Video { Colbert Round-up

Colbert interviews Richard Dawkins:


Colbert on the O'Reilly factor:

Priorities { I alternate between sickness and sadness

What 1.2 Trillion Can Buy

Look at all the good we could be doing. Look at how little it takes to change lives. Now consider how we're just pissing away this potential to be a force for good.

Politics { Barack Obama announce plans to run for President

This was a hope of mine come true.

Dennis Kuicinich has also announced.

The Democrats would be insane not to back Obama. They need to get off this Clinton kick.

WoW { Impressions of 'The Burning Crusade' expansion pack

Queue position 559, calculating remaining time...

*Update, finally got in, and after a bit of searching found the portal to Silvermoon City from the Undercity...they gave me a welcome

*Update 2, mass exodus of Alliance to Horde for Blood Elves, might as well now call this game Elfcraft. At least on my server. 80% of them are Paladins too.

Musings/Numbers { Zero(0)

Zero.

One of the most absolute of all numbers.

It was not the first number created by humans (it took Persian mathematicians).

It is the most powerful of all numbers.

It is neither positive, or negative.

Zero divided by any number equals zero. (0/x)=0

Any number divided by zero does not exist. (X/0)=??? [does not compute]

Any number, including infinity, multiplied by zero, equals zero. (X*0)=0.

It adds nor subtracts anything to any number in which is put against. (X+0)=X, (Y-0)=Y

But, if you subtract a number from zero, or add for that matter, it changes. (0+X)=X, (0-Y)=-Y

It is nothing, but still something.

0C is the freezing point of water, while 0F is well below the freezing point.

At 0K all motion ceases. Absolute Zero is the terminus of existence.

0 is not arbitrary, yet an infinite number of zeros exist between it and any given number. Infinity is compressed between the zero of any number, except the single zero 0 that is the absolute.

Thoughtcrime { Never ending war, never ending enemies, Orwellian state

I started seeing more and more of this popping up since Wednesday, the idea the Bush is advocating a war (or at least armed conflict with Iran).

here which links to here. (and here and here)

In the past I would have considered this merely posturing for Iran's sake to say we are serious about their nuclear ambitions, but now I am not so sure.

I use this to illustrate the increasing parallels with Orwell's 1984. Its becoming less a work of fiction and almost a work of history and history in the making.

We are not at war with Iraq. We are at war with Iran. We have always been at war with Iran.

"We've always been at war with Eastasia." - 1984

How soon till we start having 'Hate Week'?

How soon until they come for me? I'm a liberal, I've committed thoughtcrimes.

We already have groups taking advantage of the climate created by this Administration in America and abroad to advance their own agendas (in some cases they are even supported by Bush). We have those who used to be marginalized and written off as extremists now garnering more attention than they ever should and taking advantage of the intellectual and informational monopolies to spout forth hateful rhetoric (again see my previous post about hateful nut-jobs). I feel my place in this society eroding. Not just economically, but politically and intellectually.

The turn of events last November had given me some hope. But listening to the fence jumping, and the rhetoric coming from Capitol Hill this last week leaves me with less a feeling of actual change (and choice) but more an illusion of change/choice. The parrots and puppets are still there. Their apparent pandering is not action. Bush does not, as Commander-in-Chief have to listen to them. They don't have the stones to cut the budget. They won't impeach or make any kind of binding punishment. The House's attempt at enacting domestic social change (minimum wage increase, Medicare negotiations, ethics reform, stem cell research) are very good ideas, but this is more show. They will be hard to get through the Senate, and Bush has already said he will veto (stem cell research, Medicare negotiations).

One of the principle themes of the Matrix movies was the illusion of free will and choice. I enjoy it as fiction, I do not in my society.

What can be done? At this point I don't know. 2008 is close, but none of the people who have announced Presidential aspirations (either side) give me any hope, with the exception of Barack Obama, I would get behind him. Coleman is on the hot-seat. Pawlenty has done an about face on a lot of stances lately since November. This gives me a little hope that Minnesota will once again become solidly blue.

But, politicians are politicians. I seriously doubt this Congress will take Bush and his Administration up on investigation or charges of any kind anymore than the last one did (they make talk about it, but talk is not action). We'll see. I hope I am wrong.

in memoriam { Robert Anton Wilson

Hail Eris!

One of the funniest, smartest, most subversive minds of the last century died yesterday.

Robert Anton Wilson
1932-01-18 to 2007-01-11

Robert Anton and Arlen Riley Wilson webpages
Robert Anton Wilson blog
Robert Anton Wilson's books

fnord

Casual Friday { Muggles, Struggles, and Fuggles

Harry Potter amd the Order of the Phoenix trailer. I a eagerly await this movie:

WoW { Version 2.0.3 released

The expansion comes out next week but the patch to prepare for it is here.

Lots of good stuff and lots of good fixes. They still haven't fixed the Rogue stealth animation, but hey my talent points are refunded so I can re-do them without paying 25g.

Oh, and here is what I blew my other 100g on:

War { Semantics and Failure

SURGE

escalate /"EskleIt/
v.t. & i. (Cause to) increase or develop, esp. by successive stages.

Throwing more bodies at a problem we likely cannot fix is not acceptable.
We have ALREADY LOST the war in Iraq.
Civil war is inevitable.
The U.S. Military sucks at 'nation building'.
Bush is ignoring the advice of nearly every informed expert.
The Democrats are slitting their own wrists by refusing to cut off funding to the war or impeach Bush and Cheney. Congress: quit enabling quagmire ala Vietnam in Southwest Asia.
The U.S. troops and Iraqis are dying.

If this cannot be stopped by our government then our government is fundamentally broken by logisitics and by corruption.

Hilarity Ensuing { Disney Characters + Teenagers

You can't tell me the teen probably didn't have it coming.

I've been to Disneyland, I've seen what they do to those people in costume.

Vitriolic Idiocy { Right-Wing Nutjobs and Talk-Show hosts

Wow. Just wow. Listen to some of these clips.

Sadly, I am not surprised.

Casual Friday { Coffee with a distinct flavor of bacon

This morning when I took the first sip of my morning coffee, I could swear I tasted the subtle meaty hints of bacon...mmm...bacon. This sensation continued through the first half-dozen sips, finally washing away. Could this be why I like this coffee from this specific place so much? Or is it a symptom of something I should be wary of, a sensory hallucination. Perhaps the pastry I was nibbling on with the coffee was cooked with lard (or bacon grease). But this sensation set me adrift down memory lane (something I've heard is that tastes, smells and sounds can invoke powerful memories) on a meat filled excursion through my past. My conclusion is that I've eaten a lot of meat, and the meat tastes good.

Politics { Call Whine-One-One

The Republicans need the Whaaaaambulance. Why? They're worried the Democrats will treat them like they treated the Democrats. They should be worried. Unfortunately what comes around goes around. They can't expect the last 12 years to go away. While I support the parties working together, it just won't work, and the plans the Democrats have for the next 100 hours are good and I would like to see action on them. I hope, but doubt, a lesson is learned. You won't always be in power and the pendulum can swing fast.

Thank You { Highway Snowplow Drivers

Thank you for working on the holiday and enabling us to make it home.

Minnesotans are in debt to your tireless efforts.