ahem

Folks, this blog has permanently moved. Go to http://www.mcdowellcrook.com/blog/

Thanks!

[this is storm]

via.

wow

Something tells me the Bierstick is going to bring little but pain and misery into the world.

Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood cover Portishead's "The Rip"

Tranquil and serene until he runs out of supplies

"The Mango Song" from Phish's A Picture of Nectar.

Interestingly enough, there was a time this song meant a great deal to me. I still find it joyous.

ouch

According to the New York Times, people in Wilcox County, Alabama spend the highest percentage of their income on gasoline in the country.

All hail the Disco Handbook

The Disco Handbook - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: The Disco Handbook

moment

"Snorkel" from Leo Kottke's One Guitar, No Vocals.

quote of the day

"Right now there are more McCainocrats than there are Obamapublicans."

-- NPR news analayst

amazing

symbolic

You too can crack the Mayan hieroglyph code.

a bad case of the Mondays

Be glad you don't work in an office with this guy.

UPDATE: now we know why he got so angry.

not super at all

Now that this is all over, I have one small message to the superdelegates who held out until days before the primary season ended.

YOU SUCK

This could have been over MONTHS ago but for your spinelessness, your egotastic mediamongering desire for attention. You weren't sure where the candidates stood on important issues, you say? Try listening to one of the twenty-plus debates that can readily be found on YouTube--try reading cnn or msnbc for countless exhaustive reports of their consistent stands made on various topics. Try TALKING to them--you're freaking superdelegates! How on earth, at this late hour, could you have anything left to decide?

The truth is, you didn't. Either you were too afraid to piss off one candidate by voting on another, or too politically emasculated to vote on your principles. And thanks to you, the Democrats have been rent asunder and are weaker now than they were before. Yes yes the whole system of superdelegates needs to be throw out of the window like sushi gone bad, but who knew that you could have created a situation like this? Who knew the individual delegates might refrain from making a decision, thereby fouling up the whole process? Who, with that amount of political power, doesn't use their position and intelligence to find out who to vote for as soon as possible? Is it that hard?

great map of the post WWII world

Lots of interesting designations. Hebrewland? United States of Europe?

bad

Drunk Driver Crashes Into Bike Race in Mexico

hahahah

beyond maps

Looking for a new home? Try this slick website.

finally

The Onion movie is coming out

this guy is good

interesting historical tidbit of the day

Schräge Musik

for English majors

Try this if your degree just isn't working out for you.

sly lit

If you'd rather be reading at work than working, try this site.

sneezing trees

I can't wait for my son to start asking me "why" questions. I'm probably going to give him a few answers like Calvin's dad did.

Burn After Reading

The new Cohen brothers film looks fun.

old school

Another impossibly large photo to keep your hard drive healthy. This one's of Montgomery, date unknown taken in 1916. (Thanks guys)

UPDATE: I got the photos here. Just do a 'Montgomery' search.

shatterer of worlds

A picture from Opération Canopus, France’s first two-stage thermonuclear test conducted on August 24, 1968 at Fangataufa atoll. I've seen this a hundred times but these high resolution shots are fascinating.

insert bad dog pun here

Apparently Ohio Northern University, where I attended law school, has recently awarded a dog a bachelor's of science degree in canine companionship.

Mary Pat's reaction: "They're gonna disbar us."

opulence

One wine connoisseur wondered just what makes the '47 Cheval Blanc one of the finest wines in the world. He found out:

The impeccable storage undoubtedly explains why the '47 Cheval I drank that night now ranks as the greatest wine of my life, a title I doubt it will relinquish. The moment I lifted the glass to my nose and took in that sweet, spicy, arresting perfume, my notion of excellence in wine, and my understanding of what wine was capable of, was instantly transformed—I could almost hear the scales recalibrating in my head. The '47 was the warmest, richest, most decadent wine I'd ever encountered. Even more striking than its opulence was its freshness. The flavors were redolent of stewed fruits and dead flowers, yet the wine tasted alive; it bristled with energy and purpose. The '47s signature flaws—the residual sugar and volatile acidity—were readily apparent, but it was just as Lurton had said: In this wine, the flaws inexplicably became virtues. The analogy that sprang to mind wasn't port; it was Forrest Gump. This was the Forrest Gump of wines—clearly defective, completely charmed. I realized that it was silly even to try to place the '47 in the context of other wines; it defied comparison, a point underscored when I tasted another legend, the 1945 Château Latour, later that night (yeah, it was a nice evening). The Latour was stunning—probably the second-best wine I've ever had—but it at least fell within my frame of reference: It was a classically proportioned Bordeaux that just happened to be achingly good. The '47 Cheval, by contrast, was an otherworldly wine—a claret from another planet. And it was amazing.

those pesky women

The Vatican once again proves its inability to cope with the modern world.

chair of the day

from here.

put your orders in now

Apparently Volkswagen is developing a protoype car due out in 2010 that gets 235 mpg.

word of the day

"Staycation"

think your gas is high?

It's all relative.

'breathtaking inanity'

According to a recent study conducted by the National Science Foundation, one in eight U.S. high school biology teachers presents creationism or intelligent design in a positive light in the classroom, despite a federal court's recent ban against it.

back in the day

Lovely old photos of New York City.

quote of the day

"God put me on this earth to raise hell."

- Richard Burton

flashy

Spectra is one of the coolest news aggregator/reader things I've seen.

temple of doom

Interesting article on Otto Rahn, the Nazi archaeologist who inspired the real Indiana Jones.

quote of the day

"The density of the cloud can make no difference in the right to have it removed."

