Hey, put down that teabag! It could be loaded!
Posts
Is This Your Hat?
12 years ago
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Wednesday Words
Criminy... I knew I'd been sort remiss about keeping up with my "regular" posts, but it's been almost a month since I last posted Wednesday Words. I'll try to do better. Promise.
Hey, put down that teabag! It could be loaded!
Hey, put down that teabag! It could be loaded!
If Democrats Were As Dumb As Republicans
We'd hold demonstrations proclaiming the benefits of predatory redistribution of wealth, confiscating 99.9% of all incomes over a dollar per year, and throwing those funds at those who earn less than that amount. And we would call these demonstrations "Golden Showers." The fun would arise from the fact that as soon as the recipients passed a dollar, we would take away all of their funds, and give the golden shower to someone else. Golden Showers for Everyone!
My mind reels.
My mind reels.
No Teabagging Here
All the teas at my favorite coffee shop are bulk.
Could I offer you a strainer?
After all, what's the fun in teabagging if you get all those loose twinings in your mouth?
I have to admit, I'm kind of naive about a lot of this stuff, and the unintentional double-entendre associated with this event was completely off my radar until late last week or so. I'm horrified, not by the name itself, but by the complete idiocy and obliviousness of the other major party in this country.
Iris and Sam and I had a funny converstation about this topic a moment ago, and I figured while I had the camera motor up and running, I'd share a picture of Sam, another of my favorite Interzone People. I thought this came out well. I have lent Sam a number of Sci-Fi/Fantasy books over the last couple of years, notably Connie Willis and George R.R. Martin. She adores the "Song of Fire and Ice" series, and has been dragging her reading out the fourth volume for several months now, trying to make it last until the next volume comes out. I have been so accustomed to thinking of her as "Sam," that when she sent some links in an e-mail a while back, with the sender identified as "Samantha (lastname)," it was actually a couple of hours before I realized who it was from.
Could I offer you a strainer?After all, what's the fun in teabagging if you get all those loose twinings in your mouth?I have to admit, I'm kind of naive about a lot of this stuff, and the unintentional double-entendre associated with this event was completely off my radar until late last week or so. I'm horrified, not by the name itself, but by the complete idiocy and obliviousness of the other major party in this country.
Iris and Sam and I had a funny converstation about this topic a moment ago, and I figured while I had the camera motor up and running, I'd share a picture of Sam, another of my favorite Interzone People. I thought this came out well. I have lent Sam a number of Sci-Fi/Fantasy books over the last couple of years, notably Connie Willis and George R.R. Martin. She adores the "Song of Fire and Ice" series, and has been dragging her reading out the fourth volume for several months now, trying to make it last until the next volume comes out. I have been so accustomed to thinking of her as "Sam," that when she sent some links in an e-mail a while back, with the sender identified as "Samantha (lastname)," it was actually a couple of hours before I realized who it was from.
Shock and Awe I Can Get Behind
If you haven't seen the video of Susan Boyle's stunning performance on "Britain Has Talent," you need to take a few minutes to give yourself a treat. (Embedding is disabled, so here's the link to the YouTube site)
I came across this Monday, and even then, it seemed like it was going viral. I'm pleased to post items that seem obscure but worthy of attention, but I feel it's a waste of everyone's time to post things that most have already seen. Chats with a number of fellow coffee drinkers, though, has made it clear that many folks have not yet seen this clip. I told Ben last night that I had sent it to him and Lydia, and that if it didn't make them cry a little, I didn't want to know, because it meant they weren't human. Ben told me earlier today to rest assured that they were both quite human.
The Washington Post has an article that gives a little more background on this wonderful woman.
I came across this Monday, and even then, it seemed like it was going viral. I'm pleased to post items that seem obscure but worthy of attention, but I feel it's a waste of everyone's time to post things that most have already seen. Chats with a number of fellow coffee drinkers, though, has made it clear that many folks have not yet seen this clip. I told Ben last night that I had sent it to him and Lydia, and that if it didn't make them cry a little, I didn't want to know, because it meant they weren't human. Ben told me earlier today to rest assured that they were both quite human.
The Washington Post has an article that gives a little more background on this wonderful woman.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Bad Time to be a Pirate
From Big. Crush.
Tha'ss rite dawg... Obama be da man. In other news, Yoda is looking for a new job.
Now in fairness, if we were to plot Al Quaida #2 leaders killed vs. president, it would look much the same, but shrub would have 6391 #2 leaders killed, and everyone else would have zero. You have to hand it to Al Quaida... their chain of command is astonishingly effective. We could take out 6 or 7 #2 leaders in one day! Then four or five the next. Judging by Chief Justice Roberts' performance, we wouldn't be able to swear in two vice presidents in a month, let alone a half dozen in an afternoon. But I don't think Obama has taken out a single number two Al Quaida leader yet. Better get on the ball, Barack! The right might decide you're not all you're cracked up to be. And we couldn't have that.
