Anyhoo, this is a clip from a puppy breeder up in Canada, and it has to be one of the sweetest and cutest videos that I've ever found on YouTube. I couldn't resist sharing it :-)
So here we are: Kristen Bradford as Naomi Pryce, Yours Truly as William Shatner, and Steven Glaspie as Big Deal from the TV commercials for Priceline!
But that's not all! After Kristen posted that pic onto her Facebook page I immediately Twitter-ed about it.
And William Shatner himself re-tweeted it!!!
Click on the link, and behold the visual record of our epic geek win...
Honestly don't know what else to say. Just... wow. To be re-tweeted by The Shatner. The Shatner is not a mere mortal: he is... a force of nature. And tonight The Shatner beheld one of my best friends, my girlfriend and I as the Priceline Negotiators.
The Shatner saw me portraying him and acknowledged that before all creation.
Whoa.
I think I gotta lay down after that...
The screening was on September 12th. Why didn't I write about it sooner? Because it still hasn't sunk in yet: that was my film Forcery, the idea for which hit just over ten years ago (I began writing the script on the night before 9/11), and my most life-long best friend playing George Lucas on the big screen as part of this multi-award winning documentary that has played at film festivals all around the world!
But as surreal as the experience was, that was mild compared to watching Melody Hallman Daniel's performance as Frannie Filks from Forcery, which The People vs. George Lucas is exceptionally peppered with! In fact, director Alexandre Philippe has told me that at every screening he has attended around the globe, that Melody's performance is a huge hit and has never failed to arouse cheering and clapping. There certainly was at the screening we attended last month! In fact, her rant about "Greedo never shot first!" even made it into the pages of Time Magazine this week!
Apart from seeing our own lil' film in it, The People vs. George Lucas is quite an intriguing work examining the Star Wars phenomenon, its creator and the love/hate relationship that Lucas has enjoyed(?) with the saga's fans (particularly since the Special Editions started the "retconning" ball rolling in 1997). Philippe doesn't take any decisive sides in his film, but rather lets the viewer decide on his or her own. As far as this viewer is concerned, I learned quite a few new things... as well as was led to consider quite a lot of what it means to be a Star Wars fan from a fresh perspective.
It's a fascinating film, and it's now available on DVD at Amazon.com and probably a few of the big box retailers. Highly recommended!
From the story at Boing Boing...
Boing Boing reader Jeff Hindman says he chanced across a "giant Legoman washed ashore" today while strolling on the beach at Siesta Key Village, Fla.Doesn't look like the LEGO man is in any distress from his ordeal. I mean, look at how big his smile is :-P"It is very big, about 8 ft. tall," Hindman said. " ... I worked with Lego in my younger days, but this piece is amazing, it's still there on the beach."
A photo of the creature shows it beached on a sandbank, in otherwise good condition. On its chest is the message, "No real than you are."
This suggests it has the same origin as Lego men who washed ashore in Zandvoort, Holland, three years ago, and then in Brighton, England.
Feel free to post whatever jokes cross your mind about giving this guy a hand etc. But seriously: why was a homeless man building a guillotine at a campsite? And just look at that thing: it's easily one of the more sophisticated guillotines that I've seen built by a layman. Something like that takes some skills to pull off. As much as I have to wonder about his motive, I have to also wonder why he wasn't putting that kind of ability to work in carpentry or metalwork.
In keeping with this blogger's goal of observation and collecting data, I will now state that if there is indeed validity to the theory, that there will be a significant possibility of severe seismic/geological activity within the next three to four weeks of this writing, with a chance of occurring much sooner. That seems to be the window of "opportunity" (for lack of a better word).
Apparently Warners thinks that Disney's "Vault" model is the way to go with a film series that has already generated $12.1 billion. That should be enough money for anyone, right?
I haven't watched a Harry Potter movie since the fifth one, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, came out in theaters. Guess I could be honest and say that I've just been... waiting for the right time to revisit that film franchise (for a number of reasons). If that time comes in the near future, looks like I'm gonna have to buy the Blu-rays now and put 'em in the trunk for later. Not something I particularly care to do (also for a number of reasons).
Dumb, dumb, dumb business move. The one rationale that I've heard for Disney's treatment of the home market is that it allows for its movies to take advantage of whatever is the dominant technology at the time (VHS, then DVD, now Blu-ray etc.) I can't see how that possibly figures into Warner's strategy here. The only reason I can think of why the company is doing this, is to compel people to rush out and buy the Harry Potter movies as soon as they can for this holiday season.
