On the topic of the UN, I have long held the opinion that I think is fairly prevalent in Britain, that being: "Good sorts, staggeringly incompetent, but they mean well, what what?", but this might change my mind.
Essentially outlawing free speech as regards to religion, apparently this resolution is to be observed in all member states. A slight problem is that it is, of course, it goes against the provisions in the U.S. constitution guaranteeing free speech. If the largest of the member states cannot legally follow this directive, then it is hopefully doomed to failure.
I find it difficult to even address the fundamental witlessness of this bill. It sounds like the sort of thing that might be put forward at a high school Model General Assembly. It should be no surprise to anyone that the main sponsor of this bill is Pakistan, a muslim state where 75% of the female prison population are there for being raped. I can imagine there is precious little more deserving of all the criticism that can be hurled at it.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Addendum.
Incidentally, you should all read the biography page for my new nemeses. Apparently the psychic world is not too hot on grammar.
Bullshit Parade.
It is a proven scientific fact that thinking about something often causes it to happen. Some call this quantum physics. Others simply call it "faith." We ask that you open your mind to joining in with a unique psychic force that will change our lives through the power of thought.
Do you know what makes things happen? Doing things. I know, I too was amazed that there is often, frequently and sometimes observed link between cause and effect. It's spooky! When you do stuff, stuff will happen! Try making some toast - you will get delicious buttered toast! Try thinking about toast - you will almost certainly get hungry. It's science! It's full of scientifically-proven science! Oh, it's so scientific, you could rub yourself in it and people would mistake you for Alan Turing!
There is nothing like the faintest hint of a crisis to bring the charlatans hurtling out from under their stones. One effect I will guarantee from this gibberish - they will find some sort of vague market wobble, and attribute it to positive thinking. Then they will start asking for money.
Charlatans, quacks and crooks typically thrive in times of upheaval. We are suckers for miracle cures and quick fixes. These people aggravate me more than your common or garden buffoon, because their crookedness is so frequently dressed as piety. There is a cultishness to quackery, evinced recently with the MMR scare and similar nonsensical medical squeamishness. Now we have kids dying from easily preventable diseases, more and more people are getting illnesses that were almost extinct a decade ago, and there is still not one documented link between MMR and autism.
If you imagine positive thinking is going to save the world, try imagining what actual contribution might achieve. If you think that Jenny McCarthy knows more about medicine than your doctor, then I feel very sorry for your children. And if you thought that it would be cute to play on the terms 'herd immunity' and 'following the herd' then congratulations, because you have directly contributed to the deaths of several children, an increase in the rates of communicable disease in Europe and the US. And since the anti-MMR movement is so intrisically linked to new-age "medicine", I feel that I should point out that positive thinking will have all the effect that it always has - fuck all.
I sense a theme coming on.
Do you know what makes things happen? Doing things. I know, I too was amazed that there is often, frequently and sometimes observed link between cause and effect. It's spooky! When you do stuff, stuff will happen! Try making some toast - you will get delicious buttered toast! Try thinking about toast - you will almost certainly get hungry. It's science! It's full of scientifically-proven science! Oh, it's so scientific, you could rub yourself in it and people would mistake you for Alan Turing!
There is nothing like the faintest hint of a crisis to bring the charlatans hurtling out from under their stones. One effect I will guarantee from this gibberish - they will find some sort of vague market wobble, and attribute it to positive thinking. Then they will start asking for money.
Charlatans, quacks and crooks typically thrive in times of upheaval. We are suckers for miracle cures and quick fixes. These people aggravate me more than your common or garden buffoon, because their crookedness is so frequently dressed as piety. There is a cultishness to quackery, evinced recently with the MMR scare and similar nonsensical medical squeamishness. Now we have kids dying from easily preventable diseases, more and more people are getting illnesses that were almost extinct a decade ago, and there is still not one documented link between MMR and autism.
If you imagine positive thinking is going to save the world, try imagining what actual contribution might achieve. If you think that Jenny McCarthy knows more about medicine than your doctor, then I feel very sorry for your children. And if you thought that it would be cute to play on the terms 'herd immunity' and 'following the herd' then congratulations, because you have directly contributed to the deaths of several children, an increase in the rates of communicable disease in Europe and the US. And since the anti-MMR movement is so intrisically linked to new-age "medicine", I feel that I should point out that positive thinking will have all the effect that it always has - fuck all.
I sense a theme coming on.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Neologisms.
The result of Abstinence-only sex education? New words. Oh, and y'know, diseases and stuff.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Lookie here.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the incredible artwork being done by a guy called Olly Moss. Designing videogame box art to resemble Penguin-like classic book covers. They are delightful little bits of design, particularly if you're familiar with the games in question. There is a lot of information carried in simple lines.
