An Inconvenient Meme
It's Fourth of July weekend. I'm sure readership will be abysmal, at least coming from the US, which is where a big percentage of my readers seem to come from. So I may just do some posts of light whimsy instead of anything that requires vast concentration. Stuff I've found online that's amusing to me, memes, etc.
With that in mind, two things for you.
First, a movie. Then, a meme.
MOVIE:
I just saw the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. If you haven't seen it, I really encourage you to. It was really good--and thought provoking. If you've ever wondered what "all this global warming stuff " actually means for you, this film helps you "get it" fast, explains the immediate and projected consequences based on hard science, and gets you to begin thinking about ways to start resolving the problem. Kudos to Al Gore for a job well done.
Even though it would seem a film on such a serious topic might be a bit heavy and dull, or alarmist in a reactionary way, it wasn't at all. Unlike Fahrenheit 911, which I was sorely disappointed in, this film didn't rely on a higher percentage of emotional manipulation and cheap shots at the current administration than it did on hardcore facts to make its point. In fact, while very occasionally there was a subtle, tongue-in-cheek comment targeted at past and current US governmental disinterest in environmental policy, An Inconvenient Truth's tone overall is very measured, and focuses on the issue at the global, not just national, level. It was clear that Al Gore wanted to make sure any point he made that represented US policy in a bad light (or any other country's) was based on fact, not personal vendetta. This approach, in my opinion, is the strongest one of all for an issues-based film: build your argument with facts, not name calling. This film certainly does that.
And even though it was clearly done on a shoestring budget, it wasn't boring at all. In fact, I and the person who went to see it with me both wished it had gone on a little longer, and that even more things were discussed, so obviously we weren't bored. The film is interesting, it dispels a lot of spin around the issue, and it's very easy to watch and comprehend, even if you don't have a scientific background. And there's a cartoon by the Simpsons creators in it. How can you go wrong?
Go see it.
MEME:
I found this on the splendiferous Brooke's site, and the questions seemed a little more unusual than the norm, so thought I'd give it a go. If you're desirous of being tagged, then YOU'RE IT. Let me know if you did it on your site so I can check it out.
Also note, as every meme I do makes obvious, I can't seem to EVER follow the rules. Forgive me. It's just my way. The girl can't help it.
1.You are in the Witness Protection Program and must invent a new first, last, and middle name. What is it?
Pret A Porté
2.You are in a threesome with two famous people, alive or dead. Who are they?
Captain Will Kidd and his somewhat lesser-known brother Mad Jack.
Heh. Just a joke to make a friend laugh.
Okay, seriously now:
Vātsyāyana and Mae West.
Although, actually, a pirate/girl/biker threesome sounds pretty damn good, too. Can I have both choices?
3.You are in charge of naming your new band. What's the name of the band?
Vermiscious Knid
4. You are going to get a free tattoo. What would it be?
A cherry blossom branch, just starting to bloom. Either around my arm or on one side of my back near my shoulder. But kind of abstract. More like these than a literal depiction:
5. You are being forced to listen to one song over and over, ad infinitum, as a form of torture. What song is it?
This one.
6. You are leaving your state/province. What state do you move to?
Upstate NY (specifically Ithaca) for the summer. And maybe Hawaii the rest of the year--but only if it’s combined with lengthy visits to lots of hipster cities I like (Portland, LA, NYC, San Francisco…). I can’t sit still. Obviously.
7. You are leaving your country, where would you move?
I’d split time between Scotland (warmer months), and Italy (Florence or Cinque Terra) or maybe France (Paris). Close runner-ups would be Portugal, Spain, Japan, and Iceland in the summer (I’ve never been to the last two but I have the feeling I’d really like both).
8. You get to choose one book as the best ever written. What book do you choose?
Toss up: Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky or Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
9. You get to choose one movie as the best ever made. What movie do you choose?
Christ, I can’t answer this. WizardofOzEternalSunshineoftheSpotlessMindAnimal CrackersWillieWonkaWestSideStoryMagnoliaTrust
10. You get to spend one day each as a bird, an insect, and a mammal. What bird would you be? What insect? What mammal?
Bird: One of those black water birds that can fly AND swim on top of and under the water. I don’t know the name, but I see them all the time around here. I want it all.