Guess it'll be several more years before I or my children (Lord willing that I have any) will get to enjoy the Harry Potter series in the comfort of our own home...
Okay, watching it with the girlfriend last night, we had to shuffle the DVR back a couple o' times: when Daryl nonchalantly tells the walker to "Shut up" before coolly putting a crossbow arrow through its brain, and then the scene where Hershel tells Lori that he's a vet... as in, animal doctor and not a combat medic (the look in her eyes in that scene alone oughtta give Sarah Wayne Callies a best actress nomination at the Emmies).
Watching the episode again this afternoon, post the initial shock of yesterday evening's viewing, I gotta say: anyone else seeing a definite "faith versus hopelessness" vibe already in this season? Last week's season premiere had that full-bore already (even though that's the oddest Baptist church that I've ever seen: I mean, a crucifix in the sanctuary, no baptistery, and Orthodox-ish icons on the walls?!?). But it was Scott Wilson as Hershel Greene that really slammed it home last night. His quiet faith in God and his hope that things would get better in spite of how the entire world has seemingly gone down with no chance at all... well, I for one found it intensely refreshing, uplifting and encouraging.
This is why I love The Walking Dead so much. Yeah it's a show about a zombie apocalypse... but that's not what it's really about. It's about very realistic and sincere and frail human characters trying to keep going in the face of the very worst of circumstance. For my money, it's the best show on TV since Lost.
Can't wait for next week's episode! And for a certain friend of mine (name o' Michelle): are you sure that you still hate Shane after last night's chapter? :-P
The split keyboard alone is enough to compel me to tip my hat to the good folks at Apple. I'm also discovering that there are some new features on the camera (well, new to me anyway). Didn't have any problems updating: many people reported that stuff like contacts info etc. became lost during their own update procedures but happily, that time seems to have passed (something about how Apple's iTunes servers couldn't validate properly with all those folks attempting to install simultaneously).
Meanwhile I'm considering getting my first-ever smartphone, an iPhone 4S. Don't know if that means I'm officially "dumb" now or what... :-P
There has been an increase in geological activity since I posted that, particularly around the Pacific Rim (the so-called "Ring of Fire"). In addition there have been numerous earthquakes in excess of 4.0 Richter throughout the American Southwest following the "forecast" (or whatever one wishes to call it) and now increasing volcanic activity in Iceland and a very interesting rise in earthquakes around El Hierro in the Canary Islands.
So what does this mean for my theory?
I suppose it could be some validation, but something like this still needs long-term data before I could comfortably say "Hey, this makes the possibility of earthquakes more likely to happen!" Although in the past month there has been one peer-reviewed and published journal study that kinda dovetails with this concept of mine.
So here's what I'm gonna do: I'm gonna keep watching this thing that I've been observing, and the next time the conditions are "favorable" (for lack of a better term), I'll make a note of it and we'll see what happens.
In the meantime, this oughtta tide y'all over for the weekend. It's Queen's classic song "Bohemian Rhapsody"... covered by William Shatner!
I would spell out his name, but nobody seems to agree on HOW to spell it correctly in English! And my keyboard ain't so hot with Arabic. Me neither...
Ummmm...
WHAAAAAA...?!?!?!?!?
This was the best new television series last year. And after tonight's 90-minute season opener, this new one looks to be even better.
Just... wow!
Must. Watch. Again.
And not for the first time (actually it's my third and I think Ed's ummm... fourth or fifth?), we got to meet Al :-)
Here's my filmmaking partner "Weird" Ed Woody with Al...
Here is good friend Marissa with Al! Okay, Marissa is, like, one of the most mature eighth graders that you will ever find. But on the trip to Charlotte yesterday she steadily began turning into this whole other person and when Al came out on stage Marissa went totally berzerko!! She is a bigtime Al fan and, well... you can imagine what happened when she got to meet her hero :-)
When we brought her back home at 2 a.m. I warned her father that he was going to see a Marissa that "I didn't know ever existed... but I mean that in a good way! She's just gonna be bouncing off the walls for the next few days" :-P
And finally, here is Yours Truly along with m'lady Kristen (proudly wearing her Nerd shirt which she ordered just for the occasion!) with Al...
Expect a write-up of the concert in the next few days (I'm still recovering/catching up on stuff), which was by far the most electrifying and fun concert that I've ever seen Al perform!
Plenty more photos - some not for the faint of heart - at Occupy Sesame Street.