The full set is here. Also, marvelous.
The full set is here. Also, marvelous.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Happy Hurtling Carrion Day!
This was meant to go up yesterday, but I went a-drinkin' instead.
Stood by the pond outside work on yet another miserable day, I was as surprised as anyone to see half a pigeon fall from the sky. The rear half, I believe, but I cannot be sure as it had been mauled by crows. In the spirit of this speedy lump of formerly sentient being, I am announcing that every January 22nd from here on out is Hurtling Carrion Day, the most sacred of holiday of People Who Are Me.
How do you plan on celebrating Hurtling Carrion Day in years to come?
Stood by the pond outside work on yet another miserable day, I was as surprised as anyone to see half a pigeon fall from the sky. The rear half, I believe, but I cannot be sure as it had been mauled by crows. In the spirit of this speedy lump of formerly sentient being, I am announcing that every January 22nd from here on out is Hurtling Carrion Day, the most sacred of holiday of People Who Are Me.
How do you plan on celebrating Hurtling Carrion Day in years to come?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
It's the Magic Disguised as Science of Christmas.
So then - The Christmas Who. Previous years have been less than stellar. This time around though, pretty good. For those of you that tend to watch this sort of thing via computers, there will be very minor spoiling.
David Morrisey - great. Really great. No winking, no campiness. It's a proper performance in Doctor Who. Apparently possible. Who knew? Dervla Kirwan not so much, but she has far less to work with. Still, the greenscreen gets chewed.
Giant fucking steampunk Cyberman? Fuck yes. Don't get me wrong, it's preposterous, but for scale and sheer appropriateness for the episode it gets a resounding whoop and an arm pump.
That will be all, internets.
David Morrisey - great. Really great. No winking, no campiness. It's a proper performance in Doctor Who. Apparently possible. Who knew? Dervla Kirwan not so much, but she has far less to work with. Still, the greenscreen gets chewed.
Giant fucking steampunk Cyberman? Fuck yes. Don't get me wrong, it's preposterous, but for scale and sheer appropriateness for the episode it gets a resounding whoop and an arm pump.
That will be all, internets.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Comic Fun, With Your Friend, Jesus Christ
I just can't even begin to comprehend the sheer awesomeness on display here. But I do have to share. Be warned though - reading these cartoons, even with adult supervision (snide remarks), can make you more stupider. It does at me!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Calamaties, Various.
Music is dead. This killed it. I'm not even going to embed it, because I don't want it staining the purity and integrity of this fine site. I'm not even going to apologise, because for once it's something fucking dreadful that I didn't do.
In other news, I've been trying to enjoy Fable 2, but am failing because the game is so utterly wretched in so many ways. It tries very hard to make you like it in the beginning - it has decent combat, is beautifully presented, and does a reasonable job of expanding on the story of the first game.
Here's the kicker - it has no emotional depth whatsoever. My character is married. I cannot remember her name. She repeats the same lines as all the other characters in the game, in the same voice. She is always happy, though she hasn't seen me in a year of game time, but 40 coins are deducted from my account each day. It is preposterous.
Interaction with the other characters boils down to standing in front of them and jiggling. If you jiggle well, stuff happens. Or so I am told. I haven't really noticed. You strut and belch, scream and fart. Not a single line of dialogue issues from your character, but you could break wind for ten hours if it amused you.
They have designed a beautiful world and populated it with flatulent mannequins. Fantastic.
In other news, I've been trying to enjoy Fable 2, but am failing because the game is so utterly wretched in so many ways. It tries very hard to make you like it in the beginning - it has decent combat, is beautifully presented, and does a reasonable job of expanding on the story of the first game.
Here's the kicker - it has no emotional depth whatsoever. My character is married. I cannot remember her name. She repeats the same lines as all the other characters in the game, in the same voice. She is always happy, though she hasn't seen me in a year of game time, but 40 coins are deducted from my account each day. It is preposterous.
Interaction with the other characters boils down to standing in front of them and jiggling. If you jiggle well, stuff happens. Or so I am told. I haven't really noticed. You strut and belch, scream and fart. Not a single line of dialogue issues from your character, but you could break wind for ten hours if it amused you.
They have designed a beautiful world and populated it with flatulent mannequins. Fantastic.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Dear Sir.
No comment from me, just glorious spam, exactly as I received it.
Dear Sir,
When choosing a penis enlargement method, there are many MANY options these days. But very few are worth the money. In fact, most are full blown scams!
Don't get ripped off - you deserve the real thing!
Penis Growth Patches are the newest, safest and absolutely most potent patch you can buy. No other patch even comes close to duplicating the results found with our Penis Growth Patch.
