February 28, 2009
Notorious and insufferable conceit
Flea cites Blazing Cat Fur quoting Sea Kitten. Not certain what history will make of our kind - provided, of course, there is anything passing for history in our future socialist Utopia/Caliphate. But a note to future historians regardless: We were the sane people.
It’s important to realise that the ugly turn Canada has taken is entirely a consequence of the influence of the “soft” left-wing politics similar to the kind that HP espouses, and not the work of a handful of extremists preying on an otherwise healthy body-politic. If you want to fight fascism, fight the liberal left, which by undermining traditional values facilitates the extremists. If you want a society fit for human beings where Jews and other minorities of ethnicity or intellectual viewpoint are safe, promote conservatism.
To the victor the spoils of victory
Not much in the way of spoils, actually. Unless you count rebuilding Germany and everything stepped on my Germany (including France, for the love of God) as a spoil; and this after the Blitz (a buzz bomb is included for effect). Pop goes the weasel (1948) does part of the math. I am just happy to see England when it was still England.
February 27, 2009
A surreal mini civil war
A senior army officer lets The Independent in on a little secret.
It is only a British civil war because the British Establishment has chosen to pretend so. If Her Majesty's government continues to refuse its duty, we risk a proper British intifada. Crumpets thrown. Feelings injured. And then the football hooligans to do the work the Army and the police are forbidden to do. Such is the metastasis of fascism.
Or we surrender our daughters to the enemy. Your call, Prime Minister Brown.
And another thing: Say as much in Canada and you risk being summoned before a "human rights" commission. Our ignorance - and two wide oceans - are not the armour they once were.
Gred & Forge: Save the Quibbler
Wrock and/or wroll: Ginny Gets Around.
February 26, 2009
Brave and combative
Michael Totten offers an eye witness account of Christopher Hitchens and the Battle of Beirut (via Ace).
Kate Beckinsale eats Pot Noodle, drinks tea and is celebrated.
Word.
Pot Noodle Flavour Development Manager, Grahame Walker, said: “We’re always on the look out for ideas for new flavours so when Miss Beckinsale announced her love for Pot Noodles we just had to make one in her honour. Steak & BeckinsALE is just like Kate – classically British and a tasty little number.”
Offended by the truth
Joseph Quesnel argues some cultural traditions are not worth holding and asks an excellent question (via Five Feet of Fury).
The answer, sadly, is obvious: Post-moderns would blame the Spanish. Or, failing that, themselves. They would then insist Nahuatl be recognized as an official language, engage in interpretive dance celebrating charming Aztec folkways and demand anyone wincing at the sight of blood sit through an anti-racism class. Conservatives get to pay for all of the above.
February 25, 2009
More suffering in Gaza
Small investors in Gaza face losses as tunnel industry collapses.
Ba-dum.
"I went to my broker, who is a friend of mine, and he told me that he had the same problem. What can we do now?" the desperate vendor wondered.
You could stop trying to kill Jews and get a proper job. Just a thought.
Viddyho
A Gmail chat phishing scam is a salient reminder not to log into any site using a URL you did not enter yourself.
The online service Twitter had a steady stream of complaints and warnings about the attack. "To anyone who receives a Viddyho invite from me, please ignore it," a Twitter user named Zaffi cautioned. "I think I've been duped."
Exquisite precision
James Lileks eviscerates the hysterical Puritanism of "the left" as the Mayor of San Francisco is caught with bottled water. RTWT.
Gals!
Sleepdealer
Yet another dystopia that looks better than day to day life, Sleepdealer may nonetheless be the closest thing to a proper cyberpunk film ever made. I am not getting my hopes up. I have been fooled by trailers before.
February 24, 2009
You will be paid for like any other free man. You will be paid in blood.
The Swedes are set to deploy the first fully armed and operational* stealth ships in the world. The first two Visby-class corvettes** will enter service by the end of 2009.
Small point: A warship's survivability also depends on a friendly port to return home to. Something to think about as the Swedes make nice with their jihadi colonists so the jihadi colonists will be nice when they are in charge.
Larger point: If anthropology had ever got anywhere as a science we would know how to trigger a Swedish swarm phase. Vikings sound like a better deal than corsairs.
