Random 10

Last updated on: October 21, 2005 at 1:52 pm By Fred Clark

God knows the world's a cruel place when beauty don't grace your head Elvis Presley, "Blowin' in the Wind" John Cougar Mellencamp, "Pink Houses" Stevie Wonder, "Yesterday" Barenaked Ladies, "If I Had a Million Dollars" Vigilantes of Love, "Eleanor" Crash Test Dummies, "Superman Song" Buddy Miller, "Worry Too Much" R.E.M., "Find the River" Trashcan Sinatras, "Got Carried Away" Cracker, "Happy Birthday to Me" (No it's not actually my birthday, the iPod shuffle isn't that sophisticated. Eleanor Roosevelt did have a... Read more

L.B.: Selective literalism

Last updated on: October 21, 2005 at 1:45 pm By Fred Clark

45 Comments

Left Behind, pg. 165 Rayford Steele has not yet, himself, converted to what Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins call "true" Christianity, but he's already started trying to convert his daughter Chloe. "I always called myself a Christian, mostly because I was raised that way and I wasn't Jewish." "Now you're saying you're not a Christian?" "Chloe, I think the Christians are gone." "So I'm not a Christian either?" "You're my daughter and the only other member of my family still... Read more

Ethics rules

Last updated on: October 17, 2005 at 3:01 pm By Fred Clark

8 Comments

I have never read the ethics guidelines for reporters and editors of The New York Times. I am, however, familiar with the guidelines used by other papers, a portion of which I've reprinted below. I'm posting this in light of the controversy surrounding administration-shill-turned-First-Amendment-martyr-turned-Miss-Run-Amok Judith Miller. If the Times guidelines are anything like those below, Miller seems to have broken the rules on at least two points. (Here's a roundup of the most recent Miller hubbub from The Washington Post.)... Read more

Always room for Jello

Last updated on: October 15, 2005 at 11:51 am By Fred Clark

11 Comments

One more non-random song from the iPod. This one's dedicated to right-wing talk radio host Neal Boortz and Republican insider Bill Bennett: The sun beams down on a brand new day No more welfare tax to pay Unsightly slums gone up in flashing light Jobless millions whisked away At last we have more room to play All systems go to kill the poor tonight. Gonna Kill kill kill kill kill the poor. kill kill kill Kill kill the poor kill... Read more

Random Ten

Last updated on: October 14, 2005 at 2:07 pm By Fred Clark

6 Comments

lord, to be 33 forever … The Call, "I Still Believe" The Breeders, "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" Pavement, "Summer Babe" The Hold Steady, "Stevie Nix" Squeeze, "Black Coffee in Bed" Aimee Mann, "Driving Sideways" Crowded House, "Locked Out" Bobby Womack, "Across 110th Street" Green, "I Know, I Know" Bruce Springsteen, "The Rising" That Green song is one of my favorite things in the whole world. "I Know, I Know" is kind of what "Don't Worry Baby" would've sounded like... Read more

L.B.: Leap of Proof

Last updated on: October 14, 2005 at 11:37 am By Fred Clark

86 Comments

"It's hard to accept the idea that there cannot be an order in the universe because it would offend the free will of God and His omnipotence. So the freedom of God is our condemnation, or at least the condemnation of our pride." — Umberto Eco, "The Name of the Rose" Left Behind, pp. 159-165 Rayford Steele and his daughter, Chloe, are reunited and trying to account for their situation. The events of the past few days were mysterious, inexplicable,... Read more

Some say

Last updated on: October 12, 2005 at 5:30 pm By Fred Clark

31 Comments

The New Orleans police are under a lot of stress. As the AP's Mary Foster reports: Their homes are gone, their families scattered, their reputations sliding by the day. Home for most New Orleans police officers is a cramped cruise ship, and work is 12- to 14-hour days in a wrecked city. When time off does come along, there is nowhere to go and no one to spend it with. Experts say the personal and professional upheaval is catching up... Read more

Random 10

Last updated on: October 7, 2005 at 5:56 pm By Fred Clark

7 Comments

All I ever wanted was a good job and some busfare And a rocket. And a bomb. … Mark Heard, "I'm Looking Through You" The Replacements, "We'll Inherit the Earth" Mike Knott, "Rocket and a Bomb" Todd Snider, "Conservative Christian, Right-wing Republican, Straight, White, American Males" Elvis Costello, "Everyday I Write the Book" Lone Justice, "Belfry" Norah Jones, "Crazy" The Dickies, "Banana Splits Theme" The Shins, "New Slang" Macy Gray, "I Try" Read more

L.B.: Please Stand By

Last updated on: October 7, 2005 at 7:58 am By Fred Clark

24 Comments

We are experiencing vocational difficulties. Please stand by. Got an all-day training session today on what is usually my day off, so it looks like Left Behind Fridays will have to be postponed to Monday again this week. As you can see, the president is taking this news hard. NOTE: If you were scheduling training for people who work the overnight shift, would you schedule it for 9 a.m.? Feh. Read more

Free tickets (cont’d.)

Last updated on: October 6, 2005 at 5:57 pm By Fred Clark

7 Comments

In response to questions below, the comp tickets for Perfection Unspeakable are available on a first-come, first-served basis (through Sunday's matinee) — but come on down, we've got seats a-plenty. You won't need a password, but if you like, you can tell 'em slacktivist sent you. Or just say, "I'm with Reese." (You know how on Law & Order there's always that uniformed officer on the scene when Jerry Orbach and Chris Noth arrive? That's Reese. Thus when people ask... Read more