Sunday, October 9

Sunday Roundup

1,000 THINGS MADE WITH BAMBOO
Creative Bamboo





(via)



THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT
I wasn't disappointed. Wallace and Gromit were at their best -- silly and cute. The animation was terrific. I'm going to have to see it two or three more times to catch all the detail. So I fully expect to buy the DVD (I already have the Wallace and Gromit shorts on video -- thanks to my brother Greg).

The movie is rated G, which is a bit surprising since there are little sexual innuendos sprinkled here and there. For example, Lady Tottington asks Wallace to call her "Tottie." At one point Wallace appears naked (nothing is revealed) but quickly procures a cardboard box to cover himself. The box has a label that says, "May contain nuts."

Children probably wouldn't catch any of this. So I'm not terribly worried about it, but you can see how there is slippage in the rating system.

I loved the movie. Cheryl went along for the ride and enjoyed it. Betsy (age 17) was probably a bit bored, and yet I suspect amused -- that middle-aged parents would go to a Saturday matinee to see something so silly.


WHO WILL CONTROL THE INTERNET?
Historically the US government has controlled the root servers of the Internet. After all, they established and built the system. But they are under growing international pressure to relinquish their baby.

I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand I can see how flattening things out will lead to shared ownership. Sharing is good -- ESPECIALLY if you have a lot to share.

On the other hand there are so many countries that I trust a whole lot less than the US that I'm concerned that they'll turn the administration of the system into the same kind of political quagmire as the UN. If you want things screwed up turn them over to the government to manage. If you really want things screwed up turn them over to a committee of governments.

I'm all for sharing control -- but perhaps not in the way that is being proposed. Other suggestions?


30,000 KILLED IN EARTHQUAKE
The estimate seems to rise by the hour.


HUMAN RIGHTS IN RUSSIA
The Russian Orthodox Church isn't terribly excited about the concept of human rights -- at least as the idea emerged from the Western Enlightenment, so says a church spokesman.

If I were teaching history I would ask the class, how does this explain why Russia so easily embraced totalitarianism under the Communists? Or does it?

1 comment:

Karl said...

"Or does it?"

I don't think it is that simple. It begs the question of why totalitarianism (Fascism) was also easily embraced by countries with strong Catholic backgrounds--a faith tradition that has been one of the staunchest defenders of human rights (especially the poor & the unborn)