...and the check is in the mail.
Today's topic for discussion is:
| What else? Pirates!!! |
| posted at: 12:28 | permanent link to this entry |
Check out this story. Somali pirates hijacked an Iranian vessel containing unspecified/secret cargo from Nanjing to Rotterdam, then started dropping like flies:
Somali pirates suffered skin burns, lost hair and fell gravely ill "within days" of boarding the MV Iran Deyanat. Some of them died.Can you say "radiation"? I wonder if the crew was carrying a poison pill of sorts. Then again, if we can get hold of that ship, it would be very interesting to discover its actual contents. |
| posted at: 12:28 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| I keep forgetting about the Technology, Entertainment, Design conference series, which is completely worth the time and bookmark. [Yes, there's more Flash. Oh well.] |
| posted at: 14:59 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| How do you reach the $700 Billion total? You have to angle your arm just right, so that the number doesn't touch the inside edge of the hat you're drawing from (para. 6-7 for the goodies). |
| posted at: 13:57 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| Cheezburger, Cheezburger, Cheezburger, Cheezburger! |
| posted at: 04:52 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| One more cool bit of information I keep forgetting about: Akamai's global Web Traffic Monitor (One of several, very cool monitors Akamai provides). |
| posted at: 11:00 | permanent link to this entry |
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I just saw this on a message board. It puts the current financial "crisis" into proper perspective.
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| posted at: 11:00 | permanent link to this entry |
Warning: stats freakout imminent
| With the close of the Braves' home season, I'm off to crunch exactly how many games I attended this year. It then follows, that I gather team stats, and it's downhill from there. |
| posted at: 22:01 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| Shoot from the hip, or shoot from the side? |
| posted at: 19:05 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| Favorite default answer: (a), (b), (c), (d), (e)? |
| posted at: 15:26 | permanent link to this entry |
This Sam Harris fellow has an accurate description of the underlying problems that the Palin selection (aka the McCain Gambit?) represents. My problem with this article are: (a) it's a very wordy kicking of the tar-baby, and (b) it's title, "When Athiests Attack"? wraps an article of serious concern with a dismissal. |
| posted at: 15:25 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| I'm tired of typing the word 'I'. |
| posted at: 03:19 | permanent link to this entry |
[Full disclosure: I'm an independent, and I sent $25 to both candidates' campaigns back in primary season. This is adapted from feedback sent to the Obama campaign, via email survey. Because that's going to /dev/null, I've reposted it here. :D] I think it's a waste of time to attack either one of Sen. McCain or Gov. Palin, or to cast events as a function of either member of that ticket. It's even more pointless than attacking President Bush as being responsible for his party, when it's been clear since 2000 that he's just a placeholder. One of the actual targets should be the religion-centric "conservatives" ("The Faction", below), whose control of the GOP clearly illustrates both the situation at hand, and the most striking difference between the two tickets. As mentioned in an earlier post, the GOP is running a tarbaby, a type of trap, as an endgame. As illustrated by the 'lipstick' episode, this trap will latch on to the slightest touch. So, if you're going to target anyone, target the trap-makers, not the trap. Otherwise, take advantage of the opportunity to talk about governing the country in a substantive way. Another target would be the deposed faction(s) within your own party, who would seek to scotch yet another presidential election in hopes of eventually inheiriting an election. You might want to remind voters that flying is not best accomplished by missing the ground, as party doctrine seems to dictate. Supporting this: Both Senators Obama and McCain ran counter to their parties' controlling interests by securing nominations; only Sen. Obama continued the trend, by selecting a running mate with foreign policy experience and perspective beyond "Peace Now." In contrast, Sen. McCain was unable to move the Republican Party from The Faction, and ended up having to select a Faction placeholder, most likely as part of a deal ("with the Devil", as the ad should say). That selection, and more notably, the circumstances before and after, illustrate that "religious conservatives" (and to a lesser extent, "pro-business conservatives") don't respect McCain. By extension, these factions disrespect both the U.S., and its founding principles. |
| posted at: 16:08 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| Favorite language element: Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, Verb, Noun? |
| posted at: 15:58 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| This flash-based racing game is somewhat reminiscent of the old Atari racers of the 80's. The slalom aspect is a neat twist, vs. the hard track boundaries of the arcade games. |
| posted at: 01:21 | permanent link to this entry |
I-75 is, in fact, Bidirectional.
