The Words & Wisdom of Me

For reasons that that I can’t fully comprehend, people have been wanting to know what’s on my mind lately. In January 2011, I was interviewed four times (once for a radio show and three times for websites). If you have the time, check out any and all of these interviews, which are far more interesting and engaging than I am in real life, and somehow manage to make me sound intelligent. World of Hurt is the website of the greatest web comic on the Internet. Jay Potts is an amazing artist and writer, and in addition to the comic he posts some great articles.  Scott’s Introspection Section has a two-part interview with me, which shows how long-winded I can be. This is a site I only recently discovered, but there is some great pop culture content and insight (including a new interview with rap legend Kool G Rap). KBOO radio’s Lisa Loving is an awesome journalist and even more awesome person.  We had a particularly insightful conversation. Last but not least, there is YNET, an Israeli website that among other things asked me some interesting questions about “Jewsploitation.” For not, this interview is only up in Hebrew, but there should be an English translation soon. And if anyone is interested in hearing me on a weekly basis, don’t forget that I’m a guest every Tuesday morning on the Cort and Fatboy Show, where I manage to talk about nothing on a regular basis.

New Article on MSN

Check out my new Jason Statham article on MSN.

Race Matters – 5 Myths of the Civil War

Marking the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, The Washington Post recently ran an article by James W. Loewen entitled “Five myths about why the South seceded.” As someone who has studied both the Civil War and slavery in America, and has argued with others about both, I encourage everyone to read this article. The lessons many of us received in school about the Civil War and slavery in this country were either woefully incomplete at best, or patently wrong at worst. The truth of the matter is that in the wake of the Civil War, during the time known as Reconstruction, a conscious effort was made the heal the wounds of war and reunite the nation. This resulted in history being heavily edited and modified, while both the myths of white superiority and black inferiority were further perpetuated. It is especially difficult for some people to wrap their minds around how little they actually know about the Civil War, or rather how inaccurate their information is. By dispelling some of the most common misconceptions, “Five myths about why the South seceded” helps to shed light on how dangerously ignorant many people are about the history of this country, and the complex realities surrounding matters of race and race relations.

dvd review – MACHETE

On paper, and even in the promotional trailers, the Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino collaboration known as Grindhouse sounded like a great idea. But the final product, the double feature of Rodriguez’s Planet Terror and Tarantino’s Death Proof, left much to be desired. Infinitely more entertaining than either of the two feature films were the fake trailers that screened before each movie, with the trailer for Rodriguez’s own non-existent Machete rising head and shoulders above everything else. And so it came as little surprise when it was announced that Machete would become a real film. But after the potential problem with turning an incredibly entering Mexploitation short that clocks in at less than three minutes into a feature is the other ninety-or-more minutes needed to pad the whole thing out.