Slashdot Mirror
Jon Katz To Be Played By Jeff Bridges
Robotech_Master writes, "Long-time Slashdot veterans will remember Jon Katz, the editorial writer whose Slashdot articles invariably generated heated controversy. It appears he may have the last laugh; how many of the Slashdot posters who ridiculed him went on to be played by Jeff Bridges in a movie? From the article: 'In his new book, "A Good Dog: The Story of Orson," Katz chronicles the life and death of the lovable but troubled border collie that transformed his life. It continues the story begun in Katz's last book, "A Dog Year," now being made into a movie starring Jeff Bridges as Katz.' Katz critics may get a chuckle out of the plot synopsis for the film: 'A man having a mid-life crisis has his life turned upside down when he takes in a border collie crazier than he is.'" The film should be released in late 2007.
I can understand why Katz and his dog were so close. What Katz wrote was almost identical to what came out of his dog's rear end.
I want a new quote. One that won't spill. One that don't cost too much. Or come in a pill.
Seriously though, I think a few things might have changed in thirty fucking years. Like the whole cultural backdrop.
Yeah, these days nobody ever yells at the students, jocks no longer assault nerds, and the boys in computer science classes are awash in invitations to the homecoming dance.
Riiiight. I think the only thing new now is the cops and the tasers, and those were mostly post-columbine with the exception of the high crime schools where yet another school shooting didn't even make local front page news back then.
> Seriously though, I think a few things might have changed in thirty fucking years. Like the whole cultural backdrop.
Lets see, civilization has been around for about 6000 years or so. During this time teens:
- sometimes felt alienated
- sometimes fell in love
- sometimes were enslaved or exploited
- sometimes got sand kicked in their faces
- sometimes had little to hope for
- sometimes were harassed by bullies
- etc, etc, etc
So there are some minor differences, so what? It's not like we're talking about silicon-based lifeforms here. Trying to understand the lives of other people is what historians, anthropologies and authors do. It's their job, and they are often good at it.
The pathetic thing is the tendency for people to think that their situation is special and nobody has ever been in that situation or could even comprehend it. Man, kids griping about how tough it is to be a kid today should be drop-shipped into Bagdad or Sudan to see what they think about tough lives.
Long-time Slashdot veterans will remember Jon Katz, the editorial writer whose Slashdot articles invariably generated heated controversy.
/rimshot
So he is exactly like everyone else?
Tip your waitress...
As a long time reader and rare poster I never understood the resentment some showed to Mr Katz on this site, perhaps it is the fact he writes lucidly and well, compared to the incoherent drivel served up by the whinging moronic posters who like to complain about him. Jealous of someone truly talented prehaps. The from the hellmouth series was excellent in my opinion-and there were a lot more regular visitors when Katz was posting here regularly.
He was an idiot. I doubt much has changed.
I swear that Zonk is really Jon Katz. They're both similarly retarded.
While your comparison is valid, I disagree because in this case, there are specific conservative values that were not being followed. The corruption is endemic to any powerful government, and if you don't think that's the case, then we have nothing to talk about.
To wit: Here are the conservative values that were flouted:
1. Leave the rest of the world alone unless it's in our vital and direct interest. An argument can be made that Bush was acting on this principle, but in retrospect, one has to wonder. Bush also made the mistake of trying to help make the U.N. relevant. The U.N. is corrupt and feckless, and it really doesn't bother me that various countries completely flout its resolutions because it has consistently demonstrated there are no consequences to doing so, so I can't blame them.
2. Small government. 'Nuff said.
3. Enforce existing laws before or rather than making new ones. The border issue is the perfect example.
4. Strive to maintain sovereignty. (There are a number of issues here, but this overlaps with #3 as well).
Reagan, for all his faults, made conservatism work, but no one has practiced it since. By your standard, which is a valid one, liberalism, as defined and practiced in the U.S. has also not only failed, but it cost more too.
The difference here is that unlike American conservatism or European liberalism, communism has never worked anywhere.
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.