Woo-hoo! First!

I knew that obsessive wwdn-checking would come in handy someday!

*shakes head and sighs amusedly* Shanter....who'd da thunk it.

Hey haven't posted in awhile but I thought i might cuz im one of the first. I still need to see Chicago. Stupid work. And I have to disagree with you about Gangs of New York, I absolutely loved that movie. I gotta email you by the way, we have mutual friends.

i was just in pasadena this morning. it's so beautiful and clear today...

No! Wil! Fight the Nascar temptation. It's not a sport. try... uhm... we'll say, bowling. i dunno. don't mind me, the anti-nascar guy.

eric

I love The Ataris! I'm upset I missed them on Conan.

Speaking of indie bands though, you should check out Darling Violetta...an amazingly talented band from LA.

I still haven't had the opportunity to see Chicago though I can't wait...i've heard nothing but good things. Welcome back the musical everyone....

Tim (www.pyrofenix.com)

i'm a first time poster i've always wanted to go and see new york. wait there are gangs in new york? damn there is an other country off my list i wonder how bagdad is in the summer?

By reading this,I can tell that you're very hyper right now :P

Gee, I thought I was the only one who hung around in PJs until the afternoon on Sunday. :)

That rain last night was pretty amazing. I hydroplaned all the way home from Burbank on the 134. Then, when I got home, there was about 3 feet of water in the underground parking garage. And I discovered my roof has a leak. :(

Gee, I thought I was the only one who hung around in PJs until the afternoon on Sunday. :)

That rain last night was pretty amazing. I hydroplaned all the way home from Burbank on the 134. Then, when I got home, there was about 3 feet of water in the underground parking garage. And I discovered my roof has a leak. :(

If you liked Moulin Rough, don't miss the other two flicks in the Baz Luhrmann trilogy: the ever-popular Romeo & Juliet and the lesser known but equally well done, Strictly Ballroom. I find that people either love all three or hate all three. For my part, I love the films, but I would not advocate widespead adoption of his style. His style is something which I find I must be in the correct mood to enjoy. I would be most distressed if the preponderance of movies were so stylized.

Hey, Wil.

This is probably old news to you, but I thought you might find it funny:

http://www.bbspot.com/News/2003/02/ati_ascii.html

Oddly enough, this is the first time I agree with William Shatner as well. There may be hope for him yet.

Chris

Congrats Wil on finishing your stories-I can hardly wait to see you at Grand Slam (only my second Con!)

I knew the driving was dangerous last night-
I told my mom the weather was too bad to go to church -now she believes me!

If you loved Chicago, you should see the "Behind the Movie-Chicago" on VH1. It ran last night and will probably run several times before the Oscars.
Good Stuff!

It is pretty out right now-perfect after-storm
weather!

Wil-

I love the rambling "train-of-thought" postings - keep it up. I, unfortunately, won't be able to attend Grand Slam, so I'm hoping you'll be making the books available here as well. Just got back from hitting 5 caches today (out of 6 tried), so thank you once again - was a blast!

-Andrew

Damn damn damn damn damn damn damn I can't believe I freaking missed the Ataris!

In other news, I absolutely love Chicago. Incredible performances all around. Except for that Mary Dimpke Sunshine chick or whoever she is. She annoyed me.

Shatner for all his quirks (and they are many, thank goodness) is a good, true, honorary freak. He is kin. Or a Malkavian. Same difference.

I'm sorry, I hate Raymond. I hate the show and I hate Ray's comedy. He makes WAAAY to much money for the quality of work he produces.

Now if you want to see good comedy, check out Eddy Izzard.

"Hitler was a vegetarian and a painter. I could just see him one day, sitting there, painting... saying to himself 'I just can't get this one tree... ahh HELL I'LL KILL EVERYONE!!"

The Ataris played really well on Conan... I'm glad they're finally getting some of the recognition they needed to get so long ago!They've done such a great job... I love all of their past albums, and the latest is even better... :)

Wil, a NASCAR fan? NOOOOOO! Come back from the dark side, Wil! Stay good!

