Speaking of slipping the surly bonds, I am getting away for a bit of a summer vacation from blogging. After I have rested and recharged, I’ll be back.
I still owe you OPERATION COFFEECUP — a tribute to Ronald Wilson Reagan.
Adios amigos.
Archive for June, 2004
Free Ice Cream Deliveries Suspended
June 29, 2004Slipping the Surly Bonds
June 29, 2004Excellent article at TechCentralStation on the long-term importance of SpaceShipOne (and others like it).
Silly Recipes
June 28, 2004This one looks just right:
| How to make a John |
| Ingredients: 5 parts success 3 parts humour 5 parts ego |
| Method: Layer ingredients in a shot glass. Top it off with a sprinkle of fitness and enjoy! |
Not so sure about this one, though:
| How to make a texasbestgrok |
| Ingredients: 3 parts anger 1 part silliness 1 part energy |
| Method: Layer ingredients in a shot glass. Add lovability to taste! Do not overindulge! |
I mean, really. Three parts anger?!!!? THREE PARTS ANGER!!! WTF???
First found at The Cheese Stands Alone.
Hollywood Escape Velocities
June 28, 2004Alan Brain links to a convenient quick-reference chart comparing the fastest human sprinter to the average speeds of hazards faced in the movies (Killer Bees, T-Rexes, dogs, elephants, tornadoes, etc.)
Animated Music
June 24, 2004Via Geekpress, a very cool, Rube Goldberg-esque animated music video. Who would have anticipated that this calculating device would be applied in such creative and fun ways.
Rush at 30
June 24, 2004Well, last night I took my two boys (9 and 7) to see Rush in downtown Dallas. I was happy to see that most of the rest of the crowd was about my age, similarly dressed, and that many also had their kids out. Lots of generational torch-passing going on. The Dallas Morning News reviewer noted this too, in a back-handed way:
When you do something as long as Rush has and have a following as rabid, then you deliver the expected. It transcends mere concert; it is a ritual to be shared with like-minded comrades – in this case, approximately 11,000 other white guys, average age 38. You haven’t seen rock devotion until you’ve scanned an arena filled with beefy dudes in polo shirts, their elbows darting in the air like symphony conductors, each executing his own personal session of frenzied air drumming.
Despite the family-friendly environs (for a rock concert, that is), Rush still put on a posterior-kicking show, working their way through the more than 30 years of music in their catalogue (setlist in the extended entry below). Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart were in top form, playing an almost note-perfect show that included some nice surprises (such as a reggae ending to their pre-Peart classic, “Working Man,” and a guitar solo at the end of “One Little Victory,” absent from the studio version).
The visuals, while somewhat understated compared to other pop and rock acts, were effective, including lasers, smoke, pyrotechnics, and videos. Despite the gravity of many of their lyrics and their dedication to musicianship, Lee, Lifeson, and Peart always show a strong sense of humor and refuse to take themselves as seriously as their fans do. This was reflected in the humorous videos that opened and closed the show, featuring Jerry Stiller at his cranky, funny best. The Intermission video also starred bobble-head dolls in the likeness of the 70s-era Rush fighting a 3D animated dragon. My sons loved it.
There was even a nice little moment of synchronicity when Rush began to play Earthshine. When I looked up, the sky had darkened just enough that the dark side of the crescent moon was illuminated by some real earthshine. And I noticed the Jupiter – Moon conjunction, too.
More Remodeling
June 22, 2004Spurred by the new look in my house, I am thinking about a new look for the blog.
One persistent constructive criticism I have received is that there’s not enough Heinlein content here, given the blog title. Well, I have fixed that in the process of editing my blogroll. Check out the new categories for my blogroll (if you’re familiar with Heinlein and think I’ve got you under the wrong book title, please let me know why, and which one you think you belong under).
I’m also working on my CSS and trying to think of a layout that works in each of the main browsers (this site still doesn’t look right in Opera. Grr.) As always, please feel free to comment or send an email with constructive criticisms. Thanks for your continued support and patronage.
Why We Fight
June 22, 2004As the media work themselves into a lather about <straw man alert> no link between 9/11 and Iraq </straw man alert>, it’s nice to run across some sanity from one of the men on the ground.
Leave a Message for the First Private Astronaut
June 22, 2004Via Hobbyspace, a link to a website where you can leave a congratulatory message to the earth’s first truly private astronaut, Mike Melvill.
More Wordplay
June 22, 2004I just found a new blog that kindly linked to the neologisms I posted a week or so ago.
Even better, Point2Point put up his own list of neologisms. Favorites are:
- Generation WTF – People born between 1955 and 1970 who were never allowed a generational label because the older baby boomers incorporated them into the previous one without their permission
- Booble Bombing – Accidentally pulling up a porn site while searching for something quite innocent
and
TexasBestGrok 