Insect: Tarantula.
Mammal: Dolphin. (Yeah those last two conflict in every way. Welcome to my brain.)
Why no reptile? I want to be a reptile! I’d be a Gravid " Edelbrock " longtail boa constrictor.
11. You must relive one year of your life. Which would you like to relive?
Either September 1989 - September 1990 or 1991.
12. Which year(s) would you least like to relive?
The year in which I was assaulted (I can’t remember exactly which one it was).
Of course, that’s just one moment I’d like to erase in an otherwise okay year. If it was a whole YEAR of moments to erase, maybe any year between 2001 and 2005.
13. You have a time machine that will take you backwards anywhere from 1800 to the present. What decade do you most want to visit?
Only to 1800? That sucks. I want to visit eras way before that.
Um, the 1920s sounded cool. I’d like to be in Paris in the 1920s.
Second choice: NYC or London during the early years of punk. So, 1970s. (I was actually alive then, but nowhere near old enough to be able to be a scenester.)
14. You must choose to go skydiving or very-deep-sea diving.
Deep-sea diving. Love the ocean. Hate drops.
15. You get to return to the past (using that handy dandy time machine we were talking about before) and have a sexual encounter with a rock star who is no longer alive. Who do you pick?
Up until recently, it would have been John Lennon. But then I carefully watched a video of him and Yoko making out, and he seemed like kind of a bad kisser.
He’s not dead, but I’d like to fuck the memory of Jimmy Page from when he looked like this.
I don’t even like Led Zeppelin (yes, I know, I'm the only person on earth who doesn't appreciate them). But I just always thought JP was hot. I like his face.
16. You get to be a contestant on any game show, airing today or in the past. What show do you want to be on?
None. I want to be on Iron Chef, but as a judge. (And the original show, NOT the American version)
17. You are given $1 million dollars but you must give it all to one charity. What charity do you choose?
I'd set up a grant program for unpublished writers so that those selected would be able to have the funds to write for a year without financial worry.
18. You must ban one word from the dictionary and all usage, to be no longer uttered or written. What word do you ban?
This isn’t actually in the dictionary, but I would like to ban anyone--ESPECIALLY any adult--from ever calling vegetables “veggies.” Gets on my last nerve.
19. You can have 100 million dollars tax-free but if you take it, you'll die at the age of fifty. Do you take it?
Nope. I no longer accept gifts with conditions. Ever.
20. There is no number 20.
Well, all numbers are really 42, anyway.
With that in mind, two things for you.
First, a movie. Then, a meme.
MOVIE:
I just saw the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. If you haven't seen it, I really encourage you to. It was really good--and thought provoking. If you've ever wondered what "all this global warming stuff " actually means for you, this film helps you "get it" fast, explains the immediate and projected consequences based on hard science, and gets you to begin thinking about ways to start resolving the problem. Kudos to Al Gore for a job well done.
Even though it would seem a film on such a serious topic might be a bit heavy and dull, or alarmist in a reactionary way, it wasn't at all. Unlike Fahrenheit 911, which I was sorely disappointed in, this film didn't rely on a higher percentage of emotional manipulation and cheap shots at the current administration than it did on hardcore facts to make its point. In fact, while very occasionally there was a subtle, tongue-in-cheek comment targeted at past and current US governmental disinterest in environmental policy, An Inconvenient Truth's tone overall is very measured, and focuses on the issue at the global, not just national, level. It was clear that Al Gore wanted to make sure any point he made that represented US policy in a bad light (or any other country's) was based on fact, not personal vendetta. This approach, in my opinion, is the strongest one of all for an issues-based film: build your argument with facts, not name calling. This film certainly does that.
And even though it was clearly done on a shoestring budget, it wasn't boring at all. In fact, I and the person who went to see it with me both wished it had gone on a little longer, and that even more things were discussed, so obviously we weren't bored. The film is interesting, it dispels a lot of spin around the issue, and it's very easy to watch and comprehend, even if you don't have a scientific background. And there's a cartoon by the Simpsons creators in it. How can you go wrong?
