Is it just me, or is Eliza Dushku really, really hot? I've been leaning in that general direction since she first appeared on Buffy. Here's some evidence to ponder:

Hmm. I will have to think on this matter for a while longer.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 09:38 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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I just finished the latest DNRC newsletter. One of the highlights of these newsletters is the section where Dogbert answers emails that Scott Adams is far too polite to respond to himself. Excerpt:

Dear Dogbert,

When I order wine at a nice restaurant, the server hands me the cork. What
am I supposed to do with the stupid cork?

Melissa

Dear Molester,

This is your opportunity to show off your fine breeding. Confidently grab the cork and sniff daintily with one nostril while inserting a finger into the other nostril, up to the second knuckle. If the cork's odor is agreeable, take a bite of the cork and chew it while shuddering in delight. Then grab your throat, bug out your eyes, and make a choking noise. Grab a pen and write "Heimlich Maneuver" on a napkin and wave it for help. When no one offers to help, throw yourself over the back of a chair, land on your sternum, and spit cork debris in the direction of anyone who appears to be reaching for a disposable camera to record your death. Then sit back down and say to the server, "Very good."

Sincerely,

Dogbert

Bastard must have been watching me at dinner the other night.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 09:16 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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And damned lazy, too. I didn't particularly enjoy the one time that I went hunting because I was cold, tired, sore and bored. Having said that, the ability to hunt while sitting at home in front of my computer strikes me as even more ridiculous.

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I'm a huge fan of the Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin. I first encountered the books back when I was 13 and have re-read them about every 5-6 years. Well, the SciFi channel is set to broadcast the miniseries Earthsea which will be based on the first two books in the triology. Hopefully this will eventually lead to having The Farthest Shore being produced. Tehanu and The Other Wind I can live without, although I enjoyed the fifth book much more than the fourth.

One final note about Le Guin: I disliked The Left Hand of Darkness almost as much as I enjoyed the Earthsea Cycle. However, the three novels in this compendium restored my passion for her works. I give both the Hainish novels and the original Earthsea trilogy my highest rating. Read them, if you haven't already.

Update: I forgot to mention that the miniseries premieres on December 13 at 9 p.m. ET. Guess I need to tell my wife that I have plans for that and the subsequent evenings.

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When idiots like the woman in this story survives, you just know that natural selection isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Excerpt:

Last January, Frankhouser was hit by a train as she walked along railroad tracks in her hometown of Jeannette, Pa., a southeastern suburb of Pittsburgh.

Amazingly, she came away from the encounter with only a broken finger, some cuts and, according to the lawsuit, "pain."

That's not all, folks: she's suing the rail company for not warning her to walk on the tracks.

"Defendant's failure to warn plaintiff of the potential dangers negligently provided plaintiff with the belief she was safe in walking near the train tracks," Frankhouser's suit asserts.

It goes on to state that Norfolk Southern, based in Norfolk, Va., should have posted signs warning passersby "of the dangers of walking near train tracks and that the tracks were actively in use."

Anyone else want to get in line and bitch-slap some frigging sense into this dimwit? I swear to God, I don't know what's happened to the people in this country. Every time something bad happens to someone, they want to win the tort jackpot. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Fuck. Them. And fine them for filing frivolous lawsuits.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 05:20 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Has everyone heard about Hardee's new burger?

Weighing in at 1,420 calories and containing 107 grams of fat. All you vegetarians just don't know what you're missing. The unfortunate thing is that it's a frigging Hardee's burger. Ugh.

Tip of the blog to Kevin for the link.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 04:01 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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A hot conservative type woman sporting a big freaking gun.

It just doesn't get any better than this. Bang, zoom, into the blogroll with Risawn.

Update: I nearly forgot: Risawn reminded me of the following quote by John Stewart Mill.

""War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse."

Words to live by.

Update: Welcome Instapundit readers!

