February 08, 2010
Random Stuff
I've been down with Pneumonia last week which has put me waaay behind on schoolwork and I've been scrambling to catchup.
Here are a few things that caught my eye the last few days.
Vikings Versus Pirates !!
The Danes have boarded a buccaneered ship freed it from Somali pirates. The Russians assisted with mop up as well.
Interestingly, the Danish warship involved was HDNS Absalon a vessel which has been of considerable interest to many naval enthusiasts. More on this incident here, here, here, and here.
The Obama administration is actually making some good movesregard to nuclear power. However, Brian Wang reports that the US suffers from serious deficiencies in industrial capacity in that area.
Rand Simberg sees a lot to like in Obamas space policy. While I disagree with Simberg on his notion that there is no utility a heavy lift capability, I heartily agree that the emphasis on using commercial vehicles (like Falcon and Dragon), and focusing manned operations on techniques for orbital refueling and construction as well as asteroid missions is likely to be very beneficial in the long run. There is irony in this. The administration obviously believes in a top down big government model as the proper way to do most things. This space policy is so out of step with everything else they have proposed that it may actually be a gesture of contempt on their part. If alt-space is indeed contempt....then yay for contempt! More here.
Dr Zero has a long piece on Socialism and how to deal with it before we go the way of Europe and ultimately Argentina.
Good grief....even Keynes is spinning in his grave.
I disagree with the premise behind this kerfuffle. PC is a blight upon the land. There are quite few other reasons that the WH chief of staff should resign. He's a thug. More importantly, he is an incompetent thug. Much of the visible failures of this administration have been the result of poor staff work. That would be the chief of staffs job.
On the other hand I liked what I heard of the speech.
Not that it matters 'cause.....Oh noes...GAME OVER MAAAN!1! ... GAME OOOVER!
UPDATE: HI Mom!
A true jerk, brought to justice.
On the lighter side...
Colleen Doran has a new portfolio website up and her blog continues to be updated as well.
A lot of what people think they know about the internet is actually quite wrong. This enlightening video explains the structure of the system and points out the cause of potential capacity problems.
HT Meryl Yourish
Here are a few things that caught my eye the last few days.
Vikings Versus Pirates !!
The Danes have boarded a buccaneered ship freed it from Somali pirates. The Russians assisted with mop up as well.
Interestingly, the Danish warship involved was HDNS Absalon a vessel which has been of considerable interest to many naval enthusiasts. More on this incident here, here, here, and here.
The Obama administration is actually making some good movesregard to nuclear power. However, Brian Wang reports that the US suffers from serious deficiencies in industrial capacity in that area.
Rand Simberg sees a lot to like in Obamas space policy. While I disagree with Simberg on his notion that there is no utility a heavy lift capability, I heartily agree that the emphasis on using commercial vehicles (like Falcon and Dragon), and focusing manned operations on techniques for orbital refueling and construction as well as asteroid missions is likely to be very beneficial in the long run. There is irony in this. The administration obviously believes in a top down big government model as the proper way to do most things. This space policy is so out of step with everything else they have proposed that it may actually be a gesture of contempt on their part. If alt-space is indeed contempt....then yay for contempt! More here.
Dr Zero has a long piece on Socialism and how to deal with it before we go the way of Europe and ultimately Argentina.
Good grief....even Keynes is spinning in his grave.
I disagree with the premise behind this kerfuffle. PC is a blight upon the land. There are quite few other reasons that the WH chief of staff should resign. He's a thug. More importantly, he is an incompetent thug. Much of the visible failures of this administration have been the result of poor staff work. That would be the chief of staffs job.
On the other hand I liked what I heard of the speech.
Not that it matters 'cause.....Oh noes...GAME OVER MAAAN!1! ... GAME OOOVER!
UPDATE: HI Mom!
A true jerk, brought to justice.
On the lighter side...
Colleen Doran has a new portfolio website up and her blog continues to be updated as well.
A lot of what people think they know about the internet is actually quite wrong. This enlightening video explains the structure of the system and points out the cause of potential capacity problems.
HT Meryl Yourish
In the current news environment where hype is never ending white noise, it is important for broadcasters to find ways of getting peoples attention when necessary....
HT Hot Air
HT Hot Air
DVDs I've recently finished: Full Metal Alchemist and Spice and Wolf. Reviews as soon as I get caught up.
