Somebody Really Likes Their Pens

Matt Williams has written an review of the Bic pen for Amazon.uk. Funny.

(from a link from RG)

Bruce Haley's Tao of War Photography

Bruce Haley is a war photographer. On his site a few years ago he distilled all his experience at the sharp end into the Tao of War Photography. 64 "Observations, Thoughts, Vented Spleen, Profanity and Diverse bits of good advice peeking above the sarcasm..."

50. Equation: the number of journalists covering any given conflict is directly proportional to the proximity of comfortable lodging and booze......

Failure Thy Name is Detroit

Everything's falling apart. And it all starts right here in Detroit. The headwaters of a river of failure.

Ray Drecker in Hung S01E01

Uranium By Mail Order

It is good to see that the Amazon is now competitive with Acme in the mad genius/starving coyote market segment. Amazon is selling uranium ore, not yellow cake or refined uranium. The people who bought this radioactive specimen also bought also bought Forbidden LEGO which has instructions on making weapons out of LEGO.

(link from An Engineer's Options & Futures)

Less Money for Space can Mean More Money for Space Science

An article in cnet suggests some bad news at NASA and its manned space missions, Reduced budget threatens manned space options. However I see the story in a slightly difference light. Without all the constraints on spacecraft design on the care and feeding of monkeys, sorry the life support for astronauts, a lot more science can be done. Space probes and mars lander and rover have provided so much more in real science than all the monkey make work projects.

A Supervillian's Datacenter

In a slashdot story, Will Silicon Valley Run Out of Data Center Space? Anonymous Coward linked to this article of a data center in Stockholm in a surplus nuclear bunker, The World's most super-designed data center - Fit for a James Bond Villain. This what CEO that paid for this site, sounding in no way a little nerdy, wanted.

“I’m personally a big fan of old science fiction movies. Especially ones from the 70s like Logan’s Run, Silent Running, Star Wars (especially The Empire Strikes Back) so these were an influence,“ said Karlung. “James Bond movies have also had an impact on the design. I was actually looking for the same outfit as the villain ‘Blofeld’ in Bond and even considered getting a white cat, but that might have been going a bit far!”

The Mona Lisa Must be Protected or We Will ALL DIE

A madwomen threw a mug at the Mona Lisa today. This news was re-reported on AH.com which prompted Pkmatrix to repeat a Nostradamus prediction.

The people in Paris weep,
Death claims La Joconde.
The dead rise again,
And the Seine runs with blood.

- Nostradamus, VII Century, 30th Quatrain

I responded with

Do Super Villains know about this prediction? I can this imagine a thrill in which a Super Villain how the world by threatening to nuke the

How ever black angel remembered this has already happened in a movie.

any one ever seen the Movie "Equilibrium"? for those who haven't one of the opening parts is where they find The Mona Lisa under the floor and burn it with flamethrowers must of seen the movie 100 times, but every time i scream "NOOOOOO"

Classic Florida Post Cards

If I was someone like Lileks I would grab all these scans of classic Florida postcards and then make funny/snide /sad comments about each one. Anyways here are are a collection of 50 some classic Florida postcards. Suffering through a heat wave however gives me yet another reason not to visit Florida besides its swampy ambience.

Why Does G-D Want David over Silas/Saul

I don't know why?
Because you're good. I've been good.
Because you're young. I was young too. Oh I gave him that, everything he ever asked for. Now he turns away. Loves you.

Silas in Kings S01E013

Peace, What is it Good For?

Nothing gets made in peace but art.

William Cross Schemer, Kings S01E11

Enough. We have suffered enough peacock speeches under him. If there is to be change let us start there. I don't speak the backwards language of kings. So I will be plain.

(in short let slip the dogs of war)

William Cross Schemer, Kings S01E11

Why Politicans Go To the Dark Side and Regret It

Maybe you once brought your country into a new day. But that day is done. Now you rule by night.

Dethroned King Vesper Abedon advice to
still enthroned King Silas in Kings S01E12

update
This character can blow hot and cold

It is always better to loved than feared. Some of us made the mistake the other way. And it does not go well.

Dethroned King Vesper Abedon advice to
the prisoner David Shepherd

The Space Pope or Pope as Star Wars Emperor

On AH.com there is a thread about a piece of Star Wars technology ending up in our universe, His Holiness's Super Star Destroyer. In which Polish Eagle wonders:

WI, tomorrow, the Super Star Destroyer Executor is ISOT'd into geosynchronous orbit around Earth, and the crew is completely convinced that Pope Benedict XVI is actually Emperor Palpatine?

Inspired by some pictures that emphasize the similarity between the Emperor and the Pope.

This would make Benedict XVI AKA "Ratzinger the Enforcer" AKA “Panzerkardinal” AKA "God's Rottweiler", ttthhhheeee Space Pope.

Steam Whistle Makes Steam Locomotive Sounds From Opening Bottles

Jihadi Scum Can Be Such Idiots

Half Life With Real Guns

Waterloo Labs is a group from a laboratory near Austin Texas. They have figured out a (cheap) way to play Half Life with real guns. They are also able to kill zombies with shovels using the same setup. Check out the discussion of this technological break through at slashdot, Playing a First-Person Shooter Using Real Guns.

Intoxication: A Comparison

In a slashdot thread about a roadside drug detector, Philips Develops Roadside Drug-Testing Device, Shakrai gives this joke about the relative dangers of drunk or doped up drivers.

What's the difference between a drunk driver and a stoned driver? The drunk driver runs right through the stop sign without even looking. The stoned driver stops at the stop sign and waits for it to turn green.

Nazi Noodle Pack

This is only one of the reasons that I only eat Ichiban brand ramen noodles.

(from Gates of Vienna)

Odd Blog: Item Not As Described

Item Not As Described is a blog that lists horrible and malformed junk that is listed on EBay on Free.

More Ruins of Old Detroit

Last September I came across a site devoted to photography of the Hell that is Detroit, Ruins From Old Detroit. Here is another photographer, James Griffioen, who also has been wandering around the living museum of Detroit. Instead of focusing on decayed landmarks he looks for absence, the empty blocks, the caved in houses, the feral dogs. The archeology record of grand buildings, palaces, shrines is glamorous, but the analysis of humbler buildings is also very useful.

(from a link from Boingboing)