Posted by: Physics Geek at 03:28 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Or just plain "on crack"? Bill O'Reilley recommends Bill Clinton for Secretary of State. Really.

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TMQ decries the taking of wonderful novels and then creating a cinematic disaster whose only resemblance to the book is the title. Excerpt:

At any rate, this buying up of rights to good books, then changing everything in order to make bad movies, made TMQ wonder about other similar possibilities for big-budget productions:

For Whom the Bell Tolls. Ben Affleck stars as an operative of An Agency Far, Far More Secret Than the CIA who is sent behind the lines of the Spanish Civil War in order to prevent Nazi agents from using a beautiful scientist's invention to open a doorway into a parallel universe. Gorgeous shots of the Catalonia countryside, plus numerous car chases. Angelina Jolie costars as the scientist, who can only think when her shirt is off.

Hedda Gabler. Nicole Kidman produces and stars in this all-singing musical-comedy adaptation of the Ibsen play. Story line is slightly altered to have Hedda be a beautiful Norwegian housewife who teaches kickboxing and operates an organic online catering firm. She falls in love with a dark, handsome stranger (Ben Stiller) and must reconcile her passion for him with her duty to her introverted husband Tesman (Andre3000), a scientist who has invented a doorway into a parallel universe.

Goodnight Moon. Big-budget adaptation of the children's classic uses incredible digital technology to make you believe that Cameron Diaz has turned into an old lady whispering "hush." The baby bunny in the bedroom falls through a doorway into a parallel universe and must stop a ring of ruthless spies bent on world domination -- all before lights-out! Eddie Murphy voices the mouse.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 08:35 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The Commissar has a new map of the Empire of Blogs. The Mu Nu Confederation plan of world domination proceeds apace. However, my own little corner of re-education appears to be curiously absent. The residents of my single pixel gulag will continue to suffer in obscurity.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 08:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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What, you may ask, IS a counter-pressure bottle filler and why would I need one? If you keg your beer, or your favorite beer only comes in kegs, then you might want to have a counter-pressure bottle filler on hand. It will allow you to bottle kegged and carbonated beer, allowing for easy transport while simultaneously keeping the beer carbonated. Pretty handy if you want to take some homebrew to a party.

There have been numerous examples of homemade counter-pressure bottle fillers presented in various magazines and books. However, the best Poor Man's Counter Pressure Bottle Filler looks like this

Now get to work.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 07:36 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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1 Omg thats right! Please come see me and my friends!

Posted by: watch moi at March 16, 2005 10:03 PM (etX90)

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A grilled cheese sandwich sporting a picture of the Virgin Mary was pulled off of ebay recently. Now I'll never get a chance at the winning bid.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 07:07 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I work on a PC all day. Being a programmer(and an engineer before that) means that I'm pretty much the uglier Siamese twin of a computer all day. Here's the bad part: it could give me glaucoma. Excerpt:

Heavy use of computers may be linked to the development of a progressive eye disease, researchers claim.

A study in Japan has found that staring at a screen could be related to glaucoma, which can lead to blindness.

The latest study, by the Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, finds the risk is particularly strong for the short-sighted.

Thank God I'm far-sighted. It still sucks the big fat hairy green drippy one, though.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 07:02 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Copied from this site in its entirety:

On the first day of Christmas my partner gave to me,
A pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the second day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the third day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Three hop pellets

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Four pounds of malt

Three hop pellets

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Five How To Brew books,

Four pounds of malt

Three hop pellets

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Six carboys bubbling

Five How To Brew books,

Four pounds of malt

Three hop pellets

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Seven mashtuns lautering

Six carboys bubbling

Five How To Brew books,

Four pounds of malt

Three hop pellets

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the eigth day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Eight friends a-capping

