The Recreational Nihilist

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	Smashingly Good Music Within Reach By Frederik Sisa @ 3:00 PM September 28, 2009 Found in: The Recreational Nihilist Although I’m sorely tempted to offer up yet another “plague on both your houses” column this week, I thought we could all take a break from hurling contempt at irrational Republican and spineless Democrats. Instead, I want to talk about music - specifically, local musicians that I think are very much worth a good long listen.read
	A Transit Romance – Can We Say Goodbye to Bus Advertising? By Frederik Sisa @ 11:00 AM September 21, 2009 Found in: The Recreational Nihilist While driving to and fro the other day, I noticed a bus completely encapsulated in advertising. It doesn’t matter who the ad was for – they’ve got plenty of attention as it is. What matters is that the ad was so tightly and completely wrapped that it was impossible to tell which transit system the bus belonged to. Only a bit of orange on the front gave any indication. And I wondered: Where has the romance of the public transit system gone?read
	What Does A Plane Hijacking Tell Us About Religion? By Frederik Sisa @ 12:00 PM September 14, 2009 Found in: The Recreational Nihilist Amidst all the healthcare brouhaha, you may have missed the story of an airplane hijacked in Mexico just as it was leaving Cancun. Thankfully, the 100 passengers were safe and the hijackers were arrested. What makes the story newsworthy is the lead hijacker’s motive. Apparently, preacher Jose Mar Flores received a divine revelation to hijack the plane as a way of warning President Felipe Calderon of an impending earthquake. Mr. Flores apparently told police that Sept. 9, 2009, (9-9-9), is the Satanic number 666 turned upside down. This could all be dismissed as the result of a sad case of deluded thinking and tenth-rate numerology, but it actually illustrates a rather hefty question: Why, and how, do we put trust in religious experiences?read
	Prisoners of Gravity: US BoB v. NASA By Frederik Sisa @ 12:00 AM August 31, 2009 Found in: The Recreational Nihilist After years of litigation and appeals, the US Box of Business (US BoB) v. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) finally reaches the Supreme Court. Chief Justice: It’s my understanding, Mr. Moneybags, that the US Box of Business believes NASA should hold public hearings on the science underlying the law of gravity. Is this correct? Do I understand your position?read
	There’s No Healthcare Signal in the Noisy Debate By Frederik Sisa @ 2:00 PM August 24, 2009 Found in: The Recreational Nihilist People have nothing to say – but that won’t stop them from saying it at ear-bleeding, migraine-inducing volume. That pretty much sums up this tragic joke we call the healthcare debate. The punchline: There is no plan. There are various blobs masquerading at plans in various stages of nebulosity in the House and a few Senate committees. There are pages and pages of possible-maybe-kinda-sorta legislation that won’t survive intact once we reach that singular mythical event, the final vote. But there’s no plan-plan, and that gives people an excuse to set aside that supremely annoying thing, reality, when discussing healthcare in America. After all, why let facts get in the way of wishful opinion?read
	The Disturbing Incident of the Child in the Movie Theatre By Frederik Sisa @ 12:00 PM August 17, 2009 Found in: The Recreational Nihilist The science-fiction film District 9 earns its R-rating. Bursting heads, exploding bodies, beatings. None of it gratuitous or sensational. Nevertheless, there it is on the screen; graphic, bloody violence. As my wife and I watched the film, we were surprised to hear a child in the row behind. A child! Who brings a child to an R-rated film? But that isn’t what really shocked us.read
	Race and the Possibility of National Dialogue By Frederik Sisa @ 2:00 PM August 03, 2009 Found in: The Recreational Nihilist With the Gates incident and first-ever “Beer Summit” stoking the national obsession, it’s time to confuse the national racial dialogue with a bit of armchair philosophizing. The impetus comes by way of Ron Reagan, my favourite of Air America’s current lineup, who recently asked listeners about what shape the national dialogue on race should take. It’s a great question. What do we expect a national dialogue on race to accomplish? My question is: Is it even possible to have a national dialogue? read
	We Have a Budget… What Next? By Frederik Sisa @ 12:00 PM July 27, 2009 Found in: The Recreational Nihilist The legislature has finally done it – passed a budget. (http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-budget25-2009jul25,0,7575547.story) And yet as far as victories go, this one feels rather Pyrrhic – a lot of people are going to suffer from all the cuts, especially since they weren’t softened by some tax increases to make up for lost revenue. read
	What Happened to the Noble Enemies? By Frederik Sisa @ 12:00 PM July 20, 2009 Found in: The Recreational Nihilist There’s a scene in Michael Mann’s seminal crime drama “Heat” in which Lt. Vince Hanna invites master criminal Neil McCauley to coffee. The scene is notable, of course, for being the first in which Al Pacino and Robert De Niro share screentime together. But in terms of the story, it marks a rather rare kind of encounter between enemies. Here they are sitting together, the cop and the thief, sharing personal life details they undoubtedly don’t share with their colleagues, achieving a sort of understanding and mutual respect despite the fact that their goals put them at potentially deadly odds with each other. In watching the two, there is the feeling that their opposition is not personal but professional, making the way in which they carry out their antagonism something rather noble. Yet the idea of noble enemies is not one we’ll find in Washington or in the vast sea of commentary that spills into it. read
	Men Should Share the Contraceptive Burden: A Reply to Mr. Hennessey By Frederik Sisa @ 3:00 PM July 13, 2009 Found in: The Recreational Nihilist Who among us hasn’t wondered about an individual’s parenting qualifications? We hear stories in the news, we see people in the neighbourhood restaurants – examples abound of parents who neglect their children and, in some tragic cases, harm or kill them outright. While my colleague Mike Hennessey and I would disagree on abortion, we certainly share concern over the welfare of these children. I would even take it beyond the children themselves. read

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