* I just like saying fully armed and operational.
** A cutaway view of the Visby class corvette for the curious.
Related video below the fold.
Related: Quotes from the Viking Sagas.
Obviously related:
Worth 1000 words
Age of Pericles pens a scathing critique of "smart power". It is well worth the read for all it would be better we live in a world where these ideas were so obvious they could be left unsaid. Revealing too for an image of Persia's nominal leader*. Our adversaries are rabid neo-Nazis, psychopaths and mental defectives.
In Iran's case, it's a hat trick.
* An image at odds with the lamestream media's picture of the man as an Iranian Kennedy. That isn't a president; it's a mug shot.
McFriendly growth measures
This McDonald's flash RTS McVideogame should keep Brooks amused for a bit. Though I get the impression it was meant to criticize GM foods, employees of the week and the like, I expect the rightosphere may co-opt it as a best practice sim.
Let's consider who it was that dreamed it all
Nadya at Coilhouse invokes the Great Old Ones and calls it "Destruction of Mankind: Kawaii Edition".
February 23, 2009
A lesson learned
The cancellation of the the Battle of the Plains of Abraham re-enactment scheduled for this summer was indeed a craven surrender to Quebecists threatening violence. Here come the apologists. Take Lysiane Gagnon, writing for The Globe and Mail.
Of course the radical fringe of the sovereigntist movement that threatened to disrupt the show was wrong, but this is not the point. Such angry reactions are to be expected when an event is deemed offensive by a large part of the population. Contrary to the reports that circulated throughout Canada, the opposition was not limited to militant sovereigntists. It came from large numbers of francophones, including many federalists.
A quick translation for Flea-readers living in warmer climes: By "federalists", Gagnon means French people employing French people in Canada's federal bureaucracy at the expense of English, Chinese, Italian and various other Canadians. But this is almost beside the point. To Gagnon and her ilk, "angry reactions" including threats of violence - this is the unambiguous meaning of her words - are not limited to a radical fringe but are typical of mainstream French opinion in this country. Hardly surprising. Rinse and repeat for "Palestinians" and anyone else taking full time welfare as a platform for jihad and you have the response of "the left" to every problem their stupid, sinful largesse has created.
Such is the lesson of jihadi violence and threats of violence: We have no spine and we will surrender to your demands whim. What choice do we have? Somebody somewhere might be offended.
Let us make something perfectly clear: I am offended. I find French threats offensive. I find apologies for French threats offensive. Above all, I find the cancellation of our British victory celebration offensive.
The linked piece under "apologists" compares the re-enactment to Orange marches in Northern Ireland. Fair dues. Everyone had better hope our government grows a spine. If not, the comparisons will not end with symbolism but in retaliatory inter-communal vigilantism. We have been down this road before. Once the people lose confidence in the ability or the willingness of the state to defend their freedoms, it falls to the people to defend themselves in whatever Hobbesian fashion they can contrive.
I am confident we have learned nothing.
Also beside the point: Cancelling a re-enactment of British victory when what is left of the British in this country have ceded our symbols, our traditions, our place names, our system of measurement, our right to use our own language, the honour of our ancestors and the legacy of our children to the French. What matter a summer pantomime when we won the war and systematically gave away the peace. These days, saying as much can land you in front of a "human rights" commission; as kangaroo an example of kangaroo French justice as one can imagine.
I demand Ontario secede from Confederation.
Related: Not a source of social division? Re-enacting the Battle of Gettysburg. Because Americans are grown ups.
Don't mess with Texas
For all that Europe has mortgaged its entire civilization so that a generation or two can stretch their pensions, English-speaking North America has only been prevented from the same mistake by the good fortune of an impoverished - and largely Catholic - Latin America (I haven't a clue how the Japanese have managed; they do not seem to have imported a generation of of their neighbours' children to look after them in their old age).
For all that Mexicans and the like have proved far less disruptive of America's version of Western Civ than their Turkish and North African equivalents have been to the Europeans, the melting pot risks being tipped over by events (not the most elegant parallelism I have ever managed but I hope you get my gist nonetheless).
Things appear to be getting out of hand south of the border.