I despise NASCAR and most other forms of auto racing. I don't consider it a sport to watch people drive around in circles. My dad raced in North Carolina in the 60s and is now a big-time fan. He and my mom actually buy pieces of wrecked cars! That crap is in their basement, waiting for an actual NASCAR rec room to be furnished.

All I remember is miserable times sitting on my mom's lap with my hands clamped firmly over my ears, wishing desperately for the cars to stop so we could go home to a quiet house.

NASCAR is the great evil, except for Duke basketball.

At the website for Jennifer Government you can run your own country.

It;'s fantastic and i recommend you check it out even though i am too lazy to find the link.

The book is good as well.

Who wrote this?
Doesn't sound like Wil.
Not his style.

I'm suspicious!

Don't go for the NASCAR, Just a bunch of guys going around in a cage in a circle and at least on the east coast the fans tend to be rednecks, uneducated bud drinking fools who sit there all day.

Sorry but Motorcycle racing is the way to go, on the speedchannel Sundays and every Tuesday night is two wheel Tuesday.

I loved Moulin Rouge, I am not a big movie buff, but the filming remined me of Romeo & Juliet, and even though they used old songs I thought it was great.

I loved Chicago so much I had to download it (bad Sally! Bad Sally!). It's such a fine film...I was impressed with all of the acting in it. And John C. Reilly was phenomenal, no doubt. I liked it better than Moulin Rouge, which I liked, but more for the storyline/cinematography/costuming, etc. Not for the music. Chicago puts it ALL together. I had my doubts about Renee Zellweger actually, not CZJ and Richard Gere---I knew they were stage actors first...but Renee blew me away just as much as they did. Gangs of NY is a shit picture, imho. So not the best that Scorcese has done.

And The Good Girl...EXCELLENT film. She really is a good girl at heart. Jennifer Aniston really blew me away...and Jake Gyllenhaal..wow.

Hi Wil,

As a fan from the other side of the country who won't be attending the Gand Slam, will you make some copies of your book available in your shop? Maybe even some autographed ones?

Thanks!!!
Tara

Tara- it depends on if I have any left after the show.

I don't know Ray Romano from Jack. He may be a great guy. "Everybody Loves Raymond" remains the most inane show to ever make it past the pilot.

:::scratches head, wonders why getting the first post in is such a thrill:::

John C. Reilly was *awesome* in Chicago. His rendition of 'Cellophane Man' was phenomenal. He totally sucked me in with that song... funny, I've never really noticed him as anything other than a character actor. I never realized he was *that good.* Where the heck have I been???

That Shatner comment is right in tune with the commentary he gave on the Star Trek IV special edition DVD. You should check that out Wil, toward the end they go on a bit of a rant about how the two of them (Shatner and Nimoy) would have liked to continue to make new films but the "people responsible for it" weren't interested.

The Good Girl is a really good movie. It's weird though because the Jennifer Aniston's character is not the most likable in the film, and yet you're on her side when watching it. good movie though. you should sit down and watch it.

Good evening Wil

I'm curious:
What is it about "Everyone Loves Raymond" you don't get? I think he's funny and his brother, the bitter ole cop is fricking hilarious! Hee hee!

Were you guys on "storm watch" again? Haha.

Wil,
Ya know, Nascar is great sometimes, but just like anything else it's become way too commercialized for my taste. Of course, I've always wanted to drive the cars, not watch them chase each other in circles. But that's just another pipe dream...

In any case, if you find yourself really getting into it, please don't pull a Jason Priestly maneuver...in other words, don't come to the Kentucky Speedway and attempt to start an intimate relationship with a wall at 180 m.p.h. Somehow I don't think the imprint of a steering wheel across your forehead would settle too well with Anne...or you for that matter!

Wow, for a while I thought I was the only one who'd read Jennifer Government. Actually, I too read it faster than any other book (1.5 days). Its an amazing read.

And congrats with your books and whanot.

NASCAR? Sorry, Wil, but I can't see anything great about people going faster then we ever can legally and making left turns all day. Around here, it's way too popular. Oh well.

And hey, if you want to see good indie music on TV, keep your eyes peeled for Tempered Edge. You like the rock -n- roll? You'll love us. We'll be coming, very very soon! We're about as indie as it gets (we're unsigned at the moment).

