That's all folks

I think I'm done with this blog. It's neat having a record of what's interested me over the past 5 years, but I'm getting bored with it. I think I want more of a conversation and sites like Facebook are better for that.

I'll leave you, my tens of readers, with a funny comment from the Calculated Risk blog.

Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (symbol=Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete. Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 to 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

Quantum of Bonds

I appreciate a good trailer mashup, even if they're messing with Bond. This is from the people behind Journey at the Center of the Earth and Battle of the Batmans among others.

Via FilmDrunk

Get Your War On

Bailout?! and Sarah Palin and the Rape Kits are my favorites. Yes rape is a serious subject, but that's point - know your candidates. I would hope the reality would be more shocking than the comic.

The US election is much more interesting entertaining than ours.

Water Shrews

Collider webcams

Who knew the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator would be so boring.

The latest Croshaw

YC's reviews just keep getting more entertaining. As long as I've got these, who needs to play the actual games to have a good time?

Richard Dawkins reads his hate mail

Religulous

I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie

New Pixar Short

Presto

Why Dilbert, why?

The Dilbert site was recently overhauled. This Slashdot post covers the general reaction: Dilbert Goes Flash, Readers Revolt.

Gone is the old, rather clunky but perfectly functional, website, replaced by a Flash-heavy website that only Mordac the Preventer of Information Services could love. Users have been pretty unanimous in condemning the changes. Among the politer comments: 'Congrats. Vista is no more lonely at the top in the Competition For The Worst Upgrade In Computing Industry, this web site upgrade being a serious contender.'

More here and in the comments on the site itself like:

You have got to be kidding me. It takes 4 clicks to read a sunday strip? How did this ever seem like a good idea? You should have professionals design your website. This looks like a "look-what-I-can-do" theme site created by a novice intern who just learned how to use Flash.

Personally I agree that the site's usability is worse, if only for the slow loading flash. For me, the big new feature where readers can rewrite the strips is useless. I couldn't care less what the random public thinks is funny. Like many people I want to go to read the strip easily every morning and catch up easily on missed strips, like the weekends on Monday morning.

Thankfully, the design does seem to have one huge positive, an RSS feed. For some reason it's not promoted on the site itself so I had to learn about it from some blog post I found while searching for people trashing the new design. I'll always take a feed over a daily site visit and now I can completely avoid Dilbert.com. So only because of the feed I REALLY LIKE THE NEW DESIGN - assuming the feed remains as is - which, as with most good things, it almost certainly won't.

Jimmy takes it up a notch

Challenge, hilarious:

Response, epic:

Da Merc

Spot-on.

Rug

What a mystery, I wonder what it could it be then

So let me get this straight...

• There is a known condition that can make your skin blue if you ingest silver
• This man is ingesting silver on purpose
• This man now has blue skin
• But he swears it's not because of the silver he's ingesting

Thinking Man

As seen in the 20 minute presentation, The paradox of choice

Golden Compass Hysteria

The Catholic League in the US has advised families to stay away from the film, and critics have accused the author of "candy-coated atheism."

Which is BS. Not because they're fear is unfounded (and it is):

The main message was so convoluted, there was no serious atheistic content, and it didn't seem obvious that they [the Magisterium] were religious in a way that I understand it.

But because suppressing ideas is wrong. No surprise though, because that's religion. At least there's the irony that by speaking against the movie they are, in fact, promoting it.

For a good take on the hysteria I close with the Landover Baptist Church. I like how you can't even be sure right away if it's satire...

We now live in a world where we have to constantly worry about our children being presented with abhorrent, new ideas that are slightly different than the stuff our parents forced us to believe.

A HANDY COMPARISON TIP SHEET FOR CONCERNED CHRISTIAN PARENTS

The Golden Compass teaches children that bears can talk.

The Bible makes it factually clear to children that only snakes (Genesis 3:1) and donkeys (Numbers 22:30) can talk.

And more...

Update: The Onion: Protests Over The Golden Compass

When Cartoonists Fight

... we all win. The Superest. Start at the bottom.

Silly Thog

This comic makes me laugh, but the sad reality is how many people have died over the centuries because of that disagreement.

The only sandwich fit for The King

On the 30th anniversary of Elvis' passing, I'm reminded of his favorite 42,000 calorie sandwich, the Fool's Gold Loaf.

• 1 loaf Italian white bread
• 2 tbsps butter
• 1 lb lean bacon
• 1 jar smooth peanut butter
• 1 jar grape jelly
• Serves: Elvis (8-10 people)

On the night of February 1, 1976, Elvis Presley was at his home Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee entertaining Capt. Jerry Kennedy of the Denver Colorado police force, and Ron Pietrafeso of Colorado's Strike Force Against Crime. The three men began discussing the sandwich and Elvis decided he wanted one right then.

...so they were driven to the Memphis airport and boarded Elvis's private jet, the Lisa Marie, and flew the two hours to Denver. When they arrived in Denver at 1:40 AM, the plane taxied to a special hangar where the passengers were greeted by the owner of the Colorado Mine Company, Buck Scott, and his wife Cindy who had brought 22 fresh Fool's Gold Loaves for the men. They spent three hours in the hangar eating the sandwiches, washing them down with Perrier and Champagne.

Thanks to Thrillist. See their page for the recipe.

The Best Robotman! Yet

Donald Rumsfeld's Diary

Later I told her about the cabinet meetings we used to have, where Dick Cheney would repeatedly table a motion for a ‘Show of hands for everyone who thinks Powell has a vagina.’