Taken at the Best Buy in Burlington, North Carolina.
My own understanding of Christ will NEVER be YOUR standard for salvation!
(Just something that God put on my heart to write, at this very early morning hour.)
Napier was in a wazoo of stuff over the many decades that he was active, including The Silence of the Lambs and The Blues Brothers. But to many (including myself) he'll forever most be remembered as Adam: the "space hippie" in "The Way to Eden" episode of Star Trek.
Here's a montage of some of his work...
Thoughts and prayers going out to his family tonight.
Breaking everywhere right now.
Dear Steve, thank you. During your time in this world, you really did leave it a far better place.
Thoughts and prayers going out to his family tonight.
Sent from my iPad
Here's the letter that she has sent out far and wide across the Intertubes...
October 5, 2011I've posted criticism of Mrs. Palin on this blog before. Mostly about why I couldn't vote for her in good conscience, given how she managed Wasilla when she was mayor. And I couldn't vote for her for President in light of how she surrendered her job as governor of Alaska.
Wasilla, AlaskaAfter much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States. As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision. When we serve, we devote ourselves to God, family and country. My decision maintains this order.
My decision is based upon a review of what common sense Conservatives and Independents have accomplished, especially over the last year. I believe that at this time I can be more effective in a decisive role to help elect other true public servants to office – from the nation’s governors to Congressional seats and the Presidency. We need to continue to actively and aggressively help those who will stop the “fundamental transformation” of our nation and instead seek the restoration of our greatness, our goodness and our constitutional republic based on the rule of law.
From the bottom of my heart I thank those who have supported me and defended my record throughout the years, and encouraged me to run for President. Know that by working together we can bring this country back – and as I’ve always said, one doesn’t need a title to help do it.
I will continue driving the discussion for freedom and free markets, including in the race for President where our candidates must embrace immediate action toward energy independence through domestic resource developments of conventional energy sources, along with renewables. We must reduce tax burdens and onerous regulations that kill American industry, and our candidates must always push to minimize government to strengthen the economy and allow the private sector to create jobs.
Those will be our priorities so Americans can be confident that a smaller, smarter government that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people can better serve this most exceptional nation.
In the coming weeks I will help coordinate strategies to assist in replacing the President, re-taking the Senate, and maintaining the House.
Thank you again for all your support. Let’s unite to restore this country!
God bless America.
– Sarah Palin
But all the same, I've thought that Mrs. Palin, despite her mistakes, only had the best of intentions at heart. And reading this letter from her, my respect for her has risen considerably. I've no doubt that she stood a great chance of winning the election in 2012, and she had to have known that. To have given up that opportunity should evoke enormous pause among supporters and opponents alike.
I've believed for some years now that it takes a strong person of deep conviction and principle to not grasp the chance for power. And unless she has some ulterior motive in making this choice, I can't but give Mrs. Palin the benefit of the doubt and believe that she is adhering to her principles.
My biggest beef with her decision is that apparently she's already putting the kibosh on running as a third party candidate, stating that any third party would guarantee Barack Obama winning re-election.
Mrs. Palin, if you ever happen to read this, more than anything else I would feel morally obligated to tell you: unshackle yourself from partisan labels. America does not need party operatives anymore... none at all. This country needs visionaries who aren't defined and will not be defined by party affiliation. America needs leaders who seek after and trust God first, to the detriment of all institutions of this broken world.
Mrs. Palin, I don't think you are that visionary yet... but, I do sincerely believe that you could be.
Stop defining yourself as a Republican. Indeed, stop defining yourself as any kind of partisan.
Simply be defined by what God has made you to be.
In the end, that is nothing more and nothing less than any of us should aspire to become.
Harold Camping is at it again. The on-air Christian evangelist who predicted that this past May 21st would herald the Rapture and the return of Jesus Christ (uhhhh, it didn't happen) is now saying that the Rapture will be on October 21st instead.
As for that failed May prognostication, here's what Camping's outfit has said...
What really happened this past May 21st? What really happened is that God accomplished exactly what He wanted to happen. That was to warn the whole world that on May 21 God’s salvation program would be finished on that day. For the next five months, except for the elect (the true believers), the whole world is under God’s final judgment. To accomplish this goal God withheld from the true believers the way in which two phrases were to be understood. Had He not done so, the world would never have been shaken in fear as it was.Ummmmm... oooh-kaaaay...Thus we can be sure that the whole world, with the exception of those who are presently saved (the elect), are under the judgment of God, and will be annihilated together with the whole physical world on October 21, 2011, on the last day of the present five months period. On that day the true believers (the elect) will be raptured. We must remember that only God knows who His elect are that He saved prior to May 21.
