The name's Smith, Ian Smith

He led the last competent Rhodesian government. As Barry Goldwater said: "I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"

Demotivational Posters

I have always found motivation posters to be something more than a little creepy. It is a sign that relentless Stakhanovite drive to be better, more productive employees of the great collective aren't merely found in repressive tyrannies but also in the "free world". Eventually many people are often overexposed to such propaganda and develop a resistence to it. The Demotivational Poster was born from the same impulse that makes uses deface the images of the rich and powerful.

At AH.com there is a thread devoted to Demotivational Posters with 1,750 posts and hundreds of posters. Here is a Demotivational Poster poster creator that at despair.com, not the happiest place online.

Nazi Propaganda

Two years ago I came across a online archive of Chicom propaganda posters. Now I have come across an archive of Nazi and German Commie propaganda. Besides the usual posters there are also some rare items like propaganda leaflets, non-political art by war artists, cartoons about Churchill and other interesting stuff.

Blood Sucking Monsters and Vampires

(by John Cole of the Scranton Times Tribune)

My Computer Is Alive, Again

My Baby Just Cares for Me - Nina Simone

Angry Graphic Designers

Graphic designers have a job/profession/calling that looks easy from the outside. Computer technology has made what was once time consuming, difficult and complicated easy. Earlier graphic techniques and technology was as difficult to use as to use well.

Here are some more angry videos on the tortured relationship between graphic designers and clients. The following all have extremely rude and offensive language. But that is the charm.

Graphic Designer vs Client

Graphic Designer vs Client The sequel

Web Design Project Manager vs Client

Graphic Designer vs Account Manager (Sales Rep)

Musical Interlude from the Andes

Chicom Cybercrime and Western Stupidity

"the capitalists will sell us the rope to hang them."

VI Lenin on the often moral flexibility of businessmen.

They (Capitalist) will furnish which will serve to support of the Communist Party in their countries and, by supplying us materials and technical equipment which we lack, will restore our military industry, necessary for our future attack against our suppliers. To put it in other words, they will work for the preparation of their own suicide.

VI Lenin, fully footnoted quote in

Respectfully quoted: a dictionary of quotations.

We have already been suffered through one Cold War. Now because some short sighted stupidity of bottom feeders another Cold War, at least, is due. In today's Globe & Mail there are two competing stories about pleasures and pains of doing business in the territory currently controlled by the Chinese Communist Regime. In the hard news section is a scary story, Foreign journalists in China target of computer attack. In the aptly named business section of the Globe & Mail, ROB, is a more upbeat story of the China trade, Interac ABMs to accept Chinese debit cards.

Screens scrapes of both articles after the jump. The G&M only allows access to the old articles for a limited time.

Jon Stewart Fails a Nerd Test

On tonight's episode, 9/27/09, Jon Stewart had on Bruce Bueno de Mesquita to discuss his book The Predictioneer's Game: Using the Logic of Brazen Self-Interest to See and Shape the Future. He is political scientist who developed methods to predict near term events with amazing accuracy. When Jon asks Bruce if he can predict anything Bruce denies he "is any Hari Seldon". The reference flies over the head Jon.

Hari Seldon is the Asimov character who creates The Foundation in The Foundation series.

Bad nerd. Bad nerd.

Comic Book Guy would be disappointed.

Map of the Inbred

(from consang.net a consanguinity/endogamy resource site.)

One of stereotypes about Appalachia is that it is filled violent retarded rednecks. In reality Appalachia is not a hotbed for cousin marriage despite folklore. On the other hand in the Arab/Muslim world, isn't it sad when cousins marry, has in reality all the negative stereotypes associated with Appalachia. The region, the Arab/Muslim world, filled with inbred, retarded, angry, violent racists, see Rage Boy.

"Pay No Attention" to the Crazy Guy

Oh, I'm sorry.
Is suicide taboo.
Gosh, if broken a rule on my first day I'll kill myself

House MD, (damaged goods),
dealing with the damaged goods of group.
House S06E01,E02

More about House the drugie on this review of his cases on Television Without Pity.

House is so smart he can see through the mundane and jump to the most ludicrous conclusion possible, which, of course, is usually the correct one. And that's why he gets to be high at work and you don't.

Too Handicapped to have a Handicap

He was a great account man.
A prodigy.
Could talk a Scotsman out of a penny.
Now that's all over.
English Suit #1

I don't know if that's true.
Don

The man is missing a foot.
How is he going to work.
The can't walk.
English Suit #2

The doctors say
he'll
never


golf again.
English Suit #1

Discussing Guy Mackendick maimed in
freak lawnmower accident, Mad Men S03E06

Bellum Stellae

(link from MaskedPickle on
AH.com thread Photos from Alternate Worlds.)

