4.16.2K1 - 15.22
Anime couple to make you go HMM. Justy Ueki Tylor and Mihoshi.
I hate Mondays. I really really hate Mondays.
Hey Katrina - If cows are sacred over in India, and they eat a lot of horsemeat...would they call it a filly cheese-steak?
Ragabash-sempai is in a gooood mood. I ph33r.
Hmm, the Israelis just made a little raid against the Syrians (specifically Hezbollah), and a bigger strike on Yassir Arafat's bodyguards. The Syrians are pissed, needless to say, but here is the question - is state-backed terrorism against another people or nation considered an act of war? It is destructive, results in the loss of materiel or life, and is sponsored or controlled by a foreign, hostile, government. Nowadays, it's a shame we didn't go to Baghdad and set up a pincer of sorts - Israel to the west, the American/UN-controlled Iraq to the east. At the very least, things would be quieter. Do I favor US intervention over there? No. Do I favor massive arms sales to our allies and such? Hell yes, we can provide assistance without losing life and it's also good for our economy.
Just a little more misery in the world...child-slave ship has been spotted off of Africa. Here's to hanging every last one of the bastards.
And in more cheerful news, US to stick it to China during a summit Wednesday. "Tough questions" and "forthright speech" are not terms normally used in diplospeak. And, this week IIRC is the week that the arms deal to Taiwan comes up. Also, the US is considering sanctions against China in various ways, revoking PNTR, opposing the olympics bid, and others.
Oh SHIT. News from Taiwan about the Great MP3 Raid - it sounds like a major case of illegal search and seizure in there. I had a discussion with a friend who has studied law - according to US law at least, it is perfectly legal to make a copy of anything copyrighted for your own personal or private use. Distributing said media is the blurry part - at what point does it become "public"? Something that needs to be defined before anything else is done. Either way - student's computers were being confiscated based under a single question - "Do you have ANY mp3s on your computer?" What's the evidence for this massive seizure of private property WITHOUT A WARRANT? An anonymous unsigned letter that meant absolutely nothing. And if you weren't around to be questioned, the plainclothes, warrantless, illegal police simply went into your room and looked on your computer. The Reg finishes well:
No society with any semblance of modern government would tolerate such outrageous behavior by the authorities in the case of, say, stolen pianos; but the copyright industry wants us to believe that its intellectual property is in a category by itself.
Indeed, so rare and precious are the fruits of its labor that it, unique among the world's enterprises, deserves to have the rules of decent civil behavior suspended.
Ironically, the Tainan District Prosecutor and his band of cops could hardly have helped stumbling over carts and tables laden to the point of collapse with pirated CDs as they marched onto the NCKU campus to wage war against 'illegal' MP3s.
But he would have turned a blind eye to them because the production of pirated music and software in Taiwan (as in most of East Asia) is controlled by wealthy and quite thuggish organized crime gangs which the authorities and the police are terrified to confront.
So the Taiwan government is unwilling to fight against the true source of the problem and rather push around college kids? And suspend the laws of civil liberty over this? At the behest of a metanational organization, no less.
There's one thing college kids are DAMNED good at - communications networks. Getting a message out. And they have, in this case. Let's hope that the world listens, this time...and that this district prosecutor has a political wooden stake and kindling in his future.
4.16.2K1 - 11.01
Woof. Called in to work early today to cover for someone else, fortunately I get Friday off in exchange. And I may have Jury Duty wednesday too. Hee. This week is so screwed up. *yawn* I wanna go to sleep...
4.15.2K1 - 19.55
Anime Crossover From Hell: The new HBO special, Sex in the Wicked City
It COULD work.
4.15.2K1 - 18.50
PH33R! For it is the mighty Dreyers ice cream bracelet logo!
4.15.2K1 - 14.17
Possible sanctions against China, including the trade issues and other things are being considered. There's also a clear report as to what exactly happened in that EP-3 when it got hit - a 130-degree roll is halfway between vertical and upside down, combine with a nearly inverted dive, and the performance characteristics of a noseless Orion frame match those of a cement truck with wings. So, a salute to the pilots of the P3, and here's to putting China in its place.
NnM, what are gosadi? And oh god, that P.F. parody is wrong.
4.15.2K1 - 11.40
A very interesting article from PopMech about NSA spying on Americans, with FOIA documents availible. Interesting story, wonder if PM's experiment is going to bear fruit. Maybe, maybe not. And along that line, not yet on the website but on page 26 of the May 2001 issue, there is a story about the police apparently using a thermal camera, without a warrant, to peer through walls and search for possible marijuana growth. They claimed it was a legal search because they were only looking for "waste heat", which would be like looking through your curbside garbage. So question - based on that logic, would it be legal to stare inside your windows with a regular camera without notifying you? After all, it's just "waste light"... Yes, this has gone to the Supreme Court. No word yet on a decision, though the PM article promises it will be here.
Just to prove that the Nazis weren't the only racist genocidal fucks, South Africa was researching genetic weaponry to sterilize colored women. I'd consider this one legit, the guy who uncovered it was also responsible for finding the documentation of government-run radiation tests against US citizens without their knowledge. GOD I love humans.
It is my deeply held belief that the SR-71/A-12 design is one of the single most beautiful aircraft ever made.
NnM, I started ^ ^ ^ you know. Or at least put the smile on it. :p
Katherine, very nice. ^_^ I guess it can be. And New York isn't THAT bad. I think.
I never did see Marsupialami when I was a kid. :p What IS it anyway? Ack...Kebeck feed...
Alan, you're disturbed, and I hope you enjoy it. ^_^ It's really quite fun. *grins* And as long as you don't fic any DBZ stuff I won't have to kill you. :p
4.15.2K1 - 9.33
Someone took another call. Meanwhile "Galstaf" is casting magic missiles at the darkness.
4.15.2K1 - 9.02
Good morning everyone!
Not every day do I get to post about gun-related high tech, so this is special. Anti-personnel beam weapons under development at UCSD. The idea is to take two laser beams, 1 positive charge and 1 negative charge, and use them to ionize the atmosphere along the beam path. Then shoot a decent electrical charge down this path, it'll follow it like it were a wire. Make sure you put your beams on a target, and depending on how strong your voltage is, you can give someone a little shock, immobilize muscles for a few minutes, or actually deliver enough to stop the heart. The cops want to use a larger version of this with a strong charge to fry a car's electrical system - a quick end to high-speed chases, zap the car from a helo in the chase. Set phasers on tickle, boys & girls!
And the Russians will be the first to deploy a solar sail this month. 600 square meters of mylar, pushing a small "ship" with a pair of cameras on it. It's not going to go anywhere spectacular, as long as the sailship can "putter around in the harbor" and change its orbits under radiation-pressure alone, the Russians will be happy. Hell, they'd be happy if it even gets to orbit, during testing of circuits the ship began normal operation, and tried to unfold its sail in a gravity environment. Oopsie. So, it's now been delayed until early June. At least they know the deployment system will work.
This is why you open your beverages slowly. I just want to know how they explode...supercarbonated? I can't think of much else that would cause orange juice to go bang.
Proving that nice people truly only exist in the movies, it could and DID happen to you - and the waitress is refusing to share. Isn't it wonderful what relatively vast sums of money can do to people? The humans can be so stupid at times...
