100 Days, 3 Abandoned Hostages

Tammy Bruce rightly notes one of the current administration's more troubling policies:

When you abandon Americans held by terrorists, and then reward terrorists who trained with Al Qaeda, some might argue it’s more than priorities that are screwed-up in the White House.

Read the whole thing and marvel at the....Incompetence? Fecklessness? Bias? Collapse? Real life Punch and Judy? of the MSM.

The Question Remains

This one's for Leeann.

So on the one hand we have Jean-Luc Picard's warm friendly sometimes mentor-like take on command.


And on the other hand we have grisly Bill Adama, who's take on command is essentially making every crew member of the Galactica a surrogate son/daughter.

(I guess it's too soon or something because all of the BSG stuff on youtube is either a trailer or a creepy music video montage.)

Clearly, Picard and Adama faced wildly different situations. Picard captained the flagship of the Federation, primarily tasked with scientific surveys and diplomacy. And he was awesome at it. Plus he defeated the Borg. A lot. Even when they cheated (energy shields adjusting to bullets is so bullshit.) Adama commanded a decommissioned battlestar that became the last defense of the tens of thousands of humans who survived the Cylon holocaust. And he so completely rocked at it that half of the Cylons decided to throw their chips in with him.

So how to decide between them? Well one way is to try to figure out who I would rather serve under. On the surface that doesn't work out so well because in the Star Trek TNG universe I would totally want to serve under Picard, but in the Galactica universe I'd totally want to serve under Adama. But let's look a little deeper.

Adama was totally willing to risk a civil war amongst the tattered remnants of humanity to save the lives of two of his favorite surrogate sons. Which is all kinds of crazy and wonderful. The world ended and Bill Adama essentially saves the human race by being its dad. I don't think a captain who's casual enough with his crew to the point where the chief medical officer totally has creepy ghost sex in front of him could pull that off. But Adama is a soldier, not a diplomat and the Star Trek TNG universe never asks anyone to "roll the hard 6". Adama would kill Romulans and Borg like James Tiberius Kirk killed Klingons, but a lot of treaties would go unsigned and first contact situations would be...problematic.

So who's better? That's still tough. I know that I'd rather have an ascendant humanity over one on the verge of extinction and that a Star Trek future is a hell of a lot brighter than a BSG future. So if the choice was about picking fates, then Picard all the way. But if the choice is just about who I'd prefer to by my commanding officer in a universe that's neither Battlestar bleak or Federation florescent then my gut says Bill Adama. (And as a bonus Tigh's alcoholism caused the Galactica and her crew less trouble than Riker's sex drive caused the Enterprise and hers.)

:( !

So the home computer is experiencing some major technical difficulties which started yesterday. That's the bad news.

The good news is that fan appreciation day is today (instead)! Yay!

So today I'll be posting what I was supposed to post yesterday, but couldn't.

Konami Code Summons Unicorns

Yesterday ESPN was awesomely hacked. I don't generally go in for that sort of thing, but seriously. The Konami code and unicorns is pretty win.

Dude.

How did I miss that Bea Arthur passed away this weekend?

Seriously. I remember watching Golden Girls with my mom when I was a wee tyke.

At any rate, this one's for you Ms. Arthur:

New Link

Wicked sorry on the whole slacking thing. New link on the link bar: When Your Only Tool Is A Hammer. Sometimes I feel like my only brain is a colander.

Shiina Ringo

Discovered courtesy of my brother, this lady has become a staple on my iPod.







Unfortunately, her new project is Tokyo Jihen which is all things I hate about J-rock.

So I Guess The Question Is....

Given the ideological mixed bag that is the tea party movement, is a federalism amendment a salable goal? I think that if it uses Mr. Barnett's wording it could be. It'll draw even more cooks out of the woodwork and the TPTB and the MSM will pull out all the stops in their efforts to marginalize and dismiss us. Heck, all we can agree on right now is ousting the incumbents and they're already 3 steps from crapping their pants. But if we were to respond like we're responding now I think, yeah, maybe it's just crazy and brazen enough to work. Maybe we could scare some pretty big concessions out of the feds.

What do you folks think? It's late and my general distaste for government always has had a touch of the extreme so maybe this is my pipe dream.

There's Exaggeration And Then There's Bald Faced Lying

This car looks future-pretty and everything, but let's cut the crap here: any car that tops out at 90 mph is, by definition, absolutely and completely incapable of "handling like a bat out of hell". I don't care what the CEO of the company says. My old '94 Ford Escort Wagon topped out at 90 so this guy is basically arguing that "bat out of hell" = "Ford Escort Wagon". His life is either really damn boring, or he's a lying s.o.b. But, sure. The car looks cool.