Whitney v. Port Huron, 50 N. W. 316, 317

Alabama's Gourmet Beer bill has been ignored again

Last year the Gourmet Beer Bill was given the "Shroud Award" for the "deadest bill of the session".

This year members and supporters of Free the Hops rallied around magnificently and carried out a sustained effort of education on the issues, such that every single legislator in the Alabama Legislature heard about Gourmet Beer and knew what the real issues were.

We were failed by the Senate. They spent the entire session in petty bickering, being too busy scoring political points to do the job we pay them to do. An entire legislative session squandered in point-scoring instead of dealing with the very grave legislative issues that were before them.

The senate didn't deal with the education budget. They didn't deal with removing the 4% grocery tax. They didn't deal with the smoking ban. They didn't deal with a bill to prevent large corporations avoiding paying Alabama taxes. They didn't deal with a bill to exempt the Federal Stimulus Check from Alabama taxation.

It is time for you, the people of Alabama, to feel outraged at this. The senators behaved in a way that brings shame on the state, and they need to learn that their actions have consequences on their own political careers.

Let me be blunt here: the issue is not that the senators failed to deal with Gourmet Beer. The issue is that they failed you, the people of Alabama - and that failure needs to be punished.

Call, email, or write your senator. Tell them how you feel about their dismal failure to achieve anything this year. Tell them how you feel about their poor representation of you on the national political field. Tell them how you feel about them confirming everyone's prejudices about our great state.

Tell them you will remember that all they achieved in 2007 was to vote themselves a huge pay rise.

Above all, tell them that in 2010 you will remember their failures in 2007 and 2008. And that voluntary failure is not acceptable.

Find your senator: http://capwiz.com/state-al/dbq/zs.dbq

Stuart Carter, President, Free the Hops | Alabamians for Specialty Beer

hahahah

San Diego Zoo, Prison Merge

SAN DIEGO—Plagued by a lack of funding and growing staff shortages, the San Diego Zoo and Ironwood State Prison were combined earlier this week, bringing local inmates and wildlife together for the first time under the same roof.

The new state-of-the-art facility—which will house 12 separate cell blocks, a reptile house, two weight rooms, and a primate sanctuary—is expected to save the state of California up to $5 million in operation costs over the next year.

hyperreal

This is the new CGI. Apparently it involves lots of destruction.

hypnotic

A water balloon at 1000 feet per second.

READS NEWSPAPER AT THE TABLE

How do you rate on the Marital Rating Scale?

triple style word

Must have these.

full service

just does not understand

No, no, no.

DUDE, YOU DRIVE A CAR THAT GETS 14-16 MPG. Correlation?

go Delta go

Delta to install revolutionary Cozy Suite seats in economy class, tourists rejoice.

wiley

Are you a coyote starving in the desert with no food around except a very fast roadrunner? Call ACME Products for a full color catalog.

Lego recreations of famous photos

Tiananmen Square
Originally uploaded by Balakov.

See the whole set here.

quote of the day

"Fundamentally, the Bible is not a book of science... It's a love letter written by God to his people in the language of two or three thousand years ago... So one cannot ask the Bible for scientific responses."

-- José Gabriel Funes, Pope Benedict's official astonomer.

Whoever made this video needs to keep that in mind.

of course

Neil Young has new spider named after him.

If only

The day there was no news.

how very odd

Animated graffiti.

Free the Hops update

Dear member or supporter of Free the Hops,

Unfortunately, an unexpected controversy in the Alabama Senate Thursday caused several hours of stalling tactics and the Gourmet Beer Bill was delayed until Monday, May 19. The controversy had nothing to do with us. We were just caught in the crossfire. May 19 is our last chance to pass Gourmet Beer this year as it is the last day of the regular session.

We should continue to look at the positive. This gives you more time to keep the pressure on your state senator and encourage your friends, co-workers, family, and everyone else to do the same. You have done great work so far. Thanks to your phone calls and emails last week and over the years, we now have 16 senators who have publicly stated their support for our bill, 7 more who are "probable" Yes votes, and several more who are undecided. Only a couple of senators are absolutely opposed to us, which is incredible work in Alabama.

We need to keep up the good work. We believe we already have the votes to pass, but we need to make sure they realize this is an important issue to their constituents, with broad support, that needs to be addressed this year. Because of the rules of the Senate, any senator can delay our bill in a variety of ways. Time is running out, and I want to make sure we're voted on as soon as possible. Even if your senator is a definite Yes vote, continue to communicate with him or her. When we passed the House of Representatives this year, some of our supporting legislators worked behind the scenes to keep their colleagues from delaying the vote. The more support we have, even among senators who already plan to vote Yes, the better.

Several people who have contacted me after calling their senator said it took around 2-3 minutes at most and most of them talked to a secretary. It's really very simple and it's our best weapon. We don't have millions of dollars in campaign money or a powerful union, but we do have a lot of dedicated voters.

Here's a suggestion if you don't know what to say:

"Senator, my name is (name) and I live in your district. I just wanted to call to let you know I would like you to vote yes on HB196, the Gourmet Beer Bill. Thank you, and have a great day."

Some of you have been able to engage in more conversation, but letting them know that you are a constituent and you support the Gourmet Beer Bill is all that I'm asking for. Thank you for all you've done so far, and for continuing your advocacy.

Together, we can Free the Hops!

Stuart Carter
President
Free the Hops | Alabamians for Specialty Beer

assistance requested

OK folks, I need your ideas/genius/brainfarts. So I'm really enjoying this beer-brewing silliness and have decided it might be fun to come up with some labels to put on the beer I force my friends to drink. The labels will need a super-cool logo, and that's where you come in.