Evidence
Well done to Lydia Smith, a first-year Miami University psychology major who spotted a fingerprint of Abraham Lincoln while transcribing a letter written by the President on October 5, 1863.
Impressive. Though not as rare as the face of Barack Obama I spotted in my breakfast cereal this morning. Unfortunately, Weetabix lacks the staying power of good writing paper. And is delicious.
February 22, 2009
Adventure of a lifetime
Hat tip to two sources who might prefer to remain anonymous...
A.. Go to Pakistan , Afghanistan or Iraq illegally. Never mind immigration quotas, visas, international law, or any of that nonsense.
B.. Once there, demand that the local government provide free medical care for you and your entire family.
C.. Demand that all nurses and doctors be fluent in English, and that all food be cooked according to your special specifications in the hospital
D. Demand free local government forms, bulletins, etc. be printed in English.
E.. Procreate abundantly.
F.. Deflect any criticism of this allegedly irresponsible reproductive behaviour with, 'It is a cultural thing; you wouldn't understand.'
G.. Keep your original identity strong. Fly your previous country's national flag from your rooftop, or proudly display it in your front window, or on your car bumper.
H.. Speak only English at home and in public, and make sure that your children do likewise.
I.. Demand classes on English culture in the Muslim school system.
J.. Demand a local country driver license or national insurance number equivalent
K.. This will afford other legal rights and will go far to legitimise your unauthorised, illegal, presence in Pakistan , Afghanistan or Iraq
L.. Drive around with no MOT, tax or insurance and ignore local traffic laws.
M.. Insist that local country law enforcement teaches English and English culture and values to all its officers.
N.. Organise protest marches against your host country, inciting violence against non-whites, non-Christians, and the government that let you in.
Good luck! You'll soon be dead.
It would never happen in Pakistan , Afghanistan or Iraq (or any other country in the world for that matter) except in the UK, US, Canada or Australia, because we are run by soft, politically correct politicians that are too scared to 'offend' anyone. and prize over the best interests of our above country.
If you agree, pass it on.
If you don't, go ahead and try the above in Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iraq - keep your head when others may be losing theirs, and send me a postcard.
February 21, 2009
A message from Blazing Cat Fur
Concerning the end of a once promising career as a political bootlick.
Update as I catch up on events: Paging Michael Ignatieff. Michael Ignatieff to the clue phone, please. I realize this is all a bit inside-baseball for non-Canadian Flea-readers but follow the link for a handy - and hilarious - Kathy Shaidle round up.
Steve Paikin, demonstrably a more patient man than most, makes a decision that is sadly remarkable in Canadian journalism: It is sane, reasonable and responsible.
They said if Stephen Harper was elected there would be political censorship of the media... and they were right! Also, it is charming to note Paikin is surprised to find his private emails being published. Etiquette is not everyone's strong suit.
Mew Goo Guy Ding Update: Kick him while he's down, you say? Well, if you insist.
Claim: Chinese restaurants in the U.S. use cat meat in their entrees.
Status: False.
But that's the States, of course. Ottawa? Could be another story. I lived in Ottawa and trust me we are some shifty people.
Update: There should be a Weblog Comments Awards... "If you've never met someone who screams their own name when they reach orgasm..."
Stefane & 3G: We Don't Wanna Put In
Some context and assorted cattiness from Moscow.
The Rest
Remember all that goodwill George Bush supposedly squandered after 9/11? You know, the kind that lead the French to claim they were all Americans now?
Yeah, about that.
The failure is Obama's. Obama, who criticized President Bush for failing to get more support out of our European allies. Obama, who played Monday-morning quarterback to decisionmakers in Washington. Obama, who puffed himself up with cheap words. Obama, who led us to believe he could do better. He can't deliver.
Not to worry. American progressives can take a leaf out of Canada's book on this one: Slap a smug smile on your face and tell all your friends how much the world loves you and as if by magic it will be true! And if you have never been anywhere, can't speak your own language properly let alone, say, Farsi and abase yourself before the imaginary Ewok religions of a variety of dark haired people you know nothing about... so much the better. "God willing".
