tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post113941783260762755..comments2024-03-28T03:10:51.807-05:00Comments on Julia Sweeney: Julia Sweeneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02459682985438227986noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1141439815526207502006-03-03T20:36:00.000-06:002006-03-03T20:36:00.000-06:00I almost moved to Ireland about 8 years ago based ...I almost moved to Ireland about 8 years ago based solely on how beautiful it is there... well, actually, I like the closeness to Europe, too. :) Sadly, <B>non-fiction</B> authors don't get the tax breaks that fiction authors and other literati do (alas!) so it would've been prohibitively expensive for me to live there. But oh, <B>my!</B> it's gorgeous. There are places in Ireland I think of that choke me up just from the memory of seeing them for a few minutes; to people who lived there and soaked in the splendor all their lives, the pain of separation would be almost unbearable.John Hedtkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14971999501208413242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1140881366838847002006-02-25T09:29:00.000-06:002006-02-25T09:29:00.000-06:00Julia, thanks for your Angeleno prespective on "Cr...Julia, thanks for your Angeleno prespective on "Crash." I also thought it was a silly pile of contrivance... but that's the view from here in Michigan. Obviously the writer of the film had never been to Detroit, or they wouldn't have come to the conclusion that LA is the "racist" center of the country. And I just loved the dialogue... people in the "Crash" universe apparently live in a similar dimension as those people who inhabit Neil Simon comedies.<BR/><BR/>I also liked "Good Night..." but would give the Oscar to Brokeback Mountain.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1139794931579041092006-02-12T19:42:00.000-06:002006-02-12T19:42:00.000-06:00just wanted to say i respect you "coming out" as a...just wanted to say i respect you "coming out" as an atheist. i myself decided i am "ignostic" recently!<BR/><BR/>"Ignosticism is the view that the question of whether or not deities exist is inherently meaningless. It is a popular view among many logical positivists such as Rudolph Carnap and A. J. Ayer, who hold that talk of gods is literally nonsense. According to ignostics, "Does a god exist?" has the same logical status as "What color is Saturday?"; they are both nonsensical, and thus have no meaningful answers."<BR/><BR/>now read my blog famous pretty lady!GLITTERGIRLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07732611873098310054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1139794526856564642006-02-12T19:35:00.000-06:002006-02-12T19:35:00.000-06:00I wanted to thank bookboy because I'd been trying ...I wanted to thank bookboy because I'd been trying to think of <I>Dear Frankie</I> ever since I saw the trailer, but forgot the name.<BR/>Thanks.<BR/>And it's Charles Darwin's birthday. Celebrate evolution, or at least the fact that it is still taught in schools!Lynnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12178771612031280593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1139677901375152182006-02-11T11:11:00.000-06:002006-02-11T11:11:00.000-06:00Upon returning from Afghanistan in the late 70's (...Upon returning from Afghanistan in the late 70's (pre-Russian invasion)my dear friend Jim had a great line about the fundamentalists (Taliban). Jim said that there was one clear fact--"Fundamentalists are 99% mental and 1% fun". It rings true today about most 'fundamental' 'folks'...the frightening thing is that now they are not just a scattered group of cranks. They helped elect our president. Does "piffle" fit here" I am not sure.<BR/>One final note-- if you are moving out of LA to return to Spokane, I would like to suggest that you consider Orcas Island, WA. It is a wonderful place to raise your daughter with enough quircky residents to keep life interesting. Let me know if you want a tour sometime.<BR/><BR/>orcas@rockisland.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1139537753043687842006-02-09T20:15:00.000-06:002006-02-09T20:15:00.000-06:00so tell us how you really feel about 'Crash?'...he...so tell us how you really feel about 'Crash?'...heh heh.Justin Kreutzmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16764071126711054083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1139507995141138822006-02-09T11:59:00.000-06:002006-02-09T11:59:00.000-06:00I'm so glad to learn that I wasn't the only person...I'm so glad to learn that I wasn't the only person who thought "Crash" was a piece of crap! One of my students said I should watch it after I lectured on the evolution of prejudice. I just couldn't face her after that; she loved it so much, and I only had bad things to say about it the next week. It hit all the major talking points about racial prejudice...as they're taught in gradeschools, anyway. But they were so over the top and stereotypical themselves that I just kept having to pause and breathe some fresh air for a few minutes before I could carry on! I felt like Elaine (from Seinfeld) during "The English Patient."Sheldonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11861876430546129295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1139463052561778222006-02-08T23:30:00.000-06:002006-02-08T23:30:00.000-06:00Hi Julia, I finally looked up your website which I...Hi Julia, I finally looked up your website which I wrote down months ago after an NPR interview or monologue. You made an impression on me because I don't know many atheists, and one that I do know says it doesn't bother him that other people are fundamental Christians or Republicans. I'm afraid I am bothered by people who can not see the contradictions of Christian (or whatever religion) beliefs which say we will go to heaven with the streets of gold and be reunited with our loved ones. Does this make a man or woman who has been married 2 or 3 times a polygamist? I am mostly joking here. A greater problem that bothers me is big business and overpopulation (ecouraged by a President who wants to ban birth control, day after pills and abortion) which is destroying our planet.<BR/>I enjoyed reading several days of your blogs. Thanks for the movie tips. I will sign up later to get an identity. Pat from San Antonio, TXAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1139442977072825872006-02-08T17:56:00.000-06:002006-02-08T17:56:00.000-06:00I live in Los Angeles... Not up in the hills.I fou...I live in Los Angeles... Not up in the hills.<BR/><BR/>I found Crash to be fairly accurate. (dramatic, for the sake of drama, of course) but I didn't hear or seemuch in that movie that I haven't actually seen in LA.<BR/><BR/>But that's just me, living at the bottom of the hill.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1139441743659249182006-02-08T17:35:00.000-06:002006-02-08T17:35:00.000-06:00I have long been a fan of the brilliant James Rand...I have long been a fan of the brilliant James Randi, one of the great forces for reason and telling the truth, for decades. I hope he lives many more years and never stops speaking up. I first saw him as a boy, when he performed magic tricks at a theater near my home in New Jersey, but later followed his campaign for reason and truth against mysticism. <BR/><BR/>I haven't seen "Good Night" but I suspect that it doesn't address the fact that probably 99% of the accused actually were members of the Communist Party, sending money to the murderous Soviets. (Proven by documents released after the Iron Curtain fell). That doesn't mean it can't be a good movie on its own terms, as "JFK" was fascinating even though not accurate. (Incidentally, I think I went to NYU with one of George Clooney's producers, a very nice woman named Jennifer Fox).Zigoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10282390699951114884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16654170.post-1139428107971142322006-02-08T13:48:00.000-06:002006-02-08T13:48:00.000-06:00Could not agree more with you about "Good Night,Go...Could not agree more with you about "Good Night,Good Luck", gave me goose bumps at times. Funny how as time changes, how much it stays the same. I know this one will never be big, but I sure did enjoyed it. Was called <A HREF="http://www.miramax.com/dearfrankie/" REL="nofollow">Dear Frankie</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com