Tha'ss rite dawg... Obama be da man. In other news, Yoda is looking for a new job.Now in fairness, if we were to plot Al Quaida #2 leaders killed vs. president, it would look much the same, but shrub would have 6391 #2 leaders killed, and everyone else would have zero. You have to hand it to Al Quaida... their chain of command is astonishingly effective. We could take out 6 or 7 #2 leaders in one day! Then four or five the next. Judging by Chief Justice Roberts' performance, we wouldn't be able to swear in two vice presidents in a month, let alone a half dozen in an afternoon. But I don't think Obama has taken out a single number two Al Quaida leader yet. Better get on the ball, Barack! The right might decide you're not all you're cracked up to be. And we couldn't have that.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sunday Funnies: Easter Edition!
Because Easter falls on a Sunday this year! Now Easter is a fairly grim holiday, if taken at face value: a religious leader is executed in a particularly horrific manner, then re-emerges from his grave as a zombie three days later... and eventually establishes a nation based on brain-dead "principles" and "values." For example, every life is sacred, as long as you haven't been born yet. After that miraculous event, you're on your own. People who don't look like you or believe what you believe are not fully human, and Jeebus fully approves of killing them... I think this is part of the whole zombie thing. You can't become a zombie if you're still alive.
But the point is, some of these funnies are kind of grim, just like the holiday (and The Addams Family). If your answer to the question, "How far should the Addams Family go?" is "Not too far," use some discretion. I will say, in my own defense, that I've shown the most questionable of these to other coffee drinkers, and all have elicited some laughs. But some have brought out (funny to me) expressions of repugnance and disgust. So when you get to one that makes you cringe, stop there. I'll try to order these from innoucuous to utterly tasteless. You have been warned.
I'll start with the downright silly "Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves." I've never understood the desire to dress up pets, but obviously it's a common compulsion...
(From this post)
Then we have last week's find, This is Why You're Fat, from this post:
Deep-fried Cadbury Eggs!
Like most holdays, Easter is associated with a variety of foods. I remember some lamb cakes (with coconut wool) from my childhood, but aside from the candy, my strongest Easter food association is an exquisite ham. But apparently cakes are a big one for many people. Cake Wrecks... what, you don't know about Cake Wrecks? Oh, have you got a treat in store! Well, that blog has been presenting some hysterical examples of badly conceived and executed cakes for several days now (Followup: Easter cakes, I should have said. Cake Wrecks has been posting hilarious cakes for almost a year- the first blogoversary will be May 20). As always, if the photo itself isn't enough to crack you up, the snarky commentary will reduce you to tears. The comment here is "How about a couple of coiled yellow snakes to get you in the Easter spirit?"
And with this one, she remarks, "You know what screams "Easter" to me? A couple of red, white and blue doughnuts. No, really. Look:
The Christmas-y red and green ones would have been too much of stretch, though. [nodding] Totally."
Now each of the posts I've linked above has a number of wrecky cakes, but she has done a couple of others that each have their own share of laughs, including one on lambs and one on chicks. And on the regular feature, Sunday Sweets, some truly exquisite examples of artisan cakes will spark your sense of awe instead of your sense of humor. I think today's offerings are among the most impressive I've seen.
You don't want to know how Santa funds his operations. (Savage Chickens)
An explanation for why, even though the zombie raised havoc for weeks after his reanimation, there is no "Gospel According to Jeebus:"
see more pwn and owned pictures
Despite the fact that all holidays have historical baggage associated with them, it seems only the wingnuttiest fundamental christians (I will not dignify them with a capital letter) see Satan in every tiny deviation from some Cliff Notes version of the bibble that only they are privy to...
(From Criggo)
I'm assuming this is photoshopped, but often times such assumptions are very, very tenative...
From LoLtheist.
Even Pharyngula got in on the Easter action...
Now I do want to insert some text here, first to note that the next (and last) two "funnies" might be offensive to some... I personally find them very funny in a morbid sort of way, but you might not. Since this is my blog, I decide what goes and what doesn't... I just think it's polite and thoughtful to be aware of, and sensitive to, my guests' sensibilities. That said, I'll preface the next with a joke I've always liked.
A customer walks into an "inspirational" store and browses around for a few minutes. He comes up to the counter with a baseball cap with the initials WWJD blazoned across the front in metallic gold. He asks the clerk, "What does 'WWJD' mean?"