Ne, Ragabash, I'll be here tomorrow, just tap me on the shoulder and I'll return Chobits and BHIAaWoG.
At least he had legroom. Cargo handler accidentally gets free trip to Puerto Vallarta when he gets sealed in the (fortunately pressurized) cargo hold of a 727.
Three calls since 4am. THREE. Not three for me, or three for my section, but FOR THE ENTIRE CENTER.
Single-action versus double-action: what's the difference?
Single-action - a type of action (trigger system) where pulling the trigger will only drop the hammer. Nearly all the old "cowboy" revolvers are of this type, both cartridge and black powder. The hammer must be cocked each time to fire the gun. Single-action semiautomatic pistols use the motion of the slide to cock the hammer again after the first shot. Most single-action semiautos, the Colt 1911 design and the Browning GP-1935 "Hi-Power" for example, are designed to be carried with the hammer locked back for the first shot with the safety on.
Double-action: Instead of just dropping the hammer, a double-action pistol also can cock the hammer back. Double-action triggers are found on nearly all revolvers since 1900 or so, and a good number of semiautomatic pistols as well. Double-action trigger pulls are longer than single-action, the two can often be distinguished by how far foward in the guard the trigger rests. Trigger pulls are also much heavier for double-action guns, since the mechanism has to move more against hammer spring tension.
Both actions are fine for nearly anything, however with its much shorter length and lighter weight of trigger pull single-action guns are vastly preferred over double-action for competition shooting. Double-action guns (for the most part) do have the advantage of easy use and in the case of misfires, just pulling the trigger again is easier than recocking the gun.
4.15.2K1 - 1.15
WHEE! Mass shopping spree at WOW store, spent a hundred and two bucks on...CDs and movies, and one cheap@$$ game. Though I did walk away with 10 movies and 10 CDs, and Descent 2. Woo. Now ph33r my l33t keyboard skill at flightsims. Flightsticks are for wimps. My Haul: Classic Spielberg Scores, Star Wars: Episode One soundtrack, Gladiator soundtrack, Star Wars Trilogy disc (old one), Eiffel 65 Europop...my mother picked up some Leann Rimes disc, Andrea Bocelli, 2 Celtic discs, and something called Govi Oddyssey. Odd. Movies, 5 Jackie Chan flicks - Twin Dragons, Project A, Mr. Nice Guy, Miracles, and Rumble In Hong Kong (he's a villain! ooh!)...plus Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, Appleseed subtitled (a rare find), Deal of the Century, Escape From New York (Snake IS the first true cyberpunk hero), and...Galaxyquest! (You will be AVENGED!) Hee hee. I am such a fanboy. Sue me.
Dora-san, from what I recall, a tin deficiency causes the hair to lose pigment. I forget for sure though, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was. Ask a doc to be sure.
Yes, I still live with my mother. And my dog. I knew noone when I moved here, and if you get along with them parents work well as roommates (besides, until recently she made more than I did). Not a permanent situation, but it works pretty well, especially for my dog Quebeley. Ah well. All in good time.
What. The. Hell. This has to be the most acid-tripped music video I've ever seen. One does not mix Pee Wee Hermann with Harry Potter and a talking biplane from what appears to be Teletubbies, and expect to live. And a drunk Japanese man singing a song called hyakugojuuichi (151)...that's just messed up.
Kristina, you saw the Fuuma filk right?
Someone tell me why I'm STILL wide awake even though I have to be at work in under 6 hours. WHEE. *thud*
4.14.2K1 - 21.54
Now this is interesting. CNN goes rambling off about a collapse in the handgun market when production drops 52%. WHY did production drop so much? Because those damned lawsuits took so much money out of the gun makers they had to SHUT DOWN in 2000. So no FRIGGING WONDER the production is down. But here's CNN talking about how crime is down, shootings are making guns evil, and very happy about it.
Can't wait till the '01 stats are in and CNN sh*ts a brick that gun production skyrockets and how the markets are being flooded, hee hee.
4.14.2K1 - 17.40
Hmm. Coding's good, apparently the c3 counter server is toasted. Quick blog crawl shows c1 & c2 to be okie. It'll come back...
Meg, hee hee. ^_^ Cotton candy is good - in small doses. (Unless you're allergic to it, as one of our anime nite regulars is - CCS ep 1: "Oh my God that's supposed to be KERBEROS?! I'm going to kill you all!") And one-shot cutsies are just that - what else can you write?
Sakura-san...Beer good! Harpsichord ba~ad.
Da~ Gen, I like your layout, especially the colors...but your text blends too well with the ball of light lookin thing and it gets unreadable there. < ^^ > Maybe darken a little, I dunno...< ^^ > Just a thought. Otherwise, nice. < ^_^ >
4.14.2K1 - 16.48
Ragabash, verifying no meeting tonight unless I missed a change of plans on Friday. Yes/No? I should ask "Crash Corrigan" if he still makes bullets over at the place he's at now. What's fun is to hear him comment about how violently flaming gay someone is on the phone with him, loudly ^^ I might mention there's no small representation of *koff koff* the trying-to-be-fairer sex. Okay, thta'd be something to look up - we have the right to copy. So then based on that, owning MP3s is perfectly legal. The question becomes distribution and playback...wish we could find a copy of that ruling. I know someone who was in law school, I'll see if he might have an idea where to start looking.
Dammit, load, counter! I made no changes to you, but why aren't you reading hits? Time to go hack it again...wonder if pitas made a change to things. I've been seeing web.pitas.com/spentcasings now instead of spentcasings.pitas.com...hen na yo.
4.14.2K1 - 16.11
Well now. 14 Taiwanese students under a lawsuit for distributing MP3 files. They're not hunting ALL of them - they're just going to scapegoat 14 kids to "send a message" to the rest of the MP3 community in Taiwan and the world that MP3s are bad, and that the Recording Industry Association of America can apparently coerce people by threat of lawsuit into searching your computers for any "illegal information". And the RIAA is using this lawsuit power to force government legislation that gives the RIAA/IFPI sole control over music distribution. Gibson was a prophet, the corporations have begun influencing governments openly now. How can you fight it? Technology is your friend, boys and girls. Just like The Reg talks about - smaller, better hard drives that can be concealed. So now what - is the RIAA going to prosecute everyone with a tape deck? What's the difference between a tape and an MP3? They can both be used to copy music. They can both be given to anyone who wants one. Tapes are dirt cheap, MP3s are free. You can organize anything you want on a tape, you can make a playlist out of anything you have. And, here's the salient point - if the copyright laws protect against public broadcast, but protect private ones...how many mp3 users are just listening to the music in their homes? I doubt there's millions of dance clubs that use MP3s over computer speakers to play their tunes. So. Will this lead to a mini-revolution of sorts? A digital underground of music trading going on worldwide? Will this lead to federal agents from various nations kicking in people's doors to take down the "MP3 Syndicate Lords"? How far will the RIAA carry this so that they can have total domination of the music industry? Yes, total domination - how many widely-popular NON-RIAA artists are there today? Could this start a new demoscene, with mp3 artists of all kinds breaking in with REAL talent and turning people away from the likes of Bratney Spears(please God let that be so)? The other question is...what other massive associations/corporations are going to move this openly among small governments? It's only going to get interesting from here, boys and girls.
