| Cartoons |
[Nov. 24th, 2009|09:56 am] |
Years ago on PBS used cartoons like these as a "filler".
The Cat Came Back
The Big Snit
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| The abuse of cats is amusing? |
[Nov. 19th, 2009|07:46 am] |
First, the editors of Picture is Unrelated gave us this gem.
The image is obviously a Photoshop job. Even if a parent was so appallingly irresponsible to allow a young girl to make this kind of science project, no school would let her present it, and would quickly have her in with the school counselor and the parents would be getting a lot of unpleasant attention. The image, therefore, is merely disappointing. The title of the post and people's enthusiastic response to it, on the other hand, have sparked a fit of moral outrage. You'll recognize my comments down near the end. I'm setting myself up for a real bashing, but I'll gladly take it. I'm deeply offended by people who find amusement in the torture or killing of cats. I'm offended by the mistreatment of dogs, too.
These animals have become trusting of and even dependent upon US HUMANS for their health, their comfort, their survival. There is a moral obligation to, at the very least, RESPECT them and their owners.
This asshole thinks it funny. Several of the video responders do as well.
Another cat-hating jerk.
And another.
And here's a whole collection of them.
I DO NOT GET IT. I just do not. I don't care of someone doesn't like cats, but people who find it funny to watch or actively participate in the awful things that people do to cats are beneath contempt. These people are sick. I would be hard pressed not to kill ONE OF THEM to protect and save ANY INNOCENT PET, be it cat, dog, hamster, whatever.
I read one responder who talked about luring cats to his house with food and then hinting at the sort of torture they would be in for once he earned their trust. I imagine this happening to Max. Then I imagine having to tell my daughter about it. Then I imagine finding that asshole and beating his head into the pavement. I have more respect for pets than I do people. Why? Because pets do not act out of malice or contempt, they do not go out of their way to cause misery and harm, they do not find suffering and death as sources of idle amusement, and so on.
I'm going to sit here, my head hung low in disgust, dearly hoping my daughter will never have to endure the pain of losing one of her beloved pets to some diseased mass of wasted human DNA with a sick penis-stroking fetish for the brutalization of domestic cats. |
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| Obligatory post. |
[Nov. 18th, 2009|08:26 am] |
This is the obligatory "I'm still here" post.
I'm heading towards "I need a vacation now" but I'm still good for more. Actually, for my own part, things are going quite well. My daughter it doing much better, my family life is quiet, my girlfriend is still my girlfriend, my car is not broken, I got Star Trek on DVD and the DVD case is a model of the new ship (nerd heaven!), I've lost weight (down to 175!), I'm on track to start back to classes in January, I'm having fun at the very-part-time job and the new workshop is coming along. I plan to have the spray booth up and running by the end of the week and then I can get back to some paying projects.
Yep.
I'm good. |
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| Logic diagrams and Star Trek debates |
[Nov. 6th, 2009|01:55 am] |
I'm embroiled in an online forum debate over whether JJ Abrams's "Star Trek" is a good movie, a good Star Trek movie (there is a distinction), or if it is just a total wreck of a movie. I don't care if people did not like it. It does not take away from my own enjoyment and, indeed, reading negative critiques keeps me thinking about it critically instead of just going zombie, "its the best movie ever..." For the most part, the discussion has been an enjoyable mental workout.
But there are always some yo-yos who want to pass off unsupportable generalizations in lieu of rational arguments. The most recent example was "I'm a fan and I hated it so it obviously wasn't made for fans!" It has come to the point that I am now making Venn diagrams to explain simple logic to these people.
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| I voted. |
[Nov. 3rd, 2009|08:10 am] |
If you live in St. Louis County and were able to do so, I hope you voted today.
No lectures.
Just go do it. |
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| Yay, party! |
[Nov. 1st, 2009|09:33 am] |
Thanks to everyone who came out to our Halloween party. It was great to have so many people there. I've never been one to throw parties until this past year but so far, they have gone well.
So... what's the plan for New Years? |
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| Oh, for cryin out loud... |
[Oct. 30th, 2009|09:46 am] |
I finally get the little lady feeling well enough to go back to school, thinking I can get back to the workshop and get some work done on paying projects and THE WATER COMES. The carpets had just dried and the smell dissipated from the last round of rains, and now its all spongy wet down there again. The moldy stinky mildew smell is WORSE, so much so that I can't go down there without feeling sick.
Dammit.
It will be several days before the water clears up and even then the smell will linger for WEEKS. I can only imagine what the mold will be like once this is done yet my dad WILL NOT pull the carpeting out.