Soviet / American Anthem Mashup

While following up a story on slashdot about Russian attempts to enforce their IP for the AK47 design I ended up on a page of Russian/Soviet anthems. Here is a version of the American anthem the Star Spangled Banner sung to the tune of the Soviet Anthem — by Iron Curtain. To me this song like everything associated with Stalin is tainted. It is an anthem not of dying for your country, or living for it, by the anthem to be sung while being murdered by your country for some grand and meaningless purpose.

Update
Repaired the broken link.
09/21/08

Battle of The Atlantic Resources

(U-boat bunker at La Pallice / La Rochelle

© Pascal Blijkers - 2007 )

I found a great site devoted to Uboats and to the Battle of the Atlantic in WWII, uboats.net. The above is part of series of images of an abandoned UBoat pen in France. Also listed is the naval resources and losses on both sides. As the site is named it has more informational on Uboats than on any other navy or ship type. Some of the detailed listed is convoy battles, events of the day, biographies, ship histories.

This makes me want to fire up my favorite uboat game and play all night.

Latest Plague Game on Newgrounds - American Swine

Pandemic: American Swine is a plague game focusing on swine flu in the US. It is based current characteristics of a variant of H1N1 emerging in Mexico and spreading to nearby by border states.

Have fun. The first time I played this game I wiped out the Americans. The earth will come later.

Advice for Teens

Rachel, did you just throw up?

...

I tried, but just don't have the gag reflex.

One day when you're older that will turn out to be a gift.

Student and Counselor in Glee S01E02

"Used" Houses

It's great but there are nine foreclosures on our street. Why can't we buy one of those? They're half the price.

Will Schuester

I'm not raising our baby in a used house. They're not clean.

Terri Schuester

The Schuesters in Glee S01E02

Sawdust Furniture

Stools and coffee tables made with sawdust and resin. See Core77, This Just Inbox: Furniture made from wood shavings and resin, for full story.

True Stories about LA Organized Crime

LA is the birthplace of the hard boiled detective story. I never really understood the evolution of this genre and why it first appeared in LA rather than New York or Berlin or Paris or Cleveland. In this discussion on KRCW program, Politics of Culture, two true crime historians delve into the organized crime history of Los Angles. Instead of having working class gangs based in ethnic loyalties and/or working class work sites like the docks, trucking or waste management. The mob in LA was based in the mayor's office, the police department and the chamber of commerce. A ruling class mob.

As an aside in the movie Pleasantville the town isn't run by an elected civic government but by a self-selected Chamber of Commerce.

Ancient Language Maps

In a Google quest to understand a new security protocol I came across a scholarly group that studies Indo-European. The above, distribution of IE languages in 500 AD, is a part of a series ethno-linguistic maps of Indo-European. There is also an Indo-European Etymological Dictionary. And many books available with free PDFsL like this one, A Grammar of Modern Indo-European, which includes this description of the "widely accepted deities".

• Djḗus Patḗr is believed to have been the original name of God of the Daylight Sky and the chief god of the Indo-European pantheon. He survives in Greek Zeus (genitive case Diòs), Latin Jupiter, Sanskrit Dyaus/Dyaus Pita, Baltic Dievas, Germanic Tiwaz (ON Tyr, OHG Ziu), Armenian Astwatz,and the Gaulish Dispater (c.f. also deus pater in the Vulgate, e. g. Jude 1:1).
  

• Pltaw Mātḗr (Dhghōm) is believed to have been the name of an Earth Mother goddess, Skr. Prthivi. Another name of the Indo-European Mother-Earth would be Dhghōm Mātḗr, as in Albanian Dhe Motë, Avestan Zamyat, Slavic Mati Zemlja, Lithuanian Ţemyna, Latvian Zemes Mate, maybe Greek Dēmēter.
  

• A Thunder God, possibly associated with the oak, and in some traditions syncretized with Djḗus. A name Pérqunos root per-q- or per-g- is suggested by Balto-Slavic *Perkúnos, Norse Fjörgyn, Albanian Perëndi and Vedic Parjanya. An onomatopoeic root tar is continued in Gaulish Taranis and Hittite Tarhunt. A word for ―thunder‖ itself was (s)tene-, continued in Germanic *Þunraz (thunder personified), and became Thor.
  

