I do think that his point is likely that Republicans are all racist and therefore we should assume things like "field work" is code for slavery.

I get what you're saying, but he ended up bumbling into a whole historic debate about house slaves vs field slaves (Malcolm X era stuff) that likely didn't need dredged up again and that he's probably not competent to speak about anyway.

That's the way things work on both sides though and have for quite some time. (Trump is a weird exception.)

I'm white, but I think if you have a black parent you have likely been treated as a black person in some ways. I might also guess that who and where you were raised could be a factor in this. If your "primary parent" was black, or you grew up in a mostly black neighborhood, than you can talk about this I'd think.

Although I agree, and have mostly sided with you on this, I think Ice Cube specifically is a case where he was deliberately offensive to many groups (maybe including some minority, I'm not sure) that it does feel a bit odd.

It is, but that seems kind of petty. I think he knows he's not conventionally attractive and it's not something that's really in his control. (Yeah he could get plastic surgery, but at this point why bother?)

It had critics at the time. Several science fiction afficianados were upset it seemed to have precious little to do with science even by film science fiction standards and that it's emphasis on "trust your feelings" (on a matter of using technology to blow up some other technology) was irrational and maybe harmful.…

He was Rainbow's brother Johan. Although a somewhat more ordinary name I think he may have stuck with his parents hippie/New-Agie outlook more than his sisters. (Although I believe he said in one that he's an atheist. He might be more the "romantic" atheist type, people who find a Godless universe more emotionally…

I feel like "girl names" get a bit more creative and changing, but I could be wrong. There are a few male names (Clarence, Elmer, Ernest, Fred, Harold) that have dropped out pretty thoroughly or just left the top-1000. A baby boy named "Ernest" or "Harold", let alone Clarence, might seem weirder than "Linda" for a…

He had a recurring role in Black-ish. Although I don't know if he did that at the same time is this, but maybe he can do two things.

I think Sedaris grates on me more than most, but I did like the one woman saying that she shouldn't feel bad about not being able to handle her because it's hard even for professionals. It's a bit I've seen before, I think, but maybe I like it's comforting quality and if you find her irritating I guess it fits.

As a baby name "Linda" has declined greatly from what it was in 1940-1965, and is maybe at its lowest point the SSA name database lists maybe ever. However it's still in the top 1000. I kind of liked the name "Linda" as a kid. Although possibly it does seem odd for a baby. Neat seeing the Lindas.

Brian May on the other hand is, so far as I know, pretty neat. Physicist, rocker, collector of Victorian stereophotography. A real triple threat.

Oh Fat Anton I will say good day to you.

"That was ten minutes ago"

I got nothing. I hope Amazon shows Orphan Black soon as I had to drop BBCAmerica to save money.

Oddly C. S. Lewis did seem to dislike the idea of going to space, but almost for the opposite reason than this. I think he felt like space might be sacred and beautiful and not need us soiling it with our fallen and imperialistic nature. (He was a conservative Christian but his politics don't really align with…

I like the first movie. It's not really good as a Star Trek movie, in that they aren't entirely acting like themselves, but I think it's an interesting story and I like the mood. And it gave us Persis Khambatta bald, maybe the first woman I've seen to look almost better bald.

Eh. I mean I get it. Still several outright Creationists, even Young Earth variety, are talented at engineering. I think math and engineering might be enough to avoid most disasters.

I think Babel is often seen as a punishment for pride or hubris. Possibly making social media (facebook, twitter, etc) cease to function would be equivalent for our age.