I need to move my workshop. |
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| Why MONDAY? |
[Oct. 26th, 2009|08:25 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  annoyed | ] |
So why must St. Louis have all of its official Goth events on MONDAY NIGHTS? What the hell is wrong with Friday or Saturday nights when I could maybe just possibly GO? |
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| If I say... |
[Oct. 20th, 2009|12:18 pm] |
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If I say my cat is weird, is that too obvious a statement? |
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| Thoughts |
[Oct. 19th, 2009|07:58 am] |
"if I am not for myself, who will be? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" - Hillel
What we know of yesterday defines who we are today. What we choose today defines who we will be tomorrow. The right time is now. |
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| random |
[Oct. 16th, 2009|08:45 am] |
Perhaps Luke meant to say, "Do unto other as they HAVE DONE unto you." It certainly seems to be the mode of the day.
edit: I discovered that the words attributed to Luke originated with Hillel some 200 years earlier. But HIllel said, "Do not unto others as you would not have them do unto you." Its the same idea but in a negative form. As such, the possible meanings also shift subtly. Hillel's wording suggests that you should not hurt someone if you do not wish to be hurt. It does not speak directly to the positive but through implied inverse of the negative. Being kind, it is assumed, is the only alternative to being hurtful. But if we follow the logic, the negative phrasing does not GUARANTEE reciprocation of positive behaviors. Luke, in contrast, phrases it in the positive. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This seems to cover the entire range of possibilities. It suggests that the kindness you give will automatically result in kindness returned. Christians are encouraged to be charitable with the guaranteed reward of Eternal Heaven as personal motivation. In contrast, Hillel's position fits in with Jewish teaching that the highest form of charity is given anonymously with NO EXPECTATION OF REWARD, but done simply because it is right. It assumes an altruistic motive. If I do harm, harm will come to me. But if I am kind and my kindness is not repaid, I have still done what is right and that alone is reward enough.
Ideally, the end result is the same. |
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| Oprah survey. |
[Oct. 15th, 2009|08:55 pm] |
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) ldy_chameleon posted this survey. My results are certainly no surprise. The relevant points are below, but if you really want to read on, look behind the cut.
YOU ARE STRIVING TO BE CREATIVE
You are an artist: You came out of the womb with a paintbrush in your hand. Or maybe it was a flute or a castanet or a fountain pen to go with your poet's imagination. The point is, you're an original, and you know it. Even if you don't have a singular gift, you're drawn to the arts—anything creative, for that matter—and you have a unique way of looking at the world. Your need for depth and authenticity in relationships can lead to both great joy and profound sorrow, depending on whether others reciprocate. You don't care so much about adapting to group or societal expectations; your independence and sharp intuition propel you on your own path.
What to watch out for: When fear of conformity overrides your creativity, you can assume the role of "outsider" or "orphan" and end up feeling alienated. You may even go so far as refusing to vote or pay taxes. This lone-wolf stance might be a defense against feeling vulnerable. Try to be aware that blaming others for your banishment, or pushing away those who want to get close, only makes things worse. Also, dramatizing your emotions can interfere with your creativity.
Looking ahead: As long as you genuinely express yourself, you feel like the person you were meant to be. How you do it is irrelevant. A chef or architect can be as much of an artist as a painter or sculptor. Many advertising and public relations executives are also highly imaginative. Beyond work, there are opportunities everywhere you look to coax out your inner artist: Design your own jewelry line, create an innovative blog, dream up a comic strip. Relationships are another avenue for self-expression.
YOUR SCORES
Many people have two or three strong striving styles, and they can all be important in leading you to the person you are meant to be. If you have a few "highest" scores, read each matching description, and see what rings most true.
Striving to help: 13
Striving to be recognized: 14
Striving to be creative: 16
Striving to be spontaneous: 13
Striving to be knowledgeable: 15
Striving to be secure: 12
Striving to be in control: 14
( This gets needlessly wordy... )
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| Warning. |
[Oct. 15th, 2009|12:48 am] |
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I would like to apologize in advance for the next post you will read. It got a little carried away. I can't bear to delete any of it, so just be careful. Thanks. Good luck. |
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| A Voluntary Study of History |
[Oct. 14th, 2009|11:17 pm] |
I have mentioned to a few people already about the big read I'm doing right now. For the rest of you, I'm taking a break from my usual science fiction to tackle some history. In this case, Volume 1 of Winston S. Churchill's "The Second World War" titled "The Gathering Storm", first edition printed in 1948. That's important. And light reading this is NOT. What it is, however, is completely fascinating first person narrative. I'm reading the accounts of perhaps the most important statesman of the day, his personal involvement in and unique understanding of the events and politics leading directly to the rise of Hitler and the great war that was to follow. His own words speak to the facts in a way that I think no other single history text can approach. I hold no illusion that this is a highly biased work, but having the advantage of distant hindsight, all his warnings were correct, the events unfolding exactly has he predicted they would.