Started His and Her Circumstances, Ikkitousen....progress...slow...brain hurts.
In the DVD que, Fate Stay Night, This Lovely Yet Beautiful World, Evangelion special edition.
Started His and Her Circumstances, Ikkitousen....progress...slow...brain hurts.
In the DVD que, Fate Stay Night, This Lovely Yet Beautiful World, Evangelion special edition.
Art by Juu Ayakura
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February 07, 2010
Chris Hansen Call Your Office
Via Boing Boing comes this peek at the Olympic mascots...
Among the new events at the Winter Olympics ...RUNNING AWAY!
If you don't understand just by looking at the picture, don't worry. It's because you are a good person. Steven explains the problem in depth here.
There, now you can worry.
UPDATE: The originator of the photoshop has been found and he has just been made aware that his work has graced at least two newspapers and has become a template for bootleg merchandise.
If you don't understand just by looking at the picture, don't worry. It's because you are a good person. Steven explains the problem in depth here.
There, now you can worry.
UPDATE: The originator of the photoshop has been found and he has just been made aware that his work has graced at least two newspapers and has become a template for bootleg merchandise.
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February 01, 2010
This Post
... consists mainly of a run-on sentence that expresses this bloggers approval of both the thesis and presentation of this incendiary blog post while crediting the blogger who directed him to the aforementioned online insight with a hyperlink contained within the word "via". 
This caption makes no mention of the Demotivator Generator but mentions the origin of the above picture which in this case is K-On!
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January 30, 2010
Snow Apocalypse
Al Gore must be in Virginia.
What would be a trivial a moderate example of snow in many northern cities has a disproportionate effect on areas that go years with no more than a dusting. Case in point: the cities of the Tidewater area of Virginia where it has been snowing for 18 hours.
Roadway pandemonium.
I'm currently semi-stranded at Worlds Best Comics looking at weather radar website that tells me the snow has passed on....and out he window where my own eyes are telling me that it is still coming down fairly hard. We've got perhaps 6-8 inches here in Newport News but there is a considerable amount of ice on the roads (over an inch) and the snow has alternated with sleet. On the Southside ( the other side of the 'Roads" ) where accumulations of more than an inch are unheard of, they got hit quite a bit harder. I'm watching cars drive sideways down Warwick Blvd. Given that the wind is howling, the bridge-tunnel is iced over and things are notably worse in Portsmouth, I'm just not gonna deal with that.
What would be a trivial a moderate example of snow in many northern cities has a disproportionate effect on areas that go years with no more than a dusting. Case in point: the cities of the Tidewater area of Virginia where it has been snowing for 18 hours.
Roadway pandemonium.
I'm currently semi-stranded at Worlds Best Comics looking at weather radar website that tells me the snow has passed on....and out he window where my own eyes are telling me that it is still coming down fairly hard. We've got perhaps 6-8 inches here in Newport News but there is a considerable amount of ice on the roads (over an inch) and the snow has alternated with sleet. On the Southside ( the other side of the 'Roads" ) where accumulations of more than an inch are unheard of, they got hit quite a bit harder. I'm watching cars drive sideways down Warwick Blvd. Given that the wind is howling, the bridge-tunnel is iced over and things are notably worse in Portsmouth, I'm just not gonna deal with that.
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January 27, 2010
SOTUS 2010
Random, real time stream of consciousness thoughts on the State of the Union speech. Now mercifully hidden below the fold.
Other reactions here, here, here and Wonderduck has one of the healthiest and well grounded SOTUS night posts right here.
more...
Random, real time stream of consciousness thoughts on the State of the Union speech. Now mercifully hidden below the fold.
Other reactions here, here, here and Wonderduck has one of the healthiest and well grounded SOTUS night posts right here.
more...
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January 26, 2010
The First of Many?
Via Instapundit comes this NYT piece that suggests that the recent earthquakes in Haiti are the first in a protracted cycle similar to one that occurred in colonial times. According to the articles map, Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola are right on the fault in question and PuertoRico is is in danger as well. The USGS page on Puerto Ricos earthquakes is here. Note that tsunamis have historically figured in the area as well.
Hopefully we can learn lessons from this response as we may well need them in the coming years.
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Repair Bills Suck!