Wish I could make it out to Grand Slam Con, but alas, being stuck on the East Coast is my curse. Can't wait to read Dancing Barefoot!

Wil, you gonna do any conventions up here in Canada any time soon? Come for con, stay for the fishing... and the sweet delicious beer..

The website for Jennifer government is http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi
It's fairly impressive.

Wil, I gotta say there's nothing wrong with watching NASCAR. I used to feel the same way as everybody else here, then I got dragged to Daytona one year and I got hooked. It's not just fat guys driving around in circles; it involves strategy, engineering, teamwork, quick reflexes and good nerves. Yes, there are LOTS of scary redneck fans out there, but there are also plenty of normal people who enjoy the sport.

Quick plug for #38, Elliott Sadler! ;)

Heh, Nascar is ok. It's a lot better when you see it in person (no rowdy fans, can't hear the announcers and everybody is glad no matter who won). Usually in early March there's a race in Vegas, if there's a meet there again next year, it'd be fun to have monkeys invade Nascar.

Funny thing: 10 minutes after I read this blog entry my roommate came home with a bunch of new books. "Jennifer Government" was among them. I had never heard of this book before.

Jennifer Government is really a great book. Definately a funny read and it takes an interesting look at what capitalism can lead to.

Damn damn damn damn damn damn damn I can't believe I freaking missed the Ataris!

Never fear - they'll show up on Conan reruns on Comedy Central within a day or two!

If they really wanted to make nascar interesting, they'd have two sets of cars racing around the same track in opposite directions towards each other at high speeds...and they say people only go to the races NOW for the wrecks...imagine the mayhem that would ensue with this concept...oh...I now copyright the idea...if I see it anywhere, I'll sue! :)

John C. Reilly was great in Chicago, and he's pretty good in The Good Girl too, which is an excellent movie.

Ya, I started a thread about it yesterday in the Star Trek section. Check out the replies.

Jennifer Government was reviewed in the Post's Book World today... haven't read it (book or review) yet. The website is fun, although my Repubilc of VeryFine has a flat tax of 10% for some reason I cannot discern.
_JG_ looks good... the author's other books have gotten good reviews... somehow the first chapter posted online didn't do much for me, but if I keep hearing raves I'll have to give it a try. Someone who makes an elaborate website to promote the ideas behind his novel has something going on.

** Wil on TV again **

Just saw a few minute thing about Wil on E! on a show about 80's child actors.

They also showed Anne for those who've wondered what she looks like! (or maybe it was Wil's mistress :)

Yeah the Nation states site is kind of interesting. It would be great if the author of Jennifer Government would add some more issues for the nations to face, but all in all a nice, free, fun, game.

You can see my nation here: http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/target=display_nation/nation=westudi

DOWN WITH BERMAN!

Sundays I think should be official PJ days.

And for Everyone Loves Raymond... I don't get it either. Sure it has its funny moments, but seriously how much Barones can one take? The parents are more than annoying, and the brother... get a frickin' life. However, I too find Ray Romano funny in general.

NASCAR evil, however there are plenty of geeks who follow.

I am suprised you do not like Raymond. It is a great show that satirizes life with your family. The characters are wonderful. I think it is one of the best shows on right now. It is insightful and smart. It is much better than all of the shit coming out right now...American Idol, Married By America, etc.

I shockingly agree with Shatner about Star Trek's direction. When I went to see Nemesis I was very appalled at the lack of quality. Nothing seemed orginal in it, in fact it seemed to rip off movies. The opening titles mimicked the "Alien" movies, the desert derby chase sequence looked like it came from Mad Max or Black Hawk Down, and when Riker jumped into a shoot during a fire fight I'm surprised George Lucas didn't object for its similarities to Star Wars. I mean I love Star Trek, especially the NEXT GEN, but the movie was all hype and no substance. Anymore these days thats all Star Trek has been. Star Trek is about substance not ratings. Star Trek was not about action or space it's about addressing social issues and trying to open minds to a better tommorrow. I think in order to save Star Trek Paramount and Rick Berman should do something daring and risky. They should shut Star Trek down, not permanently mind you, but for a while(say ten or fifteen years). Star Trek needs a break. Star Trek fans are plastered with publicity with merchandising and advertising which makes fans complacent about Star Trek. With all the syndicated reruns out there Star Trek will not be forgotten and during a break period perhaps Star Trek will regain a new generation of audiences awaiting a new series or movies. I mean it happened before why wouldn't it happen again?

