August 27, 2015
One That Bears Watching
This is a wet one. Erika is just a tropical storm now but its massive rains have contributed to at least four deaths on Dominica. The NWS is still talking cat 1 or 2, but as Rand Simberg notes, the gulf stream is hotter right now than it was during Andrew...meaning that depending on wind shear, this beast could get worrisomely impressive.
Everyone south of Cape Charles would be well advised to keep an eye on this one, get their kits in order and keep their tanks topped off.
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August 26, 2015
First Flight of the Bugatti!
Via The Unwanted Blog, comes something truly kewel!
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Well, This Could Be Better
Monster Musume is faithfully following its comic book inspiration into imbecility and squalor, wasting what is admittedly a fairly interesting cast on prurient pandering to the dolorous, disaffected degenerate deviants that make up its target audience.Obviously this is a show I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in admitting to watching...
"Oh..umm...This?...Uhh...Thi...This is a...a cooking show."
This is not to say that the show is without potential. For one thing, a spinoff centered around the Mrs. Smith and her commando team of mythological monster-maiden myrmidons has a considerable likelihood of being quite entertaining.
UPDATE: In fact, as a friend recently pointed out, such a show would probably be the most enjoyable G.I. Joe sequel possible.
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August 25, 2015
Groovy!
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Don't Forget About Lunch UPDATE: Trigger Warning! (May Cause OCD Fits if Viewed Too Closely)
Art by Subaku
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People May Wonder
...why I care about a little commemorative rocket that I can never own and affects me in no way whatsoever.
more...
...why I care about a little commemorative rocket that I can never own and affects me in no way whatsoever.
This is why...
I can’t be involved any longer. If it were just me… but it isn’t. I have others who need me to stay out of the fight, as much as I hate it. If I keep in the frontlines, I will become a casualty, and I have people who are dependent on me, helpless in the world if something becomes of my good name. And so I must turn away, tears in my eyes, and leave the field of battle. I am sickened, but my duty is clear.I cannot bay. I have been bound into silence. I bow my head, and exit…
You see, it's not REALLY about the dinky little rocket.
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August 24, 2015
8 Months to Go
Old Dominion University starts the week before Labor Day so, since I only have a week to go before school starts, I decided just now to check and see if any of my silly busses were online yet so I could order some of my books and also find out if any classes have homework due the first day of class.
What I discovered is that school starts tomorrow...
Umm...
That's good to know.
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01:12 AM
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August 23, 2015
Worldcon Was This Weekend
I did not go this year because I've been digging my way out of debt, and.....
"WAIT! You promised you'd put the politics under the fold!
What? No. This post is about World Con, so...
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Oh...
Drat...
I hate what the world is becoming
more...
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One Could Spend Years...
...researching the genre of video games known as fantasy RPGs.
Or one could endure this for this four minutes and ten seconds.
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02:22 PM
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A Non Sequiter Brought on By a Mysterious Banhammer
I've been banned by Facebook for some time, and while this seems to be an error that can be corrected, I've decided that having more than one blog is simply more than I can rationalize the time for. If I had a product I was marketing or a fan-base I was interacting with, then a second blog and/or Facebook page would, in all probability, pass a cost benefit analysis. However, to apply that much duplication and added effort to a hobby does not. Thus, for my part, I direct any questions about topics and format to the category tags.
I mention that, in part because, in addition to Facebook, I am banned from commenting at Wonderduck's place.
Now, I had assumed that this was a technical issue with the web service that we share, but I've recently discovered that I cannot opine on Subrban Banshee's site either.
I've ruled out a browser issue.
Thus, I can only suspect that they both found out about that time in '79 when I allegedly precipitated the destruction of a certain old manuscript during a violent altercation with a group of hipster filkers that, in turn, inadvertently resulted in the replacement of Marty McNeely by Svengoulie after I strolled into that Chinese Restaurant to try their Peking Duck.
Let me just say that I am denying here and now that any of that in the previous paragraph ever happened. With that in mind, I have just one more, completely unrelated thing to say....
more...
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August 22, 2015
Oh This Just Keeps Getting Better and Better
Tales of teh tech-weasel's telescreen tyranny.
It seems that Windows "10" will have the ability to shut down any programs it considers unauthorized or illegitimate.
Thus, it seems likely that game you got from DL Site that you stripped the DRM out of because it was incompatible with anything after XP is just toast.
But wait...
I am 45 years old. Not counting my old TI-99, I got my first real computer out of a dumpster in 1999. As it and its subsequent replacements have all been Macs, I've never learned code and the magical slabs of seeing are all black box technology to me.
So...Keeping in mind the Gell-Mann effect and the fact that I don't really understand the matter beyond the broadest basics, can anyone opine on the veracity/feasibility of this ?
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Tonights Recitations From Kipling Will be Performed by Rory Mercury
From episode 8 of GATE which continues to be highly intelligent and entertaining. This is despite having a girl in a Gothic Lolita outfit adorned with fake wolf ears speaking before the Japanese Diet...or perhaps because of it.
