Wednesday, October 15, 2014

I'm Back! What'd I Miss?

Oh, a lot?

First, another Republican went on record urging sedition:




I have a question for all my friends who have served or are currently serving in our military … having not put on a uniform nor taken any type military oath, there has to be something that I am just not aware of. But I cannot and do not understand why no action is being taken against our domestic enemy. I know he is supposedly the commander in chief, but the Constitution gives you the authority. What am I missing? Thank you for your bravery and may God keep you safe,”[Debbie] Dunnegan said in her post from early last week


Wow, that's really even so much worse than the last couple of sedition-promoting Republicans.
At least when Brian Kilmeade suggested that generals "put their stars on the table and walk out" on the President, he didn't pretend that the Constitution granted them the authority to "take action against" their Commander in Chief.
I'd really like to know what part of the Constitution this nutter thinks gives the military the authority to "take action against" any US citizen, let alone the President!

In other news, these guys are actual, honest-to-God, members of the United Staes Congress:

Rep. Steve Stockman Wonders If Obama Is Using Ebola To Take Over Government


How is that a thing that a sane person would wonder? How is it possible that, instead of  standing on a milk crate with a bullhorn, on La Cienega this man is a member of the United States Congress?

Rep. Steve Stockman yesterday chatted with End Times broadcaster Rick Wiles, telling the “Trunews” host that President Obama may be delaying the government response to the Ebola epidemic because he wants the virus to spread. Once it spreads, Stockman argued, then Obama will use the Ebola outbreak as a justification to declare emergency powers.
The Republican lawmaker insisted that was simply just asking the question: “It’s just bizarre there’s not enough action up front and I’m wondering if that’s — I’m not saying this — but I’m wondering if that’s intentional in order to create a greater crisis to use it as a blunt force to say, well in order to solve this crisis we’re going to have to take control of the economy and individuals and so forth.”

How would that even work? How would an outbreak of Ebola (which is NOT going to happen, no matter tepid the response) lead to a takeover of the economy? I mean, sure, of course we'd all be herded into FEMA camps and of course they'd take all our guns away, but how would a takeover of the economy be justified? Like "My fellow Americans, there is a horrible epidemic of a hellacious disease, so I have no choice but to declare that all the monies now goes to me?" It doesn't make sense.

 
 
Stockman 2014!


But as insane as that is, at least it's not just a blatant lie:

 
Rep. Duncan Hunter Claims 'At Least' 10 ISIS Fighters Apprehended On Texas Border 

 The San Diego Republican said U.S. Border Patrol "sources" told him that "at least 10 ISIS fighters have been caught coming across the Mexican border in Texas."





 Why was I not informed of this?
Why was everyone not informed of this?
Why would they keep this secret?
Why would the border patrol not be screaming from the rooftops "we need more funding! We need more cool tanks and shit! ISIS is coming!"?
Because, of course that's exactly what would happen if there were any tiny little modicum of truth to this. Border Patrol, the CIA, the FBI, the Military, they would all be trumpeting this new threat to our safety.

"ISIS doesn’t have a navy, they don’t have an air force, they don’t have nuclear weapons," he added. "The only way that ISIS is going to harm Americans is by coming through the southern border -- which they already have."


They have no airplanes, they have no boats, yet they are able to get from Syria to fucking Mexico?!?!
Damn, that is scary!


"If you really want to protect Americans from ISIS, you secure the southern border -- it’s that simple," he said. "They caught them at the border, therefore we know that ISIS is coming across the border. If they catch five or 10 of them then you know there’s going to be dozens more that did not get caught by the border patrol," he said on Fox News’ "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."



How is it that you're just allowed to go on TV and just blatantly lie like that? It's one thing for nut jobs like Gohmert or Steve King to worry about how terrorist theoretically could go to Mexico and then sneak across the border and then kill us all in our sleep!!!! but to sit there and say that this has actually happened? How do you get away with this shit?

Oh, well it is FOX. I mean, it's not like a legitimate news source would allow him to . . .


ABC Gives Rep. Hunter A Pass For Lying About ISIS On The Southern Border

 
The pundits on This Week refused to call Rep. Duncan a liar for his evidence-free claim that ISIS members had been apprehended at our southern border.





 
Oh, Jesus Christ!





And speaking of legitimate journalists. . .


October 15, 2014, 11:32 am
Chuck Todd 'sick' to be in McConnell ad


A new ad released Tuesday for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) uses Todd's comments last week that McConnell's challenger, Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes, "disqualified herself" by refusing to say if she voted for President Obama
.

Wow. Really, it just makes you sick, does it? Maybe if you had done your "job" as an "impartial" "journalsit" instead of going on to Morning Joe to offer your stupid, shitty opinion about who should and shouldn't be running, this wouldn't happen. No one is going to put you in their ad if you're saying "recent polls show McConnell and Grimes running neck and neck" or whatever. When you go on tv to basically endorse one candidate over another, you've pretty much already done an ad for McConnell, you hack.