4.14.2K1 - 15.02
Mmmmm...good book. Good ending. Well done, and big points to Bradley Denton. Go get Buddy Holly Is Alive And Well On Ganymede and read it Quickly, there's only one copy availible, tee hee.
4.14.2K1 - 14.47
"'"Why did the Antichrist cross Oklahoma?" "To get to the snack bar."'" I LOVE THIS BOOK!! XD
4.14.2K1 - 14.38
"'All laws, both of nature and of man, have been suspended!' Mike cried. 'Haven't you heard? Buddy Holly is alive and well on Ganymede!'" *cheer*
Attilla the Cheerleader...is still here. Great Ghu, she scares me.
4.14.2K1 - 14.04
Ragabash, the older Frank on the weekend crew has just been walking around the building chanting "I am Galstaf, sorcer of light" over and over again. I fear.
4.14.2K1 - 13.59
Trekpuppy, sad but true. But hey - out here, you're free to believe anything you like. ^_^ Even following in the footsteps of a genocidal, insane, mass murderer. Different strokes, I guess.
Kristi...*LMAO*. I LIKE that flag image. Very bizarre..
Kristina, want. Want now. Want to go west. Want transforming dragon. No questions. I like your File Under:, by the way. Oh ho, I have been CHALLENGED! Ph33r my punishment yet to come.
Ragabash, you were right. Ringo IS the coolest thing since this book started. *grins*
Carolyn, tres cool. *grin* We can call it the fuzzebracelet Cult. Ooh!
From the Peanut Gallery (here's one for you, Kristina!)
A man was blissfully driving along the highway, when he saw the Easter Bunny hopping across the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid hitting the Bunny, but unfortunately the rabbit jumped in front of his car and was hit. The basket of eggs went flying all over the place. Candy, too.
The driver, being a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulled over to the side of the road, and got out to see what had become of the Bunny carrying the basket. Much to his dismay, the colorful Bunny was dead.
The driver felt guilty and began to cry.
A woman driving down the same highway saw the man crying on the side of the road and pulled over. She stepped out of her car and asked the man what was wrong.
"I feel terrible," he explained, "I accidentally hit the Easter Bunny and killed it. There may not be an Easter because of me. What should I do? "
The woman told the man not to worry. She knew exactly what to do. She went to her car trunk, and pulled out a spray can. She walked over to the limp, dead Bunny, and sprayed the entire contents of the can onto the little furry animal.
Miraculously the Easter Bunny came to back life, jumped up, picked up the spilled eggs and candy, waved its paw at the two humans and hopped on down the road. 50 yards away the Easter Bunny stopped, turned around, waved and hopped on down the road another 50 yards, turned, waved, hopped another 50 yards and waved again!!!!
The man was astonished.
He said to the woman, "What in heaven's name is in your spray can? What was it that you sprayed on the Easter Bunny?"
The woman turned the can around so that the man could read the label.
It said: "Hair spray. Restores life to dead hair. Adds permanent wave."
Katherine, that black coffee one is too cute. Take it away. *hides*
4.14.2K1 - 12.58
Ragabash, *LOL* and can probably defend said store better than he can too. Ah well, it's Vegas, damn near everything but the guns are overpriced. I thought you meant Coke World in toto, not just the museum portion. It still sucked.
Yes, NnM.
Dora, too much sunlight, not enough tin in your diet. ^^; And I still have to find out what niko-niko eyes are..
OOH! We found something NIFTY(TM) at work - the Technical Support Employment Agreement. Yes, it's original work, and I linked to it. Here are some highlights:
31: I understand that Windows 95, Internet Explorer and "uhh.." are all valid email programs. 60. I will never use the PING -F command on .GOV servers without provocation. If caught, I will refer to my actions as simply "making packets flow in the opposite direction." 79: I understand that pretending I am suddenly someone completely different in mid-conversation with a customer is frowned upon by management. 80: If, however, I do decide to choose another personality, the personality I choose will be that of a telephone sex operator. 94: I will not threaten problem users with: "DAMMIT! You're going on hold to listen to some Kenny G! We'll see what your attitude is like in 5 minutes!" 95: I will not answer the phones in Yittish. (sic) ("King Solomon", are you listening?) 113: I realize that anyone with a numeric login is either incredibly stupid and pigheaded, or they think they are a h4x0r. I will ph33r numeric logins. 117: I will NEVER question the mold growing in the coffee pot. (or the water jug, ne Ragabash? < ^_~ >) 159: When a customer finds it necessary to tell you that "I am a qualified technician, and I have my MCSE", they actually are implying "I am the Princess of York. Please help me remove the stick from my ass."
Well isn't this special. They have removed person-person e-mail from the rest of the techs, it's now only management-tech and back. (Fortunately, our specialty crews still have e-mail)
a .dll is not a type of pickle, dammit!
4.14.2K1 - 1.38
Good God...you remember my commentary about War Dialing, right? Well, it's been tested in the SF/Bay Area, and go see the results - it'll give a security specialist NIGHTMARES. And consider this - Wireless networks are tied in to landline networks too, I'm sure - perhaps, landline nets with Cisco 5000 routers? Imagine someone RIDING A BUS through the city, with XP beta on a laptop with the wireless network card. And kills chunks of every network he comes across. Then he rides the bus the next day. And the next day. And the next day. ETC. Not quite so bubblegum with the terrorism anymore, if a stunt like this got pulled in...downtown New York? Oh, the fun, THE FUN!
4.14.2K1 - 1.09
The Strip needs slidewalks. Desperately. I declare it so. Spent the day getting a haircut (yes Ragabash, it's true, I don't look like a tumbleweed with a face anymore) and then a big strip-crawl. DAMMIT! THEY SHUT DOWN COKE WORLD MUSEUM! Now it's just a crappy little store... and I saw the most GORGEOUS clock over at the animal-art store next to the Intl. Toystore (which is closing, Ragabash, get it while you can) at Desert Passage...they had a central clock with a pair of bald eagles flying on both sides, it was gorgeous - and affordable, 75 bucks...plus the bald eagle-american flag statues too. I love clocks so much. I'm such a freak.
DAMN the BGC Best Vocals disc is one of the most rockable CDs I have...Konya wa Hurricane rules.
New links today, Priya the Saiyuki h0. *grins* Could someone fill me in on Saiyuki? It seems to be disturbingly popular...
Ragabash, that's okay. I _MIGHT_ be able to score images from friends, Lisa is a frigging CLONE of Kei and has cosplayed the battle costume perfectly before, and is a huge *rich* DP fan who just came back from Japan. Meebe we can get images from her, artbook or otherwise. ^_~ Besides, I gave you a list of stuff to play with, not in any particular order. Please add WWII warbirds to that list too, if you feel like doing a real-life one :p
I have...SEEN...the PG Zeta Gundam...GOOD GOD that thing's HUGE. 828 pieces, and wired for electrics...if you all want to push me over the edge mentally, pool your money and send that. Don't expect blogs for a good week if you do.
