Well That's Just Dandy....

Anon Strikes Back

2012-01-19T19:08:00.001-05:00

I just spent the last half and hour or so watching Twitter go crazy over Anon's response to the take down of Megaupload (currently trending under "the internet strikes back" at the time of this posting).

The call to arms went out earlier:

Here's the thing- this will probably prove to be counterproductive to yesterday's massive protests. Still, it feels damn good to watch the people hell bent on dismantling the greatest platform for free speech mankind has ever known get a little cyber cider in their eyes courtesy of Anonymous.

In case you were wondering? Some of the rat fucks behind PIPA are already running scared.

New Comic

2012-01-18T18:59:00.000-05:00

I give you, Get your censor on

SOPA/PIPA

2012-01-18T18:38:00.001-05:00

The problems with SOPA and PIPA are numerous, but they condense to one unavoidable point: Both pieces of legislation give sweeping censorship powers to corporations. This will not only increase self censorship- it will stifle future innovation and creativity by making the internet a riskier place to start new businesses, which in turn will lead to fewer and more cautious investors. This is actually what corporations like the MPAA and RIAA want. This isn't really about piracy because these bills don't really have chance at stopping piracy. This is about shutting down competition.

One of the founders of Veoh details how Universal Music (UMG) through a completely groundless lawsuit abused the DMCA and ultimately forced him to sell the start-up off in a fire sale.

Today Ars Technica is contributing to the fight against these two extremely dangerous pieces of legislation by arming the populace with loads of information.

Artists (you know, the "content generators" that SOPA and PIPA are going to murder the internet to allegedly protect) say that the bills would do far more harm than good.

Google has a take action page.

In case you're still unclear:

Alright, here's a song:

Finally, somethings never change (language warning):

Contact your Congress people.

Update: A host of webcomics are participating in the blackout strike.

Why I Love This Town

2012-01-09T16:34:00.000-05:00

BPD were arresting a gentleman for- honestly- what the fuck ever because it's Baltimore. The interesting thing is that while they were cuffing the suspect a random dude attacks one of the arresting officers. The funny thing is that exact freaking thing happened in the very first episode of The Wire. I tell you, this town.

What I'm Currently Reading (and some other stuff)

2012-01-05T21:12:00.002-05:00

Hope you had a fun and happy solstice and that 2012 proves better than 2011.

Since the DC reboot two things have happened. Thing the first is that my local comic shop closed. Lame. Thing the second is that I decided to just have the three (soon to be five) monthlies that I'm reading delivered. Thank you, Comix Zone. In case you were wondering? Getting comics in the mail is so very awesome.

Currently reading:
Wonder Woman
Batwoman
Super Girl

Will start reading this month:
Birds of Prey
Justice League

I am also using the hell out of my Crunchyroll subscription. No, I am still not watching Naruto. I am, however, watching Battle Girls Time Paradox which is kind of like someone was watching a lot of Koihime Musou and thought "Hey, why don't we do this with feudal Japan instead of just ripping off classic Chinese literature?". It's not as fun as Kiohime, but it's good. I just finished Murder Princess, which probably benefits from being 6 episodes long considering that it's fairly consistently meh. The animation isn't terrible, but it's not particularly good either. The plot is fairly predictable. The characters are unremarkable standard anime types. And while I will never stop wishing that Funimation would offer subs as readily available as their dubbed work, the voice acting in Murder Princess is acceptable. (Or maybe I mean that I wish Netflix offered subtitle options for more of it's instant selection?) It's pretty heavy on the romantic two girl friendship, which is something. I guess. So, Murder Princess: Come for the intriguing concept of a near death experience causing a princess to swap bodies with a bounty hunter (of monsters) and then convincing that bounty hunter to avenge her father's death and protect the kingdom, realize that the A-plot is pretty meh, then end up staying for the les yay (which is intense enough to practically be the B-plot). If you like that sort of thing.

I've been dragging my feet on finishing Geroge R.R. Martin's A Dance with Dragons because I have been informed that the end will make me want to punch Mr. Martin. More so than usual.

I finally finished Planetary. It took longer than I expected because something happened in the second volume that crawled inside of me and murdered something precious. That is not a complaint; it means that story was resonating with me. Still, it took me a while to get through that. Though I am pleased to say that volumes 3 and 4 resurrected that precious thing. The art is beautiful and the story is nothing short of amazing and ridiculously fun. Seriously, guys. Planetary is totally on my favorites list.

I have also been running around the land of Skyrim killing the ever loving fuck out Dragons and just about anything else that I come across. It is sweet.

On Comics

2011-06-11T13:36:00.000-04:00

Credentials are in order, I suppose. I started off reading Spider Man back when I was a not quite so wee tyke. I dropped Spidey (and the rest of my Marvel reading) with the clone saga. I stopped reading comics for a number of years, but started picking up trade paperbacks some years back. I returned to monthlies (DC) three months before they announced the reboot.

Come September, I'll be picking up...well, I'm not quite sure yet, but I'll keep reading comics. I guess September will begin a chronicle of a lapse comic nerd trying to cope with the DCU reboot. To kick things off, we should start with my current pull list:

-Batgirl
-Birds of Prey
-Secret Six
-Wonder Woman
-Batman Inc
-Power Girl
-Zatanna
-Detective Comics

Anyone keeping track can see several problems coming down the pike in September already.

That said, TPB's that I'm catching up on:
-Powers
-Planetary
-Hellboy
-Fables
-100 Bullets
-Sandman
-Wonder Woman (selected)
-the occasional impulse buy

Well, Hello There.

2011-06-10T14:58:00.010-04:00

Here's the deal: I have been sorely disabused of all my illusions. I am tired and I am done. The only legitimate action in an illegitimate system is subversion. Take that for what you will. So no politics.

