June 05, 2012
Once in a Lifetime
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Recall Election Chat over at Legal Insurrection
Professor Jacobson is was hosting a civil live-chat on the Wisconsin recall election here. UPDATE: It's over.
For those not interested in such matters, here is squid on toast.
more...
For those not interested in such matters, here is squid on toast.
more...
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June 04, 2012
Oh What The HELL Was That?
Then this happens...
I watched two more episodes of Mysterious Girlfriend X.
Good grief this is an odd show.
It's wacky.
It's quirky.
It's gross.
Good grief this is an odd show.
It's wacky.
It's quirky.
It's gross.
Then this happens...
More importantly, a bit after that happens Urabe makes a pronouncement...
Which, in the context of the episode is really disturbing.
Possibilities:
1: SHE'S AN ALIEN
2: Souvlaki keeps a log of these things and she secretly read it.
3: She's a witch.
4: Souvlaki will soon discover that his quiet high-school life is shattered when Urabe reveals that he has been chosen to pilot a GIANT ROBOT.
Three episodes in, laughs are still outnumbering gag reflexes, but WTFs are catching up to both. I am now quite thoroughly intrigued.
Which, in the context of the episode is really disturbing.
Possibilities:
1: SHE'S AN ALIEN
2: Souvlaki keeps a log of these things and she secretly read it.
3: She's a witch.
4: Souvlaki will soon discover that his quiet high-school life is shattered when Urabe reveals that he has been chosen to pilot a GIANT ROBOT.
Three episodes in, laughs are still outnumbering gag reflexes, but WTFs are catching up to both. I am now quite thoroughly intrigued.
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Yet Another One
Kimberlin and company have now threatened the family of Ali Akbar.
There is more here.
Previous Kimberlin posts here, here, here and here.
Note that I will not be participating in The National Day of Blogger Silence as I think it is a singularly dumb idea. (..and no one would notice if I had another of my many days without content.)
There is more here.
Previous Kimberlin posts here, here, here and here.
Note that I will not be participating in The National Day of Blogger Silence as I think it is a singularly dumb idea. (..and no one would notice if I had another of my many days without content.)
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Taxidermy of Tomorrow TODAY!
Ewww.
Neat!
...
Ewwww!
via
Neat!
...
Ewwww!
via
Dutch dude uses his awesome taxidermy powers to turn his dead cat into Coptercat.
Naturally he uses it to chase cows.
Naturally he uses it to chase cows.
The use of the Airwolf soundtrack is sublime.
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So..What is German for "Long Lance"?
"Sea Hake Mod4"apparently.*
Note that 140 clicks = 86.92 statute miles
... At a test-firing in March 2012, the heavyweight torpedo SeaHake mod4 ER (Extended Range) achieved a range of over 140 kilometres.
Note that 140 clicks = 86.92 statute miles
Well...That's alarming.
This thing has the range of some of the early Harpoon ASuW missiles.
Torpedoes are much slower of course and there are issues with IFF and
targeting moving targets over the horizon. However, modern torpedoes are FAR more lethal than guns or missiles and
they are fiendishly difficult to intercept.
While it might take an hour to reach its target area a salvo of these things could generate an awfully large area of surprise 'torpedo water'....but unlike say the Battle of Tassafaronga, the torpedo water would be full of homing weapons. Yikes!
This massively complicates the defense of our warships.
On the bright side, this looks like a viable excuse for...TORPEDO Pr0n!
While it might take an hour to reach its target area a salvo of these things could generate an awfully large area of surprise 'torpedo water'....but unlike say the Battle of Tassafaronga, the torpedo water would be full of homing weapons. Yikes!
This massively complicates the defense of our warships.
On the bright side, this looks like a viable excuse for...TORPEDO Pr0n!
*This story comes to us via CDR Salamander, where there is an extensive discussion of the implications in the comments.
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Oh My! Yes!
Trailer for the second Yamato 2199 movie.
If you are like me and saw Star Blazers as a kid this is going to make you very, very happy.
Like the first film, this looks to be quite well updated and yet astonishingly faithful.
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Some Quick Kimberlin Followup
Previous posts here, here and here.
