holy haberdashery!

[thewlisian_afer]

I've been rather absent lately. Not posting anything of substance, not commenting on entries that require thought, etc. Sorry about that. It's what happens when I get ill, impatient and grouchy. (Aside from impatience and grouchiness due to illness, it also comes from being pissed off at amazon.com. I placed my order on March 3rd. The carrier was notified to pick up the package on March 6th. It was scanned for departure on March 10th. It's been sitting there collecting dust ever since.) So instead of an update on me, you get a links post.



News News:

• Confederate Flag Exhibit Ignites Uproar The exhibit contains "...a Confederate flag hung from a noose on a 13-foot gallows in a display titled 'The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag.'" Whee, controversy! Personally? I severely question anyone who feels pride when they see the Confederate flag (or very much of anything that has to do with the American Civil War, honestly). It disturbs me that the poll on that site reveals that 38% of the voters -- the largest percentage in the poll -- have a positive opinion of said flag. Mrf.


Weird News:

• Apparently all you have to do to be upgraded to first class on your flight is ... die. Then they'll even buckle your seat belt for you. You can't make this shit up.

• You can't make this shit up, either. "It's illegal to walk into a department store, grab women's clothing and other merchandise, masturbate on it all and then leave." Really? I never would've guessed. Actually, I might never have guessed because I never would have thought of it...


Random Stuff:

• This is kind of fascinating. (I'm currently watching an Italian movie that deals with it a little bit.) I'd love to see this pop up on House some time.

• geicocaveman EL OH EL. Genius.

• This is not good advertising. Funny as hell... But not good.

• And wrapping up with cuteness, like always: Knut the polar bear was born in December 2006 and he is really fuckin' adorable. I WANT ONE.

Comments

[eryslash.livejournal.com]

*takes Polar Bear*

...McDonald is...I don't know. It's just. xD

Out of curiosity, what italian movie are you watching?

[thewlisian-afer.livejournal.com]

Oh, your icon makes me giggle. ♥ RSL's emotive hands. XD

The movie I was watching is called Io non ho paura (I'm Not Scared). It was ... interesting. I'm still not entirely sure what I thought of it. But I've got four more films to go before I post my next string of reviews, so I just jotted down some notes and I have time to mull it over in my mind.

[eryslash.livejournal.com]

Aha, thank you xD Even RSL's hands can act.

Ohhh, I loved that movie! I'm looking forward to your review :3

[musikologie.livejournal.com]

Oh, God, the Recoloration Proclamation. That Confederate flag exhibit came to my college when I was a freshman, and at most places it wouldn't cause much of a fuss, except I go to school in fricken' Gettysburg. The KKK came and protested, the Sons of the Confederates were there, people on the other side (which, funnily enough, don't band into groups with snazzy titles) were there... it was all a big mess. The article's kinda wrong -- they had to cancel the hanging and lynching at the college's exhibit, because the KKK was threatening some serious violence, and we put our foot down the day before the show (I think. It was 3 years ago, now.). The exhibit was put in Schmucker Hall, which is the music/art building, and all of us students had to walk through metal detectors through the duration of the exhibit.

It's... it's a tricky situation, I get that. Gettysburg has never really gotten over the Civil War. Half of the buildings in town have a simple little plaque on them that say "Civil War Building" and of those, many have little "Field Hospital" signs as well, because, well, lots of people got themselves shot up here. Ghost tours, people seen in re-enacting gear in the streets... it's a big deal. And as we're the furthest north that the South ever got, I understand the pride that the South have in this place, I do, and I really understand how seeing the flag in green and purple and decked with a sparkly pink feather boa is not the best thing in the world.

And I rambled. Whoops, sorry.

[thewlisian-afer.livejournal.com]

I've been to Gettysburg and done all the touristy stuff! :D Daddy and I are suckers for that sort of thing. I was totally raised to be a geek. Totally. Also, in high school I had a friend who participated in reenactments and I went to a couple, one of which was in Gettysburg.

I can see, on some level, being proud of ancestors who fought for what they believed in. I know all about my ancestors who fought in the Civil War. I'm not exactly cheering about it -- because I think there are, were and will always be enough problems in the world without countries fighting with themselves -- but I can kinda see the logic behind the pride. Really. Especially when people really try to make it all about states' rights.

But the KKK and their association with the Confederate flag is really what wrecks it for me. It's kind of like ... you know, the swastika has very spiritual connotations in a lot of Dharmic religions and such. But in Western culture it's been made horribly taboo, thanks to Hitler. The KKK has done the same thing to the Confederate flag and now it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I see it exactly how the article says the artist sees it and I have trouble wrapping my head around not seeing it that way.

[jraven.livejournal.com]

I don't even know when the last time I updated was. Other than yesterday or whenever, I'm not even sure when the last time I checked LJ was.

So don't feel bad ;)