The name of the beer is "Crooked Brew" and I need a suitable logo to match the kickassery of this name. Do you have any ideas? When my dad ran for circuit court judge a few years back he made some signs that included a shepherd's staff (or 'crook') cleverly hidden in the design. Maybe something like that would be cool. Anyway, send me your ideas. Beer will reward the idea I end up using.

Logo ideas that include skulls, power tools, weapons, or my dog Scout will be considered first. Logos that include all four may be accepted sight unseen. Logos that include references to amoebic dysentery, cryptosporidium or any other water (or beer)-borne illness will not be considered.

forced to go green

Why $120 oil is good.

kids say the darndest things about politics

subdivision naming: piece of cake

torchy, lovelorn

News copy can be beautiful if you just read selectively.

[this is drought]

go Zach go

Support Zach Feinstein in Getting Drafted into the NBA

"The short story is that I, Zachary Feinstein, have declared for the 2008 NBA Draft. As a 5'8" 130 pound Caucasian, I am the perfect candidate for professional basketball. Also, I do not play basketball.

You see, I am not currently on my college's basketball team (Division 3 just for reference) nor did I try out to be. I was at no point on my high school's basketball team nor did I try out to be. I was at no point on my middle school's basketball team nor did I try out to be. The last time I was on a basketball team was before Bill Clinton got caught with his pants down.

So there you have it, I, Zach Feinstein, am in the 2008 NBA Draft."

splode

Amazing photos from the recent volcano eruption in southern Chile.

Thanks, Sharon!

microart

Sand is beautiful.

hillary gtfo

Yes.

free the hops emergency help needed!

A message from Stuart Carter, President, Free the Hops

Members and supporters of Free The Hops,

Nothing is certain in Alabama politics, but we are confident that our lobbyist can get HB196 on the Senate's special order calendar tomorrow, which is the next-to-last day of the 2008 session. Passing a Senate floor vote is the final hurdle before the Gourmet Beer Bill can be sent to the Governor to sign it into law. It all comes down to this moment.

Although we take nothing for granted and encourage everyone to make a final call and email to your own Senator to encourage him or her to vote Yes on HB196, we have good reason to believe we have the votes needed for passage. Unfortunately, we have gotten word that one Senator may be prepared to stop our bill from ever coming up for a vote. Senator Hank Erwin has said he is inclined to filibuster the Gourmet Beer Bill because of his religious convictions. He is fundamentally opposed to all "pro-alcohol" legislation, period.

Because the end of the session is close at hand, the Senate as a whole has no patience for filibusters at this point. If anyone threatens a filibuster, they will most likely carry over the controversial bill and move on, possibly ending our chances of success this year.

So we are asking ALL of our members to call Hank Erwin today or early tomorrow (before 10am). Even if you are not one of his constituents, his threat to filibuster could prevent your own Senator from ever having a chance to cast a vote on the bill, which is not fair. BE POLITE. It is absolutely imperative that we all take the high road and be models of Christian charity and civility. But he needs to know that Alabamians are overwhelmingly in favor of HB196 and we want him to allow it to come up for a vote.

All you need to say is that you support HB196, and while you respect his convictions and understand he will vote No, you would simply like him to allow the bill to be voted on. Keep it short and simple.

He will be in the State House today and in the morning. His office number is (334) 242-7873. You can also send an email to senatorerwin@aol.com, but phone calls will have the biggest impact.

ah hahah!

makes cents

A fine analysis of the federal tax rebate coming to a mailbox near you. As summed up by Dave Barry:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?

A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?

A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?

A. Only a smidgen.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?

A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China?

A. Shut up.

Also amusing: http://www.howispentmystimulus.com/.

still there

When the U.S. fought Japan in the Pacific during the years 1941-1945, many of the battles occurred on small, mostly uninhabited islands. There were occasionally surprising results from the unexpected arrival of troops. On some islands, like Kwajalein, the battles were intense and still affect the lives of the natives living there, mainly through the existence of unexploded ordinance ("UXO") left on the beaches. Nearly 70 years later, the U.S. is still trying to clean up after those conflicts. This guy worked on a UXO demolition team for three years in the Pacific, and has some amazing photographs. Be sure and check out the WWII artifacts he found.

big storm

This electrical storm on Saturn is roughly the size of the planet on which you are presently affixed. And it's been kicking for three straight months.

shark surfing (this has to be fake)

a common lament

Saturday was Dirt, Sweat & Gears, the 2nd annual 12-hour race in Fayetteville, TN. It was a doozy. Notice the guy's rear derailleur in the photo--yep, it's trashed. After a heavy rain Friday night the mud was bad on the first lap and there were a lot of cycle casualties. But the weather cleared and it became a beautiful day. Hard 10-mile trail but a great event. DSG is a superbly organized race and everyone on the trail was courteous and helpful. I was so tired afterwards it was all I could do to stand and listen to the awards ceremony.

effective

quote of the day

I believe that today more than ever a book should be sought after even if it has only one great page in it: we must search for fragments, splinters, toenails, anything that has ore in it, anything that is capable of resuscitating the body and soul. It may be that we are doomed, that there is no hope for us, any of us, but if that is so then let us set up a last agonizing, bloodcurdling howl, a screech of defiance, a war whoop! Away with lamentation! Away with elegies and dirges! Away with biographies and histories, and libraries and museums! Let the dead eat the dead. Let us living ones dance about the rim of the crater, a last expiring dance.
But a dance!

-- Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer

thin air

This is Everest.

nice

Pixdaus is the new FFFound.

because having only 200 friends is so 2007

I used to think blogs were cool. Now the only social network for me is ncludr.

R.I.P. Charlie Blair

Charlie Blair was an eccentric but nice fellow who worked on the copy desk with me at the Birmignham Post-Herald a few years ago. He passed away recently. Someone's set up a blog where people can post their memories of Charlie. It's a good thing.

end of story

This is science.

This is not.

This is science.

This is not.

Sigh. Got it?

read this

50 best cult books.

enjoy the bottle and laughs

quote of the day

"Actually, I jade very quickly. Once is usually enough. Either once only, or every day. If you do something once it’s exciting, and if you do it every day it’s exciting. But if you do it, say, twice or just almost every day, it’s not good any more."

-- Andy Warhol

beware

life explained

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

amazing..

Astrologers fail to predict proof they are wrong.

quarterly

You can view every cover of Esquire magazine going back to 1933 here.

There is only one way to protest the Iraq war

Peace Pretzel. Iraq War Protest, San Francisco
Originally uploaded by mdsea923.

....and this is it.

sweet home

Great post on Metafilter concerning songs about Alabama. Even more links in comments.

Alabama, Alabama, We will aye be true to thee,
From thy Southern shores where groweth,
By the sea thy orange tree.
To thy Northern vale where floweth,
Deep blue the Tennessee,
Alabama, Alabama, we will aye be true to thee!

Broad thy stream whose name thou bearest;
Grand thy Bigbee rolls along;
Fair thy Coosa-Tallapoosa
Bold thy Warrior, dark and strong,
Goodlier than the land that Moses
Climbed lone Nebo's Mount to see,
Alabama, Alabama, we will aye be true to thee!

From thy prairies broad and fertile,
Where thy snow-white cotton shines,
To the hills where coal and iron
Hide in thy exausted mines,
Strong -armed miners -sturdy farmers;
Loyal hearts what'er we be,
Alabama, Alabama, we will aye be true to thee!

From thy quarries where the marble
White as that of Paros gleams
Waiting till thy sculptor'ss chisel,
Wake to life thy poet's dreams;
Fear not only wealth of nature,
Wealth of mind has no fee,
Alabama, Alabama, we will aye be true to thee!

Where the perfumed south-wind whispers,
Thy magnolia groves among,
Softer than a mother's kisses,
Sweeter than a mother's song,
Where the golden jasmine trailing,
Woos the treasure-laden bee,
Alabama, Alabama, we will aye be true to thee!

Brave and pure thy men and women,
Better this than corn and wine
Make us worthy, God in Heaven
Of this goodly land of Thine.
Hearts as open as thy doorways.
Liberal hands and spirits free.
Alabama, Alabama, we will aye be true to thee!

Little, little can I give thee,
Alabama, mother mine.
But that little - hand, brain, spirit.
All I have and am are thine.
Take, O take, the gift and giver.
Take and serve thyself with me.
Alabama, Alabama, we will aye be true to thee!

-Julia Tutwiler

oh shit

vacuum tubes and punchcards

A very interesting history of computer data storage, in pictures.

old school

Make mixtapes here and here.

"This place is a supernova"

12,000-year-old temple complex found in Turkey.

(should be) all the rage

Tidal turbines. Hell yes.

picturesque

For those of you visiting Baghdad's Green Zone in the coming months, be sure and use this handy tourist's guide.

ubergeek

If anyone ever, ever catches me wearing these pants, please shoot me on the spot.

Everyone right.

COOKIE MONSTER SEARCHES DEEP WITHIN HIMSELF AND ASKS: IS ME REALLY MONSTER?

predation

This golden eagle understands gravity.

Hop on by

On June 8 there will be a celebration for Arnold of Soissons at the Crook crib. Come one, come all.

Bene dic, Domine, creaturam istam cerevisae, quam ex adipe frumenti producere dignatus es: ut sit remedium salutare humano generi: et praesta per invocationem nominis tui sancti, ut, quicumque ex ea biberint, sanitatem corporis, et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

you are here

The blue marble.

earth music

La Dent Blanche
Uploaded by skyandfab

yes we have

question of the day

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?"

-- Epicurus 341 B.C.E. - 270 B.C.E.

Update:
Worst answer of the day.

oh, that pesky problem of evil.

yeee haw

Bring the respirator, boys! I'll be here on Sunday, riding Sport class.

it grows on you

Kudzu. No longer the scourge of the South. Possibly the savior of the post-oil world?

not elevating at all

Amazing story about and video of Nicholas White, a thirty-four-year-old production manager at Business Week magazine, who walked onto an elevator and got stuck in it for almost 42 hours.

longevity

Behold the very cool story of the Sword of Goujian.

great haiku

I despise haiku
I find it quite limiting
I find it stifling.


I know what you mean!
no matter how you space it,
you always lose a

surreal estate

What Antarctica would look like without all that ice.

death by caffeine

Apparently it would take 153.56 Red Bulls before I'm pushing up the daisies. As of this morning, only 152.56 to go.

shortie update

MP and I went to the doctor and found out (a bit early) that we're having a boy! A little fella--how bout that? During the ultrasound he gave us the thumbs-up, which you can see here:

Then, when we realized that it was a boy we laughed out loud, to which he responded with a little micro-laugh of his own:

This is going to be amazing.

could've fooled me

There is no gas shortage.

wtf

Apparently this is a gun that allows you to shoot around corners. The kitty on top is a disguise--because you wouldn't want people to think those bullets were coming from a gun. Video of the gun here.

verve

If you use firefox and gmail (both of which you should) I recommend going here to download a nice stylesheet for gmail. Paint it black, yo.

moment

"Cathedral" from Van Halen's 1982 Diver Down.

o holy suds

I'm bottling my latest batch of ale tonight so I thought I'd invoke an old (and official) blessing from the Rituale Romanum:

Bene+dic, Domine, creaturam istam cerevisae, quam ex adipe frumenti producere dignatus es: ut sit remedium salutare humano generi: et praesta per invocationem nominis tui sancti, ut, quicumque ex ea biberint, sanitatem corporis, et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

(The + represents the Sign of the Cross.)

