The Matthew Shepard Act has passed. I’m of two minds about it. On the one hand, I want protection for those people who are attacked because of hate. On the other, it’s weird to persecute people because of the thoughts they had when hurting someone.

Of course, if we could count on people and police to protect people who were being attacked because of their nationality, race, sexuality, etc., we could all rest a bit better, but in too many places, people turn away from what their society and beliefs make abject.

At least all those senators who said the Matthew Shepard story was a “hoax” and who indicated that all homosexuals are pedophiles were voted down. In fact, can’t we get them for hate speech now?

In other news, I saw a new edition of ORYX AND CRAKE that indicated that it was the first in the MADADAM TRILOGY. So I guess we’re about to get something new going on in AFTER THE FLOOD, which comes out in September. Margaret Atwood fans, get ready!

My dear friend David, after being incommunicado for quite some time:

You’re more important to me than my behavior indicates.

I just love that. I want to preemptively say that to everyone I know or will ever know.

Especially those whom I know during difficult times. Of course, you can always try Ken’s approach to dealing with me. I tell him what I’m worried about. “Would you like a glass of wine?” It’s about two in the afternoon and I’m working. “Would you like a beer?”

I’ve been behind on my blogging–all of my writing energy is going into the book (as of this week, finally).

So let’s play I never . . .

I have never enjoyed snow.

I have never read anything by Agatha Cristie.

I have never eaten veal.

I have never enjoyed shoe shopping.

I have never been Governor of Alaska and then left the post my constituents trusted me to because I didn’t want to be a lame duck, all the while wanting to be President, even though that’s a job where I would be a lame duck at the end.

And now, the flipside:

I have given a lightsaber as a birthday present to an adult.

I have been in every open to the public room of the British Museum.

I have smiled every time I see a Finnish flag sticket on a car.

I have enough unread books in my house to keep me reading for a while, but I keep buying more.

I have actually disliked relatively few students, but oh, those few.

The new column is up! Read all about radical movie adaptations of the classics (these aren’t your mother’s adaptations!)
http://www.matchflick.com/column/1978

Are you one of those people who bristles when congresspeople and political talking heads tell you about “silly” scientific studies your tax dollars are being used for?

Like one study on truck-drivers’ homosexual encounters at truck stops?  The people who did the study actually had to appear before Congress after some politicos started in on them.  The Congress’s findings?  That the study was furthering our understanding of how AIDS is spread–one of the things it was designed to do.  The study continued.

Now, including winners of the Ignoble awards (those who actually do stupid research), most scientific inquiry looks odd to outsiders, although those outsiders should remember that many scientific discoveries were not even planned.  Viagra and microwaves are just two things discovered while scientists were doing their thing–running studies.

An article in a recent Mental Floss (May/June 2009) hits the point home with “10 Technologies We Stole From the Animal Kingdom.”  Why study shark skin, bat radar, or resurrection plants, to name the first three?  I’m not sure why they were originally studied (other than–cause we want to know!) or how the studies were funded (private or public), but now there’s a new coating to avoid germs in hospitals, canes for the blind that really let you know what’s out there, and how to keep vaccines viable for longer–the better for the vaccines to help children in inhospitable regions.

Science inquiry is cool and it’s time we reclaim it as an American value.

Just saw The Hangover.  Even if it hadn’t gotten a bunch of great reviews, I would have had to due to its starring Zach Galifianakis, one of my favorite stand-up comics.

The film does not disappoint.  Unlike lots of things this film could have been–a gross-out boy movie, an a bunch of shit happens but then I realize I really love her movie, et–this movie was consistently funny.

Now, I’m the kind of person who’s really glad never to have had a night or a next morning (or another night and another next morning) like these boys had.  But I will gladly laugh at their misfortune (for some reason, I was tickled most when animals and babies were hit on the head).

I was happy to see an erect penis.

Those of you who know me know that I think it’s a horrible double standard that you can see an aroused woman naked in a R-movie, but that you can’t see an aroused man.  Fair is fair.

Unfortunately, to avoid an NC-17 rating, they had to use a fake cock.

I can watch a maniac disembowel someone slowly in an R-rating . . .

But I’d rather watch The Hangover, fake cock and all.

1. Denise and I should be at least bi-sexual. Too bad we can’t choose that lifestyle.
2. I don’t like it when radio stations play songs that don’t match the day/time. So Manic Monday should only be played on Monday. And Friday I’m in Love should only be on Fridays. And In the Air Tonight shouldn’t be played in the morning. Yes, it’s anal of me–too bad.
3. There is not much good on television right now. Thank god for Netflix and the fact that I have to clean off two DVRs.
4. I was surprised at how surprised I was that this week’s Republican sex scandal was heterosexual. What does that say about the “Moral Majority”?
5. Things I am thankful for: friends, pie, hum 13 going forward, air conditioning, health insurance, beautiful northern california skies

http://www.matchflick.com/column/1967

1. Losing weight (yea!)
2. Weird Al’s new single. Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R32aFmxL9HY
3. Spinal Tap has a new album–Back From the Dead!