I've suspected that I would write this post for some time, but I put it off because maybe- just maybe- I'd manage to rekindle some of old idealism. Well, I've finally accepted that my idealism isn't just in tatters, it's dead.

This isn't about Democrats or Republicans or the President or congress. It's about the system as a whole. I honestly believe that if voting worked it would be illegal. Participating in the system only legitimizes the illegitimate so I'm no longer participating.

The statists will forever argue over which set of rules they should impose from the top down to make people better. The rest of us are just along for the ride for as much of boot we're willing to allow on our necks. So I'm going to write about something important. I'm going to write about stories.

Stories have amazing power. We mythologize our history- turn it into stories- in order to construct a narrative about the world and our place as human beings and as a society in that world. We invent stories to tell ourselves in order to analyze the world and our place in it.

But stories don't just help us examine ourselves, our society, and our world- they also shape those things. We create heroes we want to emulate. We imagine great feats and then dare to reach for them. The greatest stories aren't the stories of who we were, but rather of who we wish to become. So I'm going to write about stories.

Who knows? One day something may occur that's so gobsmackingly stupid that my only recourse in restoring my sanity is to scream impotently into the endless electronic static of the internet. If you like words and occasionally how I toss them together I'll be writing about stories here and working on some short fiction here.

Also, you know, the occasional random video or link. You'll note the link list has been...edited.

Golden.

2010-11-19T17:14:00.002-05:00

I love heading over to Pravda's English site and scanning headlines because more often than not you will find a thing of great beauty. Today's big winners?

Birth of twins: Devil's will or double joy?

And

Magic rituals lead to ecological disaster.

Awesome.

There Are Two Ways To Look At This

2010-11-11T16:38:00.003-05:00

The first is that the technology behind this 3D hologram and its synthetic voice is pretty darn sweet.

The second is to return to that place that we call "oh, Japan."

You will probably experience both of those perspectives in that order.

Also? Why did it have to be a horrific-dinner-plate-eyed anime girl? So, I guess that technically makes three ways.

Stewart-Colbert Rally: I Was There

2010-10-31T20:46:00.006-04:00

Living in Baltimore and having off yesterday, I teamed up with a friend and headed down to DC. I figured if a good number of people showed up both sides would try to spin it. (And having attended Tea Party rallies, I know exactly how that ends up.) As it turned out a huge number of people showed up. Seriously.

I spent today surfing the web checking out what various sources are saying about the event. A lot of it is spin. The left is claiming it as a Democrat event. The right is marginalizing it (when they're not ignoring it altogether). I see a lot of people doing what the left does to the right- namely posting the loonies and ignoring everyone else. I think yesterday was important- if not for the national dialog then at least for the people who attended (physically or online).

A lot of people would like to get back to a place where no one was Hitler or Stalin except for Hitler and Stalin. A lot of people think that being obstructionist not because you honestly disagree with a thing, but for the sake of partisan obstructionism is actively detrimental to the ability of our country to function. And yesterday was a way for a lot of people to express that. So I'm writing this post. And here are a few things I haven't seen mentioned anywhere else:

1.) It really was non-political: Stewart and Colbert kept things light and non-partisan. Stewart's speech (scroll down) at the end summed up the idea nicely. Sure, you had a number of people who defined "sanity" as their own political agenda, but they were definitely in the minority from what I observed.

2.) There were Republicans!: Granted, there were certainly more Democrats, but it was by no means a one party event.

3.) Most people seemed to be fed up with both parties.

4.) From what I saw it was pretty interesting mix of people. But then I was amongst the (larger) number of people who couldn't see the stage at all (figure 2/3 to 3/4 of the crowd- but just a guess based on our location (land marks) and aerial photos.) Posts closer to the stage definitely have a monochromatic theme going on though. Still, after everything ended walking through the crowd and around the mall the mix seemed pretty good.

You might be thinking "Sure, now that Democrats are in power using inflammatory rhetoric necessitates a call to "restore sanity", but where were they when people were comparing Bush to Hitler?" And you'd be right- there are a hell of a lot of hypocrites in this world, but being a hypocrite doesn't make you wrong. The appropriate thing to do when other people act like an ass isn't for you to act like an ass too. But there are two possibilities for yesterday: 1.) I spent the day surrounded by a bunch of hypocrites with a good point. Or, 2.) I spent the day with a bunch of people who had finally had enough. Either way you cut it, I don't find a loss.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but the phone died on the walk from the car because I forgot to charge it the previous night. (I did hope to be able to get at least a few shots before it quit, but no such luck.)

Anyway...that's all I have for you for now.

Uh...Huh...?

2010-10-14T20:40:00.004-04:00

I guess the first thing is this. An online Collectible Card Game (CCG) based around the Stargate franchise is, frankly, weird to me. And it's less the Stargate and more the online CCG that's doing the weirding. I can't even put my finger on exactly why it's weirding me out- in my younger days I played a number of CCG's from Magic: The Gathering to Marvel Overpower. What I do know is that conceptually it gives me a sense of unease somewhere between my first 2NE1 music video and the idea of a bug laying eggs in my ear.

So the second thing would be 2NE1, a K-pop band which serves as either a raging indictment of the wholesale exportation of American culture or a testament to the universality of girls shaking their...assets... as an indicator of cultural awesomeness. Possibly both. Picture, if you will...never mind. I'll just show you.

This was the first 2NE1 video I was exposed to (thank you, Jacob):

Then I found this, at which point I honestly did not even know what I was watching anymore:

Great Old Spice

2010-09-15T18:43:00.001-04:00

Eldritch horror for the win.