R.S. McCain has blogged follow-up posts from the super secret blogger safehouse here, here, here, and here.
This sordid little story has gotten even nastier now that the fellow who was threatened has been jailed. Volokh has more on that...it's pretty disturbing.
Popehat has thoughts on a non-partisan approach to dealing with this atrocity.
R.S. McCain has blogged follow-up posts from the super secret blogger safehouse here, here, here, and here.
This sordid little story has gotten even nastier now that the fellow who was threatened has been jailed. Volokh has more on that...it's pretty disturbing.
Popehat has thoughts on a non-partisan approach to dealing with this atrocity.
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June 02, 2012
Falling Short is not the Same as Scewing Up
Leadership can be thankless.
Even if one does everything right...
Even if one has a superb staff, excellent kit, a clever and thoroughly solid plan that one executes admirably...
Even if one does everything right...
Even if one has a superb staff, excellent kit, a clever and thoroughly solid plan that one executes admirably...
The enemy ALWAYS gets a vote...
Oh my.
Numerous people have remarked about the methodical pacing of Bodacious Space Pirates.
That pacing really comes to the fore in this installment. After last weeks action packed previews and the episodes rather jarring teaser the story switches gears abruptly to move at a quite leisurely clip.
Marika formulates her plan, there are character expositions and various background points are clarified. In any other show a build up this gradual would drag unbearably, yet here, every little bit of what seems at first glance to be padding is structure. Every bit of it matters, if not to the plot, then to the characterizations.
When it finally happens, the action is that much more satisfying.
Of course, I'm not sure if my high opinion of this kids show speaks more negatively of US television or me.
That pacing really comes to the fore in this installment. After last weeks action packed previews and the episodes rather jarring teaser the story switches gears abruptly to move at a quite leisurely clip.
Marika formulates her plan, there are character expositions and various background points are clarified. In any other show a build up this gradual would drag unbearably, yet here, every little bit of what seems at first glance to be padding is structure. Every bit of it matters, if not to the plot, then to the characterizations.
When it finally happens, the action is that much more satisfying.
Of course, I'm not sure if my high opinion of this kids show speaks more negatively of US television or me.
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June 01, 2012
The Crops are Saved!
It looks like Don has graciously provided Tidewater with some of his Midwestern weather...
Several of these obnoxious little boogers have touched down to wreak mischief over the last few hours. We have a warning until 10pm and watches until 2AM. Tornadoes are not unheard of here but so many in one day is rather unusual.
Of course we also got some of our more normal weather...just spectacularly so...this is Warwick Blvd in Newport News about 4 hours ago...
This area is about a hundred feet above sea level with the cliff overlooking the river only about 2 blocks away and yet...
The street filled remarkably fast. At one point water was flowing OUT of the storm drains. The intensity of the rain at times was incredible.
Of course we also got some of our more normal weather...just spectacularly so...this is Warwick Blvd in Newport News about 4 hours ago...
This area is about a hundred feet above sea level with the cliff overlooking the river only about 2 blocks away and yet...
The street filled remarkably fast. At one point water was flowing OUT of the storm drains. The intensity of the rain at times was incredible.
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May 29, 2012
Vile
Hey spammers.
If you really want to develop utter hatred for your product, you might try spamming an obituary post.
If you really want to develop utter hatred for your product, you might try spamming an obituary post.
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May 28, 2012
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
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Oh...Goody
For the longest time I thought that one of the reasons that US kit was so expensive is because we insisted on producing the components here where its much more expensive rather than overseas.
Silly me...
Now it looks like at least some computer chips used in US Military hardware have Chinese installed back doors in them. via
For the longest time I thought that one of the reasons that US kit was so expensive is because we insisted on producing the components here where its much more expensive rather than overseas.
Silly me...
Now it looks like at least some computer chips used in US Military hardware have Chinese installed back doors in them. via
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Aniplex Announcements
Crunchyroll has a report on a bunch of recent Aniplex announcements.
There is a bit of good news in that Sentai did indeed get UlBW. They have announced a Bang Zoom dub which speaks well of their finances and confidence in the market.
