The Darth Side: Memoirs of a Monster

A must read. This is one of the best examples of fan fiction I have read, done as if Darth had a blog. it has humor, pathos, horror and tears. I really enjoyed it. It actually helps fill in a lot of the gaps Lucas left out of his work. Both Jedi and Sith are out of balance. It actually enhances the scenes it describes, bringing a point of view that is very elightening. Wow.

Sith

Saw Sith on Thursday. Best of the 1st three but no where close to TESB. Lots of interesting commentary on the web, especially by Gary Farber discussing scenes dropped form the movie.
Lucas made some fatal errors, in my opinion, dropping several of these scenes. It follows his general tendency, though. He loves technology. It is, frankly, the use of technology in making movies tat has really provided him the most acclaim and influence in the business. So it is no wonder that he liked saber battles much more than character development. So when he needs to cut stuff, out goes the dialog. A real shame.

I have read a lot of discussion comparing the Jedi and the Sith, as though one was better than the other. The point really is that NEITHER fully embodies all aspects of the Force. The Sith approach (emotionalism) has its good points, but it leads them to the assumption of power for its own sake and is ultimately pretty selfish. The Jedi attempt to be effetes, removing their emotions from decisions (no love or feelings, something humans can never really attain). Their path is also ultimately a dead end, although not as destructive as the Sith way.

Anakin is supposed to bring balance to the Force. Naturally, the Jedi think that means their side will win. He follows the Sith way, resulting in the death of all Jedi but 2. However, in ROTJ, Vader turns back and kills his master and then dies himself. The Sith line is now dead. So all the Jedi Knights of old are dead and so are all the Sith. The two dysfunctional ways are gone. And Anakin was responsible for both. By destroying both branches that attempted to use the force, Anakin restored balance, where the emotional use of the force cold be harnessed without the need to grab power. A much more balanced and full view of the Force existed, in Luke. The first of the new breed.

Because it is obvious that Luke was a master of the Force, even while he could display strong emotions (well, for a Lucas movie). In many ways, Obi-Wan caught some of this, since he could display emotions also. But things could not be balanced until both Sith and Jedi were gone. People seem to feel that if the good side wins, it must be because they are Jedi. No, the Jedi are as out of balance as the Sith. They just seem more benign. As viewed by the Force, the Jedi are no more good than the Sith. Both sides represent only fragments of the Force. Balance is attained by removing both branches.

So, people who think that the Jedi are the real heroes and that they should be running things, may have it wrong. In some ways, the Jedi misuse and misunderstand the Force as much as the Sith. Only by removing both branches does balance return. Perhaps only Yoda and Obi Wan (maybe Quin Gon) saw glimpses of that, which would explain why, of all the Jedi, they were the only ones who could continue to influence things after they died. One of the cut scenes from ROTS is a conversation between Yoda and Qui-Gon on this very subject. A shame that Lucas diminished his mythic arc of these 6 movies by removing scenes like that in order to have just one more light saber battle. One of those instances where even the creator of art loses sight of its possible impact.

Sat, 21 May 2005 00:54:36 GMT

Claims about carrots. No, the notion that eating carrots can boost your eyesight isn’t an old wives’ tale: it’s government propaganda from World War II. The British military concocted the story to explain why its pilots were suddenly shooting down more German bombers,… [seattlepi.com Buzzworthy]

I love this sorts of stories. Funny how easily propaganda can enter into ‘reality.’

Sat, 21 May 2005 00:52:26 GMT

Prepaid Mobile Phone Providers Have To Pay The Patent Toll Master. A few mobile operators, including Cingular, have apparently lost a patent lawsuit involving a patent over offering “prepaid” accounts. The firms now have to pay $130 million for what appears to be a questionable patent. Prepaid accounts, which are much more popular outside the US than within, are a pretty straightforward concept. Instead of buying a regular monthly “subscription,” users prepay, and get a certain number of minutes. By prepaying, the operators avoid having any credit risk, as they already have the money. Who knew that such an idea was patentable? Once again, isn’t it about time the patent office came up with a better test for obviousness?
[Techdirt]

As so many things are, the Patent Office is broken.