Gee, I have a gun & anime themed page. Perhaps I should blather more about that. So I shall...reviews of firearms and anime series, and keeping the news commentary and blog notes going. And yes, there will be more filks, but Bishounen is temporarily delayed while I attempt to remove the concept of Weird Al's current parody of that song.
Dora, that video clip could work...^^ need more though. And 1984 was one of the best books I ever read...and it's a LOVE STORY. A very good one.
Sakura-san...damn. Maybe I'll give up my commentary and leave it to those with talent, your post regarding the situation in Japan nailed every salient point I wanted to make. Germany has made its amends, dealt with its issues, and continues to stamp out Naziism even today. Maybe it's something about the face and honor thing, after all the Japanese Army kept defeating the Americans in every battle that got closer and closer to the homeland, and still pronounced victory when Tokyo burned. Governments with too much power can become disgustingly arrogant, and government is also the primary educator/indoctrinator of children. Yes, I believe VERY strongly in homeschooling, it worked wonders for me. And, may I join the crowd and congratulate you on your new layout? I like muchly, though I won't be drooling over Makani and Kaelin, sorry..
Katherine, *grins* well, once you're 18 you can buy rifles or shotguns...or else I can scan the guns I have (namely "Spike" and the soon-to-be-mine Walther). And I want one of the Baby Eagles! I fell in love with that one when I first saw it at Machine Gun Kelly's...it's PERFECT. And I like Glocks aesthetically...plus they're good guns.
DAMMIT. That's it, I WILL get a Bebop collection. I vow this. They like all the same guns I do. And I will case them all in a big metal case with an Ed smiley on it.
And, when we first meet Faye, she's running around with a Heckler & Koch MP5K, which I COULD get..SP89s are 3100-3500, plus the H&K autosear for another 4000-5000...(yes thousand) mm, perhaps not.
Not a clue, Carolyn, but probably fairly recently. What's an izone?
Firefly, I agree with him/them that Mehve wouldn't work. Neither would Kit's cloudsurfer toy...the plane's traveling at a minimum 100mph...and the kid's unprotected? Not possible. (I love those old cargo birds tho)
Got it today, Nataku no Miko. ^_^ Vatutin's NOT that bad, he's just doing his job. GERASIMOV'S the @$$hole. That's why I like T.C. stuff...there IS no really bad side (for his old books), just different sides with different agendas. Read Smoke Ring first! And the next part of the song will make it much cooler and better.
And 3 more blogs in the blog list...knew I forgot SOMEONE. Apologies...
4.13.2K1 - 11.05
Not much today. Big blog list update because I'm getting pounded with new hits. So they're all in there now, I think.
Meg-san, coding is your friend. Or was that codeine?
Sakura-san...you shouldn't feel so badly about losing your language skills, or being an anime/manga fan. How much practice speaking/writing Japanese do you really get every day? When you're young, languages can come and go. Besides, you're quite literate in American english, more so than most people your age who grew up HERE and not somewhere else. And don't take the blame of a government because you like a TV show - I hated Bill Clinton's reign, but I loved Babylon 5. Two very different things.... Yes, the Japanese government did something stupid - every government will. Nature of the beast. Artists have very little if nothing to do with the government...so don't worry about it. < ^_^ >
It's not like you're a card-carrying, rabble-rousing, door-canvassing member of the LDP over here now are you? ^_~
By the way...I can't translate what it was you wrote there. *grr* What did it say?
Go watch AKIRA on Nyquil. That's fun.
Carolyn...could you maybe take pics? If you have the proper camera stuff and all...or else just describe it. ^_^
*jaw drops* Bird, you're a Callahan's fan?! Damn, I thought we were rare...cool. *grin* Walking between the raindrops is what I aspire to do in my lifetime.
*sings* M P 3 killed the radio star...hmm. Protest filk!
Hmm, Meril has a nice blog, works in tech support, likes anime, and is a Tolkien fan. 4 points. Now wait 3 weeks for my lazy-ass to actually put you in the blog list, just like everyone else. XD
WARNING The following link is NOT for the weak of heart or squeamish. This is not a joke. This is what taking illegal drugs can do to you: Man removes face with a broken mirror under influence of PCP AND LIVES. Yes, there is a photo. No, it's NOT pretty. This is your face on high-end hallucinogenic substances. Any questions? On that, I'm off to bed.
4.13.2K1 - 1.0
Automatic Bring To Front in IE sucks.
Ragabash, those virtual people things take FOREVER to download...that's...bizarre.
Hmm, a new location for an All Your Base sighting - go to the (cheesy) Clippy Resume and once the page loads, check out the alt tags on the different buttons - they're random, so you'll have to run it past them a couple times before you see the AYBABTU.
4.12.2K1 - 20.55
Oi, it HAS been busy today, apologies to all...4(?) of you regulars.
Woohoo, I have been given a Pocket CD by Ragabash that has ALLLL kinds of MP3s on it. Look Like A Bishounen will probably be done tomorrow on my day off, and I have alllll kinds of good new ammunition.
I suddenly have this desire to rewrite White Rabbit by the Airplane...it's a CLASSIC drug-rock song, and has a really cool escalating music beat to it. I love good 70s rock, man.
Working in tech support lets you realize that the thin veneer of adult behavior, specifically politeness, civility, and an ability to deal with not getting what you want, can be easily shattered. Alas, what fools these mortals be is SUCH a true quote.
Sakura-san, I'd join you if I were in Cal, just to go SEE the movie. ^^ I still have not yet seen it.
DAMN! International Chamber of Commerce has busted a 3.9 BILLION DOLLAR internet bank fraud scheme worldwide. They say the mastermind of all this is still at large, and they're still finding victims - the total may go higher. Apparently the site masqueraded as a financial clearinghouse and was selling false securities...amazing.
Trivia for the day: What does YAHOO stand for? Yes, that's right, the web monster Yahoo! is an acronym. Any thoughts? For the answer, and a bit of history about Yahoo, click here. Ahhhh, memories...
And China is in the hot seat, Bush won't play friendly with them at an upcoming summit on the 18th. Our crew is home, our aircraft is still there, and the Chinese still have to deal with the rest of the world and the aftermath of this. Hope what the PLA got out of it was worth it...
Stock market's up a chunk again...maybe a turnaround?
Carolyn, PROMISE me you'll go out and look at the sky! Another big event on the sun...info on it availible here and here.
Gee, maybe it DID take an ass-beating to get them to straighten up. Some signs that the Palestinian Authority may be willing to talk, and the Israelis are offering to ease restrictions and help calm things down. There are signs that some in the Palestinian Authority are tiring of the fighting, however there are many elements on both sides, enough to pose a serious threat, that would view a peace treaty as a capitulation to the other side. Still...it's a start.
And yes, the Russian guy Ragabash refers to IS REAL. Nice kid, probably about 20 or 21 or so, but yes, he always wore dark pressed 3 piece suits (EVEN ON CASUAL FRIDAYS) to work, and drove a different Mercedes Benz to work every day. His father is in the "automobile Import/Export business" and sells American Mercedes to Russia. And his son, who WEARS more than half the team makes in a single paycheck(literally) any day, does a skut job as a tech boy. Surprisingly, he was pretty good, when he didn't try to talk very quietly. We never DID sweep his desk properly for bugs, IIRC...
