Category Archives: queasy

Terrible beauty

“The Patrician took a sip of his beer. ‘I have told this to few people, gentlemen, and I suspect I never will again, but one day when I was a young boy on holiday in Uberwald I was walking along the banks of a stream when I saw a mother otter with her cubs. A very endearing sight, I’m sure you will agree, and even as I watched, the mother otter dived into the water and came up with a plump salmon, which she subdued and dragged onto a half-submerged log. As she ate it, while of course it was still alive, the body split and I remember to this day the sweet pinkness of its roes as they spilled out, much to the delight of the baby otters who scrambled over themselves to feed on the delicacy. One of nature’s wonders, gentlemen: mother and children dining on mother and children. And that’s when I first learned about evil. It is built into the nature of the universe. Every world spins in pain. If there is any kind of supreme being, I told myself, it is up to all of us to become his moral superior.’”

Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals

I fell out of an airplane: More physical evidence

Yay! Raeford Parachute Center finally sent my skydiving video!

You can read about the experience here.

WTFractal?!?

XSLT is a language for transforming XML. I came to hate XSLT long ago, at the tail end of a fading honeymoon period in which I dwelt in the empty promises of XML.

Somebody came up with a way to plot the Mandelbrot Set using only an XML file combined with a particularly evil XSLT file. This is a disturbing, evil way to go about drawing fractals. Please don’t do this.

It really works. Click here to try it. Your browser will thank you for the pointless exercise.

(previously, and previously)

I wish my 401(k) was this much fun.

VP debate: It had some words in it.

I couldn’t help but follow up my previous Wordle posts with some new Wordles generated from last night’s VP debate transcript.

As John Hodgman said recently on Twitter during the debate broadcast: “Word salad. Word salad. Word salad. I feel like I’m hearing a spam. So to speak.”

Here, enjoy re-living the word salad:

Palin:

Biden:

Ifill:

Last night’s debate gave me a headache. I think I have a hangover. And I didn’t even play the debate drinking game. Or Palin Bingo.

The presidential debate was full of words, part 2

I’m a little late in following up my previous post, but I was curious how last week’s debate Wordle looked like broken down by each candidate.

McCain:

Obama:

Lehrer:

I wish Wordle had a B.S. detection option. But such a thing would be overworked during election season…

“We’re sorry, this application is not available at the moment due to high levels of bullshit.”

Tonight’s debate: Full of words.

Wordle visualizes which ones were most common:

(click the image to see the original Wordle generated from the debate transcripts)

Scientology is shiny

…Shinytology?


A new calendar system!


They brought us into the golden age. It’s about time SOMEBODY did.


Awesome logo!



Why can’t Amazon.com be this organized?


Learn under the glorious tutelage of LRH



This is how you will be processed.


How much worse can the LRH Congress be than the US Congress??


Shades of dictatorship here.


NEWS ALERT: Congress can increase your IQ by 6 times!


If only I could understand the grade chart in the first place…


Can’t… find… Scientology… book…


I finally understand Scientology now. It is an elaborate system whose sole purpose is to promote book sales. Look at the altar here. Books. Everywhere. You authors out there should take notice. Next time you write a book, start a religion.

And now, if organizational emphasis and jargon meant to confuse outsiders aren’t enough to convince you of Scientology’s cult status, then feast on the personality worship:







“I’m looking at you, Suppressive Person. Yeah, you. I know it’s fashionable to make fun of Scientology. But we are the authorities of the mind. Don’t you forget it.”

Creation Science Fair? No it’s not!

[16:17] Chris: heh, i am reading this call for a christian science fair entries
[16:17] Dave: omg
[16:17] Chris: they have a bunch of suggestions for entries
[16:17] Chris: “8. How much voltage or current can a human take before he is killed? Could do experiments on a plant.”
[16:18] Dave: lol
[16:18] Chris: i hope they mean plant like a green plant, not plant like a spy

[16:18] Dave: hahaha
[16:19] Chris: “12. Trilobites prove Noah’s flood because they are curled up or not?”
[16:19] Chris: here’s a non-controversial one
[16:19] Chris: “18. Is intelligence influenced by physical attributes. i.e. are blondes “dumb” or does skin color influence intelligence?”
[16:20] Chris: here’s the one ann coulter submitted: “23. Why do we have an Adams apple?”
[16:20] Dave: hahahahaha

Gluten-free time capsule

I have always suspected that there is something peculiar about the construction of the foul-tasting energy bars Kathryn is fond of buying:

best-by-may-3007_420px.jpg

Lasting for one thousand years is an admirable feat. But I don’t think that will improve the flavor.

(My guess is it’s supposed to mean “May 30, 2007”.)