Bruce Schneier (nope, me neither) opened entries to his third annual Movie Plot Threat Contest earlier this month, and of course I entered.
As Bruce himself explains:
For this contest, the goal is to create fear. Not just any fear, but a fear that you can alleviate through the sale of your new product idea. There are lots of risks out there, some of them serious, some of them so unlikely that we shouldn’t worry about them, and some of them completely made up. And there are lots of products out there that provide security against those risks.
Your job is to invent one. First, find a risk or create one. It can be a terrorism risk, a criminal risk, a natural-disaster risk, a common household risk — whatever. The weirder the better. Then, create a product that everyone simply has to buy to protect him- or herself from that risk. And finally, write a catalog ad for that product.
My entry is lost somewhere amongst the comments, but I did make myself chuckle a little. I didn’t guffaw, however, to any entry other than the one written by Nick Brown which clearly deserves to win simply because of the opening line:
“Are you sleeping well at night, confident that you won’t wake up with HIV?”
Whatever you’re selling, I’ll buy it!
[Via boing boing]
Categories: Nationalism
Tagged: aids, fear, terror, threat
I had assumed the Vatican had spent the last few years quietly encouraging the spread of AIDs in Africa, only emerging from their shadowy chambers to condemn anything that challenges their dogmatic belief system. As it turns out, my assumptions were as misguided as their faith as the Vatican announced that they have been busily drafting a new set of social sins - presumably to prove to people that they still give a shit.
I’m not sure if this new and improved list is intended to replace the old one, or if it’s merely pointless. One thing’s for sure though, the list really is pointless. And, as LVHRD.ORG point out, there’s actually only five sins in there. Oh, Vatican you cheeky bastards! We paid you for seven!
1. “Bioethical” violations such as birth control
2. “Morally dubious” experiments such as stem cell research
3. Drug abuse
4. Polluting the environment
5. Contributing to widening divide between rich and poor
6. Excessive wealth
7. Creating poverty
A friend of mine once aimed to break the old seven sins before lunchtime - with these funky, modern ones I just don’t even see the point in trying. Except for the one about unprotected sex. Trust me, first-timers. It feels soooo much better.
Categories: Film · News
Tagged: aids, dogma, Pointless, pope, religion, sins, unprotected sex, vatican
