. If you haven't yet - do yourself a favor and rent the DVDs, beg a friend, whatever. See the show. Then in September see the movie. I love the characters on this show.

So. Good.

Ok. One plug for merch before I go back to work.

Buy a shirt. You know you want to.

I hope to introduce news designs in September. This should be fun.

This intrigues me.

http://www.osx86project.org/

Apparently, some series of geeks managed put together a way to install the latest version of OS X (OS X.4 Tiger) on normal PC hardware.

Interesting.

It remains to be seen what Apple will do - if anything. There is some speculation that they are going to use this as an excuse for licensing out the OS and proving the failure of the Trusted Platform Module which is touted by Microsoft as "a chip is meant to verify trusted computers on a network and prevent malicious code from running on PCs. " Critics say other wise. They contend that TPM was created as a way for Microsoft to ensure its monopoly.

Either way, I am curious to see what develops of this story.

Wired has an article on the project here


Technorati tags: Apple,OS X, Microsoft, Technology

On being male.

What defines a man?

Not in the Men vs. Women sense of definition - but rather what makes a man - a Man?

When I talk to my female friends, I get different pictures (some of it may be cultural) on how their men act and how they react and respond to them. I hear over and over the discussion of “manly” characteristics (read physical attributes) and how a man isn’t really a man (at least not for them) with out said physical attribute(s). I see the common stereotype of the stupid father and the smart mother portrayed on sitcoms (wherein the father is really portrayed as nothing more than a scheming child figure). I see the Revenge fantasy played out on screen over and over again. (We won’t even touch on how porn treats men and women.)

Are these the modern example of a man? Is this what we are teaching our children?

In the article that inspired this line of thought (The tone of the article distract from what I see as its primary question, thus me not linking to it) stated:

When the West was Christian, Church and society encouraged men to follow the example of the Son of Man: Endowed with headship yet obedient to higher authorities, a man must use his physical abilities and natural strength and demeanor to provide for and protect his family, his people, laying down his life if necessary. This requires the cultivation of courage, discipline, and honor in boys, which used to be the goal of the education that our churches used to provide.

Today, American culture presents boys with icons of “masculinity,” such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, who glory in sodomizing women while pumping iron in a gym. Ideally, physical strength is to be put into the service of self-gratification, not of protecting and providing for “weaker vessels.” The macho American man is a “selfish hedonist,” who lives fast, plays hard, and beds women at will. Loving a wife, rearing children, and serving others are the least of his concerns.

(emphasis mine)

The article is concerned with Christianity specifically - but I feel that this statement has a broader implication and application. As I said earlier, the male in modern society is increasingly presented as a large child. He is either unwilling or unable to accept the responsibilities of being an adult. He strives to shirk work and responsibility. He schemes to “put one over” on his (usually smarter) female partner.

These are not men as I define the concept.

They are the product of the society that has raised them.

How do you define Male? (With out saying "not female" - that is counterproductive and beside the point.) There are qualities in men and women to be admired. This is not a gender v. gender argument. This is a serious question about what it means to be a man in America today.

Am I to follow the "leadership" of the last two presidents? Is lying acceptable? (Don't focus on the politics of the situations - look at the actions of those involved.) Am I supposed to believe that not listening to advisors (or selectively listening to information presented) is the correct way of running any enterprise (family, business, etc) I may be involved in? Is that what it means to be a man in America?

I have other sources on which to draw my inspirations - but still, what defines a man?

Physical attributes? Roguish characteristics? Abdication of responsibility? A desire to stick his cock in anything that moves?

I think not.

(Although from the proliferation of romance novels I think there may be some idealized elements of the characteristics mentioned above.)

Anyway.

I have my own definition (which is by no means complete). Coupled with part of the definition above -

A man takes responsibility for his actions. He strives to be fair. He leads when necessary. He is willing to defend those he cares for. He stands up for the things he believes in. He is not afraid of emotion, nor is he ruled by it. (Additionally - if married or otherwise involved) A good husband. A good partner. If he has children - He is a good father.

There are things implied in that list that I don't feel need to be spelled out. (For instance a man will listen to council and accept when he is wrong and not forge blindly ahead.)

The issue here (that I'm sure some one will bring up) is that these are qualities that can apply to both genders. I don't see that as a problem. I see the lack of poor male examples and the tacit acceptance (if not approval) of societal attitudes on men as a problem. (Maybe I'm bitter - it is always possible.)

I don't have good solutions. I don't have good answers. I have good questions. I have my standards. I hope between the two that it is enough.


Technorati tags: debate,Gender, politics, Men's Rights, male, Gender Definition

Red dot - Blue dot - How another worthless label is helping to destroy us all.

My current pet peeve is the continuation of the whole "Red state/ Blue state" mythos I see perpetuated everywhere from movie reviews to commercial activities.

This "divide" is utter bullshit.

