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Category: Star Wars

Unblogged Bits (Tue. 22-Feb-11 1030)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. “Back to their Future” photographs – These are some of the best then-now snapshots I’ve seen. A lot of attention to detail here.
  2. If Star Wars was real – Nicely done “antique photos.”
  3. An example of House Republican tax spending priorities. – The problem is that looking for rationality, or even coherent policy, in these actions is foolish. They are all about posturing, grandstanding to voters, and scratching emotional itches. Which is a hell of a way to run a country.
  4. On Hitting – Some good game design stuff here, as well as (as Doyce points out) some story-telling design stuff, too.
  5. The Republican war on women – This Modern World – Salon.com – Sadly, too true.
  6. February 22, 2011 – My friend went on…
  7. Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance – NYTimes.com – “If members of Congress feel so strongly about undoing this important legislation, perhaps we should stop providing them with health insurance. Let’s credit their pay for the amount that has been paid by the taxpayers, and let them try to buy health insurance in the individual market. My bet is that they all would be denied. Health insurance reform might suddenly not seem to them like such a bad idea.”
  8. Robert’s Reader | Uncategorized | In Which I Take Issue With Felix Salmon – I hate the HuffPo page design — I have to work around it to find what I like, which is counter to what a good page design should be. Could the NYT be a bit snazzier? Maybe — but I find as many places to jump from a standard NYT page as from a HuffPo page, and a lot less crap to wade through to get to them.
  9. The 30-Years War Against Middle-Class America. – “The Republican attack on public-sector unions has little to do with debt, deficits, and spending, and everything to do with a broader move to further roll back middle-class gains and further concentrate wealth in the hands of the privileged and powerful.”
  10. Congressman blames US coal miners for having black lung disease : The Pump Handle – The coal must flow!
  11. Ed’s View of Islam and Sharia Law : Dispatches from the Culture Wars – It’s my view, too.
  12. 20+ Years of Wage Data: America Needs a Raise [Mike the Mad Biologist] – So let’s bust some unions!
  13. US Paid Millions For Bogus (Patented) Intelligence Software; Now Trying To Cover It Up Claiming ‘National Security’ – Ah, “National Security,” is there any embarrassing episode you can’t cover up?

Tweets from 2011-02-20

  • Finally exchanged Valentine gifts with M. Suitably thoughtful, personal, romantic. Love my wife oodles. #
  • Margie notes Google Street View gives new perspective to possible vacation accomodations (and ease of walking from them to other places). #
  • New monitor acquired for Margie, installed, lookin' purty. #
  • Hopefully this will resolve the problems she was having with screen going black at inopportune times. #
  • Also picked up the vanity/mirror for downstairs bathroom. Feeling accomplished. #
  • Looks like I'm off to Australia in a few weeks on business. Which is sucky timing, but …. well, Australia! #
  • So apparently "first Star Wars movie" that K watched & engendered unenthusiasm was, in fact, Ep 1. Watched Ep 4 (aka "Star Wars"): Victory. #
  • Am pleased that Kay was first to note major "Hero's Journey" similarities" between "Eragon" and "A New Hope." #
  • Okay, wildly entertaining that while @pedzz_bd and I are tweeting back and forth, @margiekleerup and @meoswell are talking on the phone. #
  • Main observation on Star Wars Ep 4: Jeez, people fly space ships close to each other. #