For those of you less versed in Latin, this translates as:

"Bless, O Lord, this creature beer, that Thou hast been pleased to bring forth from the sweetness of the grain: that it might be a salutary remedy for the human race: and grant by the invocation of Thy holy name, that, whosoever drinks of it may obtain health of body and a sure safeguard for the soul. Through Christ our Lord. Amen." *

According to this guy, Pope John XXIII in 1962 expressly allowed this blessing to be used in any pub, bar, alehouse, inn, tavern or saloon (but a club needs special permission!)

UPDATE: I stand corrected. The Pope didn't specifically address this blessing. The guy was making a jocular reference to the "Summorum Pontificum" which was issued by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 to allow priests greater freedom in using certain liturgical rites. I missed the subtle Catholic humor. Thanks for the correction.

* Some claim the following translation is more accurate, but I leave that to the linguists:

"Our lager,
which art in barrels,
hallowed be thy drink,
thy will be drunk, (I will be drunk),
at home as I am in the tavern.
Give us this day our foamy head,
and forgive us our spillages,
as we forgive those who spill against us,
and lead us not to incarceration,
but deliver us from hangovers,
for thine is the beer,
the bitter and the lager,
forever and ever,
Barmen."

academic freedom, my a**

It was only a matter of time for the Creationists. Ever since their attempt to cloak creationism in the pseudo-scientific garb of 'Intelligent Design' failed a few years ago, they have been looking for new ways to foist unscientific, supernatural views concerning the origins of life onto children in school. Now, they are claiming rights under the First Amendment. A new documentary, The Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, has recently claimed that educators and scientists are being 'persecuted' for their belief that there is evidence of design in nature. Richard Dawkins and others have protested the shoddy and deceptive way the film was made, but it seems to indicate renewed life for the admittedly nonscientific movement. Worse still, some lawmakers have gotten hold of the idea. According to the Tampa Tribune, a Florida Senate comittee recently voted 4-1 to approve a bill that would 'protect the rights of students and teachers who don't agree with the science behind Darwinian evolution.' In a supreme twist of irony, it's called an "academic freedom" act. Hopefully the Florida Senate judiciary committee, the next to see the bill, will see through this attempt to inject religion into the classrooms. Let's pray hard the Alabama legislature doesn't try such shenanigans.

bird's eye view

View of a space shuttle launch from the fuel tank. Here's what a launch looks like from inside the orbiter. Here's a synchronized collection of the two. And here's what a launch looks like to an unfortunate bird who gets in the way.

not so silly

When I was a kid I used to love three things about MAD Magazine: Spy vs. Spy, the little tiny cartoons hidden in the margins, and the fold-ins on the back cover. The New York Times has a nice retrospective of Al Jaffee's fold-ins here.

groaners follow

A thief attempted to steal paintings from the Louvre in Paris, but was caught 2 blocks away when his van ran out of gas. All the thief could say for himself was: “I had no MONET to buy DEGAS to make the VAN GOGH. But I tried for it anyway because I had nothing TOULOUSE!”

immersion therapy

Up, down.

I, robot

This is Dexter. He's very photogenic.

'The most complicated thing that humans have ever built'

Fascinating article and pictures about the Large Hadron Collider being built by CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland. Turns out it may be capable of bending time itself. Some quick facts:

• 20-year work-in-progress.
• A team of 7,000 physicists from more than 80 nations.
• 27 kilometers in circumference, 175 meters underground.
• facilitating head-on collision of protons, traveling very near the speed-of-light.
• each tunnel is big enough to run a train through it.
• temperatures generated: more than 1000,000 times hotter than the sun's core.
• superconducting magnets are cooled to a temperature colder than in deep space.

confessions of a car salesman

Edmunds.com, the ultimate website for car-purchasing advice, hired a fellow to get a job as a car salesman and report on his experiences. What he found out is worth some attention. (Long article--print it out and read it at your leisure).

so to speak

If you've been wondering whether you should use 'which' or 'that' in a sentence, ease your troubled wonderings here. On a related note, try not to use these words, ever.

options

These are bookshelves.

2 LEGIT 2 KNIT

announcement

Well folks, Mary Pat and I are immensely pleased to inform you that we’re having a baby. A baby! That’s right, a little shortie of our own. We’re due in late August and yes we will find out whether it’s a boy or girl. Updates will be forthcoming (and overwhelming). Let the games begin.

links

If you like Reddit and you like reading it on your mobile phone, then you'll appreciate Redditriver.

nice

The strength of a biological material like spider silk lies in the specific geometric configuration of structural proteins, which have small clusters of weak hydrogen bonds that work cooperatively to resist force and dissipate energy, researchers in Civil and Environmental Engineering have revealed.

This structure makes the lightweight natural material as strong as steel, even though the "glue" of hydrogen bonds that hold spider silk together at the molecular level is 100 to 1,000 times weaker than the powerful glue of steel's metallic bonds or even Kevlar's covalent bonds.

