Demotivational Friday

    It's been a long week.  Time to take the dogz for a walk, then curl up with a China Miéville book.

Theological Thursday

    Amen!

Sandwiches

    I've known this all my life.  And if you cut (or tear) the very top off - you know, where they put nuts or other assorted junk on - it's another 10% better.

    Don't get me wrong, you don't have to remove all four sides of the crust.  Just the top part.

Happy Birthday, Jimi Hendrix

    He turned 70 today.  He ain't dead; that's just an urban legend.  Here's proof.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “Hmmm,” Bugbear mused.  “Pregnant.”  And then the goblin shoveled another spoonful of stew into his mouth.
    “Excuse me?” Manchester blurted.
    Maga turned back to the goblin, her face painted white with panic.
    “Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” Bugbear snickered.  “There’s the nausea.  There’s the maternal glow.  There’s the considerable weight gain.”
    “I have not gained weight, you little pumpkin-headed heathen!” Maga fumed.

    (from Noggle Stones : Book 2 : The Tragic Empire, by Wil Radcliffe)

     8*/10.  The full review is here.

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Science Sunday

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “What would be the theological position, Sir, if someone confessed to a priest, got absolution and then killed him to make sure that he kept his mouth shut.  Would the confession take as it were?”

    The young face was prenaturally grave, it was impossible to tell whether the enquiry had been serious, whether this was a private joke directed against the Inspector, or made with some more subtle motive.

    (from The Black Tower, by P.D. James)

    7*/10.  The full review is here.
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Demotivational Friday

    OTOH, his demise will improve the gene pool by at least a couple IQ points.

Happy Thanksgiving !

   

Cruise Blog !!

    The pics from our Alaskan cruise this past September are now posted on a blog.  You can find it via the "View my Complete Profile" on the left (Alaskan Cruise 2012) - or use this link.  Feel free to leave witty comments and cruise-related questions as you sail along with us up the west coast of British Columbia and lower Alaska.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “Look,” she said, “the Empire’s gone and the country’s broke.  How else can a young man be expected to get on these days?  Really it’s just the same colonial thing, but more clever.  We used to turn up in some part of the world we’d never seen before  and say to the nearest wog “Who’s in charge round here?”  He’d find the chief and we’d tell him, “You people are British now and all this belongs to us”, and he’d say, “Yes, bwana”.  It was great while it lasted, but eventually they cottoned on.”

    From The Drowning by Richard Herley.

    9*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Dark Side of the Loom

   Still my favorite band of all time.

Manatee Awareness Month

    I am told by an impeccable source that this is Manatee Awareness Month.  I'll take my son's word for it.  It gives me an excuse to use this image.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    There was a man sitting in the lounge, wearing a fantailer hat, jodhpurs and a nervous smile, three things that mildly annoyed Vimes.  A nervous smile generally meant that somebody was after something they shouldn’t have; he personally thought a fantailer looked silly; and as for the jodhpurs, no man should meet a copper if he is wearing trousers that make his legs look as though he has just burgled a house full of silverware and shoved it hastily down his trousers.  In fact, Vimes thought he could see the outline of a teapot, but possibly that was his eyes playing mischievous tricks on him. 

    (from Snuff, by Terry Pratchett)

   8*/10.  The full review is here.
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Just Wrong

        Aw, such a cute child.  And so smart too, being able to play chess at such a young age.

    There's just one problem.  Those two outside black pawns are on the back row.  Which is IMPOSSIBLE, I'm sorry to say.  So actually, this tyke doesn't have a clue as to what chess is all about.

    You can read the CNN article on gifted children, from whence this photo came, here.

Demotivational Wednesday

    What can you expect from a Conference that can't even remember how many teams are in it?

Just Wrong - Halloween Edition

    The annual early-November tradition is winding down at our office.  I speak of course of the bringing in of the leftover Halloween candy.  Some selections - such as Reese's PB Cups, Nestle's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, and Kit-Kats - get scarfed up immediately.  Others, like geeks in a gym class, are left until last.

    This year, the last three bottom-feeders were Skittles, Nerds (the candy, not the geeks), and some atrocity I'd never heard of before - Body Parts Candy.  By yesterday, only the BPC remained.

    I made the mistake of taking one - an eyeball.  It had the texture of a three-week-old marshmellow, and the taste  of a shoelace.  After three unsucessful tries at biting into it, and with my taste buds pleading for mercy, I tossed it in the trash.

    Duly inspired, I researched the delicacy.  It is distributed by the Frankford Candy & Chocolate Company in Philadelphia. But it is made in China.  The items are individually wrapped; and I have nothing against Chinese sweets.  But you are confronted with the fact that this candy is most likely several months old.

    By today, all that was left of the BPC's were the "brain" ones, pictured above.  I brought one home with me to aid in this post.  I notice that it comes with the following warning : "Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, milk and soy."  I am not making this up.

    This post is done, and I have no reason not to open this little dainty, and give BPC's a second taste.  I am mortified.

Tribute to Oscar Wilde

 

Brought to you by the genius that is Dork Tower.

In Memoriam...

    We remember all veterans today.  But most of all, those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that others could be free.

Quote for the Day

    "... if 51 percent of Congress were women, we wouldn't be debating contraception, we would be debating jobs and the economy."

    Kirsten Gillibrand is the recently re-elected US Senator from New York.  She picked up 72% of the vote, a new state record.  Originally, she replaced Hillary Clinton when the latter made a presidential run.  As if all of that isn't kewl enough, she also speaks fluent Mandarin.

Demotivational Friday

    Proof that you should never get schnockered during the day.

Scary...