However, In the rest of the announcements I note the continued trend in avoiding dubs. While this is of little direct concern to many of our readers it means that the current plan does seem to be to skip the US Distributors and simply release Subtitled Japanese Blue Rays at... Japanese prices.
US Anime is doomed!...must..tweet...everybody!
Ubu saw this coming a while back, and while it is indeed a big FU to the US fans it is not entirely out of the blue.
The Japanese prices are insane and, I believe, counter-productive even to their domestic market in the long term, but they are, in part, a response to the huge piracy issue, the shrinking domestic market (which the prices help to shrink) and the fact that the Japanese companies have the additional overhead of producing the product (US and other overseas distributors just have licensing, distribution and occasionally dubbing ).
I would be very surprised if a lot of the licensing was not discontinued in favor of just the subtitle track. The total sales would drop but a few hundred or a couple of thousand sales total would make what they'd get from licensing with an option for more if it was a runaway hit. If there is licensing in the future it might well be restricted to dub only in the future to kill re-imports.
Of course they'll also kill off most of the legit market here because 700 dollars (350 per season) for a series is stark raving cuckoo for cocoa puffs.
The Japanese prices also make clear one reason why collector Otaku are thought of poorly in Japan. The hobby there takes as much money as a heroin habit. Someone who indulges in it there is either rich beyond the dreams of Avarice or has some seriously screwed up priorities.
- Sentai Filmworks is confirmed as the licensor for Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works
- Aniplex will take pre-orders for the second volume of Fate/zero on Blu-Ray starting June 1st for release on September 9th simultaneously with the Japanese release
- Bakemonogatari will be receiving a new sub only boxset release this Fall on Blu-Ray with no plans to dub either it or the sequel series Nisemonogatari. Unfortunately, there are also no plans to stream Bakemonogatari.
- Aniplex does not have plans to go back and dub either Blue Exorcist or Fate/Zero
- OreImo will be re-released later this summer in a lower-priced DVD edition
- Baccano will be re-released following its previous limited Blu-Ray box release
- Kara no Kyoukai/Garden of Sinners will be released in a new limited edition DVD boxset this Fa
There is a bit of good news in that Sentai did indeed get UlBW. They have announced a Bang Zoom dub which speaks well of their finances and confidence in the market.
However, In the rest of the announcements I note the continued trend in avoiding dubs. While this is of little direct concern to many of our readers it means that the current plan does seem to be to skip the US Distributors and simply release Subtitled Japanese Blue Rays at... Japanese prices.
US Anime is doomed!...must..tweet...everybody!
The Japanese prices are insane and, I believe, counter-productive even to their domestic market in the long term, but they are, in part, a response to the huge piracy issue, the shrinking domestic market (which the prices help to shrink) and the fact that the Japanese companies have the additional overhead of producing the product (US and other overseas distributors just have licensing, distribution and occasionally dubbing ).
I would be very surprised if a lot of the licensing was not discontinued in favor of just the subtitle track. The total sales would drop but a few hundred or a couple of thousand sales total would make what they'd get from licensing with an option for more if it was a runaway hit. If there is licensing in the future it might well be restricted to dub only in the future to kill re-imports.
The Japanese prices also make clear one reason why collector Otaku are thought of poorly in Japan. The hobby there takes as much money as a heroin habit. Someone who indulges in it there is either rich beyond the dreams of Avarice or has some seriously screwed up priorities.
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In Defense of the Indefensable
I have a confession to make.
I...
I...
I actually liked High School of the Dead.
I may be the only human being for whom that is true.
Allow me to defend this most indefensible of opinions.
First, it must be acknowledged that most of the criticisms of this show have valid points. The fan service is a bit over the top. I sure as hell could have done without the damned panty shots. It is a grim show. It is aggressively and flamboyantly excessive. It is disrespectful to physics.
The early episodes in particular do a better job than many zombie movies (even Romero's own) of conveying the actual horror of the whole zombie apocalypse situation. They handle that bit really well. This is all the more remarkable because of the breakneck pacing of the early episodes. The show manages to combine non-stop action with a sense of genuine dread as the characters realize just what is going on and the implications of it.
It is a horrific show, and at times hard to watch, but the admittedly excessive fan service actually mitigates this somewhat. It is sufficiently silly to act as comic relief and thereby break some of the tension.