• Áusōs is believed to have been the goddess of dawn, continued in Greek mythology as Eos, in Rome as Auror-a, in Vedic as Ushas, in Lithuanian mythology as Aušra or Auštaras, in Armenian as Astghik and possibly also in Germanic mythology as Eastre.
  

Hitler as Emo

"The cover to early Emo artist Adolf Hitler's self titled album, he is credited with being the first Emo, giving it's name, and starting the new genre."

From Rattslinger in AH.com's
"Photos from Alternative Worlds".

The Appeal of The Panzer

“…I asked myself why German armour has long held its fascination for those of us predisposed to such things in the first place. I believe it is because they looked the part: capable, efficient and above all, lethal. One can imagine the Panther, with it’s sloping armour and vaulting drive sprockets, ranging over the battlefield, stiff-arming it’s opponents with it’s ‘75’ until the odds against them simply became overwhelming…” Bill Auerbach - introduction to ‘Last of the Panzers’, Arms & Armour Press 1984

Quoted on the homepage of Schwerpunkt, a military modeling site.

Auschwitz with Dolls and Action Figures

While looking on flickr this image pops out. It looks like someone staged a scene from Auschwitz with dolls and action figures. The photo is from guido z's photo stream.

Action figures are dolls for boys.

Don't Make Your Salt Shaker Cry

Canadian Army Mines and Boobytraps Manual

I am reading Canadian military Mines and Boobtraps, 1999 on Wikileaks right now. In a section about detecting minefields lists among other indicators these these signs :

f. empty containers of mines and components or explosive
packaging, wrapping and seals which may have been left
deliberately and booby trapped;
g. human and livestock corpses;

In a later section about dogs to detect mines it lists among other "unavoidable limitations".

(3) inexplicable off day in a dog.

The correct procedure for search individual mines in a minefield is laid out as.

"Ferro-magnetic objects should not be used to prod for mines, except in an operational emergency where it is deemed that the risk of personal injury due to accidental detonation is less than the operational risk."

The manual lists how to arm , disarm and place the mine various mines Canada had in its inventory at the time. The claymore helpfully has “FRONT TOWARD ENEMY” written on the side that faces the enemy so that it always sited with “FRONT TOWARD ENEMY”.

New Paper Based Image Editing Program

The people at Worth1000 has created their own web based suite of image editing tools called Aviary. They have just a new module called Crane which what previously could only be done on a computer. This announcement has more than a passing resemblance to a Swedish Photoshop ad that recreated the layout in real life, see Reality as Photoshop.

Malaysian Employers Complain About "Expensive" Employees

In many developed countries the average industrial wage tracks pretty closely to GNP per capita, as example here is a report with the Irish Republic's industrial wage. However in Malaysia employers have so hated the idea of paying people enough to live on that want to import workers form Bangladesh and other poverty stricken areas, Foreign Employees Limited, Malaysia Is Suffering Through a Labor Shortage, see Money for Nothing. For the record they don't a labor shortage but a shortage of people willing to accept crap wages. This also the reason that "business" Republicans in the US want there to a floating population of illegal aliens willing to accept crap wages.

There must be a rule of acquisition that everything is negotiable up or down, except wages for employees.

Malaysia
GNP per capita
$14,071
Industrial wage
650 to 700 ringgit ($183 to $197) per month
or $2196 to $2364 per year

as comparison
Ireland
GNP per capita
$49,095
Industrial Wage
$46604

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)

Toddlers Will Kick You When You're Down.

Of course they will that is the easiest way TO kick someone.

Crazy Temperance Types Upset with Harry Potter

Okay one columnist for the NY Times is shrieking; "Won't somebody please think of the children?" In recent article, Harry Potter and the Pint of Liquid Courage, Tara Parker-Pope lists with concern incidents of underage drinking in the latest Harry Potter movie. The writer is concerned because her country has the same drinking age tolerant and child centered Pakistan.

In the reader response to this article many posters point out that it is American drinking laws are so completely out of whack and not literary description of booze in Harry Potter.

Someone pseudonymously as Hermione has this response to the "life lessons" in literature.

Right.

and Quidditch encourages kids to jump off buildings.

and eating chocolate to ward off Dementors encourages emotional binge eating.

Does Hogwarts have a drinking problem? No. The people who came up with this idea need to swallow a few potent shots of Chill The **** Out.

Nancy Goodman seems to to agree the writer with Colbert enthusiasm.

