O’Reilly Rejects Right-Wing Defense Of Big Oil’s Massive... - Yes, nearly unheard of that I'd agree with Bill O'Reilly on anything. I'm also amused that Karl Rove would conveniently cite the virtues of government programs that Bush and the Senate GOP have been blocking.
Eureka Carpark Melbourne - Very cool to see, though I'm not sure it wouldn't be way too confusing.
New OTA site [denialism blog] - What? A non-partisan governmental office that can offer advice on science and technology to Congress and the White House? Where's the fun in that?
On Desecration and Perjury, Libel, and Desecration - The whole brouhaha has been intensely annoying, as disingenuous and explicit rudeness vie against a woeful lack of understanding about what Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion actually mean. It's ironic that folks who insist that Freedom of Religion means their beliefs have to be respected have no trouble vocally and fervently condemning others as immoral and damned.
Fiscal Conservative - While it's a simplistic analysis, if you're going to claim the title be prepared for the nuance. Either it's just rhetoric or you need to expect ot be judged by results.
Abortion protest ethics - It's a lot easier to simply argue that Evil Abortionists should be sent to prison; easier, at least, than having to face what should be done to the Evil Abortion-Seeking Ex-Mothers. Maybe because the protesters know too many sisters, mothers, daughters, or friends who've made that hard decision ...
The Sky Is Falling … On American Values! - Yeah, heaven forbid that Muslim workers in a pretty awful business should be allowed to negotiate what holidays they get to take off.
THE UGLY
Damn, now we’ll never find out - It will take decades for paranoia about this Administrations penchant for secrecy and anti-science to subside to the normal level of suspicions about any government.
To destroy Al Qaeda, we must end the war on terror:... - Statistical studies like this can never take into account the nuances of a given situation, and police and political engagement work best where there's a good framework already in place for them. But this RAND study is worth pondering.
Auto Insurance - To be fair, the insurance person on the phone was probably in India.
The Ugly
The troops on the ground - Next time some pundit jumps all over some politician saying the most slightly critical thing about our armed forces -- remember how those same armed forces sometimes bring a whole hell of a lot more dishonor (as people, and as an institution) upon themselves. And that, in turn, is a much bigger slap in the face to the individual grunts who are risking their lives out there.
A Tale of Two Press Biases - This actually makes sense. Yes, the McCain camp is correct that Obama gets a lot more press coverage. Yes, the Obama camp is correct that McCain gets pass after pass on his gaffes and inconsistencies.
Police Infiltrating, Spying on Leftist Groups - Didn't they learn back in the, oh, 60s? It's not about the actual useful intel or danger, it's about justifying a big budget and feeling like J. Edgar Hoover (with or without dress).
I'm not nearly caught up with my blog reading from vacation and so forth, but this is about as good a pass as I can make with stuff snagged for the Google sidebar.
Fiscal responsibility - A nice little graph addressing the GOP's reputation for fiscal responsibility. Remember that this year.
Repeal the Second Amendment? - I don't know that I agree with everything that DOF writes here about gun control and the Second Amendment, but there's a hell of a lot here that I do agree with, and pretty much all of it deserves some attention.
GI Bill Opponent President Bush Lauds GI Bill Opponent... - Bush and McCain both opposed -- in hyperbolic rhetoric -- the new GI Bill benefits in the defense spending bill. But once it was passed, Bush was pleased to share credit for it with his appointed successor.
More Stupid Voters - We must get Barrack Obama elected, if only to demonstrated that this yahoo is not, in fact, the face and voice of the American electorate.
FOX News Gets Ugly - I don't expect actually expect unbiased or non-ideological news and commentary from Fox News. But actual, verifiable, blatant altering of photographs as part of character assassination pieces? Wow, that's taking sleaze to a whole new level.
London Mayoral vote can't be verified due to e-voting... - Paper ballots have problems. E-ballots have problems. The problems with e-ballots could likely be largely solved ... except that it would cost the e-voting industry money, and cost their supporters in government credibility. So, instead, we get debacles like this. Expect more grand stuff like this as we head into the 2008 elections.
Court order on YouTube user data fans privacy fears... - I don't actually want Viacom -- or anyone else -- knowing what YouTube videos I've watched. Nor do I trust that they will only use the information for limited purposes. Yeesh.
