This popped up on the blogosphere (god, I HATE that word) a few days ago. Looked like a viral video for some sort of game. Now iO9 is reporting that it is real, but no one can seem to agree on WHAT it is. And that it is inside a private property’s drainage system that the local government has no jurisdiction over. Awesome!
Maybe it’s the herald of something horrible.
This explains EVERYTHING!
I mean, who’d of thought that Micheal Bay was a cinematic GENIUS?!?!?!
Favorite Quote:
So LaBoeuf, who’s actually a fine actor, is the stand-in for the male viewers’ greatest fears about themselves. No matter how great a loser they might be, they can’t be as losery a loser as Sam Witwicky. And yet, Sam has awesome giant robots stomping around telling him he’s the most important awesome person ever. And he has the hottest girlfriend in the universe, Megan Fox, for whom banality is a huge aphrodisiac. The more pathetic Sam gets, the more Fox’s lips pout and her nipples point, like little Irish setters.
I am so excited to go see this movie now!!
Life has been lining up a series of curveballs for me lately. None have been thrown, but I can see the signs. I’m sure I can handle any of them that come my way. That doesn’t mean they won’t make a strike on me, it just means that none of them are going to bean me. It’ll take a good bit of luck for me to connect with any of them (should they be thrown) and handle them.
Problem is, my automatic defense mechanism for this situation is to stop caring…..and THAT is a very dangerous situation indeed. I already have some deep seeded worries about my empathetic algorithms (topic for another time perhaps) and this whole not caring attitude I have won’t help.
For right now I am holding down the fort and handling it as best I can, but there are definite cracks in the foundation. The kind to worry about.
A really cool Flickr set. Check out the Critter and toys section for some laughs.
Apparently M. Night Shyamalan is making a live action version of The Last Airbender, which was big with the kids and comic nerds apparently. I actually caught some of it one day while channel surfing, and it was pretty impressive.
Anyway, the guys at Penny Arcade have made a comic about it, and all the funny is in the first panel.
I had a laugh, so might you, but probably not, because you’re dead inside. And yes I do believe I abused the comma in that last sentence. You’re Welcome.
I don’t know where I read or heard this statement (as it is not my own), but when the economy/political state/world start to look bad, it seems a whole new generation finds their way to Atlas Shrugged and the sales for that book skyrocket.
And since this statement came before me, I have seen a ton of young adults (men and women) reading it on the subway. Mostly hipsters as well. Skinny jeans, big glasses, snarky 80’s reference/thrift store t-shirt, whacky 80’s accessory, even whackier shoes. I have yet to see some one in a suit or business casual dress reading it. Maybe because these folks are too busying working to sit down with that behemoth and read it.
A few disclaimers before I continue. First off, hipsters bug me in the HULK SMASH! primal way. The undeserved elitist/better then others attitude and stupid clothes do it for me. I cannot count how many times one of these freaks stands RIGHT IN MY WAY when I am trying to get of the subway. I make sure to throw a bit of an elbow each time, harder if I am in a particularly cranky mood.
Secondly, I have never read it myself. I thought about it, then went to Wikipedia to get the gist of it. I read about Rand and the book and decided it was not for me. I got the sense that it was an ENTIRE book of elitist/better than others attitude.
Thirdly, I find Objectivism to be a selfish and cruel joke on humanity. If you do not adhere to the idea that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one, then you do humanity as a whole no good. I am not saying that Socialism or Communism is the way to go, all I am saying is that the balls to the wall capitalism that Objectivism represents isn’t right either. In fact, there isn’t an ism out there that has been useful yet.
And finally, the kind of intellectuals in this book, that give up on society and go hide, are not the kind of intellectuals the world needs. And I am not one of those meatheads that thinks ALL intellectuals should go. The intellectuals the world needs are the ones that will continue to fight, continue to work, and continue to believe in humanity. No matter how many religious/populist/hateful nutjubs come at them. The MOMENT you stop fighting is the MOMENT you die. These elitist douche bags that up and decide that the world cannot survive without them and decide to go hide in a secret place until they can come back out and create an utopia for themselves are the kind of douche bags that can die in a fiery rollover. We don’t need you, you’re just dead weight to carry and you’ll be just as fucking worthless when things get fixed as you are now. Get a shovel and start digging or get the fuck off the worksite.
An Aside: The idea for this post has been in my head since yesterday, and even I had no idea it would come out with such teeth. 
Where was I? Oh yeah….
So anyway, when I see some one with the book I have the following thoughts in order:
This is just one of those things that the cynical side of me, the one closest to the surface right now, finds amusing.
Now, I’m not saying I am right to feel this way or that anyone else should feel this way either. In fact I can be wrong. I have been before, I will be again. I am man enough, and intellectual enough, to admit that.
I might decide to sit down with this book, read it in one sitting, have an epiphany, and save the fucking planet all by my lonesome. Or, I might listen to an Objectivist/Libertarian, have an epiphany, have my ‘Come to Jesus’ moment, become a card carrying member, and save the fucking planet.
But, more than likely, I’m right, and these folks are a waste of air. They can sit there and argue about it, but in the end they look like a bunch of emaciated stray dogs fighting over a piece of garbage; No matter who wins, they’re gonna end up getting hit by a car at some point and be dead on the side of the road.
If you want to read a bit of fiction in this uncertain times, read about the Gunslinger. The world could use more of them, that’s for sure.
Original link from Astatine. Credit where credit is due .
And Finally, my top 5 Character Strengths
Your Top Character Strength
Capacity to love and be loved
You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.Your Second Character Strength
Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.Your Third Character Strength
Fairness, equity, and justice
Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.Your Fourth Character Strength
Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty
You excel as a member of a group. You are a loyal and dedicated teammate, you always do your share, and you work hard for the success of your group.Your Fifth Character Strength
Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.
Basically, I’m a big ‘ol hippie panda bear. I say panda, because the 5th character strength (last of the top 5) reminds me of a Chinese monk sitting atop a mountain, that people come and ask questions to. That works for me.
The other 19 after the jump.
Read more…
I had this whole big post written about it using the QuickPost option in the WP dashboard, but then it borked out and I lost the whole damn thing….I’m just a little bit pissed because I thought it was some really good writing.
Now you get the summary. It was awesome and strange at the same time. There was the time difference (which I had hard time wrapping my head around) and the cultural differences, but at the same time the striking similarities. If you removed the signage on the roads and buildings, it could have been a Midwestern US city with a smog problem. And the way that the progress is happening as the locals hang on to traditions is amazing. Imagine a donkey pulled cart loaded with goods waiting next to a 2009 Mercedes at the same red light.
I really enjoyed it, even though I didn’t have the ‘down and dirty’ cultural experience that you see on those travel channel shows.
I can imagine myself living there, and would jump at the opportunity to if it should ever arise.