The Blue Bomber suffered a steering pump failure, a brake failure and an electrical failure all at the same time. It turns out that the steering pump was squirting power steering fluid into the electrical system....the brakes were unrelated.
The next day the alternator on the Pickup of Peril died. Like the Blue Bombe,r it is nearly 30 years old and thus requires a special order from Japan. (Next time I'm there..I oughta buy parts)
Later that day I borrowed the parents van. As it is not graced with a parking decal I parked where I always park the van, in the Convocation Center Parking Lot. All doors to the Ted Constant Convocation Center have their clearance clearly marked as 8 feet two inches. At the entrance next to the McDonalds..this number is a damned lie. I discovered this at the expense of the roof on my parents van.
On the bright side.....My new iMac (The cost of which would have covere 3/4 of theserepair bills....) is now talking to my WiFi again.
I can do homework...and..umm...stuff. 
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Zombjias!...Zombjias I say!
Those who know what this means should commence hacking with all due alacrity.
Those who don't should click on the image. After all, the first hit is free, (and all subsequent hits are too!).
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January 12, 2010
7+ Quake in Port Au Prince
As if there is not enough misery in Haiti....
It looks really bad ( BBC video here). It may be the largest earthquake on Hispaniola in recorded history. fRom the video, the presidential palace appears to be demolished. Most buildings in Haiti are not nearly so well built. Thousands are believed dead but there is very little info out of the country right now. Most of the pics seem to be via Twitter.
Los Angeles and South Florida rescue teams are already mobilizing.
The Anchoress has a round-up on charities that can help and recommends Food for the Poor, which not only focuses on Latin America and the Caribbean but has a better than 95% efficiency rating with their funds. I've heard good things about them as well.
More here, here, here, here and here.
It looks really bad ( BBC video here). It may be the largest earthquake on Hispaniola in recorded history. fRom the video, the presidential palace appears to be demolished. Most buildings in Haiti are not nearly so well built. Thousands are believed dead but there is very little info out of the country right now. Most of the pics seem to be via Twitter.
Los Angeles and South Florida rescue teams are already mobilizing.
The Anchoress has a round-up on charities that can help and recommends Food for the Poor, which not only focuses on Latin America and the Caribbean but has a better than 95% efficiency rating with their funds. I've heard good things about them as well.
More here, here, here, here and here.
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January 11, 2010
Jonah Goldberg Sold Me a Pizza
Saturday, I read Goldbergs piece on the new self deprecating Dominoes campaign. Being bored, (and REALLY tired of blackeyed peas) I decided to have one delivered to the comic shop and drove out there to split it with 'The Bob'. Going online to find the number of the Dominoes across the street from the shop I encountered their online ordering system and gave it a whirl.
Well, now I'm behind the curve, 'cause all the cool kids are talking about it now. Also, upon reflection...I AM a geek.
It's very much improved in quality, though its a bit more expensive as well. Their pizza is now one of the 2 or 3 best offered by any of the chain restaurants. I ought to have blogged about it then but having a laptop with only limited connectivity puts a crimp on ones blogging...and I thought about it and figured I'd look like some sort of geek if I admitted I was getting food advice from National Review.
Well, now I'm behind the curve, 'cause all the cool kids are talking about it now. Also, upon reflection...I AM a geek.
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New Year, New Semester
Nin nin nin nin nin nin nin nin nin nin nin nin nin nin nin nin.........
Also: New computer, which should arrive Thursday or Friday. (I anticipate that the arrival of said item will make for easier blogging).
New season.....
Also: New computer, which should arrive Thursday or Friday. (I anticipate that the arrival of said item will make for easier blogging).
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January 05, 2010
Economic Indicators
In the comments to an earlier post Steven Den Beste asks how the Christmas rush went at UPS last month.
Specific numbers are, of course, proprietary. However, volume was down a bit overall. It seemed that we had a little more volume going to the stores than last year. It also seemed that residential deliveries were down a bit from last year. Both of these observations are subjective and as I was completely uninvolved in any deliveries this year (for the first time in 16 years) I was in a poor position to gauge, but that was certainly the way things seemed to be rolling. I suppose this makes sense last year the retailers were a bit panicked by the crash and consumers hadn't groked the gravity of the situation, whereas this year consumers are looking at the job market with fear and retailers desperately need to clear inventory for tax purposes.