Meg, all I know is, I'm glad I've got it off. How much longer you going to make us wait for the new Pensieve?
Carolyn, don't forget NnM too, she worships. :p We ought to set up a Web Bracelet for this. All black & white colored.
Damn, I should go change my poll. I guess I'll call it tomorrow and set up something new then.
I made a "more official" e-mail, or at least a related one. :p Sue me, NnM. And you're the one who was blabbing about your providers, remember? No boots for you. More later!
4.12.2K1 - 10.11
Mini-Morning-Update because I don't have much time this fine a.m....and yet have no song, though that will be taken care of soon.
Newest report on Cincinnati...riots continuing on and escalating. Mayor Luken has now established an 8pm to 6am curfew in the city, we'll see tonight how that's handled. I would point out one police officer has already been shot, fortunately the officer's bulletproof vest took the round. Not mentioned in this story, but I have heard audio of the mayor saying it, is that he "has problems with the statement delivered by the officer". Interesting...and the FBI has also stepped in and is looking at this in a civil rights issue - which makes it a MAJOR federal issue. In the meantime, any readers in Cincinatti, personal accounts would be appreciated.
Still no sign of Arafat...and CNN does seem to have an interesting view on things over there.
Two Palestinians were killed, two dozen wounded and hundreds left homeless in the assault which Israel says came in response to persistent Palestinian mortar attacks on Jewish settlements.
I could swallow the killed & wounded, that's what happens to infantry when they go up against tanks, but leveling some berms and getting rid of some unoccupied buildings does not leave "hundreds homeless".
Sakura-san...I must meet Suu. *grins* Ne, you wouldn't have anything full auto, would you? *closely eyeballing My First Machinegun(TM)*
Firefly, I'm not TERRIBLY surprised by that...though it is kinda interesting. Yeah, that's another thing I like about his artwork - for Nausicaa...that artwork resembles old old woodcuts - perhaps he was trying to do that, like the comic you're reading is actually supposed to be from after the story ends, and it's taken from a history woodcutting or something. ARgh, it's too early in the a.m., but I think you get my idea. Hmm...something like Mehve would be doable, but it'd be horribly unbalanced and would actually be uncontrollable...a Gunship on the other hand is mostly doable, though I don't like the derringer cannon on it ^^ but it works.
Carolyn! Get back online! >:X
DANCE YOUR FAT WHITE ASS AROUND FOR FREEDOM! And play Dance Dance Karnov! And yes, I _DID_ play Karnov on the old NES system. AND LIKED IT.
Katherine^2, those hats are easy to find. Find a military surplus store, or a gun store. If they don't have it right there, they will know exactly where to go to get it. And they're EXTREMELY comfortable.
Word for the day: Blogzilla. Why? Because.
Blogger seems to be still having more problems...and, I guess I'll post more news and comments later, while at work.
4.12.2K1 - 0.09
Kris...well, that's for me to know and you to find out. :p But evil is a good thing. ^_~ And...I can share your feelings about them...a very peaceful place, often well laid out...I like wandering around them. It's almost like a womb, you know? I'm reminded of the story of the "chicken incident" from Readers Digest some years back...
There was a hospital that had some work being done on it, and one of the workers had slipped and fallen on something, and hurt his leg. So they wheel him out, however the only way to get him out was to take him through the cafeteria and dining area. He sees the special of the day, and suddently sits bolt upright in the middle of the dining room on the gurney and yells out, "It was the chicken! Don't eat the chicken!"
4.12.2K1 - 0.0
News From My Old Home:
*BOOM* .... *BWOOOONNNNGGGG*
and this time it's NOT a clock. XD
Bugbomb-wielding imbecile blows up his own apartment by setting off not 1, not 2, not 5, not 10, but eighteen bug bomb sprays. Gee, shouldn't he (and his three children sleeping in the apartment at the time) have died instantly from the poisonous fumes?
Not so! For, said imbecile NOT ONLY set off 18 bug bombs within a single apartment (and I know where they're talking about, too, he'd probably have NEEDED all 18 bombs)...but...
And yes, there was...ANOTHER shooting in San Diego. This time at an old-folks home, possibly due to a recent rent increase of $100 a month. One of the 3 killed (#4 was our dear shooter himself, thanks for saving us the paperwork) was the building manager, plus two other unidentified victims in the lobby. And apparently he fired 6 shots at cops, then retreated into his 16th floor room for 4 hours in a standoff.
How long will it be for Dianne Feinstein to call for a gun ban now...support your local American Citizen.
4.11.2K1 - 20.48
Woohoo, King Solomon has given us a new link for Israeli news, the The Jerusalem Post.
One adjustment to a previous story first listed on CNN - IDF makes strike against terrorist Khan Yunis base with armored bulldozers supported by an infantry brigade with Merkava tanks. Estimates of destruction vary, but there is one interesting note: ...came under heavy Palestinian fire, including anti-tank missiles and mortars. Seems the Pallies aren't as displaced in firepower as they have been appearing, though...it didn't seem to work too well.
Neither did the Pallie response. Interestingly, one round hit a playground that did not appear to be populated at the time, along with empty warehouses and other targets.
*worships the bracelet* good to hear you're a) feeling better and b) getting good help. ^_^ But I'll still be cheerful, so deal with it.
Katherine...that's what we said. ^^ If you WANT I can probably translate.
I should go post the huge Evangelion/Kabalah essays that were posted years ago...I think I know where the link is.
Sakura-san, it's a hell of a stress reliever. *grins* And *whistles* nyaah, what would _I_ know about Cowboy Bebop and guns? *points to Spike* And I found a REAL Walther P99 for sale too. I will plunk down on that. (it's Jet's gun from the opening sequence)
*notes a previous log to Ragabash* Come on boy. Is that a hint? Or a misdirection? *ponders*
Hmm...haven't worked on Look Like A Bishounen yet. Probably tomorrow, maybe I'll substitute that for the Morning Report.
And a parting shot (for now)...Ah! My Robotech Master. Keiichi Morisato, recent recruit into the Robotech Expeditionary Farce, finds himself accidentally assigned to bunk with a Triumvirate. Gentle romance, lighthearted comedy, and more protoculture-sniffin action than any other show before it!
4.11.2K1 - 19.08
Short tech news because I'm bored and on break.
Well, from the Register we have word on what happened to Xerox last week. So if you have a network using Catalyst 5000 line switches, and you plug in a laptop with Windows Disgust on it...*crash clatter thud* AGAIN. I say the phrase...BRIGHT PINK BUBBLEGUM TERRORISM
.
More tech news...new chips to come out in 4 years to be 1/2 to 1/15th the size of current chips. Using high-end military lasers it can etch the chips with gaps of possibly up to 0.007 microns, compared to the current cutting edge of 0.13 microns. So? So pack 10 chips in the space that one used to take up. Speed and power, the easy way.
