I don't understand why anybody would want a hippopotamus for Christmas.
Look people: Those things are DANGEROUS!! They cause more human deaths on the African continent than any other animal.
And they cost a fortune to feed, too..
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Battle of the Bulge began 65 years ago today
The Germans called it "Operation: Watch on the Rhine". Among the Allies it was officially referred to as the "Ardennes-Alsace Campaign". For General Anthony McAuliffe of the 101st Airborne it was simply "Nuts!"
But you and I know it better as the Battle of the Bulge.
It was perhaps the hardest-fought battle of the European theater. It would have been that even without the snow and ice and freezing temperatures that the Allies (mostly American but several British as well) were forced to endure.
But in the end, more than a month later, the Nazis were in retreat. The Allies had prevailed... and the western front was poised to arrive right at Berlin's front door.
For those who fought - and especially for those who fought and never came back - from this most pivotal moment of World War II, this blogger tips his hat in gratitude.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Swiss scientist on trial for causing earthquakes
Markus Haering appeared in court in Basel, Switzerland today. The charge leveled against him: that his company's activities caused earthquakes, one of which measured 3.4 Richter magnitude. Haering's firm is researching geothermal-generated electricity. Well, according to court documents his company's deep-drilling in 2006 triggered the quakes. There were no injuries but $9 million in damages were reported. If the judge finds him guilty of intentionally damaging property, Haering faces five years jail for making the earthquakes happen...
...which is gonna be a heckuva retort when he gets asked "So what are you in for buddy?"
(Seriously though, sounds like it's gonna be an easy charge to beat. Lex Luthor might have been put behind bars for doing something like this but not Markus Haering. Dude doesn't even have a nuclear weapon, fer pete's sake...)
The photography of Jessica Nicole Reed
Yet another cartoon from the wonderfully twisted mind of Dave Lowe!
As always, you can enjoy more of Dave's hilarious work at his web comic Para Abnormal!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Late Monday evening musing (am I doing too much thinking?)
Disillusionment is very often the father of discernment.
Is LucasArts out of touch with its fanbase?
As Scott puts it...
If we needed any confirmation that LucasArts was undoubtedly out of touch with their fanbase, the announcement of the newest LucasArts game, creatively titled “The Force Unleashed II”, has unfortunately given us the signal.I have to agree with Scott. Star Wars should be one of the most dynamic and exciting franchises in history, but LucasArts has been loathe to take risks with it and as a result Star Wars video gaming has become... dare I say it?... exceedingly stagnant. That's what happens when you keep "playing it safe" with your most prized vehicle. George Lucas and his companies should be letting it tear up the highway, not making it sit in a garage out of fear of a few dings and scratches. Because in the end it's the little quirks like that which add character to a franchise. Paramount finally understood that when it let J.J. Abrams direct Star Trek and there's no reason why it can't work for LucasArts too.I could talk about how making a sequel to “The Force Unleashed” doesn’t make sense, in a narrative sense, since (SPOILER AHEAD) Galen Marek dies at the end. I could discuss how this violates the whole “no body/no death” trope. I could bring up the fact that most fans complimented the game not on the gameplay, but on the actual story told.
But I won’t. Looking across the internet, you can find people discussing just that.
Now is the time to come to terms with LucasArts’ cowardice in making new, creative Star Wars games. Yes, you read it right: cowardice. With this cowardice, you’ll only see fans getting tired of the same old games that you’ll come to expect from LucasArts.
Scott suggests new installments of the X-Wing and TIE Fighter series. I would love to see that. But I think LucasArts should stop being afraid to plow some new ground too. We've just had Death Troopers, the first Star Wars horror novel: something like that would make for a hella game in the mold of BioShock or Alien vs. Predator. There may not be any more Star Wars movies forthcoming, but video gaming can certainly keep Star Wars fresh and vibrant by going into sub-genres that have never been considered.
The Muppets do "The Ringing of the Bells"
Here's the latest from Muppets Studio: the Swedish Chef, Beaker and Animal doing the classic Christmas tune "The Ringing of the Bells"!
