A couple of weeks ago, ’s link to this had me shaking with laughter and adding yet another person who never heard of me to my friends’ list. Checking another of my friends’ LJs last night, I came across another post by this guy that had me laughing out loud, and led to me checking his main page. That brought me to this, which was kind of funny, sure, but thought provoking, especially considering certain recent developments in my life (that I won’t go into in a public post). His comments led to this post, which continues to be thought provoking, but it’s tending toward religio-philosophical things, so I think I’ll go ruminate and pontificate over there for a while.<p

A few weeks ago, following a link from Writer’s Weekly’s freelance jobs page, I signed up for regular updates from MediaBistro’s job list (free membership required to view jobs). What can I say? Despite my degrees in cinema & video production, I seem to be better at writing than getting film gigs. Anyway, the “freelance” job that came in today’s email was 1) not really what I consider freelance, since it requires working in the publication’s office, mostly as an assistant, not a freelancer, and 2) not really writing, anyway. (Isn’t there anybody monitoring the job posting? What is with all these people posting what are essentially internships as freelance?) I did what I always do when I check these posts, and clicked on the Online/New Media Jobs link, where I found something more interesting.
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Somehow I missed this before. I heard about the throttled internet stuff, where ISPs are talking about charging sites to be accessible by that ISP’s customers (which is another really stupid idea!) but I hadn’t heard this one. Why are there so many idiots out there trying to choke the internet?

So I was reading my Writer’s Weekly e-newsletter, and was startled to see AOL on the Whispers & Warnings page. I’d just read the previous two yesterday from the forum, but I hadn’t seen AOL on the Whispers & Warnings in the forum, so I had to check it out. That led me here, where I couldn’t believe my eyes. AOL has been filtering out spam for its users, that I knew, but to also filter out messages because they contain links to sites that oppose AOL’s behavior? Foul play!

The article has several good links, including an excellent entry on the subject from Slashdot. It’s been archived, so there can be no more comments on the /. article, but it’s worth reading and brings up a lot of good points.

There are petitions up here and at the above-linked DearAOL.com, and what a mix of groups!

Craig Det-weiler, chair of the Film, Television & Radio program at Biola says, “Hollywood has rediscovered the sweet spot of the marketplace between Los Angeles and New York.

I’m thinking this is a bit overly optimistic. Not everything that gets labeled “Christian” actually appeals to Christians, and there’s such a wide variety of denominations that invariably, someone is going to find something wrong with your script. On the whole, Hollywood has typically gotten Bible stories all wrong, which is why Mel Gibson’s “Passion” was so stunning. It was the Catholic view, so it didn’t fully coincide with my own (anabaptist) views, but the essentials were there, and it was done with respect so rarely seen in theatrical movies.

I’m reserving judgment on NewLine’s “Nativity” until I see how it comes out; I’ve seen way too many “Hollywood finally gets it! They’re going to make movies for us average Christian folks now” announcements followed by thoroughly disappointing (and sometimes insulting) productions. I’m sure those of you of other religions have seen the same thing, with your religion being mishandled in Hollywood’s hands, too.

http://www.citizensonstrike.us/