Even to the extent these observations are accurate they may not be typical. Southeastern Virginia got quite a kick in the teeth with the closing down of the meat packing plants, paper mill and sawmill in Isle of Wight County as well as several businesses (trucking companies for instance) dependent on their operations. This happened right before Thanksgiving.
It's also hard to get a good feel for the overall picture because volume was deperessed for several days due to weather delays.
Interestingly, despite the lower overall volume, we had what was, I believe, our heaviest day ever in our building. This was due to the backlog of stuff that had been delayed by the big snowstorm arriving all at once, on what would have already been the heaviest day of the year.
Cardboard tsunami.
All in all not terribly encouraging, but not quite the disaster some had feared. As an aside, the last two days have been exceedingly hectic, due again to dealing with the backlog of weather delays
Specific numbers are, of course, proprietary. However, volume was down a bit overall. It seemed that we had a little more volume going to the stores than last year. It also seemed that residential deliveries were down a bit from last year. Both of these observations are subjective and as I was completely uninvolved in any deliveries this year (for the first time in 16 years) I was in a poor position to gauge, but that was certainly the way things seemed to be rolling. I suppose this makes sense last year the retailers were a bit panicked by the crash and consumers hadn't groked the gravity of the situation, whereas this year consumers are looking at the job market with fear and retailers desperately need to clear inventory for tax purposes.
Even to the extent these observations are accurate they may not be typical. Southeastern Virginia got quite a kick in the teeth with the closing down of the meat packing plants, paper mill and sawmill in Isle of Wight County as well as several businesses (trucking companies for instance) dependent on their operations. This happened right before Thanksgiving.
It's also hard to get a good feel for the overall picture because volume was deperessed for several days due to weather delays.
Interestingly, despite the lower overall volume, we had what was, I believe, our heaviest day ever in our building. This was due to the backlog of stuff that had been delayed by the big snowstorm arriving all at once, on what would have already been the heaviest day of the year.
Cardboard tsunami.
All in all not terribly encouraging, but not quite the disaster some had feared. As an aside, the last two days have been exceedingly hectic, due again to dealing with the backlog of weather delays
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January 04, 2010
Almost Fixed
There are a couple of issues to deal with yet but the blog seems to be running almost normally. The rest is just tweaking.
Now I'm off to work.
Thanks Pixy!
UPDATE: All seems fixed and back to normal now. To drive that fact home, the third comment after we got up and running was shoe sales spam.
YAY NORMALCY!
There are a couple of issues to deal with yet but the blog seems to be running almost normally. The rest is just tweaking.
Now I'm off to work.
Thanks Pixy!
UPDATE: All seems fixed and back to normal now. To drive that fact home, the third comment after we got up and running was shoe sales spam.
YAY NORMALCY!
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January 01, 2010
2010: The Year of the Catgirl
Art by Ueyama Michirou
Yeah...I know, year of the Tiger....but it's my birthday so there!
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December 31, 2009
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY
Artist Unknown
Artist Unknown
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December 27, 2009
Yes...The Blog is Broke
I am working on the problem.
However, I think I just umm.....broke it more worser.
I'm beginning to strongly suspect that the problem involves a PEBKAC issue
UPDATE: Pixy's seems confident that the issues can be fixed, but I'm still missing the half the blog that is "below the fold" and none of the hyperlinks to the site work. I can post, but with limited functionality, and comments still don't work. I'll do another status post Saturday night (EST). Either everything will be resolved, things will be very close to being fixed or I'll have instructions for people to update their bookmarks.
In the meantime, Happy New Year!
However, I think I just umm.....broke it more worser.
I'm beginning to strongly suspect that the problem involves a PEBKAC issue
UPDATE: Pixy's seems confident that the issues can be fixed, but I'm still missing the half the blog that is "below the fold" and none of the hyperlinks to the site work. I can post, but with limited functionality, and comments still don't work. I'll do another status post Saturday night (EST). Either everything will be resolved, things will be very close to being fixed or I'll have instructions for people to update their bookmarks.
In the meantime, Happy New Year!
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December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas
The last of the presents are now on the brown trucks.
Whatever you are celebrating, may this holiday season be good to you.