I Don't Know If I Should Laugh Or Vomit

2010-09-10T12:41:00.005-04:00

Maybe the vomit part is just the hangover talking, but still....Uwe Boll (nope, not just the hangover) is taking on the Holocaust.(unfortunately, you'll remember his "movies" House of the Dead, **Bloodrayne, Alone in the Dark, ect.) You're not delusional- you read that correctly. The man who essentially made a career on raping the collective gamer childhood is making a movie about the Holocaust. Specifically Auschwitz.

Granted, Mr.Boll has made a number of films not based on video games. They also suck in ways previously unknown to mankind.

*Hat tip: J.

**Corrected

Oldy But Goody

2010-09-03T17:21:00.002-04:00

Once upon a time the radio was something actually worth listening to. Back in those bountiful days Baltimore's 98 Rock actually rocked. They also had a sense of humor and did much to fan the flames of Dundalk-Essex rivalry. In that spirit, I give you the classic Devil Went Down to Dundalk.

The Sound Of A Million "Femminists" Crying Out And Suddenly Being Silenced

2010-09-03T15:00:00.001-04:00

1/4 of UK lap dancers have a degree according to a study.

So Very Well Done

2010-08-23T18:26:00.002-04:00

Star Wars as a silent movie.

Hat tip: Kevin

What Would Largo Do?

2010-08-23T17:10:00.005-04:00

Aside from be awesome that is. Apparently a heck of a lot. Including building a java fueled car. For those of you who are not webcomic addicts: *Mega Tokyo.

*Archive binge warning.

Hat tip: R-san

Pics From The Con Weekend

2010-08-15T15:13:00.009-04:00

Way late, but here anyway. 3 were taken by a friend who was on staff.

So Very Wrong

2010-08-15T13:56:00.001-04:00

Squid fly. That is all.

Creeeeeeepy

2010-08-05T15:27:00.003-04:00

Just. Creepy. And, no, the pie doesn't help.

Technical Difficulties

2010-08-03T13:10:00.002-04:00

Been having some issues with my network hub, but I hope to get pics from the weekend up over the next day or so. Sadly, I had to take them with my phone, but better than nothing, eh?

Under Siege

2010-07-30T12:22:00.003-04:00

Otakon is in town for the weekend. Staff rolled out the setup yesterday and today the hordes arrive. Here's the rub, otaku aren't the geekiest out there, but as a whole they're pretty grody.

Look, I'm just going to say it: There are a lot of geeks out there for whom the flak with regards to personal hygiene and social skills is not undeserved. In addition there is a particular brand of geek-girl who, by simply being very likely the only (but possibly one of very few) girl(s) that will speak to/associate with geek boys has essentially attained queen-b status. 90% of otaku fall into those two categories (oddly enough, yaoi fangirls not so much).

So, that's thing the first. Thing the second would be convention behavior for certain geek groups. Which, look, there's just something that happens when a lot of geeks come together and it's rarely pretty. Sure, I want to go to Comic-Con (I also want to go to E3), but it pretty much stops there. Those are conventions where the pull (in my book) is worth the horror show that is geeks en mass. I'm not saying they're all huge neck-beards. Most of them are quite average looking (cos-play aside).

At any rate expect photos over the weekend.

Good Morning, Baltimore!

2010-07-29T17:27:00.003-04:00

A Hopkins researcher was robbed and stabbed to death walking home from Penn Station. Baltimore (or at least the part that's not, you know, killing people) is outraged that the murderous scum isn't just murdering other murderous scum.

The year so far.

(I'll post an image later. This comp is giving me grief about it.)

Chewbacca On A Squirrel Fighting Nazis

2010-07-29T17:12:00.002-04:00

Really really! It's weird and awesome.

Science News Cycle

2010-07-28T18:37:00.000-04:00

The awful truth.

Wonderful!

2010-07-28T18:05:00.001-04:00

L.A.B.W. has trailer goodness.

There Are No Words To Describe The Pure Awesome

2010-07-28T16:25:00.001-04:00

SyFy makes me either giddy or mortified. This? So. Freaking. Giddy. I might even watch the movie.
Mega Python vs. Gatoroid - Sneak Peek

*added* I mean, what's better than a cat fight between washed-out pop starlets?

Lawyers, Much Like Politicians, Should Be Tarred and Feathered On Sight

2010-07-28T16:08:00.004-04:00

What? I could have said "shot", but that seems hasty.

And Then There's This

2010-07-28T14:52:00.004-04:00

While we're on the subject of Comic Con, I feel I would be remiss if I didn't point out that Fred Phelps took his trashy ass act to the convention- or rather the street outside of the convention, and Comic Con responded the way...well, the way only a bunch of geeks can:

I Will Go To Comic Con...

2010-07-28T14:47:00.002-04:00

...at least once in my life. I will go because things like this must be seen live and surrounded by fellow geeks.

It's A Step

2010-07-28T14:30:00.002-04:00

Anticipating Californians' passing of a law permitting casual marijuana use, Oakland (a "wretched hive of scum and villainy" to be sure) is working out how to tax it. My dig at Oakland aside, that's some rare good news to come out of Cali.

The End Of History, Indeed

2010-07-28T14:12:00.002-04:00

The folks at Brew Dog are apparently to be watched out for. Plus? It's in a stoat.

o_0

2010-07-27T15:39:00.002-04:00

Hot girl fights Germans, dragons, and samurai. I give you Sucker Punch. You watch trailer now!

Great News Everyone!

2010-07-27T15:18:00.004-04:00

The U.S. Copyright Office has decided that it's no longer illegal for you to use your property like it's, you know, your property. I'm snarky, but only because it was fucking stupid in the first place.

If we were talking about an individual it'd be like "Well golly, is there something else you shouldn't be doing in the first fucking place that we can give you a medal for? Like not like not assaulting little old women?". But it's the government so we'd damn well better pat its idiot delinquent fucking head and give it a cookie so that it doesn't follow it up with taking a crap on the couch when company is over.

