This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on July 22, 2010). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.
Sometime between July 19th and July 22nd, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!
- BP Cleanup Workers Gone Wild: "'We'll be here as long as oil keeps washing up,' the contractor says. 'So…' I laugh sort of helplessly. 'A year?' 'Three years…' he says. 'Five years…' 'Hopefully forever,' the guy next to him says. 'I need this job if I can't work offshore anymore.' Last week, the emcee that accompanies the oil wrestlers yelled into the microphone, 'Let that oil gush! Let that money flow!' The workers–part of the new Grand Isle scenery of helicopters, Hummers, and National Guardsmen, serious people in uniforms and coveralls and work boots–the workers around the wrestling ring, drunk and blowing cash from jobs that might kill them, cheered."
- Photos and Public Security: "Legally, it's pretty much always okay to take photos in a public place as long as you're not physically interfering with traffic or police operations. As Bert Krages, an attorney who specializes in photography-related legal problems and wrote Legal Handbook for Photographers, says, 'The general rule is that if something is in a public place, you're entitled to photograph it.' What's more, though national-security laws are often invoked when quashing photographers, Krages explains that 'the Patriot Act does not restrict photography; neither does the Homeland Security Act.' But this doesn't stop people from interfering with photographers, even in settings that don't seem much like national-security zones. "
- Geek Culture’S 26 Most Awesome Female Ass-Kickers: "A minority presence in sci-fi and action realms even in 2010, women warriors remain the exception to the guy-centric rule in film, TV, videogames and comic books. But that's changing, according to Action Flick Chick blogger Katrina Hill, who moderates the 'Where Are the Action Chicks?' panel Friday at San Diego's Comic-Con International. 'Compare the original Predator to this summer's Predators,' she said in an e-mail interview with Wired.com. 'The original film was a complete boy's club, with the only woman in the movie being a hostage. Today, Predators has a kick-ass chick mixed in as an equal amongst these other badass men. So there are steps being taken in the right direction. It just takes time.' Here's a look at 26 sexy-fierce female ass-kickers who've relied on biceps and brains to periodically kick-start geek culture."
- How Angelina Jolie Fought to Keep Salt From Becoming "Pretty": "Angelina Jolie's spy-fi movie, Salt, was originally supposed to star a man. But after she came aboard, Jolie fought to keep her character from turning into a stereotypical femme fatale. We talked to her about busting heads, MacGyvering and more. During the roundtables for the spy film Salt, we sat down with Angelina Jolie, Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and Director Phillip Noyce."
- Angelina Jolie Jolts a Man’s World: Action Films: "'It's definitely unusual that a female has become an action star,' 'Salt' producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura says. 'But it's a funny thing. She's not a female action star; she's an action star. She's really the first female to transcend gender. I don't think it's occurred before.'"