tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77435991321862260982024-02-20T03:06:09.120-07:00AuricTech MusingsAuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-81902764677489491322009-09-06T18:16:00.003-07:002009-09-08T17:08:56.617-07:00Thuda-Thump-Thump-Thump......<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/us/politics/06vanjones.html?_r=3">Another One</a> Under The Bus....<br /><br />And the <a href="http://aurictech.blogspot.com/2008/09/thought-for-day.html">Road to Hell</a> gets another paving stone.<br /><br />ETA: Here's a graphic supplied by a <a href="http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MzE4N2U1ZWUxYmI5MjA2ZWQ5ZTY4ZWM2ZDU1M2FiM2E=">NRO Corner reader</a>:<br /><br /><img src="http://www2.nationalreview.com/dest/2009/09/08/4f328f2b4bd4e32d6ef9176addbe843a.jpg">AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-40134815056380416262009-06-09T06:12:00.003-07:002009-06-09T06:26:15.712-07:00The Dowd ConundrumIf you have not yet seen <a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/ejectejecteject/">Bill Whittle's</a> most recent <i>Afterburner</i>, "<a href="http://www.pjtv.com/video/Afterburner_/__The_Dowd_Conundrum%3A_Why_Vulcans_and_Other_Intellectuals_Don%27t_Belong_in_the_Big_Chair/1995/">The Dowd Conundrum</a>," you need to do so. Now. (I'll wait.)<br /><br />Finished? Good.<br /><br />What I find interesting is that "The Dowd Conundrum" has two actors playing roles: Maurice LaMarche as the voice of Captain Kirk and Derek Ringolg as President Obama.<br /><br />One of these actors played a megalomaniac who, convinced of his superior intellect, concocted schemes to rule us all, not realizing that the basic flaws in his plans' premises ensure their utter failure.<br /><br />The other is well-known as the voice of Brain in <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112123/">Pinky and The Brain</a></i>.AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-61964575390369910852009-05-16T14:10:00.002-07:002009-05-16T14:23:21.499-07:00Is This Really Necessary?One would think that the residents of the world's most populous nation would already have a fair idea about how sex works. One would think this, but the manager of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/15/china-sex-theme-park-love-land">Love Land</a>, the first sex theme park in China, would disagree:<br /><br /><blockquote>Maybe it was the giant revolving model of a woman's legs and lower torso, clad only in an unflattering crimson thong, or perhaps it was the oversized replica of a set of genitals. Either way, many residents in the south-west city of Chongqing are not happy about the development of China's first sex theme park, which has been described as "vulgar" and inappropriate.<br /><br />The park manager, Lu Xiaoqing, who was inspired by South Korea's popular sex theme park in Jeju, says that Love Land, due to open in October, will improve sex education and help adults enjoy a harmonious sex life. Inside, visitors will be able to view naked human sculptures, giant replicas of genitals and an exhibition about the history of sex and sexual practices in other countries.<br /><br />The park will also offer sex technique workshops and advise on anti-Aids measures and using condoms properly.<br /><br />"Sex is a taboo subject in China but <b>people really need to have more access to information about it</b>," Lu told the state newspaper China Daily. [emphasis added]</blockquote><br /><br />I wonder if any of the $2.6 million in tax (and borrow) money the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism is slated to drop on the <a href="http://blacklistednews.com/news-4209-0-23-23--.html">problem of drunken Chinese prostitutes</a> is going to this theme park....<br /><br />(HT to <a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/78681/">Prof Reynolds</a>)AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-11984837400332012662009-03-20T22:28:00.000-07:002009-03-20T22:29:57.287-07:00xkcd Puts the AIG Reporting In Context<img src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/1000_times.png">AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-52104425213884925732009-03-17T21:16:00.002-07:002009-03-17T21:19:46.253-07:00Tax Day Tea Party AlternativeAs an alternative to attending a Tax Day tea party (or in addition to attending one), I think that 15 April 2009 would be a fine day to donate blood. When you're done, you can take the "I gave blood today" sticker that many donation sites give you and stick it to a rock (or turnip; your choice)....