*Hat tip: Kevin

It's So Creepy

2010-07-27T13:26:00.001-04:00

Also, Jonathan Coulton is awesome.

This Needs To Be Real

2010-07-26T18:12:00.000-04:00

I've Got 4 Words For You

2010-07-22T17:17:00.001-04:00

"Hello Kitty assault rifle". That is all.

Sorry For That Earlier Post

2010-07-21T22:13:00.002-04:00

So to make up for it here's our old friend Shiina Ringo (hooked up with Tokyo Jihen this time).

Watch Tokyo Jihen (Just Can't Help It) ~ Yukiguni in Music | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

I generally dislike Tokyo Jihen, but this bit really puts Ms. Ringo's talents to use unlike so much of what they do.

Again, sorry about earlier.

110 Million

2010-07-21T14:25:00.002-04:00

*This is also why no one sings along to Dr. Wily's theme from Mega Man 2.

Oh, For Fuck's Sake

2010-07-19T19:30:00.003-04:00

Maryland State Trooper caught with over 3,000 images of child porn on his computer. No, I honestly do not know what the hell to say to that.

Librarians Pokerface...

2010-07-19T14:21:00.003-04:00

Don't know what to tell you.

Curious

2010-07-16T19:51:00.002-04:00

So I'm trying to get into SyFy's new show, Haven, but it's just not holding me. Which is weird because it's components- at least a good number of them- would usually be a game maker for me. In the pilot we had a woman who controlled the weather with her emotions. Of course her story arc revolved around a dude running a con on her so... maybe it's just that Haven seems to be about making super powers boring?

I stopped watching Heroes because it was angst-ridden, repetitive, and direction-less, but at least it wasn't boring. It just sucked. So what does that say about Haven?

In all fairness only one episode has aired, but the pilot is your bait and hook. Haven's pilot just left me with a general feeling of meh. Decidedly underwhelmed would be a fine way to put it. I sat through a little under a season and a half of Dollhouse and that was really based on The Joss more than overall quality of the show. Haven doesn't have The Joss or anything even remotely comparable, so it has three more episodes to win me. That's about as long as I gave Painkiller Jane, which- to be fair- Haven is nowhere near that bad. (PKJ was so bad it was offensively embarrassing. Hell, I was embarrassed on behalf of everyone involved in that debacle.) Haven is just boring.

But in a show about a town of people, some of whom have super powers or something "boring" should never come to mind. Which brings us to something else. What the hell is Haven about really? We've met one character with super powers- maybe two? Our intrepid FBI agent isn't on duty, but on vacation to explore a possible connection between the town and her biological mother (our daring FeeBee having been raised in an orphanage). And her being sent to town for her initial investigation was apparently some sort of plot. That's a lot to pull together and nothing in the pilot built any sort of case for those things being anything other than a bunch of loose unrelated bits. Or maybe it did and I just missed it because there was something more interesting happening elsewhere. Like paint drying in the hallway.

Facebook Group....

2010-07-16T15:39:00.001-04:00

OF DOOM!!! No. Really.

No Offense To This Guy...

2010-07-14T14:38:00.002-04:00

...but his wife is clearly a goddamn lunatic. Seriously, if my scroll bar is anything to go by, then I've just scratched the surface of this article and I can already tell.

The very second she said, "I don't want to have sex until Bella does." (yes, from Twilight), he should driven them both to his lawyer's home address, rang the bell, and demanded that divorce papers be drawn up at once on the grounds of his wife's newly discovered gross mental instability.

Rocket Propelled Chainsaw

2010-07-14T14:32:00.003-04:00

I have no idea where I'd use this or what I'd use it for, but I know that I want one.

Hat tip goes to Kevin.

More Photage From The Gulf

2010-07-09T12:55:00.001-04:00

Man Not Allowed To Bring Camera Into Spill Zone

2010-07-09T12:50:00.002-04:00

According to BP this isn't supposed to happen.

The Situtation In The Gulf

2010-07-09T12:32:00.003-04:00

...is apparently bad enough to distract the professional kooks from their usual beat. Where's the President and his pocket press?

I know, this is an odd first post on the on-going crisis, but there's just so much that...where to begin?

Happy Belated

2010-07-05T10:29:00.005-04:00

Timing Is Everything

2010-07-04T06:43:00.002-04:00

Mr.Smith Goes To Washington is on TCM right now. It remains one of my 3 favorite films of all time.

Good Job Japan

2010-06-29T13:00:00.002-04:00

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.

I'm Too Gobsmacked To Be Angry....

2010-06-25T17:01:00.002-04:00

I mean...just...just....

The sheer selfish destructive power mongering (I said "mongering"! "Mongering", people! I never use that word.) of it all. I feel like Jimmy Stewart when confronted by the vast awfulness of the Taylor Machine- that it really could muscle over a whole state. That part where he reaches down and pulls telegram after telegram- all evidence of the might and reach of the corruption he's fighting. Somewhere in my head, on a balcony, there's a Clarissa Saunders screaming "stop".

But I won't stop. None of us can afford to stop. Maybe this is a lost cause, but those are the ones you fight the hardest for.

I Don't Know That I'd Call It A "Sardonic Twist"....

2010-06-25T15:31:00.004-04:00

I mean, it seems kind of rational to me that if the Fed's demonstrated an inability to keep one witness alive, then the witness to that witness' murder would be less than forthcoming. I'm not saying that I agree with that call, but self preservation is a powerful drive.

Except, you know, because it's Baltimore it's less reasonable and a lot more plain fucking gross.

Authorities say they caught Raine Zircon Curtis bragging on a cell phone to her imprisoned boyfriend: "Kareem got killed last night. They killed that boy while we was right there. … We was standing right there."....