( I go on at some length from here... ) |
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| Max the Hunter |
[Oct. 7th, 2009|10:36 am] |
The totals for 2009:
3 mice
2 robins
2 snakes
1 young rabbit (escaped)
...and as of this morning,
1 chipmunk |
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| KFUO is leaving the airwaves. |
[Oct. 6th, 2009|11:28 am] |
I don't want to go into all the details of the sale of KFUO Classic 99 by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Go read a newspaper or read this article by Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post Dispatch (and the very amusing discussion following it). Then come back here and read my thoughts on it all.
I'll wait.
Done? Good.
Now some of you who know my favorite pseudonym will recognize my contributions to that debate. But I'll post an edited and more concise version here. I'm leaving out the commentary on the murky nature of the deal itself because, ultimately, I DON'T CARE. The only relevant fact is that St. Louis is losing its ONLY CLASSICAL FM STATION to a company that will change the format to Contemporary Christian and Hardcore Gospel. This is a cultural blow to St. Louis. KFUO was the only and obvious on-air supporter of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
In an effort to ward off the panic I see in your eyes (you know you care, you do, you just need to admit it to yourself), there are still some options for classical music lovers in St. Louis:
1. Internet Radio. Pros: not only high quality broadcast, but focused on specific classical genres such as Baroque or Romantic. Cons: car radios are not currently able to receive wireless internet. With the spread of wireless networks throughout St. Louis, this may change in time.
2. XM/Sirius. Pros: nationwide availability and a crystal clear signal. Cons: you have to pay a subscription and many cars and most homes are not equipped for it.
2.5. HD broadcast. Well, this is DOA technology and is not even worth considering.
3. Appeal to Emmis or Clear Channel to step in and fill the void. Either one can support a classical station, albeit commercially supported, by reformatting any one of their redundant format stations. I would rather hear Beethoven than Boston any day. Not only that, but the first one to step in becomes the hero, the savior of classical music in St. Louis, and grabs up all those ratings and the advertisers who only appeal to Classical fans such as the SLSO or any number of elite bistros.
Heading off the next question, the only reason why the two major station owners have not put up a classical format before now was because St. Louis can only realistically support one such station and KFUO already owned that market. This impending format change creates the opportunity for either one to claim a ready-made vacant market share.
Though not of that faith, I'm not one who is lamenting a Contemporary Christian station. There are still plenty of secular radio stations from which to choose. In fact, as an admirer of the American tradition of religious freedom and tolerance, I'm all about supporting the Contemporary Christian format (in spirit, anyway, cause they ain't getting my money!) I am merely saddened that Jesus's glory, which matters not one bit in my life, is apparently costing me the one and only broadcast outlet of truly cultured and refined music in St. Louis.
That, and its another piece of my childhood falling before the forces of greed.
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| Generics Part Two |
[Oct. 6th, 2009|11:01 am] |
Referencing a previous post here, I raised some concerns about generic forms of popular medications. I would be remiss if I did not follow up with more information.
My doctor is 100% confident in the generic form of my own medication. I spoke to a pharmacist and she is also 100% confident. According to other medical professionals who have responded to my question and that article, the primary concern of generics is the effectiveness of the time-release medium and possibly an allergic reaction to the medium and not the medicine itself. The medicine itself is IDENTICAL.
What's more, many prescription plans only allow generics. If you need a medicine and generic is all you can get, it would be irresponsible to refuse it.
I'm not dismissing the article itself because it does raise some valid concerns. If you CAN get the brand name, by all means, DO SO.
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| Archon 33 |
[Oct. 4th, 2009|05:22 pm] |
And so it passes. Archon 33. I would have to say this was the most personally rewarding convention I've attended. I attended some excellent panels, participated in a great masquerade as well as a fun little steampunk fashion show, danced and drank and schmoozed and met some awesome people and...
Pictures coming soon. Also, I would greatly appreciate any photos of my own costuming if y'all have any.
Farewell, Collinsville. Next year, WESTPORT!!! |
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