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December 15, 2009
Keronus Americanus
The Anime/Manga franchise and merchandising juggernaut that is Sgt. Frog was commented upon by virtually everyone in 2005 when the anime started up. The show is still going strong in Japan and has been exceedingly successful. The oddball comedy has been surprisingly successful at appealing to audiences of all ages and has a lot of similarities to the long running Urusei Yatsura series from the 80s (which, indeed, was the stated intent of the Mangaka). The main difference is that the characters tend to be more likeable.
The show concerns several frog like aliens who are trapped on earth after
their ill-conceived invasion attempt went awry. Their leader now lives in secret as the sort of housekeeper for a comic book creator and her children. Other members of his squad are scattered around the neighborhood and similarly ensconced with various humans...all of whom possess significant normalcy deficits. Every week he contacts his teammates and they join forces to conquer the planet Pekaponia (Earth)... hilarity ensues. As an aside, the show teaches younger viewers important life lessons as well...such as the fact that women are scary and dangerous and best avoided....even if they are wearing sweatervests.
Given its spectacular success and very broad demographic appeal in Japan it was natural that somebody would try to bring this show to the U.S.A. The theoretical potential of the show to be a genre crossing hit was immensely appealing at first blush. However, there were major hurdles, most daunting being the fact that the pop culture references that litter the show are overwhelmingly Japanese specific.
As the target audience would be Americans the references would make as much sense as an episode of Robot Chicken would to a North Korean. This would seem to be a show stopper, but one must remember that US television has long made good ratings on incomprehensible stupidity so this was not necessarily an insurmountable obstacle. Additionally there was the fact that the company that actually bought this marketing conundrum was ADVision...and the people at ADV were geeks who dearly loved the show and really wanted it to succeed.
ADV seemes to have really tried to get the show released on television, which despite its niche appeal in the US was not an insane notion but merely a far fetched one at the time these decisions were being made. Cartoon Network was showing a lot of Anime then and a number of the in-jokes (perhaps as much as a quarter ) referred to those shows. ADV had assembled over the years a very fine cadre of voice actors and they were certainly capable of doing comedy well. The problem remained the very culturally specific nature of many of the verbal gags, The episodes required rather more extensive rewrites than usual though the basic plots and overall story arcs could be brought over with little trouble.
There was an even bigger problem that ADV did not foresee....ADV is no more.The show was one of those bought by Funimation and it is now being aggressively marketed by them....with a series of adds that don't quite do the show justice.
The show is one I found fairly enjoyable before this release and it should be noted that the subtitle track is a pretty straight translation of the Japanese, which is what most readers here will watch anyway.
The dub fascinated me as I was very curious as to how they were going to play it given what to the target audience is the alien nature of much of the shows humor.
I don't know how many episodes ADV dubbed before they lost (or found out they didn't have) the rights in the Sojitz fiasco but the first 8 episodes are using most of the same voice actors that appeared in a preview ADV put on you tube some years ago. I am pretty sure that what we are seeing is very close to ADV's plan for the show, if so it is a worthy legacy because the dub is quite good. Funimation, which has a good reputation in its own right seems to have kept the bulk of the voice talent and there has been no jarring change in quality as of yet.
The dialog on the English track is fast paced,almost like a '40s screwball comedy. The acting is good and although the dialog has indeed been tweaked, the the Woolsyism's generally work quite well. All in all I was very impressed. In my initial viewing I watched all but the first two dubbed and felt it did not suffer at all , in particular I...oh wait...you aren't reading this....
You clicked on the Woolsyisms hyperlink above and your mind is now trapped in an endless information overload loop at TV tropes...foolish Pekaponian...your planets defeat is inevitable!
The show concerns several frog like aliens who are trapped on earth after
their ill-conceived invasion attempt went awry. Their leader now lives in secret as the sort of housekeeper for a comic book creator and her children. Other members of his squad are scattered around the neighborhood and similarly ensconced with various humans...all of whom possess significant normalcy deficits. Every week he contacts his teammates and they join forces to conquer the planet Pekaponia (Earth)... hilarity ensues. As an aside, the show teaches younger viewers important life lessons as well...such as the fact that women are scary and dangerous and best avoided....even if they are wearing sweatervests.Given its spectacular success and very broad demographic appeal in Japan it was natural that somebody would try to bring this show to the U.S.A. The theoretical potential of the show to be a genre crossing hit was immensely appealing at first blush. However, there were major hurdles, most daunting being the fact that the pop culture references that litter the show are overwhelmingly Japanese specific.