The clerk responds, "It stands for 'What would Jesus do?' It's a reminder that each time you run into a moral quandry, the best way to the Christian answer to the problem is to ask yourself that question."
The customer looks down at the hat for a moment, then looks back at the clerk, and sets the cap down firmly on the counter. As he turns to walk out, he says, "Well, I don't think Jesus would spend 29.95 on a cheesy baseball cap made in China. He couldn't even read it unless he took it off."
(From LoLtheist)
Now this is definitely not one for the kiddies...
...but don't worry, he gets resurrected for next year. It's the miracle of Easter! (From My [confined] Space)
But the point is, some of these funnies are kind of grim, just like the holiday (and The Addams Family). If your answer to the question, "How far should the Addams Family go?" is "Not too far," use some discretion. I will say, in my own defense, that I've shown the most questionable of these to other coffee drinkers, and all have elicited some laughs. But some have brought out (funny to me) expressions of repugnance and disgust. So when you get to one that makes you cringe, stop there. I'll try to order these from innoucuous to utterly tasteless. You have been warned.
I'll start with the downright silly "Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves." I've never understood the desire to dress up pets, but obviously it's a common compulsion...
(From this post)Then we have last week's find, This is Why You're Fat, from this post:
Deep-fried Cadbury Eggs!Like most holdays, Easter is associated with a variety of foods. I remember some lamb cakes (with coconut wool) from my childhood, but aside from the candy, my strongest Easter food association is an exquisite ham. But apparently cakes are a big one for many people. Cake Wrecks... what, you don't know about Cake Wrecks? Oh, have you got a treat in store! Well, that blog has been presenting some hysterical examples of badly conceived and executed cakes for several days now (Followup: Easter cakes, I should have said. Cake Wrecks has been posting hilarious cakes for almost a year- the first blogoversary will be May 20). As always, if the photo itself isn't enough to crack you up, the snarky commentary will reduce you to tears. The comment here is "How about a couple of coiled yellow snakes to get you in the Easter spirit?"
And with this one, she remarks, "You know what screams "Easter" to me? A couple of red, white and blue doughnuts. No, really. Look:The Christmas-y red and green ones would have been too much of stretch, though. [nodding] Totally."Now each of the posts I've linked above has a number of wrecky cakes, but she has done a couple of others that each have their own share of laughs, including one on lambs and one on chicks. And on the regular feature, Sunday Sweets, some truly exquisite examples of artisan cakes will spark your sense of awe instead of your sense of humor. I think today's offerings are among the most impressive I've seen.
You don't want to know how Santa funds his operations. (Savage Chickens)An explanation for why, even though the zombie raised havoc for weeks after his reanimation, there is no "Gospel According to Jeebus:"
see more pwn and owned pictures
Despite the fact that all holidays have historical baggage associated with them, it seems only the wingnuttiest fundamental christians (I will not dignify them with a capital letter) see Satan in every tiny deviation from some Cliff Notes version of the bibble that only they are privy to...
(From Criggo)I'm assuming this is photoshopped, but often times such assumptions are very, very tenative...
From LoLtheist.Even Pharyngula got in on the Easter action...
Now I do want to insert some text here, first to note that the next (and last) two "funnies" might be offensive to some... I personally find them very funny in a morbid sort of way, but you might not. Since this is my blog, I decide what goes and what doesn't... I just think it's polite and thoughtful to be aware of, and sensitive to, my guests' sensibilities. That said, I'll preface the next with a joke I've always liked.A customer walks into an "inspirational" store and browses around for a few minutes. He comes up to the counter with a baseball cap with the initials WWJD blazoned across the front in metallic gold. He asks the clerk, "What does 'WWJD' mean?"
The clerk responds, "It stands for 'What would Jesus do?' It's a reminder that each time you run into a moral quandry, the best way to the Christian answer to the problem is to ask yourself that question."
The customer looks down at the hat for a moment, then looks back at the clerk, and sets the cap down firmly on the counter. As he turns to walk out, he says, "Well, I don't think Jesus would spend 29.95 on a cheesy baseball cap made in China. He couldn't even read it unless he took it off."
(From LoLtheist)Now this is definitely not one for the kiddies...
...but don't worry, he gets resurrected for next year. It's the miracle of Easter! (From My [confined] Space)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Electile Dysfunction
If your election lasts longer than six months, call... someone.
It just dawned on me a moment ago that the Minnesota senatorial election between Norm Coleman and Al Franken is well into its fifth month. And according to Firedoglake, there's yet another month's worth of paper chasing before it might end. On the positive side, a recent tally of votes put Franken up by an additional 87 votes, and a number of conservative commentators have recommended that Coleman give it up.