The last episode indicated that our heroes would be returning to Japan from fantasy Middle Earth Land to be debriefed, and the civilians representatives from the other world would be interviewed. This was pretty much what happened. Of course coming out of Middle Earth into Shibuya rather IMPRESSES the visitors. In short order, Itami, Leili (acting as translator)Tuka and (God help us all) Rory Mercury all are asked to testify before the Parliament...
Now. Pick out the person from the above lineup most likely to cause the whole thing to go to worms...
We also learn that Mercury's Halbard/Pike/Tuning Fork weighs several hundred pounds.
There's no combat or other action whatsoever in this episode aside from an attempted mugging and a collateral hernia but a ton of stuff happened that moved the show forward including a bit of suspense involving intrigues facing our heroes in Japan, both foreign and domestic.
This show remains awesome.
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August 20, 2015
Well...I've Got Nothing....
...so here is something by Patricia Rosemarie Müller.
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Blogging on the Edge
Suburban Banshee, not content to limit herself to publishing scholarly translations of medieval texts, has decided to blog dangerously. Specifically, she's stumbled upon and posted about forbidden knowledge. Knowledge so forbidden that the Times Literary Society has removed it from its website.
In stark contrast to those cowardly quislings, Suburban Banshee defies the dread Dervishes of decapitation by keeping the intriguing apostasy up on her blog.
In short, certain Quranic texts have recently been dated too early... possibly before Mohammed started hearing voices from Gabriel.
The manuscript in question appears to be the one discussed here (which is a fascinating find in any event as it predates the 3rd Caliph's destruction of all versions of the Quran not his own).
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August 19, 2015
When The Commute IS the Workout
Glute conscious cityscaping by Izumi Sai
Glute conscious cityscaping by Izumi Sai
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03:24 PM
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I Say. This Perry Fellow Bears Watching
This is a work in progress,...
...but do take a look at Perry Park's Pixiv...for some context, and also click here, here, here, here, here and here to see a few WEBM versions of the animations.
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News of the 21st Century
This Iran deal just gets better and better...I knew they weren't allowing the U.S.A. to do inspections of the Iranian nuclear sites, but if this AP story is correct then the agreement is not merely dreadful...it's clinically insane.
VIENNA (AP) — Iran, in an unusual arrangement, will be allowed to use its own experts to inspect a site it allegedly used to develop nuclear arms under a secret agreement with the U.N. agency that normally carries out such work, according to a document seen by The Associated Press.
"Unusual arrangement"...well that is not an inaccurate assessment.
Read the whole thing. This is not somer obscure site, but rather Parchin, where Iran is perfecting explosive lenses.
This is so batscat bonkers that I'm a tad skeptical. However, it would fit with a certain school of thought that the issue on our end is neither fecklessness nor naiveté, but rather motivation.
******
Russia has imprisoned (for 15 years) an Estonian they abducted.
******
The Russian economy may be much worse than thought...which could have either calming or incendiary effects upon that states behavior.
******
China is not retiring the old DF-5 ICBMs. Rather, they are upgrading the series of liquid propellant missiles. The new models increase their range to be able to hit targets anywhere on earth, with multiple warheads. This is similar to the arrangement that Russia has, with a few dozen heavyweight missiles complementing their road mobile ICBMs.
******
Oh. Look...
******
Finally..the kind of story that would not be out of place in an 80's film SET in the 21st century....
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August 18, 2015
Here is Some Wide Gauge Steampunk
...by Makkou 4 to offset the banality beneath the fold.
more...
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August 16, 2015
How Far Can He Go? How Long Will He Stay Free?
The videos of the massive explosion in Tianjin keep getting pulled from the internet. However, one brave reporter, a He Xiaoxin, DID get into the affected area and took some pictures. I don't expect this report to remain up much longer, but I'm linking to it. I'm also posting his pictures below the fold to save them from the inevitable purge. I don't normally nick more than one pic from a news article and clearly identify the source via hyperlink and I certainly don't make a habit of nicking all the picture from a photo essay because that is, frankly, WRONG.
However, the likelihood of his work being bering deemed triggering to the Chinese government and sent down the memory hole moves me to do this. Fortunately, He Xiaoxin has extensively watermarked his work. If one reposts any of these, PLEASE make sure to credit He Xiaoxin and The China Digital Times. Also do read his whole article, not only to give the paper hits but because his text provides valuable context.
more...
However, if the article is gone then click on "more" and behold...the effects of a quarter kiloton blast....
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August 15, 2015
School Live Episode 6
In the latest episode of School Live, Yuki organizes a school athletic event, Sakura Sensei tries to get Yuki to address her properly and not drive off a potential new club member and Miki gains some insights into why Sakura Sensei seems so clumsy. Later Kurumi and Yuri explain to Miki some important facts about the school's rooftop garden and the yearbook project is finished.
In the meantime, hijinks ensue.
I must say that the music in this show is used to truly excellent effect.
"Good grief Yuki, you're SCARING the poor girl"
This is actually much more than a show about a bunch of girls in school...
...in its own bizarre way this show almost one of those Iyashikei (healing anime).
As usual, gentle readers, we admonish everyone to use spoiler tags in the comments.
And if you are not yet watching this show we admonish you to start with episode ONE.
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