New project by PG&E to keep the electricity on in California, at least for Silicon Valley. Gee, all well and good, except...it won't be ready until 2002. And the current projections are that Kommiefornia is going to be short 3,000-6,800 megawatts - or, about 3 MILLION to nearly SEVEN million homes. Considering that there's only 33 million in state...run the numbers. Figure, for nice round numbers, 3 people per "home" average - families with kids being a good chunk, but also lots of roommates. Divide 33 million by 3, you end up with 11 million households. Split the difference, call it 4.9 million homes...44.5% of the homes in-state may be blacked out to keep the industry going. And there are other projects not expected to be completed until 2004 or 2005. What a wonderful world rabid, paranoid environmentalism has given us!
4.11.2K1 - 18.06
Okay, one blog: Ragabash, one thing on that Clippy article - Did you note that Microsoft stock went up 36 cents a share today? Wonder if it's related...
4.11.2K1 - 17.58
oh dear. < ^^;;; > Apologies for anyone else who was TRYING to find the Cincinatti story, the link is fixed below and also posted here. Maybe it's Freudian...thanks to Perry & Tsua for finding it. ^_^ Blog hunt later when I get time/don't have supervisors stalking the center.
4.11.2K1 - 17.13
Ragabash, the base doesn't cover the center of gravity... Also need a decision from you, please stop boy.
4.11.2K1 - 10.05
Morning update, ya'll know the usual.
After the dire threat of Jesse Jackson about to force himself into the negotiations because he is disadvantaged and can be understood better by the ChiComs, they have given up and capitulated in fear of the Jesse Jackson Invasion. In other words...
Excellently done, and the Americans are not going to back down in their continued flights in the area. And we did NOT directly apologize to the ChiCom government, for anything, except that we are sorry we did not get verbal clearance to land. However, there are reports that the ChiComs knew we were coming anyways - the F-8 fighter had made several previous close passes to the American plane, at one point getting within 3 feet of it. There are also unverified reports that the second F-8 fighter ordered them to land at Hainan, and by maneuvering forced the plane onto that course. Interestingly, they still have not yet found Wang Wei, the pilot of the other aircraft. Wonder where he went...
Now. Let's see if we get our AIRPLANE back, as was part of the demands. I would point out we know RIGHT where the plane is, it's not moving anytime soon, and Tomahawks can be fitted with cluster munitions, so they don't tear up the runway too bad.
- UPS made contributions to Reps. Joseph Crowley, D-New York.; Joe Knollenberg, R-Michigan, and Chaka Fattah, D-Pennsylvania, on the dates on their endorsement letters.
- Rep. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, signed a letter dated October 26, 1999, four days after UPS sent him $4,000.
-The co-chairman of the California House delegation, Republican Jerry Lewis, helped circulate a letter that was signed by nearly all the state's lawmakers and dated October 1, 1999. UPS gave Lewis $4,500 on September 20 and $5,000 on September 27.
The lawmakers all said there was no connection. "I can see no correlation whatsoever," Fattah said.
No correlation at ALL huh? Interesting...and Ragabash, before you say anything, it was on the top page of CNN.
"King Solomon" was right, Sharon waited until the Pallies didn't respond to peace overtures and started kicking the shit out of them. One thing to mention: Palestinians say the embankments are on the edge of their controlled territory and Israel has no right to enter the area. Not correct, Bobo. It's ISRAELI territory, they're just letting you stay there (at the moment) since noone else wants you. And, if the Pallies would stop trying to kill the Jews, then the Israelis will negotiate. If they keep shelling randomly, and don't keep the promises they make, well...all I can say is tough shit, raghead. And here's a question - has anyone heard ANYTHING from Yassir Arafat directly in the last 3-4 days? Not from his spokespeople, but from the man himself. Where's he at?
Cincinatti is falling apart, riots continuing into a 3rd day after the killing of a young black man by a white cop. Now, here's the thing - he was running from the cops who were chasing after him. Details have not yet been released, though the spin seems to be that he was shot in the back/while still running from the cops. Why was he being chased? 14 misdemeanor warrants. Fourteen times he was stopped, cited for whatever, and then ignored the ticket and ignored the judge. Sounds like an upstanding young man to me. Just because he's dead doesn't make him a saint.
And just to prove that the Israelis aren't the smartest people on the planet...25 year old Tomer Krrissi has changed his name to Tomer.com, the address of his website. I guess this beats out that poor Espn kid.
Ragabash, that Big Bad Chinese Mama is soooo violently wrong. And amusing. Umm, if I had a record player I'd say yes. MP3 would help tho.
New reader, this time Yugami's Blargh. I wonder if www.blargspot.com is availible... ooh! Nice imagework. Anyone naming themselves Darth Ewok is either insane or cool enough to get away with it. Anytime, Yugami ^_^ Look for more later. Not all of them will be THAT messed up, but I will do my best. Who's the image of, by the way?
Sakura, I don't think webvan.com will go out anytime soon, they're supposed to be setting up a new call center out here in Vegas, hiring 900 people for it. This is gonna be a suck-ass week for you...but it'll be over soon, and you won't have to stare Porky Prig On Acid in the face anymore. ^_^ Might I suggest going to your local shooting range?
Katherine - is it just me, or is that a possible attention-getting ploy? After all, he's supposedly gay now, and he got in the paper - which is something that the kids who beat the shit out of him won't do. *shrugs* like I said to the Miko...humans are predators and need to establish dominance. However they can. Oh, and now that you've seen it...you are ready for The Line.
What, Rei. WHAT just popped in there. What did you do, Rei? It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man...
< ^_^V >
Firefly, that was a crossover, not a pun. Windaria is this post-apocalyptic world where the wind takes away your memories...so don't get caught in it. Has a weird little twist for Nausicaa. The nausicaa manga RULES, I've been reading the translated tanks that...? puts out. Viz? I dunno. I LOVE the world Miyazaki came up with.
*poke* Yes he does do a LOT of research on his stuff. Would you believe he's never worked for the military OR the CIA? And yeah, the Russian language is a little difficult to get through, but *shrugs* we can rattle of Japanese names easy enough. You'll live. *grins* The Archer's kinda there but you couldn't get a good enough feel for the guy. Bondarenko gets his cool moment and comes back in later books, I just like him. And the ending is much much interesting.
4.10.2K1 - 10.42
You all are lucky. Look Like A Bishounen is fighting me because the words are ALL f*cked up on the timing. I must find a copy of this song before I can finish. SOon. I vow.
Kris has a Blog War I poll up. I voted, and I'll say I voted against the side of prissy love-me-ness.
Dora, the point to the Darwin Awards isn't just death before procreation (fortunately not availible in this case) but CREATIVITY.
Katherine, the scenes where Asuka beats the sh*t out of the White Evas...with the mind sequence, the thoughts she has, then waking up & realizing the truth, and the massive ASS-KICKING she hands to JSSDF (Bad Asuka! Put the destroyer down!) just give you this massive feeling of excited anticipatory dread? I so love Asuka.
Carolyn, I dunno what I can say...except I'll just do my best to make you smile. I'm just an asshole like that, sorry. Which I might add, I appear to be succeeding at...and you memorized it already?! I WROTE it and I can't remember all of it. *shudder*
Sure, Alan. And Robert Jordan will finish the Wheel Of Time series before he dies.
Firefly: *snerk* I can do and have done far far worse. And just for you, an oldies-but-goodies ACFH: Nausicaa of the Valley of Windaria.
