h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is there not a song?... Ah! I was thinking of 'I'm a Believer' by the Monkees. We had torrential rain this morning, now it's sunny and bright.
I came across a distinctly odd news item this morning. Jethro Tull are getting the Dixie Chicks treatment, for making a remark about American flags everywhere. That kind of bizarrery (is there such a word?) must be noted and remembered. The source was http://worldnetdaily.com which is a site for noting what the nutters are up to, and being afraid, being very afraid...
We saw a truly original ghost story on DVD last weekend - 'The Others' with Nicole Kidman and Fionnuala Flanagan (Juliana Tainer on Star Trek:TNG). Oddly, I have just remembered I had a dream about Nicole Kidman this morning, also Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon. Maybe they were all in the same dream?
Hal Clement, noted sf writer, real name Harry Clement Stubbs died the other day. He was 81. He was a very good writer, especially for those who like hard science.
A boy called Cameron Duncan died yesterday. He would have been a great NZ film maker, but he had bone cancer. He was 17, I think. It's sad.
Well, on a happier note, I am going home to get and

There's a good ghost story DVD called "9ine".

"I had a dream about Nicole Kidman this morning, also Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon. Maybe they were all in the same dream?"

Wow! Seriously kinky.

I vaguely remember all the anti-war, anti-gun celebs had been put in cages and splattered with blood. I dunno what Nic was doing there - is she anti-war? Michael Moore was *not* his cheery self!

Nocole Kidman doesn't strike me as having the intelligence to be anti-war. But you never know. Just look on the Hollywood blacklist.

Did you know - Jethro Tull are the latest to get banned? (Like Ian Anderson cares - but some New Jersey classic hits station have banned the works of Jethro Tull, and plan to attend IA's concert en masse with flags.

Ridiculous, innit? It smacks of insecurity that they have to come down hard, so irrationally, on their critics.

It reminds me of that man in Iraq getting bound and gagged for speaking out against the occupation.

A certain guy whose initials are D A V E refused to believe it when Apparition posted a link, although there were links to *two* sources. (The bound and gagged guy, that is...)

D A V E has left a message on my space. I exposed the "real D A V E" in the what's wrong with europeans thread. He obviously wants to keep his bad name private.

I'll check it out! Very interesting....

The link has changed since you posted your journal so I am not sure what the Tull comment exactly was. But one thing I noticed around here is this. In January of 2001 I started dating a middle school teacher (ended badly but that is another story) and she was looking for an American flag to put in her classroom. Couldn't find one anywhere. Suddenly 9 months later they are everywhere. I man in Florida was getting sued by his homeowners group for having a flagpole with a flag on it. Pre 9-11 of course. The problem with all of this is the knee jerk patriotism. the fact that every single auto in the US now has United we Stand and all of that rot on it. I hate to sound "unpatriotic" but, all of this blind nationalism is not a good thing. I don't confuse being patriotic with allowing Ashcroft to do whatever he wants.

Hey, sergeantFlipper! How are you...
The flag thing seems really weird to a NZer - we watch American TV and movies and see them just everywhere!
I am glad to hear you're as worried about Ashcroft as we would be in your place - he's a deeply scary guy, they all are (what '41' (Bush snr) called, 'the crazies' that is.) We saw Ashcroft on the 'Late Show with David Letterman' singing a patriotic song about an Eagle, back at the beginning of the year, or earlier.
Worldnetdaily is worth checking out for a chance to see what nuttiness the Bushies are up to now - but it's really scary.

Do you mean to tell me that you people down in NZ just get on with yoiur lives w/out getting all crazy and nationalistic? Sounds good to me

For the most part we do, although outbreaks of occasional nationalistic hysteria occur - often linked with sporting events!
I'm just reading an excellent book about American nationalism, called something like 'Captain America' - I'll get you the full details later...
Here are the details...
Title: Captain America and the crusade against evil : the dilemma of zealous nationalism / Robert Jewett and John Shelton Lawrence.

Publisher: Grand Rapids, Mich. : W.B. Eerdmans, c2003.

Summary: "According to Jewett and Lawrence, American civil religion has both a humane, constitutional tradition and a violent stand that is now coming to the fore. The crusade to rid the world of evil and "evildoers" derives from the same biblical tradition of zealous warfare and nationalism that spawns Islamic and Israeli radicalism. In America, where this tradition has been popularized by superheroic entertainments, the idea of zealous war is infused with a distinctive sense of mission that draws on secular and religious images. These crusading ideals are visible in such events as the settling of the western frontier, the World Wars, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and America's present war on terrorism."
This critical book, however, is also immensely constructive.

ISBN: 0802860834

oh della della della. I never thought the flame war would have erupted between us. I don't believe in Nationalism or in the force feeding of democracy to other nations. I simply believe in the fact that what we have done here in Iraq has been for the betterment of others. I don't care why we went, above my pay grade. I do know that intentionally or not we have done something good for most of these people. I also believe in the rebuilding. It is the first responiblt thing this nation has done since WWII. We conquered Germany and Japan and turned around and rebuilt them. It worked out very well for both countries. Don't get me wrong. I hate blind patriotism. I think questioning everything is what made this country great. I hate country music and all of its senitmental blind frenzy.

Oh, Flipper, I didn't want the flame war either! From my point of view, you came over all Rumsfeld on me. I simply don't believe the USA had any business invading Iraq in the first place - to use an American expression, you guys were 'sold a bill of goods'... By you guys, I mean the American public. Sites such as Frontpagemag.com and worldnetdaily notwithstanding, there is *no* link between Saddam Hussein and 9/11, there are no WMD (and Hans Blix' latest word on the subject says that there haven't been since 1991 at the latest...)
So, I cannot possibly see any good in the American occupation of Iraq, or 'reconstruction'. Of course you believe in why you're there, you wouldn't be there if you didn't. But I cannot agree. It's not negotiable.