Because, face it, a prolonged election like this is not only painful, it can lead to serious long-term consequences, including permanent impertinence. Or impudence. Or something like that.
It just dawned on me a moment ago that the Minnesota senatorial election between Norm Coleman and Al Franken is well into its fifth month. And according to Firedoglake, there's yet another month's worth of paper chasing before it might end. On the positive side, a recent tally of votes put Franken up by an additional 87 votes, and a number of conservative commentators have recommended that Coleman give it up.
Because, face it, a prolonged election like this is not only painful, it can lead to serious long-term consequences, including permanent impertinence. Or impudence. Or something like that.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Typo or Intentional?
News Item:
Followup: Well, I should really finish reading an article before I post and speculate on it... even if posting it before I stop chuckling feels so good. The article states that my speculations about the cause were correct.
PROVO, Utah -- About 18,500 issues of the Daily Universe student newspaper at Brigham Young University were pulled from newsstands because a photo caption on the front page misidentified leaders of the Mormon church as apostates instead of apostles.From Oregon Live. My guess, given the way things work these days, is that this started as a typo, and the spell checker suggested "apostate." The illiterate student "journalist" assumed that was the word he/she was after, and the illiterate "editor" didn't know any better. The frosting on this cake is that it was BYU.
Followup: Well, I should really finish reading an article before I post and speculate on it... even if posting it before I stop chuckling feels so good. The article states that my speculations about the cause were correct.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Doubtful Decision-Making at Redoubt
The Big Picture has a great gallery of photos from Alaska's Redoubt Volcano.
Though the above does not mention it, I've been meaning to post on the Drift River Oil Terminal for a while... briefly, it was badly damaged when Redoubt erupted 20 years ago. In their infinite wisdom, they decided to rebuild it...wait for it... in exactly the same place, ignoring the fact that Redoubt is a frequently active and violent volcano. The oil terminal is on the broad plain of the major drainage off the volcano. It's far enough from the vent that it's probably not directly at risk from an eruption, but volcanic mudflows, or "lahars," put the terminal at great risk. It was these lahars that caused the damage in 1989.
The news articles I've seen claim that the dikes protecting the tank farm have held and done the job they were intended to do. That may be true, but I find it hard to reconcile such statements with photos like this from the Alaska Volcano Observatory:
Picture Date: March 23, 2009 Image Creator: Read, Cyrus;
Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.Please cite the photographer and the Alaska Volcano Observatory / U.S. Geological Survey when using this image.
...and this:
Picture Date: March 23, 2009 Image Creator: McGimsey, Game;
Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.Please cite the photographer and the Alaska Volcano Observatory / U.S. Geological Survey when using this image.
The above picture is much reduced, but if you look carefully, that dark splotch in the middle of the dike that runs from the upper left to lower right, is a place where the lahar has ramped up against it and overtopped it. There's also some overflowing on the back dike, but it's hard to make out in this picture. All that dark watery looking stuff outside the dike is debris flow deposits. I can't figure out how to link to the full-sized pictures, but this search should allow you to find them. Fair warning: they're much scarier in full detail. This was a barely-dodged bullet, and the bullets are still flying.
Now the infuriating aspect of this is that Redoubt has been grumbling for about two months now... plenty of time to prepare. I wouldn't be the first to point out the odd correlation between Bobby Jindal's "something called volcano monitoring" comment and the first hints of restlessness at Redoubt. It's only been over the last couple of weeks that it's been venting major blasts. So how did they do with emptying the tanks? Well, they talked and talked and talked. Finally it was announced Thursday (9 days after the date on the above photos) that a tanker was on its way to empty the tanks on Saturday. Oh, and because of the way the tanks are designed, it's not safe to empty them more than half-way. They might float away if swamped.
Saturday, it was announced that due to a major volcanic explosion, it was unsafe for the tanker to approach the area, and it had been turned around.
There's six million gallons of crude sitting in the path of lahars from a dangerous, active volcano. Looks like the oil's stuck there for the forseeable future. Sounds like a really, really stupid disaster movie, doesn't it?
Stupid? You Betcha!
Disaster? This could make the Exxon Valdez look like patty-cakes.
Movie? Sorry. This is the real world.
Oops, forgot to stick in a link to the article that preciptated this rant...
Though the above does not mention it, I've been meaning to post on the Drift River Oil Terminal for a while... briefly, it was badly damaged when Redoubt erupted 20 years ago. In their infinite wisdom, they decided to rebuild it...wait for it... in exactly the same place, ignoring the fact that Redoubt is a frequently active and violent volcano. The oil terminal is on the broad plain of the major drainage off the volcano. It's far enough from the vent that it's probably not directly at risk from an eruption, but volcanic mudflows, or "lahars," put the terminal at great risk. It was these lahars that caused the damage in 1989.
