(Fri, Dec 04, 2009)
I also considered "Heheh... he said stimulus." That's funny, right? Huh?
(Fri, Dec 04, 2009)
Since I'm uploading images, it seems a good time to snapshot my current desktop. I cannot imagine this could be interesting to anyone, even me, but certain compulsions are too powerful to ignore. Now for a nice bowl of spiderwebs and ketchup....
(Sun, Dec 13, 2009)
Bam-Bam would never allow anything to happen to Pebbles.
(Tue, Dec 15, 2009)
In honor of this occasion I would like to once more reproduce for the digital void a forlorn demand, a desperate insistence, the forgotten right, the Tenth Amendment:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
If I were to park myself within shouting distance of Congress, and mount upon my head a bullhorn, and feed into that bullhorn a loop of the Tenth Amendment, what kind of over-under could I get on time-before-removal? Low. Low like the iguana is low. Low like pancakes.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
If I were to park myself within shouting distance of Congress, and mount upon my head a bullhorn, and feed into that bullhorn a loop of the Tenth Amendment, what kind of over-under could I get on time-before-removal? Low. Low like the iguana is low. Low like pancakes.
(Sun, Dec 27, 2009)
I don't know what the best movie of 2009 was -- there weren't any great movies, but there were a bunch of *good* movies: District 9, Inglourious Basterds, Moon, Star Trek, Zombieland, The Brothers Bloom, Adventureland, The Hangover. I actually enjoyed Land of the Lost, which is odd because I don't usually like Will Ferrell movies. Or godawful movies. Maybe it was because I loved that show when I was a kid.
This 70 minute critique of The Phantom Menace on youtube was both funny and insightful; so that's my favorite documentary this year. I think it's also my only documentary unless you count the Discovery-History-NatGeo Channels.
The most disappointing movie of 2009 was Watchmen. After a decade of waiting, and given the nearly sacred status of its source material, this movie could only disappoint.
The most overrated movie was Up -- yet another mediocre cartoon movie that everybody gushed over. I did like the dog for about 30 seconds.
The worst movie was GI Joe. Holy crap was this bad. Even worse than Wolverine, which made me weep from its stinging, stinking badness. Even worse then Transformers 2, which made me carve swear words into my arm with a rusty pocket knife just so I could feel for a moment something other than how terrifically awful that movie was. Even worse than 2012, which destroyed the entire Earth with godawfulness! GI Joe was the worst; I try not to think about it.
This 70 minute critique of The Phantom Menace on youtube was both funny and insightful; so that's my favorite documentary this year. I think it's also my only documentary unless you count the Discovery-History-NatGeo Channels.
The most disappointing movie of 2009 was Watchmen. After a decade of waiting, and given the nearly sacred status of its source material, this movie could only disappoint.
The most overrated movie was Up -- yet another mediocre cartoon movie that everybody gushed over. I did like the dog for about 30 seconds.
The worst movie was GI Joe. Holy crap was this bad. Even worse than Wolverine, which made me weep from its stinging, stinking badness. Even worse then Transformers 2, which made me carve swear words into my arm with a rusty pocket knife just so I could feel for a moment something other than how terrifically awful that movie was. Even worse than 2012, which destroyed the entire Earth with godawfulness! GI Joe was the worst; I try not to think about it.
(Sun, Dec 27, 2009)
The best moment in television this year was the scene in one of the last episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in which the kid from 90210 gets killed. It's sudden and understated, no fanfare, no heroic final moment saving his friends or the world, no final speech to cast upon the ages, just dead, and the narrative just moves on. One of the best character deaths in any TV show ever.
Meanwhile, the worst television this year was... wait for it... the Battlestar Galactica Finale. It shall live on in eternal infamy. I have generally found that people who take Science Fiction seriously were much more annoyed by the BSG finale than people who tend to associate SF solely with light sabers and Vulcans. The latter mostly thought the finale was super, look at the pretty colors, while many of the former reclassified Ron Moore as a saboteur of his own work of George Lucas proportions.
This was also a year for really bad advertising. The free credit report dot com guy continues to torment me with his horrible shill-songs; and that Geico lizard really needs to get flattened into a scaly green pancake.
The most disappointing television of 2009 is Doctor Who. Each of the "specials" that aired this year was written by lame-duck show-runner Russell T. Davies, who has been to Doctor Who what Rick Berman was to Star Trek. Histrionic, self-indulgent, and ridiculous as ever. Hopefully we (and by 'we' I mean 'I') have seen the last of this used-car-salesman of a television producer and writer.
Meanwhile, the worst television this year was... wait for it... the Battlestar Galactica Finale. It shall live on in eternal infamy. I have generally found that people who take Science Fiction seriously were much more annoyed by the BSG finale than people who tend to associate SF solely with light sabers and Vulcans. The latter mostly thought the finale was super, look at the pretty colors, while many of the former reclassified Ron Moore as a saboteur of his own work of George Lucas proportions.
This was also a year for really bad advertising. The free credit report dot com guy continues to torment me with his horrible shill-songs; and that Geico lizard really needs to get flattened into a scaly green pancake.
