Meh, it's another day of writer's block, so I'll just post to a couple of strange domestic religious stories that Yahoo horked up like a couple of hairballs.
First off, we have a Tennessee man who quit his job after he found the number "666" on his W-2. Oddly enough, the guy had another weird "666" run-in when his access card featured the number. Maybe God is sending him a message that he's really batting for SATAN! SATAN! SATAN! Maybe it's not so bad, and God is merely telling him that he should download some Iron Maiden tunes:
In Ohio, we have sentencing in beard-and-hair cutting attacks in an Ohio Amish community. In a plate of shrimp style bit of bizarrity, the ringleader of the cutting crew is named Mullet. It's a pity that these fanatics are besmirching the good name of the Amish, who are primarily known for their covers of Lady Gaga songs:
Looks like the hair-cutters got to him.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Public Utilities
This article about taxpayer-funded public wifi networks touches upon a topic I've been discussing with yawning acquaintances for years. Namely, the fact that certain industries should made public, because they form the underpinnings of the economy. Power, water, and transportation industries allow other industries to function- without them, the economy goes belly up. I think that these utilities are too important to be for-profit, there are plenty of profits to be made in other endeavors which are made possible by the regular, regulated delivery of services. In my tirades and exhortations, I'd often refer to these factors as "metaeconomic", but that term has a previously accepted meaning.
By making cheap public wifi available, small businesses would be able to compete more readily, schools and libraries would be able to reduce the expenses associated with textbooks and class materials. Even though the telecom corporations that are currently providing internet service would suffer a loss of profits (though they could be forced by competition to innovate to increase data transmission speeds and to otherwise improve services), other sectors of the economy would benefit. Similarly, public health coverage would remove a significant barrier to the creation small businesses and entrepeneurs, namely the prohibitive cost of health insurance (my workplace had their yearly enrollment meeting today).
Of course, I don't think that the introduction of public wifi will be implemented. As I opined above, cheap, taxpayer funded wifi would force the current telecom providers to improve their services, and it's a lot easier to pay lobbyists to crush competition. Here in the U.S., we just can't have nice things, it seems.
Just a quick, slightly goofy post hastily put up because I'm in a lazy mood...
By making cheap public wifi available, small businesses would be able to compete more readily, schools and libraries would be able to reduce the expenses associated with textbooks and class materials. Even though the telecom corporations that are currently providing internet service would suffer a loss of profits (though they could be forced by competition to innovate to increase data transmission speeds and to otherwise improve services), other sectors of the economy would benefit. Similarly, public health coverage would remove a significant barrier to the creation small businesses and entrepeneurs, namely the prohibitive cost of health insurance (my workplace had their yearly enrollment meeting today).
Of course, I don't think that the introduction of public wifi will be implemented. As I opined above, cheap, taxpayer funded wifi would force the current telecom providers to improve their services, and it's a lot easier to pay lobbyists to crush competition. Here in the U.S., we just can't have nice things, it seems.
Just a quick, slightly goofy post hastily put up because I'm in a lazy mood...
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
William Shakespeare, Character Assassin
I have long toyed with writing this post, which (now I'm going to make my readers jealous) encapsulates a snippet of conversation I had in person with Canadian uberhunk Substance McGravitas and nerdlicious brainiac N__B. The deciding factor in the timing of this post was the discovery of the probable remains of Richard the Third, a man depicted in historical and dramatic accounts as an evil usurper, guilty of simultaneous infanticide and regicide, though this depiction may very well be a gross exaggeration. This post is not going to be a defense of Richard 3-D, but a defense of another man whose character was destroyed by Slick Willy Shakespeare... a man whose wife was also defamed by Stratford-on-Avon's greatest monster.
Yeah, you got it, I'm talking about MacBeth MacFindláech, heroic king of Caledonia. Contrary to the libelous account by the poison-penned playwright, MacBeth, the Mormaer of Moray (eel jokes in the comments will be considered out of plaice) ascended to the throne in 1040 after defeating his awful predecessor, Duncan in a pitched battle. Duncan was an incompetent expansionist who ruled as a tyrant and became embroiled in a two front war. As an aside, what is it about competent successors to foolish imperialists that gets them labeled illegitimate usurpers? Really, WTF? MacBeth had a peaceful relationship with Thorfinn, Jarl of Orkney, with whom Duncan had fought. MacBeth's rule lasted for seventeen years, and the fact that he was able to make a joint pilgrimmage to Rome with Jarl Thorfinn suggests that his rule was a peaceful one. MacBeth was defeated at the battle of Lumphanan by Malcolm the Third, Duncan's son in 1057. To demonstrate Malcolm's quality of character, he sheltered Tostig Godwinson for a while before Tostig fell in with some guy named Harry, and all hell broke loose. 'Nuff said.
