June 21, 2012

Google it, damn you!




http://www.zmescience.com/space/oldest-galaxy-in-universe-12-billion-years-old-432143/
The idea of a chronologically disparate universe interests me. If you could travel to this galaxy instantly and look at earth, you wouldn't see the earth as it is now. If light took 12 billion years to reach us, then our light took the same amount of time to reach that galaxy. You would have a window into the past of our galaxy.
What if you could do the reverse? What if, instead of seeing light from the beginning of the universe, you could see the darkness from the end?

I rewatched the Matrix recently, and something bugged me. After the first movie, Neo is set up as Jesus. His sacrifice is put up as an ad at the Superbowl about halfway through the second movie. It's weird, but I can deal with it. What bugs me is, with all the biblical references and half-assed philosophical ramblings, where is Neo's temptation? Christ spent some time with Big D in the desert, and Neo... nothing. Gets off without ever wanting to use his awesome powers just to smash an uppity mortal's face in. Even though it's the first (and for some, only) thing we'd think of, if put in the same situation. And since Neo is an Everyman (I hate the term, but he is) for the audience to project themselves onto, at least the desire to fuck things up should have been included.



Links

http://bustygirlcomics.com/post/25230152165/soup-shelf
I can (sort-of) relate, as a fat man. My shelf is my belly.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9314031/Man-jailed-after-bragging-I-think-I-got-away-with-it-on-Facebook.html#
It's hard to complain about an Orwellian surveillance state when they walk into it.

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/oregon-man-suffering-plague-critical-condition-article-1.1094782

Late facts: the bit about seeing the end of the universe is bullshit, but I still think it would be cool. Damn you, Science!

Super-late facts: I can eat six of the eight pieces of a large pizza. I finish the last two out of spite. 


June 16, 2012

I destroy my butt to bring you these stories

Wait, no.


Pay no attention to the bear behind the curtain

I changed jobs (sort of), and recording the podcast has changed. I'm trying to make it more streamlined, so I can say "I need this-this, that, done," rather than thinking up sixty things for the News, and no rants. Meanwhile, actually doing the podcast suffers a bit. I've set it up so I record the whole thing Wednesdays, but I'm still getting used to this schedule, so if my brain forgets and decides to dick around all day, nothing gets done. I'll have a story up later today, and podcastin' will resume next week, and in the meantime I wanted to talk to you about something important.

Superman

Superman has bugged me for a while. Batman knows all kinds of crazy bullshit ways to take down thugs. He can freeze 'em, gas 'em, karate-murder them or hit them with his car.
Superman can punch. He can't even punch well. All he has are haymakers, and he treats every enemy like a clumsy fat guy who can't help but wander into Superman's awkward thrusts. Worse, he's basically god and he has no experience being such; God, at least, knew how to make the cosmos before he started messing with the Jews. Which is, to be fair, kind of like applying to be a kindergarten teacher when your only experience is programming, but at least he had some experience. Superman knows how to farm. He can only stop crime that is right in front of him, because he never took Batman's Patented Detective Course. He probably murders half the purse-snatchers he stops, because he has the power of the sun and no concept of control. At least if he'd signed up for the Y karate class he might've learned not to put his fist through other people's chests.


May 12, 2012

Everything is terrible, forever

I did something terrible to Harry Potter.





I'm pretty sure Fred isn't a pedo. I still wouldn't trust anyone with such a van.

Late Facts: the new Batman arrives soon, so I'm watching the first two. Upon review, Begins is still a good movie, but not nearly as good as Dark Knight. Which makes the first time I am aware of that a movie is unfairly compared to its sequel. The two, despite both being made by the same goddam people, are just not in the same league. 

May 10, 2012

Let's take a vote









http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/05/us-usa-abortion-arizona-idUSBRE84402Y20120505

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/exptaking.htm

http://www.salon.com/2012/05/08/us_attack_kills_5_afghan_kids/singleton/?miaou2

http://www.mediaite.com/online/laura-ingraham-angers-fans-by-mocking-adults-who-go-to-the-avengers/
My favorite comment: "I always listen to your radio talk show but this really is uncalled for..." - FOX news can get away with a lot, but fuck with people's nerd shit and the torches come out.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/2012-vs-1984-young-adults-really-do-have-it-harder-today/article2425558/


I was going to do a long thing expounding on my theory about heroes and villains last week, but instead I am writing a short story for you on Saturday.

For YOOUUU.

Late Facts: Forgot North Carolina banned gay marriage. God bless these brave bastards for standing against the homosexual hordes, and let's take a moment of silence... for all those states (including: Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, D.C., Iowa, and Washington) which legalized gay marriage, and were subsequently swallowed up by Satan.

May 4, 2012

Villains are people too






 Links!
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Horowitz

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavoj_%C5%BDi%C5%BEek

http://assange.rt.com/horowitz-zizek-episode-two/ 
The second episode of Assange's show

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gTn323p-w8BJzR8bo9T-tD1jN78A?docId=CNG.ca8bef17738db813c03c40c8f4ba1ed3.321

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/04/discovery-channel-crashes-plane-for-documentary.html
Fuck planes

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/google-aware-of-data-scoop-20120429-1xsxx.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6uHR90Sq6k

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/05/20125315401489187.html

http://www.writingexcuses.com/2011/10/02/writing-excuses-6-18-hollywood-formula/


When villains are too evil

I first noticed this in The Cowboy Way. Woody Harrelson, Jack Bauer, and Winston Zeddimore are rescuing the daughter of an old friend. Said daughter has been kidnapped by a sweatshop owner who specialized in smuggling illegal aliens into New York and then enslaving them. At this point in the movie he's been brought low. His work is gone, he's been exposed, but he could get away and come back for revenge...

If he weren't so dedicated to hanging onto that one girl. He refuses to let her go, even after she becomes a liability. This is what I mean by villains needing their own goals, instead of just opposing the heroes. His goal is to get away, but since he's the bad guy he has to act stupidly evil.

The same is true for Gaston. When Maurice bursts in claiming Belle has been kidnapped by a Beast with huge fangs, fur, so on, no one thinks, "hey, maybe it's a wolf." Worse, seeing as they all think Maurice is crazy, Gaston never even looks for Belle.


      ...that crazy old coot is Belle's father, and his sanity's only so-... Holy shit, I think he killed her and dumped her body in the woods.

Even putting aside the wolf, there's a reasonable chance Maurice, whom everyone agrees is nuts, killed Belle and is trying to divert suspicion. If Gaston were any less lazy, he could track Belle down (as the bar just sang about how awesome at hunting he is) and probably save her before she decides Beast is her friend. Instead, he went straight to villainy.