Don\’t miss Christopher Hitchens\’s flogging of Mel Gibson\’s \”The Passion of the Christ.\”
I haven\’t seen it yet (I\’m waiting for my $8.50 lottery ticket to win), but I think I will, eventually. About Hitchens\’s critique: one thing I always like about his writing is his unfearing willingness to opine bluntly on almost any subject. It [...]

My girlfriend is the funniest person sometimes.
Now she’s singing “If you want to know if he loves you so, it’s in his kiss, that’s where it is.”
But she sings it with this blind enthusiasm that is both endearing and incredible. I’m not even looking at her, but I know she’s sitting on her knees in [...]

A letter writer to the WaPo puts it in perspective:
On Dec. 12, 1912, Rep. Seaborn Roddenberry (R-Ga.) proposed this amendment to the Constitution:
\”Intermarriage between negros or persons of color and Caucasians . . . within the United States . . . is forever prohibited.\”
Absurd, right? Right.
The Economist gets on the right side of this one, [...]

My friend and housemate, Josh, is a history major with a special (and somewhat perverse) interest in the history of the Soviet Union.
Sometimes I want to look at him and say, \”What\’s wrong with you?! Communism failed, man! The cold war is OVER. You\’re never going to be a CIA spy.\”
But I don\’t say that. [...]

The politics category over there is usually just for show. I\’m interested in politics, and I read up on what\’s going on, but I\’m not terribly opinionated.
And I\’m afraid of alienating future friends or employers. Or angering my girlfriend.
Kidding, baby! Just… kidding…
Anyway, this results in infrequent and poor writing about the topic. That\’s [...]

What if Mel Gibson\’s already famous/infamous film, \”The Pasion\”, just doesn\’t turn out to be a big deal? I think that would be the most interesting outcome; lots of people rush out to see it (I probably will), and it\’s just underwhelming.
Oh I know, I \’ve heard people say that nobody, NO BODY, will leave [...]

I\’ve been reading about big-wave surfing, inspired by MTV\’s show \”True Life: I\’m a big wave surfer.\” In particular, I\’m interested by a beach in Hawaii called Jaws, where some reasonable waves can be found. And some unreasonable ones too.
Big-wave surfers try for waves that measure upwards of 30 feet. Ken Bradshaw has the record [...]

Got a junk newsletter in the mail last week for Mangosteen Juice. It\’s laid out like a newspaper, with headlines and articles, but there are no bylines. As such, I can\’t vouch for its accuracy, but some of the claims are quite interesting:
* Mangosteen Juice is More Than Unique
* We need to begin consuming xanthone-rich [...]

Well, it\’s not the very first time I\’ve been published, but it\’s close. Check it out:
Bringing a movie-making career into focus

Last night I did something I have not done for months. I drove with my window down.
Oooooh.
I\’m sure you are paralyzed with astonishment. But it\’s true, I can\’t hide it. I won\’t deny it.
It\’s something I long ago swore I would not do.
\”Never Again!\” I said.
After the stank heat of August and the [...]