Go see it.
MEME:
I found this on the splendiferous Brooke's site, and the questions seemed a little more unusual than the norm, so thought I'd give it a go. If you're desirous of being tagged, then YOU'RE IT. Let me know if you did it on your site so I can check it out.
Also note, as every meme I do makes obvious, I can't seem to EVER follow the rules. Forgive me. It's just my way. The girl can't help it.
1.You are in the Witness Protection Program and must invent a new first, last, and middle name. What is it?
Pret A Porté
2.You are in a threesome with two famous people, alive or dead. Who are they?
Captain Will Kidd and his somewhat lesser-known brother Mad Jack.
Heh. Just a joke to make a friend laugh.
Okay, seriously now:
Vātsyāyana and Mae West.
Although, actually, a pirate/girl/biker threesome sounds pretty damn good, too. Can I have both choices?
3.You are in charge of naming your new band. What's the name of the band?
Vermiscious Knid
4. You are going to get a free tattoo. What would it be?
A cherry blossom branch, just starting to bloom. Either around my arm or on one side of my back near my shoulder. But kind of abstract. More like these than a literal depiction:
5. You are being forced to listen to one song over and over, ad infinitum, as a form of torture. What song is it?
This one.
6. You are leaving your state/province. What state do you move to?
Upstate NY (specifically Ithaca) for the summer. And maybe Hawaii the rest of the year--but only if it’s combined with lengthy visits to lots of hipster cities I like (Portland, LA, NYC, San Francisco…). I can’t sit still. Obviously.
7. You are leaving your country, where would you move?
I’d split time between Scotland (warmer months), and Italy (Florence or Cinque Terra) or maybe France (Paris). Close runner-ups would be Portugal, Spain, Japan, and Iceland in the summer (I’ve never been to the last two but I have the feeling I’d really like both).
8. You get to choose one book as the best ever written. What book do you choose?
Toss up: Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky or Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
9. You get to choose one movie as the best ever made. What movie do you choose?
Christ, I can’t answer this. WizardofOzEternalSunshineoftheSpotlessMindAnimal CrackersWillieWonkaWestSideStoryMagnoliaTrust
10. You get to spend one day each as a bird, an insect, and a mammal. What bird would you be? What insect? What mammal?
Bird: One of those black water birds that can fly AND swim on top of and under the water. I don’t know the name, but I see them all the time around here. I want it all.
Insect: Tarantula.
Mammal: Dolphin. (Yeah those last two conflict in every way. Welcome to my brain.)
Why no reptile? I want to be a reptile! I’d be a Gravid " Edelbrock " longtail boa constrictor.
11. You must relive one year of your life. Which would you like to relive?
Either September 1989 - September 1990 or 1991.
12. Which year(s) would you least like to relive?
The year in which I was assaulted (I can’t remember exactly which one it was).
Of course, that’s just one moment I’d like to erase in an otherwise okay year. If it was a whole YEAR of moments to erase, maybe any year between 2001 and 2005.
13. You have a time machine that will take you backwards anywhere from 1800 to the present. What decade do you most want to visit?
Only to 1800? That sucks. I want to visit eras way before that.
Um, the 1920s sounded cool. I’d like to be in Paris in the 1920s.
Second choice: NYC or London during the early years of punk. So, 1970s. (I was actually alive then, but nowhere near old enough to be able to be a scenester.)
14. You must choose to go skydiving or very-deep-sea diving.
Deep-sea diving. Love the ocean. Hate drops.
15. You get to return to the past (using that handy dandy time machine we were talking about before) and have a sexual encounter with a rock star who is no longer alive. Who do you pick?
Up until recently, it would have been John Lennon. But then I carefully watched a video of him and Yoko making out, and he seemed like kind of a bad kisser.
He’s not dead, but I’d like to fuck the memory of Jimmy Page from when he looked like this.
I don’t even like Led Zeppelin (yes, I know, I'm the only person on earth who doesn't appreciate them). But I just always thought JP was hot. I like his face.
