Lady Gaga has canceled her concert in Jakarta, Indonesia, because of threats of violence from an Islamic fundie outfit called the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). 50,000 people had bought tickets. They were going to fill a stadium. Now comes the fallout. Indonesia is not known as a theocratic prison state. … Continue reading
It didn’t receive the saturation media coverage of a car chase through a Tulsa trailer park, but yesterday’s successful docking of the private, commercial space ship Dragon with the International Space Station is getting a bit more respect today. And I would imagine there are some champagne hang-overs around the … Continue reading
While I can still time stamp this piece with the date of May 25, 2012, I want to send out my congratulations to everybody at SpaceX for their historic, and maybe pivotal achievement. Some news outlets actually allowed a brief break in the rushing river of tabloid hooey to take … Continue reading
Donna Summer’s funeral was yesterday. Her success was stupendous in her brief life, and yet she deserved better than she got. Why was Donna Summer never the recipient of the same degree of celebrity celebration as Madonna? The difference in their respective levels of talent are nothing compared to the … Continue reading
I’m figuring somebody in the know was reading my blog yesterday and yanked the new Jeremiah Wright ad campaign. It was that or something else, because it’s gone. Oh well. I have faith that another public service announcement just as inspiring will be hauled out to take its place. Exactly … Continue reading
Pretty surprising to open up my glaring screen this morning and read about the leaked plans of some right-wing “Super PAC” against Obama this year. They’re hauling out the old videos from 2008 of Jeremiah Wright, ranting his furious screeds from the pulpit. Not sure if they have any fresh … Continue reading
Yahoo “News” took a throw-away story about a fossil and turned it into a major mover this week. The incident reveals plenty about human nature. The story involved a fossil of a large marine dinosaur, a Pliosaur, and the specimen in question showed signs of an arthritic condition that may … Continue reading
I often use the word fuck when that’s what I’m doing. Otherwise, not so much. People who’ve read my fiction are sometimes stunned, staggered, and maybe a little heartbroken by my rare use of profanity. I stick to the rule that writing should be lean (not so much clean as … Continue reading
All over the internet howls and yowls of protest are streaming in about the evil MSM digging up fifty-year-old dirt on Mitt Romney. (That’s Main Stream Media, folks. I always thought mainstream was one word. And anyway, what do you want? Fringe Media?) Let’s cut to the chase. What is … Continue reading
The atmosphere was electric in Boston’s Park Plaza Hotel today. Nikola Tesla would have been right at home. Grub Street writing center held its Muse and the Marketplace writers’ conference, drawing thousands of authors and industry pros from across the country. It was a very encouraging time for a guy … Continue reading
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