   ... for them, not for us.

    You can expect the GOP to redefine itself by the next presidential election  They have now lost the popular vote in five out of the last six elections.  And the voter base - old white geezers - is steadily shrinking.  Minority voters - especially Latinos - are gaining in numbers, and are not buying into the Republican hate-mongering bullsh*t.

    Re-defining is a common thing for both parties.  The real question is which way the GOP will tilt.  They are already engaged in a vicious game of finger-pointing.  The tea-baggers blame the moderates for losing the election, and vice versa.

    Given their shrinking demographics, it's head-scratching to think of how the tea-baggers envision picking up more voters.  But I for one hope they succeed in hijacking the Republican party.

    It makes it easier for us to win the White house three times in a row.  And historically, that's hard to do.

I want one of these...

   Jeez, it would've been a great Halloween costume.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    Gurgeh sat between Professor Boruelal and one of his old flames; Vossle Chu, the woman whose hobbies had in the past included iron-foundry.  She had crossed from Rombree, on Chiark’s farside from Gevant, to come and see Gurgeh off.  There were at least ten of his former lovers among the crowd squeezed around the table.  He wondered fuzzily what the significance might be that out of that ten, six had chosen to change sex and become – and remain – men over the past few years.

 

    From The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks.

    8*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Obama at his Worst...

...vs. Romney at his best.

    Folks, tomorrow is Election Day for those of you who have not yet discovered the ease of Early Voting.  You may or may not agree with my political views, but it is your constitutional right to choose those who will govern your life for the next 2, 4, or 6 years.

    Obama needs your vote.  Mitt needs your vote.  Hell, the goofy Libertarians or the tree-hugging Green Party need your vote.  The candidates, and their political parties ARE NOT THE SAME.  Exercise your freedom-to-choose by going to the polls tomorrow.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    Blehdward wiped blood from his fanged mouth while looking down at the wide, vacant eyes of his latest victim.  Her body lay on top of a heap of twisted metal that was once a walker.

    Blehdward nearly gagged at the aftertaste in his mouth.  Her blood tasted like prunes.

 

    (from The Haunted Collection, by “The Eclective”)

   7½*/10.  The full review is here.

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Wookie Goldberg

    Let the Whoopi win!

Art Appreciation Thursday

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Happy Samhain !!

    It's Samhain for us Druids; Halloween for the rest of yooze.  We'll be doing the usual routine tonight.  Liz will be answering the door and handing out candy.  I'll be in the computer room, conquering a world, with the three rude, yapping dogs shut in the room with me.

Happy 191st Birthday, Fyodor Dostoevsky

    I read The Idiot earlier this year.  It is an absolute masterpiece, and that's not even reading it in its native tongue.  He suffered through poor health, 4 years of exile & hard labor in Siberia (for revolutionary activities), and a lifelong gambling addiction.  Yet he is unparalleled in the literary world.  Born 191 years ago today (we're ignoring the Gregorian calendar), they don't make writers like this anymore.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “I will be disgraced.”

    “Yes,” I said, “and it will be richly deserved.  But you are young, and will live to redeem yourself in the eyes of your kindred and friends.”

    “Why are you showing me such kindness?”

    “An elf once spared my life.  He taught me to eschew what is wrong, and understand the meaning of brotherhood.  I no longer have a stomach for wanton violence or meaningless revenge.”

     (from Viele Tausende, by Devin Patrick Bates)

     3*/10.  The full review is here.

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Sandy

    Wow.  Happy Monday, East Coast.  Glad I'm high and dry in Arizona.

Demotivational Saturday

    I gotta get me one of these.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “I met him once, with my dad.”  She paused.  “But I thought his specialty was Phoenician history.”

    “It is, but you know how it is with the Templars.  It’s like archaeological porn, it’s virtually academic suicide to be interested in them.  It’s gotten to the point where no one wants it known that they take the subject seriously.  Too many crackpots obsessed with all kinds of conspiracy theories about their history.  You know what Umberto Eco said, right?”

    “No.”

    “A sure sign of a lunatic is that sooner or later, he brings up the Templars.” 

 

    (from The Last Templar, by Raymond Khoury)

 

  7½*/10.  The full review is here. 

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on this day in 1969

    If I was stranded on a desert island and could only have 5 CD's/albums to listen to, one of them would be Pink Floyd.  In fairness however, it wouldn't be Ummagumma.

RIP - Rosa Parks

    Rosa Parks, aka "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement", passed away seven years ago today.  On my short list of personal heroes, she ranks at the very top.

    In 1955, she was arrested and booked in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to give up her seat to a white person and move to the back of the (city) bus.  It was the spark that ignited the civil rights movement.

    RIP, Miss Rosa Parks.  You are a true American hero.

this is a spatula

    Ann.  Sweetie.  I know you want to convince us that you're an average housewife, just like 99% of the other women in America.  But that's not how you hold a spatula, dearest.  You twit.

as for the Senator from Missouri...

    It amazes me that Representative Todd Akin (R - WTF?) is even allowed to be out in public without a chaperone, let alone run for Senator.  Go CLAIRE McCASKILL !!

Book Excerpt for the Day

   It was in this way that dinner continued.  The professor happily talked away about islands in the tropics, rough seas and primitive natives with only the fewest of steering questions from Evelyn.  The man’s ability to talk whilst slipping in a mouthful of food or a slurp of wine was impressive.  It was as if his recollections were his breathing and the food an awkward cough to be hurriedly passed over.

    (from The Adventures of Augustus Fuller, by James Rickon)

    6½*/10.  The full review is here.

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A Roger Waters Flowchart