*sigh*

My home state of Virginia disappoints me yet again…

Yes, yes, and *yes*…

(Via Matthew Yglesias)

This is 100% correct. Ok. Maybe only 99.8% correct. Still.

Money quote:

It’s high time we acknowledge that every candidate has an identity: a race, a gender, a cultural background. It may not make or break every voter’s decision, but a candidate’s identity is always an electoral factor — even when that identity is white and male. Clinton’s female supporters and Obama’s black supporters don’t get enough credit. They are making tough decisions on how to reconcile their political beliefs with their gut reactions upon seeing someone who looks like them up on the dais. In fact, all Democratic voters are wrestling with this. Very few Americans have ever had the opportunity to vote for anyone other than a white man for national office. After so many years with “white male” as the default political identity, we’re all suddenly forced to think about how much a candidate’s race, gender, and background should matter.

Even scarier

In response to Smith Michael’s inordinate phobia of snakes, I present something scarier.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/08/eajelly108.xml

Millions of the deadliest creature known to man. Look at it, there’s clouds of them. They have 4 brains all set on feeding. Plus when you try to kill them they respond by having their friends breed millions more of them. The oceans are fun!

Follow up…

Heidi MacDonald on Dave Sim. A must read…

Money quote for me: (bolding is all Heidi)

Is Dave getting a free pass or has be been damned for all times by the Feminist/Atheist cabal? I have to admit, sometimes I’m surprised when I see people asking Sim to write intros to their books, or he’s invited to things like the opening of a comics exhibit at the Norman Rockwell museum. Or when some indie comics show trumpets his appearance. Or when I see Neil Gaiman or Jeff Smith “teaming up” with Dave for a worthy charity. It’s not that I expect him to get a proper Amish Shunning. It’s just that there’s a lot more blowback in the “real world” when you associate yourself with individuals with “strong opinions”.

325

This is the 325th post here at Blurred Productions version 8.0.

A couple of things:

First, I’d like to thank those fellow internets folks who have linked us and bring new eyes to this god-forsaken piece of internets real estate.

Second, I’d like to thank my fellow contributors for posting and commenting and helping make this version of Blurred Productions successful.

Third, I’ll take this opportunity to do a bit of a “customer/reader” satisfaction survey.

Since our inglorious return in January I’ve been increasingly proud of my output here. I feel that I’ve really been developing a strong editorial voice that is really clicking for me. I think the most recent posts have been some of the best I’ve done since the relaunch.

Now of course, dear readers (and my fellow contributors) I’d like give you a chance to burst my bubble.

I’ve got a few questions that I’d like any reader (or fellow BP contributor) to answer in the comments of this post. Any reader, first time or long time, should feel free to comment.

So here’s the questions:

1. What’s your favourite topic discussed on Blurred Productions?
2. What your least favourite?
3. What posts have you enjoyed recently?
4. What do you think Blurred Productions greatest strength is?
5. What is BP’s greatest weakness?
6. What would you like to see more of here?
7. What would you like to see less of here?
8. Do you prefer long posts with extended commentary or shorter, pithier ones?
9. Do you like link-blogging?
10. More snark or less snark?
11. Foul language: yes or no?

Am sure I am opening a Pandora’s box by doing this, but seriously all feedback (even negative) is much appreciated.

And finally, thanks for reading!

UPDATE: And yes, I know blogging about blogging is a mortal sin.

A review in A-flat…

To say that I am a fan of the work of Adam Langer is an understatement. I picked up his first novel, Crossing California, on a lark at Border’s four years ago (I liked the cover). It didn’t take me long to completely fall in love with the novel, its characters and its setting (Chicago).

Langer’s follow up, Washington Story, was great as well. It was a perfect sequel, taking the characters of Crossing California in interesting new directions while remaining true to their original characterizations.

Langer’s newest book, Ellington Boulevard, is different. It’s not set in the same “world” as his previous two books (though there are a few cloy references to them) and the setting is New York, not Chicago. 

Yet as Langer branches out as an author, what dazzled me about his previous two outings remains: his sharp character work that even makes assholes seem sympathetic or at least understandable; his fluid dialogue that comes very close to capturing the way people actually talk; the way every character is subtly (and unsubtly) interconnected; the way his plot often seem like controlled chaos.

Thus Ellington Boulevard is a great novel and a great successor to Langer’s previous work. Anyone interested in a character centered, funny novel should check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Episode IV- A New Link

All Star Wars, all the time today! Come on kids, I only get a little more mileage out of those titles.

• @Club Jade: In my review of the latest Star Wars novel I hope that author Karen Traviss would be given the chance to write another post-ROTJ book. Could this be it? One can hope!
• @Comics Should Be Good: A fair review of the who recent Spidey mess. And yes, I still can’t quite just get over it.
• @Occasional Superheroine: Why no Batwoman?
• @Raising Kaine: Will Virginia ever ban smoking in restruants and bars? Unlikely. Which fucking sucks.
• @Matthew Yglesias: Fox News porn.
• @Washington Monthly: The surge, it keeps going and going and going…
• @Edge of the West: A long and very good (what else is there from Ari and Eric?) discussion of Obama and Iseral. Also: McKinley.

Until next time!

Revelation…

Yes, kids, it’s that time of your again! It is time for me to discuss the latest offering in Star Wars: Legacy of the Force. Again if such things are not for you precede no further! There are other things here for you to peruse.

Of course, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.

Shit, snakes!

This is the scariest thing I have read in years.

Crunchy & classy…

(Via Eschaton)

Submitted without comment…

Choicest bits…

Natasha DaSilva, that tattoo just above your butt telegraphs to the world that you’re one classy dame. I’m sure your daughters will be so proud of you one day. “Wow, Mom, you really hooched up your wedding, didn’t you?” Dreary old me, I miss bridal hypocrisy.

He later adds…

However, I just heard a woman, Hirsi Ali, talk about how sexual purity is taken to such a psychotic extreme in Islamic culture that women are beaten, tortured and even murdered for having violated the code of honor. Hirsi Ali, who is no longer religious, said in her remarks that she believes religion should have nothing to say about sexual morality. That is clearly unacceptable to any remotely traditional religious person, but given that she’s an atheist now, and given how badly she’s suffered at the hands of the religious, one can certainly understand why she feels that way, even if one can’t agree. That Islam and Islamic law is fanatical about sexual purity doesn’t mean that a respect and an idealizing of sexual purity is wrong. Obviously there is a gulf between Christianity and Islam on this point.