Seven mashtuns lautering

Six carboys bubbling

Five How To Brew books,

Four pounds of malt

Three hop pellets

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Nine brewsters mashing

Eight friends a-capping

Seven mashtuns lautering

Six carboys bubbling

Five How To Brew books,

Four pounds of malt

Three hop pellets

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Ten brewpots boiling

Nine brewsters mashing

Eight friends a-capping

Seven mash tuns lautering

Six carboys bubbling

Five How To Brew books,

Four pounds of malt

Three hop pellets

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Eleven chillers chilling

Ten brewpots boiling

Nine brewsters mashing

Eight friends a-capping

Seven mash tuns lautering

Six carboys bubbling

Five How To Brew books,

Four pounds of malt

Three hop pellets

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

On the twelth day of Christmas my partner gave to me,

Twelve maltsters malting

Eleven chillers chilling

Ten brewpots boiling

Nine brewsters mashing

Eight friends a-capping

Seven mash tuns lautering

Six carboys bubbling

Five How To Brew books,

Four pounds of malt

Three hop pellets

Two yeast packs

And a pre-assembled bottling tree.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 04:27 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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If you want to give the gift that keeps on giving, then homebrew kits and gadgets are the way to go. Anyone can give beer by mail, but let's face it: eventually, the beer runs out. Teach a man/woman to homebrew, though, and the fun never stops. Go here for some gift suggestions.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 04:24 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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1 Omg thats right! Please come see me and my friends!

Posted by: watch moi at March 16, 2005 10:03 PM (wZ2DL)

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Many breweries produce specialty brews near the winter solstice each year. Here is a pretty good list of holiday beers that you might want to be on the lookout for. The excerpt below is of the ones I've actually tasted at least once.

Brewed in North AmericaAbita Christmas Ale - Louisiana
Anchor "Our Special Ale" - California
Avery Brewing Old Jubilation Ale - Colorado
Berkshire Brewing Cabin Fever Ale - Massachusetts
Bert Grant's Deep Powder Ale - Washington
Blue Ridge Snowball's Chance Winter Ale - Maryland
Boulder Igloo Ale - Colorado
Boulevard Nutcracker Ale - Missouri
Breckenridge Christmas Ale - Colorado
Catamount Wassail - Vermont
Concord Brewing Northwoods Ale - Massachusetts
Crooked River Yuletide Ale - Ohio
Deschutes Jubelale - Oregon
Dogwood Winter Ale - Georgia
Dominion Winter Brew - Virginia
Flying Fish Grand Cru Winter Reserve - New Jersey
Full Sail Wassail - Oregon
Goose Island Christmas Ale - Chicago
Great Lakes Christmas Ale - Ohio
Harpoon Winter Warmer - Massachusetts(note: had one last night)
Highland Brewing Cold Mountain Winter Ale - North Carolina(great beer available in Asheville, NC)
Leavenworth Snowblind Winter Warmer - Washington
Magic Hat Feast of Fools - Vermont
Mendocino Yuletide Porter - California
New Belgium Frambozen - Colorado
Otter Creek - A Winters Ale - Vermont
Pete's Winter Brew - Texas
Pyramid Snow Cap - Washington
Redhook Winterhook - Washington
Rogue-Santa's Private Reserve - Oregon
Rogue-Yellow Snow - Oregon
Saint Arnold Christmas Ale - Texas
Saint Arnold Winter Stout - Texas
Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig - Massachusetts
Samuel Adams Winter Lager - Massachusetts
Shiner Winter Ale - Texas
Sierra Nevada Celebration - California
Stoudt's Holiday Reserve - Pennsylvania
Tabernash-Left Hand XXXmas Ale - Colorado
Troegs Mad Elf - Pennsylvania
Troegs Oatmeal Stout - Pennsylvania
Weeping Radish Christmas Double Bock - North Carolina
Wild Goose Snow Goose - Maryland
Woodstock Ichabod Crane Holiday Beer - New York

