Today is the anniversary of the first publishing of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in 1843. I'm not a Christmasy guy, but I do like the story and message of this classic. I've read the book and seen several movie adaptations of it, and I have to say it gets the Christmas theme across without being too saccharine.
Coincidentally, Girlie Bear, Boo, and I watched the 2009 adaptation starring Jim Carrey on Sunday afternoon. I'm not a big fan of Jim Carrey, but he definitely hit the mark with this one. The animation and voice work by Carrey reminded me a lot of The Polar Express, but without all of the annoying singing and dancing. I'd definitely recommend this one, and it's available on Netflix streaming.
Monday, December 19, 2011
30 Days of Heinlein - Day 16
Evolution is a process that never stops. Baboons who fail to exhibit moral behavior do not survive; they wind up as meat for leopards. - The Pragmatics of Patriotism
Thought for the Day
Teacher always says that whenever someone rings the 300 yard gong, an angel gets her wings!
Capra changed it in the editing room.
Today's Earworm
Frosty the Snow Ghoul
Frosty the snow ghoul
Was a slushy, slimy guy
With a mouthful of teeth and a carrot nose
And murder in his eye
Oh Frosty the snow ghoul
Was undead as he could be
And the legends say
He could laugh and slay
Little kids like you and me
Down through the village
With a war axe in his claw
Swinging here and there
All around the square
Feeding children into his maw
Choppety chop chop
Choppety chop chop
Look at Frosty swing
Choppety chop chop
Choppety chop chop
That evil undead thing
There must have been some magic
In that Mosin Nagant I found
For when I tried to cycle the bolt
I was able to load a round
Oh Frosty the snow ghoul
Melted in the fireball
So we collected his axe
And we nailed his hat
Up on the city wall.
Frosty the snow ghoul
Is a curse upon the land
So say your prayers
And always walk in pairs
For his return may be at hand!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Quote of the Day
When are the nanny staters going to learn that there's a wide swath of the American public who are going to do exactly the opposite of what you tell them, because Americans don't like to be bossed around? The fastest way to encourage Americans to do something is to ban it. The fastest way to get them to stop doing something is to mandate it. We just don't like being told what to do.
Tam, "Eat Your Spinach"
Both the nanny-staters and daddy-staters think it's their electoral mandate to keep us from making bad decisions. If it's not "drive a car that doesn't use much fuel" it's "you shouldn't be drinking or smoking that". We do best when we are left to make our own decisions and are left to deal with our own consequences.
30 Days of Heinlein - Day 15
You live and learn. Or you don't live long. -- Time Enough For Love
My Take -
We all make mistakes, and the ones we make collectively are going to be legendary as history and myth. The survivors are the ones that are honest about those mistakes, figure out what they did, and learn to not commit them again. Everyone else? Well, they tend to be grease spots on the walls of the cave.
My Take -
We all make mistakes, and the ones we make collectively are going to be legendary as history and myth. The survivors are the ones that are honest about those mistakes, figure out what they did, and learn to not commit them again. Everyone else? Well, they tend to be grease spots on the walls of the cave.
Today in Geek History
On this date in 1987, Larry Wall released Perl to a newsgroup. For you non-geeks, this is the equivelant of celebrating the day that someone first demonstrated super glue to the masses.
Perl is one of my favorites. Honestly, I learned to script in Perl before I learned shell scripting in sh or ksh. My first tech job in the Army was big on Perl, so I learned Perl as I was learning to be a SysAd.
Perl is a bit of a jack of all trades scripting language, being good at a lot of things, but not as good at most of them as languages that are specialized. For example, a lot of Internet code used to be written in Perl, but most now is written in PHP or some other language that is specific to the web.
I get the feeling that I'll still be using Perl in one form or another for a long time.
Perl is one of my favorites. Honestly, I learned to script in Perl before I learned shell scripting in sh or ksh. My first tech job in the Army was big on Perl, so I learned Perl as I was learning to be a SysAd.
Perl is a bit of a jack of all trades scripting language, being good at a lot of things, but not as good at most of them as languages that are specialized. For example, a lot of Internet code used to be written in Perl, but most now is written in PHP or some other language that is specific to the web.
I get the feeling that I'll still be using Perl in one form or another for a long time.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Feline Cage Match
I have to quit leaving the TV running when I'm not in the room. Koshka apparently has been watching Mixed Martial Arts fighting while I'm not home.
I opened a can of tuna to make a sandwich for lunch. I immediately had all three cats wanting some. No surprise there. They are cats, after all.