The most disappointing television of 2009 is Doctor Who. Each of the "specials" that aired this year was written by lame-duck show-runner Russell T. Davies, who has been to Doctor Who what Rick Berman was to Star Trek. Histrionic, self-indulgent, and ridiculous as ever. Hopefully we (and by 'we' I mean 'I') have seen the last of this used-car-salesman of a television producer and writer.
(Sun, Dec 27, 2009)
Mostly I read from my Kindle this year, which I still love. If the dreaded Kindle assassin destroyed mine I would buy another one. I read a great many old SF novels and stories: a lot of Jack Vance, who is my favorite writer for two years running now; Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld series in honor of his passing; and I still endeavor to catch up on the nebula and hugo nominees from the last fifty years. The only books I read that were published this year were Stephen King's Under the Dome (long and unrewarding with ridiculous characters), and Songs of the Dying Earth, a collection of stories by well-known SF writers that all take place in Jack Vance's Dying Earth setting. I've been reading the latter for the last few months, one story each weekend, and loving every one of them. Surprisingly I put off the new Thomas Pynchon, but I'll probably get to it soon. And I haven't yet gotten to the new Robert Jordan, who is as prolific post-mortem as Tupac, with yet another trilogy of Time Wheelers rolling out.
(Sun, Dec 27, 2009)
The best music of 2009 is Pink Floyd, Us and Them. Wait, that wasn't this year? Well I really like that song. The best thing in music this year is Lala.com. Search for a song on Google and then listen to the whole thing streamed from lala.com. Buy the DRM-free MP3 for around a buck. (They need to improve their classical catalog though.)
The most disappointing music was The Decemberists, Hazards Of Love. After their twin masterpieces -- Picaresque and The Crane Wife -- this one was a disappointment. Maybe it was too ambitious. Maybe they let the woman sing too much. I don't know, but it made the left side of my face frown (which in me indicates displeasure mixed with perplexity).
The most surprising thing about music in 2009 was what I didn't hate. I listened to Black Eyed Peas and I listened to Poker Face (is it humanly possible not to like that song?). I also really enjoyed the new Insane Clown Posse.
The most disappointing music was The Decemberists, Hazards Of Love. After their twin masterpieces -- Picaresque and The Crane Wife -- this one was a disappointment. Maybe it was too ambitious. Maybe they let the woman sing too much. I don't know, but it made the left side of my face frown (which in me indicates displeasure mixed with perplexity).
The most surprising thing about music in 2009 was what I didn't hate. I listened to Black Eyed Peas and I listened to Poker Face (is it humanly possible not to like that song?). I also really enjoyed the new Insane Clown Posse.
(Sun, Dec 27, 2009)
The best politics: World Leaders converge in Copenhagen for historic summit on climate change, and accomplish absolutely nothing. Hurrah!
The worst politics: Senate and House Democrats vote to force all Americans to buy health insurance or suffer prison.
The worst politics: The EPA decides carbon dioxide is poisonous, decides to regulate my every exhalation, congress stands by slack-jawed.
The worst politics: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ($787 Billion stimulus package)
The worst politics: Senate and House Democrats vote to force all Americans to buy health insurance or suffer prison.
The worst politics: The EPA decides carbon dioxide is poisonous, decides to regulate my every exhalation, congress stands by slack-jawed.
The worst politics: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ($787 Billion stimulus package)
(Sun, Dec 27, 2009)
Best Discovery of 2009: lots of water on the moon. I can't wait to go there and stay. Screw you guys.
People of 2009:
The most annoying person is Shia LaBeef. What psychopath decided this creature was a movie star and sent him out to inflict himself upon us all? Please make him stop. I'm begging!
The most annoying runner-up: Sarah Palin
The most surprising person is Tiger Woods.
The worst person is a tie between Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. How about a deathmatch between the two of them? Stripped to loin-cloths. With Vulcan dueling weapons.
News
Oracle Buys Sun!
Most Ambitious Engineering Project
The effort to tow Titan from Saturn to solar orbit between Earth and Mars in order to use it as a fuel depot for spacecraft traveling to and from the Martian colonies. Now *that's* progress!
People of 2009:
The most annoying person is Shia LaBeef. What psychopath decided this creature was a movie star and sent him out to inflict himself upon us all? Please make him stop. I'm begging!
The most annoying runner-up: Sarah Palin
The most surprising person is Tiger Woods.
The worst person is a tie between Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. How about a deathmatch between the two of them? Stripped to loin-cloths. With Vulcan dueling weapons.
News
Oracle Buys Sun!
Most Ambitious Engineering Project
The effort to tow Titan from Saturn to solar orbit between Earth and Mars in order to use it as a fuel depot for spacecraft traveling to and from the Martian colonies. Now *that's* progress!
(Sun, Dec 27, 2009)
Me and my baby are like gin and tonic,
gin and tonic,
gin and tonic,
See we kind of suck on our own,
suck on our own,
suck on our own,
But we're so damn good together!
gin and tonic,
gin and tonic,
See we kind of suck on our own,
suck on our own,
suck on our own,
But we're so damn good together!