NOTE TO WIL: Like your new picture in the website. Very awesome hair very sexy.

What, the Star Trek franchise has become greedy? God forbid! It's obvious that all three hundred spin-offs are necessary to the Star Trek universe. I'm glad that Mr. Shatner has declared himself on the side of true Star Trek ideals. We can rest assured that all the Star Trek books he has written have added to the richness of the Star Trek storyline.

I thought DS9 was pretty original...

Whoa, talk about freaky.. just as I read the article on the Ataris, their single came on the radio.

/me looks for the black helicopter.

Yeah Jennifer Government was a great great book!

I read it in 2 days, i couple barely keep it down.

Yeah.. went to dinner with a friend who works for SBC on Colorado, and ended up at the Starbucks 'n Noble when that downpour started around 8, and was just waiting for the rain to come up over the curb- I think it missed by about 1/2 inch or less.

The drive home was not fun. The NWS said we got over 4 inches here in LA, a new record for March 15th. Nifty trivia: We got 1/3" inch less rain yesterday than we did for the *entire* rain-year of 2001-2002.

Ack. Forgot one thing: I've never read Jennifer Government, but there is a web game at www.nationstates.net that's done by the same guy.

to Wil and all,

I think the before made public service announcement is actually called;
steak and KNOBBER day...

the new "Enterprise" seems to be taking us to
another alternate universe. far from Genes
vision..

and I watched Tom Cruise
(sorry Wil, you weren't on today)

in "Minority Report" were Tom stars in the lead as a police officer in a "PRE-CRIME"
department...washington d.c. 2054
I think thats were MR. Bush got the idea to start up with Iraq...

later

As a German descendant, and as a general card carrying member of the human race, I find the idea that the term "blitzkrieg" beieng used for anything, especially some petty marketing scheme
disgusting and apalling. While I appreciate freedom of speech, it is disturbing that I can find a term like this on WWDN. If you are unaware, the term blitzkrieg means "lightning war"
and describes the speed and barbarity that hitlers troops used on most of Europe. While the
bassic principal remains the same, I find the reference to Blitzkrieg Marketing offensive, as I would any term used to describe such atrocities on the human race bieng used to describe some capitalistic B.S. marketing ploy.
I have had to suffer and be ashamed of my ancestors for most of my adult life, and I would like to forget that such barbarism's ever existed. Such references do nothing for my peace of mind.
Shame on you Wil!

How could I contribute to a new and improved Star Trek series ?

easy angeldust...
my mom's from Germany...and last time i checked, the term Blitzkreig was ok to use...
sure, we all have a different tolerance level for certain words...but that one is pretty low on my list....
anyhow...hope you all had a lovely weekend...
the snow's finally melting, the birds are chirping, and thanks to wils recent post here..looks like i have a new book to read (jen-gov. looks pretty awesome)....

Go easy, Angeldust. Although the term originated with the German war machine during WWII (primarily in description of their armored forces) it has, through common usage, become a part of our lexicon. The shortened term, "blitz" is used in the NFL during every game. Although the Germans were the "bad guys" it's important to remember that the soldiers were just soldiers, not unlike the Allied troops. It was the inner circles of the Nazi party that did the really terrible things to Jews, gypsies, and countless others.

And by the by, I'm of German decent as well, but I'm equally ashamed of some of the terrible things we've done in this country. During WWII we confined Japanese to "Internment Camps" and though they weren't tortured and killed, they were certainly abused and imprisoned. We were also so prejudiced against German-Americans that many changed their names to avoid persecution.

Another wonderful historical note: During the Vietnam war, vice president Agnew wanted to re-open the Japanese internment camps for dissidents (like my mom) who protested peacefully and publically. Luckily he was stopped before he could do so.

So not everything is black and white. There are many grey areas to consider.