..."Outside the grand jury, the defendant has expressed pride in her refusal to cooperate with authorities," [Assistant U.S. Attorney] Purcell wrote. "The defendant's refusal is based on her disregard for Guest and his family, her obvious contempt for the justice system and her overarching loyalty to the code of the streets."

Oh, hey, what's that? Not the FBI's fault? You mean it was one of the defense attorneys?

Two defense lawyers had Guest's statement. The prosecutors wrote that one of the attorneys gave the documents to his jailed client and to his client's mother. It was done, prosecutor Purcell said in court documents, "without permission from the U.S. attorney's office and in direct violation of the discovery agreement put in place to prevent these very sorts of disclosures."

What. Just. What.

That, of course, led the documents being distributed throughout the neighborhood.

So, "sardonic"? Not so much. "Completely fucking gross"? Totally. So way to go, Baltimore, you putrid festering leper drowning in your own offal.

What. The Hell, People?

2010-06-23T18:21:00.002-04:00

Left Coast Rebel has good summation of the facts surrounding the U.S. Government's law suite against the state of Arizona in regards to the latter's immigration law. I'm not going to steal any thunder, but it is certainly a gobsmacking addition to the Annals of WTF: American Edition.

Come-upance Of A Sort

2010-06-22T15:46:00.003-04:00

So the FCC has determined that the courts and congress be damned, the internet is a phone service. In doing so they've also given phone companies and cable companies the finger by coming down firmly on the side of net neutrality. Proceedings to reclassify the internet as a phone service (instead of an information service) opened Thursday.

Nerds rejoiced, Libertarians wept, and I was seized by uncontrollable laughter. Set up a regulatory agency with the ability to make decrees that are as binding as laws without the consent of congress (or the governed for that matter) and this is exactly what you get. Chickens. Roost.

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

2010-06-22T15:33:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-06-22T15:24:00.002-04:00

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

Wait. What. Just...Why?!

2010-06-22T13:09:00.004-04:00

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.

Can't Stop The Serenity

2010-06-17T13:09:00.001-04:00

Charity screening of Serenity in Baltimore.

Awesome And Cute

2010-06-07T16:30:00.002-04:00

ZOMG, Baltimore, WTF

2010-06-07T14:22:00.002-04:00

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.

Falcon 9 Is Go!

2010-06-04T15:27:00.009-04:00

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.

More Truth In Advertising

2010-06-01T18:40:00.005-04:00

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.

Where Have All The Politics Gone?

2010-05-28T17:01:00.003-04:00

New direction, folks.

I have a terrible suspicion. A thought that freezes my blood and turns my insides whenever it surfaces, and lately it's been surfacing with horrible frequency. Worst of all, I've started thinking it may true.

I suspect that contrary to what I've always (I think) held to be true, most people don't want to be free. Instead of freedom, what they really want is to be the tyrant. If they can't actually be the tyrant, they simply enlist with whatever batch of tyrants is busy mashing their boots into the faces of the most number of people they don't like or find irritating or bothersome.

This leaves me feeling a bit like some poor bastard in an H.P. Lovecraft story, alternately screaming and laughing hysterically into the void at the sheer incomprehensible horror of it all. Except there are no eldritch monsters, just an Orwellian hell as designed by Escher. A never ending spiral of a mobius strip of boots, pumps, sandals, wingtips, birkenstocks, sneakers, ect. all snapping at the bit for the chance to stomp on the faces of the people that make their list of "sinners", "deviants", "azocial", whatever.

Now most people wouldn't think of it this way. Most people just think of it as trying bring the world closer to their utopia. But utopia building (and don't get me started on that son-of-a-bitching word, "utopia") always requires a large degree of face stomping. I mean, you give most people the chance to build their own utopia and they'll jump at it. And what I'm saying is that every last single person who'd jump at it is a tyrant looking for a face to stomp. It sounds harsh, but there it is.

I don't have a utopia. I think the only good land worth a damn is the one you build for yourself out of your life.

But there are so many people out there who have a utopia in their heads. How do you fight people's dreams? Seriously. How the fuck do you fight people's dreams? Because that's the task at hand. My ability to make a good land out of my life is inversely proportionate to their utopia building. Not just me though. And here's the real kicker, building that good land out of your life makes you a better person. A bigger person. It's how we grow. The stakes are that high.

Don't think I'm just aiming this at Democrats or leftists. There is a gobsmackingly huge number of Republicans out there trying to build their moral utopia or whatever. Tyrants, the lot of them. No better than the other face stomping bastards.

In order to win- in order to be free- we have to fight people's dreams and I honestly don't know how to do that in anything approaching a successful manner. So no politics from me for the time being. My impotent fist shaking isn't solving anything or furthering the goal. What's more, standard political action (I'm not entirely certain what I mean by this, but I'm certainly not advocating violence) is obviously ineffective on account of the unresponsiveness of the political class. That there is even such a thing as "the political class" is a mark of shame and dereliction of our duty as citizens. That those thieving bastards don't fear us is travesty we've allowed for far too long.

So don't get me wrong. I'm quitting. I never could stand bullies and tyrants are nothing but. So, there are a few more in the world than I thought. Okay, a lot more. Doesn't change the fact that I can't stand bullies, and I never was one for just lying down and taking anything. Just need to change tack is all. So while I'm brain storming ways to combat dreams there will be no politics here, just other stuff.

Hope you stick around for it. The politics will be back. Then we'll get practical.

What He Said....

2010-05-20T18:07:00.000-04:00

I'm So Doing This This Year

2010-05-20T16:56:00.003-04:00

Except, I'm thinking of going with a utopian version.

Injury Update...And Other Update Type Things

2010-05-18T21:48:00.002-04:00

Went back to work April 22nd- which, it was nice to get out of my apartment and have things to actually do. Discovery: I don't write well when half of my body is out of commission and in varying degrees of pain. (Though maybe given enough time I could acclimate and become an even better writer? No. Don't want to test that.)