In fact, the two most gratuitous episodes regards cheesecake, 6 and 7, (where the show managed to work in sort of a bathhouse episode), were in some ways the saving grace of the series. Both actually had some neat, even thoughtful, character bits. They also added a bit of humanity and decency that saved the show from becoming the nihilistic exercise so many stories in this genre are.
From that point the show becomes not so much a horror show as a show about retaining ones humanity in the midst of a societies collapse. The cheesecake is somewhat toned down in later episodes as well.
In any event the show is never boring.
For all that, I probably would not have liked it had I not first seen the dub, which is superb, and is delivered with the staccato pacing of a Howard Hawks film and with just a bit of snark. The voice acting is really well done Mark Laskowski and Maggie Flecknoe in particular do a superb job. The nurse in the dub has a voice that can grate cheese...but that actually fits. As I type this there's a 12 minute spoileriffic excerpt from ep2 of the dub here which gives a good overview of the pacing of the early episodes.
The show is indeed aggressively and flamboyantly excessive.
It is also, despite it's exceedingly grim nature, a show that manages to be surprisingly upbeat and I frankly found it rather fun.
...and now
Well, now you know that about me.
#Regards...that .gif
The bullet is traveling in the vicinity of 2700 feet per second.
The bosoms in question transit back and forth during the time that the projectile passes through the area of interest and thus are moving at least twice as fast as the bullet itself. This gives a breast speed of at least 5400fps.
The speed of sound at sea level is roughly 1100fps. 5400 fps is just under 5 times that or approximately Mach 4.8-Mach 4.9 so a conservative reading of the available evidence would indicate that in addition to her levelheadedness, well developed sense of ethics, athleticism and general competence, Saeko possesses hypersonic tits.
The above analysis was originally posted here....where spoilers and snark dance the tango together.
I have a confession to make.
I...
I...
I actually liked High School of the Dead.
I may be the only human being for whom that is true.
Allow me to defend this most indefensible of opinions.
First, it must be acknowledged that most of the criticisms of this show have valid points. The fan service is a bit over the top. I sure as hell could have done without the damned panty shots. It is a grim show. It is aggressively and flamboyantly excessive. It is disrespectful to physics.
Physics and her friend Anatomy called...They're pissed!#
All that being said this show has some real strengths. The early episodes in particular do a better job than many zombie movies (even Romero's own) of conveying the actual horror of the whole zombie apocalypse situation. They handle that bit really well. This is all the more remarkable because of the breakneck pacing of the early episodes. The show manages to combine non-stop action with a sense of genuine dread as the characters realize just what is going on and the implications of it.
It is a horrific show, and at times hard to watch, but the admittedly excessive fan service actually mitigates this somewhat. It is sufficiently silly to act as comic relief and thereby break some of the tension.
In fact, the two most gratuitous episodes regards cheesecake, 6 and 7, (where the show managed to work in sort of a bathhouse episode), were in some ways the saving grace of the series. Both actually had some neat, even thoughtful, character bits. They also added a bit of humanity and decency that saved the show from becoming the nihilistic exercise so many stories in this genre are.
From that point the show becomes not so much a horror show as a show about retaining ones humanity in the midst of a societies collapse. The cheesecake is somewhat toned down in later episodes as well.
In any event the show is never boring.
For all that, I probably would not have liked it had I not first seen the dub, which is superb, and is delivered with the staccato pacing of a Howard Hawks film and with just a bit of snark. The voice acting is really well done Mark Laskowski and Maggie Flecknoe in particular do a superb job. The nurse in the dub has a voice that can grate cheese...but that actually fits. As I type this there's a 12 minute spoileriffic excerpt from ep2 of the dub here which gives a good overview of the pacing of the early episodes.
It is also, despite it's exceedingly grim nature, a show that manages to be surprisingly upbeat and I frankly found it rather fun.
...and now
Well, now you know that about me.
#Regards...that .gif
The bullet is traveling in the vicinity of 2700 feet per second.
The bosoms in question transit back and forth during the time that the projectile passes through the area of interest and thus are moving at least twice as fast as the bullet itself. This gives a breast speed of at least 5400fps.