The news articles I've seen claim that the dikes protecting the tank farm have held and done the job they were intended to do. That may be true, but I find it hard to reconcile such statements with photos like this from the Alaska Volcano Observatory:
Picture Date: March 23, 2009 Image Creator: Read, Cyrus;Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.Please cite the photographer and the Alaska Volcano Observatory / U.S. Geological Survey when using this image.
...and this:
Picture Date: March 23, 2009 Image Creator: McGimsey, Game;Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.Please cite the photographer and the Alaska Volcano Observatory / U.S. Geological Survey when using this image.
The above picture is much reduced, but if you look carefully, that dark splotch in the middle of the dike that runs from the upper left to lower right, is a place where the lahar has ramped up against it and overtopped it. There's also some overflowing on the back dike, but it's hard to make out in this picture. All that dark watery looking stuff outside the dike is debris flow deposits. I can't figure out how to link to the full-sized pictures, but this search should allow you to find them. Fair warning: they're much scarier in full detail. This was a barely-dodged bullet, and the bullets are still flying.
Now the infuriating aspect of this is that Redoubt has been grumbling for about two months now... plenty of time to prepare. I wouldn't be the first to point out the odd correlation between Bobby Jindal's "something called volcano monitoring" comment and the first hints of restlessness at Redoubt. It's only been over the last couple of weeks that it's been venting major blasts. So how did they do with emptying the tanks? Well, they talked and talked and talked. Finally it was announced Thursday (9 days after the date on the above photos) that a tanker was on its way to empty the tanks on Saturday. Oh, and because of the way the tanks are designed, it's not safe to empty them more than half-way. They might float away if swamped.
Saturday, it was announced that due to a major volcanic explosion, it was unsafe for the tanker to approach the area, and it had been turned around.
There's six million gallons of crude sitting in the path of lahars from a dangerous, active volcano. Looks like the oil's stuck there for the forseeable future. Sounds like a really, really stupid disaster movie, doesn't it?
Stupid? You Betcha!
Disaster? This could make the Exxon Valdez look like patty-cakes.
Movie? Sorry. This is the real world.
Oops, forgot to stick in a link to the article that preciptated this rant...
What Happened?
Last night, I skimmed over the news about the quake in Italy... one headline described it as a "disasterously powerful 6.7." Now 6.7 is not trivial, but neither, in most cases, is it going to be "disasterous." So I didn't read in detail, nor have I yet... I'm just startled that it's as big a mess as it is.
Photo reduced from Speigel; see the full gallery here.
My assumptions, as I skipped the details, were these: Italy is a relatively modernized country, with (I presumed) fairly decent and enforced building codes. I assumed that Italy has a long history of earthquakes, which on one hand gives experience in building resistant structures, and on the other, over time weeds out less resistant structures. Finally I assumed that culturally, the Italians were probably better prepared to cope, due to their experience with the shaking earth over the last two or three millenia.
As I'm trying to make clear, I really haven't read much in the way of details yet; I'm just reacting to the shock I'm feeling for so misunderestimating the situation as I tried to get my butt out of here last night. My reassment of my assumptions is more or less this: most of the collapsed buildings look to be masonary, with little reinforcement (I'm not seeing a lot twisted rebar sticking out of the rubble). They look to be older buildings, not modern. So building standards are clearly not what I was guessing. Perhaps there are fewer and less frequent earthquakes than I had assumed, at least in this region of the country.
I guess the point is, even a moderate earthquake can cause devastating results if a region isn't prepared. It's a good lesson for those of us in the Pacific Northwest, and one we should take to heart.
Followup, 5:50 PM: USGS is saying this was actually a 6.3; the Italian geological service is saying 5.8. Either way, it was less powerful than I first heard. Apparently, suspicions are that corruption, looking the other way for a bribe, played a role. And while it was less powerful than I first read, it was still more powerful than most earthquakes in the region. The most devastated areas were those with older (centuries older), unretrofitted buildings. I'm still a little stunned by the destruction from what to my mind is a fairly moderate event.
Photo reduced from Speigel; see the full gallery here.My assumptions, as I skipped the details, were these: Italy is a relatively modernized country, with (I presumed) fairly decent and enforced building codes. I assumed that Italy has a long history of earthquakes, which on one hand gives experience in building resistant structures, and on the other, over time weeds out less resistant structures. Finally I assumed that culturally, the Italians were probably better prepared to cope, due to their experience with the shaking earth over the last two or three millenia.
