I like that fucking Black Darjeeling

Ah, Deadwood. If it doesn’t have the best one-liners ever, I don’t know what does. Another favourite: “He likes to berate the gimp mornings.”

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Scarlett Johansson, avec Dita Von Teese (Marilyn Manson’s wife) poses for some S&M photos. You’re welcome. [via Buddha Canvas]

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Speaking of Scarlett, she’s recording a Tom Waits cover album. That should…wait, what?

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Shoot. The Catholic bishops have wandered into the lawmaking again. Where’s my broom?

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Lunenberg might be getting a strip club. Question: would it be part of the UNESCO site?

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What a coincidence that a 10,000-year-old meteorite should be dug out of the ground in Kansas. No doubt they’ll have trouble convincing some of the locals who think the earth is younger than that.

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Still on the topic of idiots, a garbage disposal manufacturer is suing NBC because of a scene in last week’s Heroes depicting an indestructible girl’s hand getting mangled (and then healing, natch) when she sticks her hand in one of their products. Of course, you couldn’t really read the brand name. And even the simplest of the simple would know that sticking your hand in an operating garbage disposal would cause it harm. But yeah, sue those fuckers. Twice.

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More idiots: George W. Bush and the Congress he rode in on. The bill he’s just signed into law means that anyone suspected of terrorism isn’t guilty until proven innocent, they’re in purgatory. You know it’s gotta be a peach when the executive director of the ACLU calls it “one of the worst civil-liberties measures ever enacted in American history.”

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The recording industry has launched 8,000 more file-sharing lawsuits. Now where’s my buggy whip?

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OK, back to the Catholic bishops: some of the quotes from Winnipeg Archbishop James Weisgerber are just knee-slappers. Gob-smackers, even. Check it:

“As leaders, we are guardians of long traditions of wisdom”

Really? ‘Cause I was 17 when your church admitted you were wrong about the whole “We condemned Galileo ’cause he said the earth revolves around the sun” thing. Also, as I pointed out to someone recently, you still officially have it on the books that communion wafers become the body of Christ somewhere between the beak and the gizzard. You may not really admit it in public anymore, but…yeah. No need to go on, but you’ll pardon me if your promised knowledge of “long traditions of wisdom” don’t set me all a-twitter.

“People don’t really have a sense of personal sin or reflection. We are becoming a more selfish and hedonistic society.”

Catholicism (or any other religion) does not equal morality. In some cases it’s quite the opposite. Anyway, that’s the same tune that church officials have been whistling for centuries and we’ve somehow managed to avoid Armageddon.

[On the issue of gay marriage] “We really need in Canada to support families.”

Now you’re pissing me off, padre. Once again, let me help you with the math: marriage != straight-and-child-bearing-only club. Besides, if you let gay people get married, wouldn’t that just create more family units? Or would you just like Canada to support a certain type of family?

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I find this whole religion thing difficult. About 80% of Canadians practice some kind of religion, including many of my family and friends and other people I respect. I couldn’t care less if they’re religious, or about the particulars of what they believe. But when religious people try to impose their beliefs on the public, and especially on the law, I get annoyed. I hope some of them do as well.

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By the way, sorry for the brain dump; I was sick yesterday and this stuff just built up. OK, off to eat and watch some Friday Night Lights.
[tags]deadwood, scarlett johansson, tom waits, catholic bishops, gay marriage, lunenberg, garbage disposal, heroes, nbc, dubya, file-sharing, buggy whip[/tags]

How not to take a loss

This plane crash story from New York is getting weirder and weirder.  There’re now reports that Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was on the plane when it crashed into the building. I’d heard it was his plane, but apparently they’ve now found his passport near the wreckage.

Was he just really broken up about the ALCS loss to Detroit?

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I see that Americans, having run out of foods to deep-fry, have begun deep-frying Coke. Brilliant. [via Joe]

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I’m always angry at myself for not going to see art and photography exhibits, so I’m going to try really hard to see the World Press Photo 2006 exhibit at BCE place before the 22nd. [via Torontoist]

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More pictures tonight if I have a chance.

[tags]cory lidle, new york plane crash, deep-fried coke, word press photo 2006[/tags]

Sweedeedee

Madonna reminds me of a little kid, the kind who can’t stand not getting attention. So when no one’s spending much time thinking about her, she just does something naughty, like kissing a black Jesus, simulating masturbation in the Skydome, or — her latest — performing a mock crucifiction.

The press, silly bastards, keep falling for it…for now, anyway; at some point they’ll realize what the rest of us have: that Madonna’s all used up and hasn’t released a decent album since William Orbit made one for her.

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The Modern Mod sent me Cat Power‘s Covers Record today as I had nothing else to listen to. Halfway through the first listen I bought it legal-like; the cover of “Kingsport Town” alone was worth the eMusic download.

[tags]madonna, cat power[/tags]

4.48 Psychosis

Damn. It’s already gone by, and I was too busy anyway, but I’d liked to’ve seen this Summerworks play: 4.48 Psychosis. I was attracted to it partly because it got a great review in Now Magazine, but also because a very cool Tindersticks song was based on the original play itself and even the song is haunting. It sounds horribly dark and disturbing; I regret not trying to see it.

[tags]4.48 psyychosis, tindersticks, summerworks[/tags]

Stars, deaths & disasters

Dang. Last weekend we saw a pink-topped hearse driving around, promoting the new Andy Warhol exhibit at the AGO (curated by David Cronenberg); we’d have stopped him if we knew we’d get free tickets.

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My brother and his wife should be arriving soon (the other one, not the one who just left on Tuesday). They picked a great weekend to visit: great weather and tons of festivals going on.

[tags]andy warhol, david cronenberg, ago, family visits[/tags]