Cast came off of the wrist today. Now I have one of those Velcro splint things. It's funny (and a little weird) seeing how much my arm has atrophied over the past few weeks.

So sure, my injuries have something to do with my being away, but honestly I just didn't know what to say.

I found a new webcomic.

I also recommend checking out Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. It begins with out titular character trying to ~~hang himself~~ make himself taller. Beautifully animated to boot.

People Want To Hold Signs In The Rain Today

2010-04-21T14:30:00.002-04:00

First we have a group of students protesting the closing of their school by the Archdiocese. Enrollment dropped by 500 students, so...probably not gonna win that one. Still, they win best sign for "Archbishop aborts Cardinal Gibbons". It's nice to see kids love their school.

On the opposite end of the spectrum (and a few blocks away) we have a small gathering of (presumably) local hippies celebrating(?) "existence day". By holding up signs by the end of the park. Okay, let's take a second here, because this is the kind of shit that makes people hate hippies. Making a spectacle out of something sacred is so incredibly gross. It's like pretending to speak in tongues to appear pious or holy, or holding an orgy in the middle of the street because sex is just about growing closer. Or maybe I'm just sick of people's spiritual talk-talk. Don't say it, just fucking be it.

Truth In Advertising...

2010-04-20T23:54:00.002-04:00

...albeit, probably unintentional.

So i'm watching the O's game (depressing, but not as bad as last night which was almost suicidal) and during the break for the 7th we get the following from the announcer: Tonight's game has been brought to you by Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey, reminding you to please drink...(wait for it...wait for it...) responsibly.

Right?

Also? I got the stitches out of my left knee today so yay!

Opening Day

2010-04-09T19:41:00.004-04:00

So I sucked up my injuries and braved the crowd to today's game. There was the usual guarded hope, if a bit more pessimism than previous several seasons.
The game was good. Seriously good.

But what most people will remember is that the O's would have won if not for Michael Gonzalez, who was literally booed off of the field. I've never seen a Baltimore crowd go after one of our own like that.

If today's game is any indicator this is going to be a bumpy season for both players and fans tired of having defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.

Like...Seriously?

2010-04-05T22:28:00.002-04:00

This may be the saddest thing I've seen in a while. Finer parties have told better jokes than I can manage so I'm going to just add "what the hell, people."

Seriously, What.The.Hell. Nothing says "desperate pathetic loser" like completely abdicating all responsibility for attaining the basic minimum of social skills required to meet a girl and arrange a gaming session (without having to pay). I mean...you're not even gonna have sex with this person. There will be no longing looks. No cuddles. No pimply nerd grease awkward making out. Not even D&D themed cyber sex. This is even sadder than chat room dating and that's pretty damn sad. What I'm saying here, is that anyone who has to pay people to play video games with them online should make a rope out of their filthy tube socks and hang themselves with it because they have officially failed at life.

You know what should happen when you use Game Crush (as a paying client- I can understand being a payee because that's just opportunism at it's fucking finest)? The minute you arrange your "play date" your door bell rings. You answer it and lo and behold standing on the other side is God, who then proceeds to bitch slap you for all He's worth (which, you know, is probably a lot). He then tells you that you're the most pointless creation He ever thought of. He laughs at your tears (which smell like gravy). Then, out of a newly discovered sense of shame and propriety you go back into the basement and hang yourself with the tube sock rope, making the world a better place. Congratulations! The End.

Burn, Burn, Your Eyes Are Gonna Burn....

2010-04-02T12:16:00.002-04:00

Some companies really shouldn't be online. Because I think we've just proven that there is such a thing as bad publicity.

Update

2010-03-29T21:53:00.002-04:00

Okay, so if you're wondering what's happening with WTJD, I'm not just randomly blowing you guys off. In fact I want to come back and post here regularly. Even if it's not (or at least less) politics.

That said, right now I'm working on my first novel and some short fiction work. I'm posting the short fiction on a separate blog, and once I get a few pieces up I'll post a link over here.

The important thing is that I'm not ditching out, I'm just trying to see if I can make things work my way.

Posting will be sporadic for a bit, but once I really get into the swing of things I hope to make it more regular.

Keep fighting the good fight. I still am.

Dancing Predators

2010-03-21T16:19:00.003-04:00

Oh to Be Rabble Rousing In DC Today....

2010-03-21T16:12:00.003-04:00

Seriously. Keep up the good work. Give 'em hell for those of us who can't be there.

And We Though Amanda Was Losing It!

2010-03-19T20:56:00.008-04:00

Before we get into things, I just want to cover a few things.

I've signed up for the frakking text blast for The Caprican. That's how much I love this show. I didn't even do that shit for BSG- though now I sort of wish I did. But that's like a frakking threshold thing right there.

Also? Sister Clarice is totally channeling Caprica Six.

Now on with the show!

The previouslys have Amanda! Excellent because I love her so much already. The previouslys helpfully remind us that she's going totally crazy right now- like more than usual- (or at least she totally thinks she is.)

I love how Joe and Daniel are both trying to find their daughters and both frakking up all over the place. Joe by being the biggest n00b ever and Daniel by just being desperate bullying asshole. Like the shit that dude does this week. So frakked.

Into the real game and Joe Adama is cubing the frak up.

But what I really want to talk about is how, unbelievably enough, Daniel Graystone's relationship with the Zo-bot manages to be even creepier and grosser now that he knows Zoe.2 is in there. Seriously, between this shit and the whole "rip off your arm" thing you can kind of see the world ending right before your frakking eyes.

