Category: Real News

Un poco de esto, un poco de ése

Someone’s about to get pounded, and it’s not the poor soul on the right.  He’s got a pocket force field that rebounds with force x 10.
[Anyone know the story of this dealie? Found here.]

Meanwhile, on a brighter note, the esteemed GE Eagle Esq pointed us to a link on the Beeb:  Raccoons eating “ice lollies.” Can’t embed that one, but it’s cute.

Sea Lion Newport Beach_KTLA 010709

But the UK’s got nothing on US.  Here’s the story from yesterday.  A juvy sea lion with an attitude was captured in Newport Beach, California,  after attempting to pirate a boat, terrorizing children, and refusing to leave the dock.

The sea lion was captured by the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol, maneuvered into the fireboat, but it apparently evaded the crew and took the emergency helm in a last ditch effort to humiliate his human captors.  Turned on the sirens, honked the horn, put the vessel in reverse and cranked the throttle to full speed. [Full story here.]

Finally, there’s this, crossposted at Amy Oops:

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Lessee, they’ve now got it turned up to 62, 66 & 61 respectively. I had to look at it, so now its you’re turn. Note that the one on the right is also the 5th Baron Haden-Guest, and is still married to Jamie Lee Curtis.  [Spinal Tap ReOnion pic from here.]

Big ‘ol honkin’ Earth Fart is related to Dolphins.

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Matua Island, MFN* (Strutts News Services) – It happens:

“This detailed astronaut photograph is exciting to volcanologists because it captures several phenomena that occur during the earliest stages of an explosive volcanic eruption. The main column is one of a series of plumes that rose above Matua Island on June 12. The plume appears to be a combination of brown ash and white steam. The vigorously rising plume gives the steam a bubble-like appearance. The eruption cleared a circle in the cloud deck. The clearing may result from the shockwave from the eruption or from sinking air around the eruption plume: as the plume rises, air flows down around the sides like water flowing off the back of a surfacing dolphin. As air sinks, it tends to warm and expand; clouds in the air evaporate.”

The phrase, “detailed astronaut photograph,” disturbs some folks, as there is no astronaut, detailed or otherwise, in the image.  Assuming there was such an entity, and that the image was indeed captured via a detailed astronaut, there are many unanswered questions that need to be answered or otherwise ignored.  For example:

Matua IslandWhich way was this “detailed astronaut”  being pointed when the picture was taken? What size mm lens, what film speed (400 ASA or greater?) and what was his/her f-stop setting?  Where was this detailed astronaut’s aperature located?  Who aimed the astronaut?  How on earth did he/she control the shutter speed?

Regardless, it’s a cool photo.

[Found here. Tip o’ the tarboosh to cbullitt. Related post here.]

*Middle of Freakin’ Nowhere.

[UPDATE: THERE’S VIDEO!]

Prince Charles Hearts the Bunnyman

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[Found here.]

That’s A Lot of Labor

Found this headline on Drudge a few minutes ago.

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Here’s the blowup:

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That was a long ride.  Obviously the mother didn’t have the fare...

Czeers!

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No, I didn’t bother to run the post through babelflush, or the google translaughter.  I can only imagine what it says, and it probably has to do with ferrets, canned yams and batman underwear.  Since most of you are just messing around at work (I know this;  I read the traffic patterns) click the link and gimme a reasonable translation.

[Original image from the great and wonderful Halbot, and, yes, I know it has nothing to do about me… or does it?]

[Related video here.]

Live GeograFAIL.

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[via]

Milton Friedman’s Brilliance

Folks–

Pip2Occasionally I’ve commented on a few of your websites, in response to conjecture and political opinion pieces on government economics, welfare, and socialism.  I’m not going to name names;  most of ya’ll are blogging friends, and you already know who you are.  Most of you already know where I stand, as I don’t hide it very well…

I don’t pretend to hide it either.

To our other silent but loyal readers:  It doesn’t matter what I say on someone else’s blog, whether agreeing or disagreeing, venting, castigating, or just having fun.  It’s my opinion, and it’s very very true.

I stand by my worms.

Although I’ve posted Utoobage links to Milton Friedman before, I hadn’t seen this one until tonight.  It’s not a stretch of the imagination that eventually the videos of Friedman’s astute simple logic may soon be banned as “hate speech.”

Note that he rarely referred to his notes, and didn’t need a teleprompter to convey his ideas.  He didn’t need them because he described simple basic truths backed up with historical fact.

Drop your preconceived notions at the door, and listen to what Friedman said, especially as it pertains to our present circumstances.  He spoke volumes of logic in this interview with Richard Heffner of Rutgers University on “Open Mind,” a program that aired in 1975:

Friedman was a prescient genius. Full transcript below the break.

Continue reading “Milton Friedman’s Brilliance”

Ghost Riders in the Hot Links

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Cool social experiment: Tweenbots [found here].

Let’s make some Zen music.

Serious 3D total immersion video here.  The eyes override the brain.

What type of Web Commenter are YOU?  Descriptions here.  (As for me, you already know.)

Learn a new language here.

Some things you can’t “unclick” and there’s a big fat honkin’ one here.

Rockhoppers got their webcam back up and running.  YAY!

Buncha Buildings Bein’ Blowed-up here.

American ancestry brief from the 2000 census (via this excellent website). Interesting that the largest percentage, 1 in 6, described their ancestry as German.  When asked, I usually describe myself as European Mutt.

The New Yorker Magazine cartoon caption contest can always be answered with “[this].”

Nice tasty archive of linkages here.

Teh Fairies Debate parleys on.  Over 1,500 delightful educated comments for your perusal.

Seven questions about drinking water here.

And a cordial reminder:  Mother’s Day does not mean “Be a Pain in the Butt Day.”

A Nice Country Village by the Sea

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Some day, when my kids are grown and on their own, and I’m looking for a place to retire with the lovely and gracious Mrs. Strutts,  I’d like a nice country village in a temperate climate, maybe near the ocean.  A place to let the world pass by without traffic, without paved roads, without telemarketers.

tristan_da_cunha4A place I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted;  stay up late and sleep in as long as I liked.  And blog via satellite.

Maybe set up a little bed and breakfast stop for tourists and travellers, with a wine and cheese shop with tacky homemade postcards and hand-screened purple t-shirts. Maybe a place like this.  Or not. Click here, or click the top image, then zoom out.

[Link found at this amazing site.]

Saturday Matinee: Wolf vs. Pig, The Wrecking Crew, Tommy Tedesco, Lightnin’ Hopkins and John Prine

This trippy oddness was found here.  Kinda long, but somebody put a lot of time into it.  The result is excellent.

Here’s a trailer for an unreleased documentary.  The Wrecking Crew was a band you’ve never heard of, but you’ve heard ’em.

Tommy Tedesco was a member of The Wrecking Crew, and was probably the most talented session guitarist ever. He was certainly the most recorded one.

Lightnin’ Hopkins.  How many POS bands covered this great song?

It’s getting late, so here’s John Prine, live at the kitchen table. I miss nights like that.

[Bonus below the break.  I’m gonna break the G-rating just this once, only because I think it’s funny.  Kids, bring your dad in before you click on it, have him read this caveat, and you won’t get into trouble.  I’ll take the blame, and I promise I won’t do it again as far as he knows.]

Continue reading “Saturday Matinee: Wolf vs. Pig, The Wrecking Crew, Tommy Tedesco, Lightnin’ Hopkins and John Prine”