The Hall of Fire

They also express difficulty understanding why false advertising would be a concern to anyone, indicating (to me at least) that they expect advertising to be false or at the very least misleading. I do not think one would find that expectation prevalent in my age group (50s). Hm. Well, I'm in my 50...

If people believe what's written in The Da Vinci Code, they are at best credulous, at worst idiots. Anyone who gets all their information from a work of fiction is hardly worth worrying about, in my opinion. They'll just be swayed with the next wind of popular culture anyway. The book has been widel...

I hope you are able to like it, Whistler, because... well, I love it. But tastes differ, and I'm at peace with that. I wanted to share this paragraph from the new biography of Bob Marley, called "Before the Legend", written by Christopher John Farley. It's something that happened after Mar...

Well, I'm sorry I got so over the top. I guess if Jnyusa says it it really is the last word. there's tons of research after all... Maybe you and Jn could take this offline? It seems pretty apparent that you are offended, but I don't think that Jn meant to offend - though maybe she was a little stif...

Read the cycle and the Cryptonomicon. Stephenson is a strange and interesting cross between Heinlein and Michener. Lots of the larger-than-life-and-more-accomplished-than-you-will-ever-be heroes like the former, genuine historical sweep like the latter. He can't write a sex scene to save his life, ...

Finally, I would like to leave this discussion with words of wisdom from Tom Lehrer: Oh, the Catholics hate the Protestants And the Protestants hate the Catholics And the Hindus hate the Muslims And everybody hates the Jews But during National Brotherhood Week National Brotherhood Week It's Nationa...

So how should we approach the watching of the movie? I believe we've agreed that it will be the Firth version first? Is that correct? I think I mistakenly referred to that as BBC, but isn't it A&E? The Rintoul version is also a BBC. So shall we refer to the Firth, Rintoul, Olivier and Keira ver...

Well... that didn't take long...

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/200 ... urce_.html

Yet... a few years ago there was huge uproar when Helen Darville published The Hand That Signed The Paper under the name of Helen Demidenko, professing to be of Ukrainian ancestry - the book itself being a fictional novel set during WWII in the Ukraine and showing some distinctly anti-semitic strai...

Like this one? I haven't any right to criticise books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticise Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Everytime I read 'Pride and Prejudice' ...

I like the way the book ends. It's quite a narrative dash all the way through, but then Austen slows down a bit and lets you gracefully take leave of the characters. I was happy to hear about the Wickhams sponging on the Bingleys, and Mr Bennet turning up unexpectedly at Pemberley, and Caroline suck...

Oh, Qwest is a mess in a dozen different ways - believe me, I have more reason than most to know it. But that doesn't alter the fact that they did the right thing in this case. I would argue that their legal problems actually made their refusal all the more commendable.

I'm a pleased Qwest customer, too. We probably both ought to email someone at the company to tell them so. We should, and I will. As it happens, I already had the opportunity to give some feedback. Was talking to my Qwest account rep just yesterday - running an IT operation involves lots of phone l...

I think it goes way too far. I'm really proud of my regional telephone company, Qwest, for refusing to turn over any data. Not without a court order, they said. It would infringe on our customers' right to privacy, they said. The question is: why didn't the others refuse?

You don't have the Greer Garson version, Ethel? And you say you like P&P! :P (It's her eyelashes. I hate her eyelashes. And that sentimental smile. Gah!) For me it's the hoop skirts. Also, Lady Catherine as matchmaker. Also... well, it's everything really. Kind of a hoot, but it's not P&P.

The first disc of the movie just arrived in the mail. I suppose I should keep myself from watching it until we're ready to begin? How will we know when we're ready to begin? I'm ready right now! (I own copies of every film version of P&P except the one with Greer Garson - even the recent near-a...

I posted this on TOB, but I'll post it here too in case anyone is interested. NPR did a very nice tribute piece on Bob Marley on Thursday, the anniversary of his death. I heard it driving home from work, and it brought tears to my eyes. I loved Bob Marley; still do; always will. You can listen to it...

Voronwë_the_Faithful wrote:The Lion of Judah, to be exact. I'm feeling Irie today.

Bob Marley died 25 years ago yesterday. I still mourn.

The disparagements of the Catholic Church and a particular organization are a different matter. That amounts to defamation. I can't remember the book very well, but I have the impression that the defamation only applied to a certain fanatical group within the church. Am I wrong about that? I'd say ...

halplm wrote:amazingly enough, it's not a crime to deny the holocaust...

doesn't make it true, but it is not a crime.

It's not a crime to be a racist either. But both attitudes do a lot of damage.