The Amazing Meeting 6

The Amazing Meeting 6 has been scheduled for June 19-22 here in Vegas. I am definitely going! TAM is a yearly meeting of skeptics put on by the James Randi (a.k.a. The Amazing Randi) Educational Foundation. TAM always has an amazing list of speakers/guests such as Dr. Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Dr. Michael Shermer, Penn and Teller, The Mythbusters, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, Phil Plait, Julia Sweeney, Lance Burton, etc. The only confirmed presenter I know of this year is Dr. PZ Myers which I am very excited about.

Actually, I prefer Pepsi but...

A coffin maker in Ghana makes unique coffins in shapes that include airplanes, Mercedes, lobsters, and Coke bottles. They even did a custom job in the shape of a woman's womb. I wouldn't mind being laid to rest between a replica of Salma Hayek's boobs.

5 Bugs I'd Rather Avoid

Check out the five Most Horrifying Bugs in the World. My goal in life is to never come in contact with any of these.

Nooooooooooo!!!!!

Ralph Nader is considering running for president again! Does he derive some type of sexual gratification from screwing up elections? I can't think of any other reason for him to run again accept as a form of sabotage. He only got 2.7% of the popular vote in 2000 so he can't possibly be deluded enough to think he can win. Or can he?

Jesus' what?!?

Jesus' foreskin has been stolen! Yes, you read that correctly. You really can't make this stuff up.

Cloverfield

I saw Cloverfield (by myself of course) on opening night and it was AWESOME! I won't give away any of the plot but I will say a couple things. If you are the type who wants to know everything about the monster (where it comes from, what it wants, what it's weaknesses are, etc.) this movie offers no answers. In fact, by the end of the movie, you still don't know much more than you did before. What it does have is 80 minutes of heart pounding, edge of your seat tension. The camera technique is very effective at drawing you in and making you feel you are part of the action but those who are prone to motion sickness may experience some discomfort. I have heard reports of people vomiting. If you like monster movies and you are not discouraged by the possibility of puking/getting puked on, you have to see it!

Freaking cool but a bitch to reload

Rock Band update

Number of the Beast is now available for download. I'm sure it will be just as impossible on drums as Run to the Hills. And yes, Dan, I will have it downloaded before your arrival so you might even be able to win a second Beamish.

Top 100

Top 100 quotes from wacked our religious nutjobs. This should provide hours of entertainment.

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:http%3A//www.fstdt.com/fundies/top100.aspx%3Farchive%3D1

My personal favorite:

"On of the most basic laws in the universe is the Second Law of Thermodynamics. This states that as time goes by, entropy in an environment will increase. Evolution argues differently against a law that is accepted EVERYWHERE BY EVERYONE. Evolution says that we started out simple, and over time became more complex. That just isn't possible: Unless there is a giant outside source of energy supplying the Earth with huge amounts of energy. If there were such a source, scientists would certainly know about it."

Balls of Fury

Virginia State Del. Lionel Spruill has introduced a bill that would outlaw those stupid nut sack replicas you see hanging from trailer hitches. It's about time. I don't like the idea of the state getting involved but people just don't seem to realize how lame those things are. What is wrong with people?

The most dangerous man in America

"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that's what we need to do -- to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family."

Those are the words of Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. You can watch the video here. Wouldn't that be called a theocracy?

Leroy jumps the gun.....Nerds die.

I guess this video has been around for awhile but I couldn't stop laughing at it.
Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU

LLLEEERRRROOOOYYYYY JJJJEEEENNNNKKKKIIIINNNNSSSS!!!!!

So metal

A House of Commons motion to disestablish the Church of England (sever it's ties with the English government) has coincidentally been listed by the number 666. I'm sure Iron Maiden is pleased.

Format War update and rant

Things are starting to look bleak for HD-DVD. Warner Bros. has jumped the fence and announced they will be Blu-ray exclusive. There are also (officially denied) rumors that Paramount is now considering defection because of the Warner move. This is a massive blow to the HD-DVD camp and could mark the beginning of the end.
It's too bad really. Unlike the format wars of the past, this war seems to be based on whats good for the studios, not the consumers. Content creators are being wooed by Sony's BD+ DRM with pie-in-the-sky dreams of being pirate proof. The reality of the situation is that BD+ has already been partially cracked and it's only a matter of time until it is relegated to the digital scrap heap. Hasn't anybody noticed that the entertainment industry has started shifting away from DRM (see Apple's move to DRM-free songs on iTunes)? DRM is a hopeless enterprise because there will always be a brilliant teenager with time on his hands and hatred of authority to hack it, it's expensive, and it hurts consumers.

Cat blamed for Idaho blackout

After millennia of preparation and infiltration, the feline war on humanity has begun. One insurgent bent on martyrdom has struck first blood by wiping out power to 12,000 Idaho homes and businesses. Beware of cats congregating around nuclear power plants and airports. Most importantly, just say no to catnip because profits from catnip sales support terrorism.

Best line from the article: "The short circuit killed the cat." You think?

Germany: Land of the Sane

I was reading an article on yahoo news and it was about the new Tom Cruise biography that is coming out. All in all it is the same old stuff, but the second to the last line of the article was the best.

It goes:
"Germany does not recognize Scientology as a religion and regards it as a cult masquerading as a church to make money. Scientologists reject this view."

I have a whole new respect for ze Dauchland! (Yeah, I don't know how to spell it)

Stop House Resolution 888

House Resolution 888 is a massive collection of lies, revisionist history, and dangerous ideas. Please read about it here. This is important.

I ♥ Guillermo Del Toro

Guillermo Del Toro is coming up in a big way. Thanks no doubt to the critical success of Pan's Labyrinth (a must see if you haven't already), Del Toro is becoming one of the hottest directors in Hollywood. Rumor has it he may direct the final Harry Potter installment and the Hobbit movies. Most importantly (to me anyway), he wants to adapt two of my favorite books to film.
First, and this one is already in early production, H. P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. This is a project of massive scope and difficult shooting conditions because it is about explorers finding ruins of an ancient civilization deep in Antarctica. I have always thought this would make a great movie in the right hands. Del Toro might be just the guy who can pull it off.
The other is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Maybe I expect too much because it is probably my favorite book of all time but I have not been thrilled with previous big screen adaptations of Frankenstein. Kenneth Branagh's 1994 version which starred Robert De Niro came closest to the mark but still left much to be desired. I think Del Toro can do it better. I just hope there wont be subtitles.

Does a year by any other name not smell as sweet?

How long is a year? Well.... it's complicated.

Bring it on 2008

I hope everyone had a fun New Year's celebration. We just stayed home because my Mom was staying with us. She made a last minute visit to check out a local assisted living home for my grandma.
My grandma's current home is very nice and we would love to keep her there but it is costing about $5000 a month. The place that Niki discovered here seems to be just as nice, if not better, and will cost less than $3000. They also accept a VA program for vets and surviving spouses that may save an additional $1100. We hope to have her moved by the end of the month.