Researchers unravel the secrets of spider silk's strength

oh hillary

cycle

Michael J. Churchman, Executive Director of the Alabama Environmental Council, has sent out the following call to arms. Call your rep!

At last week's Environmental Management Commission, we learned that House Bill 395 has made it out of committee and will be voted on this week. Please contact your representative and let them know that you support recycling and ask them to support this needed legislation. You can call 334-242-7600 or use the following link to contact your representative's office. http://www.legislature.state.al.us/misc/zipsearch.html

Rep. Frank McDaniel of Albertville introduced House Bill 395, the Solid Wastes and Recyclable Materials Act. This legislation will require a $1 a ton tipping fee on solid waste which would create a fund to develop and enhance recycling programs, to identify and cleanup illegal dumpsites, and assist the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) in regulating solid waste.

Presently, Alabama is one of the last states in the country without a comprehensive recycling program. Only 81 out of the Alabama's 460 municipalities provide some kind of recycling program or service. Of the counties, 26 of 67 have recycling programs.

attaboy

Congratulations to my cousins Frank and Daphne, who gave birth to their first child on Thursday! His name is Bo Johnston. At 7lbs, 6oz, he's doing just fine.

extremely modern beds

I like almost all of these.

aahh hahaha

Black Guy Asks Nation for Change.

Obama's speech: A More Perfect Union

It is worth noting that Obama wrote this speech himself.

The New York Times has a great editorial on the speech here.

Arthur C. Clarke R.I.P.

"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible."

Indeed.

For your creativity and prodigious output, for your clarity and devotion to the life of ideas, and for your steady gaze into the poetic reaches of space, you will be missed.

Idiom Shortage Leaves Nation All Sewed Up In Horse Pies

It's an absolute oyster carnival!

covert

Great article on the tunnels built under the French town of Arras during World War I which housed thousands of troops and allowed a great sneak attack ont he Germans in 1917.

creepy

Clandestine photos taken of Michael Jackson's Neverland.

all thumbs

These videos are hilarious overdubs of famous musicians playing awful music.

ridiculous

Why restaurants failed in Dubai.

Unbroken Chain, on piano

This is beautiful.

jolly good

Best vintage ads for modern products.

thank you

certifiable

song lyrics of the day

Almost home
And I miss the bottom stair
You were braiding your grey hair
And it's grown so long
Since I've been gone

Now the perfect girls,
By the pool, they would protest
With crosses 'round their necks,
But our sons were overseas,
And we all know about the hive and the honey bees.

Almost home
With an olive branch and a dove
You were beating on a persian rug
With your bible and your wedding band
Both hidden on the TV stand.

And the cruel wind blew
Every city father fell
Off the county carousel
While the dogs were eating snow
All our sons had sunk in a trunk
Of no ones clothes

Almost home,
We got lost on our new street,
While your grieving girls all died in their sleep,
So the dogs all went unfed,
A great dream of bones all piled on a bed

And the cops couldn't care,
When that crackhead built a boat
And said, "please, before I go
May your only honor bought
Be the kinship of the kids in the riot squad."

Carousel, Iron & Wine

keep scrolling

quote of the day

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.

-- Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice - Act 4, Scene 1

Iron & Wine, Paradiso, Amsterdam, 1/27/08 full streamed show

Setlist here. I declare, Sam Beam is one of those rare people who touches this world with grace and fire.

what do these sentences have in common

A man, a plan, a canal, Panama.

A man, a plan, a cat, a canal, Panama.

A man, a plan, a cat, a ham, a yak, a yam, a hat, a canal, Panama.

A man, a plan, a canoe, pasta, heros, rajahs, a coloratura, maps, snipe, percale, macaroni, a gag, a banana bag, a tan, a tag, a banana bag again (or a camel), a crepe, pins, Spam, a rut, a Rolo, cash, a jar, sore hats, a peon, a canal, Panama!

i love these fences

why not.

nice

This is Google Sky. This is Mars.

with power comes great responsibility

get your Riely on

Great article in the South Bend Tribune on Mary Pat's dad Riely O'Connor and his latest round of gigs. If you live in the Midwest, get to the Midway Tavern in Mishawaka stat.

sudden cold

Impressively unintended ice sculptures.

metamorphose

The amazing life cycle of the Cecropia Silkmoth.

organic space

This guy builds some rather amazing homes. My favorite is the Nautilus.

O brave new world, that has such creatures in it

Incredible pictures and videos taken from the ocean floor below the Antarctica ice sheets.

bring on the hype

Great article in the Los Angeles Times about Alabama's wacky beer laws and the current legislation aimed at changing them.

this is either very cool or an incredible hassle

3-person chess

the next step

Introducing the Air Car. It runs on a hybrid engine that compresses air for acceleration. At speeds greater than 35 mph it uses a small amount of fuel to heat the air for greater power. The result is a car that emits little more than clean air and gets over 100 mpg. Get yours in 2010.

if you must

Get your beta version of Internet Explorer 8 here.

hope for better brew in Alabama

This is an email I just received. Good news may be on the horizon. Get involved and you can quit drinking all that cheap denatured swill.

Members and supporters of Free the Hops:
HB196, the Gourmet Beer Bill, passed the House yesterday. The fact that it passed is entirely due to all the hard work you put in to contacting your house representatives - we passed the BIR by one vote over the 3/5 majority needed, then passed the bill by 6 votes - if you had not all worked so diligently to speak to your representatives, this may have had a very different outcome!

The next step is to go to the Senate. We will be discussing this with our lobbyist to work out a timescale for this to happen, and what you can do to help pass the Senate bill, which may not happen for another few weeks.

