Fleeting expletives (still?) OK
As the NYT reports, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has vacated an FCC order against Fox Television Stations regarding fleeting or isolated usage of the F and S words on TV, including one instance involving Nicole Richie, which is the one that really interests me. George Carlin, Dennis Franz, Cher, Bono, and Nicole Richie: first amendment superheroes. The dissenting justice writes that at least the FCC put some thought into the matter by claiming that the F word has an inherent sexual connotation. He chooses not to "consider the Commission’s standard which makes it a decency violation to use the word 'shit,'" because, basically, everyone poops, and he duly notes that, "In delivering the line, Richie changed 'pig crap' to 'cow shit,'" and who gives a shit about that?
It remains to be seen whether the opinion also vacates the FCC's characterization of "Ms. Richie's confident and fluid delivery of the lines," which is clearly a load of crap. In conclusion, I support the metamorphosis of Fox into a hardcore sex channel, and I would like to say that this court opinion is really, really, fucking brilliant.
Real Wedding Crashers
This is what I wanted my wedding to be: shockingly nontraditional. Now it's over. I guess now I'll have to settle for elegant invitations, an intimate ceremony and reception, and excellent food. It's still a good show idea. Perhaps it'll get a little old, though.
Um, what?
I just found out that there's a Criterion Collection release of Armageddon. Huh. With The Rock, yeah, that's okay. But Armageddon? Do I have to throw myself off a bridge now?
Thomas Pynchon is Kansas or UNC
The Morning News-Powell's Tournament of Books is in full swing. I haven't paid as much attention as previous years. Notably, Thomas Pynchon's Against the Day just fell to One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson. The other contestant that I consider a number one seed, Cormac McCarthy's The Road, is still alive.
Pabst Oldstyle
No, it's not a mashup of two working-class beer with hipster cachet. It's a font that showed up on the cover of the new book by Tracy Chevalier, of Girl with a Pearl Earring fame. I know I've seen it on other books, but I can't figure out which one(s) right now. In any case, that font is over.
Advice
Put cayenne pepper on peas and carrots. Just enough so you can barely tell. Also, I was listening to Fauré while I was eating, so the music should get some credit for helping me reach enlightenment.
Life imitates stuff
I hope the UK's Royal Navy is detaining the producers of the television show Lost for questioning. Why? Quit reading now if you don't want to read a spoiler for last night's episode. The Telegraph reports that "An investigation is underway today into an explosion aboard a nuclear submarine which left two Britons dead."
Million Dollar Idea number 009
I want to drop rechargeable batteries into a hopper that will orient them, align them with the charging contacts, and drop them into a different hopper when they're charged. Call me lazy, but if the effort goes from ten seconds to one hundred milliseconds, only then would that be enough to make me buy twenty pair of rechargeables.
Previous MDIs: 001 - 002 - 003 - 004 - 005 - 006 - 007 - 008