16. You get to be a contestant on any game show, airing today or in the past. What show do you want to be on?
None. I want to be on Iron Chef, but as a judge. (And the original show, NOT the American version)
17. You are given $1 million dollars but you must give it all to one charity. What charity do you choose?
I'd set up a grant program for unpublished writers so that those selected would be able to have the funds to write for a year without financial worry.
18. You must ban one word from the dictionary and all usage, to be no longer uttered or written. What word do you ban?
This isn’t actually in the dictionary, but I would like to ban anyone--ESPECIALLY any adult--from ever calling vegetables “veggies.” Gets on my last nerve.
19. You can have 100 million dollars tax-free but if you take it, you'll die at the age of fifty. Do you take it?
Nope. I no longer accept gifts with conditions. Ever.
20. There is no number 20.
Well, all numbers are really 42, anyway.
posted by Miss Syl at 3:57 PM
4 Comments:
Haven't seen the movie yet.
Am kind of Contrary about Memes. So I'm gonna do it here.
1. You really think I'm gonna tell you? Dude. I might need that name.
2. oooh. Brandon lee? and Maybe a young Kate Bush? Those North Yorkshire catholic girls put out. Then again, given the wide range... Cleopatra? Any of the latter day Roman emporors? What about Helen of Troy? This is hard, momma. There's Yourcenar and Anais Nin. There are Geisha. There are the four beauties of Ancient China, including Xi shi, for whom it is said the fish would dip in shame when she was laundering her garments in the river.
Nominally, I pick Boddicea and Brandon lee.
3. Ladies and Gentlemen, please give it up for Sock Puppet Massacre.
4. It will be a giger-esque spider monster from Alien, it will be in invisible but UV-sensitive ink so it can only be seen in blacklight, and it will be crawling over the right side of my head so that it's about to eat my eye.
5. Am I to pick something that's torturous here? or something that might allow me to escape the torture?
6. Ouch. If you anything about my you know this is like asking a boat what it would be if it didn't float.
7. And ditto. Though I may be forced to give an answer for real soon. And the answer may be Japan.
8. feux. by Yourcenar.
9. the blue/white/red trilogy viewed as one film. Or dreams by Kurosawa. I can't pick.
10. The bird that flies highest most regularly is the bar-headed goose Anser indicus, which travels directly over the Himalayas en route between its nesting grounds in Tibet and winter quarters in India. They are sometimes seen flying well above the peak of Mt. Everest at 29,035 ft.
After that, dragonfly and dolphin again.
11. Can I change events in the year or do I have to endure it as it was?
If I could change things, 1991. If not, 1994 had its moments I guess.
12. I wouldn't erase a one.
13. Any decade with Steam trains and sailboats.
14. Both! But I pick deep sea diving.
15. As far as I know there are no hot dead rockstar chicks yet. I suppose I pick Jim morrisson for mood and his taste in groupies.
16. I'll take quiz show. For the historic value.
17. Doctors without borders.
18. Moot. It's a misused and misunderstood word anyway.
19. No way.
20. That's okay. I'm not wearing any underwear. Or clothes, actually.
Buck: Sock Puppet Massacre is genius. You need to go rent "Meet the Feebles."
Janis Joplin was kinda hot, in a crazy, drugged out chick kinda way.
What are these feebles of which you speak, and how shall I meet them? I think I need more friends with tv?DVD combos and easily pushable egos.
Janis Joplin was never hot. Occasionally compelling perhaps, but really not my type.
Buck:
Meet the Feebles. Fuck LOTR, MTF was Peter Jackson's seminal work. Possibly the sickest movie ever made. With or without puppets. But the puppets just kind of make it sicker. See all the gory details here.
Bring this DVD over to a friend's house who is beyond being able to be offended, or be prepared to lose your friends. I forced it on one of my best friends, who could take just about anything, and at the end he looked at me, curled himself into the fetal position, and whimpered, "I need a shower. I feel very, very, dirty...like I'll never get clean."
And that's not a joke.
Janis Joplin could be sexy. If for nothing else, for that scream she does in "Piece of my Heart." Gets my loins all in a dither every time I hear it. But I guess there's no accounting for taste. :P
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