After emptying the can, I put it down so they could have a treat. Annja backed down with just a look and a huff from Koshka. Timmy attempted to use his greater girth to force Koshka to the side. Koshka then kicked him in the head with her back claws, grabbed his head in her front paws, and held him by the throat with her teeth until he stopped struggling. No amount of work on my part to get her to let go of his neck would work unless I applied so much force that she would have ripped out his throat.
Once Timmy stopped resisting, Koshka let him go, at which point he ran to the basement and has not been seen since. Koshka then finished licking the tuna can clean, meowed at me over possession of the sandwich, and has been having a good afternoon of lounging in sun beams.
I think I just saw Timmy tap out when Koshka choked him over the water and fish particles left in a tuna can. Yes, she's the Siamese, she's a tad psychotic, and yes, she's the dominant feline in the house. I don't think Timmy is going to need a reminder of that for a very long time.
I opened a can of tuna to make a sandwich for lunch. I immediately had all three cats wanting some. No surprise there. They are cats, after all.
After emptying the can, I put it down so they could have a treat. Annja backed down with just a look and a huff from Koshka. Timmy attempted to use his greater girth to force Koshka to the side. Koshka then kicked him in the head with her back claws, grabbed his head in her front paws, and held him by the throat with her teeth until he stopped struggling. No amount of work on my part to get her to let go of his neck would work unless I applied so much force that she would have ripped out his throat.
Once Timmy stopped resisting, Koshka let him go, at which point he ran to the basement and has not been seen since. Koshka then finished licking the tuna can clean, meowed at me over possession of the sandwich, and has been having a good afternoon of lounging in sun beams.
I think I just saw Timmy tap out when Koshka choked him over the water and fish particles left in a tuna can. Yes, she's the Siamese, she's a tad psychotic, and yes, she's the dominant feline in the house. I don't think Timmy is going to need a reminder of that for a very long time.
30 Days of Heinlein - Day 14
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once. -- Time Enough For Love
My Take -
We spend billions of dollars every year on military defense in this country, and Lord knows how much more for law enforcement. Add to that the millions spent by private citizens on personal defense. Why do we do it? I think that it's because we know that a weakly defended country, population, or person invites attack and repression. We can hope that someday the lion lays down with the lamb and I look forward to beating swords into plowshares as much as anyone, but until that day comes, I'll trust John Moses Browning and George Patton more than I will those that believe that disarming and thinking good thoughts will keep politicians honest and barbarians out of civilization.
My Take -
We spend billions of dollars every year on military defense in this country, and Lord knows how much more for law enforcement. Add to that the millions spent by private citizens on personal defense. Why do we do it? I think that it's because we know that a weakly defended country, population, or person invites attack and repression. We can hope that someday the lion lays down with the lamb and I look forward to beating swords into plowshares as much as anyone, but until that day comes, I'll trust John Moses Browning and George Patton more than I will those that believe that disarming and thinking good thoughts will keep politicians honest and barbarians out of civilization.
Friday, December 16, 2011
What I'm Drinking Tonight
It's kind of chilly and damp here in IndiUcky tonight, so I made myself a nice drink to warm the bones.
Ingredients:
3 cups apple cider
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or one cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon caramel sauce or two Kraft caramels
Bourbon or cinnamon schnapps
In a small saucepan, heat the cider, cinnamon, and caramel until it just boils. Pour bourbon or schnapps to taste into a large coffee cup or cappuccino mug. Fill mug with hot cider. Enjoy.
Here's another one:
3 cups milk (real milk. Soybeans, coconuts, and almonds don't have nipples)
Hot cocoa mix
Chocolate sauce or syrup
Peppermint Schnapps
Heat the milk until it almost boils. Mix in the hot cocoa mix. Mix in chocolate sauce and schnapps to taste. There is a balance point where the taste of the chocolate mixes in really well with the peppermint, but that point varies from person to person.
Ingredients:
3 cups apple cider
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or one cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon caramel sauce or two Kraft caramels
Bourbon or cinnamon schnapps
In a small saucepan, heat the cider, cinnamon, and caramel until it just boils. Pour bourbon or schnapps to taste into a large coffee cup or cappuccino mug. Fill mug with hot cider. Enjoy.
Here's another one:
3 cups milk (real milk. Soybeans, coconuts, and almonds don't have nipples)
Hot cocoa mix
Chocolate sauce or syrup
Peppermint Schnapps
Heat the milk until it almost boils. Mix in the hot cocoa mix. Mix in chocolate sauce and schnapps to taste. There is a balance point where the taste of the chocolate mixes in really well with the peppermint, but that point varies from person to person.
