Awesomeness. More importantly, no cheesy “Bodies” soundtrack like the old trailer.

Trivia moments: Lion’s Gate Films has purchased Artisan Films, and the rights to this film along with it. Also, check a small glimpse of Kevin Nash as The Russian.

Was reading the Wired interview that Xeni Jardin did was Pervert No. 1, Larry Flynt, and came across the following wisdom from Larry:

WN: What are your thoughts on the current state of civil liberties and individual rights in the United States?

Flynt: Benjamin Franklin once said that those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither. I think Bush and Ashcroft could learn a lot by taking a page from Ben Franklin’s book. I just can’t believe that our lawmakers actually voted for it (the Patriot Act). We basically gave away all of our civil liberties.

A lot of Americans think, “I’m not Arab, so it doesn’t affect me.” But the Patriot Act has no color barriers. They just used part of the Patriot Act to bust a strip club owner in Las Vegas. The law is on the books, and you don’t need a judge’s authority to do wiretaps, and you don’t have to provide a person you arrest with an attorney, and the books you check out of a library can be placed in question, and attorney-client conversations can be monitored. Ashcroft went to Capitol Hill and intimidated lawmakers into passing this by effectively saying “Blood will be on your hands if you don’t pass it.”

The one good thing about the Patriot Act is that it includes a sunset clause — it’s supposed to go away at the end of 2004. I don’t think they’ll find the support to renew it now.

Did anyone here know that? I didn’t. Best news I’ve heard in a while. Guess it’s another reason America has needed Larry Flynt more than most of us will ever realize. Thanks, Larry.

Finally listened to the mp3 of Chuck Palahniuk reading his short story “Guts” to an audience at a Barnes & Noble in New York City. (Never mind where I got this.)

For those who don’t know Chuck, his works include Fight Club, Invisible Monsters, Choke, Survivor and Lullaby, the former of which I have on DVD (see below) and the latter I just got in paperback and am reading.

I put off listening to Guts (which I believe is in the March 2004 issue of Playboy now) because all I knew about it was the stories of how people were fainting and/or screaming in agony at his readings. That’s how offended their sensibilities were. And I had no idea why, or how a story could affect people this way.

Now I know why. It’s simple, really. Click below for why.
Continue reading Guts…

In which our hero takes half a day off and drives an hour and a half to see a friend make a fool out of himself in a re-treaded bar with pictures of large-breasted women on the wall.
Continue reading Another night in Austin…

Going on three hours after I had my top and bottom wisdom teeth on the left side removed (#16 and #17 by my oral surgeon’s list.) I’m still not experiencing any pain, maybe because the two shots of novocaine are still in effect, as is two pills of Vicodin and two of Motrin. I’ll be taking these along with amoxicillin until I’m healed or the pill bottles are empty. I’m typing one handed; the other hand is holding an ice pack in place. Soup is simmering on the stove, and I’m mildly buzzing.

I’ve still got two wisdom teeth on the right side, but I’m going to have to pay my dad back for the $400 bill he’s helping me pay. The experience really wasn’t bad, so really, money’s the only object at this point.
Continue reading Back from surgery….

Kind of got off my groove there last week. I’m still a bit reluctant to write about my everyday life — well, OK, just this once.
Continue reading The things I could tell you…