So, why would shady Shakespeare go out of his way to destroy the character of MacBeth, who ruled wisely over a prosperous land? It would seem that Bill was trying to gain the favor of King James the First, whose Stuart dynasty traced its roots to a shadowy figure named Fleance. As an aside, if I ever form a Belle and Sebastian-y dreampop band, I will name it Fly Fleance Fly. So... Shakespeare was trying to suck up to a bad king by maligning a good one. Real jerk move there, Shakespeare!
And Lady Macbeth? She was no red-handed murdress, merely a- heh heh- grouch.
Yeah, you got it, I'm talking about MacBeth MacFindláech, heroic king of Caledonia. Contrary to the libelous account by the poison-penned playwright, MacBeth, the Mormaer of Moray (eel jokes in the comments will be considered out of plaice) ascended to the throne in 1040 after defeating his awful predecessor, Duncan in a pitched battle. Duncan was an incompetent expansionist who ruled as a tyrant and became embroiled in a two front war. As an aside, what is it about competent successors to foolish imperialists that gets them labeled illegitimate usurpers? Really, WTF? MacBeth had a peaceful relationship with Thorfinn, Jarl of Orkney, with whom Duncan had fought. MacBeth's rule lasted for seventeen years, and the fact that he was able to make a joint pilgrimmage to Rome with Jarl Thorfinn suggests that his rule was a peaceful one. MacBeth was defeated at the battle of Lumphanan by Malcolm the Third, Duncan's son in 1057. To demonstrate Malcolm's quality of character, he sheltered Tostig Godwinson for a while before Tostig fell in with some guy named Harry, and all hell broke loose. 'Nuff said.
So, why would shady Shakespeare go out of his way to destroy the character of MacBeth, who ruled wisely over a prosperous land? It would seem that Bill was trying to gain the favor of King James the First, whose Stuart dynasty traced its roots to a shadowy figure named Fleance. As an aside, if I ever form a Belle and Sebastian-y dreampop band, I will name it Fly Fleance Fly. So... Shakespeare was trying to suck up to a bad king by maligning a good one. Real jerk move there, Shakespeare!
And Lady Macbeth? She was no red-handed murdress, merely a- heh heh- grouch.
Monday, February 4, 2013
La Música Romantica
As any of my regular readers know, I'm the sort of smartass who regularly posts links to the song S.E.X.Y.R.O.B.O.T. by Barcelona-based electronic musicians The Pinker Tones to various blogs. Yesterday, I found a lovely, lounge-y version of the song, featuring vocals by the brain-bustingly beautiful Virginia "Maestro" Diaz:
I really dig that version, because it reminds me of the hilarious lounge-y cover of Iron Man by The Cardigans, who were fronted by the brain-burstingly beautiful Nina Persson:
What my readers my not know is that I am a big Henry Mancini fan (A Shot in the Dark is a personal favorite). Imagine my delight when I found a video of the pulchritudinous Srta Maestro singing Moon River:
Que mujer hermosa, que música romantica... estoy totalmente enamorado.
I really dig that version, because it reminds me of the hilarious lounge-y cover of Iron Man by The Cardigans, who were fronted by the brain-burstingly beautiful Nina Persson:
What my readers my not know is that I am a big Henry Mancini fan (A Shot in the Dark is a personal favorite). Imagine my delight when I found a video of the pulchritudinous Srta Maestro singing Moon River:
Que mujer hermosa, que música romantica... estoy totalmente enamorado.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Grand Centennial Terminal
Wow, Grand Central Terminal (which is also Grand Central Station- it's a terminal for the Metro North commuter trains and a station for various subway lines, just celebrated its 100th "birthday". I have to confess that I don't stop in Grand Central that often (even though I live north of NYC, I'm close enough to walk to the last stop on the 4 Train, so I don't take Metro North very often, and I don't spend a lot of time in Midtown, so I typically don't get off the subway at 42nd St/Grand Central). That being said, Grand Central is a gorgeous edifice. It's home to one of NYC's most celebrated restaurants, and it has a lot of fascinating features to commend it to visitors. Also, the building has one of the greatest ceilings in the world.
Oddly enough, in the 1970's, Grand Central was in danger of being demolished, a fate which befell the storied Penn Station. One would have thought that the destruction of Penn Station and its replacement by the soulless Madison Square Garden and a grotty subterranean railroad hub(Vincent Scully lamented, "One entered the city like a God. Now one scuttles in like a rat.") would have forestalled any talk of demolishing such a beautiful building, but one cannot underestimate the venality of developers. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and the, uh, grand railroad terminal still stands, as glorious as it ever was.