As I'm trying to make clear, I really haven't read much in the way of details yet; I'm just reacting to the shock I'm feeling for so misunderestimating the situation as I tried to get my butt out of here last night. My reassment of my assumptions is more or less this: most of the collapsed buildings look to be masonary, with little reinforcement (I'm not seeing a lot twisted rebar sticking out of the rubble). They look to be older buildings, not modern. So building standards are clearly not what I was guessing. Perhaps there are fewer and less frequent earthquakes than I had assumed, at least in this region of the country.
I guess the point is, even a moderate earthquake can cause devastating results if a region isn't prepared. It's a good lesson for those of us in the Pacific Northwest, and one we should take to heart.
Followup, 5:50 PM: USGS is saying this was actually a 6.3; the Italian geological service is saying 5.8. Either way, it was less powerful than I first heard. Apparently, suspicions are that corruption, looking the other way for a bribe, played a role. And while it was less powerful than I first read, it was still more powerful than most earthquakes in the region. The most devastated areas were those with older (centuries older), unretrofitted buildings. I'm still a little stunned by the destruction from what to my mind is a fairly moderate event.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Sunday Funnies
Pull youself up, grab a cup of coffee and prepare to laugh...
...you catapultist pig. (From Night Deposits, a recent find)
Forget all your woes. (From Criggo)
Yesterday, Connor (who has moved back to Portland, and only occasionally visits the coffee shop now) recommended The Perry Bible Fellowship. It's apparently inactive now, but very funny, and there are lots of archived comics. Dark, grim humor... the artist has a great takeoff on Edward Gorey (here's one example), and mimics his style beautifully, but the style of humor overall is reminiscent of Gorey. It's copyrighted, so I may be violating all sorts of homeland security laws, but I really liked this one:
Click here for full size.
Another find this week was "This is Why You're Fat (Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks)." Insanely decadent food...
"Bacon Wrapped Twinkie Stonehenge-" I don't think I could eat this, and I don't want to know what the foundation is. And below is the "Elvis Donut: Peanut butter glazed donut topped with bananas and bacon." I would try this, and I might even like it. I just noticed, as I was chasing links around, that they further describe the subject matter as "deliciously gross food." Perfect.
I posted this picture back in (I think, but don't feel like tracking down the post) October, but I like the caption...
see more Political Pictures
Gotta get a Lolcat or two in the mix...
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
This one may be obscure to younger readers... it refers to a classic Twilight Zone episode where a very young William Shatner is apparently hallucinating a goblin on the wing of the airplane he's traveling on. This episode was recreated for the Twilight Zone Movie. And while we're on the topic of "spooky," this clip can be taken as amusing or creepy, depending on your preferences...
Followup: I realized that there's no description... that's a racoon reaching through a knothole and taking catfood that has been laid down, presumably to attract racoons. 
From My [confined] Space, in this post.
...you catapultist pig. (From Night Deposits, a recent find) Forget all your woes. (From Criggo) Yesterday, Connor (who has moved back to Portland, and only occasionally visits the coffee shop now) recommended The Perry Bible Fellowship. It's apparently inactive now, but very funny, and there are lots of archived comics. Dark, grim humor... the artist has a great takeoff on Edward Gorey (here's one example), and mimics his style beautifully, but the style of humor overall is reminiscent of Gorey. It's copyrighted, so I may be violating all sorts of homeland security laws, but I really liked this one: Click here for full size.Another find this week was "This is Why You're Fat (Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks)." Insanely decadent food...
"Bacon Wrapped Twinkie Stonehenge-" I don't think I could eat this, and I don't want to know what the foundation is. And below is the "Elvis Donut: Peanut butter glazed donut topped with bananas and bacon." I would try this, and I might even like it. I just noticed, as I was chasing links around, that they further describe the subject matter as "deliciously gross food." Perfect.I posted this picture back in (I think, but don't feel like tracking down the post) October, but I like the caption...see more Political Pictures
Gotta get a Lolcat or two in the mix...
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
This one may be obscure to younger readers... it refers to a classic Twilight Zone episode where a very young William Shatner is apparently hallucinating a goblin on the wing of the airplane he's traveling on. This episode was recreated for the Twilight Zone Movie. And while we're on the topic of "spooky," this clip can be taken as amusing or creepy, depending on your preferences...
Followup: I realized that there's no description... that's a racoon reaching through a knothole and taking catfood that has been laid down, presumably to attract racoons.
The resemblance is uncanny...
see more dog and puppy pictures
So that wraps it up for this edition. Hope your work week goes well...
see more dog and puppy pictures
So that wraps it up for this edition. Hope your work week goes well...
From My [confined] Space, in this post.