Less Hyphen, More Burst for Walmart - Wal-Mart ... er, Walmart is changing it's logo (and its hyphenation). Now, are they offering immunization coverage for the children of their employees yet?
Wall-E is a copyright criminal - An analysis of how WALL-E breaks Canada's proposed DMCA-like copyright law left right and center ... doing things that nobody at the movie probably recognized as Evil Piracy of Precioussssss Intellectual Property Rights.
History Locked Up... Thanks To Copyright - This is what's called a "Chilling Effect." Not sure who holds the copyright on 100-plus-year-old photos? Well, you don't dare use them in any sort of history exhibit or book, for fear of getting your ass sued off. Yeah, that's really serving the public interest.
David Tennant is made of awesome - Yes. Yes he is. There's a lengthy scene in an episode of Doctor Who last season where her records a long message for Martha. During the episode, the volume is turned down, and we don't get to hear what he's saying. Now we know ...
Meet the Bread Man from Down Under - Another unfortunate logo change, but these things always have interesting stories. I'm a Panera man, myself.
Frontier going under the knife - The Denver Post - I was really hoping that Frontier would be who we could turn to as United continued its steady slide into Delta, American, Continental, and Aeroflot ... but a combo of skyrocketing jet fuel prices and competitive pressure from Southwest may spell an end to all that. And that's a damned shame.
I must be getting old. I still don’t understand what... - I'll confess that the whole big distinction in purpose and motivation between Facebook and MySpace and Twitter and ... just plain o' blogging ... too often escapes me. I'm sure some of it is my just being an ol' fogey -- and part of it is Big Promotion.
If you live in Texas and ask me to fix your computer,... - Hey, could I convince my family to move to Texas so that it would be illegal for me to help them with their computer problems? Nah, even that wouldn't justify such a fate for them.
Because some folks were at KOA... - Heh. Yeah, we got at least one of these "kitties" visiting us while we were away. To judge from the report of chewed-up crayons, and the upended cat food tub in the kitchen when I walked in ...
Spirit World: Father Damien cleared for sainthood... - I don't usually report on canonization efforts in the Catholic Church, except to note the unseemly hastiness of the canonization efforts for Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa. However, Father Damien has been dead for quite some time, he was a true martyr to his efforts to bring comfort to the lepers of Molokai, he's consider the "patron" of AIDS patients ... and I attended Damien High School for a year and a half, so he's of particular interest to me.
Religion and Its Role Are in Dispute at the Service... - The military academies of the United States are meant to train the best and brightest to lead the defense of this nation, and all of its people. That really has nothing to do with proselytizing conservative Christianity, and to do so is not only an insult to the citizenry who aren't of that particular persuasion, but a distraction from the mission, which, from a military aspect, is a bad thing.
... like sitting around with friends, drinking beer, eating tortilla chips and salsa and BBQ chicken, playing RPGs and dominoes, and watching Doctor Who.
Back in November, I reported that the commentary track for the season finale of Series 3 had been changed from what was announced (and what had been included on the UK releases of the DVDs) with different track. Instead of Tennant, Agyeman and Barrowman, the DVDs were released with a previously recorded podcast of the show's producers (including Russell T Davies). Nothing to sneeze at, certainly, but a disappointment. The BBC said that rights "could not be cleared for the North American DVD," which was widely believed to mean that reported multiple commissions of singing by John Barrowman had made the lawyers nervous.
Via Les (while it lasts, until the Beeb gets it pulled down). Some spoilerish bits, but nothing too spoilerish, IMO. Well, maybe, if you haven't heard anything about next seasons Companion (and don't want to -- but, let me say, bravo).
Set those DVRs for 11 April (here in the US), a week behind the Brits get their dose.
UPDATE: Solonor (who had linked to a now-yanked trailer) points (annoyed) to the official BBC site with same, in case the above vanishes.
According to this site, an amazing amount of the TV universe -- including everything from Firefly to the Dick Van Dyke Show to Lost to I Love Lucy to Buffy to The Office to Law and Order to Doctor Who -- all exist in the mind of autistic child Tommy Westphall, who (in the show's final episode) was revealed to have imagined the entire (excellent) series St Elsewhere.
Based on documented character (and other element) cross-overs, any fictional show that touched St Elsewhere is considered also part of Tommy's amazingly complex dreams. The count of shows comes to 280 -- which is a remarkable tribute to how TV writers / producers like to do cross-overs or sly cross-references to other works they admire or have worked on.
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