Fanboys Rejoice

With both Serenity and Mirrormask opening this weekend, I've been planning for, well, not months, but it's been in the back of my mind, certainly.

Unfortunately it's a busy weekend (playing music), and I'm not sure I'll be able to make it to both. And that, honestly, kind of sucks a little. The world is finally catering to my tastes, and I'm busy. I feel so impolite.

I had been thinking of it as Nerd Weekend, but National Geek Day sounds so much more celebratory. Plus it was Joss Whedon's term, which incurs automatic deference. Check out a Time sit-down with both Joss and Neil Gaiman here. (Wherein it is frankly explained why Hollywood product smells like pee.)

But are we geeks really so mainstream now? I'd like to think so, but there's still this crushing shame. Or is that just me?

Current Events and Corporate Archetypes

I'll own the fact that I wrote this more than a week ago and didn't get around to posting it until now. I realize it's been contradicted by President Bush doing the presidential thing and taking responsibility (gaspity gasp), and by the big speech from Jackson Square. Generally, though, I expect this kind of behavior to continue. If not I'll be happily mistaken, and the corporate archetype should still be valid.

(Also I know I haven't posted in a bit. To the 5 people reading, I apologize.)

...

I've been paying a lot of attention to the news over the past couple weeks, and it's been pretty saddening and infuriating, all at once. More than usual. Political gamesmanship usually fascinates me, at least a little, but in light of what's been happening, right now it's more offensive.

One thing I've realized is that the Bush administration spookily resembles one of the corporate types I've come to hate working with over the past few years (spent in high-level technical support sorts of areas).

It's the guy you keep having this conversation with, usually before lunch:

"I heard there was an issue on the _______ systems yesterday. What happened?"
"Well I didn't do it."
"Yeah, but ____ said you worked on it. Did you get a root cause?"
"It wasn't me."
"Okay... Was it resolved? Really I'm just interested in the fix; I might have the same issue over in _____."
"Not my fault."


It's the guy (or girl) who can't work toward fixing anything because all of his (or her) energies are devoted to displacing blame. The immediate effect is that nothing gets done.

Credit Where Credit's Due, a Little Late

We watched a bit of the Emmy awards tonight and saw J.J. Abrams win directing for a drama series for the pilot episode(s) of Lost. Which is great and well deserved -- it's probably the best show currently on television and one of the best in the past while.

But my immediate reaction was still, "Joss Whedon just put a bullet through his television. Like Elvis."

We mercifully missed Emmy Idol. Thanks, Moth, for terrifying me.