Free Homosexual Kisses

Clicking on this link will give you a good visual depiction of what I attempted to describe a couple of days ago - the evangelical preachers drawing swaths at the University of Arizona. What the picture doesn't show, unfortunately, is my favorite Tucsonian couple who denounced us sinners with their classic banner. However, I can go one better; in this picture, notice the man on standby with his placard: "Free Homosexual Kisses". I commend that man. Well done, sir.

Incorrect Classifications

An ongoing issue raised by the good doctor Kermode on Radio 5 concerns the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and its recent rise in inappropriate classifications, not least of all for The Other Boleyn Girl, a film that I haven't seen and neither will I in the future seeing as it lends a platform for the awful, wooden, and boring Natalie Portman. This film has been given a '12A' certificate, which suggests that children aged under 12 should only go and see the film with the accompaniment of an adult within special reason; certainly no-one under 8 years old should go. With regard to The Other Boleyn Girl, the BBFC states: "The film also contains a scene in which the King, frustrated by Anne Boleyn's refusal to submit to him, forces himself upon her, [...] merely suggesting what is happening through Anne's pained expression. [...] The film also contains undetailed implication of two executions by beheading. [...] The film also contains some brief and undetailed references to incest." Now, call me a square from the past, but surely films that contain rape, executions, incest, bad language, and dramatic violence should not be classified as a '12A'. This is not the first time that Kermode has taken issue with their guidelines, and rightly so, it seems. Moreover, a concerned fellow citizen even rang in to the show to express his doubts after watching the film, judging whether it would be appropriate for his daughter studying Henry VIII. What brings me directly to this, considering I would not normally post about this subject, is the BBFC's struggle against Rockstar Games' Manhunt 2. I have posted about this before but I cannot find where. In that instance, judge the case for yourself and analyze whether the BBFC has its priorities set straight: here and here.

An Update...

Following my venture into mainland Texas, my reading of the classic works on evolution has somewhat dropped off, or subsided shall we say. However, I have picked up the Canto edition of John Maynard Smith's The Theory of Evolution. As I was reading the very thoughtful introductory essay I had a sneaking suspicion that it may have been written by the contemporary guru, Richard Dawkins, and so when I found his name credited it came as little surprise. I was again assured that I was in the hands of a very capable writer, with an alluring tone of informality, written for the layman. I shall keep you posted. Otherwise, I should inform you that I'll be leaving Tucson again this Saturday, but this time set for good ol' Blighty. I'll be home for three weeks and I'll do my best to keep my blog alive for all you adamant readers. Unfortunately, my friend's blog, Exchange, has come to its untimely end - my inkling has been confirmed; the key to a successful blog is regular updates, which requires an unusual amount of motivation. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to my daily newspaper in the morning - a luxury that the States barely provides, along with good cups of tea.

Passports and Burqas

Just as I add to my blogroll, I discover this, which is one of those curious things - something that I wish I had written myself. As a side note: Premature Ejaculation - premature for whom?

Evangelicals

Today on the university commons an evangelical preacher group drew quite the crowd whilst spouting nonsensical drivel about the word of god. You have to have a certain admiration for evangelicals - to believe every word of The Bible to be gospel regardless of the wealth of evidence that suggests quite the opposite. What's more, the passages that moderate christians tend to avoid, like those found in the Book of Revelations for example, are just those that evangelicals latch onto as a cheap conduit for their anti-Semitic views. Why, you ask, am I in such a good mood then, considering the large number of people who gathered to listen? Well, as I made my way over to the ruckus, I was greeted by the sound of heckling, whispering, laughter, and overall derision. What music to my ears! The American's aren't as feckless, impressionable, nor as stupid as we had previously upheld. There is a worthy cause motivating Richard Dawkins' current US tour. Let me tell you the best of it, stood beside the bambling female speaker was a couple holding the following placard: "WARNING Masturbators Thieves Liars Fornicators Homosexuals JUDGEMENT DAY". When I nonchalantly approached these sordid little goons and asked, "what happens if I fit all of these?" the woman replied with words to the effect of: repent your sins and accept Jesus Christ. What a moral teaching that is, comrades! And lastly, in the eternal words of Penn & Teller: "We need more atheists, and nothing will get you there faster than reading the damn Bible."

