Monthly Archives: July 2008

“I’m Doing My Part”

By Frank Paynter | Published: July 31, 2008

In a bizarre real world actualization of Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, the US Army (defying international law and US statute regarding the recruitment of children) has partnered with UBISOFT to promote a “realistic” (everything but the blood and guts, the pain and physical death) first person shooter called America’s Army. The game’s website provides [...]

Posted in Peace and Politics | Comments closed

Caught my eye this morning…

By Frank Paynter | Published: July 30, 2008

Frank Wilczek’s new “baby”… The Lightness of Being I almost begged for a review copy, but then I saw that blurbs were all by other Nobel Prize winners and crack physicists and such. That took me down a peg. I intend to read it though. And I certainly WOULDN’T TURN DOWN a review copy. The [...]

Posted in Bloggers 'n blogs, Blogging and Flogging, Miscellaneous, Science | Comments closed

Shark Week

By Frank Paynter | Published: July 29, 2008

Heather Hravilesky’s Salon piece on Shark Week piqued my interest.  The Discovery Channel’s Shark Week has legs. Check out these other nods to the annual celebration… Shark Week cupcakes Flying Sharks Ryan Seacrest let’s it all hang out. (Could have been a lot worse than a toe, Ryan.) LAist has fine chops Rita Lugo is [...]

Posted in Environment, Science | Comments closed

W.

By Frank Paynter | Published: July 27, 2008

Too little too late, perhaps; but I think this will help explain what happened to the USA during the Bush Imperium. [update: the original from last night was pulled... here's another copy, for as long as it lasts]

Posted in Arts and Literature, Class Warfare, Global Concern, Impeachment, Peace and Politics, Politics, Truth and Falsehood | Comments closed

Women who write

By Frank Paynter | Published: July 27, 2008

I’ve been a Heather Havrilesky fan for some time, or maybe aficionado would be more accurate. I was happily reminded of HH’s great good work by RageBoy, in his hyperlink today to her column titled “Shark Week” at Salon. In that column she segues nicely from an informed discussion of sharks in the water to [...]

Posted in Arts and Literature, Journo, Web Publishing | Comments closed

NYT Fashion and Style

By Frank Paynter | Published: July 26, 2008

Cultural biases run deep. Look for the Netroots conference and you’ll find coverage in the New York times Politics section. Look for BlogHer and you’ll find it in the women’s pages, the New York times Fashion and Style section. Erin Kotecki Vest has already commented on this in her own space, Queen of Spain, and [...]

Posted in Arts and Literature, Bloggers 'n blogs, Disparities, Fashion, Journalism, Politics | Comments closed

Hype Lite

By Frank Paynter | Published: July 26, 2008

I have slipped the surly bonds of mirth And trod the blogs in muddy earth-bound shoes Fallen face forward, tumbled to the earth Shook my head to clear from it the booze Inspired dreams of spinning fearful flight No bloggers logged the roaring pounding pain None sat on that volcano through the night Alone my [...]

Posted in Verbalistics | Comments closed

Navigating the Dangerous Currents of Global Concern

By Frank Paynter | Published: July 25, 2008

Text and a video of Obama’s Berlin speech here. It’s heroic, Homeric stuff, poetic and full of hope that we’ll soon round the corner and create a world without fear. The words as they’re spoken are laid out in dactyls, a waltz of a speech, not a march. Here, at the base of a column [...]

Posted in Environment, Global Concern, Peace and Politics, Verbalistics, Writing | Comments closed