Thank you again - we are one step closer to Freeing the Hops!

Stuart Carter
President
Free the Hops | Alabamians for Specialty Beer

the point of all religions

how very true

I personally prefer the politician who is willing to change his or her mind when they feel the facts have changed. The facts are always changing. As long as a politician bases the change on new facts and not on merely the popular will or the wishes of a donor, I have no problem.

best unintended energy drink ad ever

1. Wake up to find yourself on the floor of an airplane in the sky. You are only wearing a pair of shorts.
2. There is a Red Bull in your hand. Drink it.
3. Crawl over to the open door and jump out.

good morning

To hold the sun.

true

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."

- Mark Twain

bon mots

great retorts. My favorite:

In the 1920s, Dorothy Parker was establishing a reputation as a witty woman with a sharp tongue (the actress Mrs. Patrick Campbell called her, "My pretty, pretty cobra"). At the same time, Clare Booth Luce was becoming a respected journalist and well-known playwright. While both women were highly talented, their numerous political, philosophical, and personal differences resulted in a strained relationship. One day, Parker was about to step through a doorway when she came face-to-face with Luce. As the story goes, Mrs. Luce stepped aside, extended the palm of her hand, and said coyly, "Age before beauty." Parker glided through the door, saying ever-so-sweetly:

"Pearls before swine."

the word is out

you'll regret it

Do not click here.

it's friday

not bad

Whether you believe Barak Obama is qualified to lead this nation or not, you've got to admit it's impressive for anybody to quit smoking during a prolonged and stressful presidential campaign.

want

Coolest bookshelves ever.

always wondered

I have a question related to the post below:

When Meatloaf sings that he would do anything for love but he won't do that, what exactly has he been asked to do?

song charts!

check out a whole set of them here. This one is probably my favorite.

i just lost The Game

Rule 1: You are playing The Game.
Rule 2: Whenever you think about The Game, you lose.
Rule 3: Loss must be announced.

best headline ever

not again

I hope this isn't a tinfoil hat story, but there are reports that in some areas of Alabama last night the 60 Minutes special on the political witchhunt of former Governor Don Siegelman was blacked out on Channel 19. From the article: "Channel 19 is owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners, who can be contacted through Rhonda Barnat, 212-371-5999 or rb@abmac.com . Oak Hill Partners represents interests of the Bass family, which contribute heavily to the Republican Party. Viewers displeased about the channel’s decision to censor the broadcast should express their views directly to the station management or to the owners."

potentially useful

"Did you receive a call but the caller did not leave a message and the Caller ID says "Unavailable"? Type the phone number in the box below and click "Get Details" to find out who is using this phone number."

mad soccer skills

here's the beef

If you have fallen prey to the inaccurate soundbytes out there suggesting that Barak Obama makes "eloquent but empty" promises and that he has "little experience" in the political realm, I direct your attention to this excellent article on exactly what Barak has done as a junior Senator.

free the hops this session!

I pass on this message to all readers in Alabama:

Members and supporters of Free the Hops,

As some of you already know, our House ABV Bill - HB196 - came out of committee yesterday. The companion Senate Bill, SB116, came out of committee today.

These bills are intended to increase the allowable alcohol in beer to 13.9% ABV in the state. The next step for our bills is to be voted on in the House and the Senate, which could be as early as this Tuesday but probably won't happen until mid-March. I will be sure to update everyone once we know the date.

For an overview of where we are with all of our bills, please take a look at: http://www.freethehops.org/featuredcontent/thesteps.php

How you can help pass our House ABV bill

Please visit the Alabama legislature web site:

http://www.legislature.state.al.us/

there is a box on the left hand side of the screen where you can type in your ZIP code, which will tell you who your House Representative and Senator are. Please call your Representative to let them know you support the bill and would like to see it pass in the House. A telephone call is *the* most effective way to let them know how much you care about the bill!

How you can help pass our Senate ABV and Home Brewing bills

Please call your Senator (see link above) and let them know you support SB116 (the Senate ABV Bill) and SB355 (the Home Brewing Bill), and that you would like your Senator to help pass these bills. Again, a telephone call is *the* most effective way to let them know how much you care about the bill!

I cannot stress this enough: if you, personally, call your House Rep about HB196 (the Gourmet Beer Bill), AND call your Senator about SB116 (Gourmet Beer Bill) and SB355 (Home Brewing Bill), we will free the hops this year! If you are unable to call your Representative or Senator, you can also email or write to them via the Legislature.

Stuart Carter
President
Free the Hops | Alabamians for Specialty Beer

parallax

This is what the eclipse looked like from the moon.

coolest staircase ever

for your hidden library.

lies

Ok, so I'm glad the Pentagon was able to blast the dying satellite out of the sky. And yes, I'm sure it has some "dangerous" fuel in it, nasty toxic chemical stuff. But don't they all? Why don't we blast all falling debris from the sky? It is so obvious that 1) this was a spy satellite and we wouldn't want anyone getting their hands on it, and 2) we are exhibiting our ability to blast incoming objects (traveling several thousands of miles per hour, no less) from the sky whenever we wish. The way they keep harping on the "toxic rocket fuel" hazard is embarassing. I realize that it's probably a wise political move, but the obvious lies sicken me.

truth of the day

"The more I carry the more I like camping, the less I carry the more I like hiking."

- SGT Rock

law of the day

While doing some research on the Alabama Constitution of 1901 I came across this gem:

Article IV Legislative Department
SECTION 86 Suppression of dueling

The legislature shall pass such penal laws as it may deem expedient to suppress the evil practice of dueling.

