Drumwaster's Rants - Ponder. Rinse. Repeat.

All those who believe in psychokinesis raise my hand. -- Steven Wright

Friday, April 29, 2005

Let’s play another game

No, really! A real game. A kick-ass game.

Just for the halibut… Go play.

I’ll see you there. (I’ve been in room ‘Quandary’ if you wanna look me up. My record stands at 30 wins to 2 losses. And quite a few people quit before they get to the final round, which doesn’t get counted towards me, but those who quit an ongoing game lose 100 points.)

Seriously. Go have some fun.

UPDATE: My record now stands at 135-12, and three ties.

Posted by Drumwaster at 03:02 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category: Internet quizzes | Weirdness |

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Let’s play a game

It’s called “Let’s Spot The Media Bias!”

Starting with this…

Iraq’s National Assembly on Thursday approved the country’s first democratically elected government, a Shiite-dominated body that excludes the Sunni minority from meaningful positions and could hamper efforts to dampen the deadly insurgency.

Note the subtle shift from the FANTASTIC news that Iraq’s VERY FIRST democratically elected Parliament approved the Prime Minister’s choice for a government to the vaguely threatening tone of the second phrase. While true in and of itself, the author fails to point out that the Parliament roughly matches the ethnic makeup of the nation, and that the rules require some sort of agreement between the parties, since none of them have a real majority, and even when phrased along “Shi’a/Sunni” lines, the Shiite majority is still short of the amount necessary to run the government. There has to be some cooperation between the groups, much like we have in our current House membership (which roughly represents the actual political makeup of the nation as a whole, by forcing the apportionment to be based on population).

So our young writer is showing a bias, trying to downplay the incredible news - that Iraq has more of a government than Canada does (right now, anyway) - by including threatening sounding phrases, gambling that the people who actually read the story won’t know how amazing an achievement it actually is. Well, that’s why I’m here.

Moving on…

President Bush put a positive spin on Thursday’s vote, issuing a statement that the Cabinet “will represent the unity and diversity” of the country as it begins the work of drafting a new constitution, fighting terrorism and ensuring basic services for its citizens.

Uh, excuse me? “Put a positive spin”? You mean he actually sounded optimistic about all of the positive things that have been going on in Iraq over the last 24 months? Heaven forfend!

Remember, folks, last month (March 20) marked two years since we crossed the border. The two year anniversary of Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” carrier landing won’t be until this next Sunday, May 1st. Less than two years from a standing start to a working government, and she tries to make it seem like Bush had to put a spin on this to sound excited about the progress being made. Why not just tell the raw truth, and let people hear what’s really going on for once, alright?

Moving on… (again)

The 185 lawmakers assembled behind the blast walls and sandbags of Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone voted by a show of hands, approving the list by 180 votes. A bouquet of flowers filled the seat of one absent lawmaker — Lamia Abed Khadouri al-Sakri, a Shiite Muslim legislator gunned down in her home the previous day.

She’s trying to make it sound like these guys are under mortar fire while they hold their candle-lit meetings in underground bunkers. Meanwhile, sniper fire is picking off the pages, one by one, and some poor grunt (who you know is gonna die in the second reel) is frantically trying to crank the radiotelephone to call in an airstrike.

However, she is forced to actually report the vote count. Reading it as it stands sounds impressive enough, 180 out of 185. But bear with me for a moment, for something about her phrasing (”by 180 votes") reminded me of an old math puzzle:

Johnny bought a notebook and a pencil for $1.00. The notebook was 90 cents more than the pencil. How much did the pencil cost?

Y’see, a lot of people would automatically glance at the puzzle, pick up on the relevant facts, misread a part of it, and arrive at the answer of “10 cents”, but that would be wrong. Y’see the puzzle didn’t say that the notebook cost 90 cents. It said that it cost 90 cents more than the pencil. Short version, they were 95 cents and 5 cents, respectively.

Back to our oh-so-fair-and-balanced author, she didn’t say that it won with 180 votes.

She said it won BY 180 votes.

So what was the vote total?

Anyhow, go see if you can find more examples as you SPOT. THE. BIAS.

Less...

Posted by Drumwaster at 06:28 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category: What Liberal Media? |

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Well….like Drummy and most of the other bloggers….

...I’ve been off as well. And, I can tell you what I’ve been doing.

I’ve been e-fedding and playing Age of Empires.

Read on, homey.

E-fedding is e-wrestling. For those of you who are uninitiated, it smacks of a cross between Dungeons and Dragons and the WWE. Like D&D, there is roleplaying, but unlike D&D, you don’t have the variables of the dice, or magic, or elves/trolls/fire monsters at your beck and call.

You have a character that you use, and that character can have any background that you wish to give him/her. You write roleplays that involve your character with the other characters in the e-federation....basically, you build a storyline with them. Sometimes you are creating a feud, and sometimes you are working an angle that describes an alliance with another wrestler. You write a fixed amount of roleplays a week, and you compete with people that are doign the same thing, with their character. Whoever is judged to have the best set of roleplays is the winner of the match, and a third person writes a ‘wrestling match’ that your character either wins or loses at.

The winner or loser is not known until the end of the match, and there is a fair amount of competition. The successful writers win ‘Titles’ of varying levels, like a real wrestling federation would bestow.