Ok Ok I get your points
By the By
I was pathetically unaware that the N.F.L term
blitz came from the tragic term blitzkrieg, but
know that I am aware I fully intend to never watch an N.F.L game again.(well, never is subjective, I am not a football fan)
I did not intend to say that the terminology is of itself offensive. The context it is used in, however, is. A marketing ploy or a football game have nothing whatsoever to do with the trajedies of WWII, and I find it offensive that someone would use this term to describe them. As for the soldiers bieng just soldiers, You are mistaken.
My forebears, were, unfortunatley, part of the Nazi regime. Those who were part of the Germanic Forces were just as much a party of the atrocities committed as were the leaders of the Nazi party. Those who did not agree with the Nazi
rules, regulations or operations, those who did not comply with orders or even those who merely refused to fight were maimed, mutilated and killed. If they were not, their sons and daughters
wives, mothers and fathers were. Whole families were put to death or simply vanished. So ,whether
voluntarily or due to coercion, those who were of fighting age in Nazi Germany were directly or indirectly responsible for ther halocaust,whether they wanted to be or not. Another reason why I find the use of the term Blitzkrieg bieng used in
this context(or any) offensive.
A little heavy for monday morning but hey we all have to broadcast our opinions woul'nt you say?

Cool that Shatner spoke his mind. And I totally agree with him. Get Bergmaga out of there!!!

SHATNER & WHEATON! Could this be the new Dynamic Duo. WESLEY and KIRK taking over the STAR TREK Universe. Seeking out and destroying the evil BERMAN and taking Seven Of Nine for there own. Could this be true. Please say its so, and that Wesley gets the girl. Think about, Kirk is just little old, and Uncle Willy could console Seven in the way she is a customed to.

LONG LIVE THE SAVIORS OF STAR TREK!!!!!!

The fastest book I ever read was "Paddle the Amazon". I stayed up for 24 hours straight to finish it. I like "Enterprise", mostly because of the characters and the fresh story ideas. It seems these characters are tougher but way less arogant.

Wil:

Forget NASCAR. It's just a bunch of 'good ol' boys' driving stripped-down beefed up sedans in circles.

You really want to be a race fan, try anything having to do with two wheels, not four. World Superbike, Arenacross, Flat Track, or Moto GP. THAT is some skill and cojones, right there. :D

(I will admit, Sebring was fun to watch, at least just to see the cars...)

Oh, where can you see all this? Speed Channel, of course. www.speedtv.com

Uhmm... Oh, dear... The prize for "Non-Children's Book I Have Read in the Shortest Time" has to go to ANTHEM, by Ayn Rand. Read it in 10 minutes while waiting to talk to a teacher... Do I remember? Not really. Do I read really stupidly fast? Probably. Except when I *need* to, when it never gets done...

Wil,
NASCAR, huh? I was raised in the South and it was only until moving to NYC and working for a cable programmer that has a NASCAR sports package that I started to understand it and like it. I don't much care for watching it on TV except for the funny commercials (those drivers have good senses of humor about themselves). But watching it live at a track is a lot of fun. I've been lucky enough to get into the pits and it's really amazing. Just to see those guys do a pit stop right there in front of you is incredible. There's a lot of electricity in the air. There's a race at California Speedway on April 27. Check it out.

I really liked Jennifer Government, but my sweetie and I agreed that for that particular genre of fiction, Ben Elton does it best. Check out Stark, if you haven't already read it.

I saw you on E Entertainment network yesterday on a show about child actors. I jumped up close to the screen and my boyfriend said, "who the hell is that to cause such excitement?" I replied, "you don't know Wil? you are so uneducated and backwards, I READ WIL EVERYDAY! GET WITH THE PROGRAM...anyone who's ANYONE reads WHEATON!"

He cracked up laughing and said, "at least you believe in your convictions."

ha!

Just wanted to comment that all this buzz about John C Reilly... is just post Boogie Nights and Magnolia all over again... he ROCKED in those movies and there was a lot of similiar buzz but I guess it wasn't enough to keep the guy in the public's mind!