<br /><br />Hmmm. Is it too late to organize a local blood drive?AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-1933833105652935492009-01-13T16:02:00.001-07:002009-01-13T16:04:25.155-07:00I Guess I'll Just Have To Live With The One's Disappointment...<div style="float:right;width=250px;height=250px;margin-right:40px;margin-bottom:10px;"><script type="text/javascript"><!--<br />google_ad_client = "pub-0384624925434744";<br />/* 250x250, created 1/9/09 */<br />google_ad_slot = "6748935756";<br />google_ad_width = 250;<br />google_ad_height = 250;<br />//--><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"<br />src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script></div><div class="ot_widget" style="width:100px;border:2px solid darkblue;line-height:.9em;background:#EEEEFF;color:#0000CC;"><br /> <img src="http://obamatest.com/images/obama-seal-sm.jpg" alt="" style="padding:2px;" /><br /> <div style="padding:4px;text-align:center;font-size:70%;"><br /> Barack is very disappointed with me!<br /> <br/><br /> I only scored <span style="font-size:150%;font-weight:bold;">20</span> on the <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://ObamaTest.com/">Obama Test</a><br /> </div><br /></div><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br /><br />I guess the fact that I'm not bitter (life's too short, and too fun, to be bitter) kept me from scoring lower than 20.AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-22109768382958483242008-11-13T18:38:00.003-07:002008-11-13T19:11:17.673-07:00Cautious PessimismMy approach to the results of the recent elections is one of cautious pessimism. While I expect things to get worse than they are now, and by a greater degree than things would have been with McCain in the White House, I have reason to hope that things won't get as bad under President Obama as his supporters* want. In future posts, I'll explore my reasons for expecting lonly the very bad, rather than the worst.<br /><br />*William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright and their ilkAuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-67085649415298792542008-10-05T13:06:00.000-07:002008-10-05T13:07:32.225-07:00A Bumper Sticker Thought for the Day"Guns don't kill people - guns kill dinner."AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-45207068262005581932008-10-01T18:22:00.002-07:002008-10-01T18:27:44.292-07:00A Very Special EpisodeCourtesy of <a href="http://iowahawk.typepad.com/">Iowahawk</a>, we have video of Senator Obama's teleprompter's new demands:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3hSnEMV58F8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3hSnEMV58F8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-25481704514964797582008-09-11T18:00:00.002-07:002008-09-11T18:19:40.586-07:00Seven Years Ago TodayOn 11 September 2001, I was in Bosnia, participating in the fifth year of President Clinton's one-year Balkans peacekeeping mission. At about 1530 hours local time, I received a radio call informing me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Fortunately, my team had just completed our mission, and we were able to return to our base camp before everything went into lockdown mode.<br /><br />As I watched the television coverage, two thoughts filled my mind:<br /><br />1. The Latin sentence "<i>Oderint dum metuant</i>."<br /><br />2. The third stanza of "The Star-Spangled Banner":<br /><blockquote><br />And where is that band who so vauntingly swore<br />That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion<br />A home and a country should leave us no more?<br />Their blood has washed out their foul footstep's pollution.<br /><br />No refuge could save the hireling and slave<br />From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,<br />And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave<br />O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. </blockquote><br />Seven years (and two more mobilizations) later, both thoughts still define my view of the ongoing war against those who would seek to destroy all I hold dear.AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-31395507879849690462008-09-05T17:35:00.001-07:002008-09-05T17:36:48.022-07:00Thought for the DayThe road to Hell is paved with the bodies of those whom Barack Obama has thrown under the bus.AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-17655688170320661712008-09-03T19:14:00.002-07:002008-09-03T19:19:47.182-07:00A SongThis song is dedicated to the followers of the