Is there more? I'm sure there's plenty more, but the game is starting.


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Fuck St. Louis!

So the St. Louis Cardinals fans were caught being total dicks the other day:

St. Louis Cardinals Fans Chant ‘Let’s Go Darren’ At Ferguson Protesters Outside Playoff Game

Posted on  


 Which really made this seem even dumber:

St. Louis to America: Don’t Be Jealous

Mayor of St. Louis Responds to the Cardinals Being Called ‘Hateable’

Yes, the mayor of St. Louis, the town which elected a mayor who doesn't know the difference between "jealous" and "envious."

This was apparently written in response to a Wall St Journal article which named the St. Louis Cardinals the most "hateable" team in baseball which is absurd, because I hate the Cardinals and I can think of at least three teams I hate more than I hate them, but whatever. Let's see why the mayor thinks we may be "jealous" of St. Louis.


You see, while you might think of St. Louis as flyover country and not pay us much due, we’re kind of a big deal come October on Major League Baseball diamonds. In fact, we’re kind of a big deal for a number of reasons.

Ooh, "kind of a big deal!" Wat yo keep those pop-culture references current!

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Thus, I feel compelled to deliver a simple message to America: We’re sorry.
Sure, we’re sorry the Cardinals have won 11 World Series championships, two since 2006. But there’s much, much more for which we owe all of you a heartfelt apology.
Indeed, we’re sorry that New York and San Francisco are 2.3 times and 1.7 times respectively more expensive to live in than the St. Louis metro area.

Okay, and I'm sorry that New York and San Francisco are 23. and 1.7 times more desirable places to live than St. Louis apparently. I mean, you know how the market works, right? If a lot of people want to live in a place, that place becomes more expensive? Supply and demand? 

Oh  and also, since 2006 , the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox have also won 2 Woirld Series championships apiece, so maybe it's not that big a deal?

We’re sorry for producing one of the world’s best-selling batteries (Energizer) and two of the 10 best-selling beers in the world—Budweiser and Bud Light.

Oh, I didn't realize that you produced piss water and slightly less flavorful piss water there in your fine city. Gee, I wish San Francisco had something to stack up against. . . oh, wait!

 http://hoppynomad.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Anchor-Steam.jpg
Hmm, how many American beers made the list of "World Classics" in Micheal Jackson's (not that Micheal Jackson) Pocket Guide to Beer?
The 2000 list included six American beers: Anchor Steam, Anchor Liberty Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Alaskan Smoked Porter and Celis White (on its last legs in Texas).
 http://beernexus.com/images/Michael_Jackson_1_.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ulw5Am46L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU03_.jpg
 (This Micheal Jackson)

We’re sorry that the four largest metro areas in the nation lost nearly 25,000 financial-service jobs between January 2007 and September 2012, while St. Louis added more than 5,500 in the sector.


Ooh, more bankers! You must be very proud!

That guy Jon Hamm? Yeah, we’re sorry for raising him here and sending him out into the world for your entertainment delight.

Yeah, and then he went to Hollywood California so he could become an entertainer. Had he stayed in St. Louis he would have been known as that guy who performs 6 nights a week at Busch Gardens and gets laid an awful lot.

Let me just add this about that. I was born and raised in San Mateo, California. San Mateo produced Tom Brady, one of the finest quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL. And I promise you that there is absolutely no reason whatsoever that anyone should ever visit San Mateo, California unless maybe you're an insomniac looking for a cure. Having a famous accomplished person come from your town is no testament to the impressiveness of that town, especially if that person had to leave that town in order to become successfula and accomplished.

Also, St. Louis is a pretty big city. You've only produced one celebrity? I mean, my God, Concord, California doesn't even show up on a map of Concord, California and it produced Dave Brubeck, Tom Hanks and Mark Hamill! Step up your game there, St Louis!

We’re sorry for our diverse community in that more Bosnians—over 60,000—call St. Louis home than anywhere outside of Bosnia.
Wow. I don't know what's sadder, the fact that Bosnians are the only people in the world who would come to St. Louis and say "yes, this place is better than the place we left, let's stay here." Or the fact that that's what you consider "diversity."

http://www.pri.org/sites/default/files/migration/PriMigrationsDamanticWordpressAttachmentsImagesMigration/www.theworld.org/wp-content/uploads/RTX137WO.jpg  
Compared to this, St. Louis doesn't seem too bad!

 Geez, take a drive through LA someday. You'll see Ethiopian neighborhoods, Armenian neighborhoods, Korean neighborhoods, Chinese, Japanese, Samoan, Russian, Mexican, Salvadoran. . . Hell, in Houston, Texas not exactly known as an enclave of racial tolerance has more diversity. Just look at theis report from the Houston FOX affiliate:

Over 100 Languages in Houston

HOUSTON (FOX 26) -
Spanish, Vietnamese, Farsi, those are just a few of the 100 languages spoken throughout the city of Houston.

So that's what Houston fucking Texas brings to the table diversity-wise and you're going to sit thater going "a lot of our white guys come from Eastern Europe?"