Today's Earworm
I'm taking the afternoon off and spending it with Boo. He's having a picnic and Sesame Street for lunch before we brave the cold of a Kentucky winter (hah!).
Sesame Street decided they wouldn't play this one for the kids, and after seeing the singer jiggle as she ran after Elmo, I think I can see why. Not that I'm complaining. Hey, I like pretty brunettes as much as the next guy.
Sesame Street decided they wouldn't play this one for the kids, and after seeing the singer jiggle as she ran after Elmo, I think I can see why. Not that I'm complaining. Hey, I like pretty brunettes as much as the next guy.
Common Sense Measures Needed
In another sad reminder of what our current laws can bring, a man has been arrested in Oregon for attacking people in a Toys-R-Us parking lot with a light saber. The suspect struck several innocent by-standers, probably including children, kittens, and old people, and even used the diabolical blade of evil to break the leads to a taser that police used to try to subdue him.
When is the National Lightsaber Association going to admit that the free ownership and carrying of these dangerous implements endangers puppies and babies across the country?
Any deranged person can walk into a saber shop and purchase a lightsaber without having to prove that they have the training and discipline of a Jedi. Criminals have found ways to make assault lightsabers by mating two lightsabers at the hilt. It is even possible for criminals to buy a lightsaber using the 'saber show loophole', meaning that there is no criminal background check done. How are we supposed to feel safe in our homes if we don't know who is buying lightsabers? Some will argue that ownership of lightsabers is a right, but don't we have a right to feel safe from some Jedi wanna-be freaking out and cutting off hands indiscriminately?
Will no-one think of the Ewoks? How many of these fuzzy little critters have to die before we finally get rid of these evil lightsabers?
When is the National Lightsaber Association going to admit that the free ownership and carrying of these dangerous implements endangers puppies and babies across the country?
Any deranged person can walk into a saber shop and purchase a lightsaber without having to prove that they have the training and discipline of a Jedi. Criminals have found ways to make assault lightsabers by mating two lightsabers at the hilt. It is even possible for criminals to buy a lightsaber using the 'saber show loophole', meaning that there is no criminal background check done. How are we supposed to feel safe in our homes if we don't know who is buying lightsabers? Some will argue that ownership of lightsabers is a right, but don't we have a right to feel safe from some Jedi wanna-be freaking out and cutting off hands indiscriminately?
Will no-one think of the Ewoks? How many of these fuzzy little critters have to die before we finally get rid of these evil lightsabers?
This could have ended badly
A woman in Sierra Vista, Arizona, was attacked by three feral dogs while she was walking her own pet. A group of people gathered around to assist her, but honestly, a human trying to get a trio of large dogs off of something they're trying to bring down is likely to become part of the casualty list before they stop the attack.
A man who lived nearby heard the noise, grabbed his pistol, and intervened, shooting two of the dogs. The woman and her dog are being cared for, but this could have turned out much worse for her.
I used to live in Sierra Vista, and there isn't much transition between the desert and the city. There are javelina, coyotes, and feral dogs in abundance in the area. This woman was lucky that she was within earshot of others who could help her. A few hundred yards further away, and she might have been very much alone with nothing to defend herself.
You don't have to live in south-eastern Arizona to have to deal with packs of wild animals. Louisville, along with a lot of cities, is starting to have a big problem with feral dogs of all breeds running wild. And of course, where there are humans, you will find packs of feral humans running wild.
Carry your weapons, people. You can't count on someone else being willing and able to save you.
A man who lived nearby heard the noise, grabbed his pistol, and intervened, shooting two of the dogs. The woman and her dog are being cared for, but this could have turned out much worse for her.
I used to live in Sierra Vista, and there isn't much transition between the desert and the city. There are javelina, coyotes, and feral dogs in abundance in the area. This woman was lucky that she was within earshot of others who could help her. A few hundred yards further away, and she might have been very much alone with nothing to defend herself.
You don't have to live in south-eastern Arizona to have to deal with packs of wild animals. Louisville, along with a lot of cities, is starting to have a big problem with feral dogs of all breeds running wild. And of course, where there are humans, you will find packs of feral humans running wild.
Carry your weapons, people. You can't count on someone else being willing and able to save you.
Town Hall Meeting
The following is a partial transcript of a recent town hall meeting that Vice Presidential DaddyBear.
