Sane as it ever was... Same... As... it... ever... was.

August 6, 2006 11:40 AM

David Byrne blogs,including a recent post on Jesus Camp. (Via BoingBoing. Jesus Camp, previously on Metafilter
posted by nathan_teske (24 comments total)

Wow, this is difficult to read. Random dashes, short half sentences, and random parenthensis just makes it sound like an old timey telegraph. Byrne's ADD may make him a decent musician, but he's not much of a writer. He's almost doing the stream of consciousness thing which is rarely amusing to anyone but the writer. This variety review is much much better. YMMV of course.
posted by the ghost of Ken Lay at 12:03 PM on August 6, 2006

I have told people about this sort of stuff many times - both Americans and Brits. I am an American who lives in the Uk. And usually, they look at me in disbelief. I tell them about their grass roots approach getting on local school boards or city councils, but still the sort of people I know. people who have no use for Bush and his wars, still look at me in disbelief. I can only hope that this film and people like David Byrne can somehow get people to pay attention, because so far as I am concerned his view of the whole business is absolutely right It is dangerous.
posted by donfactor at 12:07 PM on August 6, 2006

His radio stream is very interesting. Hasn't this been posted here before? I could swear I found out about the radio stream on MeFi.
posted by caddis at 12:26 PM on August 6, 2006

here
posted by caddis at 12:27 PM on August 6, 2006

Michael Moore's Film Fest Screens "Jesus Camp" Despite Objection

"[Michael] Moore called Magnolia's request [to pull the screening of 'Jesus Camp' at this weekend's Traverse City Film Festival] 'truly one of the worst publicity stunts I have ever seen.'

Moore added, 'I had no intention of showing "Jesus Camp" in this festival. The producers begged me to show it. I said OK. Then they sent me the film this week to show it in the festival. (Then), one day before its screening, after all its tickets have been sold, they sent me and the press a fax saying they want the film pulled.'"

posted by ericb at 12:46 PM on August 6, 2006

Byrne wrote: "What is it about Colorado Springs? Littleton (Colorado) is right next door to these megachurches."

Um, Littleton is a Denver suburb, and is about 60 miles away from Colorado Springs. Philadelphia and Atlantic City are the same distance apart, and you don't often hear them being lumped together as the same entity. Millions of people live in that area of Colorado, so not many generalizations can be made about people living that far apart.
posted by robla at 12:47 PM on August 6, 2006

What? A songwriter from the 80s isnt an expert on culture, religion, geography, america, children, and camps? Say it aint so! Obviously, you're mistaken. Celebrities can do no wrong.
posted by the ghost of Ken Lay at 12:54 PM on August 6, 2006

You have to remember that David Byrne is British. He also writes stuff like "he was caught drink-driving" and "she went to hospital".

♥etc♥etc♥
posted by foot at 1:04 PM on August 6, 2006

Europe had it's religious wars, reformation and Age of Enlightenment ... maybe the US needs to repeat that process on it's own until it can truely offer religious freedom to it's people.

All I can see at the moment is a big religious movement hijacking the world biggest power and turning their beliefs into laws and global policy.

They are turning all the wheels back straight to the 15th century ('No, Renaissance for me please!')

Most 'other Americans' simply don't care - and those who do care are too weak or unfocussed to make a difference.

Expect more rapture madness, more anti-scientific compaigns and more religiously motivated politics from the US of A.

Thanks for people who still fight the religious nonsense:



History of Disblief by Jonathan Miller


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism:_A_Rough_History_of_Disbelief

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/atheism.shtml

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13868.htm

(here you can watch all three parts online)


Root of all evil by Richard Dawkins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Root_of_All_Evil%3F

(see end of this wikipedia entry for video download link)
posted by homodigitalis at 1:10 PM on August 6, 2006

Byrne? He's still alive?
posted by davidmsc at 1:13 PM on August 6, 2006

homodigitalis, can I synergize with your results-driven knowledge base?
posted by foot at 1:14 PM on August 6, 2006

@foot: Anyday! ;-)
posted by homodigitalis at 1:27 PM on August 6, 2006

The only problem those you are criticizing have already the power and your next president must be more christianist than Bush
posted by zouhair at 2:35 PM on August 6, 2006

You have to remember that David Byrne is British.

His family left Scotland for Canada when he was two, and then moved to Maryland six years later. I suppose technically he may still be called "British", but if you've gone to school in North America your entire life I doubt many cultural vestiges of Britain would remain.

But then, I don't personally know David Byrne. Perhaps in his wilder moments he drives on the left side of the road and calls pants "trousers".
posted by oneirodynia at 3:37 PM on August 6, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

I lived in England for a year when I was eight. Do I get to be British?
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:04 PM on August 6, 2006

I pronounce you British, for a day, upon my authority as . . . . , as a citizen of a land which was once British over 250 years ago. Please kneel and I will touch your shoulder with. . . ooops, sorry about the ear, my mistake. At least you have another one.
posted by caddis at 5:00 PM on August 6, 2006

I lived in Britain for a year when I was in college. I'm British too.
posted by blucevalo at 5:32 PM on August 6, 2006

And you may find yourself reading MetaFilter,
And you may find yourself reading about David Byrne's web journal,
And you may ask yourself, "Where have I seen this?"
And you may say to yourself, "My God! It's a double!"

Same as it ever was
posted by fandango_matt at 6:42 PM on August 6, 2006

Seven hours to find the dead on double - that must be a record here.
posted by caddis at 6:48 PM on August 6, 2006

Gah.. Google failed me.
posted by nathan_teske at 7:11 PM on August 6, 2006

I've always admired the british, may I be british *too*?
Regarding David Byrne, he's as american as apple pie these days, moreso than the ignorant and deluded repugs in congress and their witless followers. Huzzah Cheahs to Mistah Buhn ! ! !
posted by mk1gti at 8:07 PM on August 6, 2006

David Byrne is British?!?! Oh wait, Wikipedia says born in Scotland, moved to Ontario at 2 yrs, then on to Maryland at 9 or 10. Still, I'd always assumed he was from New York.

nathan_teske, I LOVE David Byrne's blog, think everyone should know about it, and support its double posting ;-)

[Another favorite famous person blog: Dennis Cooper...]
posted by ibeji at 8:20 AM on August 7, 2006

I once had a two-hour layover in Heathrow. Can I call myself British now?
posted by nlindstrom at 12:57 PM on August 7, 2006

I once had a two-hour layover in Heathrow. Can I call myself British now?

Only if you bought some U,K-produced product in the duty-free shop in Terminal 4.
posted by ericb at 1:36 PM on August 7, 2006