Whoever heard of 16 year olds drinking “butterbeer” and “mead” and getting “tipsy”? Shame! When I was that age such behavior was unheard of. I spent my free time using Bible verses to derive my family’s direct lineage from Adam and Eve. I for one refuse to watch such filth lest the good Lord see fit to burn my eyes from their sockets with a finger of fire. Harry Potter is the Devil and anyone who would subject innocent children to such a debauchery deserves to burn in Hell.

Michael gets in such a good shot the author of this oped cries ouch.

Did Dolores Umbridge write this article?

What Happened to Following the Rules of Fight Club

Father In Mass. Ran Fight Club For Son James Dexter Says He Supervised Fights, Intervened When Someone Was Clearly Losing

NEWBURY, Mass. (CBS) ―

A father who helped his son set up an ultimate fighting club in his home may face serious charges.

James Dexter of Newbury admits 15 to 20 high schoolers gathered to fight in his living room, but he says it was just a sport.

"We had moved all the furniture to one side, and put a cushion on the wall. I set rules that they couldn't be using their elbows, their knees, and they couldn't lift them up off the ground and slam them to the floor," said Dexter.

He said his 16-year-old son had been planning to hold the fights in a nearby field, when Dexter intervened and said they had to do it under his supervision.

"I was standing there and if one kid was losing obviously, I broke it up right away rather than letting them get extra hits on him."

The kids wore fingerless boxing gloves and mouth guards, and fought in the style of the popular Ultimate Fighting Club.

"It's a hobby of mine," said Dexter. "We enjoy it. It's a sport."

Dexter faces four counts of reckless endangerment of a child, but a judge is giving him a chance to clear his record.

He's on probation for two years, during which he can not have anyone under 18 in his home.

As long as he obeys the conditions, the charges will be dropped.

(screen scrape from CBS Denver)

This terrible story has a moral, don't let teenagers join fight club because can't follow rules 1 & 2, Don't talk About Fight Club. Lousy punks.

Here are the rules of Fight Club.

In the Land Of the Wolves - Chernobyl and area

Elena, a Ukrainian photographer and motorcyclist has put together a site of photographs of her travels into the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Here for the photographer's site. Here for information on the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Above is the actual nuclear plant. The record of her journeys are filled with rusted out equipment, abandoned disintegrating building and healthy and unconcerned wildlife. A higher background radiation that wildlife pays for a larger habitat and reduced human caused predation.

Has anyone else read the book the World Without Us. What has been happening here and what is discussed in the book gives hope for the future, with or without us.

(link from Goranga!)

Annals of Parental Cruelty (Naming Division)

Anybody who bought a dog, created a role-playing character or spawned knows the problems and complications of naming. Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing is a categorized site and bulletin board about terrible names.

Homeless Robots Need Booze

Read Our Magazine/Newspaper and Risk Your Life

Alien versus Predator in a Pool Room

Veteran's Ad From New Zealand

Listen to Your Mother or You will Die

Parody University Ad

Mourning The Alaskan Way

Committing a murder in the lower 48th and fleeing to the Yukon.

Mourning The Alaskan Way according
Stephen Colbert on July 27, 2009.

Ancient Computer Ad

Here is an ancient computer ad from 1990. This ad also gives many clues how the PC clones were able to win beta/vhs like computer format wars. The system being advertised are probably a 286 PC clone system that Amstrad had out at the the time. It was no great shakes even then. But as it was sold as a "business machine" it was being sold as turnkey manner. The peripherals, the software and training are included in one round and expensive price.

Trainspotting Recruitment Ad Mashup

I came across a bunch recruiting ads tonight on Youtube. This one is a mashup between a Royal Marines ad and the opening words of Trainspotting. Trainspotting is a movie about heroin and nihilism of choosing drugs over life is actually a good fit with the standard recruiting ad of danger and honor.

Other recruiting ads, official and otherwise that I came across tonight.
A NSFW US Navy ad put together by some sailors that emphasizes the congenial "cruise ship" lifestyle in the Navy.

A comparison between Japanese and American Navy recruitment ads. The Japanese ad, official ad, has bright colors and uptempo. If anything it is like that old song, In the Navy, only with more dancing.

There were also a number of vile anti-militaristic ads out there. Often it is claimed that activists who have the objections to the various wars going on in the middle east are in favour of peace. Many of the same groups and individuals also support the activities of the many and varied moslem terrorist groups in the same area. Not the work of peaceniks but traitors who will always side with our enemies.

