Sunday, September 30, 2007

Sunday Funnies

Another soggy day in the Glorious Pacific Northwest. I believe I will stay inside and read comics:

-Lackadaisy cats (with 4 new pages!) and further speakeasy work-related injuries.
-Dresden Codak and the unwelcome robot overlords
-(new discovery!) Two Lumps, the adventures of a couple of kitties with attitude
-(new discovery!) Gone with the Blastwave--post-apocalyptic black humor. I like it, but I'm twisted.
-slow to update, but fun--Alan Arcane. And that's a fiery skeleton, not flaming. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
-Schlock Mercenary has survived a state funeral!

Friday, September 28, 2007

Dream Home Quiz!

Found this at Schlock Mercenary -- a wonderful little quiz that asks a few questions and then shows you your dream home. Here's mine (I wonder how they found out about the NASA manuals ...)




Your home is a

Muse's Hideout

Your kitchen consists of dilithium-powered food replicators, manned by obedient robot slaves, who are sure to never, ever rebel. I mean, it's preposterous to even consider it. There's a pantry loaded with enough alcohol to survive another Prohibition -- which you do tend to worry about. Get help, man. Your master bedroom is the size of a small barn, with carpet thick enough to reach your ankles. Your study has every language reference book ever written, including now-useless titles like Learn Javascript 2.0! and C++ Programming for Windows 95. (Why are you keeping those?) One of your garages contains a life-sized X-Wing fighter, and KITT. (KITT was a gift from a well-meaning uncle.)

Your home also includes a wine cellar, which you've partially stocked with Martinelli's Sparkling Cider for when your Mormon friends come over. Your guests enjoy your home theater with 37 different sports channels. Outside is your radio telescope, listening constantly for alien transmissions. Especially invaders. They'll come eventually, even if nobody believes you. (Nobody does.)

And, you have a pet -- a doberman pincer named "Warren".

Below is a snippet of the blueprints:


Build YOUR Dream House!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Dangerous Critters

Pound for pound, the amoeba is the most dangerous animal on the planet. And now I hear there are brain-eating ones. Ewwwww!

Well, Congress should be safe from that ...

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Arrrrr!

Ye know what day 'tis, ye scurvy dogs! Now be makin' with the Pirate Talk or it's to Davey Jones wi' the lot of ye!

(Ninjas don't have a Talk like a Ninja Day because everyone knows Ninjas are Silent and Deadly.)

A Scientific Experiment! Pirates vs. Ninjas!

If neither of these really appeals (and it is getting harder and harder to get letters of marque from the State Department, the bastards) perhaps you'd like to be an astronaut? They are hiring! (h/t Patterico)

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Your Brain on Drugs

A multi-part series, it seems. I'm sure Einstein here thought he was being resourceful and showing initiative and so on by freaking calling Customs Agents to tell them he'd lost his backpacks full of cocaine. So they would publish the information. So the drug combine wouldn't think he had stiffed them. Not that I move in that kind of world, but I believe they also get rather agitated when their drug runners contact law enforcement.

Just don't do drugs, m'kay? They'll take away our homo sapiens designation at this rate.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Sunday Funnies

- The very first Pogo book is now scanned and online, to celebrate the Fantagraphics reissue!
- Girl Genius takes a small detour and encounters Ferretina, the Weasel Queen!
- Schlock Mercenary discovers one of the lesser-known dangers of cloning
- Lackadaisy features some work-related violence for bootlegger cats
- And don't forget your recommended daily dose of Cute and Silly!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Remember -- to fight

Another beautiful day, just like that one. Not quite the crisp, clear, blue I remember here, but still. A nice day.

Six years on, the writhing, twisting pain is dulled a little. It has to, or we'd go mad. We need to remember the dead, but I think it is even more important to remember those who died fighting back. The ones who even on that terrible day, made us proud. Reminded us, we do not have to be victims. Ordinary people on flight 93 who decided to fight with no weapons, no training, no armor, no backup. And Rick Rescorla. You can't call him ordinary; he never was. He died as he lived, going into danger instead of away, saving others while risking himself.

And singing Men of Harlech.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Sunday Funnies

- This one satisfies on so many geek levels, I am purring. The Gorey version of "The Trouble with Tribbles".
- Space Mercenaries on how to steal the body you are supposed to be guarding.
- Dresden Codak on the sorrows of time-travelers that are lost in more than the customary number of dimensions.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

A Proud Journalistic Tradition

It's a horrific, tragic story. Five people dead in a murder-suicide in Victoria, BC.

Here's how the first headline read: "Multiple Bodies Found in Upscale Home in Victoria Suburb". Okay, I guess we are supposed to realize rich people can get murdered too.

Then more information came to light: "Child, 6, among 5 bodies found". They make sure to tell you a gun was not involved. This is Canada, after all. Not America. They are still dead, though.

There were other articles, the links to which have hidden themselves, where it transpired there was a nasty divorce going on, a dispute about who got the million dollar house, and the odd protection order here and there. Sadly, a well-traveled trope. Strong emotions, the polarity suddenly flips, people die.

Today, the headline is this: "Canadian Military Reservist Blamed for Death of Five". Come on, MSM. Why don't you just admit it? You seem to think the wearing of a uniform, even CANADA's uniform (please don't hit me Alan put the canoe paddle DOWN hit them it was them, they did it!) automatically transforms even a mild-mannered reservist into a raging killbot. The whole article is suddenly rich with military detail (it was very rude of the guy not to shoot his family--mucks up the narrative, and makes people ask awkward questions about murderers murdering with whatever weapon is handy. We are trying to establish that only GUNS kill people! Get with the program!)

Yes, the deranged estranged husband story is a bit stale to your jaded tastes; you've seen it so many times before. When you could add a military angle, though, your interest revived. Never mind the innocent people he killed with his non-gun. Not a story. Dipping a military uniform in their blood? You're all over that like ugly on a bear. Disgusting.