devolute.net

The internets is in a state over the recent display by comedian Michael Richards (who played the likeable Cosmo Kramer on US show, Seinfeld). He said some erm… select words to some hecklers and it’s was pretty shocking and/or hilarious. We could use his outburst to take a deep look at the racism inherent in American society. We could discuss freedom of speech or what constitutes good taste. We could talk about the fact that when his outbursts are directed towards jews, no one bats an eyelid. However, all things considered, I think it’s best to think about it like this: it’s really just a case of a not especially thoughtful comedian saying some not especially intelligent things.

Lets take the piss. That’s all comments like this deserve. Lets allow YTMND to help us do this in the funniest way I’ve seen so far. Also; c’mon Mel Gibson! You gonna let some 2-bit comic take your crown?

So, Borat, Borat, bloody Borat. I’ve not seen it yet but I have no doubt that when I do, I’ll laugh. Two hours of easily tricking idiots into displaying their inherent small-mindedness does sound like quite a giggle.

My token Borat mention (one feels that one must fit in with the rest of the ‘blogosphere’ and refer to Borat at least once) concerns this news item from the Sydney Morning Herald. Read it and then pretend the title is “Shock as actors character found to be an act!”. Wait, Mr. Cohen doesn’t really act like Borat/Ali G? Incredible news. Too many Ben Stiller films if you ask me. Idiots. Or maybe, like Sacha Baron Choen, they’re doing something subtle and ingenious and I’m just not getting it, hmmm…

So, it’s been a while. I just spent 3 weeks without a home PC; pretty tough for a geek. Brought my IBM laptop with me, but the undulations on the roads to Sheffield destroyed the HDD. Pah! I’ll get over it, it was 2nd-hand anyway.

So? What’s the haps? Well, I’m well into my new job. I’m learning new skills and actually feel like I’m helping to produce stuff of some importance, which is great. I’ve finally moved into a shared house with a couple of pretty decent folk, which is good; I feel settled now (hence a return to bloggin’!). I’ve already been into town to see a band whose name I can’t remember, but that probably says more about me than it does about them (far too much new stuff to take in right now). The city hasn’t been checked out properly so that’s something for this weekend (along with a rather fine looking record shop I’ve spotted nearby). It’ll be my first weekend since moving here that I don’t have anything major (i.e. moving, packing, visiting folk elsewhere, etc.) going on.

In the world (read: outside of Yorkshire) there have been some mid-term elections in the US. I’ve yet to take in the complexities of it all, but it seems like Bush & Co have received at least a mild bruising. Rumsfeld even resigned! (link to nerd-friendly explanation) Perhaps young Marines in body bags are starting to niggle at many in middle-America. I figure the US being the US, the real effect this’ll have on the planet won’t be as great as many would of liked, but at least we can console ourselves by laughing as ‘Comedy Racist’, Rick Santorum’s family breaks down in tears on CNN. Hell, I’m looking forward to 2008.