What's the game here?

Random strange thought. Google has a satellite. There are those mysterious barges. Multiple barges. Google is attempting to get into our heads with glass. They control a large percentage of search and how people obtain information. And now comes word that Google has been buying up robotics companies, including Boston Dynamic which is fielding the Big Dog (as well as other military robots).

Do no evil, my ass.

Google is Skynet.

For Humor, Context Is Everything

Maybe I just read too much of Doonesbury, but when I saw this in my facebook feed I fell off the chair laughing.

Well I've got a bird you can watch

Sometimes, I just love YouTube for finding new artists. Like Kacey Musgraves.


Sure, it sounds like a simple song, but what a great story for one. Also, she's doing some pretty complex stuff in that song.

Kacey Musgraves is an example of why I no longer dis on country music. I remember when rock had that kind of sensibilities. Somewhere between the Stones and Garth Brooks rock gave up the ghost and country put the paddles to the chest.

And this song isn't a fluke. I'm just going to have to get that disc.

I can't believe I missed this the first time around

OMG, I completely missed that the guy doing the near-space jump that I linked to is named "Fearless Felix." So, anybody else twigging to Fearless Freep?



Hahahahaha.

And that's why I love him

Thanks to Vince, I now know Joe Walsh has a new album out, Analog Man. I loves me some Joe. And thanks to the youtubies, I can get my fix before I get the album (and yes, damn it, it's an album - see the title track). There's a lot of great tracks on this one, and lots of great growling guitar licks that rock hard. But if you want to know why I really admire Joe, here's one of the songs, destined, as so much of good Joe is, to never get airplay, "And the Band Played On."


Gotta love a writer who can put the line "Yeah, everybody's got their heads up their asses" and not only make the meter work, but make it rhyme. Obviously the song may be NSFW depending on your situation.

"Too many chances to sink like a stone…" Oh yes.

Almost forgot to mention, one of the reasons I love Joe Walsh songs is that you can hear he's having such a damn fun time playing them. I can always see that half smile, half gritted teeth, face twisted like he's in pain, look while he plays. Should we all love what we do like he does.

You. Must. Watch. This.

Bwahahahahahahaha!

(hat tip to Mer Haskell)

Um, do it again

Dear God, it's me, Steve again. Say, since you were so obliging with the South Carolina vote, may I make another request? Could you make it that Santorum wins Michigan and Romney wins Pennsylvania? That would be bitchin'. Thanks for listening. Me.

For Jim, because

We know how much Jim Wright loves this song. (Grokked from ticia42)

That's great it starts with an earthquake

Because I keep forgetting to write this up as a funny post (and it doesn't look like I'll have the time), don't forget this Friday is the end of the world.

And don't forget to check out how the Rapture really did occur back in May. You just weren't paying attention.

I just wanted to let you all know. So you could prepare your own parties.

Damn, it's not even a payday.

Open Letter

White House
re: the release of your Long Form Birth Certificate

Dear Mr. President,

Please, sir, stop feeding the Trolls.

Kthxbai,
Me

Noted without comment...

.. except to say, I was giggling for an hour. I'm sure it was unintended humor.

Where I was last night

So, how do you know this was in Ohio? Here's the 10 minute before mark.


Notice how many of those seats are filled. While there were some "fashionably late" people, the majority of people felt they were more of an annoyance than interesting.

Neil deGrasse Tyson gave an excellently rollickingly good speech on the "Ten Things You Should Know About the Universe."


First up, "The Universe has a Shipload of Stars." Dr. Tyson then went on to explain just how large a number you need to use before you can even state the answer.

And then he finished with a Q&A session, which I think the organizers felt went too long, but he seemed to be having fun.


I didn't get to meet him. I tried to rush the stage to get his signature in a book. However, here is a true thing. The very rich people who get to sit up front aren't fast movers. Consider them a triumph of economics over Darwinian philosophies. So I was only halfway across the stage before he was ushered into his limo with police escort. However, an associate did take our books (fortunately I wasn't the only one) which he would sign and then mail back to us. Which I think it very nice of him.

