6.29.2010

Good Job Japan

I missed the final moments of the Japan/Paraguay match today. Paraguay took it in a penalty shootout, but Japan's team played good football. I was pulling for them and it was nice to see them make it this far. Looking forward to seeing what they bring to the table 4 years from now.

Congratulations, Paraguay on a hard fought match.

6.22.2010

One Step Closer To Those 1950's Sci-Fi Films About The Future

New Zealand company, Martin, has developed jet packs (that's right, jet packs) that they're hoping to start selling to private consumers by the end of this year.

I say now's the perfect time to start pushing the FAA to beef up it's capabilities. The only more tragic than not having jet packs, is having them and having the man keep you grounded.

Particles! Physics!

So...there may be 5 types of Higgs-Boson.

Wait. What. Just...Why?!

So in a handy little helping of "Why the sweet baby Jesus would you do that!?" I give you a link to the free ebook, Marienbad My Love*, the world's longest book.

Also? Here's what the "author" has to say for himself.


I think my summer reading project will be making my way through this monster. According to TVtropes' so bad it's horrible entry on it (4th entry down), not a word of it makes a lick of sense. Don't worry, I'll be sharing my trials and tribulations with you lovely people. So...I guess that means it's new tag time! I kind of want it to be something descriptive of what I'm sure will be the coming brain melting, but we'll just settle for MML.

I'll be starting the title today.

*Shortened- the full title is 60 pages long. No, really.

6.07.2010

Awesome And Cute

ZOMG, Baltimore, WTF

Seriously.

So over the weekend a Baltimore City police officer shot some dude 6 times (fired his gun 13 times) outside of a bar because- wait for it- the dude grabbed the ass of the officer's female companion. Needless to say, the dude is dead.

Additional fun facts:
1.) Baltimore City police are required to carry their fire arms at all times when within city limits. On or off duty.

2.) Our culprit has been in trouble before for shooting people while under the influence.

3.) McNulty! (end of video totally not work safe.)

I don't have anything to say about this because seriously, what.the.fuck. Though in closing, I would like to remind those of you playing along at home that The Wire was not just a show.

6.04.2010

Falcon 9 Is Go!

At 2:45pm EST SpaceX's Falcon 9 successfully made its first launch. This came after several delays (weak signal from the Failure Termination System, a sailboat in the red zone, and an abort due to the rocket entering safe mode). A heartfelt congratulations to the folks over at SpaceX. We were pulling for you.



Oh, and for anyone who's never done a live feed for a launch? Highly recommended.

SpaceFlightNow and SpaceVidCast are streaming the post show press show.

6.01.2010

More Truth In Advertising

So the following monstrosity greets weary travelers as they exit Baltimore's Penn Station:

Right. Just take a look at that sucker.

This isn't exactly new. It's been up since June of 2004. Not exactly to rave reviews. In fact, I don't really think I can say I know a single person who doesn't hate it.

But you know what? It has it's...value merit worth purpose it serves a (dubious) function well. Namely: Truth in Advertising.

This is Penn Station:

Not a bad looking piece of architecture there, right? Classic. Elegant, even. Now, just think about the fact that this piece of shit:

was plopped down in front of that gorgeous building.

The inside of the station has the same classic feel as the outside, so when people leave the station to be confronted by that...thing, they tend to have certain reactions.
1. What the shit?
2. You can't tell me someone thought that was a good idea.
3. I hope you horse-whipped the bastards.
4. How long until it's gone?
These sentiments also happen to be very common when confronting Baltimore as a whole.

Furthermore, the glaring horror of that "statue" (and the process by which it came to be) right next to Penn Station (and, ironically, mere blocks from Maryland Institute College of the Arts) is sort of a Baltimore in miniature, where no matter how nice of a neighborhood one may find oneself in, it is almost a certainty that one is no more than 3 blocks from The Wire.

So, bravo, hideous eyesore joke of a public art piece and your horribly humiliating location (also visible from a major highway). And bravo to you, cabal of tasteless bastards, who got it there.