Finally check out this low key Russian recruiting ad. It is not a recruiting ad per se, the Russian army relies on conscription not just to fill its ranks but also the NCO slots. However since the collapse of Soviet order there has draft evasion on a large scale with parental approval and help. In this ad a young man packs some clothes, hugs his mother, leaves his apartment building and gets the quiet approval of old men playing chess outdoors.

Sylar's Personal Ad

Sylar, everybody's favorite brain scooping psycho from Heroes is looking for love. Or rather a fan with the Trenchcoat Mafia has cut together a charming little ad for Sylar. If the name of the editor rings a bell the gang that couldn't shoot straight at Columbine High School also called themselves the the Trenchcoat Mafia.

Most of Doctor Who's "Travelling Companions"

(click to enlarge)

I forget where I found this illustration except that it was on a nerdy bulletin board. See how many of the Doctor's companions you can name and/or recognize.

Where to Hire a "Gun Wrangler"

While idly Googling around I came across a Canadian company that is set up to provide rentals and services to film and TV production companies. A&A Airsoft is willing rent weapons, equipment and the trained soldiers to operate it all along of with the services of a gun wrangler. From this company's name it probably started off selling Airsoft guns and then branched out into equipment and services and military surplus. The one book they sell, Once Upon a Wartime: A Canadian Who Survived the Devil's Brigade, is a memoir from a member of the Devil's brigade with a custom inscription from the author.

The Problem with Short Sellers AND Long Buyers

(click on image to enlarge)

Many people have an instinctive horror of short sellers. When markets are down the short sellers are ofter blamed. When a posted a jokey defense of short sellers from the Daily Show back in March, A Defense of Short Sellers, one of my faithful readers objected. Timbo motalized, "But if you short a stock, that can be a knife in its back. That can be the tipping point." It is a problem when anybody manipulates markets in any direction. This is why there are often special rules and disclosures for financial journalists and advisers. The problem is neither short selling and long buying, you can get regular reports on both activities through curiously the shorts report that the Globe and Mail's Report on Business publishes in hard copy is not available online. The problem is at the extremes. Pump and dump schemes can temporarily inflate stocks. And persuasive bears can talk down individual stocks for the bear's benefit. That is a manipulation however under normal conditions many companies like the attention of bulls who talk up hem up. Short sellers perform a reality service for many a company as it wanders nonchalantly off a cliff. Sometimes big dumb companies can exhibit the Wile E Coyote effect until short sellers point out the gaping chasm beneath their feet. At which point the stock falls to earth not through the "evil" designs of the short sellers but through the incompetence and bad luck of it own management.

Cool Names for ROK Military Units

I was reading the manga Cat Shit One, also called Apocalypse Meow. In one of the historical sidebars listed some of the ROK divisions that participated in the Vietnam War. The Yellow Tiger, Blue Dragon and White Horse or Stallion divisions were South Korea's contribution to the Vietnam War. Some of the other names for ROK units are Iron Wall, Golden Bat, Angry Wave, Pegasus and Eagle. In the case of the White Horse division the name cane be traced to a battle in the Korean War where the 9th div was able to beat back an assault by chi-com troops. You can read the history of the Battle of White Horse Mountain here. Below is a photo of White Horse Mountain.

Man on the Moon - As It Would Be Reported Today

Cry Havoc and Release the Fluffy Bunnies of War

For more information on this anime and the manga that it is based on check out Cat Shit One at wiki.

Bruce Lee versus Iron Man

This cool stop motion animation was produced by Patrick Boivin, check his page at his agent's.

Even More Chainsaw Bayonets/Swords

Some days internet produces the same stuff everywhere you look. Yesterday I had a post about working chainsaw bayonet, today it is also on AH.com. In a thread, Things that look like alternate history, but aren't, the above image was posted. Below are the best comments on AH about this invention.

Emperor Norton I

And that's why you don't let rednecks in the army.

Petike

As I already said : Every period of history apparently has it's own Warhammer 40K fanboys...

LordMoogi

That is so completely stupid, that it loops around the other direction and becomes awesome. I feel conflicted.

All Hail the Green Giant

Working Chainsword

Warhammer 40K has a weapon called the chainsaw sword. Above you can see a Space Marine holding chainsaw sword. This crazy weapon has inspired lots of nerds.

The guy who made the chainsaw bayonet, pfcthiel, has other test videos of his working chainsaw bayonet at his youtube page. He is also willing to build these small rifle mounted chainsaws for $300. Here is a picture of another working chainsaw bayonet.

