Suddenly I Like Oprah January 27, 2006
Posted by danjeffers in Culture and Subversion.add a comment
Like almost everyone who isn’t a total fan, I have long rooted for Oprah’s downfall. She’s too mainstream, too positive, too “I’m just a regular gazillion-aire”. Much like I rooted for Martha Stewart to fall. Then, when they went after Martha Stewart, even though I still am against most of what she stands for (interior decorating), I began to admire her grace under pressure. And, there really is no way to justify the overreaching prosecution. She did wrong, but not jail-time wrong.
In Oprah’s case, I suppose I respect that she came out and said she was wrong. But that’s not what I like about her. That could totally be part of the Oprah machine, picking the best course for her franchise. What I like is that, even though a good politician, or a good CEO would have held back and checked the facts, she screwed up totally and called Larry King. That, to me, is a very human mistake. Something I might have done. And, though I might not like Oprah as a franchise, I generally like humans, even when they do screw up.
Al Queda Posthumous Promotions? January 14, 2006
Posted by danjeffers in The World Outside the Beltway.add a comment
Apparently, any time a senior Al Queda member is killed, he is automatically promoted to “Al Queda number2″. I assume there are better benefits with that.
Going Postal January 3, 2006
Posted by danjeffers in Bad Ayn Rand.add a comment
I think everyone who has ever been seduced by the childish pleasures of Ayn Rand should, when they are old enough to understand it, read “Going Postal” by Terry Pratchett. The book is hilarious, light-hearted, and a complete indictment of the Atlas Shrugged fantasy.
Battlestar Galactica January 3, 2006
Posted by danjeffers in Battlestar Galactica.add a comment
The show starts up again Friday. Time magazine called it the best show on television which is, I think, accurate. However, after paying $50 for the first season on DVD, I find I could plop down another $50 for the FIRST HALF of season two. That’s ridiculous. Wait until the whole season is over, put together a good package of the shows and bonuses, and sell me that for $50.
