Bad blogger!

Sorry for the dearth of posting lately. Work's starting to pick back up again (remember March and April?), the Braves are winning and I'm trying to get ready to DM our next campaign (including building out the dungeon using Hirst Arts molds). Actually, Sean wants me to blog about the dungeon building. Maybe I should post about that.

I have continued my reading (finished The Traveler and A Spectacle of Corruption and mostly through the new Harry Potter) and will post about that soon.

I've been thinking lately about my lack of posting. I think it's based in my tendency to be a listener rather than a speaker. I know most people have heard the old axiom: "Better to keep silent and have others think one a fool than speak and prove them right." Or, "God gave you two ears and one mouth, you do the math." I've always tended to listen to other more than speak unless drunk - then I get all talky. Translated into the web world, I tend to read a lot of other people's work rather than write my own. This habit has nothing to do with my perceived value of my work and writing versus others, simply that I'd rather read others thoughts than write out my own. I will say this, though: I rarely read someone's blog more than once if I don't see value in their writing. And just because I don't post or comment on another's blog doesn't mean I don't agree or feel they have something of worth to say. I suppose what I'm trying to say is: Shakes, 1031, Pam, John and all the rest, I enjoy reading your thoughts each day. Even if I don't always explicitly say so or respond. So keep up the good work, all.

First

That's right. Back in our accustomed spot.

Time to re-evaluate

The Irish Examiner reports that a new treaty between Ireland and the US will allow the US to practice its illegal investigatory habits in that country. The treaty allows the US to ask Irish authorities to

To track down people in Ireland.

Transfer prisoners in Irish custody to the US.

Carry out searches and seize evidence on behalf of the US Government.

It also allows US authorities access to an Irish suspect's confidential bank information. The Irish authorities must keep all these activities secret if asked to do so by the US.

Ireland was one of the countries I had picked out to emigrate to if it all goes bad here, dangit. Now I'll have to pick a new homeland.

McSweeney's Bush Jokes

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Although I Like a Good George W. Bush Joke as Much as the Next Guy, Some of Them Seem Gratuitous and Mean-Spirited.

Q: What do you get when you cross an elephant and a rhino?

A: I'm not sure, but if the answer is "A cure for Parkinson's disease," then Bush will try to stop scientists from breeding them. Because he likes it when people get Parkinson's.

RIP, Miracle Worker

James "Scotty" Doohan died today. Aside from being the world's most famous engineer, he was also a war hero:

At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. "The sea was rough," he recalled. "We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans."

The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease.

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites. Sweet coolness. Happy Moon Day!

Today's Quote

From A Word A Day's 7/8 email:

The most tyrannical of governments are those which make crimes of opinions, for everyone has an inalienable right to his thoughts. -Baruch Spinoza, philosopher (1632-1677)

New Music Alert

The Pixies are recording another album! The first since Trompe Le Monde in '91. Woo hoo! The wife and I saw them last fall when they came through - great show.

My Left Wing

My Left Wing :: A Liberal Translation. A new community blog - liberally minded, but not Democratic Party-affiliated. Interesting. I'll be reading it and you should too. Read the manifesto to see what it's all about.

Fainting Goats

It's not dead! Really! This is what happens when Myotonic Goats get scared.
This is for real. Here's a video.

via Fazed.

What If

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Campaign-Trail Quotes From George W. Bush, If He Were Running for President in 1848.

"Today I call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of a white man and white woman as husband and wife."

Just Because

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: From the Prog Rock Ice Cream Shoppe: Flavors Inspired by a Certain Canadian Power Trio.

Long Distance Dedication

We signed up to XM Radio a couple of months ago and have been tickled pink with it. It's like discovering music all over again. Plus, they broadcast every stage of Live 8, no MTV-like interruptions. I've been meaning to write about how cool it is, but tonight forced my hand. One of the stations is called "Fred" and plays Deep Alternative: imagine the coolest college rock station (WRVU for those who didn't have local college rock) from 1986 and triple its coolness factor. That's Fred. Anyway, I'm listening to it, getting ready to work on some hobby crap when a Smiths song comes on: Shakespeare's Sister. So I had to post and tell the story. If you like music, you'll love XM.

Rollins Reacts

...BUSH IS A COWARD AND A LIAR AND THOSE WHO VOTED FOR HIM ARE PART OF A VERY BAD PROBLEM. THAT THE FOX NEWS CHANNEL IS A BUNCH OF SISSIES WHO CAN'T TAKE A PUNCH...

via Pam

Maintenance: Local Links

Removed The World Around You as they've become defunct, though they're still a good source of links. Changed Liberty Flash to Alabamians for Caring Use since they've redirected and focused their efforts on legalizing medical marijuana use. Added The Locust Fork and Red State Diaries (Red State's had me linked for a while - sorry it took so long for a reciprocal). Visit and enjoy!

London

I feel like I need to say something about what happened yesterday in London, but I don't know what. It was a terrible thing to happen and unfortunately inevitable. The West is trying to win the "War on Terror" using conventional means - boots on the ground, airstrikes, etc. That's not how the game is played anymore. Over at Defense and the National interest, they talk about 4th Generation warfare - insurgency warfare. While we're trying to control territory (Iraq, Afganistan) - they're trying to control minds, both of the Muslim world and of US and UK (and other Western) citizens. Guess who's winning so far?

ZOMBIES!

Ho. Lee. Crap. This is frickin' funny. Don't miss the entire set.

Sean suggests we start a viral (hehe) campaign where we track down various SCA groups, dress up as different D&D mooks and attack. Wandering monsters, indeed.

Via BoingBoing, where else?

Liberals: Endangered Species?

Not yet, at least. But Orcinus has a compelling argument that they (we) may be soon enough.

Books: Royal Flash

Finished Royal Flash, the second in the Flashman series of books. Shakespeare's Sister recommended this series to me, and I'm glad she did. As I've said before, this is not a series for the easily offended. This book covers Flashy's adventures in 1844 and 1848 and revolves around (among others) Otto Bismark. For those of you who slept through World History, 1848 was the Year of Revolution in Europe and Flashman is square in the middle of the shitstorm. Revolutions and revolts broke out throughout the continent. After finishing this book, I'm tempted to read The Age of Revolution by Eric Hobsbawm. I picked this one up back during college but never got around to reading it. Maybe now I shall, but not next. I've read the first few pages of Spectacle of Corruption; good, but a little too similar to what I've been gorging on lately. A friend loaned me the first Drizzt Do'Urden trilogy. It promises to be a light bite, but again I don't think I'm quite in the mood. A co-worker loaned The Immense Journey, of which I've read the first couple of chapters. I'm not sure what I think of it so far, but it's interesting enough to keep going. However, I just went to the bookstore tonight (recipe for disaster!) and picked up another four: The Historian [Elizabeth Kostova], The Traveler [John Twelve Hawks], Night Watch [Terry Prachett] and Baudolino [Umberto Eco]. I've heard good things about The Traveler (including from you, 1031), so I think I'll start there.