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[ether] race, movies, gods
Dec. 20th, 2010 10:48 pmThere's apparently some people upset because the man cast to play Heimdall in Thor is black.
I know this because Penny Arcadetells and shows me so. They also recorded a video of them discussing the whole thing (which is pretty awesome). And they pointed out this link to the story (which has some bad words and liberal and atheist language).
The whole topic is pretty interesting, from a bunch of angles, movie and pagan in particular, but also social in general. The video covers some pretty interesting ground. They get meta at points, with discussions of how to have the discussion and discussion of what the discussion means.
Anyways, thought I'd point this stuff out. Maybe some more writing on this later.
I know this because Penny Arcadetells and shows me so. They also recorded a video of them discussing the whole thing (which is pretty awesome). And they pointed out this link to the story (which has some bad words and liberal and atheist language).
The whole topic is pretty interesting, from a bunch of angles, movie and pagan in particular, but also social in general. The video covers some pretty interesting ground. They get meta at points, with discussions of how to have the discussion and discussion of what the discussion means.
Anyways, thought I'd point this stuff out. Maybe some more writing on this later.
interesting
Nov. 8th, 2009 04:20 pmWho Is a Jew? Court Ruling in Britain Raises Question
"...In an explosive decision, the court concluded that basing school admissions on a classic test of Judaism — whether one’s mother is Jewish — was by definition discriminatory. Whether the rationale was “benign or malignant, theological or supremacist,” the court wrote, “makes it no less and no more unlawful.”
The case rested on whether the school’s test of Jewishness was based on religion, which would be legal, or on race or ethnicity, which would not. The court ruled that it was an ethnic test because it concerned the status of M’s mother rather than whether M considered himself Jewish and practiced Judaism.
“The requirement that if a pupil is to qualify for admission his mother must be Jewish, whether by descent or conversion, is a test of ethnicity which contravenes the Race Relations Act,” the court said. It added that while it was fair that Jewish schools should give preference to Jewish children, the admissions criteria must depend not on family ties, but “on faith, however defined.
The same reasoning would apply to a Christian school that “refused to admit a child on the ground that, albeit practicing Christians, the child’s family were of Jewish origin,” the court said.”
"...In an explosive decision, the court concluded that basing school admissions on a classic test of Judaism — whether one’s mother is Jewish — was by definition discriminatory. Whether the rationale was “benign or malignant, theological or supremacist,” the court wrote, “makes it no less and no more unlawful.”
The case rested on whether the school’s test of Jewishness was based on religion, which would be legal, or on race or ethnicity, which would not. The court ruled that it was an ethnic test because it concerned the status of M’s mother rather than whether M considered himself Jewish and practiced Judaism.
“The requirement that if a pupil is to qualify for admission his mother must be Jewish, whether by descent or conversion, is a test of ethnicity which contravenes the Race Relations Act,” the court said. It added that while it was fair that Jewish schools should give preference to Jewish children, the admissions criteria must depend not on family ties, but “on faith, however defined.
The same reasoning would apply to a Christian school that “refused to admit a child on the ground that, albeit practicing Christians, the child’s family were of Jewish origin,” the court said.”
[ether] a post before i go
Jun. 17th, 2009 12:18 am* Catherynne Valente is writing a serial novel here.
* Boing Boing gives some guidelines for aiding the Iran Situation with Twitter.
* These are cheese straws. These are graham crackers.
* Boing Boing gives some guidelines for aiding the Iran Situation with Twitter.
* These are cheese straws. These are graham crackers.
I'll hold you to that
Jan. 20th, 2009 12:44 pm"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake." --
ether (singular)
Jan. 16th, 2009 10:01 pmI turned 18 the year that Bush was first voted into office. So I find this timeline interesting. It chronicles most of the big world events that happened in my adult life.
ether, bus edition
Nov. 29th, 2008 01:51 pmDesert Bus = Awesome.
Basic Gist:
1) There is a game called "Desert Bus." It consists of driving an old empty bus from Tucson to Las Vegas in real time; that means you spend 8 hours driving a bus through the desert with 8 bit graphics. If you crash, a tow truck comes for you and drives you back (also in real time). Each time you reach Las Vegas (or get back to Tucson) you get 1 point.
2) There is a charity called "Child's Play" associated with Penny Arcade. Each year they collect money and games from geeks all over the world for children in hospitals.
3) There is a strange group of people in Vancouver that call themselves "LoadingReadyRun." They are playing desert bus for days and days and days based on donations from internet geeks. They have a live cam of them playing, a live chat, and a live cam of the game screen. They've been playing for 16 hours now. They've received donations for 99 hours, over $12,000.
This is hypnotic and you should watch.
Basic Gist:
1) There is a game called "Desert Bus." It consists of driving an old empty bus from Tucson to Las Vegas in real time; that means you spend 8 hours driving a bus through the desert with 8 bit graphics. If you crash, a tow truck comes for you and drives you back (also in real time). Each time you reach Las Vegas (or get back to Tucson) you get 1 point.
