Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….
- Local group cancels Palin visit, citing “personal attacks” – The Denver Post – Brave, brave Sir Palin, scared off from a “Patriots and Warriors Gala”(!) by “negative feedback” and “an onslaught of personal attacks.” And she wants to be president? (Or, reading the story more carefully, was she ever actually attending in the first place? Or was she attending, but shied away due to poor ticket sales?)
- Word salads are a dish best served cold – Palin’s unscripted comments make Dubya sound like Olivier.
- When the right people pick the wrong hero – Expecting either awareness or honesty out of Rush on any element of conservative ideology is probably foolish.
- Bill Kristol Slams Conservative ‘Hysteria’ On Egypt, Calls Out Beck’s Delusional ‘Caliphate’ Theory – “Nor is it a sign of health when other American conservatives are so fearful of a popular awakening that they side with the dictator against the democrats. Rather, it’s a sign of fearfulness unworthy of Americans, of short-sightedness uncharacteristic of conservatives, of excuse-making for thuggery unworthy of the American conservative tradition.”
- Illinois Gets Civil Unions [Dispatches from the Culture Wars] – Well done, Illinois.
- The Avengers mystery woman is revealed! (Spoilers) – I win! Um … okay, I guess. (Another clue was that the new Avengers cartoon has been pulling in movie elements from Iron Man, at least, and Maria Hill is part of the SHIELD crew there, too.)
- Shadow of the Hegemon: Jon Stewart Needs to Get the Hell Over It – Comparing the GOP to Goebbels is unhelpful because then the conversation degenerates into whether the GOP is as bad as the Nazis (no, they aren’t). Noting the use of the “Big Lie” technique by various GOP pundits and pols is, on the other hand, descriptive (and accurate), and can illuminate the tactics being used by them.
- D-squared Digest — Arseholes, considered as a strategic resource – “This is my advice to any aspiring dictator; early on in your career, identify and inventory all the self-pitying, bullying shitheads your country has to offer. Anyone with a grievance, a beer belly and enough strength to swing a pickaxe handle will do. You don’t need to bother with military training or discipline because they’re hopefully never going to be used as a proper military force – just concentrate on nuturing their sense that they, despite appearances, are the backbone of the country, and allowing them to understand that although rules are rules, there are some people who just need a slap. The bigger and burlier the better, but when the time comes they’ll be fighting in groups against people weaker than themselves, often under cover of darkness, so numbers are more important than anything else. The extractive industries are indeed often a good source, as are demobbed veterans (Zimbabwe) or the laity of an established religion.” Talking about Egypt here, but the lesson does seem to apply elsewhere. Even here …
- Tattoo locations » This Blog Rules – It’s probably just as well that tattoos were not popular when I was much longer, or else I’d probably be really embarrassed by what lame SF/Fantasy property I was permanently carrying affixed to my body. “Space: 1999 — what the hell’s that, dude?”
- Banned Speedo Suit Reborn in Fashion – Super-hero movie folks, are you paying attention?
- Light Stalking » The 7 Deadly Sins of Indoor Photography – I’d love a compact digital camera that would allow me to bounce the flash. I hate-hate-hate indoor flash photography, but sometimes it’s a necessity. (Note that some of these suggestions apply to staged interior photography, as opposed to the candid I usually shoot).
- The two paths to success – There’s a huge amount of good thinking here — but, like so much, it’s capable of being abused for excuses (“It’s not fun, so I decided not to learn how to do it well”) as the other approach described (“You didn’t do well, so you must be lazy”). Realizing that life isn’t always fun, but that it shouldn’t be drudgery either, seems to me a balanced approach. Considering what your goals are — in self-development or in helping your kids achieve and lead happy, healthy, productive lives (and even considering how those three adjectives interact) is also useful.
- Lunar New Year Cooking Party Recipes – Our cooking party yesterday at Lee and De’s (pictures in posts below). The pork and the mushroom potstickers, the spring rolls, and the char siu bao were my vast faves. I contributed a modicum of labor, some beer and wine, and chauffeuring duties, so I came out way ahead of the game.
- A look at most of the Huntress’ Costumes – I’ve never much cared for the Huntress as a character, for a variety of reasons, but if there’s one thing she should not be is some sexy-sexy vixen with all sorts of vulnerable skin (thighs, belly, upper torso) showing. (The linked article has a lot more info on the evolutions.)
- (de)motivating employees – Most people leave jobs because of bad bosses. That’s pretty well established. Here’s an example of that in the making (and some counter-examples of how it could have been avoided).
- Funny heat-gun manual – I hope it doesn’t cause them some legal grief later. it shouldn’t, in a just world, but …
- The courage of journalists, the cowardice of Limbaugh [Thoughts from Kansas] – “When Rush Limbaugh mocks attacks on journalists, this is what he is attacking. This fierce drive to bring the truth to the world, to expose ugliness where it exists, and to expose love and beauty where it exists.” Not all journalists are saints, by any means, but Limbaugh’s routinized mocking of them (even his ostensible ideological allies) treats harrassment, beating, and arrest of journalists as an acceptable norm. Is that really the road Limbaugh wants to go down?
- This can only end well …
51 view(s)
A Space: 1999 tattoo would now be retro-geek cool!
Yes, but Dave would have been just as likely to get a Time Tunnel tattoo.
😉
Oooooh … a Time Tunnel tattoo … maybe that funky guy-in-an-hourglass image …