We’re sorry for Forest Park, our beautiful 1,300-acre urban park comprises an award-winning zoo, science center, art and history museums, golf courses, ice rink and green space.

And I'm sorry that you never learned proper sentence structure. Also I'm sorry to have to tell you that pretty much every city has parks, zoos, museums and golf courses. The fact that you think this is something about which to brag just makes me feel sad for you.


We’re sorry for not only being home to 18 Fortune 1000 companies, but for developing one of the most promising and fastest-growing ecosystems for startups and entrepreneurs, delivering innovations that are being used by businesses and consumers world-wide. You know, like that pesky social-media platform Twitter (St. Louisan Jack Dorsey ) or credit-card processing device Square (St. Louisan Jim McKelvey).

Again, St. Louis is a pretty big city. Having a whopping 0.18% of the Fortune One Thousand (who knew it went up to 1000? most of us stopped paying attention after 500) hardly seems like that big an accomplishment. 

We’re sorry that at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Richard Blechynden served tea with ice, thus inventing iced tea (although not the rapper/actor Ice-T).

Oh my God, that was you? Oh, I take it all back then. If I knew that you were responsible for the brilliant innovation of adding ICE to a refreshing beverage, well. . . I just don't know what we would ever have done without the brilliant inventive mind of Richard Blechynden who was born on a tea plantation IN INDIA.


We are, in fact, actually kind of sorry that our state animal is the mule, but that’s another discussion for another day. The point is that we here in the Midwest are not a boastful people.

WHAT? You have literally spent the entire column boasting about the supposed virtues of your stupid city. (And somehow forgot to mention ribs, the only thing besides baseball you seem to be good at). You've done nothing but brag in that passive-aggressive Sarah Palin "sorry, not sorry" style that is usually reserved for rebellious teens. 

http://www.pastorbrianmoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/teenage-rebellion.jpg 

Geez, sorry I don't want to be Stepford wife and spit out a bunch of stupid babies! Sorry!

 
 We’re humble and quietly go about our business, inventing the things you use every day, entertaining you, finding employment for your citizens and handing you losses on the baseball field regularly. (We’re especially sorry to Chicago.)
Don’t hate us because we’re beautiful here in St. Louis. But if you do, just know that we’re sorry. Go Cards!
--Francis G. Slay is the mayor of St. Louis. 

You know what, Francis G, Slay? Fuck you and your phony aw-shucks humility. Fuck you and your entire fucking city. And especially fuck your stupid baseball team. You bastards are going down!

St. Louis Cardinal players line the dugout during Game 6 of the National League championship baseball series against the San Francisco Giants, Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012, in San Francisco. 

Remember this? Get used to a lot of this!



 http://giantspastandpresent.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Marco-Scutaro-drinking-in-raindrops-in-2012-NLCS-Game-7.jpg 

Ah, yes. The sweet taste of Cardinals tears!
 

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Atlanta Maker Faire

This weekend was, I believe, the third annual Maker Faire, a gathering of artisans and craftspeople from Atlanta and surrounding environs. I took a few pictures and some of them even came out okay. Here are a few



This is Kirigami, a variation on Origami in which you cut as well as fold the paper.

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This is a 3-d puzzle made of cut wood. I don't know if all the detail rwally shows in the picture, but there was a lot of detail.

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Kids preparing for a career in a Dickensian workhouse - I mean, learning how to use a loom.

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Blacksmithing demonstration

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This is an extremely complex um, thing. . . I don't know what t call it, but it's all powered by turning a handcrank. I have a short video clip which really shows how impressive it is, but Ihave to figure out how to upload it from my phone.

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Kids learning how to weave.


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The "un-lazy boy," a recumbent bike made out of a recliner.
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Which of course made me think of this:



Speaking of bikes, these are art bikes made by kids. There's a great story about the basketball hoop bike, remind me to tell you the basketball bike story.

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This one has a catapult mounted to the handlebars.
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These are personal human-powered submarines. The wooden one in the foreground swims like a stingray and goes about 2 mph. The fiberglass one in the background has a tail that moves back and forth propelling it forward like a fish at about 5mph. They are both powered by foot pedals.

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I forget the official name for this but it is essentially a fire oscilloscope. The play music into the tube and somehow the flames show the sound wave patterns.

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This is a working hovercraft powered by a leaf blower.

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Racing homemade go-karts
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This guy makes woodcuts, inks them and prints them on to T-shirts.

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This is from a Georgia Tech program aimed at getting kids interested in robotics.

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This is a different program. Kids are building Lego robots.


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Glass blowers

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Blown glass.

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More  blacksmithery.

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Ask Wesley Snipes

Mr. Snipes, what do you think about the National League playoffs?


https://38.media.tumblr.com/a97fc371b2dda42fbf5e57922883150e/tumblr_mhimwpZwV11s4ow77o1_400.gif




http://www.zdf.de/ZDF/zdfportal/blob/26221100/2/data.jpg

And Orange!