[ 
Mood: Amused ]
While looking for the next in the series, I realized that two seperate companies are publishing Philosophy books centered around pop culture.
Wiley does the The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series and Open Court does a Popular Culture and Philosophy.
Who would think there would be enough demand for one, let alone two series?
[ 
Mood: Sleepy ]
[ Currently: Holding my sleeping son ]
While I enjoyed this book, it was far from a perfect read.
One of ongoing series of pop culture philosophy books, suffers from the same problem as its bretheren, While it is an engaging read at times, some of the contributors make but the barest of links between the subject and the philosophy they are linking to it. For laywomen like me (and laymen too) this means that they are too many articles that are a slog to read rather enlightening,
Some of the authors have also made the mistake of not altering their writing style to fit a mass audience, making this work, at times, seem like a scholarly journal. Finally, the editor has forgotten that while academic journals and essay collections frequently have more than one article avout a specific subject, those written for the rest of us avoid it like the plague. Doing it means that the reader gets bogged down in repetition, which leads to boredome and disengagement.
[ 
Mood: Happy ]
[ 
Currently: Watching Colbert Report ]
A reminder, this is from a piece I wrote for teh website, but for a bunch of complicated reasons will not appear there. I have not followed the results from the Creative Arts Emmies, nor am I following the big show tonight.
Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
As much as I want Emmy to rain its golden goodness on Pushing Daisies, Mad Men’s getting this one. Full red lips from the fifties have capture the academy’s heart.
Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)
Legend of the Seeker got a nod? Really? Oh, it’s Jo DoLuca. You remember him. Yeah, he did Xena. He’s not going to win though. Neither are Jennifer Love Hewitt’s breasts. It should go to Castle, but that’s not going to happen either. Nope – this one will go to No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Why? Cause Emmy doesn’t really care about this category, but they do recognize the name HBO.
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
OK, the nerd fave here is Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper. The reality is it’s going to Alec Baldwin, the poor man’s William Shatner.
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
My first reaction to this category was “What the hell is Simon Baker doing getting a nod?” Cause I love the man’s hair as much as the next girl, but this was not a dramatic tour de force. The Emmy should go to Michael C. Hall, but there are some Emmy heavyweights in this category. Hugh Laurie is a pernnial fave because his American accent is better than most of the Academy members. And then there is the Mad Men candidate who will win.
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
As much as I would love Michael Emerson to win this, but its either going to the Shat or the guy from Mad Men, trust me.
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Geeks actually have a chance with this category, if you consider the Librarian genre. And how could you not give an Emmy to Bob Newhart? That’s like not leaving cookies for Santa Claus. Of course, the Emmys are also in love with PBS and anyone who plays a president.
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Please, please, please, please, please Academy, given Kristin Chenoweth the Emmy. Please!!!! Don’t do the obvious and give it to Jane Krakowski for her work in 30 Rock. Be brave Emmy, give it to Kristin and I’ll be your best friend, I promise.
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
Ed Asner and Ted Danson both have lots of Emmys, so they don’t need this one. And as much as I would love to see Jimmy Smits in a tux accepting this award, it’s going to Michael J. Fox as an appology for Rush Limbagh claiming that he “exagerated” how bad Parkinson’s was when Fox testified in front of Congress. Although, it is time for the Emmys to recognize Borgnine’s work in Airwolf.
Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
We all know that the lefties in Hollywood are giving this award to Tina Fey in her role as Sarah Palin. So save your prayers and wishes for Big Bang Theory for another category.
Outstanding Drama Series
Breaking Bad, Dexter and Lost!!! Which to choose? None, it’s going to Mad Men. Trust me.
Outstanding Special Class – Short-format Animated Programs
Do I care? No. Let’s go SpongeBob.
Outstanding Special Class – Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Programs
How dare they pit Dr. Horrible vs BSG? Dr. Horrible should get it, but it may go to Bruce.
Outstanding Children’s Program
Again, do I care? No. Not even enough to give you my guess on the results.
Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series
Holy crap! Hit the sound editing category and suddenly Emmy cares about us. We have a 60% chance at the award, but there are still going to find a way to give it to 24 – mark my words.
Outstanding Sound Editing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
Forget your dreams of seeing “Emmy Award Winning” on the DVD box of the Librarian, this one is going to Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler. Cause Hallmark Hall of Fame = Emmy nod.
Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)
We can’t have a category for Comedies and another one for Drama? We have to share? Stingy Emmys. Most likely to go to BSG, although House might steal this.
Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Series
Yeah! A category where the award has to go to a genre show, unless Emmy figures out a way to give this one to Mad Men too.
Outstanding Stunt Coordination
My heart wants this to go to Chuck, but I know that Emmys will give this to 24. Cause they know things blow up in that show.
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Hmmmmmmmmm. Who thinks Lost is going to win in this category? Hands up! You are fools. It is going to Mad Men. That has already been determined. The Lost nomination is to throw off the conspiracy theorists.
[ Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: Watching The Colbert Report ]
This was originally supposed to be an article for the main site, but for a variety of reasons it will not be appearing there, so I thought I would share it here.
*****
So the Emmy Nominations came out a while back, and we here at RevolutionSF wanted to see how the genre shows did. Yeah we know it was a while ago, but have you seen the number of nominations per category? It tooks us this long to read through the 69 pages of nominations. And yeah, we know that the Creative Arts Emmys (the boring ones we don’t want to see on TV) have already been given out, but we haven’t looked at the results those. We promise.
Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Five nods in this category. Strangely enough two are for guys named Seth and three for the Simpsons, but the official RevolutionSF prediction is that it’s going to Ron Rifkin, cause Emmy loves PBS.
Outstanding Animated Program (for programming less than one hour)
Apparently the Emmys could only find four animated series out of the billions to nominate in this category. Take that Bakura! Should win: Robot Chicken, but the academy has never heard of them. Will Win: Simpsons. They have presented, so the academy knows who they are.
Outstanding Animated Program (for programming one hour or more)
There are two animated shows in this category. RevSF predicts one of them will win.
Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series
Art Directiors are in charge of how a show looks. So this Emmy is about how pretty the show looks. Geekdom’s only hope in this category is the Big Bang Theory. Unfortunately, How I Met Your Mother is going to win. Of course it would be awesome if Hell’s Kitchen won just so Ramsay could swear on stage.
Outstanding Art Direction For A Single-Camera Series
Broad spectrum of nerd shows here. If there is any justice in the world, Pushing Daisies will win. It was a beautiful show. Nothing else on TV ooked like it. As a bonus, they could print “Emmy Award Winning Series” on the DVD box. But I know that my nerdly hopes and aspirations will be shattered by Mad Men. This show takes place in the 1950s, the beginning of the golden age of TV, a time that many Emmy voters wish we were in now.
Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series
We can pray all we want for True Blood to win this in honour of letting us see Anna Paquin do naughty things, but once again, this is going to Mad Men.
Outstanding Cinematography For A One Hour Series
Two nerd possibilities here in Breaking Bad and Life on Mars, but you see the Mad Men in there. Yup. You guessed it.
Outstanding Costumes For A Series
It will not sruprise you that I want Pushing Daisies to win this. The costumes were amazing, and there was nothing else like it on TV. But what will surprise you is my prediction that the Tudors will win. This costume drama will probably win in the costume category, especially for the ensembles that King Henry rips off his wide assortment of paramours. They look very pretty on the floor.
Outstanding Costumes For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
There is a slim chance that the Emmies will recognize the Indiana Jones rip-off starring Noah Wilie. A slim chance, but a chance none-the-less.
Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
Finally, a stunningly worthy geek candidate for the Emmy, BSG. Too bad it’s up against the last seasons of both Boston Legal and ER. Not to mention those pesky Mad Men. Not going to happen, BSG.
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series
Whoooohooooooo, three chances, four if you count 24. This might be the one category in which BSG gets an Emmy. Think of it as a pity Emmy.
Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-Camera Series
I wonder who watches TV and thinks to themselves, “Man, that’s good hair!” Apparently the Emmys, cause they have a category dedicated to hair. Our one hope is Pushings Daisies, but I think the bored Emmy voter (who cares about this category as much as I do) is just going to check off the beloved Mad Men and move on.
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media – Fiction
This Emmy might actually go to one of us. That’s right, I am calling it for Dharma and Lost. Write it down!
Outstanding Main Title Design
What an interesting category. The main title sequence is a dying breed. Pared down to its barest bones in the interest of cramming in as much story as possible. Of course that’s because more time has been given over to ads, but shhh. The naked vampire show has a hope here, it does have cool titles.
[ Mood: Sleepy ]
When I recently came home from the library, I noticed that three of the books looked eerily familiar.
I am sensing a trend in Fanatasy cover art immerging here. Off-center figures in cloaks, that are slightly cropped because of cover placement. Keep an eye out for them!
[ 
Mood: Silly ]
[ 
Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
Barry Lyga’s name may be familiar to some of you. I featured his first novel, The Amazing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl in one of my What to Read After Harry columns. Boy Toy is Lyga’s second novel and is also aimed at the YA set. It is not an easy ready, but it is an important book that needs to be in most school libraries. Unfortunately, given its topic, I think this is going to quickly become one of the most banned.
Boy Toy tells the tale of Josh, a High School senior who seems to have everything going for him. He is smart, athletic and good looking. Yet he has a hair trigger temper and gets involved in fights and is frequently suspended. But this is understandable, as he was also molested by his teacher when he was twelve. His female teacher.
Lyga has been quite daring in choosing to tell the male victim of molestation by a female teacher. He is taking on the incredibly stupid myth of the older woman intiating the young man into the arts of love and points it out for the bullcrap it is. (I teach twelve year olds. I don’t find them sexually attractive. I just want to make them a sandwich.) Lyga is also walking down a road many of these stories don’t go by pointing out that not all peodophiles are men.