As the target audience would be Americans the references would make as much sense as an episode of Robot Chicken would to a North Korean. This would seem to be a show stopper, but one must remember that US television has long made good ratings on incomprehensible stupidity so this was not necessarily an insurmountable obstacle. Additionally there was the fact that the company that actually bought this marketing conundrum was ADVision...and the people at ADV were geeks who dearly loved the show and really wanted it to succeed.
ADV seemes to have really tried to get the show released on television, which despite its niche appeal in the US was not an insane notion but merely a far fetched one at the time these decisions were being made. Cartoon Network was showing a lot of Anime then and a number of the in-jokes (perhaps as much as a quarter ) referred to those shows. ADV had assembled over the years a very fine cadre of voice actors and they were certainly capable of doing comedy well. The problem remained the very culturally specific nature of many of the verbal gags, The episodes required rather more extensive rewrites than usual though the basic plots and overall story arcs could be brought over with little trouble.
There was an even bigger problem that ADV did not foresee....ADV is no more.The show was one of those bought by Funimation and it is now being aggressively marketed by them....with a series of adds that don't quite do the show justice.
The show is one I found fairly enjoyable before this release and it should be noted that the subtitle track is a pretty straight translation of the Japanese, which is what most readers here will watch anyway.
The dub fascinated me as I was very curious as to how they were going to play it given what to the target audience is the alien nature of much of the shows humor.
I don't know how many episodes ADV dubbed before they lost (or found out they didn't have) the rights in the Sojitz fiasco but the first 8 episodes are using most of the same voice actors that appeared in a preview ADV put on you tube some years ago. I am pretty sure that what we are seeing is very close to ADV's plan for the show, if so it is a worthy legacy because the dub is quite good. Funimation, which has a good reputation in its own right seems to have kept the bulk of the voice talent and there has been no jarring change in quality as of yet.
The dialog on the English track is fast paced,almost like a '40s screwball comedy. The acting is good and although the dialog has indeed been tweaked, the the Woolsyism's generally work quite well. All in all I was very impressed. In my initial viewing I watched all but the first two dubbed and felt it did not suffer at all , in particular I...oh wait...you aren't reading this....
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December 06, 2009
Chaos Subsiding...As Christmas Begins
Lucky Star girls are from...well... Lucky Star...(duh!)
more...
Banal Brickmuppet banality is below the fold. The above picture is unrelated.
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December 05, 2009
IJNS Yamato
Behold....
6 years, 4 months, uncounted LEGOs and phenomenal patience.
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A Coastie From Newport News Made Good
Built in 1914 by Newport new Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.as the freighter Medina, the Motor Vessel Dullos has passed through countless storms, Braved the U boats of both the Kaiser and the Furher while bringing supplies across the Atlantic and survived the ravages nearly a century at sea. Additionally, during World War 2, the old vessel was operated as an auxiliary for a time by the US Coast Guard.
Renamed Dullos by her current owners, the vessel is now the oldest operating passenger vessel in the entirety of the Earths oceans.
Such a long and storied history would be worthy of comment on its own, but Dullos is doubly remarkable. Operated by the German charity GBA , her passenger list consists not only of fare paying travelers but volunteers who see to her cargo. That cargo consists of tons of books for Dullos is a floating library and bookstore traveling the world hosting floating bookfairs.
Bangkok, Manilla, Kuching, Hong Kong, Phuket, and more than a hundred other ports have been visited by the ship and her crack crew of globetrotting salty-dog librarians. Additionally, while in no way a hospital ship, her medical staff performs some dental and other medical services in the less affluent ports of call.
Now, in the ships 95th year her long voyage is at an end. The inexorable toll exacted by the corrosive and violent sea has accumulated over the years and it was decided after her latest survey that the old vessel is to be decommissioned on Decenber 31, 2009.
Of course...if any of you have 10 million Euro laying around, there is a campaign to preserve the historic old girl.
95 years....the shipping industry, indeed the world has become unrecognizable since the time this ship first split the waves. If ships could talk...
Renamed Dullos by her current owners, the vessel is now the oldest operating passenger vessel in the entirety of the Earths oceans.
Such a long and storied history would be worthy of comment on its own, but Dullos is doubly remarkable. Operated by the German charity GBA , her passenger list consists not only of fare paying travelers but volunteers who see to her cargo. That cargo consists of tons of books for Dullos is a floating library and bookstore traveling the world hosting floating bookfairs.