And on the chutzpah-ish side of things, televange-pest Pat Robertson is telling his viewers to be wary of those like Camping who make false predictions. Click on the link to peruse a list of many of Robertson's own prophecies, none of which came to pass.
Let me be more succinct: in my mind, the Wall Street protests are being driven by activists determined to bring about socialism, to the detriment of industry that has allowed this country to boast the highest standard of living of any nation in recorded history.
Is our country perfect? No... and it never will be either. There's always going to be room for improvement. But socialism has never proven itself in the long term to be a viable model and we would be wise to remember that.
However, tonight I was sent this video and, I have to agree with at least this young man who has made himself part of the demonstrations on Wall Street. Because he's not advocating socialism at all. Instead he's speaking in favor of honest government and a sound economy build on actual money... and not the fiat currency issued by the Federal Reserve!
I dare anyone to watch and listen to the following, and not be persuaded that this guy is 1000%, absolutely RIGHT!
It's 8 and a half minutes long, and some mature language... but well worth viewing.
Thanks to good friend Eric Smith for passing this along!
Well anyhoo, here's the BIG news of the day, friends and neighbors!
(Longtime readers of this blog can rest assured, that I am already planning to make a border run to get some :-)
Here's the website for Popcorn Sutton's Tennessee White Whiskey, which currently leads only to an e-mail alert sign-up page. But rest assured: the good stuff is being sold as of this evening. That's the word from Popcorn's widow Pam Sutton and now, it is my good pleasure to spread the word :-)
Here are two of them for your viewing pleasure. The first is none other than my girlfriend Kristen, in what the announcer describes as her "really sexy little tiny costume", performing a Mambo...
Now this next one, I really regret that I didn't get the first part of it because I was... well, confused about what they were doing initially. And then the first notes of "Harry's Wondrous World" from John Williams' score for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone began playing.
What followed was a Viennese Waltz perhaps unlike any other, performed by Beth Craighead and Mohammed Taher ...
For those curious, yes I am starting to learn ballroom dancing. A little of it so far anyway. Maybe when I begin taking lessons on a regular basis I might eventually post a video of me dancing a Rumba to "Imperial March".
The iPhone 4s's new camera rocks though. That will be niiiiice on the next iteration of iPad.
Other than that - and the new Siri feature - it wasn't that big a deal, in my opinion. Oh well, maybe next September...
And not only that, but it's fully functional too! PLUM B's LEGO Lancer shoots rubber bands. And yes, the chainsaw bayonet even revs-up to make mincemeat out of those pesky Locust grubs and Lambent mutants!
Now if only we could have this sitting on the shelves at Toys R Us in time for Christmas...
Y'know, Johnny Cash really was the only person in history who could say the word "Hell" on The Muppet Show and get away with it.
Well folks, two other well-known actors have also been spotted traipsing around the Civil War era! First up we have John Travolta...
From the photo's eBay listing (which has mysteriously gone defunct)...
I've had this interesting photograph for years and i've been unable to part with it. When you look at it and into the eyes of the sitter you will see what I mean!Meanwhile, Kurt Russell has also been located running amok the time-space continuum...I believe this is the photograph of a very young John Travolta taken around 1860 and I mean ..in the year 1860. This is a ruby glass ambrotype photograph and it is one of a kind. It hasn't been changed, tampered with or altered in anyway. It is clear and is as nice as the day it was taken roughly 151 years ago. I know..you are saying..John Travolta is alive today in 2011 and he doesn't look 151 years old.
For those of you who don't know, John Travolta is a Scientologist and many Scientologists believe in a type of reincarnation. Of course Time travel can't be ruled out as well. This photograph is from approx 1860 and the young man looks to be around 18 to 20 years old. Unfortunately the youngest photos available to the public for comparison of John himself are about 5-8 year older than he is in this photo.
The photograph is a 1\6th plate ambrotype that is housed in a full case. The repaired case has again come apart and could use some tape.
The thing that I always found striking about this photograph and I'm sure that you will too is the amazing identical EYES, HAIRLINE and most importantly John's very unique trademark CHIN. Remember that the antique photograph that you are looking at was taken in 1860 and the sitter is wearing a period hairstyle as well as clothing. I also found it very difficult to photograph. It looks much better in person. Everyone who looks at it tells me that the more they look at it ..the more it 'freaks them out'.
