Rantings of a Rude Yankee

George Will is being a schmuck again.
He's back on his "we will never run out of oil" kick again. The fact that US production has been declining for going on 40 years now (or maybe that's just continental US production, though Alaska's peak was more than 20 years ago now too) apparently isn't enough to convince him that non-renewable resources are in fact finite. I don't think he's stupid, which means he must be deliberately lying, cynically sacrificing the long-term and even intermediate-term interests of the world in general, and even just the United States, for the short-term interests of a small clique of wealthy investors and industrialists. What a sad excuse for a human being he's turned into. I used to point him out as an example of an intelligent responsible conservative voice. Can't do that anymore. If the right-wing media hasn't become completely intellectually and morally bankrupt, they've got their assets well-hidden.

Current Mood: disgusted

Happy Makk
I just got back from a Roger Daltrey concert and I'm so high I could drop trou and piss on cloud 9. The venue upgraded my seats to orchestra seating, which was a pleasant surprise. Daltrey may not be able to hit the high notes like once did, but the man can still belt. And do that spin-toss-catch trick with the microphone. And play a mean ukelele. Also, he looks damned good for a man in his 60s. Hell, he looks damned good for a man in his 40s.

Thanks to the friends who clubbed together and got me the ticket. It was all I'd hoped for and more.

Current Mood: ecstatic
Current Music: like I'm going to listen to anything else tonight.

The 19th century's a nice place to visit, but i wouldn't want to live there.
After spending a day without phones, electricity, or the internet, I'm really happy to have the 21st century amenities back. At least the stove's gas, not electric, so I was able to have a hot dinner (this is why I didn't have to push that time warp back even further).

Things were rough -- I saw a guy crossing the street in a canoe. The parking lot by my place turned into a lake. Fortunately a neighbor came by and warned me it was happening, so I was able to avoid getting flooded out. Not everyone in my neighborhood was so lucky -- several cars in that lot apparently took flood damage, and at least one's completely undrivable right now.

Armistice Day post
Once again it's Armistice Day, and this year I'm commemorating it by watching the World War I-themed Doctor Who story "The War Games."

Oh, and praying for world peace. I always try to squeeze a bit of that in, too.

Was it good for you, too?
A few months ago I blogged about my first kiss.

Well, though the magic of the internet I was able to get back in touch with the girl in question. Turns out she doesn't remember me. At all.

Current Mood: disappointed

The Good Old Days
Sigh... I miss the days when you could include realistic-looking guns in Halloween costumes. Remember the battery-powered water-guns that made machine gun noises and looked like real Uzis and such?

Current Mood: nostalgic

THE YANKEES WIN THE PENNANT! THE YANKEES WIN THE PENNANT! THE YANKEES WIN THE PENNANT!

Current Mood: ecstatic

Answer Time

BNP leader Nick Griffin appears on BBC. Slightly edited.

Current Mood: amused

Zombieland
I've always been a fan of the "undead comedy" subgenre, and thought this was a particularly good example of it. I've been meaning to post about it for a while, but I'm only just now getting around to it. Anyway...

I saw it opening weekend. I was supposed to meet friends for lunch before the show, but they got held up and phoned to say we'd have to meet in the theater. I'd been waiting for their call in the bookstore in the mall, and while I was there a woman was doing zombie makeup jobs for anyone who wanted them to promote a local theater group's production of "Evil Dead: The Musical." Well, there was only one thing to do, really. I got myself a quickie zombie makeup job and met my friends in the darkened theater. At the close of the movie I made sure to leave last, then when we got out into the well-lit corridor put my hand on a girl's shoulder and did the zombie roar.

She almost punched me in the throat, but the look and the scream I got were totally worth it.

Current Mood: mischievous

Do two wrong calls make a right?
American League Championship Series, Game 4 -- top of the 4th inning:

With one out and runners on 1st and 2nd, Nick Swisher got picked off 2nd base. The umpire called him safe but the replay showed that he was clearly out. Derek Jeter walked on 4 pitches, moving Swisher to 3rd. Johnny Damon hit a fly out to the outfield, Swisher tagged up and came home.

The Angels appealed saying Swisher left early. The umpires agreed and called him out. The replay showed very clearly that he'd done no such thing, leading me to believe it was a makeup call. After all, if Swisher had been properly called out, Damon's fly ball would have ended the inning just as the Damon-Swisher double play ruling did.