But this is his desperate grief. Motherfrakkers trying not to drown will drown your ass in a heartbeat just trying to stay afloat. They don't mean to do it, but you're is still underwater. So in his desperation not to drown, Daniel hammers at his daughter.2 with everything in his arsenal. And it's ugly and terrible and just unbelievably sad. But mostly horrifying. Because seriously, this is what's going on: His daughter is dead and he kidnapped her avatar because "a difference that makes no difference is no difference at all", then he thought he lost that too, but now maybe not, so he engages in actual psychological war against her to get her back. Which, people do this shit to each other all the time, just without the giant robot bodies. And it's just as successful in real life as it is in this show.

And on the polar opposite end you have Joe Adama, who's back in his robe and bumbling around Grand Theft Caprica. Does he even go to work these days? I wonder if Bill has gone back to hanging out with the Tauron mafia. Anyway...Joe becomes a virtual stim-junkie and after a heart to heart with brother Sam, he takes a level in bad ass and finds a lead- a GTC cabaret and a wall of painted flowers. It's looking like daddy's little girl is making a new home for herself. His new guide points as much out, suggests that he takes his dork self back to the real world (and you know, his not dead son- though until Joe snaps out of it he's actually better off being raised by the mafia and grandmom), and Joe gets out his sad thinky face. Again.

Oh, and Vergis tells Amanda that Daniel totally had three people killed in order to steal his MCP while Daniel is downstairs trying to get Zoe.2 to talk to him by having her shoot the dog! Don't worry. The gun was loaded with blanks and it turns out that Zoe new the whole time- but wait! In the matrix she confesses to Lacy that if there had been real bullets in the gun she might have shot dear old crazy desperate dad!

This!Frakking!Show!

So next week is the season finale. I'm so excited!

In Case You Haven't Heard

2010-03-19T13:23:00.002-04:00

Caprica is the best frakking thing on TV right now. Seriously.

It's funny. I didn't think I would like it, and the pilot did little for me- but after two episodes it was wham! And now I'm hooked. I just had to let go and let it be it's own thing. It's totally worthy of the BSG legacy.

All of the things we covered before? So there. You want to talk theology? Caprica. You want to look at the line between "us" and "them"? Caprica. How much Bill Adama rocks (even in elementary school)? Caprica. We'll be doing occasional (and maybe more than) here.

Fight Smack

2010-03-19T13:06:00.001-04:00

Cause orphans don't have parents.

What I've Been Getting Myself Into....

2010-03-12T15:22:00.004-05:00

Slowly going the way of Steven DenBeste apparently. Anime and manga. Yeah. I know. Still, I've found some rather good items.

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni is an excellent (and highly traumatizing) manga and the anime does a fantastic job of keeping the creepy in tact. You can find both mediums online. Apparently there's also a live action film (ye gods!), but I'm going to hold off on that until I finish the manga series at the very least.

I just started Tetragrammaton Labyrinth. It is...interesting. Also online.

The manga for Furi Kuri (FL CL) is, impossibly, even more bizarre than the anime- and the anime was...well..."If you want to understand FLCL, watch it from beginning to end. The desire will pass."

I've also been trapped in the link maze that is TV Tropes as you can obviously see from this post.

Glad To See That I'm Not Alone

2010-03-12T15:13:00.002-05:00

From Television Without Pity:

Hell, even the character captions think the whole Jenny storyline is bullshit. Katee Sackhoff deserves better, show! Much much better!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Blizzard.

2010-02-05T12:09:00.003-05:00

So the snow had started coming down before I left for work. I will spend 1.5 hours on the clock today. I will then head to Best Buy (or Game Stop- both are loathed) and pick up Modern Warfare 2 or Bayonetta. Then off to the market to snag some frozen pizzas and the booze mart for some...well- booze. It's shaping up to be a long and glorious weekend filled to the brim with achievements. I'll see you on Xbox Live- totally before you see me.

State Of The Union

2010-01-27T22:52:00.004-05:00

So I'm just gonna admit that I slept through the first half of it. That said, what I caught was kind of blah. A lot of political talk talk. There was some effort to paint that republicans haven't been offering alternatives.

Bob McDonnell's response was good.

There's really nothing more to say on it. No change in direction. Even down to still blaming Bush. So....yeah.

Sometimes It's All You Can Do

2010-01-15T04:34:00.002-05:00

...to haul yourself out of the frakkin' bed.

So I'm currently on the injured list. Have been for a few days and you know what? I've been too lost to blog.

There's so much. By golly, where does one begin?

The finances?
The ever increasing federal government?
Obama-care?
The unemployment listings?
I'm know I'm not alone from the silent bloggers out there.
How about climategate's absence from the media?
Or the White House's bought MIT guy?
Maybe the foreign policy failures?
The fractioning of the tea parties?

Wait. That last one sounds good. We're so divided against each other- so busy making the perfect the enemy of the good- that we fail to fight the major front we're facing. The tea parties are now home to the same "who's on first"/"chicken vs egg" bullshit: Who can survive without the other- the socio-cons or the fiscal-cons? You know what the answer is on a national scale? Neither. We are bound to each other, brothers. Bound by a (hopefully) mutual philosophy of limited central government and limited spending.

Certainly, it is inevitable that once any movement becomes large enough it splinters, but this movement...the only way the tea parties work is with a laser focus. The tea parties are successful not because they are Republican revivals, but because they branch across party lines. They tap into those basic factors upon which the majority of Americans see as unifying principles- chief among which is the right and ability to live as one chooses and reap the benefits (or detriments) thereof without interference from the government. It is a grievous mistake to attempt to transform the tea party movements into a branch (any branch) of the Republican Party.

Let's throw all the bastards out. Every single one who vote(s/d) against the American people's right and ability to pursue the American dream- the opportunity to make one's own way in the world as free of government penalty, or aid as is conducive to one's fellow man being able to do the same.