Elderly Lady: Mr. DaddyBear, my name is Mabel Torkelsdotter. I've worked hard all my life, and I've paid into Social Security for years. I've been told that you and Candidate X want to shut down Social Security and leave me with nothing. Is that true? And if it is, why do you hate old people?
DaddyBear: Ma'am, we don't want to leave you and those of your generation with nothing. I'm not going to be rude and ask your age, but would it be safe to say you were born before the Eisenhower administration? OK, good, then you're grandfathered, er, grandmothered into the current system. We know that you all planned your later years with Social Security payments as a big part of your income, and we're not going to mess that up. But yes, we want to dismantle Social Security, but in a graduated, merciful way. You all are going to get your Social Security benefits the way you were promised. Your kids are going to have to work a little longer and do some other things, but they'll get benefits of some kind. Your grandkids, who are my age and younger, are going to have their entire working life to plan their golden years without factoring in Social Security. But no, we don't hate old people. I hope to be an old person myself someday.
Elderly Lady: Oh, well, that's different than what I've been hearing from AARP and the nice ladies at the senior center.
DaddyBear: Ma'am, I'm glad we could clear that up.
Young Girl: Mr. DaddyBear, um, my name is Nancy Miller, and I'm 7 years old. My teacher says that you and Mr. X want to fire all of the people at my school and make us kids work in a coal mine. Is that true? Because I don't want to work in a coal mine.
DaddyBear: Hello Nancy. Thank you for coming here tonight to talk to me. Wow, 7 and you're already asking important questions. Are you in the 1st or 2nd grade, little one?
Young Girl: I'm in the second grade.
DaddyBear: OK, so you've already learned your ABC's and counting, and you can add and subtract some numbers, and I bet you can already read books by yourself.
Young Girl: Yes, I love to read Dr. Seuss
DaddyBear: Hey! So do I! Well, Nancy, you know that being a teacher is what your teacher does as a job, right?
Young Girl: Yes
DaddyBear: And it's an important job. We want your teacher to do as good a job as she can because if she doesn't, you won't learn as much as you can. Do you have jobs at home, Nancy?
Young Girl: Yes, I have to pick up my room and feed the kitty every morning before the bus comes.
DaddyBear: Do your mom and dad give you an allowance for doing your chores?
Young Girl: Oh, yes. I get two whole dollars every week.
DaddyBear: If you don't pick up your room or if you forget to feed the cat, do you get your two dollars?
Young Girl: No. Mommy says that if I don't do my chores, I don't get my dollars.
DaddyBear: Well, if your teacher doesn't teach you what you're supposed to learn, then I don't think she should get her dollars.
Young Girl: But Mrs. Jones is a good teacher!
DaddyBear: I can tell she's a good teacher. She and your mommy and daddy and all of your other teachers are doing a good job to make such a smart little girl out of you. But some teachers aren't as good. In fact, some teachers don't teach much at all, and what we want to do is make sure the good teachers keep teaching little girls to read and do math, but ask the not so good teachers to find some other job. So no, Nancy, we don't want to fire all of your teachers and make you work in a coal mine.
Young Man: Mr. DaddyBear, my name is Rainwater. I live in the Occupy settlement up the road. I hear that you want to legalize weed. Dude, that's so cool!
DaddyBear: Rainwater? Really? Son, please tell me your mother didn't name you Rainwater.
Young Man: No, she didn't. I took the name Rainwater to show my new identity as a revolutionary!
DaddyBear: Really? A revolutionary?
Young Man: Yeah! You can't lead the masses to revolution with a name like 'Bradley'.
DaddyBear: Wow, OK. Well, then, let's answer your question. Yes, Candidate X and I believe that there are better ways to spend money and time than keeping a grown person from using whatever intoxicant they want. Now, don't get me wrong, I think that getting baked on a regular basis is a bad idea just like I think getting wasted every other night is a bad idea. But if you don't hurt anyone but yourself, who am I to stop you?
Young Man: That's so cool! Wow, maybe you aren't as big an oppressor as the guys back at the drum circle say you are. Dude, want to come back with me?
DaddyBear: That's OK, Rainwater. I'm not very good with drums, and to be honest, I'm allergic to patchouli. But hey, why don't you go back to your people and tell them about this?
Young Man: Dude, that's a great idea! I can be your human megaphone! Sweet!
Editor's Note: Mr. DaddyBear will be holding other townhall meetings in the coming weeks. Transcripts will be posted as they become available.
