For inexplicable reasons, the Sunday Telegraph decided to run a hit piece on the outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins because he’s descended from a Jamaican slave owner. In the mind of the writer of the piece for the Sunday Telegraph, apparently because a distant ancestor owned slaves Dawkins “may have inherited a ‘slave supporting’ gene.” AContinue reading “On Slavery, Ancestry, and Richard Dawkins”
On Things I’ve Been Reading
Orbit: John Lennon Bluewater Productions Written by Marc Shapiro Artwork by Luciano Kars I’ve been a Beatles fan for two-thirds of my life. I have official CDs by the Beatles as a band and as solo artists, bootleg CDs, books, posters, toys. I’ve seen Paul McCartney in concert. I’m thinking about seeing Ringo Starr inContinue reading “On Things I’ve Been Reading”
On Being More Like Mr. Rogers
At times, I feel unfinished. I have days where I feel unimportant. There are times that I feel that I have done nothing of note in my life. Sometimes I feel alone in my life, that I have no friends and that no one cares about me. There’s nothing remarkable about these feelings, I thinkContinue reading “On Being More Like Mr. Rogers”
On the Patron Saint of Beekeepers
Are you (like me) single and a Sherlock Holmes fan? Have no fear, you too can celebrate Valentine’s Day today! In addition to being the patron saint of marriage, St. Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeepers, and as all good Holmesians know Sherlock Holmes retired to the Sussex Downs to become a beekeeperContinue reading “On the Patron Saint of Beekeepers”
On the Coming Star Trek/Doctor Who Crossover
Star Trek has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember; one of my earliest clear memories is of the Animated Series and I think I remember a commercial for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. (I do, however, remember a commercial for Alien, even though at six I was farContinue reading “On the Coming Star Trek/Doctor Who Crossover”
On Defending The Phantom Menace
Yesterday, writer Peter David blogged that he took his daughter to see Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3-D and… she liked it. She really liked it. His reaction to his daughter’s reaction? “Holy crap. Holy freaking crap.” I know it’s fashionable for people to pile on The Phantom Menace, but I won’t. IContinue reading “On Defending The Phantom Menace”
On ABC, Whitney Houston, and Charlie Brown
Here’s the situation. I’m watching Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown this evening. Charlie Brown and Sally are working on making a homemade Valentine card for Sally to give to her Sweet Baboo, and then… ABC breaks into Be My Valentine with a breaking news bulletin. The anchor, someone I have never seen before, says somethingContinue reading “On ABC, Whitney Houston, and Charlie Brown”
On Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous
Who wrote the plays of Shakespeare? To most people the answer is obvious — Shakespeare wrote the plays of Shakespeare. A little-hearlded young man went to London, became an actor and the playwright of the age, then returned to Stratford Upon Avon, having conquered all the literary worlds there were to conquer, and took upContinue reading “On Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous”
On Allyn’s 2012 Farpoint Schedule
A week from today, Farpoint begins in Timonium, Maryland. A media science-fiction convention, I’ve been attending Farpoint regularly since 2006. (Yes, I was there for the infamous “carpet glue” convention, where con-goers were tripping out on the carpet fumes and the wild colors.) Farpoint is being held this year at the Crowne Plaza in Timonium,Continue reading “On Allyn’s 2012 Farpoint Schedule”
On The Hobbit’s Casting Choices
Today I read an interesting criticism from Ben Child of Peter Jackson’s upcoming Hobbit films — the films will be an extended exercise in stunt casting: With the news that Billy Connolly is to take the role of dwarf king Dain Ironfoot in his adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s debut Middle-earth-set novel, Jackson appears to beContinue reading “On The Hobbit’s Casting Choices”