Friday, May 30, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Things Overheard
Prostidude (prohs-TIH-dood)
n. A male that engages in sexual acts for money, drugs, or other goods or services.
Usage: Derogatory
Example: "He was just sleepin' wit her for a place to stay, he ain't nothin' but a prostidude."
Etymology: From "prosti(tute)" (one who engages in sexual acts for money or other considerations) + "dude" (common vernacular for a male human)
n. A male that engages in sexual acts for money, drugs, or other goods or services.
Usage: Derogatory
Example: "He was just sleepin' wit her for a place to stay, he ain't nothin' but a prostidude."
Etymology: From "prosti(tute)" (one who engages in sexual acts for money or other considerations) + "dude" (common vernacular for a male human)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Good News for Catholics!
According to this AP story (via Yahoo! News), the Pope says it's okay for you to believe in aliens.
(You still can't practice birth control, even if you're an alien, though.)
A snippet:
"Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God ... such a notion 'doesn't contradict our faith' because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out the existence of aliens would be like 'putting limits' on God's creative freedom, [Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory] said."
Now let us each turn to our neighbor and welcome the Roman Catholic Church to the 21st Century.
(You still can't practice birth control, even if you're an alien, though.)
A snippet:
"Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God ... such a notion 'doesn't contradict our faith' because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out the existence of aliens would be like 'putting limits' on God's creative freedom, [Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory] said."
Now let us each turn to our neighbor and welcome the Roman Catholic Church to the 21st Century.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Cutter Fashion
"Arm socks" or "arm warmers" - you've seen these things, worn most often by females (though not exclusively so), *adorable* fashion accessories that usually go from the hand to the elbow and feature bright colors and|or patterns.
But let me clue you in. They are - or at least were - more than a fashion statement.
This is cutter fashion, people.
What do I mean by that?
Well, that's simple. I mean that, when these things were first being worn (by people like me in the Eighties) they had nothing to do with fashion or any "scene."
They had one purpose: to cover the wounds and scars of self-mutilation. Cutting, in other word. Usually, one used the mis-matched, partnerless or beholed socks that couldn't be worn otherwise on the feet. Very punk, but also necessary if one didn't want to have to bear the scrutiny and condemnation of peers and elders for this very personal habit of self-injury.
And now, in the fullness of time, it's become a niche industry of the fashion world, and every cute little precious snowflake wants a pair or two to prove they are unique just like the rest of the herd.
So, as a public service, I've outted this accessory - an accessory to self-assault, rather than wardrobe - so if your little darling suddenly sports a pair regardless of how warm the weather is, consider taking stock of your relationship with them and their relationships with their bodies.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Nature vs. War
Two items dominating the news lately:
Cyclone Nargis, and the fighting in Iraq.
The Iraq conflict has claimed over 95,000 lives (by some counts) since the fighting began in March 2003.
Not to be outdone, Mother Nature slammed Myanmar (Burma) last Friday, and the body count there is already estimated at 100,000, with tens of thousands more missing, and tens of thousands more expected to die from exposure, malnutrition, dehydration, and cholera.
Everyone talks about the weather, but who's doing anything about it?
Obviously, the weather is a greater danger to human life than humans are. Something should be done. A law passed, a sanction levied, something. As thoughtless and cruel as humans can be, we are simply no match for the devastating power of the planet we call home.
Cyclone Nargis, and the fighting in Iraq.
The Iraq conflict has claimed over 95,000 lives (by some counts) since the fighting began in March 2003.
Not to be outdone, Mother Nature slammed Myanmar (Burma) last Friday, and the body count there is already estimated at 100,000, with tens of thousands more missing, and tens of thousands more expected to die from exposure, malnutrition, dehydration, and cholera.
Everyone talks about the weather, but who's doing anything about it?
Obviously, the weather is a greater danger to human life than humans are. Something should be done. A law passed, a sanction levied, something. As thoughtless and cruel as humans can be, we are simply no match for the devastating power of the planet we call home.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Ruining some stuff for you
Just thought I'd put an end to some of those "unanswerable" questions:
Q: Which came first, the chicken, or the egg?
A: The egg. Chickens were selectively bred around the 7th century BCE, long after other birds were laying eggs. So even if you don't accept evolution (and dinosaur eggs), the egg came first.
Q: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
A: No. Sound is the ear's transmittal of energy waves to the brain. Without an ear (and brain), waves aren't sound. However, the falling tree does produce the same disruption in the air whether or not it can be heard.
Q: Can computers see more colors than the human eye can?
A: No. Firstly, computers don't "see," sight is a function of the eye and brain, neither of which is available to a computer. Secondly, colors are a human construct, a method the brain uses to distinguish variations of reflection of light received by the eye(s). A computer can theoretically parse more shades of defined variation, but the definitions must be programmed first, and how would we know it can parse them past subtleties we can see? Who wants to take a computer's word for anything?
Q: Which came first, the chicken, or the egg?
A: The egg. Chickens were selectively bred around the 7th century BCE, long after other birds were laying eggs. So even if you don't accept evolution (and dinosaur eggs), the egg came first.
Q: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
A: No. Sound is the ear's transmittal of energy waves to the brain. Without an ear (and brain), waves aren't sound. However, the falling tree does produce the same disruption in the air whether or not it can be heard.
Q: Can computers see more colors than the human eye can?
A: No. Firstly, computers don't "see," sight is a function of the eye and brain, neither of which is available to a computer. Secondly, colors are a human construct, a method the brain uses to distinguish variations of reflection of light received by the eye(s). A computer can theoretically parse more shades of defined variation, but the definitions must be programmed first, and how would we know it can parse them past subtleties we can see? Who wants to take a computer's word for anything?
Monday, May 5, 2008
Slightly Twisted Videos
Recognizing that YouTube is the new opiate of the masses, I have been keeping myself happily busy learning "movie making" and putting together some videos to songs I enjoy.
This "Improved Pandas" video was the second one I did, fixing some minor flaws. Enjoy!
(Also feel free to subscribe to "my channel" - I'm adding new videos on Sundays.)
This "Improved Pandas" video was the second one I did, fixing some minor flaws. Enjoy!
(Also feel free to subscribe to "my channel" - I'm adding new videos on Sundays.)
Sunday, May 4, 2008
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