I don't know whether to make a Stargate joke or wisecrack about "Hey Snake, you should be dead!" As of this writing you can still bid for this photograph, a tintype from the 1860-1870 era.
Incidentally, if anyone finds a photograph from the 1940s era that looks a lot like me in Great Britain hanging around SHAEF, just ignore it. It's only a coincidence.
Here are some of the indicators of spiritual abuse, in whatever form it might take...
- Have a distorted view of respect. They forget the simple adage that respect is earned, not granted. Abusive leaders demand respect without having earned it by good, honest living.I can unfortunately think of any number of people who fit these descriptions plenty. Who fit all of them, even.- Demand allegiance as proof of the follower’s allegiance to Christ. It’s either his/her way or no way. And if a follower deviates, he is guilty of deviating from Jesus.
- Use exclusive language. “We’re the only ministry really following Jesus.” “We have all the right theology.” Believe their way of doing things, thinking theologically, or handling ministry and church is the only correct way. Everyone else is wrong, misguided, or stupidly naive.
- Buffer him/herself from criticism by placing people around themselves whose only allegiance is to the leader. Views those who bring up issues as enemies. Those who were once friends/allies swiftly become enemies once a concern is raised. Sometimes these folks are banished, told to be silent, or shamed into submission.
- Hold to outward performance but rejects authentic spirituality. Places burdens on followers to act a certain way, dress an acceptable way, and have an acceptable lifestyle.
- Use exclusivity for allegiance. Followers close to the leader or leaders feel like insiders. Everyone else is on the outside, though they long to be in that inner circle.
Reading over DeMuth's article, I felt led to consider again what it means to be a follower of Christ and what sincere Christian leadership entails. I really have to credit a lot of good people that God put into my life over the years (especially during those first crazy few when I began my walk with Christ) from whom I came to understand a notion that is completely at odds with the ways of the world: namely, that to serve Christ first and to serve others best means to put self last. In fact, the ideal of Christian leadership is that person who not only recognizes that he or she is imperfect, but indeed readily acknowledges that reality. To follow Christ and serve others is to crucify self, as opposed to aggrandizing self.
That is the reason, I have to believe, why the most respected and admired servants of Christ that most come to mind, are also the most humble and selfless. Those are the men and women who daily strive to let self die, so that Christ within them might radiate forth ever more brilliantly. It is the ones who take pains to point to themselves most who in turn point away from Christ.
Anyhoo, it's a great essay by Mary DeMuth, and I felt led to turn y'all's attention to it :-)
Those are not eight "troops" that have been killed in Afghanistan. A "troop" is a GROUP of soldiers. You do not call one soldier a "troop". One soldier is a "trooper".
And in my opinion it's mighty disrespectful to not say what they really are: those were eight SOLDIERS who were killed. INDIVIDUALS who had hopes and dreams and for whatever their various reasons chose to put those dreams aside so they could serve in the armed forces.
Those who sent them to Afghanistan and other places of meaningless war might be a bunch of asshat bastards but that doesn't mean we have any right or reason to disrespect these individuals, each one as unique and precious a creation of God as any of us are, who made a choice to be a SOLDIER.
In the future please refrain from referring to soldiers as "troops", unless you mean to convey the sense of troops plural, as in groups of groups of soldiers.
Thank you.
Chocolate Fondue- 1 and 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces Ghiradelli 70% Cacao Extra Bittersweet Chocolate baking bar (broken up into pieces)
- 4 ounces Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Baking Bar (also broken up into pieces)Pour the milk, vanilla extract and butter into a saucepan. Heat the saucepan on medium and mix well. When it has begun to slightly boil from the heat, remove from the burner and pour in the bittersweet and milk chocolate bar pieces. Keep stirring until the bars are completely melted and the fondue is uniformly brown and smooth (the saucepan can be brought back to heat to facilitate this). Pour the fondue from the saucepan into a fondue pot and keep it warm, not hot (an electrical fondue pot with precise temperature control is excellent for this).
Serve with marshmallows, strawberries, slices of banana, or whatever else strikes your fancy!
Serves 2-4 people.
If she intended this as a joke, I don't see how it could possibly have been funny at all. It's too scary enough that Perdue conceived of such an unconstitutional and morally wrong idea, let alone verbally articulated it.