Yup. I said it. Complete and utter Bullshit. It is a lovely little fiction used by politicians and the media as a means of describing people. The issue is that all it really does is drive a wedge between us. It keeps us so involved bickering with each other, we never bother to :

A: work out our differences like rational people
B: Unite to fix a common problem
C: Take control of our country back

Wait a second, depressoboy - you can't be serious!! I don't have anything in common with those crazy (insert color choice here) staters!

Bollocks.

Put down your petty arguments and look at where we are headed as a country today. Is it a good place? Do you really think that buying a fucking sticker that proclaims you a "Tiny Blue Dot in a Sea of Red" is going to solve the problem at hand? Really? All they (those that produce said sticker) are doing is cashing in on the latest fad and exploiting it.

Don't complain to me about how "those people" are crazy. I know plenty of "Red Staters" that disagree with the current administration and drivel leaking out of the White House. Maybe I'm a dreamer. That must be it. I don't see red or blue. I see awake and asleep. I don't care about your political affiliations or who you voted for. Hey, if you remember My candidate lost too. I know some of you voted for Bush. That is cool too.

Let us agree on the problems facing the remainder of American society and set about fixing them.

What? You want an example? Sure. Why not? All of our politicians say they support children and punishing those that hurt them. Protect.org. They also say they care about tracking sex offenders. Let us hold them to those statements. Maybe we could set out on a rational explanation of why Intelligent Design fails to be anything more than Pseudo-Science? But, (and here is the kicker) do it in terms that even a lay person can understand. Let us take a stab at the war against terror our Civil Liberties. The Patriot act and the (now renamed) Total Information Awareness act are good places to start. (see here)

Isn't that a heck of a lot more constructive than actively proclaiming your dislike of the "Red Staters" and doing nothing at all?

Technorati tags: debate,bullshit, politics, Red State, Blue State

I am sort of tired of this crap.

Over here James Wolcott references The Kung Fu Monkey's post about our president recommending that we teach Intelligent Design side by side with evolution.

Is there something in the water supply that makes the president bound and determined to make anyone with faith look stupid?

I told myself I was staying away from politics. I said I was going cold turkey and giving this shit up. I mean, I dropped a pack a day habit - I can quit politics right?

Apparently not.

(If I have said it once I have said it a hundred times.)

Look, I admit that I don't give two shits about evolution. It does not diminish my faith in the slightest to say that God used the process of evolution to get us where we are. And if he didn't? It also does not diminish my faith to say that He could have used another process. I just don't view it as important. Yes. I will happily say that through God all things are possible - But does that mean I accept any theory just thrown out there? Hmm. Well. No. No, it doesn’t. Really, I don't care about how man got here. If your view of God is small enough to not allow for the possibility that he did things differently that you might have liked - I'm sorry. I still don't see any good reason for this theory to be pushed from the White House bully pulpit.

Except, what I do see is a political move designed to both placate and infuriate. I see it as another trick to keep us fighting each other and not focused on what is happening in our country. Did we not notice the media focusing on the whole ID debate and not on Air America stealing money to pay for Al Franken? How about the small fact that the Total Information Awareness act has been renamed and is being pushed again?

I know. I'm a cynic. All I see in the President's Intelligent Design proclamation is a move designed to keep us fighting and make people of faith look like idiots. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe ID is a valid theory. I don't care. ID is not going to help us keep the country from disintegration. Evolution is not going to help us stave of disaster. The conflict over the two will only help to keep us at each other’s throats.

Maybe I am missing the whole point about the culture clash that is occurring here. To use the biblical allusions/quotations/references here - No man can serve two masters. He will love one and hate the other.

It may be that I am the fence sitter, unwilling to follow either side. How can I when I believe that both are wrong?

I don't think I am the fence sitter; I think I am just a man looking for the narrow path.

Technorati tags: faith, perception, debate, intelligent design,evolution, politics

Global frequency? Never heard of it.

Good news on the Global Frequency. John Rogers (the man with the inside knowledge) says over here that Global Frequency is not dead.

Very cool. Keep writing, keep watching, keep talking about it. Apparently some executive, somewhere is listening.



Technorati Tags: global frequency, warren ellis, Television.

Beauty

I find it hard to understand why these ads are actually controversial. What I mean to say is that, yes, they are controversial because they are challenging the media definition of Beauty, but media perceptions have long been skewed toward youth as ideal and scrawny looking models to push their image. But as my mother told me all those years ago, beauty is more than that particular image.

I prefer the look of the women in these ads. I find them infinitely more attractive than your average "super" model. Apparently I am the weird one. I hope, for my daughter's sake, that we can manage to impress on her the importance of beauty as an abstract not as an ideal that is defined by the mass consumer mind.

Beauty is in everything and everyone. (Except you. Yes. You there in the back row. I saw that. Stop it.) As she is all of six months old, I don't worry yet. But as you and I know, time flies, and in no time at all I expect that I shall have to worry about what clothing is popular and how she perceives herself.