Hat tip Instapundit

Taking A Break

Reader Appreciation Day

Okay so the announcement is late, but...uh...yeah. I know, I'm a bad bad blogger. Forgive me?
Well, regardless of my state of absolution, reader appreciation day is next Wednesday. (I am still working on that BSG post and it will be up Wednesday.) So leave a comment, send an email, let me know what you want me to post about next Wednesday. It will be done.

Perseverance

That's how I got to see the O's whip the White Sox 10 to 3.

Waiting Out The Rain

The Bird Rocks

Little over an hour's delay and the game is on.

At the ballpark. Boog's beef sandwhich and beer. Now if it'd just stop raining.

Video Game Goodness

Io9 has a gamespot feature on the new System Sh.... I mean Bioshock 2. In spite of the fact that Bioshock is essen... okay is System Shock and the typical haloed white knight/slavering pit beast polarity of its "moral choice" component, it's still one of my favorite games of the past few years.

It's beautiful, creepy, and fun. When it comes to the survival horror genre that's the cat's pajamas right there. (Though the top two positions still belong to Silent Hill 1&2 because those games managed to flat out scare the hell out me.) So here's to hoping that Bioshock 2 will be as good as it looks.

Exactly

Whenever someone tells you that the rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer:

Or put it this way. Take your time machine back to the middle ages. Find some locals and explain to them that in the era you're from, most people live better than the king does in their day.

Also, a better articulated "human beings are awesome" piece than my Doctor Who-like rants.

Dear Orioles

WTF? Guthrie. Dude. Stop loading the bases. Seriously. Especially in Boston. It's The Green Monster. You can't count on grand slams to save the day when after you've thrown away a perfectly good lead because you can't pitch.

5th inning 8 to 5, Baltimore. 7th inning 10 to 8, Boston. Problem? Obviously. Let's not talk about the unforced errors. No, wait. Let's do. Roberts (2B)? Really? Maybe it's not a great idea to grease your glove before games. Same goes to you, Huff (1B).

I love you guys. I do. So please stop hurting me. I mean, between the Rangers Wednesday (19 to 6. Really!?) and Boston last night, I shudder to think about what terrors will unfold come June. Here's how things are supposed to work: You (the Baltimore Orioles) are supposed to rock to the extreme in the beginning of the season, giving everyone here in charm city (myself included) much hope for post-season awesomeness. Then sometime in June (generally just after the all-star game) you suddenly make a sharp turn, drive over a cliff, and obliterate the season in a fiery hell pit. (We, here in charm city, would very much appreciate it if the second half of that arrangement didn't actually happen.) The thing that you seem to be missing regarding the last 2 games is the "rocking" and "giving hope" bits. Please correct. By 7:10pm tonight. Thank you.

With warm regards,

C. (Toaster Lover) S.

Hawaiian Shirt Day

Yesterday was a much needed break from politics. Today we'll be if not exactly diving, at least wading back into it.

Also, Hawaiian shirts rock and in celebration of today's awesomely warm weather I am totally rockin' (one of) mine. But you don't have to take my word for it:

Oh Neat-o

This Infinite Photograph thing is pretty keen. Click. Pause. Zoom. Click. Take that '70's.

Oddly Enough Is Right

I mean, where does the conversation go after explaining that the painting on your wall- the one everyone's been inquiring about- is an original Hitler?

Hat tip Rich

I <3 The Hubble

*Edit* That's a mosaic of the galactic center. Totally forgot to tell y'all that.

Worst Case Scenario For My Future....

So, if the book goes nowhere or just doesn't work out what the heck am I gonna do with my life?

I'm thinking move to Japan get a job doing anything that would pay me enough to own this phone. Seriously, I'd sell my organs (the ones I could spare) on the black market.

37 Years Ago Today

Apollo 16 slipped the bonds of our lonely blue marble and headed for the moon.

Human beings are awesome. Take I, Pencile and expand that to rocketry. Not just the physical production of rockets, but the intellectual understanding that allows for that. From fire to the wheel to Pythagoras to Brahe to Copernicus to Newton and Leibniz to Franklin to Edison (and Tesla- dude was robbed) to Goddard and the whole of human intellectual endeavor before, during, and in between that culminated on that day 37 years ago when human beings set out to set foot on soil approximately 238,855 miles from Earth for the fifth time.

Also? Screw The Dark Ages.

On The Way To Work

Sample

Here's a taste of what I was listening to on the way to DC:

Me

Headed home. Details to follow in a later post.

Nirth cert on stage. Too bad.

Looks like we're being let back into part of the park.

Things continue outside the park. Battery dead.

There's police tape up around the park. Officers are conversing inside.

2:09 everyone's told to clear the park. We're going to be allowed back in. I wonder if it has anything to do with the leftwing protest across the street.

MARC is now 5 min late. I'm staring at that godawful fabrication in front of Penn station.

Inspection Fail

Image test

Testing mobile

Another Link!

Southern Belle Politics is now on the link bar.