Anytime I see that he's in a movie I'm watching, I always get happy cause I've never seen him turn in a bad performance. I haven't seen any of the 3 movies talked about so far but I'm looking forward to them all much more now if he's in them all.

shatner & wheaton...wheaton & shatner...you two can fight over the billing...but i think it's a duo whose time has come!

Come on. There is nothing wrong with using the term blitzkrieg. It has little to do with the Holocaust. Meaning, that the Blitzkrieg movements were not employed to kill or torture civilians of any race. It was a military strategem, and a darned effective one.

There is NOTHING wrong with using the word in the ways previously described. There is nothing wrong with using the word Phalanx (sp?) or trench, or firing line, etc and so on. The words are altered and applied to different contexts without belittleing or disregarding what they meant in the past.

This mentality has lead to people thinking that propaganda is somehow inherently evil, just because it was once used to promote evil tendancies. They are words. Don't be so touchy.

Wow, how utterly ironic! My friend and I were just talking about "Trek" and how we feel about
recent Trek films and spin-offs. It seems that when Gene died, so did Trek. Now it's all about making a stinkin' buck! Ever since Rick Berman got his pudgy feet into the sandbox, it's pretty much been downhill from there! He's the cold and
calculating "mind" of "Trek" and Gene was definitely it's "heart".
Shatner has a definite point. I personally don't
watch "Enterprise" at all. It's so dull. The last thing that truly felt like "Trek" was of course STNG, but even now, it's looking like even that has lost it's sense of what Star Trek really is to so many people. I suppose that the "suits"
over at Paramount take the infamous words of Spock as an "invitation" instead of words to live by. The whole "prosper" part in "Live long and prosper", seems to be the ONLY thing on their money-grubbin' minds!

I didn't like Chicago but I thought John C. Reilly was awesome!!!

Ah, sunday afternoon in pajamas.
I stayed in my pajamas yesterday until 5:30, when my brother and his wife were coming over and I thought that perhaps I should put clothes on for them.
NASCAR....eeew... while I admit that driving a car at breakneck speeds, trying to figure out the best times to pit stop, pass someone etc is quite a challenge, I'd rather do it myself then watch someone else do it.
And seeing the same thing happen oh, three hundered times in a row isn't that exciting either.
Come over to Hockey!
Yes, even the dark side of hockey: the Toronto Maple Leafs!
I really enjoyed the 4th of July story. Reminds me of something idiotic I did last summer, trying to balance the seeming very cool to friends with seeming very responsible to family. This time, the very cool one out at the detriment of my responsabilitableness. (Yeah, look at that made-up word!)
As much as I regret it, it is a growing experience and I know everyone does stupid things. Thanks for sharing yours!

GAAA!!! Not Nascar. Become a fan of anything BUT nascar... Shuffleboard, badminton, ANYTHING but nascar.

As a southerner.. it is the law that we try to convert people to the way of the NASCAR... though, I must admit *whispering* I never really got the sport.. round and round they go.. occasionally there's a flash of sparks, a crunch of metal, a squeal of rubber.. other than that, not much. I've been to 2 races, both in Charlotte, NC. Once I sat in the lower level seats, amidst the crowds of beer swilling NASCAR fans, my knees poking into the man infront of me. All I can remember was the heat, the smell of beer and having to yell over the sound of the roaring engines. The second time, I was in one of the air conditioned club houses, surrounded by beer and wine swilling fans. I do remember thinking I was special.. getting to ride the elevator up to the top.. showing my special pass.. and getting free snacks. Yep.. free snacks were the best part of that visit!

There isn't much of it on TV, but IMHO the most entertaining car racing is the American Le Mans series. 3 classes of cars all running at the same time leads to LOTS of passing. Some of the cars even look a lot like what I see in our parking lot.

Although I don't believe I'm going to change your view on the topic of using certain terms from WWII, I feel the need to stress that most German soldiers fighting the war on the frontline had no idea of the atrocities going on in the camps. It was an SS operation kept need-to-know for obvious reasons. If you watch the History Channel, there are often interviews with soldiers from both sides of the war and one of the most striking things is how young and scared the German soldiers were, as any humans would be. Movies have turned the Nazi army into a bunch of grimacing 35-year-olds who want nothing less than to subvert the American Way (add trumpets here) and kill all who oppose them. In fact, they were boys not unlike our own soldiers.

