Sunday Animated Lecture

Via Andrew Sullivan comes this humorous and enlightening animated lecture on the geography of time. There is a lot of interest here, especially for us old fuddy duddies who have to teach the wired generation.

Take a look and see what you think. I love the drawings in it.

News Flash!!

This just in from The Week:

Britons actually spend slightly more time reading news online than looking at pornography.

And:

Alabama Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne was accused in a GOP rival's campaign ad of believing in evolution. Byrne insisted he's a creationist who believes "every single word" in the Bible.

Proving once again just how far apart the England and the US are culturally.

Clemens learns a new word

Coconut.

No, it's not what you think. In modern slang it means "tan on the outside, white on the inside." Sort of like a Latino Oreo.

Here [from Andrew Sullivan] is a bright light on CNN misusing the term, on so many levels:

"You almost need that blank piece of paper [to be a politician]. That's the new model. Like, you know, this coconut Rubio down in Florida," CNBC commentator Donny Deutsch. If you don't know what a "coconut" is, see Urban Dictionary.

Don't know, but this would make Carmen and her whole family coconuts [must.resist.urge. for. funny.comment] - and they are all about as Europoid as you can get.

"Avatar" and the White Messiah complex

Haven't had a chance to see "Avatar" yet, a fact partly explained by snow storms and cataract surgery. Both at the same time can complicate your life. I have been reminded of the fact that Carmen really doesn't like winter on a mountaintop. Anyway, we have not been able to see the movie, though I, Carmen, Maire, Murty, and young Clovis all intend to see it soon when the weather lets up (say, April).

We are all agreed that we want to see it mainly for the stunning visual effect due to the new technology involved. None of us have heard anything good about the plot, dialogue, etc. But David Brooks offers his own commentary on the movie as a story, or myth, involving the ubiquitous "White Messiah."

This is the oft-repeated story about a manly young adventurer who goes into the wilderness in search of thrills and profit. But, once there, he meets the native people and finds that they are noble and spiritual and pure. And so he emerges as their Messiah, leading them on a righteous crusade against his own rotten civilization.

He then goes on to recount most of the action in "Avatar," making it sound slightly foolish and naive. Not to mention a bit racist.

It rests on the stereotype that white people are rationalist and technocratic while colonial victims are spiritual and athletic. It rests on the assumption that nonwhites need the White Messiah to lead their crusades. It rests on the assumption that illiteracy is the path to grace. It also creates a sort of two-edged cultural imperialism. Natives can either have their history shaped by cruel imperialists or benevolent ones, but either way, they are going to be supporting actors in our journey to self-admiration.

It’s just escapism, obviously, but benevolent romanticism can be just as condescending as the malevolent kind — even when you surround it with pop-up ferns and floating mountains

Now when we actually see the movie I will write my own reaction to it. For the moment I will just say that I never thought illiteracy was a path to grace. But then, I was a Federal bureaucrat once.

but I got out after 10 months


UPDATE: Please see the comments. A reader thinks that Brooks is deriving much of his idea from this article from "Racism Review". He has a point. Check it out. If a student did this I would gig him not for plagiarism but for failure to cite the source of his inspiration.

R. Crumb, r.i.p... ooops

Honest, I thought he was dead. R. Crumb. How many of you remember him? He was an underground comic artist of the late 60s-70s and a very strange man. (See this bio-pic if you have any doubts about that!). His artwork was splendid - he only drew in sharp black and white using India ink in a Rapidograph pen (my hero!).

While I have to admit to a certain influence on the budding Clemens' barely post adolescent mind, many critics have "denounced Crumb's work as socially degrading and emotionally immature misogynistic pornography!" (from a web page devoted to his work)

So imagine my surprise when I see in today's Washington Post that the man has illustrated a complete, unexpurgated, literal, word for word version of the book of Genesis. Complete unto every last 'begot'! Don't know if it is a work of reverence, love, or irony, but there is no doubt that it will be regarded as a work of art.

If you go into that sort of thing.

and I certainly do. Keep on truckin'.

Ah, youth

Now that I have reached a ripe old age, approximately a quarter of a century older than the average life span for most of human history, I find this video of one of our greatest living philosophers discussing youth oddly comforting. Or not. Depending on your point of view.

It is, however, absolutely true.

It also explains a lot about our culture in the 21rst century.

... but now I can ride the bus for half price.

this link came from andrewsullivan.com bte.
.

POV of Politics

Wonder how our never ending presidential campaigns play out in foreign lands? Here is a bit from the article in Dawn, Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, about the selection of Joe Biden as Obama's VP. Notice the subtle shades of difference in what the writer thinks is important from what an American news writer might say:

Masood Haider adds from New York: Sen. Biden is an outspoken critic of the Bush administration’s policy of extending support to military regime in Pakistan under former president Pervez Musharraf. Recently, he had cautioned the Bush administration against taking any steps that could be interpreted as propping up the former army chief.

Biden is spearheading a piece of legislation for tripling Pakistan’s economic assistance to $15 billion payable in 10 years. He is known as one of the foremost supporters of democratic forces in Pakistan.

“The political future of (former) president Musharraf is a matter to be decided by the Pakistani people, through normal constitutional channels. Washington should not do anything that appears as thwarting their will,” Biden has said.

In recent years, Biden has twice travelled to Afghanistan and Pakistan and to Iraq eight times.

And it concludes:

In 2006, he said: “In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.”

During his bid for the nomination last year, Biden criticised Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. “Both Hillary and Barack didn’t get it right,” Biden said, when they had their “little spat” on whether a president could order a unilateral attack on terrorists in Pakistan or Afghanistan.

And he criticised Obama and former Sen. John Edwards for “playing the populism card, the idea that rich are bad, poor are good, the nobility of America lies in the poor. I think that’s a losing general election argument; I think it’s a losing argument, period.” He argued: “The rich are as patriotic as the poor, if you ask of them.”

I wonder how big the Pakistani/American vote is here.

Miss Moneypenny is dead

Lois Maxwell, who starred as Miss Moneypenny in 14 James Bond movies, has died at the age of 80.

The Canadian-born actress starred alongside Sean Connery in the first James Bond movie, "Dr. No," in 1962 as the secretary to M, the head of the secret service. The last Bone movie she was in was "A View to a Kill" in 1985.

I've become convinced that the NEW James Bond is actually the Sean Connery Bond's love-child with Moneypenny, who is now 'M.'

No, think about it.