Without economic freedom there is no personal freedom. We are all in this together.

Thanks Bro.

2010-01-15T04:32:00.001-05:00

Well....

2010-01-08T13:12:00.002-05:00

Apple did "lose" their maps app.

From The Guy Who Brings You

2010-01-08T13:01:00.001-05:00

Savage Chickens:

S'mores are awesome.

Neato

2010-01-07T03:15:00.001-05:00

On The Detriot Attempt And It's Aftermath

2010-01-07T02:50:00.003-05:00

There is a lot of talk regarding security measures after the latest attempted terrorist attack. Are we secure enough? Are we trading too much? Blah blah blah.

When I worked retail for the crappiest of companies there was one thing that was droned into our heads every day: Every day someone wakes up and thinks "How can I rip off [company name]?" That was the best thing they left me with. It occurs to me that that is the mindset that is needed in homeland security (not just the office, but we, the people). Not as a way to further restrict passenger rights or be more invasive during airport entry- but to provide us (security and passengers) to be more active in how we deal with terrorist threats.

Everyday someone wakes up and says "How can I hurt the USA?" Or "How can I circumvent US airline security?" And the variants thereof. We won't catch them all, but we can find a balance between security (including that provided by the consistently- and wrongfully- disarmed patriots who serve as the last line of defense against these attacks) and individual rights.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T12:23:00.003-05:00

As a friend said "2009 was a shit show!" She's Russian.

Anyway, I'm starting off 2010 with continued drinking from last night and C-SPAN2's Book tv discussion on Ayn Rand with total hotty prof. J. Burns. So way to go 2010 so far!

Regular blogging will resume 01/04/10.

So I've Been Thinking

2009-12-27T16:02:00.002-05:00

Maybe we should just let the whole thing burn. Hell, let's speed it up. Whatever you can think of to expedite the destabilization and ultimate implosion of the current system? Do it. Then we'll start over from scratch- hopefully having learned the lessons of our current failure. Well, either that or let's buy an island and anyone who seeks to make a servant of their fellow man is kicked off.

Merry Christmas and a much belated Happy Hanukkah.

Kind Of Funny Kind Of Creepy

2009-12-14T21:12:00.001-05:00

I Still Can't Believe He's Blogging Anime

2009-12-07T16:20:00.001-05:00

Steven Den Beste has a new and excellent (as usual) post up at Hot Air.

"Good Morning Baltimore...."

2009-12-06T22:56:00.003-05:00

In a Sheraton downtown- I mean right fucking downtown in the heart of the goddamn tourist district- a man was shot with a goddamn tech 9. I mean, Jesus fucking sonofabitching Christ, Baltimore.

This city fucking...just.

Every time I think I might not hate this city as much as I think I do Baltimore shows me that yes, yes I do hate it every last bit as much as think I do.

Frankly, when the worthless fucking shit stain gang members kill each other in their worthless fucking shit stain neighborhood I could give a rat's ass. Personally, I'm more than happy to let them kill each other off in their self created Mogadishu. I just wish they'd fucking stay there.

Because It's True

2009-12-06T16:37:00.002-05:00

Holiday Retail.

*Update* The Enemy.

Okay.

2009-12-04T18:52:00.001-05:00

So I was reading some stuff which made me hanker for a chance to start the world over. You know:

And then I saw this:

Santa's from Gallifrey, y'all! It all makes sense! World is better.

2012. Comedy Of The Year.

2009-12-04T15:03:00.003-05:00

Whether or not it was intentional the enfant terrible behind Hollywierd's latest special effects gang bang has actually created a parody of disaster movies. The over saturation and over extension of numerous tropes combines to form a veritable Voltron of comedy.

For starters this movie fails science- all science- for eternity. It manages to fail astronomy, physics, quantum physics, oceanography, volcanology, seismology, and geology. That list probably isn't comprehensive. Seriously a planetary "alignment" (which they also add the center of the galaxy too via opening shot because why not) causes "mutant neutrinos" to "heat up" (I can only guess that they mean more than its usual state.) the Earth's core which then causes the crust to slide around (once again, we can only assume that they mean more than usual).

The ensuing disasters provide a backdrop for a stretch limo to corner like a Ferrari, jump like...well like all Hollywood vehicles with a floored accelerator, and outrun...an earthquake. Also an RV outruns a volcanic eruption. Yes. You totally just read that.

This movie delivers (spoiler alert) a tidal wave capsizing a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean, a mysteriously filling compartment in order to drown a character of "dubious" morality, boats which look like the spaceships in Star Ship Troopers (the movie), a rich people suck plot, international government conspiracy, screw the poor, and die for our ship.

2012 could actually be the most brilliant comedy ever.

I...Well...Uh...That Is....

2009-12-03T16:30:00.003-05:00

Five Virginia Department of Corrections officers have been charged with animal cruelty involving the fondling of a K-9 dog and videotaping the two incidents.

Remember kids, Virginia is for lovers.

This post has created a new tag because seriously. The hell you say?!

More On Climategate

2009-12-01T21:50:00.004-05:00

So while I'm busy catching up from where I left off. You know, back when it looked like misunderstanding or disagreement instead of an outting of complete and utter...fraud? Incompetence? Anyway, here's a little something for you to read.

Check out Devil's Kitchen for some good tech takes.

Left Coast Rebel has some good links regarding the hacked emails.

*Update* "Excuse me sir. There's more at the door."

*Update the second* Database of the CRU emails.

Fantastically True!

2009-12-01T21:13:00.003-05:00

The Progressive "Big Lie" Threat Meter.

Thanks also go to Left Coast Rebel.

*Update* Neo neocon also weighs in on climategate.

Kant Through Comics

2009-12-01T21:02:00.001-05:00

Via Io9. Well, go and watch the video.