So, did the umpires do the right thing by ruling that Swisher tagged up too soon?

Three out of four Republicans vote in favor of rape
Seriously. 30 out of the 40 Republicans in the US Senate voted against an amendment barring the US from doing business with any company that requires female employees to agree not to sue if they're raped by male employees of the company.

Read more about the courageous GOP stance against pansy-assed feminazi Democrat (no -ic) opposition to gang-rape here.

Current Mood: fraggjabbanized

RIP Barry Letts
Barry Letts, producer of "Doctor Who" primarily during the Pertwee era, has passed away at the age of 84. He was an extremely talented producer and a true gentleman, and will be deeply missed.

Current Mood: melancholy

Stephen Fry on depression
A letter from Stephen Fry sets out some of his views on depression. Some stuff that's very useful to keep in mind in there both for people who suffer from depression themselves and from people who have loved ones who do so.

Current Mood: thoughtful

Worst Doctor Who Story Ever
(huge CGI cyborg army descends toward Earth)

DOCTOR: This is the greatest threat the universe, or even I, have ever faced.

COMPANION: What do we do?

DOCTOR: There's nothing we can do. It's over. We're doomed.

(montage sequence of people all over Earth sobbing)

COMPANION: If we're going to die there's something I need to tell you. Doctor, ever since I met you I've--

DOCTOR: Hold that thought. I'm about to be extremely clever.

(THE DOCTOR points his sonic screwdriver at the huge CGI fleet, which explodes. The universe is safe.)

COMPANION: What did you do?

DOCTOR: I pressed the "win" button on the sonic screwdriver*.

COMPANION: You're so wonderful.

DOCTOR: Yes, I am. You had something to tell me?

COMPANION: It's not important. The universe almost ending again has really brought my life into perspective. I need to call my harridan of a mother and tell her how much I love her.

(roll credits, very quickly on half the screen)

* Only 9.95 at Woolworth's!

---------

So, anyone want to try to top that?

Time for a change
The Philadelphia Phillies need to drop Brad Lidge as their closing pitcher. Last year he was literally the best closer in baseball -- he had a perfect record, earning a save in every game the Phils put him on the mound with a lead to protect. This year however he's the worst closer in the majors. He's blown 11 save chances in 42 attempts. If he were having a competent season the Phillies would have already clinched their division and be leading in the quest for home field advantage. His ERA is over 7. And he's getting worse -- this month he's pitched 8 times and hasn't made it through an inning without giving up a hit once. He's given up 8 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings -- that's a 10.80 ERA, rather more than double the league average. This from a closer, whose ERA's are typically much lower than the league average.

Move him into middle relief where the pressure's not so great (he's not psychologically strong enough for the job he's got). Bench him. Something. Just don't keep him where he is, setting a record in futility. Don't let Lidge be the leader in yet another edition of the Pholding Phils.

Current Mood: phrustrated

Rosh ha-Shana
Happy new year, everybody.

You know you've been reading too many comics when...
...you're doing a crossword puzzle, get a clue that says "Robin's love" (6 letters, ending in A-N) and you immediately think "BATMAN."

The answer they were looking for was "MARIAN," by the way.

Sorry about that castration thing
The British government has issued an apology for chemically castrating gay mathematician Alan Turing in 1952.

I have mixed feelings about this. Part of me is pleased at this sign of social progress and desire to atone for past misdeeds. Another, more cynical, part of me thinks that an apology hardly makes up for destroying a man's life. I suppose in the end the real test of whether this apology means anything is how the British government is treating its minorities now. In the end, deeds always trump words.

On the balance, it's been a good day
I met with the head of the Graduate Studies program today, and while he couldn't get me into the class I'd wanted to sign up for he did let me into one he was teaching himself. Also I got into historiography, which is a graduation requirement so it's nice to get that under my belt and not have to worry about it.

Also on the history theme, I found another historically-themed comic: Dreamless, which from what I can tell so far is set a bit before WWII (though some of the setup scenes went back to the 1920s). Beautiful artwork and the story has me pretty interested so far.

On the down side, I've got a bit of a sore throat. Hope I'm not getting a cold.

Current Mood: pleased

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