Just look at what our users are saying:
Having tried penis pills and realizing the importance of sustaining regular blood levels of the formula through consistent regular dosing, I realized my life was far too busy to keep track. With the Penis Growth Patch I simply slap it on and let it do it’s thing, no muss or fuss. This patch truly rocks as without having to stress about how often of how many pills to take, I’ve acquired a size which makes me feel confident.
Robert Marcotti, Iowa
Thank you Penis Growth Patch for enriching my marriage through an enhanced sexual relationship. My wife has become so much more interested in sex and now often initiates.
Craig Pearcy, Seattle
All of the women I have slept with would thank you if they new what you have done for me! I've seen an incredible increase of about 2 inches overall. Your product is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone who has a small or average penis and wants something bigger and better for themselves.
Paul Winslow, Los Angeles
When choosing a penis enlargement method, there are many MANY options these days. But very few are worth the money. In fact, most are full blown scams!
Don't get ripped off - you deserve the real thing!
Penis Growth Patches are the newest, safest and absolutely most potent patch you can buy. No other patch even comes close to duplicating the results found with our Penis Growth Patch.
Just look at what our users are saying:
Having tried penis pills and realizing the importance of sustaining regular blood levels of the formula through consistent regular dosing, I realized my life was far too busy to keep track. With the Penis Growth Patch I simply slap it on and let it do it’s thing, no muss or fuss. This patch truly rocks as without having to stress about how often of how many pills to take, I’ve acquired a size which makes me feel confident.
Thank you Penis Growth Patch for enriching my marriage through an enhanced sexual relationship. My wife has become so much more interested in sex and now often initiates.
Craig Pearcy, Seattle
All of the women I have slept with would thank you if they new what you have done for me! I've seen an incredible increase of about 2 inches overall. Your product is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone who has a small or average penis and wants something bigger and better for themselves.
Paul Winslow, Los Angeles
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Sound Advice.
Simon Pegg has some good points to make. For the record, I've yet to see this show, but I'm reliably informed that it's winging it's way towards me.
Take All The Precautions You Want.
Looking through a PowerPoint presentation for a product we're selling this morning, I came across something that was genuinely alarming. A little background: this is a product for shrill Daily Mail-reading parents who think their kids are going to be sodomised by Bebo, right through the screen. It was full of facts and figures designed to alarm, amongst which was this:
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Everything She Says Is A Punchline.
It's been obvious for as long as she's been on the national scene that Sarah Palin is a buffoon, a cretin with little to no plausibility as an upright-walking human being, let alone a candidate for vice president. Now there's this little gem.
Firstly, one very obvious point. The scientific community is international, it's work is peer-reviewed and made available to other scientists the world over, so for the most part where research is taking place is irrelevant. The second more crucial point is this.
The common fruit fly, Drosphila Melanogaster is probably the single most important model of genetics currently available to researchers. So much of what we know about gene expression as a whole comes from research on this tiny insect, and it is vitally important work that underpins research on any species. Our knowledge of Hox genes, large groupings of genes that control development of large strctures such as body segments, comes from research on fruit flies. Even prior to the discovery of DNA, it was research on Drosophila that showed decisively that chromosomes were a vector of heredity, work that won the Nobel Prize.
As for the idea that this work does not serve the public good, that's plain wrong. We share many of these genetic traits, because we (whisper it) have a shared genetic heritage with every other creature on the fucking planet. You want advances in medicine? Make nice with the Drosophila.
This woman revels in her ignorance, positively basks in her fundamental lack of awareness of the world. Worse than that, she is representative of a strain of people, certainly not limited to America, for whom a lack of any sort of intellectual curiosity in their public servants is seen as a boon.
Firstly, one very obvious point. The scientific community is international, it's work is peer-reviewed and made available to other scientists the world over, so for the most part where research is taking place is irrelevant. The second more crucial point is this.
The common fruit fly, Drosphila Melanogaster is probably the single most important model of genetics currently available to researchers. So much of what we know about gene expression as a whole comes from research on this tiny insect, and it is vitally important work that underpins research on any species. Our knowledge of Hox genes, large groupings of genes that control development of large strctures such as body segments, comes from research on fruit flies. Even prior to the discovery of DNA, it was research on Drosophila that showed decisively that chromosomes were a vector of heredity, work that won the Nobel Prize.
As for the idea that this work does not serve the public good, that's plain wrong. We share many of these genetic traits, because we (whisper it) have a shared genetic heritage with every other creature on the fucking planet. You want advances in medicine? Make nice with the Drosophila.
This woman revels in her ignorance, positively basks in her fundamental lack of awareness of the world. Worse than that, she is representative of a strain of people, certainly not limited to America, for whom a lack of any sort of intellectual curiosity in their public servants is seen as a boon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)