The speed of sound at sea level is roughly 1100fps. 5400 fps is just under 5 times that or approximately Mach 4.8-Mach 4.9 so a conservative reading of the available evidence would indicate that in addition to her levelheadedness, well developed sense of ethics, athleticism and general competence, Saeko possesses hypersonic tits.
The above analysis was originally posted here....where spoilers and snark dance the tango together.
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May 27, 2012
Another One
Erick Erickson has just been SWATed.
This stuff matters.
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Chekov's Zodiac
This episode of Bodacious Space Pirates started out as a bit of a mess.
It muddled along as a moderately enjoyable collection of random events until suddenly...
It all began to come together.
Every random bit is there for a reason, either to ad to the plot, or distract from it or provide nice character continuity.
This episode is a rollicking good time but it is has a much darker edge than earlier ones. This is a real battle and in the worst possible circumstances.
This show really exemplifies why Japanese kids shows are sometimes more satisfying than many American live action dramas. These kids are striving to be adults. They don't always succeed at that (they are kids) but they have goals and dreams and they generally behave as young adults. They take their responsibilities seriously. In a lot of contemporary shows here the adults are trying desperately to avoid responsibility, whine a lot and generally act like kids.
Also this show has space battles, dogfights...and silly pirate hats that make perfect sense in context.
I'll call this one a win.
It muddled along as a moderately enjoyable collection of random events until suddenly...
It all began to come together.
Why is she wearing her pirate hat in the dingy?.Oh never mind..
Every random bit is there for a reason, either to ad to the plot, or distract from it or provide nice character continuity.
This episode is a rollicking good time but it is has a much darker edge than earlier ones. This is a real battle and in the worst possible circumstances.
Also this show has space battles, dogfights...and silly pirate hats that make perfect sense in context.
I'll call this one a win.
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May 26, 2012
Derp
HT Siergen in the comments.
We are NEVER going to get the bottom of my dads boat painted.
HT Siergen in the comments.
On the upside...Georgia is FINALLY going to get some rain.
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09:29 PM
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Why it Matters
Yesterday was BLOG ABOUT BRETT KIMBERLIN DAY! . However, my schedule has not permitted any blogging from here since the last Kimberlin post.
This is of little concern as...well, that is one impressive gaggle of bloggers there!
Nevertheless, I do think it is important to talk a bit about WHY this is a big deal.
First, I....
This really isn't politics...it's domestic terrorism.
Nevertheless, below the fold we go....
more...
This is of little concern as...well, that is one impressive gaggle of bloggers there!
Nevertheless, I do think it is important to talk a bit about WHY this is a big deal.
First, I....
This really isn't politics...it's domestic terrorism.
Nevertheless, below the fold we go....
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May 22, 2012
Holy Crepe!
I don't do politics much anymore and out of respect for my readers I
usually put it below the fold when I do, but this has jumped the line from politics to something much more worrisome and needs
to be out in the open.
I've been busy, but I've caught a little of this creepy story. However, while I was distracted it's gotten really serious.
Short version. A blogger was getting harassed for telling the truth about a convicted left wing terrorist, who like so many left wing terrorist got off light and is now a darling of the professional Left. There's more on this here, here and here.
Blogger R.S. McCain posted an informative post on this here.
As a result of that post R.S. McCain has now has to flee his home with his family. More here.
His tip Jar is here.
I'm just a Z-list blogger but this is nasty, it is vile and it needs to be shouted to the four winds. I'll be damned if I'm not going to do what I can.
I've been busy, but I've caught a little of this creepy story. However, while I was distracted it's gotten really serious.
Short version. A blogger was getting harassed for telling the truth about a convicted left wing terrorist, who like so many left wing terrorist got off light and is now a darling of the professional Left. There's more on this here, here and here.
Blogger R.S. McCain posted an informative post on this here.
..and that's when things well and truly escalated.
As a result of that post R.S. McCain has now has to flee his home with his family. More here.
His tip Jar is here.
I'm just a Z-list blogger but this is nasty, it is vile and it needs to be shouted to the four winds. I'll be damned if I'm not going to do what I can.
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