The Evil Eyebrow

Category: Random

  • Evolution in 10 minutes

    Gacked from the Bad Astronomer’s blog.

    Oftentimes, you have to already have a degree in biology to refute the weird assertions people make about evolution. That speciation hasn’t been observed is one I always have a problem with because, ahem, I’m not a biologist and I don’t keep the details at the front of my brain. All I can say is, “Yes, speciation has been observed in nature and in experiment, but I’ll have to go look up where.” This is usually automatically poo-poohed because I didn’t know right then what the facts were. Alas.

    But this is a great video. Very educational.

  • Cloverfield

    Jenn and I saw Cloverfield last night. Rating, 4 stars (out of five).

    Firstly the things that bugged me: Buildings don’t lean against other buildings at the angles and heights that were shown in the movie. Also, if you’ve ever played the computer game “Half Life”, you’ll get some serious flashbacks while watching the film. Lastly, the hand-cam aspect of the film is a bit much at times for the eyeballs.

    Now, the things that were great! Back on the hand-cam filming: Despite the motion-sickness inducing jerkiness, the style of filming was perfect for what the filmakers were trying to accomplish. Our (the audience’s) point of view is from this one camera which is not omniscient; it isn’t in every place at the right time. We only get peeks of the monster as it rampages through Manhattan. If something is happening away from the viewpoint of the camera, we only hear noises and screams. This was well done, I think.

    More spoilery things beneath the cut
    (more…)

  • Crappy Refrigerator is Gone!

    A week or so ago, I alerted all of my email lists and livejournal communities, etc., that a Crappy Refrigerator in my garage was free for the taking. You just had to come and get it.

    Crappy Refrigerator

    This fridge has a storied history of moves and uses, and finally ended up in my garage, gathering dust. I’d never plugged it in. I told the email lists that it was availabe until this Saturday, when I would be taking it to the dump.

    I awoke on Saturday morning to go rent a truck for the refrigerator’s last ride and lo! An email is sitting in my box saying, “I’ll take it.”

    Ethan and Jonathon came and got it. The Crappy Refrigerator lives to chill another day!

  • I [Hate] Huckabee

    South Carolina’s Republican primary was yesterday and I’m ecstatic that Huckabee lost. I’m less ecstatic that he came in second. Of all the viable Republican candidates, he’s the one I want to see nominated the least.

    Of all the front running candidates, I don’t really care who gets put up by the Democrats, and I can live with Romney or McCain from the Republicans, but we don’t need another term by a bible-thumping god-whalloper. Remember, this guy wants to change the constitution to make it more like the bible. His interpretation of the bible, that is. He said:

    I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God. And that’s what we need to do, is to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family.

    Later on he clarified that this was having to do specifically with reproductive rights (abortion) and a ban-gay-marriage position (which puts the statemet right in line with the christian conservatie wing of the Republicans) but it’s the underlying assumption that deep-sixes him as a candidate in my mind. It is possible that I could vote for someone who is anti-gay-marriage and anti-reproductive-rights. Not likely, mind you, but possible, but that candidate would have to be coming at the issues from a direction other than, “’cause the bible tells us so.” I’m a skeptic, and a thinker, and I have significant problems with political people who demonstrate that they aren’t at least the second of those two.

    My opinions regarding the race as of today: Nominate either Obama or Clinton from the dems and either Romney or McCain from the repubs and I’ll vote for any of them. If the race were running today with all the top candidates on the ballot, I’d probaby vote for McCain.

  • "Don't Think, We'll Do it For You"

    Plucked from the Bad Astronomer (who got it from somebody else) comes a video about how happiness can be found through not thinking.

    No, I never feel this way when I have conversations with people.

  • Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

    We finally got around to watching the second hour of the Sarah Connor Chronicles. My initial impressions: Good enough to keep me watching for now, but not so good that I’ll weep if I miss an episode.

    The highlight, of course, is Summer Glau kicking butt as the protector terminator. Unfortunately for Summer, she’s being pigeonholed as an actress. Admittedly, I say this having never seen her role in The 4400 or in The Unit, but watching TSCC, I can feel the ghost of Serenity and Firefly hovering in the background. Her character is almost identical, with slightly less psychotic tendencies.

    Still, it’s fun to see her kick butt. I think I mentioned that.

    The story is interesting, and they’ve thrown some plot points in that will need tidying up which should lend to a fun season.

    Spoilers ahoy! (more…)

  • Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring…

    …ring, ring, ring, Harry Potter Puppet Pals Bananaphone!

  • Random Fact of the Day

    “Research has shown that women who have complete transection of the spinal cord can experience orgasms through the vagus nerve, which can go from the uterus, cervix and probably the vagina to the brain.”

    So, if you’re a woman who experiences a severing of her spinal cord, you’re not necessarily done with orgasms.

  • I am Politiqual

    This is why I’m always getting into trouble when I discuss politics. I can piss off everyone and anyone in the room, no matter who they support, or what policy they envision.

    71% Bill Richardson
    64% Mitt Romney
    63% John McCain
    61% Rudy Giuliani
    58% Hillary Clinton
    57% Mike Huckabee
    56% Chris Dodd
    55% Barack Obama
    55% Fred Thompson
    54% John Edwards
    52% Tom Tancredo
    45% Joe Biden
    44% Mike Gravel
    39% Dennis Kucinich
    39% Ron Paul

    2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

  • New Date to Write

    Every year, I have a tiny contest with myself to go the whole year without screwing up the date. I managed this feat in 1993.

    This year’s status: Failure on day 2.

    What is truly amusing is I thought I’d screwed up on day 3, but then I looked at my training log and realized I’d screwed up the day before, without seeing it. Oops.

    How are you doing?