I never understood the youth ideal that we have. Come on guys - is younger really better? Porn would have you believe so. I remember being 18. I'm having way better sex now than I was then. (Maybe because I'm having it now) Even if we ignore porn altogether (which is sort of a mistake - I'm not sure porn does not expose societies basest desires and perversions. A warped mirror of mainstream thought if you will) "beauty" and magazines across the board push younger and younger girls in our face. Look at the Brittney Spears phenomenon. There is no talent there, and yet, her album went.. What platinum? Multi-platinum? Who cares? Did she present herself as a naughty little schoolgirl in her video? Why yes. Yes she did. Did she dress in head to toe shiny red vinyl? Why yes. Yes she did. Did she work with Greg Dark (a porn director before he started doing music videos?) Do I really need to answer that?

Here is the kicker. I don't think she is pretty. I know a lot of guys who do. Yet if I pay attention to the marketing - She is the sex symbol that I should be lusting after. (Not so much anymore. She seems bound and determined to destroy her career. Let us pray.)

I know. I'm rehashing an old subject. The people that I know that read this are probably in agreement with me that society’s perceptions of beauty and what beauty actually is, are vastly different. I hope that dove succeeds with their marketing campaign. American Apparel, for all their other creepy faults, uses the same idea. Real people are beautiful. Let us hope that this idea creeps into the public mindset and refuses to go away.

Technorati tags: beauty, perception, fashion, pornography,porn, body issues

I know you!

Haven't we seen this before?

A rose by any other name - is still called the Total Information Awareness network.

So can I be the doomsayer? Just this once I want to say:

"Say goodbye to those pesky little things called "Civil Liberties"! You weren't using them any way!"

More in a bit.

Technorati Tags: Civil Liberties, Politics, Military.

Television, books, and the remainder of my sanity.

Have you visited the Frequency Site yet?

No?

Hopefully, it will become a hub for information on the GF Pilot and (hopefully) TV series.

Keep mailing and making yourselves heard. Look at what it did for Farscape.

Anyway,

Anyone else besides me watching the new Battlestar Galactica and loving it? Three episodes into the the second season, they are killing people left and right. I love watching this show. I was talking to a friend and He wants lasers instead of machine guns. I dig the fact that they have more realistic armaments (even if the idea of walking God-Fearing Robot killing machines is an allegory for fanatics across the world.)

The writing on the show is great, the acting is great and I fear that it might suffer the Farscape fate. Sci-fi is notorious for canceling shows that have a dedicated fanbase. Ah well.

I have yet to actually listen to one of Ron Moore's podcasts while watching the show - I understand that it is an informative experience. I shall have to try it.

I'm sort of thrilled with the amount of good TV I have at the moment. The bigger issue? It is distracting me from my reading.

As I said in my last post, I have been working on "The Amber Spyglass" - by Phillip Pullman, "Gloriania" - By Michael Moorcock, and "The Rise of Modern Japan" - by W.G. Beasley.

I haven't gotten much further in any of them. I might be distracted by my Japanese finals, but I blame Battlestar. (and that cursed need to sleep).

Ah well.

OH. and a political correctness note - When did it become fashionable to not call terrorists - TERRORISTS? All I see them called now is "Suicide Hijackers. Militants. Rebels. Insurgents" What the fuck? Are we trying to make them more palatable to the masses?

Whatever.

More in a bit.

I'll even try and stay away from politics.


Oh yeah - I almost forgot. Buy a Shirt. I'm hoping to introduce some new designs soon, but I would like to publish this one first.

Technorati Tags: global frequency, warren ellis, Television, Shirts, boobs, politics, Battlestar Galactica, Books.

More on the Global Frequency; other stuff

Have you picked up the graphic novels yet?

No?

Take a second. Go to amazon and take a look. Even if the suits at the WB or wherever can't be convinced to pick up the show, we can show Warren Ellis some love. Check out Transmetropolitian while you are at it. In the meantime, keep emailing, keep spreading the word.

In other news,

Shirt sales are doing ok. I have some new ideas for the next batch. Hopefully, they will appeal to someone other than just me.

I'm sort of back to old tricks again. I'm in the middle of three books and working on two or three stories. Hopefully, I'll finish editing the one that is essentially done. Next step - sending it out and hopeing to god that I can get it published.

What books am I reading?

The amber spyglass - Phillip Pullman

Gloriana - Michael Morecock

The Rise of Modern Japan - W.G. Beasley

I'm enjoying Gloriana and The Rise of Modern Japan, but The Amber Spyglass is feeling like a chore. I feel sort of bad about that. The series came highly recomended to me by friends that pretty much read what I do. I liked The Subtle Knife (the second book in the series) but the third one just isn't doing it.

Alright. Off to work.

More in a bit.

Technorati Tags: global frequency, warren ellis, Television, Executive asshats, Shirts, shop, boobs.