Star Wars Whisky Ad

Canadian Club's current campaign is aimed aimed at young non-whisky drinkers. Many of advertising campaigns use young pretty people. The twist with this campaign is using retro images of young people in the past. The faded color photos give the impression of old amateur snapshots. At CC's website you can make your own mock ad. Here, Fun With Canadian Club Ads, is a collection of more "user created content" at Something Awful.

Here is another one that could be a motivation poster.

Zombie Cat

In a forum on Something Awful, Dress up Your Cat. This is not a retouched photo. It is a cat named Chase or Chase no Face. The cat had a horrible accident and lived.

How To Get Ahead in Politics and Publishing

In an AH.com there was an argument over SM Sterling, My opinion of Stirling's ISOT and Emberverse Series. Sterling is contentious figure who has been banned from AH.com after getting into an discussion about containing moslem terrorism. On the other hand he is very influential on the entire genre of alternate history. Many topics discussed on AH.com are derived from concepts and scenarios that Sterling first developed. When the the entwined concerns of literary and commercial merit came up, with the usual slagging anything that is popular,the conversation deadened until Tom Kalbfus brought up too subtle slagging of a successful politico/author.

I think time and only time is the true test of a classic work. If someone writes a book and many copies are sold and 50 years later people are still buying many copies of that book, that may be a classic.

There are of course other reasons people might buy many copies of a book, for instance the writer happens to be a politician, maybe a Senator for instance. The Senator does one of his constituents a favor, but he doesn't want to be seen accepting kickbacks, so what does he do? He writes a book, not a particularly well written book, but somehow it still sells lots of copies, imagine that, in fact the author makes $6,000,000 from the sales of his book, and then just as mysteriously the book sales plumment, but the Senator is still happy, he deposits his money in his bank account, and then asks other wealthy and influential constituents if there is anything he can do for them, and then he mentions the book he has written.

I have no one in particular in mind, its just a hypothetical example of how someone may well many books without being a good writer.

The Civil Service - a definition

The civil service, the cockroaches of government.

One civil sevice lifer to another civil sevice lifer in Torchwood S03E01

The Indignity of Performing in "Bear Face"

Don't Let This Happen to Your Brain

Would You Like To Buy A Monkey - Explanation of a Joke

Today I confused some people with the reference to a 15 year old comedy bit. I saw a sock monkey and repeated the immortal, if misremembered phrase, "do you wanna buy a monkey?" Here below is the clip of David Letterman in the Chris Elliot movie Cabin Boy. Below is a clip supposedly of other people auditioning for the same cameo part.

China - Canada Uranium Deal

China seeking supply deal with Cameco


And Japan was buying scrap metal from the US until they attacked Pearl Harbor.

Band of Brothers (Pacific)

In the wikipedia entry for With The Old Breed there is a reference that the same crew/production team that created the miniseries Band Of Brothers has been filming a new series, The Pacific, partially based on this book. I haven't finished reading it, With the Old Breed, beyond knowing the author survived WWII, thank you Atom Bomb, I don't how it turns out.

Free DNA

Today at Mininova one of the featured torrents is human DNA, Homo.sapiens.DNA.NCBI36.53.Fasta.Gzip-Ensembl-OpenSci. Download and be the first on your block with human DNA. It is quite amusing that what is now available for free right now a generation ago or so was out of reach of evil geniuses, James Bond villians and the KGB. It was only possible for ET, Dr Who and the Federation to mess around with genetics.

Those Devilish Canadian Sheet Music Pirates

slashdot has a story, originally from BestActEver, originally from a New York Times report from 1897, about Canadian sheet music pirates. The current concern that Americans have about IP is ironic since for much of the 19th it was place that observed no foreign, no non-American, copyright. The slashdot commentators outdo themselves in making comments as if this was contemporary news report.

mangu points out the damage that Canadian pirates have already done to the music industry.

• The more things change, the more they stay the same. Did these "evil pirates" kill the music industry, as was proclaimed they would?

They sure did! In the 1890s there was a great market for piano rolls [wikipedia.org]. Where can you buy piano rolls today? Conclusion: pirates killed the music industry.

sakdoctor complains about the marketing tactics of printer makers.

I hate the way they sell those Gutenberg presses as a loss leader, then gouge you on printing plates and ink refills.

Finally HungryHobo gets to problem that improved communication technologies pose to existing media companies.

I think these PaperSharing M2M(Mailbox2Mailbox) systems which allow just anyone to swap files, folders and even whole books should be banned immediately before they destroy all that is good and pure with our country!