As we enter 2002, it’s only appropriate that we turn the clock back to 1963, and a map in National Geographic of Disneyland, complete with such erstwhile rides as the…
As we enter 2002, it’s only appropriate that we turn the clock back to 1963, and a map in National Geographic of Disneyland, complete with such erstwhile rides as the Flying Saucers, the Nature’s Wonderland Trains, and the Skyway …
(Via Blather)
Miami’s only all-classical music station has changed its format to all-dance. The last classical music played on the station was Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. At 12:05 p.m. the new Party 93.1…
Miami’s only all-classical music station has changed its format to all-dance.
The last classical music played on the station was Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. At 12:05 p.m. the new Party 93.1 opened with “Shut the F– Up and Dance,” by Adrenaline.
I’m sure there’s something profound here, but I have to go listen to my LotR sound track.
(Via JillMatrix)
We’ve been trying to figure out various actors from LotR. Finally looked up Hugo Weaving, who plays Elrond, on IMDB. D’oh. Played Agent Smith in The Matrix. Really has a…
We’ve been trying to figure out various actors from LotR. Finally looked up Hugo Weaving, who plays Elrond, on IMDB.
D’oh. Played Agent Smith in The Matrix. Really has a mad-on about humanity, doesn’t he?
(And he was in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, too.)
I’d love to see the full manuscript, but I ran across this at RingFAQ.com. FRODO (VOICE OVER) When we turn away from the darkness of our past to take comfort…
I’d love to see the full manuscript, but I ran across this at RingFAQ.com.
FRODO (VOICE OVER)
When we turn away from the darkness of our past to take comfort in our peaceful lives, we sometimes forget how dearly that peace was bought. But there is much worth remembering in the darkness …— The first line of Fellowship of the Ring,
from an early draft of the scriptNow, I like the Galadriel VO (though I didn’t realize it was her when I first watched it). But this is interesting.
On the other hand, for those who don’t know about how the books end, knowing that Frodo actually survives might be something of a spoiler.
Still, neat.
Take the What Should Your New Year’s Resolution Be? Quiz (Via Xkot)…
(Via Xkot)
The New Year is the official date for doing Resolution-type thingies. I am rarely good at these, but I think I will give this a try. I will lose weight…
The New Year is the official date for doing Resolution-type thingies. I am rarely good at these, but I think I will give this a try.
I will lose weight in 2002.
I have two friends who have gone from heavy to slim (though one managed to be “helped” through diabetes). I’ve been concerned about being a bit on the heavy side of late. So I will lose weight.
Really.
I think the way I will do it is simply to eat less. I will simply take a little bit less than what I want. I will not eat between meals. In particular, no “just got home, gonna nibble” snacks, or “dinner’s been a while back, now for some dessert before I go to bed.”
Let’s see how that works. I think it’s doable.
Starting tomorrow.
In the meantime, I hope the New Year brings you all happiness, prosperity, joy, fulfillment, and greater success than my resolution will likely have. God bless us, everyone.
More Harry Potter book burning. Yee-hah! “These books teach children how they can get into witchcraft and become a witch, wizard or warlock,” Brock said. Members sang “Amazing Grace” as…
More Harry Potter book burning. Yee-hah!
“These books teach children how they can get into witchcraft and become a witch, wizard or warlock,” Brock said. Members sang “Amazing Grace” as they threw Potter books, plus some other books and magazines, into the fire.
Yup. They show all the steps. All you have to do is get an invitation to Hogwarts via owl post, then make your way to Platform 9-3/4 at Kings Cross, and you’re all set to become a foul minion of Satan!
Yeesh.
It’s a bad sign when the old president gets ousted, and then, when the new regime gets into power, they discover things are so bad that they start resigning as…
It’s a bad sign when the old president gets ousted, and then, when the new regime gets into power, they discover things are so bad that they start resigning as fast as power can be passed on to the next constitutional successor.
Yup. Bad sign.