Here's what North Carolina's Worst Governor Ever said yesterday at a meeting of the Rotary Club in nearby Cary...
"I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that. You want people who don't worry about the next election."So Perdue wants to suspend democracy and elections in the name of reigning-in the economy. She said "I really hope that someone can agree with me on that."
Dear Lord, I hope not.
After having listened to the actual audio of Governor Perdue's comments, I'm finding it ever more difficult to believe that this was a suggestion that she was making in jest.
Let's ignore the obvious for a moment: that what Perdue is advocating is nothing short of treason and circumvention of the Constitution by an elected executive in high office and if someone else has a more accurate terminology, I would like to be told of it.
Governor Perdue, the United States is experiencing a very difficult time financially because, in large part, the government has "helped" too much already.
And now you not only want that same government to do more, but be made unaccountable to the voting public as well?
I don't see how anyone who would suggest such a thing should be trusted at all with delegated authority. George W. Bush demonstrated to us that he wasn't fit to be President when he said that he wished he could be "dictator" and just so, Bev Perdue is now demonstrating that she is not fit to be governor of this state.
If she steps aside now, I would have inestimably more respect for the lady. Gauging by what I've been reading so far today, a lot of other people would too.
Congrats Al! And the "Polka Face" video is hilarious!! :-)
It's taken seventeen years. But at long last, I'm gonna see how the Earth-Kilrathi war ends...
Online classic games vendor GOG.com has made Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger available for purchase! For $5.99 you get the game as a 1.6 gigabyte download. And if you've never played a Wing Commander game before you can also get Wing Commander I and Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi as one package, also for $5.99. And GOG.com also has "sidequel" Wing Commander: Privateer available as well.
But it's Wing Commander III that has me slobbering like mad tonight. This game was practically an entire full-length motion picture that gave players the chance to determine how the plot played out. The cutscenes used greenscreens and CGI art to create completely virtual sets to tell its galaxy-spanning epic. And then there was the acting talent that was brought aboard for the project: Tom Wilson (aka Biff from the Back To The Future trilogy), John-Rhys Davies (Gimli from The Lord of the Rings trilogy among many other roles), Malcolm McDowell (Alex from A Clockwork Orange) and as main character Christopher Blair, Mark Hamill (who was in a series of art-house movies back in the day, "Star Wars" something or other...).
Probably won't get around to playing it anytime in the foreseeable future: I'm still coming down from Gears of War 3, and there's a bunch of stuff on my plate right now. But I'm thinking as the fall progresses, I'm going to dig out my joystick and finally give Wing Commander III a go. I've waited seventeen years. I can wait a little while longer :-)
Don't know where. The theory I've been developing ain't that refined yet.
However, I will note that during this past year I have made such "predictions" (though I'd rather find a better word for it) among friends, and every time there has been some significant seismic activity: from the Tokyo quake to the recent one that rattled us here on the East Coast.
We'll see what happens in the next month or so. And if something occurs geologically, I'll elaborate at greater length on this theory (which does seems to have some merit to it...)
Well, I had to wonder that, given that the federal government is BANNING Primatene Mist from being sold after this coming December 31st! If you're an asthma sufferer, you're gonna have to get a doctor's prescription in order to purchase an inhaler that doesn't use a CFC agent as its propellant.
Yeah you're inferring correctly, Dear Reader: the Environmental Protection Agency, in collusion with the Food and Drug Administration, have decreed that those little asthma inhalers are dangerous to the ozone layer. I suppose that while you're gasping for breath on the way to your physician, that you can take heart knowing that the Obama Administration is sacrificing your good health for sake of a polar bear or spotted owl.
But seriously: What. The. F-CK?!?
It was twenty years ago this summer that Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted. That one volcanic event spewed more toxic chemicals into the atmosphere than all of human activity in the past century (to say nothing of other eruptions, like Mount St. Helens and similar incidents). The Earth's atmosphere has suffered far greater detriment because of geological activity than anything we could possibly do on our own... and yet the ozone layer has not only survived but it has also repaired itself.
And now Obama's government expects us to believe that those tiny asthma inhalers... which are needed by millions of people... are a dire environmental threat?!
What the hell has happened to my country? More to the point: what has happened to us? The citizens of America didn't use to put up with bullshit like this.
(Yeah I said "bullshit". A word that I use extremely rarely. I honestly can't find a better word to express my incredulity at this situation.)