Unblogged Bits (Wed. 9-Feb-11 1631)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. The Big News – HUZZAH!!! Stan and Mary are both old friends of ours whom we are quite pleased to have played some role in getting together. Congrats, mazel tov, and hey-nonny-nonny, youse guys!
  2. The latest in a long line of Republican sex scandals: Steve Benen
  3. in which Highlights for Children is discussed at great length – WWdN: In Exile – We subscribed to HfC when I was a kid. Always loved Goofus and Gallant.
  4. Email Use Plummets Among Teens – I’m not at all surprised that for socializing purposes, text / IM / FB / Twitter is seen as easier and faster (and less involving) than email. I think it’s all a matter of tools, privacy, and convenience; different media will provide different advantages and will be used as a mix by people as technology matures.
  5. Future U.S. History Students: ‘It’s Pretty Embarrassing How Long You Guys Took To Legalize Gay Marriage’ | The Onion – America’s Finest News Source – Hell, it’s embarrassing today, let alone how folks decades from now will see it.
  6. 8-Year-Old Girl Racks Up $1,400 Bill Playing “Smurfs Village” iPad Game – We take a lot of pleasure in sharing with Kay how a lot of games of this sort are out to trick her out of her money. She enjoys that (but also enjoys occasionally using some of her own allowance for something she really wants … which is fine, too).
  7. Trying Multisite – I’ve been staying away from this for a while — probably at least a whole release level, just to let them work the kinks out. Having to update many WP installations is annoying, but there are also conveniences to it.
  8. Who’s the newest member of the Fantastic Four? [Comics] – Ah. And, yes, yawn. Though Hickman is a fine writer.
  9. Another idea I wish I’d thought of. – Kitteh do not want! Too far from pets!
  10. HOWTO quick-fix a stripped screw-hole – Clever.
  11. Is it legal to print Settlers of Catan tiles on a 3D printer? – Presumably the “game rules” notes are why you can find so many bloody -opoly games out there.
  12. Creepy head mask to punish “rude, clamorous” women from 1550 to 1800 – Ah, the Good Old Days, when women knew better than to be “rude and clamorous” … or they faced the consequences. Yeesh.
  13. AFA Blogger Rejects Fischer’s Latest Bigoted Statement – And rejects it quite nicely, too. Well said, Mr. Friedeman.
  14. Star Wars retold in witty, clever icons – Very fun.
  15. GOP continues effort to dumb down (i.e., limit) definition of rape – And these are the same yahoos terrified of “Sharia Law” coming into the US to oppress the citizenry.
  16. Tea Party Launching Magazine – It will be amusing to see how long it takes before people of a different TP purity bent criticize the magazine with a huff and start up their own in protest. Plus … a magazine? Really?
  17. Utah Legislators Want to Charge Students for Excess Credits – Yes, let’s penalize all those “freeloading” kids taking double majors and AP courses …
  18. High School Teacher Loses Job Because Of Facebook Picture Holding Beer And Wine – Ah, remember the old days when teaching jobs had morality clauses (including staying unmarried)? They’re back, abetted by Facebook.
  19. “Not everyone is a fan of Reagan” – Cults of Personality are rarely a good thing, even when the personality in question is a paragon, a genius, and a true hero. The Right’s concerted attempt to turn Reagan into an American demigod (complete with a plan to put his name on at least one public landmark in every county of the US) would be laughable if it was not being so successful.
  20. Saudi Oil WikiLeaks [Casaubon’s Book] – Like Les, I’m sure this will push the GOP for more US oil drilling … without taking any steps beyond that to a post-petro-peak future that is increasingly less dependent on oil.

Unblogged Bits (Tue. 8-Feb-11 1630)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Food Network Comment Trolling – This one’s for Margie.
  2. So a geek walks into a bar… Science Jokes! – The last (non-science) one is for my mom and dad.
  3. Red-Shirt vs. Stormtrooper [Cartoon] – Heh.
  4. Being Smart Without a License : Dispatches from the Culture Wars – Never rile the bureaucracy!
  5. If You Cheat in… [Pic] – Quite possibly true (I say, speaking from working with a lot of engineers, and seeing the stuff they work on that could, in fact, kill people if poorly designed).
  6. US Army warns: Tweet with care – Loose Tweets Sink Fleets!
  7. The potential impact of corporate tax reform – “Arguably, the United States now has a corporate tax code that’s the worst of all worlds. The official rate is higher than in almost any other country, which forces companies to devote enormous time and effort to finding loopholes. Yet the government raises less money in corporate taxes than it once did, because of all the loopholes that have been added in recent decades.”
  8. Teen’s medical marijuana fight escalates as school says he cannot come back to class after going home for medicine | Colorado Independent – Stupid asshat zero tolerance policies. Never mind about the person involved, we have rules to follow! Yeesh.

“Thirteenth Day” Game Day Review

We had a decent group over for the post-Twelfth Night Game Day (Our Motto: “Eat Leftovers While You Play — Please!”).  Bruce stayed over from the party, and Mary and Stan, and Jackie (with Kaylee), and Randy all came over, too.  Katherine participated part of the time (the rest, keeping Kaylee entertained, bless ‘er).

It was a good opportunity to pull out some games received over the holidays.  The playlist included:

  • Password – Margie and Bruce totally demolished Katherine and me.
  • Infunitum (NEW) – A game I got Margie at Christmas, it’s sort of like Scattergories but with a lot less rigor.  Based on a selected category (“Star Wars characters,” “Female movie heroes,” “Places you live in other than a house”), everyone spends a minute writing as many answers that fit as they can.  Scoring is for unique answers within the group — but the rules are a bit vague as to what constitutes “unique”.  Probably best played after a beer or three, we had fun but tended to overanalyze. I won this one.
  • Trans America (NEW) – A railroad building game, it’s got a lot of the plusses and aspects of such games while being pretty fast-playing.  Luck (of the initial draw) plays a role, but figuring out when best to join up with someone else’s line (which can help you link to your cities … but also helps them link to theirs) is one of the key strategic decisions.  Good game.  I expect we’ll be playing it regularly.  Mary won this one, vs. Bruce and me.
  • Settlers of Catan – Jackie wangled the rest of the group into this, playing the basic rules.  Stan won, as I recall.
  • Unspeakable Words (NEWish) – We played this at Dave-a-palooza, too.  It’s a fun game of building unique words out of your hand — but also having to gamble against the score you get on a D20 to avoid losing a “Sanity Point.”  The Cthulhuesque trappings are only that; the game could be rebranded in any number of ways.  Diverting and fairly quick to play, but nothing to go out of your way to buy. I barely won with a bit of my sanity left.
  • Castle Panic (NEW) – A co-op game that is less varied in its contests than Shadows Over Camelot (the gold — or lead — standard for such things), but which really does require seriously cooperative play to find of monsters charging in from the forests around the castle walls.  Katherine, Randy, Stan, Mary and I played two games of this, losing the first one badly, barely winning the second.  I think we’ll be playing it again.

Good times.  My only regret is that, after the Party Saturday and Game Day Sunday … tomorrow is (sigh) Monday.

Unblogged Bits (Wed. 12-Jan-11 1630)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Judson Phillips On Tucson Massacre: ‘The Left Benefits From This’ – They seem to be doing a great job of proving what they’re being accused of — intemperate, violent, and threatening speech.
  2. AZ Republicans Resign After Giffords Shooting, Citing Threats From Local Tea Partiers – “I love the Republican Party but I don’t want to take a bullet for anyone.” Sad. And scary. Not just for the individuals, but the country.
  3. Broken U.S. Senate Rules May Make It Impossible To Ever Confirm A Director Of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms – Sounds like a great opportunity for a recess appointment.
  4. The Sunday Morning Come to Jesus Moment on Second Amendment Solutions – “Here’s the real question, what exactly do these people think ‘Second Amendment Solutions’ are?”
  5. NOAA: 2010 goes down as a tie for warmest year on record: jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer)
  6. Thunderbirds is back, but will it have puppets? – I loved this show with a burning passion as a kid — and have the DVDs as an adult to prove it.
  7. Blood Libel – Stay classy and/or sane, Sarah!
  8. Five Easy Places to Recycle Your Old Gadgets and Computers [Environment] – Making a note for future reference.
  9. Is Blu-Ray an Inferior Format to DVD? – I haven’t used my new one enough to tell whether it’s markedly slower (because of the networking stuff) than my old DVD player, but that’s not my first impression. And it is, in fact, gorgeous.
  10. Trivia: Han Solo Appears in ‘Firefly’ – Fun.
  11. Who Will End This Madness? – “Only one side has made the rhetoric of armed revolt against an oppressive tyranny the guiding spirit of its grassroots movement and its midterm campaign. Only one side routinely invokes the Second Amendment as a form of swagger and intimidation, not-so-coyly conflating rights with threats. Only one side’s activists bring guns to democratic political gatherings. Only one side has a popular national TV host who uses his platform to indoctrinate viewers in the conviction that the President is an alien, totalitarian menace to the country. Only one side fills the AM waves with rage and incendiary falsehoods. Only one side has an iconic leader, with a devoted grassroots following, who can’t stop using violent imagery and dividing her countrymen into us and them, real and fake. Any sentient American knows which side that is; to argue otherwise is disingenuous.”
  12. Defensive Palin finally responds to Tucson massacre, attacks media – Blood libel? BLOOD LIBEL? Seriously, Sarah? Do you even know how that terms is used? Crikey.
  13. James Bond Comes Back To Movie Theaters In 2012 [Movies] – Cool. MGM seems to be getting past its money woes (largely by getting financing from other studios and giving them all or most of the proceeds).
  14. Paul Krugmann on Economic Morality and the Ideal Society – I think that sounds like a fine ideal. Almost Golden Ruleian.

Music, hark!

Improvising ragtime versions of Mario Bros., Harry Potter, and Star Wars themes. Awesome.

Though, to be fair, the Cantina Scene hardly counts as improvisation.

(via Neatorama)

Unblogged Bits (Sun. 12-Dec-10 1630)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. 15-minute writing exercise closes the gender gap in university-level physics | Not Exactly Rocket Science | Discover Magazine – Very interesting.
  2. YouTube – Kim Possible So The Drama Opening Song – I’d forgotten how much I loved this Bond homage opening to this Kim Possible movie.
  3. How to drive Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings Fans Insane with Just One Pic – HA!