Lost the plot
While it is possible I might consider expanding my reading horizons, I am pointing you at Ace of Spades HQ once again as Gabriel Malor has a handy Battlestar Galactica thread underway. Handy, at least, to those of us who are still scratching our heads after last week's episode and the wall of exposition the writers are building around a fleet of rag tag fugitive plot-holes.
Many spoilers - including a visual - for those of you who are not up to date with the latest broadcast.
Also...
The Parselmouths: Illegal Love Potion and Voldemort Fan Girl
Wrock on.
February 20, 2009
The Evolution of Daedelus
Los Angeles-based Victorian gentleman, Alfred Darlington busts some Flea-ish moves with a Monome; a sensible solution to presenting music to an audience when you are used to producing said music inside the box.
Though I prefer the look of the JazzMutant Dexter and the Tenori-On has a kawaii factor the Monome lacks. As for me, all future Ghost of a flea music now depends on the forthcoming APC40 controller for Ableton. Such is the peril of Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
Related to the latter if not the former: Some appealing soft synths.
Ish: This Frankenstein Steampunk PC mod. A steampunk Ableton controller by contrast... (via Capt H).
FUSA ("F" is for "Former")
Dmitry Orlov - author of the book Reinventing Collapse
His thinking relies on comparable dependencies on foreign oil production, foreign debt and runaway military spending but my favourite bits reflect an engineer's pessimism about humanity.
Turbulence
Holocaust denier and ersatz bishop Richard Williamson has been ordered to leave Argentina.
I am by no means certain this is good news. By all means, expel Williamson for failing to meet the requirements of his visa but I am less sanguine at the prospect of people being ordered to leave the country on the grounds of being an idiot, for all that he is an idiot with a pulpit. Worse yet, the government of Argentina seemed to have no difficulty with Williamson until he became a well known idiot with a pulpit.
Better to let his NGO sort him out community-organizer-style.
As I said, much better.
Pure ideology
They say life imitates art; sometimes it just imitates a Brian Herbert Dune knock off. The gasohol must flow.
February 19, 2009
Victory Gal
Glen Angus brings pin-up nose art to life (hat tip to Cpt H).
Not even vaguely related if I'm honest: Catholicism and Protestantism and fantasy and science fiction. Scratching my head at this and wondering what Flea-readers make of it.
If I was grading this the words "complicated stuff" would be circled, connected to the margins with a line and an arrow pointing to the words "need to unpack this". As to the rest, are we meant to believe SF emerges from the "work ethic" as Venus on a half-shell? Though - and fair dues - modern fantasy was defined by Tolkien's Catholic morality and sensibility. If Heinlein was raised Baptist we could be on to something.
Burn rate
For Y chromosome readers wondering where all the toilet paper is going, the answer has something to do with the application and removal of cosmetics. Could have asked, I suppose, but that would have been cheating. Will report as further evidence is acquired.
Minutemen
Veidt Enterprises presents this Watchmen videogame. Fun. Though I cannot help but wonder what Alan Moore makes of the merchandising of his masterpiece.
Salvador Dali on "What's My Line?"
A better Flea than I might ever reasonably hope to be.
Candidate for best YouTube summary: "A stupid hippie destroys Dalí's movie."
February 18, 2009
The news that's fit to link
Work- and home-life of the Flea have been extra hectic for the last week. One consequence is a stack of unlinked links cluttering multiple browser windows. By way of tidying up a bit:
Henry VIII reveals his softer side in never-before-seen gushing love letter to Anne Boleyn.
British lbraries put Koran on top shelf. The Bible, a collection of books people are meant to read, follows and is now safely out-of-reach.
Indian army eliminates 1,256 "militants" in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East in 2008. World's progressives, neo-Nazis and Muslim dictatorships strangely unoutraged.
Syria building chemical weapons plant. For peaceful chemical weapons, presumably.
Obama wants to reopen NAFTA. Sucks to be you, NDP voters. Enjoy your Hope and Change bumper stickers.
Greens waste more energy. Piety levels remain unaltered.
Replacing Michelle Obama.
Aerial combat has always been more about engineering than flying
Cesar Rodriguez' office features an image of his F-15 Eagle - and a rather larger AIM-7 in the foreground - as these appeared in the head-up display of an Iraqi MiG pilot.