If their determinations hold up, then a whole lotta physics is gonna have to be overhauled. Einstein held that the speed of light in a vacuum was an immutable, impassable barrier, and for most of the past century a lot of our understanding and technology has been based on that. And now... Einstein's model of relativity stands to be revisited, revised, and possibly amended considerably.
But as with all such announcements, a measure of temperance and consideration is warranted. Jon Butterworth has posted an excellent essay on The Guardian's website about the ramifications of CERN's findings, including how it's possible that neutrinos might not have broken the speed of light.
But if CERN's measurements hold up, this is gonna play all kinds of wacky havoc with causality. Hey, in the future I might even be able to post an entry on this blog before I even begin to type it! Neat, aye? :-P
It's taken me twelve hours to mull things over about it.
So here's what I'm gonna say about it...
Darn you Cliff Bleszinski!! Because of you and your team at Epic Games, you made this grown dude cry harder than I have because of any work of art in... maybe ever.
That... was effective. The entire whole heapin' thing. I mean the complete Gears Of War experience: from Dom breaking Marcus out of prison in the very first scene of the first game, through to that touching final shot at the end of Gears Of War 3. Along with everything in between.
Not everything was answered. In fact, I can think of quite a lot of outstanding questions that remain. But you know what? After finishing this final chapter of the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, it doesn't bother me at all that those mysteries haven't been adequately addressed (yet).
Because in the final analysis, this is a story about true brotherhood. It's a story about family, and what we find ourselves doing for that family. Making this game focused on answering lingering questions would have taken us out of that sense of family. Gears Of War is a saga about very realistic characters, with all of the strengths and weaknesses that any of us have.
And I can't think of any other video game series that has compelled us to experience the human condition in all it's fulness. Or elicited this sense of catharsis.
A solid and wildly satisfying end to a genuinely epic tale. Easily the single best experience that I've ever had playing a video game.
Nothing else to say, except... bring on Gears Of War 4!
Salvation does not derive from procedure.
Cliff Bleszinski and the crew at Epic Games have done it. Again. I don't know if "video game" is even applicable to Gears of War 3. There is plot and pacing and dialogue here that trumps that of most Oscar-winning motion pictures.
This is a whole new character-driven visceral form of narrative art. One scene in particular stands out in my mind: early in the game, you play as Cole leading a squad in search of supplies around his old hometown of Hanover. Cole and the squad enter a grocery store and come across a life-sized cardboard stand-up of Cole, looking as he did 17 years earlier, in his thrashball uniform advertising Thrashies cereal. Cole looks at himself from so long ago and says something about "Ever feel like you're dead, but nobody told you?"
It's a very simple and quiet moment but... it says so much more than any hail of gunfire or highly complicated scripted moment of cutscene.
It's gonna be a rainy evening, and I'm ahead on some stuff. Gonna crank up the Xbox 360 and head back to the front lines :-)
Confederate Soldier's PrayerI asked God for strength, that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked God for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing I that I asked for but got everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among men, most richly blessed.-- Found on the body of a Confederate Soldier, 1861-1865
Good friend, fellow historian and Civil War buff Taryn Farmer shared this with her friends earlier today. I thought it would be well worth sharing with this blog's readers.
...at the behest of President Obama, the armed forces of the United States have officially ended the "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding homosexuals in the military.
Bad, bad move by the Obama administration. And I am only saying that with it being borne in mind that military life is by definition radically different from civilian life. It is not a situation that allows for attempts at social engineering. Those who enlist by and large know this. They accept it. When you sign up to serve in the armed forces you give up a significant portion of what freedoms you would have had outside the military. This is necessary for the cohesion and morale of the forces as much as it is for optimizing the individual to serve to the utmost of his or her ability. If this is not a tolerable situation for a person for whatever reason, that person does not have to enlist. There is no such thing as a draft in the modern United States and hopefully there never will be need of one ever again.
Those who think that ending "don't ask, don't tell" is some progressive step forward, fail to understand that armed forces life revolves around the needs of others and not the "needs" of self.
Expect to see fewer young people choosing to sign up to serve, if this kind of playing games with the military goes on...
So from 1957 here is "Magoo Breaks Par", in which our nearsighted hero (voiced by Jim Backus) thinks he's off to play golf at the Ritzy Vista Country Club... with hilarious results!
I've read that there is movement afoot to make all the Mister Magoo theatrical cartoons available on DVD. If so, I'll be the first in line to buy that set :-)
In the meantime though, new research has been published about a possible cause of bipolar disorder, as well as schizophrenia...