If you haven't visited Grand Central Terminal, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Even though the majority of the people passing through are in a hurry, there's still a romantic (in the classic definition of the term) feel to the place. These people may be hurrying off to grinding days on the job, but they are dashing sophisticates while in this glorious, shining setting. Also, the central clock of the terminal is one of New York City's best places to arrange to meet someone- that's where I met my awesome cousin Val before we headed down to Brooklyn. Come to think of it, I spent quite a bit of time in GCT in December of last year- that's also where I bid adieu to Major Kong. Of course, you should check out the Major's fascinating DKos diaries, you'll learn about things you didn't even know you didn't know about. Now, I know that Ned is on hiatus, but I imagine he'll put up a post about Grand Central, it being a spectacular old building of the sort he adores (whether or not he adores GCT itself...).
Now, because Robyn Hitchcock's new material is so damn good, I will post a couple of songs appropriate to the subject of the post. Here's I Often Dream of Trains:
In describing the Metro North line, substitute "Tuckahoe" for "Basingstoke" and "Yonkers" for "Redding"... While you're at it, substitute felt for grass and asparagus for hedges.
The second song appropriate to the subject matter is My Favorite Buildings:
Think I gotta head down to Midtown to bid the old "pile" happy birthday.
Oddly enough, in the 1970's, Grand Central was in danger of being demolished, a fate which befell the storied Penn Station. One would have thought that the destruction of Penn Station and its replacement by the soulless Madison Square Garden and a grotty subterranean railroad hub(Vincent Scully lamented, "One entered the city like a God. Now one scuttles in like a rat.") would have forestalled any talk of demolishing such a beautiful building, but one cannot underestimate the venality of developers. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and the, uh, grand railroad terminal still stands, as glorious as it ever was.
If you haven't visited Grand Central Terminal, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Even though the majority of the people passing through are in a hurry, there's still a romantic (in the classic definition of the term) feel to the place. These people may be hurrying off to grinding days on the job, but they are dashing sophisticates while in this glorious, shining setting. Also, the central clock of the terminal is one of New York City's best places to arrange to meet someone- that's where I met my awesome cousin Val before we headed down to Brooklyn. Come to think of it, I spent quite a bit of time in GCT in December of last year- that's also where I bid adieu to Major Kong. Of course, you should check out the Major's fascinating DKos diaries, you'll learn about things you didn't even know you didn't know about. Now, I know that Ned is on hiatus, but I imagine he'll put up a post about Grand Central, it being a spectacular old building of the sort he adores (whether or not he adores GCT itself...).
Now, because Robyn Hitchcock's new material is so damn good, I will post a couple of songs appropriate to the subject of the post. Here's I Often Dream of Trains:
In describing the Metro North line, substitute "Tuckahoe" for "Basingstoke" and "Yonkers" for "Redding"... While you're at it, substitute felt for grass and asparagus for hedges.
The second song appropriate to the subject matter is My Favorite Buildings:
Think I gotta head down to Midtown to bid the old "pile" happy birthday.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
I am Reminded: It's Blogroll Amnesty Day
ZRM's latest post reminds me that it is "Blogroll Amnesty Day", which I spaced out on last year, though I did celebrate it back in 2011 and I did put up a "blogroll update" post last March. ZRM gives a shoutout to Tengrain of Mock, Paper, Scissors, who is extraordinarily kind to the proprietors of small blogs- Tengrain linked to this post at Crooks and Liars. When I saw that I had over 500 hits, I immediately thought, "Tengrain was here." Thanks, old chum! I also have to thank the good folks at Rumproast who added me to their masthead.
Anyway, I know it's against the rules to claim that your own blog is small, so I'll keep my mouth shut about that. Now, I have to link to five other blogs that I have been digging:
I recently added Musings from Squirrel Cage to the blogroll so I could still get my regular hilarious "Canadian Domestic Comedy" fix- Squirrel E. Girl's post about the bedroom closet door being open was PURE COMEDY GOLD.
Biodiversity Revolution is headed by the Sadly No semi-regular "Just Alison", who also used the anagram "Snail Joust". I love the topic of Alison's blog and, importantly, it's the first Australian blog on my blogroll. Someday, I'd love to hang out in Ozzystoryalelyya with Ms. Alison, drinking lime spiders while listening to the Lime Spiders.
Vixen Strangely, who also blogs at Rumproast, is proprietress of Vixen Strangely Makes Uncommon Sense. Her byline used to be "A Small and Slackerish Political Blog" until some bastard called her on the "slackerish" part of the byline, which is now "A Small but Otherwise on Fire Political Blog". Now, it's time to work on the "small" part of her byline- seriously, check her blog out, her Climate Sunday posts make for some fine reading.