*from the last shot in the op to Shamanic Princess* NOO! It's the tree from Tokyo Babylon, and it's REALLY PISSED OFF!
Yes, NnM, but don't feed a miko AFTER midnight. *grins* Oh I'll see you Friday. Let me know if you dun like the books.
Mou...I dun wanna go to work. But oh well. Pay must be made, at least I get Friday off to see friends.
4.10.2K1 - 17.28
Hee hee! Jesse Jackson speaks in an interview with someone for CNN...and he keeps on speakin! Kinda funny, especially when he flubs the question completely ^_^ Maybe I'll rip it to shreds later on, unless Ragabash wants to.
4.10.2K1 - 16.29
New bumper stickers!
MEMBER - MAD SCIENTISTS UNION - LOCAL 42
PLUS 5 HOLY STICKER
Dispels punctuality and creats an aura of unreality for a five yard radius around the vehicle
QUIDQUID LATINE DICTUM SIT, ALTUM VIDITUR
4.10.2K1 - 16.15
Dora: Oh yeah! Must hear that one ^_^ Please find soon.
*sings* Walk like an Egyptian...walk...look like...a...Look like a Bishounen...*evil grin* Coming soon...?
Search Query: "Anime Rights"...after all kinds of gun rights stuff, that just seems...odd.
Carolyn, bad classes aren't so bad. It's the bad teachers that make things impossible, no matter how simple the class. They did studies on it, and if the teacher had issues with teaching (according to the students, you can insert ANY issue you like) then the class sucked. They also said that really badly made classes with good teachers still do far better. ^_^ So don't go back, keep your sanity, and blog more often. < ^_~ >
I think you could make a fic out of that, Firefly. *grins* It would be interesting.
Whee, new Ayanami kit. And it's WARPED, argh. Must learn how to reshape resin.
I don't think there's EVER going to be another Dark Tower book.
Catsy, you're posting a lot today. I know < ^_^ > Winamp isn't the greatest. I said I'm going to put up my old freeware DOS MP3 players, and dammit I WILL later tonite. Experience MODs the way they were MEANT to be, dammit! As for windows programs, what would you recommend?
4.10.2K1 - 11.42
Okay, if you want these songs Catsy, Greg, and I are reminiscing about, go here. They'll work in Winamp, so don't fret about d/ling new software. But if you want the true experience, I'll zip my old DOS-BASED but pretty mod player. Who's good? Purple Motion for starters.
I am not an atomic playboy!
4.10.2K1 - 9.49
Oh no. *gets a snow shovel ready to scrape NnM off the ceiling*
< *_* >
4.10.2K1 - 9.46
Long Post warning...
I'm bored...
And now, the News.
This could bode bad. < -_- > Jesse "Havin' My Baby" Jackson wants to negotiate for the aircrew's release. This is a beautiful opportunity for the ChiComs - Jesse'll do a BOHICA dance for them and give them anything they want, and they'll let the aircrew go. Then, now that Jesse Jackson saved those troops, they can say that Bush didn't care, he was a bad negotiator, he didn't do his job, etc etc and use it to slam Bush. And he doesn't seem to be thinking Big Picture either -
"I think our government should say: 'If we have violated you in any way, it was not intentional and we apologize,"' Jackson said. "Getting Americans home is worth expressing an apology."
Apologies and such are fine between two people. Between two nations it's another thing entirely - if the US 'pologizes then we admit blame for it and the Chinese can then demand reparations, demand more, and possibly even try those troops over there in a "honest, fair" COMMUNIST court system - after all, we apologized, so we're admitting wrongdoing. That's what China wants off this one - a US admission of fault. THEN they can go to town with all kinds of things. Bush has to shut Jesse down and take away all official US support for the man. Then again, we could all hope that the ChiComs take him away too, that'd be enormously funny.
And Bush read things correctly - US worries about power crunch possibly happening nationwide. Pricehikes across the country are happening now, and there's a lot of concern over generating capacity. Then again, will it all matter? People can be extraordinarily stupid.
As a safeguard the local utility wants to set up 11 mini-generators in case of a shortage, but that's being challenged in court by citizens who don't want the turbines in their neighborhood.
Imagine New York without power. It happened once, and it WAS NOT pretty. New York is a city full of VERY tall buildings - not just a few famous ones, but there's a lot of 5 & 6 story plus apartment buildings out there, some in the high double-digits. If the power goes out...well, you might be able to walk 30 floors to the street, but no damn chance 30 floors of stairs back up. Imagine 7 million humans trapped like rats in their rooms without any chance to acquire more food - or air, for that matter. Up high, those buildings are SEALED. And if power goes out? Air Conditioning goes with. But are they concerned, Noooooooo noone wants to have lifesaving generators installed in their neighborhood, even if they have to pay six thousand dollars per megawatt-hour (no joke, it's happened already). And if it's a warm summer...I'm sure you all remember the Chicago Heat Wave of 1996? 500+ people died from heatstroke alone, simply because they couldn't afford to turn on the a/c. There's a FUN thought, no?
Dow continues its spin, currently up over 10K. Permanent?
China gives itself an A on human rights. Not hard, since it's kinda difficult to bollocks something that doesn't exist. In the meantime, they're holding yet another US resident over there now, including that little 5 year old kid, STILL.
Ooh. Major flooding in the midwest expected when rivers get up to 20-40 feet above their standard level. Looks like this once-per-century flood came early this time.
Ex-mob fink Henry Hill gets popular on the internet. Not quite Witness Protection Program material, he was thrown out of the program after 7 years - which is a good thing, this'd be giving his detail a coronary. And one wonders - it's damn easy to get a trace on an IP and find out where they are. Wonder how long he goes before he gets a visit?
Paint By Number exhibit opens at Smithsonian Museum. Beats the hell out of crucifixes in urine and shit-splattered pictures of Mary.
And now, The Register:
For anyone in Britain, now's your chance to get officially recognized as a Jedi. If 10,000 of you sign up, it's a legit religion over there!
Huge price cuts coming in the P4 series chips - Very affordable for you Frankenputer lovers.
*sings* Carmen Miranda's ghost is haunting...Space Station Three... < ^_^ >
After seeing godhatesfags.com...I'm glad these guys are in business. God Hates Figs.
*shudder* I did NOT need to see this in the morning. or ever for that matter. Wonder what Art Bell would have to say about her eyes...
Bad Pun For Today: If you go from one undead themed layout to another, did you just revamp your page?
Catsy, that's cool. I can imagine how it must feel...congrats on the CD and photos.
WOOHOO!!! this wins my vote for COOLEST blog layout ever. Gregly also refers to a classic mod line too ^_~ extra points in my book. Go read! Hey, you & Catsy ever download the Chiba City Lights s3m? Really LONG but gorgeous BGM-style piece...dammit I must go get 'em all back.
From Kris, we present - All Your Gold Chains Are Belong To Us - or, Mr. T vs. CATS.
Katherine, I will go read it soon ^_^. Maybe it'll keep me from filking.
Sakura, be glad noone in the south has yet thought of naming their kid NASCAR. You KNOW it's going to happen soon.
4.10.2K1 - 0.08
Pioneer accidentally forwards 10,000 e-mails containing a virus to mobile phone users. Only 19 affected so far, but it's amusing.