One of the best quotes of the night occurred when he was explaining numbers and got to Billions and used Bill Gates as an example. He then said, "No, you really don't understand how rich that is." He then said one day he was walking down the street and asked himself just what denomination of coin would be sufficient for him to stop and pickup. With his success, his home, car, family, etc. he came to the realization that he'd stop for a dime, but only if he wasn't rushed. A quarter he would stop for no matter what (ensuing jokes of making people await his lecture wait for it). Then he said, "So then I did a quick calculation looking at my wealth compared to Bill to see what the smallest denomination it would take for him to stop and pick up." The answer was $42,000. Anything below that and Bill would just keep walking.

A very good speech. If he comes anywhere near to where you can go see him, you should make the effort.

A quote from Confusion

Sorry that I'm just getting around to this. While at cons there are tons of quotable verses people says (strange when you get groups of writers together how they try to crack each other up, or let fly with the witticisms). This one, however, I kept giggling over during the whole panel.

Jim Hines, "Don't we just pull it out of our asses?" (Talking about where the writing comes from)

Jim Frenkel, "Well, I pull it out of other peoples asses. I'm an editor."

Jim Hines, "I thought editors just said, 'Here, put this back in.'"

For I have sinned against the gods of design and must to ablutions for absolution

There's a big program going on at work

Well, first up. My sin.


Yes, I have used Zapfino to set sappy text. For this I will be punished by serving time in PowerPoint purgatory, I'm sure.

But, there is a good side. I also got to do this.


(text reads, "You message was spot on, but your delivery was…")

The good and the bad at the day thing.

After the Tourists Go Home

Sorry for the low-rez nature, but I didn't want to miss the scene.

(Okay, well, he's filling up gas cans, but I still chuckled - does that horse required high-test or just plain 82 octane?)

Grades posted

I scored a 107 out of 100 for the final (there were ten bonus points possible). So, for the class, before she posts the grades for the second paper (but including those possible points in the calculation - to my deficit) I have a 100.87%. If we cut out the "bonus points" (that is take the total points possible - regular + bonus), and don't count the second paper (as we don't have that grade yet), I have a 97.3%.

edited 07-02 Got a 20 out of 20 on the final paper, overall a 103.49%.

Listen, do you smell that?

The maddening of the crowds.

No, I really can't explain. Just go and watch the embedded video.

Okay, I can explain a little. It seems the vuvuzela has become that thing in our culture that everybody hates. Except those that have them.

It's the adult version of the noisy Xmas Toy. Starts out charming, but then add a few hundred of them together, and a child's intensity to do the same thing over, and over (and over…)… well, you get the picture.

And as I said when Apple released Quicktime 5 which also became the standard for MP4. The revolution has begun, and it will be streamed live.

Add in the somewhat envious contempt some quarters hold for the Lord of the RIng movies (even though they all own both the theatrical box set and the extended versions) and this is the result.

If you're not giggling inside by the time of the Moria footage (or at least suffering from internal eye-rolling of epic proportions), I'm not sure we can be friends. Surely, you laughed at the Rivendale footage.

And now, a word from our sponsors

Because there needs to be balance to my screechy-monkeying of the day we bring you this newsbreak: Nation's Unemployment Outlook Improves Drastically After Fifth Beer.

Oh Onion, we love you.

(Thanks to Dan for the tip and the laugh. I needed that.)

Chicken Dance

Coolio Daddy Dan sends a link to some interesting technology. Now, I'm not one to buy into the "technology will save us" philosophy, but this is very cool. One of the problems with converting to a hydrogen economy is the storage of the fuel (hydrogen). People are working like mad on battery tech (hello Bolivia!) and trying to get fuel cells to be practical (they are, but they cost too much and are prone to breakdowns). And now most of the promising technology to store hydrogen safely and efficiently in a portable fashion (unless you want all our hydrogen cars to have to carry those "Flammable/Explosive" icons on them) has been hideously expensive (like the price of a BMW, one of the nice ones). Well, necessity is the mother of something and some enterprising people at the University of Delaware have come up with a very cost effective method. Chicken feathers. Baked chicken feathers.

Those scientists. They're always thinking. Even when making a late night KFC run.

Large fuels cells just became more practical.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May

It's the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare's sonnets.

If you can't be a ham and do Hamlet
They will not give a damn or a damlet
Just recite an occasional sonnet
And your lap'll have honey upon it