Broad sweeps of the human genome have exposed genetic mutations that boost the risk of the devastating yet baffling diseases of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, according to two studies published Sunday.I would seriously like to have somebody put the genes of my own family under the microscope. As I've said before on this blog, the symptoms of bipolar disorder run in my family, even though so far as I know I'm the first to be medically diagnosed with the condition. I've got it and my grandmother and her father probably had it (though my own Dad has never exhibited the symptoms, thankfully).The independent studies, each conducted by a consortium of about 200 scientists, also found significant genetic overlap between the debilitating mental disorders.
Schizophrenia patients typically hear voices that are not real, tend toward paranoia and suffer from disorganized speech and thinking. The condition is thought to affect about one percent of adults worldwide.
Previously known as manic depression, bipolar disorder is characterised by hard-to-control mood swings that veer back-and-forth between depression and euphoria, and afflicts a similar percentage of the population.
The biological profile of both conditions remain almost entirely unknown. Doctors seek to hold them in check with powerful drugs.
Scientists have long observed that each syndromes tends to run in families, suggesting a powerful inherited component.
(snip)
For the study on bipolar disorder, also appearing in Nature Genetics, a team led by Pamela Sklar of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York first looked at the genomes of 7,481 patients and 9,250 healthy individuals.
A second sweep focusing on 34 DNA suspects involved some 2,500 other patients and 42,500 controls.
The study confirmed a significant link with a gene, CACNA1C, that also has been previously associated with schizophrenia.
It also uncovered a new gene variant at another location, known as ODZ4, that suggests neurochemical channels in the brain activated by calcium play a role in boosting the risk of developing the disease.
For both studies, scientists hope that learning more about pathways in the brain affected by the diseases can lead to a better understanding of the causes and drugs to ease or block the symptoms.
The optimistic part of me really wants this to lead to more effective medication for bipolar and schizophrenia. It might take decades. In fact, it most likely will. But I'd love to within my lifetime be able to see that nobody would ever again have to endure the hell that this particular brand of mental illness has put me and my loved one through.
Reading about this research, I can't but feel excited :-)
Read about the insane proposed new taxes here.
And in his speech Obama invoked the words "fair share" to justify the increased taxes on those who make more than a million dollars every year.
Y'know, I'm a far cry from being among the most wealthy people in the country. I'm just a guy whose trying to hack it as best he can. I take a few odd jobs here and there, do some writing and videography. I don't have a "regular job" like most people would consider it (though there is an occuptation which keeps me employed almost 24 hours a day). Believe me when I say this: that I would like nothing more than to be making more money. Not just for myself but to provide for a family when the Lord, if He's willing, lets me have that.
I'm not monetarily wealthy... and I'll be damned if I play along at all with Obama's immoral game of class welfare!
You wanna know what my biggest dream is? It's to make it as a filmmaker and be able to work with the people I care about and to produce EMPLOYMENT for some, where there hadn't been employment before. Think about that: being able to create work that lets others earn money and in turn pursue their own dreams. That's the way it used to be all over this country: there were good-paying jobs that would let anyone put a roof over the family's head and pay the bills and let him or her be free to chase after their own aspirations.
High taxes and class warfare destroys those things. Higher taxes make it increasingly difficult and ultimately impossible for jobs to be created by the private sector. How much of our industry has gone overseas during the past two decades? If it weren't for people who had a lot of money and were able to build factories and fund innovative research with that money, there would have been no industry for a lot of other people to earn money to fund their own opportunities.
And now, President Obama wants to take away even more money from the people who create the jobs.
Why the hell do we keep electing foolish people like this as our leaders?
You can purchase the above photograph on eBay, provided you've got $1,000,000 to fork over for it.
Original c.1870 carte de visite showing a man who looks exactly like Nick Cage. Personally, I believe it's him and that he is some sort of walking undead / vampire, et cetera, who quickens / reinvents himself once every 75 years or so. 150 years from now, he might be a politician, the leader of a cult, or a talk show host.Submitted for your approval.This is not a trick photo of any kind and has not been manipulated in Photoshop or any other graphics program. It's an original photo of a man who lived in Bristol, TN sometime around the Civil War.
I've had a lot of questions asking where I purchased this. As followers of my website know, I collect antique memorial photography - images of dead people - from the 1800s. This photo was found in the very back of album that contained an unusual number of Civil War era death portraits (which is why I purchased it). All of the other people in the album, living and dead, were identified by name - this man was not.