This anecdote by way of making an argument for the F-22. Or of maintaining total dominance of the air, which might not be quite the same thing.
February 17, 2009
Water space management
On the plus side, the Royal Navy was at least aware of its encounter with the French.
The French Navy claimed this month that the bow sonar dome of Le Triomphant was probably damaged in a collision with a submerged shipping container while returning from patrol. It only discovered that it had hit a British submarine after one of the regular exchanges of information with the Royal Navy.
And in the civilized world: India raises its defence budget by 34%. Good.
They are not treating them as fully three dimensional humans
Clearly, a pathological reaction to a two dimensional object.
Scissorhands gloves
A snip at £2,800 - £4,200. Possibly sold at a premium/discount as they have been worn by Michael Jackson.
February 16, 2009
They can't see each other in the water
HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant, both said to have been carrying nuclear weapons, have crashed while travelling submerged in the mid Atlantic; no word on what these two boomers were doing in the exact spot at the time.
Vanguard's bicycle locks are said to have held but the Gods of Metaphor must have been struck dumb.
Fortunately, you can't divide by zero.
The coming swarm
With a unicorn in the White House, the New York Times has given itself permission to think what the sane amongst us were thinking at about about nine in the morning a few years back. The good news is we are now one step closer to "the left" denouncing President Obama as a "house" so-and-so. Silver lining and all that.
So how are swarms to be countered? The simplest way is to create many more units able to respond to simultaneous, small-scale attacks and spread them around the country.
Quite. These units are called "armed civilians".
What you pay for
A nasty shock for private contractors who signed up for the Pentagon's Human Terrain System social science teams as staff discover they are now to be civil servants. For most, this means a dramatic cut in pay.
One Wired commenter does the math.
.
(Typically contractors work 80+ hour work weeks. 40 hours normal time + 20 hours time-and-a-half + 20 hours double-time = 110 labor-hours/week. 50 work weeks per year* and 91k per year... $16.55/hour.)
Text-to-speech
Lots of blah-di-blah about the new Kindle wireless reading tablet (described in detail at the Amazon Kindle
It turns out Kindle has some capacity to read books to you. Potentially handy for those with lazy eyeballs; assuming - of course - this feature actually works. But what to do with the audiobook rights? Neil Gaiman considers.
Quite sensible to my mind. Let that be an end to it.
Jeeves & Wooster: Minnie the Moocher
Related: Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and 'Your name, sir?'
February 14, 2009
Another legend that has yet to be told
The trailer for Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter & Under the Hood
They've totally betrayed the soul of the party to even mention this
Camille Paglia - who rocks hardcore - attacks the "Fairness Doctrine".
A very dangerous lesson
For the moment, the peoples of the West still trust their own governments. This is largely a function of apathy, ignorance and a couple generations of Frankfurt School indoctrination.
But there is a limit.
The L Signal
The new Batwoman: Lesbian socialite by night and a crime-fighter by later in the night.
NIN: Discipline
Possibly the most accurate video ever made (hat tip to Agent Bedhead, obviously).
February 13, 2009
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
Israel has reportedly overtaken Russia as India's largest defence supplier. Which is what the Russians get for playing silly beggars.
Funny how "Russians and the Europeans" are now an obvious community of interest and concern. It is a post-9/11 thing.
Speaking of taking the piss: Taking a break from hiding behind Arab women and children as they attempted to kill Israeli women and children, Hamas freedom fighters took Israeli medical shipments (you know, the ones our media could not report on) and turned medicine bottles into grenades. Because that is what we are dealing with. Because this is what heroism looks like to "the left".
A very special post for Agent Bedhead
Not outgoing miserable, apparently.
February 12, 2009
1938 Phantom Corsair
Possible Fleamobile sighted.
Very closely related: Watchmen portraits (for example, above). Am I the only one who did not know how to spell "whet"? Clearly I am illiterate.
When one falls, another brings him home
Six degrees of Kevin Bacon jokes are suspended for the duration of the following broadcast. Check out the trailer for Taking Chance.
The cut of his jib
Rick Falkvinge, leader of the Pirate Party, comments on the Pirate Bay political trial of the decade.