Imported into North AmericaAas Jubel - Norway
Abbaye des Rocs Special Noel - Belgium
Corsendonk Christmas Ale - Belgium
Delerium Noel - Belgium
De Dolle Winter Nacht - Belgium
Fantome de Noel - Belgium
Fantome Winter - Belgium
Fuller's Old Winter Ale - England
Fuller's Vintage Ale - England
Harvey's Christmas Ale - England
Samichlaus - Austria(coming in around 14% alcohol, this is a good sipping by the open fire beer)
Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome - England
Scaldis Noel - Belgium
Young's Winter Warmer - England

That list is scarily long. What's worse is that it's bound to lengthen this holiday season.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 04:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Pssst! Wanna get some behind the scenes info about Lucas's latest celluloid abortion masterpiece, Revenge of the Sith? Then go here. Not sure yet? Okay, here's an excerpt:

We enter the green screen set of Revenge of the Sith. I watch as George Lucas takes control. Stars Hayden Christiansen and Natalie Portman are both suspended twenty feet over the floor in hydraulic harnesses, their limbs clamped to their sides.

Both wear skin-tight green body suits that blend with the green background, with orange tennis balls glued to their bodies in a grid. Though the set is completely bare, I can sense the possibilities. In post-production, everything green will be replaced with the fruits of Lucas's imagination, brought to reality through digital effects. I take a seat and watch the magic happen.

"Squint!" Lucas screams into a boom mic. "We're animating your bodies to walk toward each other!" Green mechanical arms push the two actors together. Portman begins to twitch from the pressure of the clamps.

"Don't move your limbs!" Lucas directs. "You'll disrupt the motion tracking! Act with your faces! No, not your mouths! We're doing CGI mouths. Just your eyes. Your other eye! Now squint! You're in love! Squint like it!"

The director sakes a seat attached to a camera rig. "Here comes the wompherder! You're running now! Your bodies are animated to be running! You're in terror! Squint in terror! NOT WITH THAT EYE!"

The hydraulic arm jerks Hayden suddenly upward by six feet, contorting his spine visibly. Several members of the crew get queasy and run from the room.

"Ooooo! Now Anakin is riding the wompherder! Go Anakin! Squint, Natalie! Squint in admiration! No, not that much!"

I can hardly wait to see the final product.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 03:42 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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So the Boy Scouts are discriminatory because its members must believe in God. Somehow, I don't believe that the ACLU would get its panties in a wad about an association of atheists requiring a denial of God by its members to be violating anti-discrimination laws.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 01:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Received via email:
-------------------------

A woman and a man are involved in a car accident; it's a bad accident.

Both of their cars are totally demolished but amazingly neither of them are hurt.

After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says, "So you're a man. That's interesting. I'm a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There's nothing left, but we're unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should

meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days.

Flattered, the man replied, "Oh yes, I agree with you completely, this must be a sign from God!"

The woman continued, "and look at this, here's another miracle. My car is completely demolished but this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune."

Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, opens it and drinks half the bottle and then hands it back to the woman.

The woman takes the bottle and immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man.

The man asks, "Aren't you having any?"

The woman replies, "No. I think I'll just wait for the police....."

Posted by: Physics Geek at 09:04 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Now that food has replaced sex in my life,
I can't even get into my own pants.


Marriage changes passion.
Suddenly you're in bed with a relative.

I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it.
So I said "Implants?" She hit me.

How come we choose from just two people to run for
president and 50 for Miss America?

A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...
but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Darn...that was fun!"

I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing.
If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!


When I was young we used to go "skinny dipping,"
now I just "chunky dunk."

Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able
to tell the difference.

Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could
simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over? AMEN, AMEN !!

Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but
they can in prison?

Wouldn't you know it...
Brain cells come and brain cells go, but FAT cells live forever.

Why do I have to swear on the Bible in court when the Ten
Commandments cannot be displayed in a federal building?

Bumper sticker of the year:
"If you can read this, thank a teacher-and, since it's in English, thank a
soldier !!"

Posted by: Physics Geek at 09:02 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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