Linkee-poo welcomes shorter days

NPR is asking your opinion on the best SF/F books.

Okay, is it me, or is the new Conan trailer mostly splatter porn? Sure, I've criticized movies in the past for not showing enough of the real damage done by combat (like a total lack of blood), but, uh, blood doesn't behave that way. It's not like we're bags filled with blood. The closest you get is if you cut some artery. The other way is to do massive tissue damage. A sharp sword shouldn't do that. What's next? Are we going to pump the scent of shit and burned or decaying flesh into the theaters? 'Cause when you cut someone from groin to sternum, there's going to be a smell to that (not to mention that just like tauntauns, we don't smell so good on the inside).

Disruptive Technology. Yeah, I believe that's the definition if the D-Dalus, a new concept in both aircraft and aircraft engines that's on display at the Paris Air Show, proves out. Understand, that's a working prototype. I wish they had a video. (pointed to by Dan)

In case you think you only need to thank our military for their service, you might also want to thank them for being guinea pigs for medicine. That's a story about just one of the advances made during these wars, the regeneration of muscle tissue. Most of modern medicine owes it start to battlefield, including the rise of allopathic medicine and the basis from which it drew from. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

Speaking of medicine, only in the "Greatest Country on Earth with the Best Health Care System" are there people robbing banks to get free health care in jail. Originally though the guy was a whackjob, but reading his quotes, he seems entirely reasonable. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

And another in the long line of now discredited Tea Party "ideals." Ohio looks to enact a strict voter id law in the face of no actual problem. Said law looks to disenfranchise nearly 1 million Ohio voters of their right to vote. So, here we have unnecessary government regulation and an actual stripping of Constitutional Rights (and consumer rights). Where's the Tea Party outrage? Oh right, they're for the law. Note to TP and the conservatives in the Ohio Legislature, proving voter fraud is not "proving a negative" (which they rightly say can't be done). It is a positive and quantitatively ascertainable issue. It's just that there is no wide spread fraud and you're having difficulty wrapping your head around that. Oh, and providing "free" IDs, (besides the mechanics of getting one) you know that's coming out of your taxes and adding to the state's deficit, right?

You know, people I take seriously walked me back from completely trashing the Tea Party and made me think, "Hmm, maybe they have something here." All your work is being washed away by the hard reality of your movement's actions. I believe in the sincerity of my friends, and that they had good intentions and motivations (I actually believe in some of their stated reasons for the movement, which is why they tried to recruit me so hard). Your movement is betraying you. Those you helped win office are working hard on everything but your stated goals (about the only thing left is the fight over the debt ceiling, which is beginning to look like it's an attempt to keep the US economy down to gain seats and the presidency in 2012). You promised to hold them accountable, but now your movement is adjusting their stance on issues to try and keep to the ideals of the fringe you helped elect. The social conservatives have hijacked you. And they don't give a shit about the Constitution and fiscal management except to give it lip service to get your vote (this is what I realized about the Republican Party back in GHW Bush's presidency, and one of the reasons I left the party).

Like reality had anything to do with it. It seems to be the conservative mantra these days that if a rumor can be halfway around the world before the truth has enough time to get its pants on, they'll be on the side of rumor. Because once people get something into their heads, it really is nearly impossible to dislodge it (for most people).

I think I mentioned it earlier, but Gov. Rick Perry, traitor to the cause. Please, conservatives, nominate this nutbag. I look forward to seeing you twist into knots trying to explain how you love the country and the Constitution so much, you're willing to dump it all, take your little red ball and go home. That would be an interesting debate. Of course, only if the "liberal" / "Lamestream" media were actually liberal. I'll agree with the lameness in this issue. (Grokked from Jay Lake)