VOTE!

Just because we have a two-party system, doesn’t mean we should sing the praises of one imperfect candidate and demonize the other.
I am friends with both Romney supporters and Obama supporters, and I am able to understand and respect their individual decisions. Doing otherwise is neither constructive nor unifying.
Vote!

UEFA: FAILURE WAS AN OPTION

A short post UEFA match WhatsApp chat with an American friend.

Harold: A little bird whispered in my ear that Holland lost its first European Championship match.

Me: You heard right. We totally suck. Tell me how much we suck. Tell me I’m a bad girl.

Harold: Nah, I’m not going to do that. Well, I hope you still had a good time last night.

Me: Fun? After witnessing how our boys got their asses kicked by Kong Christian? Oh, sure, we had a blast...until I lost my cool and screamed at my friends that I would ritualistically murder them and bury them in the courtyard.

Harold: O.o How classy of you to take your disappointment out on the girls. How did they react to that?

Me: By screaming in agony as I stabbed them to death while pledging to consecrate my life to the Golden Calf.

Harold: The fuck?

Me: All hail the bovine god.

WALTER WHITE LECTURING ME

QUOTES FROM MY BOOK

Some selected quotes from my book of essays Landfill:

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
-Confucius
Confucius best not show his face in North Philly.
-My pappy"

"Superstition hinders progress; critical thinking drives it. Unfortunately, western society appears eager to revert to a pre-Rise of reason mentality."

"Yes, Al Gore, we need to wise up and take better care of our natural resources, but I refuse to plant a tree for every four-ply sheet of Charmin I flush down the privy."

"I’m pro-choice, not pro-abortion. I believe that abortion should never be an alternative for contraception/contragestion, common sense, and the personal responsibility of those having consensual relations."

Thirsty for more? Go HERE.

TERRENCE MALICK RETURNS TO CANNES

This just in: Terrence Malick’s new film, The Burial, is slated to premiere at the Festival de Cannes (May 16-May 27). Malick’s previous cinematic endeavor, The Tree of Life, won the festival's 2011 grand prix. Remember the film’s breathtaking “formation of the universe” sequence? Here it is in glorious HD.



Curious as to what I thought of Malick's polarizing tour de force? Order my book of essays Landfill today and find out! Mystery discount until April 6!

E-BOOK AVAILABLE!

Landfill, my book of essays, is now also available as e-book

If you ordered me at gunpoint to give you a one-sentence summary of this book, I’d probably stutter: “It’s about what I thought, observed, and experienced in 2011...please don’t shoot me!” Need a more thorough introduction? Then kindly turn to the page headed “Introduction.” For now, permit me to entice you with some tags: Harry Potter, the May 21 end times prediction, New Age shenanigans, feminism, Osama bin Laden, the Norway attacks, and this year's most anticipated movies (Melancholia; The Tree of Life; Scre4m; Somewhere). Booyah! — Nancy Strickland

Pics: Photographer Amanda De Vito posing with the book.

MORE RELIGIOUS HATE MAIL

Yesterday I was watching a YouTube video featuring the late Christopher Hitchens. I scrolled down to the comment section and found a recent one from someone whose username sounded oddly familiar. After massaging my temples for a few seconds, I realized that this was the same individual who'd left some aggressive comments on a video that debunked Scottish medium Derek Ogilvie.

His comment on the Christopher Hitchens video: “This guy should find god!”

Feeling compelled to reply to this, I wrote: “Mr. Hitchens died in December 2011. Maybe you should refrain from commenting on someone you know nothing about. Aside from that, telling others they need to find God is a bit rich coming from someone who is belligerent and disrespectful in his own (Dutch) comments ("eerloze rotkop", etc). You want others to change? Then set an example. (Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.)”

His reaction: “I may express myself the way I like…You’ve got nothing to do with that. Fuck you!”

My. Jesus would have been in envy of such biting wit and intellectual superiority.

I never avoid debates, but if it becomes apparent that my opponent is ignorant (or not quite right in the head) and so chooses to counter my arguments with insults and non-sequiturs, I walk away from it.

But, color me amazed, this individual wasn’t quite done with me yet and sent me the following private message:

“I was a non believer to till i was 29. Now i am finding my way into religion.... It helps me to stay more focused and calm, and yes I got a litlle bit crazy during the years. But I am getting better now it was a hard long way for me believe that. I hope for you your life will be easier!”

I couldn’t let this one slide. My reply: “First you say ‘fuck you!’ to me in a comment and then you have the nerve to send me a personal message claiming your belief in God CALMS you...Wow. Good luck with your obvious emotional instability (which is something you have in common with other people who suddenly started believing in God for wrong, insincere reasons). Tip: THINK before you post comments on videos.”

His reply: “Fuck you! You suck!”

The mind boggles.

I thought long and hard about it and finally decided to disclose the individual’s username: normanwieanders. My reasoning: other YouTube users should know that this person can’t be reasoned with. It just might save them precious time and energy.