Vatican blasts Golden Compass as Godless and hopeless

The Vatican on Wednesday condemned the film “The Golden Compass,” which some have called anti-Christian, saying it promotes a cold and hopeless world without God.

In a long editorial, the Vatican newspaper l’Osservatore Romano, also slammed Philip Pullman, the bestselling author of the book on which the family fantasy movie is based.

It was the Vatican’s most stinging broadside against an author and a film since it roundly condemned “The Da Vinci Code” in 2005 and 2006.

“In Pullman’s world, hope simply does not exist, because there is no salvation but only personal, individualistic capacity to control the situation and dominate events,” the editorial said.

In addition to the part where the books are teh awesome!!1!11!!1 (and only mouthbreathing ijits actually think they’re anti-god (they’re gnostic at the core, and anti-dogma and anti-formal structure. “god” is a nice dude with a bitchass major domo)… where was I? Oh yeah, anything that has Dobson, Robertson, and Popeferatu against is a must-experience. Must.

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Terry Pratchett has early onset Alzheimers

AN EMBUGGERANCE
Folks,

I would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while, but because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfair to withhold the news. I have been diagnosed with a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer’s, which lay behind this year’s phantom “stroke”.

We are taking it fairly philosophically down here and possibly with a mild optimism. For now work is continuing on the completion of Nation and the basic notes are already being laid down for Unseen Academicals. All other things being equal, I expect to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments but will discuss things with the various organisers. Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there’s time for at least a few more books yet :o)

PS I would just like to draw attention to everyone reading the above that this should be interpreted as ‘I am not dead’. I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else. For me, this maybe further off than you think - it’s too soon to tell. I know it’s a very human thing to say “Is there anything I can do”, but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry.

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It’s dead, y’all. Dead.

“w00t,” an expression of joy coined by online gamers, was crowned word of the year on Tuesday by the publisher of a leading U.S. dictionary.

Massachusetts-based Merriam-Webster Inc. said “w00t” — typically spelled with two zeros — reflects a new direction in the American language led by a generation raised on video games and cell phone text-messaging.

It’s like saying “yay,” the dictionary said.

“It could be after a triumph or for no reason at all,” Merriam-Webster said.

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Here’s a hot tamale for you:

I’ll be working on the boobies, beefcake, and gams posts later.

… nice to have the site back. Fuck you, skr1p7 k1dd13s.

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Just when you thought it was safe to come out of the water.

Tor Books announced today that novelist Brandon Sanderson has been chosen to finish the final novel in Robert Jordan’s bestselling Wheel of Time fantasy series. Robert Jordan, one of the greatest storytellers of the 20th and early 21st centuries, died September 16th

Robert Jordan may be dead, but this craptacular series will. go. on. forEVAH.

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Marvin Miller’s never getting in

Two former managers, one former commissioner and two pioneer owners were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by separate Veterans Committees on Monday.

But to the surprise of many, Marvin Miller, the first major executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, was once again rejected and this time didn’t even come close. Like all Hall elections, a candidate needed 75 percent of the vote to be selected.

For those that don’t know, Miller is one of the most influential forces in baseball history. He was the head of the players’ union for many years and is largely responsible for the advent of free agency… otherwise known as just compensation to the people with the talent instead of the wallets. Go labor!

That he only got 63% of the votes from the old Veterans committee (filled with players) is an embarrassment. That he only got 3 of 12 votes from the new committee is a disgrace.

That the owners representative who was aligned against Miller during Miller’s tenure received 10 of 12 votes tells you all you need to know about the makeup of MLB’s executive veterans committee.

Baseball was, and remains, a fantastic sport with absolute shyte for ownership and management. That it has any fans at all these days is a minor miracle.

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