“The underlying assumption here is that if a movie is an underwritten, overproduced turd kept afloat by an evil and powerful network of producers and distribution studios, the title has probably been expertly cleaned and perfumed to a degree greater than or equal to the shittiness of the film itself. A good title is the smooth gelatin capsule within which the feces will be swallowed. Conversely, the assumption about the art-house film title is that it was revealed by the Muse and banged out on an old typewriter by a frenzied author clutching a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of Jack in the other. Thus when people see a super-slick title, they are understandably wary. Like Indiana Jones’ Holy Grail, good things almost never come in good packages.” (Salon )

“…[D]espite his humility and protestations to the contrary, the Dalai Lama has become an icon—even, we might say, a brand. For millions of people he embodies Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism, and Buddhism in general. This raises an important and delicate question: His Holiness turns 71 on Friday, and though he appears to be in excellent health, his passing lies in the foreseeable future. What will happen when he dies?” (Slate)

Rice Calls Idea That Iraq War Contributed To Regional Instability ‘Grotesque’: “Today on ABC’s This Week, George Stephanopoulos pointed out that the Bush administration repeatedly promised that war in Iraq would bring peace and stability to the Middle East. But as the recent violence in the Middle East has shown, the region has actually fallen deeper into instability and unrest since the war began. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Stephanopoulos it was “grotesque” to suggest that the Iraq war contributed to that instability.” (Think Progress)