The Black Sisters: Harry and Ginny
On a bit of a wrock kick at the moment. Expect it shall pass. Or lead to a Flea wizard rock EP. Always changing is the future.
I think "Open at the Close" is lovely. And stick around for the Slytherin take on "Womanizer".
February 11, 2009
Moving forward in harmony
China's bloggers celebrate the failure of their state media to report on their own problems. Their towering inferno, for example.
Even if they lamented the death of a firefighter, other bloggers were almost gleeful over the network’s misfortune. Some said they were happy to see the demise of a building that had come to symbolize the government’s Olympian extravagance. Others noted with self-satisfaction that the charred structure was also intended to house recording studios for CCTV.
With tongue-in-cheek humor, another writer, Chaindrive, tried to find a silver lining in the fire. The rebuilding effort, he said, would mean more jobs for unemployed migrants, more money spent on construction materials and a lift for the economy.
“Businesses will have new customers and our government officials will have new opportunities to take bribes,” he wrote. “To make up the loss, we taxpayers will pay more, but our G.D.P. will go up and society will move forward in harmony.”
The tone sounds eerily familiar.
Election Compass
The Election Compass for the 2009 Knesset elections is an interactive tool designed to inform the Israeli voter about the positions on various issues of Israel's diverse political parties. I scored high on Hawk in the Hawk/Dove axis and just to the right of centre on Socioeconomics. This result placed my responses close to the party platform of Haichud Haleumi (National Unity). Judging by their website - and their general agreement with me - I am betting these guys get something like five votes.
For this she gave up a Senate seat
Dick Morris considers the "incredible, shrinking role" of Hilary Clinton as President Obama's Secretary of State. Popcorn is suggested.
Studio B: I See Girls
Hey, traffic doesn't click itself.
February 10, 2009
Not proving a negative since 2002
This bus slogan generator should come in handy (via Will).
Good thing firecrackers do not melt steel
Truther engineering services to the Peking phone. Paging Truthers to the Peking line, please.
Xinhua quoted a Beijing government spokesman as saying an initial investigation showed the fire was caused by "illegal launches of firecrackers." It was unclear how that was known, nor did the report explain what was illegal. In 2005, Beijing ended a ban on fireworks downtown during the New Year celebrations.
Note to 9/11 truthers: Firecrackers are somewhat smaller than fully fuelled passenger airlines. Now for the mandatory lame-stream kowtowing to our mandarin overlords.
"Never seen anything like that."
The dangers of posting under your real name
Sure if I was the Batman, the Flea would be my secret identity. But as Rorschach, the Flea is more like putting on my real face.
(Google that one, hypothetical future employers!)
Absent heroes: Alan Moore discusses the Charlton-Watchmen connection.
Mise-en-abîme
Quite possibly more exciting that the Watchmen film feature: an animated version of Tales of the Black Freighter.
A word from our sponsors: Sponsors, in this case, offering products whose theme I can wholeheartedly endorse.
Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter & Under the Hood
Watching the Watchmen: The Definitive Companion to the Ultimate Graphic Novel
Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic
Related: I am empowered to award One Internet to anyone who can tell me what GWAR stands for without resorting to Google.
The Frozen Autumn: Is Everything Real?
With a hat tip to the Armored Facilities Manager.
February 09, 2009
The awesomeness that is Summer Glau
Summer Glau explains robot love. Just a guess but I am betting Terminator infiltration units make a wicked sammich.
Also, Summer Glau: an actress who could replace Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft (and four other supposed candidates).
(A tip of the hat to Agent Bedhead and to Quotulatiousness.)
Related, obviously: Oh, Playboy, why do you want your "readers" to lust after androids?
Top five reasons for the collapse of civilization
1 - Human impact on the environment.
2 - Climate change.
3 - Withdrawal of friendly support from neighbouring society.
4 - Contact with unfriendly neighbouring society.
5 - Epic comb over.
More to the point: J.J. Abrams' mystery box.
The stupidmoon is over
Nick Cohen sees an end to Britain's honeymoon with President Obama. This goes double for Canada's "left": in love with Obama, in hate with free trade, a little unclear on just who buys Canada's goods and services and clueless as to just where all the magic government money comes from.