The author has to walks a very fine line in this book. It would be easy for this to devolve into a moralistic after-school special. Worse, it could easily have been an exploitation tale full of sexually tittalation (pun not intended). Instead, Lyga has given us a tale that hits just the the right note, with a main character who is not just a one-dimentional victim. Those around him are not perfect either and react with a varrying maturity to Josh’s situation and behaviour.
If there is a stumble, it is the ending where Josh finally confronts his abuser. Her admission of guilt comes a little too easily. But that is a minor fault when the novel as a whole is evaluated.
This book is a must read for those thinking of entering teaching as it really shows what the impact of our actions on our students are. It is also only appropriate for those students in Grade 9 and up as there are some very mature scenes. But, they need to read this book, if only to understand that predators come in all shapes and sizes. Parents would do well to also read this as Lyga knows how the youth brain works. His ear for dialogue is bang on.
Go read this.
[ Mood: Sleepy ]
[ Currently: Getting ready for bed. ]
Hello all!
Horror of horrors – we lost the Internet for over 24 hours. Hense why you are getting this now. But we have it back now . . . and the shakes are starting to fade. Let’s celebrate with . . . Fun Stuff and Oddities!
Making A Difference Differently
This blog post explains my job so well.
Wood Post-It Notes
Very cool.
Girlfriend Doesn’t Realize Boyfriend is on Vacation
I have no idea if this is true, but it is funny.
Jamie Oliver as Village People in a TV trailer
Love this.
n00b Boyfried
Also funny.
Texas Irons
So coool. Personalizing steak got so much more fun.
Misspelled Tattoos
So sad.
squirrel photo crasher
You have most likely seen this and there are allegations this is photoshopped, but it is still good.
Super Terrific Japanese Thing: Boob Pudding
Oh, the Japanese.
5 Tips for Raising Your Girl Geek
For all you dads of girls.
[ Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: Watching House ]
Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians is a YA novel that a sarcastic, fun filled romp with an author who consistently breaks the fourth wall to talk to the reader.
It tells the tale of Alcatraz, a young orphan who has bounced from foster home to foster home due to his unique talent of breaking things. It turns out that this talent is his secret power. Alcatraz in an occulator from an ancient line of occulators who are fighting an ongoing battle against librarians who are trying to take over the world.
Alcatraz must quickly learn to control his powers in order to help his newly discovered grandfather recover the Sands of Raschid that have just been stolen.
Aimed primarily at boys, parents will also enjoy this book, especially with the references to Michael Creighton, David Eddings and "important books about disfuntional families". Fantastic read. It will be in the next After Harry.
[ 
Mood: Fed Up WIth Life ]
[ Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
Dear Minister Van Loan
To say this morning’s news upset me would be an understatement. For my government to think that sending someone who has fled one of the most repressive regimes in the world back is a good idea is ridiculous. It would be laughable if the result weren’t certain to be so incredibly tragic. Amnesty Internation lists many of the human rights abuses in Mynmar. The UN has repeatedly expressed concern about the military regime in Burma. A US document that the Canadian Goverment hosts on canada.ca sates that the Burmese government has a hiostory of "chronic and egregious abuses of human rights". Finally, your own website states "The abhorrent human rights and humanitarian situation in Burma is particularly dangerous as the government’s actions not only oppress its own people, but also bring substantial transnational destabilizing effects which threaten peace and security in the entire region and undermine freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law". The Canadian gornment has imposed sanctions against the Myanmar government because of the human rights abuses.
So why then are you sending him back?
Just based on the above, we should shelter him. If you add in the fact he was forced to be a child soldier adds to the absurdity. The Canadian government is concerned about the issue and in fact gives money to help prevent the use of child soldiers. Yet by sending Nay Myo Hein back, you are flying in the face of government policy.
Think also of our history. Canada has a history of taking those people who need a safe place to live. Since before our founding, we have been a sanctuary. Ask any of the desendants of the slaves that made their way north to freedom. The Vaniers worked to bring refugees to Canada after WWII. We sheltered U.S. draft dogers during the Vietnam War. Thirty years ago Project 4000 was launched in Ottawa, sparking a nationwide movement. We are a nation built on compassion.
Please, Minister Van Loan, I implore you. Reverse this decision. Do what we as Canadians have always done. Save this young man. Let him stay.
[ Mood: Amused ]
OK, so I am not really a teetotaler, as I have been known to have a single malt scotch or two, but I do love tea. Love it. And on my recent trip to Toronto I went to the fabulous Tea Emporium to pick up a large supply of specialty tea blends.
So I wanted to share what I have been drinking. For this first entry:
Organic English Breakfast
As you can see the tea comes in a shiny metal/plastic pouch which makes photos fun!
The blend inside the pouch.
Steeping. Since I like my tea strong, let’s say it sat for five minutes.
And now with some milk. The taste was your typical EB with the Assam lending deep notes to the China black. A nice, warm cuppa.