Watch Phantom of the Opera but mute the sound and play a favored record over it.

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Read them. I haven't read all of them yet -- but they are good.

Speaking of dragons, I am watching fire & ice a less than stellar scifi channel movie with Amy Acker. Why do the dragons look like sting rays? It looks...impractical.

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I'm going to see My Bloody Valentine 3D shortly.

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Watch Phantom of the Opera but mute the sound and play a favored record over it.

Oh, I don't mind the cheesetastic music from PotO; it makes me giggle. And I did decide to have that on in the background, because there is less chance of Pete ever wanting to watch it.

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I am editing my friend CJ's masters thesis. It's good, but my hand hurts already and I'm only on page 32 or so. Ouchie.

ETA:

PotO

Pirates of the Orient? Pirates of the Orangutan? Pirates of the Orange? Pirates of the Onion? Pirates of the Ookey Overlord?

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I want to go see My Bloody Valentine 3D with Drew, and not be stuck here in the theater for four more hours.

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I'm going to see My Bloody Valentine 3D shortly.

Speaking of dippy movies ... well, I hope it's enjoyable cheese.

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I'm going to see My Bloody Valentine 3D shortly.

In which a great rock band serves as a twenty year marketing campaign for a crappy movie sequel.

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One for the "Seriously?" file: There was an anti-war march in Duisburg, Germany last week. One couple who lived on the march route put an Israeli flag in their window, then went to stand across the street to watch the march. People marching started throwing stuff at the flag in the window -- first snowballs, then rocks. The police decided that the best way to calm the crowd would be to break into the apartment and take down the flag. [link]

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It's such an interesting topic for your column, Jilli. Even with just the goth thing, there's such serious discrimination going on. That goth band I linked you to from the Christian commune, they came out to us and played a show for our kiddoes. Which they loved, of course. And they worked with our kids closely, both in music and just hanging out, and were generally awesome. But they were a last minute stand-in for a hippie band that was expected. They were a way better fit for our kids in the end, although I'm sure the roots band would have been fine.

But the part of the story I'm trying to get to is that we had arranged free housing for our whole group (the band, other musicians, visual artists, etc.) in exchange for teaching a workshop at a local private Christian boarding school. But when they heard that it was a goth band coming in, full makeup, they plotzed. They wouldn't even allow them on the campus. So we had to scramble for lodging, and when we were teaching over at the school, the goth guys had to just hang at the house. They were all, "It's not us, but if the parents got wind of it, they'd go nuts." It was ridiculous.

That school is ridiculous in a lot of things, although it's gotten some better since the crazy "I'm the wizard" director has left. But we were furious because they had caused their students to really miss out.

The other question is a toughie, for sure. ND's situation is even a little bit easier, because from most Christians' perspective, Satanism is specifically antagonistic to their belief, even moreso than atheism. So it's a rough one to navigate. (Not to make commentary on ND's experience or in any way to lessen what he went through. I'll be interested to see what you come up with in your article from his input.) I hope her friends have enough grace to see her as a valuable person, regardless of the difference in their beliefs.

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