Now, what did I tell you kids about bubblegum terrorism? Are we listening yet?
4.9.2K1 - 20.22
And now, the News:
Our plane was on autopilot. Whoopty-fucking-doo. Autopilot keeps the wings level, keeps the plane at the right height, and gives the poor drivers a break. Autopilots are complex things, and can literally take off, fly a route, and land without a pilot. Now, the ChiComs are trying to say that the plane veered towards their F-8 and rammed it - however, that presents a problem. All the damage to the EP-3E was along the BOTTOM of the aircraft. If the plane was turning, it rolls itself in the direction of turn and then pulls "up" - making the top of the aircraft out in front, and the first thing to get perforated if anything hits it, meanwhile it'll hit the bottom of anything that is in its way. Go watch small planes at an airport someday, watch how they turn, you'll see what I mean. And yes, there is the Outside Loop - but like a bus trying to find a parking spot at the mall, the EP-3 is physically not capable of such a maneuver. It'll get abut 1/4 of the way through it, pointing straight down, and not go any further. Now why are there groups of big green trucks next to our plane? Word is the ChiCom military is giving orders to slow the negotiations - apparently they like what they see.
And why shouldn't we apologize? From that article:
But another former ambassador to China says it would be a disaster for the United States to apologize for flights it has been making for 50 years.
"If you apologize, you're accepting responsibility which gives the Chinese legal leverage to try to make us back off from the flights," said former U.S. ambassador Winston Lord. "It gives them leverage, financially, making us pay for any damages. It makes a weak signal from the new administration to the Chinese leadership which will come back to haunt us."
Ah, I love smart people.
Communism works! California spends 2.76 BILLION more dollars IN TAX MONEY to buy the Southern California Edison power transmission system. Wonder how long till they get the whole system.
Bush tax plan provides promised increases in schools & military, and supposedly cuts medicare and health care. And it budgets 1.1 TRILLION dollars to those programs - let's see. One dollar bill is 6 1/4 inches long, roughly. A little over 10,000 of them make up a mile. End to end, 1.1 trillion dollars adds up to 110 million miles. Circling the earth, roughly about 24,000 miles? Over 4500 times. From the earth to the moon, about 280,000 miles? Over 390 times. Earth to the sun? Yes, and almost 1/6 of the way back. And ya know what? The government does that EVERY YEAR. Anyone want to give thought as to where that money goes?
The current seven-gear model has attachments for machine guns, bazookas, grenade launchers and basic army kits, and can carry up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds), including the rider. The bike weighs 22 kilograms (48 pounds). It can travel 60 kph (37 mph) downhill, as demonstrated by the recruits who whiz through the central Swiss countryside, oblivious to slippery roads.
DAMN! To quote Will Smith, "I gotta get me one of these!" Forget the birthday list, THIS is allllll I want. Admittedly, they're pretty silly saying that the Bike Brigade is a thing of the past, offering the Gulf War as an example. The open deserts of the Gulf are NOTHING like the hills & forests of Switzerland. Consider - most combat vehicles aren't that fast, 30-40mph, slower in built-up areas. And they make LOTS of noise - if you build it right, bikes are nearly perfectly SILENT. Which, if you're a grunt trooper, can be a DAMN good thing. Ask any troopers - if a tank/AFV gets into very close terrain without infantry support, it's DEAD. No matter what. Keep the Bike Troopers, they're too good an idea.
You were warned. If you're still here, it's your own fault.
To the tune of the immortal 80s song, "My Sharona":
Ooh, my little squishy one, squishy one
when you gonna give me some help, Mokona?
Will you make my Mashin run, my Mashin run?
don't you run from the fight, Mokona
Shaped like a top
likes to hop
seems to have no mind
Umi's going mad
from the sound
of its painful cry
my-my-my-ay puu!
ma-ma-ma-my Mokona
sticks with little Hikaru, Hikaru
Fuu thinks that you're a god, Mokona
keepin' it a mystery who can you be
magic beast for the Knights, Mokona
Shaped like a top
likes to hop
seems to have no mind
Umi's going mad
from the sound
of its painful cry
my-my-my-ay puu!
ma-ma-ma-my Mokona
How'll you save Cefiro, save Cefiro
and help the Magic Knights, Mokona?
Will it be their destiny, their destiny?
or are you playing games with their minds, Mokona?
Shaped like a top
likes to hop
seems to have no mind
Umi's going mad
from the sound
of its painful cry
my-my-my-ay puu!
m-m-m-m-m-m-m-my, my, my, yi, yi, puu!
ma-ma-ma-my Mokona
ma-ma-ma-my Mokona
ma-ma-ma-my Mokona
ma-ma-ma-my Mokona
Puuuuuu-uuuu, my Mokona
Puuuuuu-uuuu, my Mokona
Puuuuuu-uuuu, my Mokona
Again, please e-mail for address to send letter bombs to. And Ragabash...if you'd do the honors for me again?
4.9.2K1 - 16.17
dammit. I should have put a counter on the Fuuma song. Grr.
4.9.2K1 - 16.04
Alan, to paraphrase a good song, "a man may die, but not his ideas."
Hmm. Music Video Concept: Love Shack to Love Hina.
4.9.2K1 - 15.37
Warning. Another event will appear again at some point this evening. You have been warned.
4.9.2K1 - 13.41
Sakura, good luck on finals ^^ since you're stressing bad I'll hold off on sending you the file for the pic till after you're sane again. Ii desu ka?
Katherine, Faulkner...is descriptive. *L* and long winded from what I see, though it looks good. *grins* I declare I shall have to read more of it. And...T.F.V.?Kris the burning volcano of bitch *laughs* gets in some good shots in the Blog War. Ragabash showed me the page, and anything I would say has been said. No need to stir the embers, though I like her writing style in this one. And she makes a point - if you're going to blog in English, make sure you know the language first. Gold Star on the rant board for this one. ^_^
You made me do it, NnM, you know it.
Catsy, did you ever hear P.M.'s Minumum Velocity? Two channels for a REALLY nice piece of music. I STILL have all my old mods from way back when...back when you paid 4 digits for a 386, and none of them were in the cents column. You know about The Mod Archive right?
Gen-chan, where are all those tests from?
Stupud!
Blogging REALLY FRIGGIN SUCKS on Netscape 3.0. Or I.E. 2.0.
4.9.2K1 - 12.33
Hmm, one comment from the Fuuma filk that I feel like posting...
Ack. That was about a million mental images that I really didn't need, but very very funny at the same time. I haven't screeched that much at a filk since Bury A Bleeding Corpse Under the Sakura Tree (to the tune of Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree).
You are evil and twisted, I like that in a person. :-)
Now THAT is a filk idea. Anyone got it, post it here. Meanwhile, I shall attempt to drink as much of the water at work and see what ELSE I can come up with.
4.9.2K1 - 7.36
Whee, updates updates. Ragabash, I don't know what was in the water, but I blame it on NnM's combination of Kamui in wedding outfit comments and posting the Women's Underwear song...it started from there.
If you're looking for Walkin' Round In Fuuma's Underwear, you can find it among the Reloads, or you can click here to go directly.