Now they absolutely bought into the propoganda that the Jews were responsible for their financial turmoil, but few people (including the Allies) had any idea what was coming as a solution.

I do agree with you, however, that Monday is a little early in the week to start a debate. Work was slow today.

Oh, and the fastest book I've ever read would have to be Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. If you haven't read it, it's a good example of what sci fi can be when it doesn't forget the human element.

Nascar...drive fast, turn left. Pluck yer banjo. Spit yer bacca.

Wil -

Just back from work and just saw your response. Thank you! I'll look for the second printing, which you'll need after you sell out at the convention.=)

Tara

Salon sucks.

Why all this dissing on NASCAR? I'm a northern dude to the bone, and I love *all* kinds of motor racing. If one belives that NASCAR is nothing but left turns has not seen the Watkin's Glen or the Sears Point races (even on TV), those are road courses.
What is really evil in racing is the Schoemacher (sp) brothers in F1, somebody must bring these two to humble-land pronto!
On another note:
Hopefully Shatner isn't the only cast member of any of the ST productions to feel this way, ST needs a creative sabbatical.

To Austin

While you are correct in that you are not going to change my opinion on terms from WWII, I do in fact wholeheartedly agree with your opinion that soldiers from the other side were just boys and had absolutley no Idea what was going on in the concentration camps.
My grandmother and grandfather were survivors of Nazi Germany, an the acts of barbarism committed against friends of my family were atrocious,
not to mention a frightening commentary on the evil a human mind can stoop to when greed and supremacy are first and foremost in thier mind.(Can we say Bush?) But I digress. I wholeheartedly agree with and respect your opinion. But thhat doesn't meanthat I am going to change mine. I don't mean to be so touchy, I am really quite an agreeable person when I want to be, but when you are a child of no more then six, and your head is pumped full of horror stories about Nazi's and SS and bombings in the night, you kind of recoil when any mention is made of the war, and terms like Blitzkrieg only serve to remind you of those stories. Although one has nothing to do withthe other really, it does explain why I am so sensitive..... Anyway, my point is that the term is offensive, and they certainly could have found anotherto serve thier marketing agenda more effectivley, and with less backlash from people like me.
Stay cool....

Shatner's 71? When the hell did he get that old? That makes his appearance in Miss Congeniality just a little too perverted!

ataris > all

saw them in november, seeing them in april.

again i say, ataris > all

plus there's the wil wheaton connection... 'these are the things that make me free, i feel like i'm stuck in stand by me...'

jennifer government is a fun game. havent read the book.

my husband is a NASCAR fan. I've always been a GT racing fanatic.. gimme a good IMSA race any day. If it must be NASCAR, far better for it to be Sportsman or Bomber class amateur racing. Get out to Indio some weekend during the summer and see some real racing. No chit, man.

I just read Jennifer Government this week, too. I liked it, but the strange thing is i've found myself feeling negatively in real life toward the corporations mentioned in the book. I saw something Nike the other day and cringed. It wasn't because of sweatshop rumors, etc. -- it was because I was picturing John Nike and his screwed up marketing ideas in my head. I read William Gibson's Pattern Recognition recently, too, which also deals with big corporations, logos, etc. Now I keep cutting the tags off of everything because I want to be as generic as possible...

Far better than NASCAR is FIA rally (WRC). Cars going breakneck through the wildest roads imaginable through any weather possible, and the drivers don't even know the road they are going to take until the day of the race. They have to depend on the pacenotes of their navigators, quick reaction, and guts of steel. Or underwear of teflon...
Plus, the cars are way better and yet way cheaper than what the run in NASCAR.

*mouth drops* Shatner doesn't watch any of the new Star Treks, it's truely sad....ugh! I wish that I could see you onstage one time, but I live on the east coast, I hate it...ah well, I plan on buying your books tho :D.

Keep it up Wil!
Brandon

I'm reading Jennifer Government now, and I love it, but I think I like Max(x) Barry's first book, Syrup, even better.

Check it out; it's another blazingly fast read, and a lot of fun.