In their minds, Republicans were the "stupid white men" who cared nothing for foreigners. Now, they find that the Democrats are the real America Firsters, not only in Congress but also at the Doha talks, where an agreement on freeing up world trade seemed within reach. It is in the balance, because Democrats want to protect the American economy against foreigners dumping subsidised goods and to hold countries to account for their environmental standards and respect for labour rights.
Obama came to power with more international goodwill than any president since Eisenhower, mutter angry ministers. Do not think his popularity will last if he keeps on indulging the protectionists.
Not to worry, Obama brand protectionism would be popular with many Americans including, quite possibly, many Republicans (seriously, Obama v France in a cage match = tough call). If Democrats can make the giant mental leap from cordoning off their markets to cordoning off their borders, Obama will be re-elected.
Dangerously Nerdy
"Attacking George Lucas while dressed as Luke Skywalker and shouting that Han shot first."
Indeed. And who has not dreamt of contriving a time machine for this very purpose. Though I would have a firm word Frank Herbert's son en route. The spice. I am told it must flow.
Wizard rock rules, btw.
February 07, 2009
Absolute moral authority
Mother of USS Cole victim refuses to meet with President Obama.
Curious: Did she vote for President Obama?
Exit: What does civilization surrender next?
February 06, 2009
The Keene Act and YOU
Actually, masked vigilantism has much to recommend it. Or so I am reliably informed.
Collectible: Coraline has yet to be released but potential collectors are going to want to get in on the game early; props and such are already appearing at an eBay charity auction. I expect this screen used Coraline animation puppet to be particularly sought after.
Also of historical interest: Yesterday in history, "Tempest in a D-Cup".
Also, Heidi Klum. Just saying.
Better late than never
Funny how it turns out the Pope does have some latitude after all. Of course, if you point this out before the fact you get the stick. As one friend pointed out to me, Vatican PR needs to be brought forward from the Middle Ages.
Richard Williamson has said that Jews are plotting world domination, that women should never be allowed to wear pants and that the movie The Sound of Music is pornographic. He also thinks 9/11 was a hoax.
The Vatican announcement about the bishops was made on the 50th anniversary of Vatican II and Holocaust remembrance weekend in Europe.
Yesterday, the Vatican was still in full damage control, saying it now wanted Bishop Williamson to recant his extremist views.
That said, fair dues about The Sound of Music.
Mutinous Zombies of the Battleship Potemkin
And a variety of other classic films that would be much improved with zombies. In this case, the addition has the advantage of greater historical accuracy.
Possibly should have put a spoiler warning on that one. Kids these days cannot tell you what year 9/11 happened let alone the particulars of ancient history of no immediate relevance to their interests.
February 05, 2009
The abyss stares back at us now
Miliband published a policy document calling for a resumption of debate on disarmament, despite the West's fears over Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon and over the prospects of terrorists acquiring access to the technology.
The British foreign policy chief said that he hopes the US, Russia, China, Britain and France can begin talks aimed at the eventual elimination of all nuclear arsenals.
All right, one comment. The worst aspect of this farce is that this farce is not only grounded in a catastrophic stupidity but in simple, incomprehensible greed. Her Majesty's government appears to have decided nuclear weapons are too expensive for a nation of non-contributing zeroes to maintain and that such weapons are, in any event, unusable. "Top generals" may have a point. We won't use nuclear weapons under any circumstances and as such these weapons are no deterrent to a rational mind. Worse yet, nuclear weapons are no deterrent to governments who do not care a damn about the lives of their people and even less a caution to ideologies celebrating mass extermination as justice and/or martyrdom.
By the same logic, Iran should continue its breakneck attempt at acquiring these all too usable weapons and - again by the same logic - the left will continue to support any monster with the will to atomic power provided this power be used toward the left's nihilistic ends.
The Cramps: Thee Most Exalted Potentate of Love
Among my earliest memories of dealing with hippie/feminist thought control is the time I found myself explaining my Cramps T-shirt to a Wiccan priestess. "There can't be a woman in that band," she sneered. I explained the depth of her error as best I could and more politely than she deserved. Looking back on so many conversations along these lines, I realize now I should never have conceded there was a point to be debated. A two word explaining would have been more than sufficient.
