M.C.F.A.T. Episode XIX – almost one for each digit

Wow, and it’s been more than a year since the last.

Without further adieu, number XIX:

1) Should film critics be genre-specific? Why or why not?

No. Period (wait I put one of those in). First, I must ask this. Are there just ’southwestern cuisine’ critics? Or just ‘French food’ critics? Or do we usually have a critic that reviews many different varieties of food and restaurants? Though I tend to completely ignore not only critical reviews, but the existence of such criticism, it is still important to embrace a variety, the spice of life. As an example, I do know several who are huge Battlestar Galactica fans, but hate Sci-Fi. Imagine how fewer would watch the show if even the critics were genre-specific. Critics should be taken with a grain of salt, but should also inspire others to progress beyond their borders, not just be Comic Book Guy to every error, inconsistency and flaw.

2) What are some of your favorite movies and/or episodes of television shows depicting time travel?

Twenty years ago, I probably would have answered with Back to the Future. I actually got the chance to see it on Movie Central not too long back. Now, it feels too dated, too eighties (and not the good part that I like), and too commercial. It had it’s time, but no longer.

My tastes have evolved, warped and demented since then. I’m sure if were to undergo heavy therapy for my normally neurotic condition, the analyst might attribute my lack of normalcy to one point. My discovery of the genius that is David Lynch. He gave us two shows that, though don’t have a specific plot device of time travel, involve a highly non-linear narrative, being Twin Peaks (in reference to the Black Lodge), and Mulholland Drive. I think there’s something to be said about the fine line between genius and madness.

3) At this exact second, how did you get where you are in life?

Through making mistakes at every turn, persistently working through them, being tough as nails, with loads of help and support from my parents, friends, and Dawn.

4) Will there be sex in heaven?

Ooh, be still my beating heart. A very slanted question. My natural perspective pulls out the sheer Christian audacity inherent within. And in that sense, begins my answer. In the Christian context of heaven, one would think that it would parallel Eden, in which it would be a place without sin. However, in an idealistic sense (which would be akin to heaven), any purpose to sex aside from biological reproduction would be sinful. And as my guess would be that biological reproduction would be redundant in heaven, such a ’sinful’ act would be verboten.

In the non-Christian sense, who knows. If classical paganism is any indication, sex would probably almost be mandatory. Just think of how much of a player Zeus was. Most of the characters from Greek mythology spawned from his seed. This should give Christians hope. The Romans fashioned the Christian God (id est the Father of the Holy Trinity) after this figure. Maybe it’s an explanation of the fundamental hypocrasy of the whole question. Or maybe the hypocrasy of something much larger indeed.

SPECIAL BONUS QUESTION: What is “that” one thing Meat Loaf wouldn’t do for love?

Take sex advice from Dr. Vagenra Vazhean.

Interdum vos ut volvo ferrus six.

A pound of flesh

You know, with the lot of bollocks I’ve been involved with trying to convince the mentally challenged that smoking is bad, along with waiting for Mr. Harper to drop the ball on his political career, I’ve lost touch with that ’special’ neighbour to the south. And, by channel surfing past one of America’s propaganda networks, I saw America’s ditz, Ann Coulter, defending a point (this was in fact archive footage for another debate about her stance), which fit something to the following:

Jews needed to convert to Christians in order to be “perfected.”

What the fuck? Of course, with this being Coulter, you have to weigh in the standard question as to whether or not she is doing this for effect, or is it in fact the voice of the extreme right, most of whom know to keep their mouth shut in order to effect their less than equitable agenda? A reasonable transcript may be found here.

I came up with a number of ideas to approach this personally. Re-iterate the complete Pagan nature of Christianity. The Shylock references (as per the title). Even attacking Ann. But none felt convincing to me. What I’d rather do, is in response to Ann’s belief that Christianity is the fast track to heaven, make this one point. On the fast track to heaven, Christians, whose central message is love, understanding, and respect, have gone about it in the last two millenia, using the following methods:

Holy Crusades
The Spanish Inquisition
Persectution of Scientists
Rejection of Darwinism
Forced conversion of others at the point of a sword
Northern Ireland
The slaughter of Roman Pagan Priests (to whom a great deal of a Christian’s faith is based)
Witch hunts

And I don’t think I need to really bring up what happened in the last 100 years in the name of their lord. Fast track to heaven my ass.

That is all.