Kevin Smith, Dogma is set to be released in October
Movies
karl bogdan - 05:55am Nov 9, 1999 PST (# 36 of 62)
I didn't see The Last Temptation of Christ, but the book by Nikos Kazantzakis, is one of the most profound and thought provoking explorations into Christian Faith-- the mystery of the divine and human, that I have read (admittedly I don't read that much on religion). I'm not sure if the Index of Forbidden Books was still in existence when it was published, but if it was, the book certainly made the list-- and Kazantzakis was reputedly denied the Nobel Prize in Literature due to Church opposition. I think the Catholic League is falling into the same mind frame of the (Protestant) Christian Right, and certain traditionalist elements in the RC Church (Opus Dei)-- a reactionary group of Church Ladies looking for something to carp about-- anything the least bit exploratory or out of compliance with the Letter of the Faith. From what I've heard about Dogma I would probably find a lot to disagree with in it. But that worries me a lot less than people trying to bottle up religion and spirituality in a rigid, mind numbing conventionality-- and worse-- political conformity .
Book Sluts & Literary Lounge Lizards, II
Books
Michael Mele - 06:28am Nov 10, 1999 PST (# 1851 of 1972)
I'm in the throes of re-doing my studio apartment (I'll be frankly sleeping in a library in a few months, I've been sleeping in a library de-facto for years.) In the process of chattering with friends about this, I have been asked the "have you read all these?" question a number of times. For years my answer to that has been, "No, and thank goodness for that, what if I become house-bound? But, yeah, I've read most of them."
I've been grappling with the other question lately, "But why do you keep them? Are you going to read them again?" Various answers:
"Most of the things I have I hope to read again, but I keep them because I love them."
"I keep my books because when I scan the shelves, the play of memory and reverie and association makes me feel good."
"I keep my books because they are filled with people. They are by, and about people I care about, people with whom I've spent an enormous amount of time. Reading is in many ways the most direct and intimate of all the arts. The pay-off can be huge, but the effort required, the sustained, concentrated attention required creates a bond with the writer, the characters and the thing itself. My books aren't exactly who I am, and not completely what I know, but they are a large part of both. They are also where I've been, and where I hope to go."
"I keep them because I love them."
Minimum Wage as an Excuse for Poor Service
Business and Work Life
William Froelich - 03:08pm Nov 6, 1999 PST (# 7 of 15)
I think it's a combination of business scraping the bottom of the barrel and resentment by workers that the minimum wage is so low. True, as noted above, many of us worked for low wages in the past, but today's minimum wage, were it indexed for inflation, would be over $7/hour to be the same as it was thirty years ago. It's pretty hard to smile and have a good attitude under those circumstances. Also, as noted in yesterday's news, today's unemployment figures approximate those of 1969. But in 1969 employers of marginal workers did not demand that the employee have a phone nor did most states have mandatory auto insurance. Taking these expenses into account, whether they are desirable or not, leaves minimum wage workers with less money for food and other necessities. Also, today's minimum wage employer is more likely to hire a number of part time workers than a fewer number of full time workers, adding to the distress and unhappiness of the employees. I don't like poor service either, but I find it hard to jump on the back of someone whose back is already burdened with woe. Then too, you get what you pay for. If you like Mickey D's low prices, then eat there; otherwise go to a real restaurant and tip a waitress for table service.
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