Now, in the ships 95th year her long voyage is at an end. The inexorable toll exacted by the corrosive and violent sea has accumulated over the years and it was decided after her latest survey that the old vessel is to be decommissioned on Decenber 31, 2009.
Of course...if any of you have 10 million Euro laying around, there is a campaign to preserve the historic old girl.
95 years....the shipping industry, indeed the world has become unrecognizable since the time this ship first split the waves. If ships could talk...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
08:40 PM
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November 21, 2009
My Hat is in the Ring
With the wave of citizen activism sweeping the country in this time of crisis I can no longer sit idle.
I hereby announce my candidacy for the seat in the United States House of Representatives that will represent the unassigned congressional district of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Among my qualifications:
As I am currently homeless, I am able to meet the strict residency requirements for a congressional district that has not existed since 1935.
My legislative experience is, likewise, nonexistent.
I have no degree at this time.
*I will also work to protect "you" (my constituents) from the existential threat of the Dero who even now conspire against our democracy.
*I oppose listing the Mothman as an endangered species due to the principle that PEOPLES SAFETY MUST TAKE PRIORITY!
*I oppose deportation for the Bat Child as he is a natural born citizen.
*I support composting toilets.
* I support the teaching of the number eleventy in our schools.
THEREFORE
I hereby announce my candidacy for the seat in the United States House of Representatives that will represent the unassigned congressional district of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Among my qualifications:As I am currently homeless, I am able to meet the strict residency requirements for a congressional district that has not existed since 1935.
My legislative experience is, likewise, nonexistent.
I have no degree at this time.
ON THE ISSUES
*As
your Representative...whoever "YOU" are....I pledge to work tirelessly
to reduce the deficit through budget policies that are flexible...yet
firm....bendable yet straight...and FAIR TO EVERY AMERICAN! *I will also work to protect "you" (my constituents) from the existential threat of the Dero who even now conspire against our democracy.
*I oppose listing the Mothman as an endangered species due to the principle that PEOPLES SAFETY MUST TAKE PRIORITY!
*I oppose deportation for the Bat Child as he is a natural born citizen.
*I support composting toilets.
* I support the teaching of the number eleventy in our schools.
NO ONE IS MORE OBJECTIVELY QUALIFIED TO LEAD NOTHING THAN THE BRICKMUPPET!!
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
11:06 PM
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As I Get Older
...I note that I understand what they were REALLY saying in some of those artsy videos from my youth.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
04:36 PM
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November 19, 2009
Everything has a Silver Lining
I can has skylight!!
OK...a tinfoil lining.
Most everything was indeed lost. It rained like cats and dogs for days and I was not allowed to re-enter the trailer to move stuff out of the affected areas until Sunday.....
Well I laughed....
Most everything was indeed lost. It rained like cats and dogs for days and I was not allowed to re-enter the trailer to move stuff out of the affected areas until Sunday.....
...by which time the damage was done.
The city has cut off the power to the end of the cul de-sac and forbidden anyone from being in the trailer after 5pm. The last few days have revolved around salvaging what little I can...some were surprising. Protected by their wrapping and the drawer they were in, which itself was in the closet, two long forgotten 2003 and 2004 Masamune Shirow calenders were unscathed...The thing is, they'll be good again in 2010 and '11.
The city has cut off the power to the end of the cul de-sac and forbidden anyone from being in the trailer after 5pm. The last few days have revolved around salvaging what little I can...some were surprising. Protected by their wrapping and the drawer they were in, which itself was in the closet, two long forgotten 2003 and 2004 Masamune Shirow calenders were unscathed...The thing is, they'll be good again in 2010 and '11.
Well I laughed....
It's official. The chassis is bent, whole frame is warped, ergo the trailer is totaled.
Blogging has been and will be quite light for a few more days. I have to have everything out in a few days and make arrangements to haul away my home of the last 9 years for scrap.
Thanks to everyone for the kind thoughts.
Blogging has been and will be quite light for a few more days. I have to have everything out in a few days and make arrangements to haul away my home of the last 9 years for scrap.
Thanks to everyone for the kind thoughts.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
10:15 PM
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November 13, 2009
Does anyone know
...the artist who did this cute take on Beethoven's 5th
It's evidently not from DDR.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
11:35 PM
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