Tonya and PQBON's WebLog

Friday link roundup...

Geeks in entertainment... We've done some digging and came up with a list of geek stars -- celebrities who work at traditional artistic pursuits to make their way in the world, but have been known to kick back with a little astrophysics or microbiology in their spare time. Some of these headliners do exude a distinct nerdy spark, but others in our list will undoubtedly surprise you. - The list is interesting. I think it misses some poeple like Dexter Holland (is there any name better for a lead singer of a punk band then Dexter?).

Blacklisting is back! Dixie Chick-ing of artists by organized conservatives... The HUAC/McCarthy era and Hollywood blacklist may be over, but the not-so-grand inquisitors are still among us. On March 31, 2007, activist/actor Mike Farrell, who co-starred in TV’s “M*A*S*H” and co-founded Artists United to Win Without War, told Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting’s “CounterSpin” radio program, “There’s a price to be paid for speaking out, and some have paid a fairly serious price.” Around that same time, at a March 24, 2007 anti-war Oakland town meeting called by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, actor Sean Penn stated, “we are encouraged to self-censor any words that might be perceived as inflammatory—if our belief is that this war should stop today. We cower as you point fingers telling us to ‘support our troops.’” - This is kind of a companion idea to a piece I read in the Sacramento Bee about abortion protesters photographing workers for a fence construction company hired by planned parenthood. The protester post the pictures online. "We have talked to employees on site to encourage them to reconsider their business affiliation," explained Wynette Sills, an event organizer. ... The Web site features photographs of the company's trucks and its workers, and a statement: "Please let them know that working with Planned Parenthood comes at a price." - sounds like a threat to me. The right will not loose power until we find someway to wrest their intimidation and economic threats from their hands.

Teacher looses job over graphic novel... The girl’s father, who asked that his family remain anonymous because it has already been the target of criticism, described the graphic novel that English teacher Nate Fisher gave the student as "borderline pornography."
The book, one of a series of comic book novels by Daniel Clowes, is called "Eightball #22." It includes references to rape, various sex acts and murder, as well as images of a naked woman, and a peeping tom watching a woman in the shower. - So much for unbiased reporting. The opinion of the reporters involved in this piece clearly feel that justice has been served by the firing. Though they did throw in one quite from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund in support of the teacher.

Edited for spelling...