Lawyers Guns and Money (For Driftglass)
One of my favorite bloggers, Driftglass, posted a great piece called "Indictable Boy." Another song from that album immediately came to mind... (Thanks, Driftglass)
I called my favorite patsy
The way I always do
How was I to know
His phone was wire tapped too
I was extorting down in Springfield
I took a little risk
Send lawyers, guns and money
Man, get me out of this
I'm the innocent bystander
But somehow I got stuck
Between my hair and a hard place
And I'm down on my luck
But I do not give a fuck
Yeah, you can take a flying fuck
Now I'm hiding in Chicago
I'm a desperate man
Send lawyers, guns and money
The shit has hit the fan
Send lawyers, guns and money
I called my favorite patsy
The way I always do
How was I to know
His phone was wire tapped too
I was extorting down in Springfield
I took a little risk
Send lawyers, guns and money
Man, get me out of this
I'm the innocent bystander
But somehow I got stuck
Between my hair and a hard place
And I'm down on my luck
But I do not give a fuck
Yeah, you can take a flying fuck
Now I'm hiding in Chicago
I'm a desperate man
Send lawyers, guns and money
The shit has hit the fan
Send lawyers, guns and money
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Gobstopper
The fact that the movie's own website has this trailer hosted at funny or die makes me suspicious. I'm not a fan of the teen-slasher genre, and never have been. But this is so marvelously tongue-in-cheek, so dark, such a perfect send up of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... and the choice of Christopher Lloyd as a psychotic Willy Wonka is so perfect... that I'm really, really hoping this is for real, and not an eloborate April Fool's hoax. Anyone know for sure? Very little shows up in a Google search, though I haven't yet done a thorough look-around.
Followup, a few minutes later: Ok, looking around a little more, it looks like the "trailer" is the movie, but I found a "making of" clip too.
Followup, a few minutes later: Ok, looking around a little more, it looks like the "trailer" is the movie, but I found a "making of" clip too.
Such Class, Such Pluck
Golly, I guess Caribou Barbie's extended family is really down on their luck, now that American voters took away her Gawd-given right to be coronated queen... I mean VP. Todd Palin's half sister, Diana Palin, has been busted for burglary after returning to a house from which she had already taken $2200. The homeowner saw her coming and hid in the bathroom with a gun, then confronted her and called police after she entered and walked straight to the cabinet where the previously stolen money had been.
Before police arrived, Palin's four-year-old daughter entered. She had been waiting in the car. "Wait here, honey. Mommy has to run in to the ATM." Waitaminit... she has a daughter? And her last name's still Palin? Isn't she married? I thought... oh, never mind.
From The Anchorage Daily News. "He [Todd Palin] referred questions to a spokeswoman for the governor, who said the family would have no comment." No kidding. Is comment needed? As a follow-up, I'll note that this story pretty much snarks itself; I've left out a number of details that are equally appalling. You really need to read the whole thing.
Before police arrived, Palin's four-year-old daughter entered. She had been waiting in the car. "Wait here, honey. Mommy has to run in to the ATM." Waitaminit... she has a daughter? And her last name's still Palin? Isn't she married? I thought... oh, never mind.
From The Anchorage Daily News. "He [Todd Palin] referred questions to a spokeswoman for the governor, who said the family would have no comment." No kidding. Is comment needed? As a follow-up, I'll note that this story pretty much snarks itself; I've left out a number of details that are equally appalling. You really need to read the whole thing.
The Heart of the Planet and Heart Disease
Science people are often hard-pressed to explain or give examples of how "basic" or "theoretical" science is justified, when there are so many "application" or "practical" science problems waiting to be solved. We all know that basic science pays off in the long run, but it's often difficult to explain to a non-science person how this is so. I know in my case, my background is geology, but I haven't earned an advanced degree in science, and I consider myself a generalist overall. Following the geoblogs, I often find myself fascinated by how geology has changed over the 20-some years since I got my BS. So frequently, the examples of payoffs from basic science are understandable when I carefuly read through them, but they're far enough outside my knowledge comfort zone that I readily forget them... I remember reading about them when prompted, but I can't recall details, and I certainly can't explain them in such a way that a non-science person would understand.
But I think I may remember this one: it's clear, simple and easy to understand and explain. Theoretical computer modeling of the birth of terrestrial planets has already saved a life!
But I think I may remember this one: it's clear, simple and easy to understand and explain. Theoretical computer modeling of the birth of terrestrial planets has already saved a life!