Mon, 16 May 2005 18:29:29 GMT

If you turn up the music you can’t hear the screams, [BOPnews]

Well, losing NPR will only drive me more to Air America. I guess it is one more step along the way to Room 101.

Mon, 16 May 2005 18:23:26 GMT

The Black Hole where the press used to be

via  Driftglass :

How bad is it? Well, what do you think future generations will make of the fact that with little more than publicly available video clips and clever writing, John Stewart makes better ratings and tell more pure truth in any given four minutes of what is clearly labeled “Fake News” than the Empires of Mainstream Media can manage with a multi-billion dollar budget, a global infrastructure, and a 100,000 Klieg lights, satellites and pairs of hands?

There is nothing in modern history short of the collapse of the Soviet Union with which I can compare it for the scope and speed at which the implosion came, and in the great halls and palaces of Big Media we are left only with trivia and circuses. They have fallen, and they are never coming back….

Would that there was a Free Press who would report it? 

Read it all…it’s absolutely great

[Crooks and Liars]

It is Crooks and Liars, all the time! This article demonstrates just how poor the media are today when it comes to anything other than ambulance chasing. The good reporters need to find a new approach, because the old ways are broken.

Mon, 16 May 2005 18:10:35 GMT

 The Bible as weapon in the culture war

 By John Shelby Spong/Chicago Tribune 

 The Bible regularly is quoted by conservative Christians to argue that what they call “the homosexual lifestyle” is contrary to Scripture. Politically this takes the form of seeking to amend the Constitution to discriminate against our citizens who are gay or lesbian.  In this basic charter nearly every previous attempt at amendment has been to expand freedom.  Now these Bible quoters want to reverse that trend, failing to see that if today’s majority can amend the Constitution to discriminate, then no one is safe from tomorrow’s majority.  — Our nation’s judiciary has been called “anti-religious.” When leaders seek to intimidate the
presumably independent courts, the first step toward a totalitarian government has been taken.

(Hat tip Todd) John Shelby Spong, a retired Episcopal bishop, on the misuse of the bible and the Christian religion.

[Crooks and Liars]

A very interesting read.

Mon, 16 May 2005 18:08:28 GMT

More on Newsweek

Howie reports : Whitaker said  that a senior Pentagon official, for reasons that “are still a little mysterious to us,” had declined to comment after Newsweek correspondent John Barry showed him a draft before the item was published and asked whether it was accurate, adding that the magazine would have held off had military spokesmen made such a request. Whitaker said Pentagon officials raised no objection to the story for a week after it was published, until it was translated by some Arab media outlets and led to the rioting.

 The item was principally reported by Michael Isikoff, Newsweek’s veteran investigative reporter. “Obviously we all feel horrible about what flowed from this, but it’s important to remember there was absolutely no lapse in journalistic standards here,” he said. “We relied on sources we had every reason to trust and gave the Pentagon ample opportunity to comment. . . . We’re going to continue to investigate what remains a very murky situation.”

Why didn’t the Pentagon raise a red flag? Why didn’t they say hold on while we check those facts? Newsweek didn’t blind side the Pentagon. They acted in good faith by giving the Pentagon access before they ran the story. The first reported incident made it seem like they printed the story with no notification. That’s not the case.  Didn’t the “senior” Pentagon official have an idea what might happen? This doesn’t excuse Newsweek, but the mayhem that ensued could have been averted.

[Crooks and Liars]

So, the Pentagon knew about the Newsweek report and said nothing. For over a week, until the crap started hitting the fan. So, either the Pentagon is run by idiots, a scary thought, or this is another in a series of attepts to discredit the press.

Mon, 16 May 2005 17:59:12 GMT

 Guantanamo Controversies The Bible and the Koran

Juan Cole gives an in depth report on the Newsweek story that broke yesterday.

[Crooks and Liars]

Juan COle points out that Newsweek is not retracting the basis of the story. Its source is just not as confident that theinformation came from a specific report. And the fact is that this disregard for the Koran had been well publicized from several other reports over the last few years. So the question sould be, why did this information explode now, rather than before? Turns out there are lots of political reasons this would be used. Going after Newsweek will not change these political reasons.