Unblogged Bits (Fri. 10-Dec-10 1030)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. The Food Lab’s Complete Guide to Buying, Storing, and Cooking Prime Rib – I need to read this in more detail, but now I’m very, very hungry …
  2. What if your Phone Could Have a Front-Facing Camera Without Actually Having One? – Clever …
  3. Activision: Kobe Bryant Black Ops ad controversy is ‘hypocritical’ – Actually, I thought it was a very cool ad — and that was without knowing that any of the participants were “famous.”
  4. High-speed rail funds slated for Ohio, Wisconsin to go to other states – Works for me. Hey, can we have some of that money out here, guys?
  5. Movie Studios Blocking Special Features On Rental DVDs – I think the rental companies should definitely be noting that the disc is “movie only” or if closed captioning is not available, etc. I don’t necessarily have a problem with the movie companies doing this, but it needs to be clear to the customer.
  6. This Bottle Of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Is Incredibly Accurate – O RLY? Ha!
  7. Young female Star Wars fan rescued from bullies by girl-geeks (& friends) around the world – YAY!
  8. Copyright troll Righthaven sues for control of Drudge Report domain – Wow, really torn here. On the one hand, Evil Copyright Troll. On the other hand, Drudge. Maybe I should just sit back and eat popcorn.
  9. 8 Ways to Improve Google Android [Android] – Well, I agree with some of these. But … “Ask any Android user what they really want in their smartphone, and you’ll hear the same response over and over again: a music service that allows downloads, streaming music, and automatic syncing.” Well, not this Android user.
  10. After 12 days of WikiLeaks cables, the world looks on US with new eyes – Regarding the leaked content itself, most of the reactions are for public consumption and from momentarily hurt feelings. I think the American reaction to WikiLeaks, more than the content, will have a more long-term effect, esp. on the public.
  11. Key People From Wikileaks Are Ditching “Emperor” Assange To Form A New Site – Not surprising, from some of Assange’s personal behavior. And, in fact, more organizations out to provide whistleblower support is, in fact, a good thing, assuming they’re legit.
  12. Mozilla’s new CEO explains his love-hate relationship with Google | VentureBeat – FF vs Chrome doesn’t have to be a fight to the death. Both companies (and certainly all consumers) benefit from a healthy competition (including IE, and the other browser folks out there).
  13. Here’s What People Are Saying About Twitter… – On the one hand, it worries me when the “business guys” start supplanting the “product guys” at a firm I like. On the other hand, TANSTAAFL. I just hope Twitter can come up with a profitable business model that doesn’t require them to be Facebook … and that the product continues to grow in an interesting and useful fashion while still retaining its core microblogging focus.
  14. A defense of WikiLeaks: Some inconvenient facts | Philadelphia Daily News | 12/09/2010 – “More than an airy ideal we invoke to applaud ourselves, free speech is essential to free and open societies, which need to know the truth whatever the source. Many of today’s problems can be traced, in part, to its absence: a war ginned up under false pretenses, overly optimistic assessments of some of our ‘allies,’ a financial meltdown because people were unaware of the risks they were assuming. Dead soldiers and civilians and an economy in tatters is a staggeringly large price to pay to avoid embarrassing various officials and diplomats.”
  15. Daniel Ellsberg: “EVERY attack now made on WikiLeaks and Julian Assange was made against me and the release of the Pentagon Papers at the time.” – “So shame on Barack Obama, Eric Holder, and all those who spew platitudes about integrity, justice and accountability while allowing war criminals and torturers to walk freely upon the earth. … the American people should be outraged that their government has transformed a nation with a reputation for freedom, justice, tolerance and respect for human rights into a backwater that revels in its criminality, cover-ups, injustices and hypocrisies.”
  16. Cheating On Your Diet To Increase Fat Loss. – Page 4 – hurray for cheating days

    this post is very handy for those who “plateaued”. basically it explains how cheating or “calorie cycling”/”zigzagging” can increase the metabolism by increasing the production of LEPTIN Hermon that can help really help in burning fat

  17. How To Use Google Reader As A Bookmarking Service – That’s a clever idea — really, just an extension of the basic functionality, but cleverly purposed.