Geologists studying how molten metal coagulates at the centre of planets while they are forming have discovered that their research can also be used to investigate blood flow in the human heart. Their work has already helped surgeons find the location of a potentially life-threatening blood clot in a patient's heart. Using sophisticated computer modelling developed to explore the flow of liquid metal through rocks, the scientists were able to show doctors where the patient's blood was gathering in a pool in their heart due to a blood clot.From The Telegraph: How astrophysics could save heart patients. Amazing!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
As the Shepherds Tormented Their Flocks By Night
If you've never had the opportunity to see Border Collies do what they were bred to do, it's an amazing experience. But I never realized it could be such an amusing experience.
Glacier on the Move
I've just finished going through my geoblogs, and no one seems to have picked this up, so here you go. National Geographic has posted an awesome video composed of 436 individual photos taken between May and September, 2007, of the Columbia Glacier near Valdez Ak. They are pushing this, predictably, as evidence of global warming. While I find the video a wonderous thing to watch (I've viewed it now 5 or 6 times), I do not think that showing a glacier receding during the summer is very useful evidence of climate change. It's good evidence of summer. The article implies that this is a multi-year project, which is good... as long as they focus on the same glacier(s) over a period of years to decadal time scales. Which the article does not clarify.
I feel that tossing out such shoddy "evidence" merely encourages the climate deniers, and does not help the case at all. While I applaud the video, I dislike the spin.
Hat Tip to Swans on Tea.
I feel that tossing out such shoddy "evidence" merely encourages the climate deniers, and does not help the case at all. While I applaud the video, I dislike the spin.
Hat Tip to Swans on Tea.
Excitement!
There's apparently some major excitement going on in my cozy little burg this morning... some guy is barracaded in an apartment building... just saw a swat vehicle drive by, maybe it's over... and a full swat team is outside. The incident is at 25th and Harrison, about 3 blocks north and 8 blocks west of my current coffee-rific location. Not clear whether there's a hostage involved... there goes a police car. News articles here, here and here. Our local rag, the Gazette-Times, is up to its usual standards with nuttin as of this post.
Funny how this webified world works... JD (who sent me the conflicker finder I just posted) sent me a chat message from his work in Salem, about 30 miles away. I got on Google and immediately found the three articles above. Just a few years ago, I wouldn't have heard of this until tomorrow.
Followup: Whatever happened, it's over: "At 10:33 a.m., Oregon State University use its emergency alert system to tell students they should avoid the area until further notice. They lifted the red alert at 12:18 p.m., when the man was taken into custody."
Followup 2, 4:20 PM: The GT finally has the story. At least one of the links in the above story no longer functions. No injuries, no damage. Sounds like mental illness and/or drug use, to several of us coffee drinkers.
Funny how this webified world works... JD (who sent me the conflicker finder I just posted) sent me a chat message from his work in Salem, about 30 miles away. I got on Google and immediately found the three articles above. Just a few years ago, I wouldn't have heard of this until tomorrow.
Followup: Whatever happened, it's over: "At 10:33 a.m., Oregon State University use its emergency alert system to tell students they should avoid the area until further notice. They lifted the red alert at 12:18 p.m., when the man was taken into custody."
Followup 2, 4:20 PM: The GT finally has the story. At least one of the links in the above story no longer functions. No injuries, no damage. Sounds like mental illness and/or drug use, to several of us coffee drinkers.
Conflicker
I have seen more warnings about the "conflicker" virus than I can shake a stick at, and I have wondered, if it's such a threat, why hasn't anyone released a free antiviral to get at it? My friend JD , who's a sysadmin, sent me one yesterday... you can download/run it here. He says there are countless variations of this virus, but this application gets the common ones. Now the funny thing is, this message came in right as I was reading about a similar bit of freeware at Bad Astronomy. I have run both, and both say I don't have this particular flu.
This virus is set to scan thousands of random sites tonight at midnight, for updates and further instructions, so no one knows exactly what it will do. But millions of computers are thought to be silently infected... like AIDS, it remains below the radar until a certain point, then blows up. Blowup time is midnight, folks. I was worried this would be a nuisance, but both routines run fairly quickly and painlessly.
This virus is set to scan thousands of random sites tonight at midnight, for updates and further instructions, so no one knows exactly what it will do. But millions of computers are thought to be silently infected... like AIDS, it remains below the radar until a certain point, then blows up. Blowup time is midnight, folks. I was worried this would be a nuisance, but both routines run fairly quickly and painlessly.
Science Works!
The National Science Foundation's "Work" section is having some difficulty getting off the ground. Created as part of the economic stimulus package, Work Section's task is to apply the latest science and technology findings to job creation, and to identify areas in research where manpower is needed. The response to Call For Proposals announcements has been very weak though. Recently the foundation announced that they may have found an explanation: polls suggest that most users assume that their website, "NSFW.gov," is a sting operation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