;

Praised be the semicolon.

everything is perfect

before, after

wow

for those days when whiskey and cycling go together

you need a flask holster.

for the sucker born every minute

The 5 ballsiest con artists of all time.

I had a dream

fail.

a problem with fundamentalism

Here we go again.

I'm all for freedom of religion, but like with any freedom, a line must be drawn when religion spills over into fundamentalism, when narrow viewpoints are forced upon people against their wishes. I understand that not all fundamentalism is bad, but I would argue that in general fundamentalism causes more division and rancor than any other aspect of religion. After all, that is the point of holding a fundamentalist view--to promote a particular viewpoint to the exclusion of all others in the sincere conviction that you are right and that everyone else, unless they agree with you, is wrong. The misguided zeal and lust for power that usually accompany such views has caused more death and suffering throughout history than the bubonic plague.

Although I've tried to tone down the religious gab on this blog because it tends to peeve the (one) reader(s) and is boring and usually negative, I've got to say that I'm appalled at the recent reports of violent crimes being committed against Muslim women by fundamentalist Islamic men because of alleged violations of Islamic "laws." You've heard about it before--citing the Koran and other "teachings," these men torture and mutilate women for not wearing headscarves or for wearing makeup. They are convinced that makeup is a social evil that justifies hundreds of rapes, beheadings and abductions. It goes without saying that this sort of arbitrary social oppression is disgusting and barbaric and any man who endorses it should be thrown in jail for the rest of his miserable life.

I know what some of you may be thinking. It's the Muslims. The problem is with their religion. But that would be wrong. The problem occurs when a society tolerates a fundamental religious viewpoint and allows it to circumvent or ignore basic civil liberties. I realize that the society first has to recognize civil liberties and be able to enforce them, which isn't the case in Iraq. But this sort of heinous zealotry must be recognized as a product of fundamentalist religious teachings, and its continued existence can only be explained by social tolerance.

In my opinion, and to cite an argument others have made far more eloquently, the burden of reform in this regard is on the moderate believers. People like yourselves. People who go to the church/mosque and say prayers and live normal, decent lives. The burden of reform is on you for a number of reasons, but the main reason is that you share the same beliefs with the fundamentalist crazies. While you may lack the strength of conviction or anger or zealotry or whatever it is that separates you from them, you agree with their ultimate cosmological explanation, more or less. Since a fundamentalist usually doesn't take seriously people who disagree with their views, it is this unity of perspective that makes you particularly suited to exert social pressure on them. No one else can. They will at least listen to you. They may violently disagree with you, but as long as they are treated as a fringe element by their own community of believers they will lack power.

Therefore, whether you are a Christian in America, a Muslim in Iraq, or a Jew in Israel, if you consider yourself a moderate, everyday sort of believer you cannot sit back and marvel at how crazy the fundamentalists are within your religion. Their ability to get away with oppressive, unjust actions is dependant on you. If their own community of believers doesn’t object, they feel justified. Put in another way, the silence of the majority is tacit approval of the actions of the minority.

>>>steps down from soapbox<<<<

word of the day

Awesomegasm

a real pageturner

Sharon just sent me this delightful entry in a recent Sotheby’s catalogue for the sale of an old book:

LOT 4141

MIDDLETON, CHRISTOPHER.

"A REJOINDER TO MR. DOBB’S REPLY TO CAPTAIN MIDDLETON; IN WHICH IS EXPOS’D, BOTH HIS WILFUL AND REAL IGNORANCE OF TIDES; &C. HIS JESUITICAL PREVARICATIONS, EVASIONS, FALSITIES, AND FALSE REASONING; HIS AVOIDING TAKING NOTICE OF FACTS, FORMERLY DETECTED AND CHARGED UPON HIM AS INVENTIONS OF HIS OR HIS WITNESSES; THE CHARACTER OF THE LATTER, AND THE PRESENT VIEWS OF THE FORMER, WHICH GAVE RISE TO THE PRESENT DISPUTE. IN A WORD, AN UNPARALELLED DISINGENUITY, AND (TO MAKE USE OF A VERODOBBSICAL FLOWER OF RHETORIC) A GLARING IMPUDENCE, ARE SET IN A FAIR LIGHT."

LONDON: M. COOPER, G. BRETT, R. AMEY, 1745

(thanks Sharon!)

the basic plan

"2 - 6 women to have 2 - 15 children by me. The preferred situation tends toward the higher numbers."

wow

THE RUBBER BALL IS EVIL AND IT MUST DIE.

Sagan all my love for you

More scientist valentine's day cards. In reference to this.

bad bad bad idea. bad

The Easy Reader.

haha

Atheist Sees Image of Big Bang in Piece of Toast.

slogan of the day I hope doesn't end on every bumper sticker in America

"Politics is like driving. To go backward, put it in R. To go forward, put it in D."

"Let the great world spin for ever down the ringing grooves of change."

Mike meets Derek on the street, gets schooled.
(quote by Tennyson)

John F. Kennedy at NASA, 1962

alt tile: CONCENTRATION

It was only a matter of time

Digital computer tattoo interface.

benjamins

How the $170 billion tax rebate plan will affect you.

Lord, what fools these mortals be.. - Shakespeare

This is by far the world's most dangerous swimming pool.

bird's eye view

Amazing (and amazingly huge) photo of San Francisco on May 28, 1906 after a massive earthquake destroyed the city.

behold the architecture of gullibility

In case you've been wondering what all this scientology nonsense is about, you may be interested in this Gradation and Awareness Chart of Scientology Levels and Certificates.

happy Darwintine's day