Unblogged Bits (Mon. 6-Dec-10 1630)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. 5 Reasons We’re Excited About Android 2.3 Gingerbread – Hoping it won’t take several months to make it to the Incredible.
  2. iPhone App Tracks Your Own Flight Without Network Connection – Cool.
  3. Misinformation in Action: Fox News and the TSA “Muslim Exemption” – I have absolutely no doubt this misrepresentation will make the email rounds for the next decade, outraging all the audiences it’s designed to outrage.
  4. Where’s the conservative outrage? – “If they sincerely believe government involvement in healthcare is an evil on par with Stalinism and Nazism, don’t they have an obligation to speak up when the most prominent religious leader in the world full-throatedly endorses it?”
  5. Weekly Standard Editor Fred Barnes Calls On Conservatives To ‘Infiltrate The Mainstream Media’: George Zornick
  6. Lieberman Demands Senate Stay In Session Through The Holiday To Repeal DADT – I’m no Lieberman fan, but I admire (and support) his dedication to this particular cause.
  7. Krugman: Obama shouldn’t cave on tax cuts – “We should have elected a Democrat.”
  8. More Products Downsized – Downsizing not only tries to hide unit price increases from customers (though I do have a little sympathy for the “everyone’s doing it, so nobody buys our full-size stuff because the next price is higher” excuse), but it plays bloody hell with recipes, esp. with our being stuck using English measurements. Converting 64 fl.oz. of OJ is easy; converting 59/64 of a half-gallon is PitA.
  9. What if Dr. Seuss Wrote and Drew ‘Star Wars’? – Fun!
  10. Buy Two Things At Kroger And Get A Free Yard Of Receipt Toilet Paper – This has become more and more of a joke when we visit any grocery store. Of course, that thermal paper is also a source of BPA makes it a lot less funny …
  11. AP Enterprise: Guards shown watching inmate attack – Yahoo! News – To all the fine, upstanding people out there who simply shrug at this, or figure the guy who was beaten deserved it because he was in prison … recall how many innocent people (maybe even YOU) end up in prison. And recall that Jesus called out care for prisoners as one of the special duties for his followers, right alongside caring for the poor, the unclothed, the hungry …
  12. How Pac Man’s ghosts decide what to do: elegant complexity – I was never a big Pac Man fan, but this is kind of fascinating.
  13. King: People Will Kill Themselves to Avoid Estate Tax [Dispatches from the Culture Wars] – I can just see it … “I could have stuck around another six months, son, but I wanted you to be able to inherit the Cancun estate and the chalet in Zurich, free and clear, so I’ve decided to stop my cancer treatments ….” Riiiiiight.
  14. The Continuing Saga of Steven Hayne – I believe our judicial system does a lot more right than it does wrong. But it’s built out of people, and some bad apples can have a devastating effect on those around them, and on the system in general.
  15. Up from Homophobia – “Familiarity, in this case, doesn’t breed contempt. It breeds acceptance. Heterosexuals have always lived and worked with gays, but without knowing it. Once they find out, most learn they have more similarities than differences.”
  16. LaBarbera: “If You Are Not On The SPLC Hate List, You Are Not Doing Enough” – Well, now we know what they aspire to.
  17. Inhofe: ‘Why Do They Always Pick On The Christians?’ – Why is it that Christians always seem to be picked on when it comes to government- and culturally-sponsored religion? Because we’ve been in the catbird seat so long. The reason the “Ramadan Parade of Lights” isn’t dropping the sectarian name so as to be approachable to non-Muslims is because there IS no Ramadan Parade of Lights marching down Main Street (and if there was, there’d probably be yahoos protesting against the damn furriners imposing their religion on “us”).

Unblogged Bits (Wed. 1-Dec-10 1030)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. If only I’d learned soapmaking… – Just waiting for the “honor killings” to hit the papers …
  2. Senate Republicans Sign Letter Stating They Will Block Most Democratic Legislation – Oh, yes, clearly Obama’s not yet been bipartisan enough for them …
  3. SubZin – This is very cool, though incomplete (quick testing neither “Total Recall” nor “True Lies.” but we do have “Sneakers” and “Empire Strikes Back”). It also shows the adjoining lines. And there’s a Firefox search widget …
  4. McCain Corrects the Record – Yeah, he “simply misspeaks” a lot.
  5. National Portrait Gallery Removes Ant Crucifix Art After GOP Threats – “Yes, obviously this museum was making a plot against Christians and their holiday, because everything is always about them. These few video stills were a conspiracy to offend people! The Portrait Gallery just wants to offend people SO BADLY!”
  6. Rep. Joe Wilson Thanks C-SPAN Caller For Anti-Gay Remarks – “I truly believe the system we have is working” … really? On what criteria? If by “working” you mean “keeping gays invisible in the military, on risk of being booted out,” then, yeah, I guess it’s “working.” Is that what you mean, Rep. Wilson?
  7. BBC – Earth News – Mercury ‘turns’ wetland birds such as ibises homosexual – Maybe this will turn the Religious Right into big supporters of environmentalism and opponents of coal. Naaaah.
  8. The Air Force vs. the “practicing homosexual” – Don’t Ask Don’t Tell – Salon.com – A sad bit of history.
  9. The moral standards of WikiLeaks critics – Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com – Actually, more a general (and pointed) assessment of the conflicting ethical and moral imperatives of WikiLeaks action — but, yeah, a lot of the folks yelling the loudest about this are (intentionally) ignoring the context and the alternatives. Better an uncomfortable, even dangerous, truth, than a comfortable (but differently dangerous) silence.
  10. Scientists Confirm Existence of ‘Kirby Krackle’ – ComicsAlliance | Comics culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews – Huzzah for Kirby Krackle!
  11. Martian Moon Phobos from Mars Express – Very simple — yet SO COOL.
  12. Statistics – December 01, 2010 – This one’s for Margie.
  13. TSA – I think we just figured out how to cut the Federal Deficit …
  14. Dinner Time! – Zits for 12/1/2010 – Mmmmmmm …
  15. Go Hiking In Style With These Teva Stiletto Heels – The Consumerist – This one’s for Kate …
  16. Loudoun Co. Official: TSA Pat Downs Are Part Of “Homosexual Agenda” – DCist – Guess nobody realized until now that wasn’t a cop in the Village People …
  17. American Indian Sailed to Europe With Vikings? – Cool …
  18. Beautiful illustration of fantasy-science – Boing Boing – Look! It’s Stephen Colbert, controlling the weather!
  19. The effort to make Kyl happy – The argument isn’t insane. It’s simply a lie, for political purposes.
  20. “I Have to Say ‘Merry Christmas,’ I’m Being Patriotic” – Say “Merry Christmas,” OR ELSE THE TERRORISTS (and socialists and communists and Europeans and wherever-Obama-was-bornists) WIN!

