Well, summer’s over.  I never made it back to Camp Firefly, or enjoyed another night of possibly anti-semitic television with Kirk-‘n’-Chelsea, but I still want to catch up with them this fall, when they

plan to subvert ‘Darwin Day’ on November 19, 2009—a date marking the 150th anniversary of the publishing of Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species.”  Cameron says that he and like-minded activists plan to deliver 50,000 copies of an altered version of Darwin’s book to students at dozens of U.S. universities.

Cameron explains that this “very special” edition of the “Origin of Species” will include an introduction explaining “Adolf Hitler’s undeniable connection” to the theory of evolution, and highlighting “Darwin’s racism” and “his disdain for women.”  Cameron’s edition also exposes the “many hoaxes” of evolutionary theory, while presenting a “balanced view of Creationism.”

PARADOX ALERT: if you’d like to hear how Cameron thinks our (theoretically) constitution-backed country is stripping us of our many “God-given” liberties, click here.  You’ll be far more amused, though, watching ZOMGitsCriss’ video response below.

And when you’re through, mark your calendars for November 19th.  But rather than going all “town hall” on Cameron’s book giveaway, why not do as as ZOMGitsCriss suggests: simply take as many copies as your ape paws can grab, and use that intro for something less meta and more physical.  I know Darwin would approve!

 
In Huffington Post: Kirk Cameron’s “Origin Of Species” Plan: Ex-Actor To Distribute 50,000 Altered Darwin Books

Ray Comfort’s New Introduction To Darwin’s On The Origin Of Species

Previously on Dangerous Minds: The Truth Behind Muslim Creationist Harun Yahya

“Origin of Stupidity” spotted via: YBNBY

Many people who have come by the dubious charms of bizarro cult movie Death Bed: The Bed that Eats (1977) got there by way of Patton Oswalt’s classic stand-up routine about the film. You hear him rant about it and you just have to see it. I mean, you pretty much know from the title if you’re going to enjoy this or not, don’t you?

Cribbed from its Wikipedia entry:

A large, black, four-poster bed, possessed by a demon, is passed from owner to owner. The Demon was a tree, who became a breeze and seemingly fell in love with a woman he blew past. The demon then took human form and conjured up a bed. While he was making love with the woman she died and his eyes bled onto the bed, causing it to become possessed. Those who come into contact with the bed are frequently consumed by it (victims are pulled into what is apparently a large chamber of digestive fluids beneath the sheets). The bed demonstrates a malevolent intelligence as well as some psychokinetic and limited telepathic abilities to manipulate dreams.

A running commentary or chorus is supplied by the ghost ?

 
Watching True Blood (my own “Yoo-Hoo” show) alone is almost unbearable.  There’s just so much to laugh at, not being able to share it often puts me to sleep at about the 20-minute mark (or whenever Tara’s exposing her heart to someone she’s better off hiding it from).  In fact, based on my highly informal poling of friends and total strangers, very few people seem to be watching True Blood alone.  Well, thanks to Unclejubalon and the wonder of laugh tracks, no one might ever have to!

Via New York Magazine: True Blood Finally Gets a Much-Deserved Laugh Track

 
Max Blumenthal, writer for The Nation and The New York Times, and senior writer for The Daily Beast, is out making the promotional rounds for his provocatively-titled bestseller, Republican Gomorrah: Inside The Movement That Shattered The Party.

In it, Blumenthal hacks through what The New Yorker‘s Hendrik Hertzberg calls the “dank forests of American Christianism.”  Yesterday, he sat down with—and withstood—Joe Scarborough (see above), who grills Blumenthal on everything from birthers to death panels.

Blumenthal was also a recent guest of Terry Gross.  You can listen to the interview here.  In it, Blumenthal calls out such lesser known, behind-the-curtain players as the late RJ Rushdoony and his “financial angel” Howard F. Ahmanson Jr., who, after emerging, “saved,” from a mental institution, declared, “my goal is the total integration of biblical law into everyday lives.”

Beyond his work as a writer, though, Blumenthal’s produced a number of videos—including the “banned from YouTube” vid, Feel The Hate.  You can watch that here, but you should also check out In The Land Of Queen Esther (below), where Blumenthal explores the possible Sarah Palin connection to the biblically-inspired Queen, and how Alaska’s crown-like shape might betray its ultimate purpose: serving as an end-of-days, post-rapture refuge for everyone in the lower 48.

 
Bonus: Max Blumethal’s Gun Show Nation!

Douglas Walla and New York’s Kent Gallery announce a big Paul Laffoley show in Paris, to be held at the Palais de Tokyo as part of their Chasing Napoleon exhibit, from October 15, 2009 to January 17, 2010. If you happen to find yourself in Paris this winter, it’s going to be a must-see show.

When Paul moved a couple of years ago, several early works from the Sixties were found hidden in his storage space and make up the bulk of this show. The piece above, I’ve seen in person and—like all Laffoleys—it’s truly stunning, vibrant and electric.

Tara and I own two of Paul’s paintings that will be in the Paris show. We were sure sad to see them leave our home a few weeks ago. Now the walls seen so bare! (They’re huge, 6 by 6 ft).

Thanton III, 1989 (you can buy a fantastic poster of this painting here)

Alchemy, 1973

Frightening!  Stephen Von Worley says, “As I hurtled down the highway, a pair of golden arches crept over the horizon, and the proverbial lightbulb smacked me in the forehead.  To gauge the creep of cookie-cutter commercialism, there?