Obamessiah:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ytNoiQ8LkS8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ytNoiQ8LkS8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Of course, posting this invites charges that I <strike>fathered Trig Van Palin</strike> want to see Senator Obama crucified. Let me be clear: I do not wish the man ill. I simply consider him unfit for high office.AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-9011613804060460202008-08-30T09:12:00.002-07:002008-08-30T09:30:04.671-07:00On Senator Obama and Post-PartisanshipSome in the blogosphere have questioned how the most Leftist member of the United States Senate can possibly be defined as "post-partisan." I should think that his campaign's attempts to <a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MzlmOTdjYjk0ZTg2NzI4OWU3MGNlYTM1Yjg0NjVhMTY=">silence its critics</a> make it clear exactly how Senator Obama is post-partisan.<br /><br />As <a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmUwOTllNmMzZDNlMTljMGFmY2JkZTllYmQyOTY0ODY=">this NRO editorial</a> states:<br /><br /><blockquote>Kurtz has obviously hit a nerve. It is the same nerve hit by the American Issues Project, whose television ad calling for examination of the Obama/Ayers relationship has prompted the Obama campaign to demand that the Justice Department begin a <em>criminal investigation.</em> Obama fancies himself as “post-partisan.” He is that only in the sense that he apparently brooks no criticism. This episode could be an alarming preview of what life will be like for the media should the party of the Fairness Doctrine gain unified control of the federal government next year.</blockquote><br /><br />In other words, Senator Obama's goal of eliminating "partisan bickering" is to be achieved by eliminating dissent. Seems pretty simple to me.<br /><br />As <a href="http://lesbates.blogspot.com/">Leslie Bates</a> might say:<br /><br />What are your questions on this block of instruction?AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-51827360009516576722008-07-29T18:14:00.002-07:002008-07-29T18:18:12.397-07:00Boom-de-yada, Boom-de-yada...I just saw <a href="http://media.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NTRmZDczZmU2N2MzNDM2YWJlN2FjY2ExOWM0ZmMzMTY=">this post</a> on NRO's Media Blog, in which Nancy Pelosi is quoted as saying "I have always loved longitude." In response, I sent the following reply to Media Blog:<br /><br />Did the rest of the House Democrat Caucus sing "Boom-de-yada, <br />boom-de-yada" after Speaker Pelosi's comment?<br /><br />I love Obama<br />I love his attitude<br />I love his longitude<br />I love his latitude<br />I love the whole world<br />I'm trying to save it now*<br />Boom-de-yada, boom-de-yada<br />Boom-de-yada, boom-de-yada...<br /><br />*Referring, of course, to <a href="http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZjMxZTUxYzk4NzY3MjYwOGJiNGJjMjAzNTJhMGRlNGQ=">this Corner post</a>.AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-18853006694251110922008-04-17T18:57:00.000-07:002008-04-17T19:07:09.603-07:00Be It Resolved......that any Citizen of the United States of America, who publicly declares that, should that Citizen's preferred candidate for the office of President of the United States of America fail to be elected, said Citizen will move to another country, shall be sentenced to permanent exile under conditions as similar to those reputed to be imposed upon <a href="http://www.bartleby.com/310/6/1.html">Philip Nolan</a> as may be possible.AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-50571509925301340842008-03-21T19:17:00.004-07:002008-03-21T19:27:32.991-07:00Why I'm Not a LeftistI do not understand the emotion of envy; I therefore am emotionally ill-equipped to understand the Left, let alone subscribe to Leftist views.<br /><br />Personally, I'd say that the ability to move beyond envy is true progress. Compare and contrast this with "Progressivism," which depends upon envy and hate.AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743599132186226098.post-80325184471182536952008-02-27T19:24:00.001-07:002008-02-27T19:24:54.425-07:00A Life Well LivedI've been thinking of starting a political blog for a while. Today's sad news is what finally made me decide to begin: <a href="http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MTE4NGRlOGM1NmYxYjdmNjk1MjliOTE2MTYxOWZkZjc=">William F. Buckley, Jr. has passed on.</a><br /><br />You will be missed, sir.AuricTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802262032628963241noreply@blogger.com1