Oh, That Media Bias

I seem to recall the major networks covered the first night of the Dems in Boston. In fact, I thought they carried footage all four nights.
McCain — as close to a media darling as the Repubs have to offer — is currently giving a speech, which is carried only by our local PBS affiliate. I don’t have cable or satellite, so I don’t have a clue what kind of coverage this is getting elsewhere.
Disappointing, if not very surprising.
Update: Rudy Giuliani’s on now, and the three “majors” are still showing their normal lineup. What is the effin’ deal???

The Matrix – Halo Remix

This clip is a lengthy download, but well worth it. (Download mirrors here).
Some enterprising gamers (and it took many) restaged the opening minutes of The Matrix using the X-Box game Halo. Given the number of characters on the screen most of the time, this looks like at least 2 or 3 networked X-Boxes. I wonder how many takes it took. Geek out!
Via Milk and Cookies.

Reading Time

Rob the Llamabutcher’s account of reading to his llama-ettes got me to thinking about the books I’ve read aloud to my sons (I still read short little picture stories to my 5-year old daughter).
I love reading to my kids, but some authors are almost impossible to read aloud. J.K. Rowling springs immediately to mind, as she runs on with florid and wordy sentences always ending with a clause beginning with an “ing” word, piling on the clauses one after another, stopping for nothing, droning on and on and on. (Her stories are fun and the boys and I like them, but she really needs an editor with a spine).
Throughout 2003, I read the complete Lord of the Rings out loud to my oldest son. Tolkien knew how to craft beautiful language that was both fun to read out loud and to hear myself reading. It gave me a whole new perspective on the power of his stories and his language.

Carnival of the Recipes #2

My Roast Lamb and Vegetables recipe is up at this week’s Carnival of the Recipes.
Be sure to surf over, and if you try the recipe, please let me know.
I also especially liked the look of the Crunchy Tossed Salad and the Steak With Garlic Blue Cheese Butter.
On a self-centered note, readers following the Carnival link finally pushed my blog over 10,000 visits total. Yay! (I’m sure Glenn’s link to the Carnival helped boost the readership).

Fifty Things

Via the Llamabutchers, fifty things about me:
1. Your name spelled backwards. suinal nhoj
2. Where were your parents born? Dallas, Texas.
3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? Planet of the Apes as Twilight Zone episode (yet another exhibit for short copyright terms and a vibrant public domain).
4. What’s your favorite restaurant? A toss-up: Japon Steakhouse and Sushi Bar (perfect for both romantic dinners and whole-family outings) or III Forks (best ribeye I’ve ever had).
5. Last time you swam in a pool? Last Saturday at The Texas Pool (our local members-only pool, shaped like the State of Texas with an island where Plano is).
More in the extended entry:

Video Game Cheesecake

This is just weird. Video game characters “undressing” for Playboy?
Just one question: Where’s Cortana?

Health Insurance “Crisis” Explained

VerukaSalt examines the proposition of what “car care” would look like if we gave employers an incentive to create car insurance plans that cover maintenance and disconnect the consumer’s price paid (i.e., the copay) from the actual cost of the service. Interesting.

Giant Posting

Well, re-styling this site is taking most of my blogging time, so you get a “giant” link-fest tonight, a la Jeff Patterson at Gravity Lens instead of any erudite or witty original commentary.
A collection of props from Land of the Giants. Wine tips from Giant Foods. The Jolly Green Giant (helicopter), Jolly Green Giant recipe ideas, They Might Be Giants, Giant Cthulu Statues, Giant Robot Costume, The Iron Giant, Gentle Giant, Giant Eyeball Recipe, and Giant Sharks.

Charley Charity

As I mentioned a few days ago, Strengthen the Good exists to identify and raise awareness of worthy “micro” charities.
However, with the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Charley, Strengthen the Good has identified a slightly larger “macro” micro-charity: The Gulf Coast Community Foundation Of Venice Hurricane Charley Disaster Relief Fund.
Please follow both links. Check out this opportunity to help people in need. If you wish to donate, please do so.

Worst Rock Song Lyrics

The Crack Young Staff at Hatemongers’ Quarterly have posted a challenge to their readers to submit the worst rock song lyrics of all time.
I have submitted the lyrics to Touch and Go by Emerson, Lake and Powell and Neil Diamond’s I Am I Said.
Funny thing is, I like both of those songs.
For me lyrics are usually incidental: just a means of carrying a melody and maybe some harmony. Rarely do bad lyrics mess up good music for me, but I cannot abide good lyrics accompanied by bad (or boring) music (cases in point: Country and Rap).
The one group whose lyrics I really tune into is Rush, because they are reliably intelligent and often libertarian. Ironically, since one of the biggest turn-offs to non-Rush fans is the singer’s (Geddy Lee’s) voice.
Ah, well, I can’t wait to see the results of the lyric contest.