Mon, 16 May 2005 17:53:41 GMT

Sensenbrenner’s Sntich-or-Go-to-Jail Bill

via Talk Left

“ I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bill as destructive as Rep. Sensenbrenner’s new drug bill, H.R. 1528, the “The Safe Access to Drug Treatment & Child Protection Act of 2005.” You think America’s prison population is too high at 2 million? Get ready for 15 million. 

An excellent bill summary is here.

You may remember this as the bill that provides for a five year mandatory minimum sentence for passing a joint to someone who’s been through a drug treatment program. That’s nothing. Read about what else this doozy of a bill will do. Like the “snitch or go to jail” provisions. If you are a college professor or student, you should be very afraid. The bill provides for a two year jail sentence if you observe or come across information about drug distribution near colleges and do not report it to authorities within 24 hours and provide full assistance investigating, apprehending, and prosecuting those involved.  read on“

If we extend this bill to the Bush Administration we might have something here. Seriously,  this is whacked. As Jeralyn points out, we’ll need to build bigger prisons. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a healthy rise in violent crimes either, because criminals will most likely take actions to prevent from being”snitched” upon. Do you think people will come in and actually help when a few examples are being made of the innocent? These are the kind of bills when you understand the “living in an ivory tower” metaphor.

[Crooks and Liars]

It is bad enough that they ant to send someone to prison for 5 years for passing a joint. What I find interesting is that the supposed party of state’s rights is federalizing so many things. WHy does the Federal government have to get involved in this? What happens in Western states, where marijuana has medicianl uses? Are they going to haul off Granny who uses it for her glaucoma? Bad laws make for criminals of good people.

Accused hockey dad awaits trial for fraud

I guess this is a story that works on so many levels. A man lies and defrauds clsoe to a $1 million, apparently so he can fund a youth hocley league. And the response of some of the parents is, ‘Well, he did it for the children.’ I guess doing illegal things for ‘good’ reasons is fine. As long as you do it ‘for the children.’

What a fine example this guy gave for the children. Lying and taking money from people is just fine, if you use it to win hocley games. The downfall of this generation will be ‘the ends justify the means.’ And some of the greatest propronents of this meme complain about the moral relativism of others.

Sat, 14 May 2005 20:40:27 GMT

The Skeptics’ Circle VIII

The
Eighth Edition
of the
Skeptics’ Circle
has been posted at
Pharyngula
. As I had
hoped
, it is a veritable feast of skeptical blogging, a great antidote to the credulity that permeates the blogosphere. Heck, it’s more than a feast, it’s a multi-course gourmet banquet, the biggest and most extensive edition yet. PZ even includes a couple of entries the arguments in which he himself is–shall we say?–skeptical about. However, in the spirit of unflinching skepticism, he presents them anyway, confident that the reader will be able to evaluate for him or herself whether they meet adequate standards of skepticism and reason.






Go and learn why intelligent design is neither intelligent nor design and why irrational beliefs are leading to a resurgence of previously eradicated diseases, among other things….






It’s probably going to take me through the weekend to check out all the great skeptical blogging there.

– Orac [Respectful Insolence (a.k.a. "Orac Knows")]

These are always fun to read.

Which America Cities Suit You?

I have been to all of these cities. Seems pretty close, although Boston would be much lower down on my list.

American Cities That Best Fit You:

70% Honolulu

60% Los Angeles

55% San Francisco

55% Seattle

50% Boston

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Sat, 14 May 2005 20:18:51 GMT

Speaking of quotes, how about these from President Eisenhower, rapidly becoming my favorite quote mine for Republicans.:

Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 11/8/54

Sat, 14 May 2005 19:53:26 GMT

Charles Mackay. “Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.” [Quotes of the Day]

B. F. Skinner. “The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.” [Quotes of the Day]

Franklin P. Jones. “Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.” [Quotes of the Day]

Larry Hardiman. “The word ‘politics’ is derived from the word ‘poly’, meaning ‘many’, and the word ‘ticks’, meaning ‘blood sucking parasites’.” [Quotes of the Day]

Joseph Heller. “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.” [Quotes of the Day]

Oscar Wilde. “Perhaps, after all, America never has been discovered. I myself would say that it had merely been detected.” [Quotes of the Day]

George Bernard Shaw. “Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history.” [Quotes of the Day]

Some excellent and timely quotes. Use these as needed.