The Evil Eyebrow

  • Shark Jumping: Thy Name is Battlestar

    I’m disappointed to note that I believe Battlestar Galactica has Jumped the Shark.

    Almost the entirety of season 3 has been disjointed and weird. The beginning credits note that the Cylons “Have a Plan” but even they don’t seem to know what it is.

    Battlestar has moved away from what made it so good during the mini-series and first season. The strong roles played by each iconic character against the backdrop of the evil human-destroying cylons made it a great series. Now they’re taking valuable time to develop nebulous concepts and explore interactions amongst minor characters. This would normally be great, except the set of Battlestar is way too small to do this.

    Alas, I am not a professional critic. I am a professional science fiction appreciator though, in that I pay myself to do it. And my opinion is that if the next couple episodes don’t get better, I’m not going to watch any more.

  • This Week in Traffic: 23 February 2007

    Fines by Fone

    In Dubai, UAE, the traffic police will be issuing traffic citations by phone soon. This will teach those crazy people in Lubbock who don’t want to enforce their traffic lights with automatic cameras.

    Speaking of Lubbock

    My former residence of Lubbock, Texas is having a bruhaha over potential red-light enforcement. The cited article decries camera enforcement prior to engineering improvements such as improved signal timing. I’ll keep in touch with my friends back there and see what happens.

    Speaking of Signal Cameras

    An article in today’s AJC covers the impact of red-light enforcement in Georgia (free registration req’d).

    Charleston Ordinance Doomed to Failure

    This ordinance, intended to prevent drivers from cutting through a particular subdivision to avoid traffic, is ultimately going to fail for several reasons (I define “Fail” to be “not satisfy the residents who pushed for the ordinance.”)

  • It will reduce traffic, I’m sure, but when the cops aren’t out there, people will drive through. It’s like speed limits. People will drive where they are comfortable driving
  • It’s illegal, unless the subdivision purchases their streets back from the city.
  • It’s poor design. It may be more expensive to retrofit with roundabouts or other traffic calming devices, but ultimately, that’s the only solution that will work.

    • This particular article touches on several topics of concern to me (personally) including connectivity between neighboring subdivisions in suburbia. But that is for another post.

    Airliner Whoopsie

    ToTheCenter mentions an airliner denied permission for an emergency landing. The pilots went ahead and landed anyway, rather than run out of fuel and crash. At least, that’s what this posting says. I can’t confirm this with news reports from anywhere else. (edit: Here’s a confirmation) However, the inclusion of this quoted line from the link is what makes it worthy of my weekly-ish posting.

    They were forced to take an unmentionable risk, but did make the landing on the other runway

    Is it still unmentionable after you’ve mentioned it?

    Tappan Zee Bridge

    The NY State Thruway Authority is installing gates in the median of the Tappan Zee bridge to allow drivers to turn around and drive off the other direction in case of lane closures. Idea long in coming…

    Santa Cruz in the News

    Santa Cruz pops into my feedreader more often than any other location, including NYC and Los Angeles, etc…

    Kim Rainville on German Transportation

    A blog posting about her travels in Germany. Worth the read.

  • Bikini Waxing

    I feel…naughty posting this. But, it’s not porn, so my reputation, as it is, should be ok.

    Check out this youtube video of various women (and one guy) getting a bikini wax. Very entertaining…

  • Dresden Files

    I’ve been trying to write a post about the Dresden Files since the second episode. I keep putting it down and then the next week’s episode is broadcast and I have to modify it. Everything below the fold was my draft comments as of last week, take them as they are, I stick by them.

    However, I have to say that I don’t like the show anymore. It’s disappointing on a number of levels. What makes the books so good is the mixing of supernatural with the “real” and Harry’s angst in dealing with it all. This is entirely missing from the TV show. I will probably keep watching it, like an incipient car wreck, and I’ll let you know if I think it is getting better. Firefly, this is not. which probably means it will stick around for 6 seasons

    (more…)

  • Wikipedia is Down!

    I can’t access Wikipedia! We’re all going to die!

    10:40 edit: It’s back up. We’ll live after all.

  • Know Your Neighbors

    Befriend your neighbors or something like this might happen to you.

    This man was dead for a year before he was discovered. That’s just wrong.

  • This Week in Traffic: 19 February 2007

    Vista Traffic

    At least one person thinks Windows Vista is cool because of some of the plugins.

    Traffic Circle Stories

    Doahleigh describes the fun at her traffic circle in Jackson, Michigan. From her description, I assume that this is indeed a traffic circle and not a modern roundabout. A roundabout would have fewer signs and no driveways.

    Road Passion?

    In a stark contrast to road rage, a couple in Jerusalem holds up traffic while having sex.

    Traffic Calming

    Traffic Calming standards are still in their infancy. Here is James Robertson’s take on the measures near his home in Maryland.

    Cyburbia.org

    I stumbled across this website in a web search. I have not perused it in detail, yet, but it seems to have good information for people interested in Urban Planning topics.

  • Math!

    The math majors in my circle of friends and family won’t appreciate this, but everyone else will…

  • This Week in Traffic: 16 February 2007

    Traffic Calming

    Businesses often have objections to traffic calming devices, warranted or not. I have never gone looking for before/after studies dealing with business numbers.

    Officer Goes Below and Beyond

    A California police officer ejaculates on a driver. “I’m not wearing any pants. Film at eleven.”

    Personal Rapid Transit Smackdown

    Ken Avidor has bad things to say about Personal Rapid Transit.

    More from Santa Cruz

    As mentioned in an earlier posting, Santa Cruz, CA has a contentious population. Apparently, however, an advisory panel consisting of 77(!) people is beginning to pall on even those citizens

    Stuck in the Snow

    Just yesterday, I was telling a friend that it had been 1998 when last I experienced real snowfall. At least, I haven’t had to deal with being stuck on a highway for 24 hours.

    Teen Driving Restrictions Save Lives

    AAA has released a study indicating that restrictions on teen driving lead to fewer fatal crashes.

    States with the nation’s toughest teen driving laws have more than a third fewer crashes causing death or injury involving 16-year-old drivers, according to the study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

    I’m in favor; my 15 year old sister is not. I can vote; she can’t

  • Imagine, If You Will…

    …what this device is for. Especially in this context. NOT my bedroom, just so you know.

    • The Evil Eyebrow

    There is no knowing the Evil Eyebrow

    Twenty Twenty-Five

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