Unblogged Bits (Mon. 29-Nov-10 1630)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. The Best Drinking Apps – Kind of cool — but at home it’s as easy to use my Mr Boston’s, or the Internet. Still, might look at one of the free ones here.
  2. A Bitter November – Heh.
  3. Fiji Water May Not Be Made in Fiji Anymore [Business] – Good for Fiji.
  4. Portland Bomb Sting Begs Question: Can White People Be Charged with Use of a WMD? – There certainly does seem to be a tendency to more quickly jump toward accusing those Evil Muslims (esp. the Brownish type) of WMD crimes than Evil Non-Muslims (esp. the Whitish type).
  5. Leslie Nielsen, RIP – Some great Nielsen clips here.
  6. Irvin Kershner, Director of ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ Has Died at 87 – Thank you, sir, for “Empire.”
  7. Staples Makes Me Play Foolish Games To Get Advertised Deal – Yeesh.
  8. When Elder Statesmen No Longer Have Their Phone Calls Returned – The new standard (or moving goal line) for foreign policy bipartisanship seems to be getting former presidents (y’know, the Republican ones) to publicly support something. Right. Idjits.

Unblogged Bits (Sat. 27-Nov-10 1030)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Greedo in Heels – Heh.
  2. Splendid Abandoned Airplanes – Coolness.
  3. A Nation of Deluded Dependents: An Effect of Our Toxic Discourse : Mike the Mad Biologist – Remember those old signs along the highway during construction — “Your Tax Dollars At Work”? Maybe we need to clearly label all such benefit / loan / aid / assistance / incentive programs as such. It would, perhaps, add appreciation of such programs as a common decision to help — not theft, not an entitlement, but a sign that we’re all in this together.
  4. Badass Quote of the Day [Dispatches from the Culture Wars] – Reagan, at least, knew how to act presidential. Heck, he knew how to ACT. Palin does him a great disservice by comparing herself to him.

Unblogged Bits (Mon. 15-Nov-10 1032)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. How to Spot Fake Smiles (Spoiler Alert) – I got 11 of 20 correct. D’oh!
  2. You Might Be In Serious $%#@ For Refusing To Be TSA Screened – Okay, I guess that “civil penalties” claim was legit (if still dodgy in principle). Yeesh.
  3. Brick-road-laying machine – Very cool.
  4. ‘Naked scanners’: Lobbyists join the war on terror | Washington Examiner – “But this is government we’re talking about. A program or product doesn’t need to be effective, it only needs to have a good lobby.”
  5. The middle size of the universe: John
  6. Department of Defense to Service Members: Homos Get Half – Rrg. Just plain stupid and prejudiced policy-making.
  7. : TSA encounter at SAN – The initial encounter, premised on the idea that nobody has a “right” to fly, so whatever security the TSA chooses to impose is their privilege to do so, is true enough. The later reported crap makes absolutely no sense.
  8. The Biggest Star Wars Plot Hole, Explained By Science | Cracked.com – “Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise …”
  9. What professional journalists would ask Bush about September 11 – I doubt we’ll see these kind of questions asked, except by historians.