Elderly Lady: Mr. DaddyBear, my name is Mabel Torkelsdotter. I've worked hard all my life, and I've paid into Social Security for years. I've been told that you and Candidate X want to shut down Social Security and leave me with nothing. Is that true? And if it is, why do you hate old people?
DaddyBear: Ma'am, we don't want to leave you and those of your generation with nothing. I'm not going to be rude and ask your age, but would it be safe to say you were born before the Eisenhower administration? OK, good, then you're grandfathered, er, grandmothered into the current system. We know that you all planned your later years with Social Security payments as a big part of your income, and we're not going to mess that up. But yes, we want to dismantle Social Security, but in a graduated, merciful way. You all are going to get your Social Security benefits the way you were promised. Your kids are going to have to work a little longer and do some other things, but they'll get benefits of some kind. Your grandkids, who are my age and younger, are going to have their entire working life to plan their golden years without factoring in Social Security. But no, we don't hate old people. I hope to be an old person myself someday.
Elderly Lady: Oh, well, that's different than what I've been hearing from AARP and the nice ladies at the senior center.
DaddyBear: Ma'am, I'm glad we could clear that up.
Young Girl: Mr. DaddyBear, um, my name is Nancy Miller, and I'm 7 years old. My teacher says that you and Mr. X want to fire all of the people at my school and make us kids work in a coal mine. Is that true? Because I don't want to work in a coal mine.
DaddyBear: Hello Nancy. Thank you for coming here tonight to talk to me. Wow, 7 and you're already asking important questions. Are you in the 1st or 2nd grade, little one?
Young Girl: I'm in the second grade.
DaddyBear: OK, so you've already learned your ABC's and counting, and you can add and subtract some numbers, and I bet you can already read books by yourself.
Young Girl: Yes, I love to read Dr. Seuss
DaddyBear: Hey! So do I! Well, Nancy, you know that being a teacher is what your teacher does as a job, right?
Young Girl: Yes
DaddyBear: And it's an important job. We want your teacher to do as good a job as she can because if she doesn't, you won't learn as much as you can. Do you have jobs at home, Nancy?
Young Girl: Yes, I have to pick up my room and feed the kitty every morning before the bus comes.
DaddyBear: Do your mom and dad give you an allowance for doing your chores?
Young Girl: Oh, yes. I get two whole dollars every week.
DaddyBear: If you don't pick up your room or if you forget to feed the cat, do you get your two dollars?
Young Girl: No. Mommy says that if I don't do my chores, I don't get my dollars.
DaddyBear: Well, if your teacher doesn't teach you what you're supposed to learn, then I don't think she should get her dollars.
Young Girl: But Mrs. Jones is a good teacher!
DaddyBear: I can tell she's a good teacher. She and your mommy and daddy and all of your other teachers are doing a good job to make such a smart little girl out of you. But some teachers aren't as good. In fact, some teachers don't teach much at all, and what we want to do is make sure the good teachers keep teaching little girls to read and do math, but ask the not so good teachers to find some other job. So no, Nancy, we don't want to fire all of your teachers and make you work in a coal mine.
Young Man: Mr. DaddyBear, my name is Rainwater. I live in the Occupy settlement up the road. I hear that you want to legalize weed. Dude, that's so cool!
DaddyBear: Rainwater? Really? Son, please tell me your mother didn't name you Rainwater.
Young Man: No, she didn't. I took the name Rainwater to show my new identity as a revolutionary!
DaddyBear: Really? A revolutionary?
Young Man: Yeah! You can't lead the masses to revolution with a name like 'Bradley'.
DaddyBear: Wow, OK. Well, then, let's answer your question. Yes, Candidate X and I believe that there are better ways to spend money and time than keeping a grown person from using whatever intoxicant they want. Now, don't get me wrong, I think that getting baked on a regular basis is a bad idea just like I think getting wasted every other night is a bad idea. But if you don't hurt anyone but yourself, who am I to stop you?
Young Man: That's so cool! Wow, maybe you aren't as big an oppressor as the guys back at the drum circle say you are. Dude, want to come back with me?
DaddyBear: That's OK, Rainwater. I'm not very good with drums, and to be honest, I'm allergic to patchouli. But hey, why don't you go back to your people and tell them about this?
Young Man: Dude, that's a great idea! I can be your human megaphone! Sweet!
Editor's Note: Mr. DaddyBear will be holding other townhall meetings in the coming weeks. Transcripts will be posted as they become available.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