The First Away Game Of The Season

The O's lost pretty badly to Tampa Bay last night. 11 to 3. Ouch. Still, we're 4 and 2 going into the first away game of the season. Tonight we're taking on the Rangers. Previous seasons have been less than kind to the birds when they're away from home, with a little luck tonight we'll come out on top. Currently top of the 3rd, 2 to 2, 2 outs.

New (ish) Link

I've been a regular readers of PETA Kills Animals and (until several seconds ago) assumed that I had included it in the link bar. Now it actually is.

This Time In Antwerpen

Previously in the UK.

It's Like I've Died And Gone To R'lyeh

What do you get when you cross Metallica, The Beatles, and H.P.Lovecraft? Genius, that's what.



Hat tip The Other McCain

Old But Awesome

DVICE has a group of totally sweet images of the LHC. Sure, in most of them it totally looks like the Stargate to hell, but it's the largest particle collider in the world and seriously beautiful. (Plus it had loons across the globe terrified that it was going to end the world.)

O's VS 'Rays Tonight

It's gross outside, by which I mean grey, rainy, and slightly chilly, but forecasts call for the sky to stop behaving like a Red Sox fan some time around 5. With the game scheduled to start at 7 things are looking good. Let's hope the boys can take it to Tampa Bay again tonight.

After these next two games they're on the road for six and it'd be good to send them off on a winning streak. You know?

At some point we'll probably get around to Why I Dread the All Star Game or The Curse of June, but it's early and the future is wide open so we're doing Why Not Believe '83.

Metal Morning

Good morning. Today is brought to you by English breakfast tea, Dio:



and Danzig:



Throw the horns.

Yep.

England Slowly Losing Its Status...

...as my second favorite English speaking country (USA #1!). And it started off with one heck of an advantage with that whole parent country thing. But seriously, England, how am I supposed to keep you in that highly coveted spot when Australia does things like this and you do... what exactly? England, you created Doctor Who, how can you let Australian Who fandom surpass your own? You're slipping, England, that's how. Get back on the ball.

Dude, Sweet.

So no game blogging last night because I was at Seder with an old friend and his family. (The brisket was incredible. Seriously. Like smack your mama good.)

Anyway, the birds beat the carpetbaggers again last night. One more game to go today before we get to kick the Yankees out of our fair city. Let's rock.

Today's been great so far. Even dropped some Skynyrd on the ipod. Walked through the harbor. Picked up a strawberry-kiwi smoothie on my way into work. Yep, life is good. Now I just need the O's to victoriously kick the Yankees' sorry keasters out of my city.

Sadly, it's the top of the 9th and the score is 9 to 2 New York. So, probably not gonna happen. But that's okay, boys. We licked 'em good twice.

Exactly.

Glenn Reynolds says "This is how it should be done", and I quite agree with him. Not that anyone here should be surprised.

Okay, But Where's He-Man?

Io9's exclusive with Bai Ling is terrifying on at least two levels. 1.) Someone let her write her own dialog, and 2.) That chick looks more and more like Skeletor.



Seriously, scroll down and tell me you didn't think of that dude with guns.

On Corruption

Washington is to the taxpayer as the drug cartels are to the addict.

That about says it all.

New Widget

You may have already guessed this, but I love baseball. Specifically, I love the Baltimore Orioles, the miserable bunch of mugs that they are. My grandfather was an O's fan and passed that down to me. Baseball season means baseball posts and not just about specific games or team business, but about the poetry of baseball (and the parts that are stupid- I'm looking at you, designated hitter rule).

The new widget over to the right will hang around until the end of the season.

More Opening Day Goodness

*Update* (7:58pm) O's Win 10 to 5!!! Great way to kick off the season, guys. Screw you, Derek Jeter.

The sun is now out, the sky a cool blue, and I know my ballpark has a beautiful view.



Bottom of the 5th and score is 5 to 1, Baltimore. Keep up the good work boys.

Opening Day, Or Why Not Believe '81

It rained this morning and into the afternoon today in Charm City, but the sun's started to peek out from behind the clouds. The game is still on and teams of baseball fans are making their way to Camden Yards as I write this. Unfortunately, this O's fan is hard at work instead of wiping down a green seat and preparing to order a hotdog and a beer. Even more unfortunately, most of the fans currently clogging the streets of my fair city are Yankees fans. Bastards.

Here in Baltimore we hate the Yankees more than Red Sox fans whine. So here's my opening day wish: I want my Orioles to send those Yankees sons of bitches packing back to New York with their heads hung low. Especially in light of the general expectation for the season as a whole.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet I'll be keeping track of things over on the MLB website. Let's go O's!

America Rocks Reason Number 6,315*

Baseball is totally better than cricket.

*Numbers are randomly assigned.

P.S.stats aside, screw Derek Jeter.

Stupid Dark Ages....

The graph says it, man. The graph says it all.