Archive for the ‘arts’ Category
Sunday, March 28th, 2010
Even if you’ve never heard of monologist Mike Daisey, you owe it to yourself to see him perform at the first opportunity. Daisey (who hails from the same county in Maine as AF’s David Driscoll), is a one-man-show whose storytelling is comparable to that of Julia Sweeney or the late Spalding Gray. (Incidentally, Daisey is also an atheist and was the victim of a notorious “mass walk-out” by a Christian group protesting his show “Invincible Summer.”)
In “The Last Cargo Cult”–playing at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta through April 11th–Daisey fuses an account of his trip to celebrate John Frum Day on a tiny island in the South Pacific to the recent near-meltdown of the American financial system. (The photo I snapped with my iPhone isn’t really representative of the show, although it does look pretty dramatic. At no time during the monologue did Mike Daisey set himself on fire.)
For more about Mike Daisey visit MikeDaisey.com or watch a preview of The Last Cargo Cult.
Tags: john frum, last cargo cult, mike daisey
Posted in arts, cults, humor, religion | 1 Comment »
Monday, March 8th, 2010
John C. Snider with Christopher Hitchens, Emory University, February 26, 2010
American Atheists president Ed Buckner reports on the recent meeting between representatives of the Secular Coalition for America with White House officials.
Plus: We meet the Hitch! Allison joins us to talk about “The Only Subject Is Love,” a seminar we attended at Emory University featuring Salman Rushdie, Christopher Hitchens, and filmmaker Deepa Mehta (who is developing a film adaptation of Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children). The event celebrates the opening of Rushdie’s archives at Emory. Surprises included spontaneous recitations of poetry (Hitchens selecting the heartwrenching “Dulce et Decorum est,” Rushdie the humorous “The Walrus and the Carpenter.”) And…we learned that Hitchens’ memoir–Hitch 22–is due out in June!
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Tags: christopher hitchens, deepa mehta, ed buckner, emory university, salman rushdie, secular coalition for america, white house
Posted in arts, atheism, civil rights, interviews, podcast, politics, religion, religious rights | 1 Comment »
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Okay, no War on Christmas per se, but… the festive season approaches, and it’s time for us to share our Top Five suggestions for holiday gifts for nonbelievers! It’s your opportunity to warm the cockles of the family atheist and/or make pious relatives squirm as you share presents around the pagan tree.
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Tags: evolution wine, hominid, massimo pigliucci, origin of species, out of hand theater, war on christmas
Posted in arts, commentary, news, podcast | 3 Comments »
Saturday, October 24th, 2009
Review by John C. Snider © 2009
Underground comics and counterculture icon Robert Crumb is widely praised as a brilliant satirist and is one of the most recognized pop artists of the 20th century. The seminal–and often misunderstood–creator of such characters as Mr. Natural, Fritz the Cat and Devil Girl has also been called sick, perverted, racist and misogynistic.
So who better than to illustrate the Book of Genesis? After all, Richard Dawkins once infamously described the Old Testament God as a “misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” Crumb’s got nuttin’ on YHWH.
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Tags: book of genesis illustrated, genesis, robert crumb
Posted in arts, books, christianity, judaism, religion | 2 Comments »
Saturday, October 10th, 2009
If you live in–or are going to be in–the Washington, DC area on Saturday, October 24th, here’s your opportunity to participate in a day-long event of science, magic and skepticism. Center for Inquiry DC and National Capital Area Skeptics have teamed up to bring Jamy Ian Swiss, skeptic and world-renowned magician and mentalist, for a day of workshops and an evening performance of the incredible show HEAVY MENTAL.
Interested? Check out this announcement from CFI DC.
Tags: center for inquiry, heavy mental, jamy ian swiss, national capital area skeptics
Posted in arts, news, skepticism | No Comments »
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
Charlotte Pop Fest is a multi-day music festival that will feature well-established internationally known artists in addition to local and regional indie artists in the “power pop” genre. The event will take place in the Fall of 2009 in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.
Proceeds from Charlotte Pop Fest will be used to support rational and scientific education at all ages, and to oppose the subversion of scientific education, for example by the well-financed efforts to teach pseudoscience in science classes. This includes advanced tickets sold through the Charlotte Pop Fest Web site; tickets sold at the door during the event; this year’s edition of the compilation CD; and any other event-specific merchandise like t-shirts, posters, etc.
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Tags: charlotte pop fest, james deem, richard dawkins, richard dawkins foundation
Posted in arts, music, news, skepticism | 1 Comment »
Thursday, April 9th, 2009
Review by John C. Snider
In the department of off-topic movie reviews…
Back in the 1930s, Hollywood pumped out a steady stream of movies–notably lighthearted song-and-dance romantic comedies starring folks like Fred Astaire–aimed at average moviegoers, most of whom were suffering as a result of the nation’s financial downturn. With the world going to hell in a handcart just outside the theatre doors, audiences could watch while Regular Joes stumbled into a lives of luxury and won the girl to boot.
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Tags: slumdog millionaire
Posted in arts, movies | No Comments »
Sunday, April 5th, 2009
This might be a little off-topic, but I thought you guys might get a kick out of this recent Scary Gary strip. Scary Gary is about a vampire who retires from a life of bloodsucking and moves to the ‘burbs with his not-so-trusty henchman Leopold, a 3-foot-tall green… um… something. It’s written and drawn by Mark Buford, a friend of mine who also lives and works in metro Atlanta.
Tags: scary gary
Posted in arts, humor, paranormal | 1 Comment »
Friday, March 20th, 2009
Novelist and outspoken atheist Philip Pullman (author of the controversial His Dark Materials trilogy, which consists of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) is interviewed by The Times this week. My favorite Pullman quote: “I find it almost unbearably stupid when people talk about exploring their spirituality because I don’t know what the f*** they mean.” Amen, Brother Pullman. Parts I and II of His Dark Materials are playing at the Birmingham (yes, England) Repertory Theatre through April 18.
Tags: golden compass, his dark materials, philip pullman
Posted in arts, atheism, books, interviews | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 17th, 2007
Well, the humorless Catholic League (”defends the right of Catholics – lay and clergy alike – to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination”) is pushing it’s Right Never to Be Offended yet again. This time they’re protesting “My Sweet Jesus”, a lifesize sculpture made of chocolate. These guys love to play the “We’re Oppressed” card, and it’s just ridiculous. Sure, they have a right to free speech, to say that they’re offended by some artist or filmmaker – but they cross the line when they try to tell others what they can and cannot do. You don’t like My Sweet Jesus? Then don’t go to the gallery.
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Tags: catholic league, my sweet jesus, sculpture
Posted in arts, christianity, news, religion | No Comments »
Podcast #73 – War on Christmas Special
Monday, November 23rd, 2009(more…)
Tags: evolution wine, hominid, massimo pigliucci, origin of species, out of hand theater, war on christmas
Posted in arts, commentary, news, podcast | 3 Comments »