Yahoo! Apparently this happened last year when I wasn't paying attention, but The Seven-Per-Cent Solution has been released on Blu-ray, so I can finally replace my terrible copy transferred from a VHS recording. The last time I tried watching my old transfer, the picture was dim and impossible to see. The new Blu-ray looks like it will include commentary from Nicholas Meyer. I wonder if it will mention his new plans to do a Sigmund Freud TV show?
It looks like there's been a recent re-release of Billy Wilder's Private Life of Sherlock Holmes as well. I'm hoping this means that a lot of obscure old Sherlock Holmes movies like this will be released to capitalize on the current Holmes popularity. I really hope that the Return of Sherlock Holmes movie with Michael Pennington and Margaret Colin will be released. I have to find my old list of stuff I was trying to get.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Back from England
Well here I am home from a trip to the UK. If I had been home I would have posted happily about the Supreme Court denying the Conan Doyle Estate's petition for an emergency stay; I know they're going to keep appealing, but I'm still rooting for Les Klinger to win. While I was gone, I also was pleased to hear that some Texans were welcoming the migrant children at the border.
However, I was stuck without internet for the first day or so, and couldn't get any news. So I was surprised to hear that there was a peaceful Palestinian protest in London on the same day I was trying to do a tour. It made me have hope, and I personally didn't mind that the protest messed up traffic for a while. I still managed to do my tour in a roundabout way. However, I was shocked and disgusted when I realized only too late that I had bought some razors in Britain with "made in Israel" on the back of the package. I'd already used them so I couldn't return them, but I threw them away.
Sadly, it seems that no progress has been made at all about Israel, during my whole vacation. I don't know what else I can do besides boycotting.
Anyway, I'll try to post more about my vacation after I get over my jet lag. I'll also try to update Far From Over soon.
However, I was stuck without internet for the first day or so, and couldn't get any news. So I was surprised to hear that there was a peaceful Palestinian protest in London on the same day I was trying to do a tour. It made me have hope, and I personally didn't mind that the protest messed up traffic for a while. I still managed to do my tour in a roundabout way. However, I was shocked and disgusted when I realized only too late that I had bought some razors in Britain with "made in Israel" on the back of the package. I'd already used them so I couldn't return them, but I threw them away.
Sadly, it seems that no progress has been made at all about Israel, during my whole vacation. I don't know what else I can do besides boycotting.
Anyway, I'll try to post more about my vacation after I get over my jet lag. I'll also try to update Far From Over soon.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Uneven War
In all the horrible news of the plane shot down and Israel's ground offensive, I feel hopeless and without words. Jon Stewart at least was able to point out the absurdity of Israel claiming that the civilians in Gaza should evacuate. "Evacuate to where?" indeed.
I can only refer to this article on Daily Kos to combat the Israeli propaganda coming out of the mainstream media. Apologists for Israel say, "What if Canada or Mexico sent rockets to attack the US? Wouldn't we have the right the fight back?" They miss the point. Palestinians don't have their own separate country or have rights to citizenship in Israel. Palestinians are fucking blockaded and starved and then massacred. Ask yourself instead, "What if the Native Americans on the reservations started launching rockets at the US in revenge for stealing their land? What if the poverty, unemployment, and Third World conditions made them revolt out of despair and helplessness?" In fact, the American Indian Movement did try to take action in the 1973 Wounded Knee Incident, but justice is not easily won. But at least some people at the time could sympathize with the oppressed people and see that the issues were complex. Not so with Israel, where everything's always Hamas's fault, even the death of little boys on the beach.
I wish there was something I could do, besides watch in horror. When will the international community be able to do something instead of going through the sham of the peace talks that always fall apart? I thought the UN recognition of Palestine was going to help somehow.