No Oathing Please

I am repulsed, annoyed, revolted, irritated, sickened by the idea of pledging an oath of allegiance to the Queen and country. Needless to say, I have fantasized many times about sitting down in protest against the British national anthem if I happen to win an Olympic Gold medal. Imagine that - an athlete making his own historical mark of personal integrity by having the courage to silently protest the absurd calling: "god save our queen" - redundant on a number of levels, I'm sure you'll agree. With regard to the monarchy, Thomas Paine wrote: "A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right." The sooner we can shirk the childhood indoctrination into supposedly divine autocracy, the sooner Britain will formulate a true cultural identity.

The War on Drugs

One out of every hundred adults in the United States is in jail, and a good proportion of those incarcerated are inside for drug related crimes. Yet, we know that the percentage of adults in the US who use illegal drugs is more than 1%, and so, we can conclude that the war on drugs is failing. Simple. Even so, roughly 25% of those imprisoned were convicted on drug related crimes, and the ratio is increasing. Not only are we fighting an unwinable war, but could this be exacerbating a wealth of problems, from stretched police reserves, to free-fire street corners, to flooded prisons, to the demonization of the most desperate citizens who are isolated amongst the underclass? I have never taken any street drug, and I never plan to; I'm even weary of putting the most basic sporting supplements inside my body, but I felt an instant pang of agreement when I came across this article in Time magazine last week, written by none other than the writers of The Wire, the unprecedented success story of American television. They recognise these disparities supplanted into contemporary society and they have a solution: "If asked to serve on a jury deliberating a violation of state or federal drug laws, we will vote to acquit, regardless of the evidence presented." Although this appears like a sweepingly naive statement delivered from the drooping lips of some sky-bound hippie, accept the weighty backdrop to such a decision. I urge you to read the article and ask yourself whether you see the war on drugs as a movement void of direction, ruining millions of American lives on the way. I have never watched an episode of The Wire, but I will now. Perhaps someone will be kind enough to buy me the super double deluxe box set supreme for my birthday sooner or later...

Why?

Anyone who has to guess my opinion on this matter would be insulting me.

The Atlantic Magazine

There was one up-side to my trip, by the way. On a venture to change a ten dollar bill into some smaller coins I purchased a copy of Atlantic magazine. I have since applied for my subscription. If you read nothing else after reading this, look closely at Eliza Grizwold's article, God's World. This is a magnificent piece about the lingering war between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. The cover of the magazine reads: 'Which religion will win?', but given the accounts of pillage, murder, corruption, and unprecedented savagery, I fear that this question will not be singularly answered. Also, it's known that Christopher Hitchens writes monthly for the Atlantic, here focusing on a new book musing on the contradictions of anti-semitism. And, something that has now gone beyond mere coincidence, Hitchens defends my corner when discussing the withdrawal of Prince Harry from Afghanistan. As if his follow-up allusion to Taxi Driver wasn't enough, it now seems he is certainly taking inspiration from this blog. What's more, Hitchens has been in the limelight even more-so recently with his highly commendable rebuttal: 'Why women are still not funny' on Vanity Fair's video section this month (a sequel to his controversial exposure of the humour gap in his classic essay last year: 'Why Women aren't Funny'). A worthy update.

Return from Swimming

Never fear, I am still here. As planned I arrived back in Tucson yesterday following my second round trip to Austin, Texas. This time, however, I managed to confuse my flight plans and so I ended up flying to the infamous Kansas before hopping on a plane to the rapidly warming Tucson, on a trip that lasted the best part of eight hours; not great considering the usual two hour stone's throw. All of that, alongside the laborious swimming meet, has held me back from posting, for which I am, as always, deeply regretful. Even so, I have so far failed to embark on my frequent binge of intellectual stimuli from which I bring you my edited pearls of trifle. Nevertheless, I can tell you that the almost super-human Michael Phelps (who was recently polled as the third greatest sporting wonder behind Federer's forehand in The Times) made an appearance in Texas to swim the 200m Individual Medley. Rumour has it that he only showed up to endorse one of his many sponsors, which seems sensible. Otherwise, the swimming was fast. For example, to make the 100m Freestyle final you would have had to go below 49.7 seconds, a time that, in Britain, would surely win the National Championships. If you happen to want to watch a video of the event, it's right here. In fact, having watched it again, I urge you to watch this video to give you a brief taster of the what's to come this summer in Beijing. That event could well emulate what happened in Austin that night. Indeed, if you're interested in how I got on, flick through some of the finals in the sprint freestyle events - the 200m Freestyle was particularly embarrassing.