Headlines (November 29)

Bad Timing, Good Morality - In retrospect, releasing a movie which glorifies bisexuality less than a month after an election where traditional values was so important was probably quite a mistake. I’m not sure that Oliver Stone and the folks at the studio are ready to admit it, though. It seems that a movie praised by The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation but condemned by church leaders was destined to fail in the post-election climate. While the movie does not have an explicit sexual scene between Alexander and his supposed male lover, it does make quite obvious that they were homosexual. A graphic love scene between Alexander and his wife apparently did not balance out the homosexual undertones. And so it is that the $150 million epic will go down as a huge disappointment for the studio, having grossed only a fraction of its cost through the first two weeks after its release. And I say “bravo” to everyone who snubbed it!

The Perfect Gift - Looking for the perfect toy for your child this Christmas? Why not buy your little darling a Stink Blaster [2]. The Stink Blaster is a gun that can “Blast your Friends with a ball of harmless, but Stinky air from up to 20 feet away! Just pull back the plunger, squeeze the pod release, aim and fire! The Stink Blaster Blaster coils the air as it races towards your target for a concentrated blast of air and smell. The power of the air ruffles shirts and blows hair, while the smell will wrinkle noses and annoy your friends. Blast ‘em from a distance, they’ll never see you coming! The ultimate in Stink Prank play, the Stink Blaster Blaster is smelly wind blowing fun. The Stink Blaster Blaster comes complete with blaster and 2 Stink Pods. Ages 5+.” Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Early reviews at Amazon are mixed, though a common complaint is that the stink isn’t stinky enough. That may be the first time in human history anyone has ever made that complaint.

Bush The Butcher - It seems a lot of my countrymen are quite upset that George W Bush is making his first post-election state visit to Canada. Canada Free Press [3], an independent, conservative news source, details some of the upcoming protests and complaints. Judy Rebick, once Canada’s top feminist, writes “We want to send a message of support to the people of Iraq and all oppressed people around the world: we stand in solidarity with you. And to our sisters and brothers in the American anti-war movement: the world will always say no to the Bush agenda.” I don’t quite know who she is representing, other than perhaps other rabid feminists. Other groups have called emergency meetings so they can begin to make placards and “unwelcome mats.” Apparently part of the plan to show discontent is to “…be waving placards and shouting obscenities at Bush from across the river.” Surely these people have something more constructive they could be doing!

Christianity Applied - I don’t usually link to other blogs until they are well-established, but this time I will make an exception. Christianity Applied [4] is a new blog but one that has really caught my eye. Stuart, known in the forums at this site as sdinenno, offers “commentary in the light of the Holy Scriptures as they apply to all things, with a particular emphasis on practical obedience to biblical precepts.” He is currently reading and blogging his way through Arthur Pink’s An Expostion of the Sermon on the Mount and recently also wrote an excellent article on sola Scriptura [5]. Take a gander (by which I mean take a look, not take a male goose) and if you post something, tell him that Tim sent you.