| Apparently, the Michigan GOP would like to disqualify voters who have been foreclosed on, ostensibly through changed/lack of verifiable address. This time, they got caught red-handed, and the resultant squabble is getting press. |
| posted at: 01:21 | permanent link to this entry |
The Price of Freedom now includes: maintaining an online media collection of your drunk/nekkid self. And somehow, this response: Use of drugs or drinking and the posting of photographs deemed 'inappropriate' or 'provocative' were identified as the most popular reasons why employers eliminated a candidate after viewing their social networking profile....is more popular than "candidate can't spell/write at a 5th grade level." I'd like to maintain a list of the employers (and/or HR people) who have filtered their hiring by online content; this type of cultural disinfecion is itself a disease that needs controlling, and market forces are the best solution for this problem. |
| posted at: 20:39 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| Stealth Cat is stealthy. |
| posted at: 02:48 | permanent link to this entry |
...and the check is in the mail. |
| posted at: 21:28 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| Beware of falling investment bankers. |
| posted at: 08:25 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| The sky is cloudy, but there still isn't any rain. |
| posted at: 15:56 | permanent link to this entry |
[Pardon the lengthy post, but my mental clouds are finally raining today.] It's been a very long, drawn-out election cycle, now we're down to the last month and a half until Election Day. And what do we have? "Lipstick", "Pigs", "uppity {implied negroes}" (Correct translation supplied by David Gergen (h/t GriftDrift), and fake outrage directed to anyone who dares question the lies. What the hell is going on? Simply put: what's left of the GOP is a bunch of goddamned taliban, as evidenced by Eisenhower's departure; the July campaign takeover; Governor Palin's reprisal of President Bush's role as "Living vessel of Jesus in the White House" (h/t Creative Loafing); the resulting uprising of support from our taliban. It's clear that Senator McCain is along for the ride from here on out. Worst case, he's just been a secondary booster stage for our taliban. A "Cynical Pick" on a Good DayThis undeath is a tragic result to a lengthy campaign, but it was probably the only option available to McCain, for him to stay relevant in the election. The ongoing taliban belligerence of the past fourteen years, combined with seven years (dated from the Kyoto non-submission) of propaganda from various socialist factions, and an Democrat election strategy of inheritance, has resulted in a lemming run for the Democrats. As revealed now, the GOP is literally nothing without its taliban component. In the current environment, McCain was likely facing the options of either (a) losing the nomination outright, or (b) reducing the GOP to a minor party, worth 10-15% come November. (In this scenario, the departed 30% either stay home, or vote for Bob Barr, who as a member of the 1994 uprising and Clinton impeachment prosecutor, carries proven "Jesus vessel" credentials). Given the choice between reclaiming the party (and to a larger degree, the national dialogue) and winning the election, McCain chose the former, and less honorable, choice. Shortened DaysThe clock is ticking, and the Palin campaign is trying to run it out. We're less than a month from the cutoff for political ads, and only a month and a half away from the election. Every day the GOP can hide Palin, or obfuscate via spam, FUD, or other misinformation, is a day less they have to worry about the election. By their composition, taliban (talibanen?) are reliant on their church/clergy structures for information. For these factions, outward-facing bandwidth (aka "media not aligned with the faction") is superfluous, and is designated for either pollution (e.g., the 'lipstick/pig' non-issue), or coercion into acting on faction terms. The campaign is now a rhetorical tar-baby, seeking to entangle both legitimate and orthogonal discussion in a sticky morass of meta arguments and false outrage. Palin is the withheld bait, the operatives and spokespeople are the tar fonts. Meanwhile, the electoral equivalent of armies of the undead, a.k.a. our taliban, march toward November in unison. Don't kick the tar-babyThere correct way to deal with a tar-baby is to acknowledge its presence, and accurately describe the intent of its creators, as I have done here. The second-worst thing one can do is directly address the tar-baby, and the worst thing one can do is indirectly address the tar-baby. The fact that the bait for this particular trap is a vice-presidential nominee.
