Steve Gutenberg's Printing Press and the Magna Carton.

One's an invention, the other is a political document. A creation, but not an invention. In case you were keeping score. (Kidding.)

Some quick hits for ya.

[opening music: "Samson," Regina Spektor]

1) Saw "The Host" last night. (This makes the second foreign film I've seen in a row at the theater. I feel so cosmopolitan!) Fantastic monster movie. Possibly one of the best monster movies I've ever seen. It has some bad language (subtitled, but still bad), but other than that, I'd highly recommend it to anyone--UNLESS...

1a) ...You bring small children in the theater. This has to be one of my biggest pet peeves. This child of no more than four starts crying at the climax of the movie, and this idiot father SLOWLY walks him down the stairs to the exit, so he can see the end of the movie. I really wanted to smack this dude around a little. The kids obviously freaked out, but the guy's first concern was finding out how the movie ends. (Nevermind the fact that by the end of the movie it was ALMOST ONE IN THE MORNING and the kid shouldn't have been out that late.)

I'm gonna say a word now to you parents, admittedly as someone without your experience: STOP BRINGING YOUR KIDS TO R-RATED MOVIES. Just. Stop. I don't care what your excuses are. The kids don't need to be there. Pay the twenty bucks to get a sitter, or wait until video. But it is cruel and shoddy parenting to subject your children to a HORROR movie that involves a MONSTER and CHILDREN IN PERIL, because you're too selfish to put the wellbeing of your child ahead of your own movie-watching desires. When I have kids, I'm going to live by this principle. You have to put the good of your kids first, and your kids don't need to be traumatized, so you can have an enjoyable time at the cinema. The worst I've ever seen was a woman leading a group of FIVE kids under 8 or 9 out of the theater showing "A Time to Kill," which was about child rape! What the crap are you smoking, lady?

Like I said, I don't have any kids yet, so I don't have the same perspective. But I really think it's disgusting when parents put their own needs ahead of their kids in that way. (Flame away.)

1b) By the way, the other foreign film I spied recently was "Pan's Labyrinth." Awesome. Brutal. NOT kid-friendly. But worth seeing.

2) I've been kicking myself for a few months now about missing out on the Counting Crows show here in Houston last fall (apparently, it was one of the "most amazing" shows on the tour). So I'm trying to see my favorite bands more, if I can help it.

Well, Ben Folds will be in town again this summer. BUT the problem is he's the opening act. Who's he opening for? Friggin John Mayer.

I believe you know how I feel about better bands opening for Mayer. So, as much as it pains me, I won't be seeing Ben, unless I can get cheap tickets.

3) Want some political stuff? Here you go: This site (which seems to have a particular ideological bent, but whatever) has the voting (and quoting) records for American politicians. So cut past all the BS rhetoric and see how your presidential pick has been voting.

3a) I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but if Fred Thompson decides to run for president, expect an official PBB endorsement soon thereafter.

3b) If you're unfamiliar with Thompson, here's a good primer.

3c) Just kidding. Here's the real link.

4) Trying to remember that one Calvin and Hobbes comic strip on that certain topic? Have no fear! Here's a nifty site that will search the comics by text!

5) Somewhat political, somewhat comic strip: Here's a link to the white-paper "The Betrayal of Captain America," written in 2003 by Michael Medved and Michael Lackner on what they call "anti-American themes" in Marvel comics in the past few years. With all the Captain America press lately, this surfaced too. Presented here without further commentary, beyond this: while Medved has been known to get a little alarmist (his action points at the end, especially), he also brings up some interesting points about the ideological slant of the ideas and messages being shown. Something to think about, no matter what kind of creative media you prefer.

6) One last comic book thingy: Jake Gyllenhal is being tapped to portray Captain Marvel in an upcoming film. SHAZAM!

7) I won't talk about global warming. I won't talk about global warming. I won't talk about global warming... Okay, fine.

As a side note (because i'm not touching the actual topic), this suggestion of censorship scares me as much as climate change does. So does this. Debunk the second, if you will, but the first link is straight from the, ahem, climatologist's mouth.

And someone should tell the Martians to not burn their fossil fuels. Maybe Al Gore's next film should be "An InterPLANETARY Truth." (Okay, to be fair: counterpoint.)

7b) Did anyone else just start singing "Intergalactic, planetary, planetary, inter-galactic!" in their head? Or was it just me?

8) "Smallville" News: Lex Luthor Marries Lana Lang Tonight! Fan reaction at the news is...mixed. ("As if millions of fans were crying out in terror, and were suddenly silenced."**) Meanwhile, I think this sums up my feelings pretty well.

9) I thought I was going to deliver up some personal stuff too, but this post really turned itself into a linky-love post, didn't it. Hmmm. I'm not feeling well. Scratchy throat. Sneezy. General crud, due to weather and spring.

10) Today's my mom's birthday. That's neat. I got her a 2-Gig memory card for her new digital camera--BUT DON'T TELL HER, IT'S A SECRET!

11) Of the 9 or 10 "Firefly" episodes I've seen, "Out of Gas" is my favorite thusfar. (Don't worry, Trev, "Jaynestown" is a close second.)

11a) Have I mentioned how much I love Netflix?

11b) No, I don't "have a problem." Much.

12) I'm thirsty. Later.


**That's right, kids--twice the geekery, for only half the price.