2) There is a charity called "Child's Play" associated with Penny Arcade. Each year they collect money and games from geeks all over the world for children in hospitals.
3) There is a strange group of people in Vancouver that call themselves "LoadingReadyRun." They are playing desert bus for days and days and days based on donations from internet geeks. They have a live cam of them playing, a live chat, and a live cam of the game screen. They've been playing for 16 hours now. They've received donations for 99 hours, over $12,000.
This is hypnotic and you should watch.
(no subject)
Oct. 18th, 2008 10:38 pm"The Things He Carried"
excerpts:
" “It’s allowed,” he said. Medical supplies, such as saline solution for contact-lens cleaning, don’t fall under the TSA’s three-ounce rule.
“What’s allowed?” I asked. “Saline solution, or bottles labeled saline solution?”
“Bottles labeled saline solution. They won’t check what’s in it, trust me.”
They did not check.
“Maybe if you lit it on fire, he’d pay attention,” I said, risking arrest for making a joke at airport security. (Later, Schneier would carry two bottles labeled saline solution—24 ounces in total—through security. An officer asked him why he needed two bottles. “Two eyes,” he said. He was allowed to keep the bottles.)
...
“The whole system is designed to catch stupid terrorists,” Schneier told me. A smart terrorist, he says, won’t try to bring a knife aboard a plane, as I had been doing; he’ll make his own, in the airplane bathroom. Schneier told me the recipe: “Get some steel epoxy glue at a hardware store. It comes in two tubes, one with steel dust and then a hardener. You make the mold by folding a piece of cardboard in two, and then you mix the two tubes together. You can use a metal spoon for the handle. It hardens in 15 minutes.”
excerpts:
" “It’s allowed,” he said. Medical supplies, such as saline solution for contact-lens cleaning, don’t fall under the TSA’s three-ounce rule.
“What’s allowed?” I asked. “Saline solution, or bottles labeled saline solution?”
“Bottles labeled saline solution. They won’t check what’s in it, trust me.”
They did not check.
“Maybe if you lit it on fire, he’d pay attention,” I said, risking arrest for making a joke at airport security. (Later, Schneier would carry two bottles labeled saline solution—24 ounces in total—through security. An officer asked him why he needed two bottles. “Two eyes,” he said. He was allowed to keep the bottles.)
...
“The whole system is designed to catch stupid terrorists,” Schneier told me. A smart terrorist, he says, won’t try to bring a knife aboard a plane, as I had been doing; he’ll make his own, in the airplane bathroom. Schneier told me the recipe: “Get some steel epoxy glue at a hardware store. It comes in two tubes, one with steel dust and then a hardener. You make the mold by folding a piece of cardboard in two, and then you mix the two tubes together. You can use a metal spoon for the handle. It hardens in 15 minutes.”
Ether (something for everybody edition)
Oct. 4th, 2008 08:19 pm* Nightmare Revisted (a collection of covers of the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack) rocks my socks.
* This is gorgeous and I hope they bring it to the US.
* Weave on a hairpick.
* Maker Shed has some new neat kits: Phonograph kit, animated ghost kit.
* Crochet pumpkins and squash and candy corn and such (for sale, not for free, unfortunately)
* Hear Neil Gaiman read his new book chapter by chapter.
* This is gorgeous and I hope they bring it to the US.
* Weave on a hairpick.
* Maker Shed has some new neat kits: Phonograph kit, animated ghost kit.
* Crochet pumpkins and squash and candy corn and such (for sale, not for free, unfortunately)
* Hear Neil Gaiman read his new book chapter by chapter.
* My Little Pony Dressed up like an Alien from the Alien movies (Also some other interesting takes in there.)
* 'Member that clip of Matt Damon talking about Sarah Palin? Says something about her story being like some Disney movie? Oh yeah. (Video)
* 'Member that clip of Matt Damon talking about Sarah Palin? Says something about her story being like some Disney movie? Oh yeah. (Video)
Doom! (Updated Doom!)
Sep. 26th, 2008 10:25 am*
After several hours of discussions with President George W Bush, a group of Republican members of Congress blocked the government plan...The intense discussions reportedly saw US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson literally down on one knee, begging Ms Pelosi to help push through the bail-out package.
* Instant Ramen in a Can
*
After several hours of discussions with President George W Bush, a group of Republican members of Congress blocked the government plan...The intense discussions reportedly saw US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson literally down on one knee, begging Ms Pelosi to help push through the bail-out package.
* Instant Ramen in a Can
*
* Anna: you should have a bonfire, we could make cake!
* Paper Mache is neat. If only I had a dress form.
* popcorn balls
* Faberge Egg Contest
* custom silhouette tshirt
* potato print bag
* goodwill table + mosaic + resin = awesome
* Paper Mache is neat. If only I had a dress form.
* popcorn balls
* Faberge Egg Contest
* custom silhouette tshirt
* potato print bag
* goodwill table + mosaic + resin = awesome
