Features! and stuff.

So my little "blog" here will now include what I like to refer to as features. If look to the right at the section marked "Links", above the gratuitous links to friend's blogs and goofy sites I like, there is now "What I'm reading right now" and "What I'm looking forward to seeing". The reading, fairly self explanatory. The "What I'm looking forward to seeing" is what upcoming movie I most want to get out and see or catch on DVD, and more often than not it will be something you haven't heard of unless you're Erik.

I will probably mention in posts when these get updated and whatnot, but failing that you can just hit the link to see if there's something that interests you. I have been accused on more than one occasion of being a bit on the OCD side, so it's fair to say that I'll keep those up-to-date. Probably at the expense of more important things that I ought to spend time on, like doing laundry or paying bills. That's how I roll.

Now, to say that I am reading "The Men Who Stare at Goats" right now is perhaps a little inaccurate, as I have already finished it; but I have not yet gotten another book. I do recommend this book to anyone who likes conspiracy theories, true espionage tales, and general weirdness. If you know what the terms "MK-ULTRA" and/or "Majestic 12" mean, you'll like this book. Once Jen is finished with it (and with the way she reads, that'll be tomorrow) I'd be happy to loan it out.

On to a few links and stuff:

Penn Jillette, great thinker and magician, explains on NPR why he believes there is no god and why that doesn't make him a bad person. I agree, Penn.

Veil: The view from the inside is a collection of articles written by Muslim women defending the "hijab" (veil) and Islam's treatment of women. I'm not against Islam any more than I am any other organized religion; but traditional Muslim roles do oppress women, and these women who defend that are way off base in some of their writings. One compares the hijab to a nun's habit, and wonders why "... people say nothing about the veil of the Catholic nun but criticize vehemently the veil of a Muslimah, regarding it as a symbol of` 'terrorism' and 'oppression.' " My first thought is, because nowhere in Catholicism can a nun be beaten with a stick if she's not wearing her habit. But maybe that's just me. (Not that the Catholic church doesn't do a bit to put down the fairer sex. What's the highest rank a woman can hold in the Catholic church? Nun. If that's not funny, say it out loud. You'll get it.)

If you're bored, check out Predator - A Shaman's View, a great attempt to frame the Arnie classic as a religious experience. Almost as good as Bowling for Buddha, but that benefits from being about a better movie.