Archives for February 2002

Funny

February 7, 2002 by Michael Boyle

Funny

: Harry Potter fans warn against dangerous effects of Bible in The Chaser News from Australia.

After my class tonight

February 6, 2002 by Michael Boyle

After my class tonight

I just plain forgot about the YULbloggers meeting and drinkfest tonight. Just as well, as I’m off for a long weekend in NY tomorrow, so I had to get ready.

I’m going to NY to visit with my brother and his wife, who live there, and my mother and stepfather, who are in the city for the winter. Back on Monday – I’m probably not going to post until then.

Courtesy of the ever-

February 6, 2002 by Michael Boyle

Courtesy of the ever-

reviving Shift Mag, The Top 25 Web Personalities. Or, as they write, “these are the rock stars of the web. If you hadn’t already heard of them, you have now.” I don’t know about rock stars, but their descriptions are pretty funny. The list includes Justin Hall, Matt Haughey, Kottke and Meg Hourihan, and more.

Dave Winer

February 5, 2002 by Michael Boyle

Dave Winer

mentioned the Superbowl commercials in Scripting News today, and wondered aloud, “What’s coming next. A link between abortion and terrorism? A link between voting Democratic and terrorism? A link between being black or jewish and terrorism?”

I suggest that the link between abortion and terrorism has already been made, albeit with relative subtlety. Go watch it again. The very last frame of the second commercial features a young woman delivering one of the “reverse testimonials” that is at the heart of the piece. She says, “My life, my body,” followed by a voice-over (female) that says, “It’s not like I was hurting anyone else.”

If that isn’t a very thinly veiled anti-abortion message that more or less equates abortion with terrorism, I’ll eat my hat.

Yesterday at This Modern World

February 4, 2002 by Michael Boyle

Yesterday at This Modern World

by Tom Tomorrow: “This isn’t just about bringing down skyscrapers and murdering civilians and wreaking havoc and discord–it’s about setting into motion a chain of events through which we end up doing irreperable [sic] damage to ourselves, to that part of our society which can only be destroyed from within, to the very ideals which define us.”

Bingo. And if the hyperbolic “anti-drug” ads aired last night during the Superbowl (#1, #2) are any indication, the White House (at least the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy) absolutely does not get this. Or, worse still, they do get it, but don’t mind.