Unblogged Bits (Mon. 8-Nov-10 1630)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Five Anglican bishops quit Church of England for Rome – Telegraph – Which I guess will leave plenty of room for the Female Menace they are fleeing.
  2. AMC Renews ‘Walking Dead’ For Season 2 – Deadline.com – Excellent!
  3. Planning for the future –Republicans move further right. So do Democrats. – The Democrats worry too much about people liking them. Really. And it’s a sentiment I all too well appreciate. GOP in 2008: “They don’t like us, so we need to make sure they like the Dems even less, so that they’ll come back to us.” Dems in 2010: “They don’t like us, we have to change.” The GOP understands the long game a lot better, unfortunately.
  4. How the parties handle adversity: Steve Benen
  5. There are rings to be kissed – I find it ironic that Obama is accused by so many of being haughty and elitist and aloof from the Common Man, when it seems to be the Washington Establishment that’s so miffed at his lack of appropriate kowtowing and gladhanding. Makes you wonder how all those other politicians survive …
  6. IRONY: Cheezburger Network
  7. First delicate tendrils of the nascent IT industry – “Experience men” and the women who read over their shoulder …
  8. Bush And Cheney Fought Bitterly Over Refusal To Pardon Scooter Libby – Because what’s a little obstruction of justice, perjury, making false statements count when you’re a “soldier on the battlefield,” dammit!
  9. Fareed Zakaria On The Republicans: Fool Me Once, Shame On You. Fool Me Three Times… – Perhaps the biggest flaw of a two-party system is that it leaves very few alternatives if you’re unhappy with the current party in power.
  10. 24 Hilarious Bootleg DVDs: Pics, Videos, Links, News – Wow — there’s some true awesome there. Frankly, I think Ahnold would have improved “Phantom Menace” immeasurably.
  11. Billionaire Astroturf Group Claims Tea Partiers Voted To Give Billionaires Tax Cuts: Brad Johnson
  12. Eric Boehlert: Why O’Reilly has to remain mum about Olbermann’s suspension: Eric Boehlert
  13. Obama In India Responds To Question About Jihad – Cue up the Right-Wing Noise Machine who will decry him for being pro-Islam and anti-Christian (somehow) from this answer.

Unblogged Bits (Wed. 3-Nov-10 1731)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Anti-Gay Groups Defeat Iowa Supreme Court Justices – There’s a reason the Founders made SCOTUS positions life-long. Sometimes it’s important that someone NOT be accountable to the local majority’s passions. Does that cause problems? It can. Does it solve more problems than it causes? I think so.
  2. Tom the Dancing Bug: The Poor Little Duck Who’s Rich In Luck – Boing Boing – sigh
  3. Gettin’ high on the Moon – Something for your next SF novel based on the Moon.
  4. REPORT: Meet The 2010 GOP Freshman Class – Yeesh.
  5. Tenther Senate Candidates Get Thumped At The Polls – Well, there’s a small plus.
  6. Star Wars Vintage Travel Posters – Oh, my, these rock.
  7. Gendering Political Mailers » Sociological Images – Women, apparently like flowers. And italic text.
  8. Imitation Imitation Sugar – Brand New – An interesting branding/packaging tactic by NutraSweet — but, ultimately, confusing for (or even deceptive toward) the consumer.
  9. Theo Spark: The First World War, explained as a pub fight………..
  10. Oklahoma bars imaginary sharia threat – Whew! Next up … banning the manufacture of Cylons!
  11. 2010 Campaign Post-Mortem: Yep, it was The Fox Election – “The question now is whether or not Democrats will learn from this: It pays to stand up for something and do the right thing. Being a strong progressive earns voters’ respect and ultimately their votes. I’m not holding my breath.”
  12. It’s hard to fight a fire you can’t see – Fascinating.
  13. Nobody Cares About Process – NYTimes.com – And that’s what the GOP has cashed in on — the average citizens don’t care that the Senate minority was stonewalling from Day 1 through the Senate’s arcane rules; they just care that things didn’t get done by the Senate majority, and that they’re still suffering from unemployment (and high insurance rates).
  14. Most Voters Expect Republicans To Disappoint Them By 2012 – And, heck, that’s Rasmussen — the numbers are likely even more cynical. And given how the Republican Party has been polling in generic favorability, that’s not at all surprising.
  15. The kids are all right (except when they don’t show up): Steve Benen
  16. Half-Wits And Hellhounds – “It doesn’t take long to be like, ‘Ehhh. Nnngh. Thank you, Senator Binks? (Jesus, is he really the incumbent?) Okay, sorry, Wookiees. We like you and all, but it’s time to give up those pelts. At least Vader over here has a plan. Like, any plan at all.’ Because when you’re stuck in a hole and you feel like all is lost, who are you going to listen to? The guy who shrugs or the guy who says, ‘If we kill one of our own and use their bones to make a step-ladder, we can all live?'”
  17. Procrastination – Zits for 11/3/2010 – Wow, does THIS conversation already sound familiar …