Micro$oft, caught completely off-guard by the dissenting states (sh’yeah, right), is begging for a four month delay in further hearings. Never mind that the next hearing is scheduled for mid-March,…
Micro$oft, caught completely off-guard by the dissenting states (sh’yeah, right), is begging for a four month delay in further hearings. Never mind that the next hearing is scheduled for mid-March, over two months from now. Nor that it’s been two or three weeks since the dissenting states came back with their proposals. No, they need another four months beyond that to prepare a defense.
Feh. For all the money M$ is spending on lawyers, if they can’t come up with a response to the proposals (all of which have been floating around previously, a number of which were in parts of the original federal settlement but got edited out at the last moment) they should fire their whole legal team — and still shouldn’t get a further break.
M$ benefits for every week that goes by without solutions being implemented. Their guilt has been established and confirmed by appeals courts. If defendents are guaranteed a speedy trial, then society should be guaranteed a speedy penalty phase.
Company spokesman Jim Desler said the non-settling states had launched what amounted to an entirely new case against Microsoft, even as it began implementing parts of the proposed settlement.
“Microsoft can hardly be accused of delay, we’re already implementing a tough settlement that goes beyond the liability found by the appeals court,” Desler said.
Excuse me? M$ claims that they are already implementing the proposed solutions, when they haven’t been actually settled — and they’re using that as an excuse to show they’re dealing in good faith?
Rather, it indicates to me that they really want that settlement, and are rushing to put it into place before the bottom line has been signed so as to present a fait accompli.
Driving here, we passed by in New Mexico a number of highway signs that read, “Gusty winds may exist.” Whoa. That’s deep. Almost … philosophical….
Driving here, we passed by in New Mexico a number of highway signs that read, “Gusty winds may exist.”
Whoa. That’s deep. Almost … philosophical.
I know that this is probably Old News, but does anyone else think that Tora Bora sounds more like a South Pacific island (the scene of heavy fighting during World…
I know that this is probably Old News, but does anyone else think that Tora Bora sounds more like a South Pacific island (the scene of heavy fighting during World War II, no doubt) than a mountainous region of Afghanistan?
For some reason, our daughter has started using “na-noo, na-noo” as a general utterance to mean “Look!” or “Don’t!” or “Thank you!” or “Pay attention!” or “I want that, and…
For some reason, our daughter has started using “na-noo, na-noo” as a general utterance to mean “Look!” or “Don’t!” or “Thank you!” or “Pay attention!” or “I want that, and you haven’t given it to me yet!” We haven’t figured out what words she’s actually trying to use here, but listening to her intone “Na-noo, na-noo, na-noo, na-noo!” is amusing.
At least for the first fifteen minutes.
The conversation came up during one of the various social get-togethers here in Faerie regarding jury duty. I am more than a little dismayed as to the general sense from…
The conversation came up during one of the various social get-togethers here in Faerie regarding jury duty.
I am more than a little dismayed as to the general sense from nearly everyone (with a few exceptions) that it is a Thing to be Avoided — that to avoid jury duty warrents lies, evasions, failures to respond, notes from one’s mother, intentional disqualifications during voir dire, etc.
To each of those persons who feels their job, or life, is too important to be interrupted by sitting on a jury for a few days, or even a week or two, I would ask: who do you want sitting on your jury at such time as you find yourself hauled into court, or when (God forbid) someone who commits a crime against you is hauled in? Folks who have no job? Folks weren’t smart enough to make an excuse to get out of it? Folks who have nothing else to do? If you’re a busy professional, wouldn’t you like some of the “jury of your peers” to also be busy professionals, who might therefore understand your life, your motivations, even, dare I say it, your values?
If the project you are on, the work you are doing, is so critical, so absolutely bloody hinged on your being involved every single day, so that no delay, no absence, is possible — then you (or your manager) are doing a crappy job, because you are no planning for contingencies. What if you get hit by a bus? What if you get ill? If everything absolutely depends on your presence, you’ve got bigger troubles brewing than jury duty.
Are there never justifications for getting out of jury duty? Certainly not. There are times when there are personal hardships that would make serving extremely difficult and disruptive. I’m more concerned that the default response from an overwhelming majority of people I know is to find ways to get out of it. To make excuses. To avoid the silly inconvenience.
