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: Begging the Question

Random Thoughts

By "Milbarge" and "Fitz-Hume"

1. I saw that the price of stamps is going up, from 41 to 42 cents. Of course the "Forever" stamps will still be good after the rate change. You can buy them for 41 cents now and use them as 42-cent stamps after the change. I had some thoughts regarding this and the time value of money, but then I started confusing myself so I dropped it.

2. I'm trying to decide whether to give up on Friday Night Lights. I adored the first season; I called it one of the best tv shows ever made. But I haven't gotten into season two. I have recorded all the episodes, but I haven't watched any yet. And some of the reviews I've accidentally allowed to slip through my spoiler net have been fairly negative, as if the show lost something that made the first season so magical. And now it's doubtful the show will even survive for another season.

I guess I won't make a final decision (on whether to erase the saved shows from my dvr) until after I know for sure if the show has been renewed. But I'm curious if anyone who has been watching this season could give me some advice. No spoilers, please, but is it worth watching? Or will it just taint the memory of season one? Thanks.

3. In a similar vein, I'm thinking of letting my Rolling Stone subscription lapse. I've been subscribing for years. I think it may even be my longest currently-held subscription. And it's pretty cheap -- the rate is about 50 cents an issue. But I just don't get much out of it I can't get elsewhere (including the magazine's web site). Anybody care to defend RS?

3. I saw that Steven Spielberg resigned as artistic director of the 2008 summer Olympic Games in Beijing. His reason was the Chinese regime's refusal to put pressure on Sudan, a big Chinese trading partner, to end the genocide in Darfur. That's great, of course, but two thoughts. First, as noted by Richard Just at TNR's The Plank, it's not as if its support for Sudan is the only thing wrong with China. Second, maybe I'm cynical, but my guess is that the Olympic folks have already gotten some "artistic" ideas from Spielberg before now. It's not like they haven't been planning this event for a while. So I wonder if this will be of any practical detriment to the Chinese. It reminds me of the Simpsons episode "A Star is Burns," when Mr. Burns tries to rig the Springfield Film Festival with a hagiographic biopic:
Burns: Get me Steven Spielberg!
Smithers: He's unavailable.
Burns: Then get me his non-union Mexican equivalent!
[later] Listen, Senor Spielbergo, I want you to do for me what Spielberg did for Oskar Schindler.
Spielbergo: Er, Schindler es bueno, Senor Burns es el diablo.
Burns: Listen, Spielbergo, Schindler and I are like peas in a pod: we're both factory owners, we both made shells for the Nazis, but mine worked, dammit! Now go out there and win me that festival!

4. After briefly surrendering its long-held title for best names in college football to Virginia's D'Brickashaw Ferguson, LSU is back with a fantastic crop for its new recruiting class. Two words: Barkevious Mingo.

5. Finally, I saw BTQ co-founder Fitz-Hume the other night. He's doing fine. He wishes you all well. Or, he would, if he could remember what a "blog" is.

Full post as published by Begging the Question on February 13, 2008 (boomark / email).