11.29.2009

Why I Loathe The Republican Word "Dither"

If you haven't heard the Republican apologetics concerning Afghanistan, their asserted criticism of the current administration is that Obama is "dithering." The few remaining sane Republicans have pointed out that additional troop requests were repeatedly rejected by Bush the Younger, and that Obama already sent more troops to Afghanistan in March.

But Republicans have one Army General (ahem!) complaining publicly, one who would have been fired before he had a chance to get on TV were Cheney still around. And so, every Republican sad-sack now uses the word "dithering," as though taking time to formulate and contemplate strategy is somehow gay and French. And as though 7 years didn't pass when they were in charge. How did we get to a point where 40,000 more troops were SO important to our strategy that not deploying them in a short few months allegedly becomes the difference between "surrender" and "victory?"

Note to Republicans: you lost power because you are not serious people who care about anything important. Proof?
Osama bin Laden was unquestionably within reach of U.S. troops in the mountains of Tora Bora when American military leaders made the crucial and costly decision not to pursue the terrorist leader with massive force, a Senate report says.
Yet, somehow, if a guy in office 11 months decides to take his time before sending 34,000 people into one of the world's worst shit-holes, he "dithers."

11.28.2009

Christian Supplications Quelched By Tactical Indefatigability

After being ahead until the 4th quarter at home, Auburn (the 19-ranked "Christian" university in the country), is vanquished by an NFL-quality, clock-eating, "I-ain't-losing-to these-backward-ass-cow-fuckers" drive by Alabama.



We crushed their hopes; the salty tears taste sweet.

11.24.2009

I Find This Funny

I used to say that if the US Navy wanted to know where the first Chinese SSBN was, they need only put two sailors out on opposite sides of San Francisco bay with hollowed out styrofoam coffee cups and place the rims to the water: that should be enough to triangulate its position.

Apparently, those two sailors are going to need to move to Hawaii: the new Chinese SSBN is noisier than a 70's-era Soviet clunker.

The problem is, the Chinese diesel-electric submarines are very quiet and only getting stealthier. That ups their home advantage, which may be all that counts with us. But if they want a global navy, they are way behind.

According To My Cable Oracle Box...

...the next episode of Fringe will involve human trafficking, the primary plot, and "squid-like creatures."

I'm This Excited

That episode will air Thursday, December 3. I'll have an extra pair of underwear close by.

11.23.2009

Actual Useful Network Website

The network website for our new obsession, Fringe, is actually quite good. Useful season One recap, since we plowed through it.
And, of course, there's a wiki.

With added Walter goodness.

11.22.2009

Worth The Ten Bucks


The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a download on iTunes that includes original accoustic recordings of some of their songs along with some of the album verstions that you may already have. However, you have to buy the full album to get the new recordings and the double-plus bonus: interviews about each of the songs.

Karen O is not a great interview; she gives lots of "uh"s and "um"s and "you know"s and some sound that resembles an octogenarian chain-smoker trying to hit a flat C (how does that raspy speaking voice make that singing voice?). But some of the nuggets from the interviews are great.

However, pay the $10 to get the greatest recording of "Maps" (my favorite song by them) EVER!

____________________________________________________

Oops! So you can buy the original songs individually, including "Maps," but you can't get the interviews. I'd buy it anyway: support good music.

11.19.2009

I Want To Live Here

235 Van Buren in South Loop Chicago:


Good architecture is not dead! I demand someone buy me a condo here!

The Military Proves Lasers May Not Be Boring

Zap!

The footage I posted of an air-based laser clumsily cutting through a car engine pales in comparison to the above photo: a ground-based laser taking out a UAV. What's better, it used a "relatively low laser power" system.

Surely a nuclear engine of a carrier can support this level of defensive firepower...

A Confluence Of Unrelated Events

Our species lost a great actor this week: the incomparable Edward Woodward. The Wicker Man is one of the greatest suspence horror movies ever made, and I will leave it to one of Mr. Woodward's peers, the equally great Christopher Lee, to properly eulogize this great man:
The Wicker Man also starred Dracula actor Sir Christopher Lee, who described Woodward as “a good friend and a splendid actor”.

Inevitable


I can see y'all, maybe all of us, making the move in the near future, so when I saw this article there was little doubt it had to go up - A Windows User’s Crash Course In Switching To A Mac.

11.18.2009

Sweet



Concept Art Offers Peek at Tim Burton’s Twisted Mind

Recently released images from Tim Burton’s upcoming Alice in Wonderland adaptation reminded moviegoers that the quirky London-based director possesses one of the most extravagant visual vocabularies of any filmmaker now working.

Underscoring that fact, New York’s Museum of Modern Art kicks off a Tim Burton retrospective Nov. 22 with a collection of 700 art pieces produced by the goth maestro over the past three decades.

As a companion piece, the auteur behind fantastical spectacles Mars Attacks!, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman and a host of other morbidly twisted movies is publishing The Art of Tim Burton, a 434-page tome packed with drawings, doodles, paintings and evocative concept art dating back to Burton’s teen years in Burbank, California.

11.11.2009

TV Reviews

Star Wars: Clone Wars Season 2 "Landing At Point Rain"

While the first season was spotty, the second season has been almost nothing but good episodes. Now they've started a 4-episode arc surrounding a second invasion of Geonosis, and "Landing At Point Rain" was the first of that arc. And it was everything you hoped the prequel movies would be and weren't: war!



Fringe Season 2 "Earthling"


Fox has stated that it will continue to support this show, even though its ratings have slipped. Fox should: last week's episode was one of the best hours of network television I've watched in years. Spooky, kooky, and ooky (this episode: disturbing ooky), the show is a nice balance of unrelenting strangeness, persistent creepiness, and periodic terror.

11.06.2009

Biblical Boycott

Maine rejected a gay marriage law. If Christian values are so important to them, then let's see it through:

Boycott Maine lobsters

After all, the Bible clearly states:
These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
Did Jesus eat lobster? I don't think so.

"Forbear To Judge, For We Are Sinners All"

Only a Shakespeare quote would be appropriate for the following:

The anti-gay marriage débutante-turned-Christian activist Carrie Prejean dropped her lawsuit against Miss America after they showed her a video she made of her masturbating...happily...for Jesus, I presume.

Carrie Showing What God And Silicone Gave Her

Please note that her parents, who she alleged taught her the Christian value of marriage, are divorced; and her mother accused her father of liking cock.

These Christians and their demons...

11.04.2009

I Now Have No Balls...

"Suck it Jesus!"

...because I laughed them off watching Kathy Griffin's "Balls of Steel" on Bravo. You have to watch it: it's some seriously funny shit. And, Kathy (re)admits she's an atheist.

I laughed so hard I choked.

Makes sense.


SEC Replay Official Overturns
'Roe v. Wade'

TUSCALOOSA, AL—A Southeastern Conference replay official conducting a video review of a sideline catch during the Alabama-Tennessee game Saturday overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling... you guess it right off: The Onion.

11.02.2009