I do think the state has the responsibility to make jury duty more attractive or less onerous. Payment needs to be appropriate. Child care facilities should be provided. Terms of duty should be, to the extent possible, better defined. It should be made as convenient as possible. But, y’know, even if they don’t …
… bottom line, people, jury duty is a duty. It’s a civic responsibility. In a very real way, it’s the same as military reservists being called up to active duty. It’s the price we all have to be ready to pay as members of a society and government for the privilege of a jury system. Starting from a position of trying to duck it is wrong. It’s rude. It’s anti-social.
It’s even, I will say, evil. Because it is putting personal convenience ahead of the commonwealth. Because it is letting others take on a burden that you are most likely able to shoulder yourself, really. Because it is drawing benefit without contribution. Because it contributes to a cynicism and a me-first attitude and a general erosion of concepts like duty, responsibility, and truth.
People don’t bother to vote out of the mistaken sense that one vote can’t change anything. Well, guess what — one vote on a jury can change people’s lives dramatically. And if you’re not there to cast that vote, somebody else will have to. And you might not like how they cast it, and it might mean an innocent goes to prison, or a criminal escapes justice.
And you might be the next one in the dock.
A clue for the father who was having to discuss with his son throughout the three hours of The Lord of the Rings what was going on: If you have…
A clue for the father who was having to discuss with his son throughout the three hours of The Lord of the Rings what was going on:
If you have to do that, you have taken your son to a movie that is inappropriate for him. Leave. Hang out in the halls and go to the next showing of Jimmy Neutron. Wait for the DVD.
Do not disturb other moviegoers with your attempts to make up for this with your own personal narration. That is rude. It is also useless. It is also extremely annoying.
Thanks. Just wanted to get that off my chest.
Went to see LotR again yesterday, this time with Mary (who’d not seen it). I actually enjoyed it more this time, since I was able to appreciate the story for…
Went to see LotR again yesterday, this time with Mary (who’d not seen it). I actually enjoyed it more this time, since I was able to appreciate the story for what it was, not in comparison to the book.
A few personal kvetches also rose to the surface.
More under the “More”
I’ve been able to post for two nights in a row. Don’t get used to it. I’m moving into a new cycle of parties and social engagements here in Faerie,…
Virg tells a very amusing anecdote. Read it. It will make your day. And the bandar-log comment is just wonderful icing on the cake….
Virg tells a very amusing anecdote. Read it. It will make your day.
And the bandar-log comment is just wonderful icing on the cake.
Okay, here’s today’s ethical question, from an occurance in Australia. A child psychologist at a children’s hospital has admitted to arranging for a terminally ill 15-year-old boy to visit a…
Okay, here’s today’s ethical question, from an occurance in Australia. A child psychologist at a children’s hospital has admitted to arranging for a terminally ill 15-year-old boy to visit a prostitute before he died.
While everyone realized it was illegal (particularly since the parents were not informed), there’s been quite a bit of anonymous support, as well as official condemnation of the episode.
[The psychologist] said he felt no qualms over not informing the boy’s parents about what was happening, saying that, like most 15-year-old boys, his patient was unwilling to talk to them about sex. The boy had little opportunity to meet girls of his own age, having been in and out of hospital since the age of 12.
“He’d been sick for quite a long period and his schooling was very disrupted, so he had not had many opportunities to acquire and retain friends, and his access to young women was pretty poor,” said the specialist. “But he was very interested in young women and was experiencing that surge of testosterone that teenage boys have.”
Okay, the parent side of me wants to say, hey, that child was the responsibility of his parents, and they should have been at least consulted over such “therapy.” The libertarian side of me says, hey, the kid was dying, it made him happy, just think of it as a “Make a Wish” trip to someplace other than Disneyland. And the slippery-slope side of me says, well, maybe it was okay in this particular case, but it’s sure not the sort of thing we want to encourage (of either our kids or our kids’ shrinks).
Boy, I wish I had easy answers for all of these sorts of questions. Instead, all I get is multiple sides of me arguing over them.
(Via Bazima)
(Via Broad Side)…
(Via Broad Side)