July 30, 2008
Disillusionment.
It turns out that one of my favorite authors is a complete douchebag."The first and greatest threat from court decisions in California and Massachusetts, giving legal recognition to "gay marriage," is that it marks the end of democracy in America."Holy crap.
I had a feeling when I read the synopsis of his new book Empire that he leaned pretty heavily to the right (it's a book about an extreme leftist army killing the president and starting a new civil war), but now I see just how much he has deviated from my perception of him.
Most conservatives I can deal with, as long as they are intelligent, moderate, and willing to debate civilly. When people start throwing assertions of their superior morality, that's when I tune them out. Card has just fallen off my radar. It's sad when someone that you have looked up to turns out to be a cretin, or in this case a homophobe.
On the bright side, we still have a bunch of fantastic books from him, back from the days when he wasn't campaigning against gay rights. Perhaps I can call this phenomenon "Michael Chrichton Disorder."
July 28, 2008
Carl Sagan, Redux.
July 22, 2008
DocPop is on BoingBoing
I don't know DocPop too well, mainly through Josh, but boy was I surprised to see him on this post at BoingBoing.net.
Small world.
July 21, 2008
Dawn of war 2
Lots of spectacular Dawn of War II footage here. Well, not lots, but about a minute's worth, which is enough to get me very excited.
Dawn of War has been a staple of recent LAN parties, so I've been immersed in it for quite awhile now. The sequel looks to be taking a excellent direction. Destructible landscapes, better and more custom animation, and some of the most amazing blast/bullet rendering that I have ever seen.
I'll add it to the list of amazing things coming out in the near future.
July 15, 2008
Great news for my peace of mind
I have often said that Thomson is a great place to work, and a pretty darn acceptable work environment (we get free coffee, milk, and pop to drink while we play Mario Kart on our Wii). I have also often said, however, that I cannot stand the commuter lifestyle, and the corporate games that go with my job here. I'm not ungrateful for what this company has tried to do in order to make me feel comfortable (the only dress code is that we can't wear shorts), but they can't hide the fact that they are a huge organization, and that I am a very small part of it in a cubicle next to the production facility. I still can't wait to get out of here at the end of the day, to go home and relax.So, great news!
The manager of my "team" is piloting a telecommuting program this Autumn! If it goes well, it likely won't be available for a couple of years, but the fact that they are moving in that direction is really great for my sanity's future prospects. I've told many people that I would likely be at Thomson for good if they offered some kind of flex time or telecommuting option. Well, I might get the chance to try my own words on for size.
They'd have a hard time keeping me at work full-time anyway once there are little Leisticos and/or a puppy running around the house.
July 14, 2008
The Lilypad
This is possibly the coolest thing that I have seen in a year or more.
It is called the "Lilypad," and it is the most awesome futuristic floating town that I have ever seen. Designed as a concept to house "climate change refugees," this floating city is meant to provide living area for 2100+ people in a sustainable and energy-neutral fashion. It boasts a central freshwater lake, generated from either desalinized seawater or rainfall, surrounded by vegetation. Around that lake are residences, businesses, and light industry. Three marinas provide easy access to the Lilypad, and something of a negative tower projects down into the water for a fantastic view of the sea from below. It generates far more energy than it would need, making use of tidal, wind, and solar power sources that are abundant on the oceans.
Who cares, though? Look at the design! It looks like a futurist's brain exploded to create this thing! The architect says that it was modeled after a lilypad found in the amazon, which is nice, but really, it is better described as a sci-fi buff's wet dream.
July 11, 2008
100% Patriotism.
July 10, 2008
If anybody wants to play chess:
Go to Red Hot Pawn and sign up!
It is a really well built asynchronous email chess application. Fast and free.
Challenge me! My username is LeviticusMky.
July 8, 2008
Fireworks
Milwuakee Fireworks > 3(St Paul Fireworks)That's right, the Milwaukee fireworks are better than three times the St Paul ones. Milwaukee is a pretty run of the mill-town, but it does have a few things going for it, the fireworks shows being one of them.
July 2, 2008
Man, this guy is impressive.
I keep waiting for him to make a speech that is not fantastic.
"no party has a monopoly on patriotism."