I can only refer to this article on Daily Kos to combat the Israeli propaganda coming out of the mainstream media. Apologists for Israel say, "What if Canada or Mexico sent rockets to attack the US? Wouldn't we have the right the fight back?" They miss the point. Palestinians don't have their own separate country or have rights to citizenship in Israel. Palestinians are fucking blockaded and starved and then massacred. Ask yourself instead, "What if the Native Americans on the reservations started launching rockets at the US in revenge for stealing their land? What if the poverty, unemployment, and Third World conditions made them revolt out of despair and helplessness?" In fact, the American Indian Movement did try to take action in the 1973 Wounded Knee Incident, but justice is not easily won. But at least some people at the time could sympathize with the oppressed people and see that the issues were complex. Not so with Israel, where everything's always Hamas's fault, even the death of little boys on the beach.
I wish there was something I could do, besides watch in horror. When will the international community be able to do something instead of going through the sham of the peace talks that always fall apart? I thought the UN recognition of Palestine was going to help somehow.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Back to Court
Well apparently the Conan Doyle Estate is stubborn enough to appeal to the Supreme Court, (and try to get out of paying Les Klinger's legal fees). We'll see how this turns out. They're still trying to run out the clock until the rest of the Sherlock Holmes stories fall into public domain.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Rant
Oh fuck it. As if the Supreme Court's ruling on Hobby Lobby wasn't bad enough in itself, now religious leaders want an exemption so they can discriminate against LGBT employees. Obama's executive order only applies to federal contractors as I understand it, so if you're a church or whatever and don't want to comply, then just don't be a federal contractor any more. I mean sure, you lose a potentially lucrative government contract, but that's how it works. You comply with the federal law, including any extra hoops you have to jump through to compete, then you might get the contract. (I've worked for more than one business that has federal contracts, and every year we have to go through mandated training to remind us of our responsibilities to maintain our compliance with said contracts.) So tough luck if you don't want to be a federal contractor under the new rules.
And as for fucking Hobby Lobby, which is not in any way, shape, or form a church--Fuck you! If you wanted a special religious exemption, you shouldn't have become a corporation. You should have become a church! Why should the bosses get to dictate their employees' medical decisions that have nothing to do with them? Why is there no pleasing these insane fanatics? This is why the Citizens United decision makes no sense. A corporation isn't a person. It shouldn't have the right to "deeply held religious beliefs" or to the rights of a natural person. If the corporation doesn't get taxed at the same rates as a natural person, doesn't go to jail for crimes like a natural person, and doesn't have campaign contribution limits like a natural person, then why should it have rights to religious beliefs? Fuck! I used to be curious about Christianity in college (I was raised Buddhist) but the more I learn the more I hate these stupid evangelicals that try to shove their beliefs on other people! Why can they never learn to leave their private religion in their churches and homes instead of everywhere in our faces! This is not a fucking Christian nation! Where's your "love thy neighbor" courtesy and humility?
What a shitty week. How about a fucking Independence Day from religion, huh? That I'd welcome.
And as for fucking Hobby Lobby, which is not in any way, shape, or form a church--Fuck you! If you wanted a special religious exemption, you shouldn't have become a corporation. You should have become a church! Why should the bosses get to dictate their employees' medical decisions that have nothing to do with them? Why is there no pleasing these insane fanatics? This is why the Citizens United decision makes no sense. A corporation isn't a person. It shouldn't have the right to "deeply held religious beliefs" or to the rights of a natural person. If the corporation doesn't get taxed at the same rates as a natural person, doesn't go to jail for crimes like a natural person, and doesn't have campaign contribution limits like a natural person, then why should it have rights to religious beliefs? Fuck! I used to be curious about Christianity in college (I was raised Buddhist) but the more I learn the more I hate these stupid evangelicals that try to shove their beliefs on other people! Why can they never learn to leave their private religion in their churches and homes instead of everywhere in our faces! This is not a fucking Christian nation! Where's your "love thy neighbor" courtesy and humility?
What a shitty week. How about a fucking Independence Day from religion, huh? That I'd welcome.
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