Gosh I'm loving these new Muppets shorts! I've probably watched the "Bohemian Rhapsody" video about a hunnerd times so far (along with a few million other people :-)
Very awesome pseudo-3D effect using CSS and HTML
Visual artist Román Cortés has taken the classic painting Las Meninas and, using only standard HTML and CSS (no Flash or Javascript at all), has created an INCREDIBLY amazing 3D effect. Click on the link to check it out!
(And thanks to Shane Thacker for the great find!)
Thirtieth anniversary of Steven Spielberg's loudest movie
It was on December 14th, 1979 - thirty years ago today - that the mostest highest-decibel movie ever directed by Steven Spielberg was released.
I am, of course, referring to 1941.
With a crazy eclectic cast featuring John Belushi, Christopher Lee, Slim Pickens, John Candy and Dan Ackroyd among many others and backed up by a rousing score by John Williams, 1941 pokes fun at the very real paranoia that beset the West Coast in the days and weeks following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. At the time 1941 confused and bewildered critics (who weren't sure if it was supposed to have been a drama or a comedy) but three decades later, it is now considered a cult classic. 1941 is a screaming movie. The filming was so loud that Spielberg had to fire a prop machine gun into the air rather than yelling "cut" because otherwise the actors couldn't hear him.
A rather peculiar movie that has only gotten better with age, 1941 is great for an evening's worth of laughs. Check it out if you haven't already... and make sure the volume of your home entertainment system is cranked way up!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
It's the Singing Dogs... yes THOSE Singing Dogs!
Ever wonder what the Singing Dogs of the "Dogs singing 'Jingle Bells'" look like?
Here they are!
The "Jingle Bells" cover is attributed most to Pearl (center of top row) although Caesar, King, Dolly and Pussy also turned in solid renditions of "Pat-A-Cake", "O Susanna" and "Three Blind Mice".
Want to know the real history of "Dogs Singing 'Jingle Bells'"? Click here for the story of the Caroling Dogs of Copenhagen.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
HyperMind is doing some charity events this holiday season!
I was at HyperMind in Burlington a few nights ago, my now-familiar haunt on many Thursday evenings (and a few other times during the week) and I got my butt handed to me twice during a coupl'a rousing games of Monsterpocalypse and... ahhh THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT!! :-P
Anyway, this very fine friendly local game store that I have written about much in the past year is doing some groovy charity events this month for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots and Loaves & Fishes Christian Food Ministry! This weekend there's a YuGiOh Tournament and next weekend it's a Magic: The Gathering tourney. The buy-in is to bring items of non-perishable food and while you're there you can donate to the Toys for Tots box.
HyperMind is at 3396 S. Church Street in Burlington, North Carolina. Their phone number is 336-584-1760 and you can find plenty more information on the store's website at hypermindonline.com. Bring some food and toys and yer playin' cards and get ready to have fun for a good cause!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Awright, just 'cuz I'm bored tonight...
...here is "Raging Rudolph", that classic short from MADtv back in 1995 or so.
I wish they would make this into a real Christmas special!
It's Friday again
What are you doing reading this blog? It's the weekend. Go out and play.
Maybe more to post this weekend but in the meantime I got nothin' and for once I like it! :-P
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Something about "health care reform" that isn't asked enough...
Why should we believe that the representatives and senators who are most pushing "health care reform" are going to want to have the same government health care that the rest of us are going to be forced to endure?
Y'all seen this Norwegian spiral thingy yet?
Early yesterday morning the above... whatever... appeared in the sky over Norway (Click here for plenty more photos). It's been captured on video and still photography all over that country. Speculation has run the gamut from an off-kilter display of the Northern Lights, to little green men. Bad Astronomy might be onto the real culprit: a Russian rocket that was test-launched Wednesday and went awry, spewing its fuel into the atmosphere. A more mundane explanation, but still makes for a pretty awe-inspiring show.