Lux Interior, RIP.
Via Five Feet of Fury.
February 04, 2009
Saluting the Canadian contingent
Via Dave in Texas.
From the Beeb
Three video reports from the Beeb.
i - Chinese anger at UK shoe-thrower. Can't we shoot both of them?
ii - Google Earth dives under the sea. Looking forward both to this and to a new Historical Imagery feature, allowing users "to scroll back through decades of satellite images and watch the spread of suburbia or erosion of coasts."
iii - On board Navy's new hi-tech ship. HMS Daring is a tidy looking vessel. Lest anyone be impressed by the British armed forces, The Economist offers a depressing look at the state of play.
Not at the Beeb: Le Terrible has its first sea outing. Might at well enjoy the quiet times. I expect she will see more service when she is renamed Al-ruku'.
Imagining the Tenth Dimension
Get your head round this.
Watch Imagining the ten dimensions in How to Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Via.
Florist and Butcher
The severed head of a missing schoolgirl has been discovered by St. Petersburg residents, a presumed victim of the Florist and Butcher killers.
The two men, who investigators say both have criminal records, were immersed in Goth and Emo culture.
If these two were both Goth and Emo small wonder they were confused. Though how they worked up the organizational skills or requisite motivation to carry out a murder is beyond me. Not to make light of the situation, obviously. Will update once I have worked out what the Russian press thinks Emo looks like when it is at home.
February 03, 2009
Code Guardian
Intermittent posting today. To start: Nazi robot pr0n.
February 02, 2009
Dorothy crossed with the Predator
How is it I am only now learning of Gareth Pugh? It is as if Tim Burton cast a fashion designer... If House Flea's North of 60 collection ever sees the light of day, I want a line that looks much like this. The Seal edit is brilliant too.
Post-apocalyptic
i - Concept art for Terminator Salvation... especially the motorcycle. I wants it.
ii - The final Watchmen poster. Somewhat lacking in extra-dimensional horrors.
iii - More on a rumoured Blade Runner sequel. Lucas has already raped my childhood - so much so I was numb even to an abomination like the The Lost Boys "sequel" - but enough is enough. If this monstrosity proceeds it will be time for direct action. I cannot go back in time and throw Brian Herbert under a bus but this I can put a stop to. Never. Again.
Central casting
I hope the American electorate are happy with their movie President. No (public) resume. No friends (he will admit to). No record of public service (voting present does not count). But I admit he looks the part. The rest of us are going to have to hope fronting it is enough to get the job done.
Addressing the main strategic problem
"The Israeli Ambassador in Australia asks for the media to stop filming after letting slip plans concerning Iran."
Related: Tayyip Erdogan v Shimon Peres at Davos.
A hundred Fatah prisoners in Gaza had been thrown from roof-tops, he said. Dozens had been shot in the legs. The Gaza schools had become a Gulag of Palestinian prisoners, he said, reading aloud a letter from Fatah's secretary-general.
"The tragedy of Gaza is not Israel, it is Hamas. They created a dictatorship. A very dangerous one."
February 01, 2009
Gabriela Irimia (left)
Lembit Öpik tells of his failed romance with a Cheeky Girl. The man is a Liberal Democrat; best to activate your rose-coloured monitor filters.
Technically, that was not Öpik but a Daily Mail reader comment. All the same, I believe there is at least one more fish in the sea, so, look on the bright side.
The Valentine thing
I am enjoying this whole Amazon adventure, obviously. Arguably, a little too much. Still, it beats Pajamas Media and, unlike some other big ad vendors one might mention, Amazon has managed to keep a lower profile politically. I just want to sell stuff me (these pixels don't publish themselves) and - to that end - am hoping to make my music available through a related interface...
In the meantime while I get my act together are opportunities like this Valentine's promotion. I am not certain they have quite hit the mark. Jewelry
Cheeky Girls: Touch My Bum (TOTP edition)
Protip: This is how to publish a Canadian politics and pop culture blog. Heavy on the Romanian pop stars. Light on the aristocratic Russian Liberal party leaders. Either way it is all lip-syncing and vampires all the time but you get the picture.