So, I retract my earlier post that claims the saying involves a goat. "Lipstick on a pig" correctly addresses this situation. However, it is McCain and Palin who are the lipstick on a virulent, tempermental, graft-eating, bible-squealing pig of a party, and Senator Obama was incorrect in stating the pig was policy. It is that party, and its true, unamerican nature, which must be addressed publicly and honestly before this election, and we're running out of time. |
| posted at: 15:55 | permanent link to this entry |
Despin: Lipstick and Farm Animals
| Senator Obama is completely wrong: the correct saying is "lipstick on a goat", not a pig. Update: Pants on Fire! |
| posted at: 20:52 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| Which would you rather donate to: A donation meter or a panhandler? |
| posted at: 17:32 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| Required Reading: UCSB's security review of Sequoia's electronic voting system. |
| posted at: 12:18 | permanent link to this entry |
Continuing with the Art Show highlights... Here's a list of the more impressive artists I saw from show and exhibit hall):
R.I.P. Patrick Roberts, former director of said art show. I never spoke with him, but I remember him as "the art show guy" from years past, and his untimely death might mark the beginning of the end for this show. Time (and several conventions) will tell. New Games: Pillars of the Earth and Trias. The former is an accrual game, which involves players claiming the most influence in the (non-preventable) building of a cathedral; the latter involves players staking out the most territory of a disintegrating continent of tiles. Both games are fun; Pillars has a bit too much toy factor for its complexity level. Bands: I completely missed Abney Park...I've heard enough noise about this band that I just wanted to see what the fuss was about. Oh well. I did catch the Mindless Self Indulgence (MSI) concert...they were ok, nothing to really write home about. Jump around, whinge to the beat, jump around some more. That matches my opinion of punk in general, I suppose. It was vaguely reminiscent of the time I listened to No Doubt in 2002, for about the same amount of time. MSI has a similar sound, with edgier, deeper guitar and drums, a distinction not unlike paper vs. plastic. Watching a Batman go (successfully) stage-diving was worth the time, though. :) Eventually, I left to go watch... Zombie movies! Specifically, flesh-eating short films, wrapping up the con's Short Movie Festival, and where there's fresh human, there's zombies. Some of these were very well done. And, I actually forced myself to sit through Zombie Love. (The things we do on Sunday night/Monday morning...) Other shorts (All NSFW, a few are extremely graphic, and would be rated MA if submitted):
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| posted at: 06:19 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| Fast Zombies. |
| posted at: 05:51 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| Grilled-cheese sandwiches. |
| posted at: 15:27 | permanent link to this entry |
I'm pretty much worthless today, and not just because of the drunk I pitched after the speech last night. Palin's the GOP's "third bush term" nominee, today and in the future, and McCain isn't wearing the pants on his own ticket. It's as if McCain has realized and accepted the truly terminal/zombie status of the GOP, and has pressed on since he's technically the nominee already. |
| posted at: 15:27 | permanent link to this entry |
Wow, it's been another year; and this year, I attended all four days of the convention. And as it turns out, I live very near the bus line that runs right between the convention hotels. The most striking difference I found this year was the relative lack of people from years past. Specifically, the gamers were reduced in number, the gothy/vampire types were almost non-existent. I'll leave it for later discussions as to what role was played by GenCon occurring two weeks ago, SIEGE occurring a month from now, and the cumulative effects of $4 gas. In addition, there was a perceived lack of people, as the convention has expanded its events to include the Sheraton, spreading out the action enough to make the crowd flow much better than past years. The Marriott still looks awesome, though they really need to change out the projectors in their sports bar; those are looking faded and dull. Marriot and Hyatt also rolled out extra bars and sandwich/pizza stations this year, so finding quick bites to eat/drink was never really a problem. (It sounds like someone got hold of the food court's numbers from prior years...:) I actually hit the Art Show early this year, and it was mostly a dud. Faeries and Furries were the main themes, it seems. And don't get me started on the big-eye faeries taking up a half-dozen stalls in the back (think Bratz with "wingz") :/ Still, I made off with two new pieces for the collection, so that's a bonus. I also caught the last half-hour of the voice auction, which is the first time I've seen that in many years. FYI: The artist graffiti canvas went for $405 this year. |
| posted at: 15:40 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| A well-done parody of Gov. Palin's selection as VP candidate, so we can have something to laugh about while crying in our beer. [NSFW language, h/t Scalpel or Sword] |
| posted at: 10:58 | permanent link to this entry |
| [most of this was crossposted]
So, a Bush baby wrote the speech, and Palin delivered it. It makes me nauseous. The republican ticket now represents four more years of taliban placeholder, this time as a VP, and eventual president and/or nominee. Those analysts were caught on tape describing Palin's nomination as 'cynical', and I think that's a best-case scenario. Specifically, if McCain didn't have the balls to nominate Tom Ridge in the first place, he should have stood down and let Huckabee take the nomination. |
| posted at: 08:33 | permanent link to this entry |
Today's topic for discussion is:
| The original Waffle House is now a museum. |
| posted at: 13:43 | permanent link to this entry |
Wow, I picked the right weekend to There's more to this notion than hyperbole. To the extent that punditry and editors manufacture identities for the subjects of their publications, then cast their spew in the light of such identities, Governor Palin's relative obscurity amounts to a zero. This is particularly true, given the past several months of increasingly frenzied (and frustrated) press activity surrounding McCain's VP selection. |
| posted at: 13:30 | permanent link to this entry |