Unblogged Bits (Wed. 20-Oct-10 0531)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Feds forced to admit that it’s legal to take pictures of federal buildings – Boing Boing – Yeesh. What does it say that it required a freaking COURT CASE to settle this?
  2. Darkest. Simpsons. Opening. EVER. – Yes, I’m a couple of weeks late on this one. It’s still … yeah.
  3. Hugh Laurie: the British accent vs the American – What does it say that I actually knew the Brit slang better than the ostensibly American slang?
  4. Darth Vader’s Theme in the Style of Beethoven – Somehow this makes Vader seem more noble and tragic than anything Williams and Lucas could do …

Tweets from 2010-10-19

  • Finished rereading "The Maltese Falcon" yesterday, then watched the Bogart movie; remarkably faithful (and a fine read/view in both cases). #
  • Got my parents off to the airport. Funny thing is, I'll be seeing them again tomorrow night … #
  • Taking a nice neighborhood walk. Lovely fall colors are being far too distracting for reading. #
  • Good news: new glasses are in. Bad news: wrong frames got ordered (or, rather, frames I chose had wrong SKU on sticker). Sigh. #
  • Actually, what pleased me was that I stuck by my guns those weren't the frames I'd wanted, before we figured out how the misorder happened. #
  • Got a nice hair trim from Margie, pre-Big Business Meeting. Will have to pack in the morning. #
  • RT @doycet: Because he IS. RT @DaphneUn: Watching the original Star Wars with @doycet and Trixie. He keeps telling her R2-D2 is the hero. #

Unblogged Bits (Tue. 19-Oct-10 2330)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Marketing A Female Viagra Pill: Moynihan Explains // Pharmalot – A classic case of not just responding to a market need, but creating a market need — which is a real problem, when the market is what’s considered a medical condition and how you test and treat it.
  2. (VIDEO) Anti-Choice-Tea Party Video on Amendment 62 Full of Lies, Distortions and Grotesquery | RHRealityCheck.org – More on that lovely Amendment 62 ad …
  3. The Economic Argument – Economic Use as Empirical Proof. I like it.
  4. The Case for Obama | Rolling Stone Politics – “But such selective indictments — legitimate and troubling in many of their particulars — grossly distort the sweep of the 44th presidency. It’s one thing to call the president on his shit. It’s quite another to paint his entire presidency as shit — even if Joe Biden and Robert Gibbs are losing their shit, accusing you of being a ‘whining’ member of the ‘professional left.'”
  5. Iran Infuriated by Film of Woman’s Stoning : Greg Laden’s Blog – So if you’re infuriated because it’s untrue, then deny it. If you’re infuriated because it doesn’t provide the justification for the practice, then defend it. If you’re infuriated because it makes you look bad … well, tough shit.
  6. Virginia Thomas Leaves Anita Hill a Voicemail Asking for An Apology — Hill Says No – Political Punch – What’s more fascinating than the exchange here is the vitriol in the comments (mostly, though not solely, at Hill). Some may think this is ancient history; if so, it’s ancient history that some people are still fighting. (Oh, and, Virginia, someone doesn’t have to apologize for you to forgive.)
  7. snopes.com: Hunter Stalked by Mountain Lion – Yeah, I’ve seen this one circulating lately. Good to see Snopes catching up with it.
  8. 5 Things You Won’t Believe Aren’t In the Bible | Cracked.com – Once again, Cracked does a better job than most churches teaching what is (and isn’t) in the Bible.
  9. A Striking Beauty: 10 Eerie Abandoned Bowling Alleys : WebUrbanist – Cool and creepy.
  10. J.K. Rowling spreadsheet plot – Fascinating.
  11. Finding the fun in Star Wars again | Random Average
  12. Wadhams now believes Maes won’t pull 10 percent | The Spot — Colorado politics and political news, information, analysis — The Denver Post – Okay, never mind the nightmare scenario of Tom Tancredo, let me just say I'd be wildly amused of the GOP dropped to "minor party status" if Dan Maes pulls < 10%.
  13. Cosmic Log – Going to Mars … on a one-way trip – Um … I’ll follow along on their blog avidly, thanks.
  14. Stephen Fry on Grammar Nazis – Seeking out opportunities to point out grammatical errors? Sure, that’s dickish. But there’s a middle ground between that and “as long as other people understand your grunts and gestures, you’re doing great.” (And I suspect Fry would agree.) Context and circumstance are all.

Solo Adventures

What does it say that in 5 minutes this was more fun, entertaining, and in keeping with Star Wars than the whole “first trilogy” mess that Lucas unleashed on us?