For No Odd Reason, bbkf's place, is also a sweet blog- a nice mix of domestic tales and political musings. I'd love to hear more takedowns of the editor of the local right-wing rag, as well- she does some hilarious trips to the "woodshed" with that dumbass in Sadly No comment threads.
The fifth entry is actually our old friend Vacuumslayer/Dr Kenneth Noisewater who decided to discontinue her long-form blog while starting the tumblr blogs General Armchair and 60 Percent Success Rate- first, she became a nut, now she became a hip young go-getter with her hot new social media platform. I'll update the blogroll to get her up-to-date material on the front page, I promise.
So... that's my blogroll update. I enjoy all of the blogs I've linked to, and exhort you to visit them regularly. In addition, I also exhort anybody reading this who isn't blogging to start a blog. It's a lot of fun, and the camaraderie is awesome. There's plenty of additional room on the blogroll, folks.
Anyway, I know it's against the rules to claim that your own blog is small, so I'll keep my mouth shut about that. Now, I have to link to five other blogs that I have been digging:
I recently added Musings from Squirrel Cage to the blogroll so I could still get my regular hilarious "Canadian Domestic Comedy" fix- Squirrel E. Girl's post about the bedroom closet door being open was PURE COMEDY GOLD.
Biodiversity Revolution is headed by the Sadly No semi-regular "Just Alison", who also used the anagram "Snail Joust". I love the topic of Alison's blog and, importantly, it's the first Australian blog on my blogroll. Someday, I'd love to hang out in Ozzystoryalelyya with Ms. Alison, drinking lime spiders while listening to the Lime Spiders.
Vixen Strangely, who also blogs at Rumproast, is proprietress of Vixen Strangely Makes Uncommon Sense. Her byline used to be "A Small and Slackerish Political Blog" until some bastard called her on the "slackerish" part of the byline, which is now "A Small but Otherwise on Fire Political Blog". Now, it's time to work on the "small" part of her byline- seriously, check her blog out, her Climate Sunday posts make for some fine reading.
For No Odd Reason, bbkf's place, is also a sweet blog- a nice mix of domestic tales and political musings. I'd love to hear more takedowns of the editor of the local right-wing rag, as well- she does some hilarious trips to the "woodshed" with that dumbass in Sadly No comment threads.
The fifth entry is actually our old friend Vacuumslayer/Dr Kenneth Noisewater who decided to discontinue her long-form blog while starting the tumblr blogs General Armchair and 60 Percent Success Rate- first, she became a nut, now she became a hip young go-getter with her hot new social media platform. I'll update the blogroll to get her up-to-date material on the front page, I promise.
So... that's my blogroll update. I enjoy all of the blogs I've linked to, and exhort you to visit them regularly. In addition, I also exhort anybody reading this who isn't blogging to start a blog. It's a lot of fun, and the camaraderie is awesome. There's plenty of additional room on the blogroll, folks.
Friday, February 1, 2013
R.I.P. Alter Kocher
Former NYC mayor Ed Koch has shuffled off this mortal coil. Koch was an interesting, often exasperating, figure. Serving as mayor from 1978 to 1989, a time period in which I was just beginning to become aware of politics, Ed Koch was synonymous with "NYC Mayor", even though he served as a U.S. Congressman before his mayoral term. While Koch was sometimes perceived as being insensitive on racial matters, his record on issues pertaining to the gay community is inconclusive, and he was no stranger to controversy there seems to have been a genuine affection for the man. Myself? I thought he was a prickly fellow, but a decent guy deep down. Also, his taste in Chinese restaurants was impeccable.
Here is a nice bit about Mayor Koch finding Fiorello LaGuardia's desk unused in City Hall, and moving it into his office:
Who knows? Maybe Koch will be the subject of a musical someday.
Even though he pissed me off last year, I couldn't stay mad at him- he made a really good show of support for the president's re-election campaign:
Rest in peace, your honor. You'll always be the quintessential New York City mayor to this bastard. That being said, I still won't call "your bridge" by its new name:
It messes up the meter of the best poem I've ever written.
Here is a nice bit about Mayor Koch finding Fiorello LaGuardia's desk unused in City Hall, and moving it into his office:
Who knows? Maybe Koch will be the subject of a musical someday.
Even though he pissed me off last year, I couldn't stay mad at him- he made a really good show of support for the president's re-election campaign:
Rest in peace, your honor. You'll always be the quintessential New York City mayor to this bastard. That being said, I still won't call "your bridge" by its new name:
It messes up the meter of the best poem I've ever written.
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