Now, like D&D, people can fall into the trap of taking the whole kit and kaboodle too seriously, and they get upset when their character loses, or they quit, or they pine away, and complain online (usually in what’s called a ‘OOC’, or Out Of Character, chat room). Those kind of people, should they get rolling, break e-federations up. The good e-feds have people there that look at it as a hobby, and an exercise in literary practice. That’s how I look at it, and I think that it’s a better hobby than sex blogs or shooting small animals.

If you want to read some of my stuff, you can do so here. I’m thinking of putting them all together, and seeing if they would make a good novel. I guess you can decide. Don’t mind the R-rated sections....everyone’s overage.

Now...Age of Empires.

In this computer game, you start with three little peasants and a village center. That’s it. You have to build your entire empire from that. You can train more peasants, find berry bushes to pick, cut down trees, mine stone or gold, or hunt elephants and antelope. Eventually, you have to amass enough food and new structures to make a scientific breakthrough, and that allows you to build more advanced structures, like a marketplace and an archery area. The ultimate way to win is to make it from the Stone Age, through the Bronze Age, and to the Iron Age, where you learn to build temples, and a wonder...when you get the Wonder, you have to defend it for 1000 years, in order to win.

It isn’t like Civilization, where you go until the nuclear age. This game has a definite start and stop date. However, there is a thing that happens that happens with all such games.

The computer cheats.

I’m sitting there, slowly building walls and picking berries, and the other guy shows up in a chariot and catapult. What the hell is that all about? I can’t get how the computer can develop these things while my guys are still learning how to read, write, and count their toes. Well, it happens in Civ as well...I’ll be riding a horse, and the other ‘empire’ will fly over me in a B-2 bomber. It is a real morale-breaker.

So, I’ve bneen playing that, e-fedding, and otherwise working hard at work (imagine that!). I’ll try to get on the blog a little more often...and I’m sorry for not posting more.

And....the Libs are still whackos.

Less...

Posted by John Cross at 04:30 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category:

I had this great rant

About nuclear power, linked to articles about Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, mentioned all the safely operating nuclear plants on Navy ships of many nations (except France, of course), and when I went looking for a picture of Homer Simpson “at the office”, my ‘puter crashed.

Dammit.

I even mentioned some alternative power sources, and linked to a nice picture of the Palm Springs wind farms. Power scales, inversion layers, and I thought it was relatively well written, too.

All gone.

Dammit.

*Sigh*

Short version: Nuclear power is about the only alternative we have to cut oil demand. They can be run safely, if procedures are scrupulously followed. We should seriously look into it, especially here in California.

Nuff said.

Posted by Drumwaster at 04:10 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category: Technology |

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

I’ve been taking too much time off recently

I need to get back to blogging again.

But for some reason, I just can’t get worked up enough to put out a good rant. Even as I type this (and this is about the thirtieth time I’ve started a post like this), my mind is saying, “Ah, why bother telling them about this?”

But hurting pretty bad over the last few weeks, topped off with a bit o’ depression (although I contend I have a good reason to be depressed), makes it kinda tough to sustain a “mad” long enough to type it out.

Lotsa things worth mentioning in the world, but other than the not infrequent abduction, rape and death of little girls in Florida (wtf is UP with you guys? Compact thy feces, ere Dubya gets forced to overstep his Constitutional authority - again - and start passing Federal Laws to fix things), most of it has been either good or neutral.

Except for school bus drivers. Those guys are idiots.

Posted by Drumwaster at 05:39 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category:

Monday, April 25, 2005

Mexifornia

Imagine being stuck in traffic, which is already bad enough, only to look over to the side of the freeway and see this staring you in the face:

This is what one commuter who went by the name of “PA” had to say about it.

I travel every day to and from work on the 605 freeway. By the sand quarries and the river wash there are many billboards. I have noticed that it seems more and more of them are in Spanish.

Last week, I thought I noticed something strange on one of billboards. The 605 moves fast usually at that point, so I went by again the next day and verified that the CA was crossed out and replaced with MEXICO.

Still not wanting to believe my eyes, or hoping they were playing tricks on me, I went by again, Sunday afternoon the 24th. I went home and retrieved the digital camera. I drove north on the 605 past Ramona and there it was on the right-hand side. I pulled off the road and took this all too sad photo.

I guess they don’t have to hide their intentions anymore.

Wait a second --- you mean to tell me that a Spanish-language television station is catering to the agenda of the massive influx of illegal immigrants, most of whom are from Mexico, now residing in the Southern California region? Surely you jest.

Posted by Helo at 11:04 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category:

Jeff Goldstein brings teh funny

Just go read.

Still chuckling, and no, dammit, I won’t tell you how I voted!

Posted by Drumwaster at 03:09 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category:

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Summer’s coming, part the third

My regular reminder to anyone and everyone who wishes to join in on the Patriot’s Journey with me this year.

Nothing major, just a single original post per day regarding something good about America, every day from Memorial Day (May 30 this year) through Independence Day (July 4).

We’ve got a few people already, and anyone reading this (who has their own blog or LiveJournal) is welcome to join in. I won’t be riding anyone to make sure that you post.

This is purely voluntary, and if you’d like to join in, then by all means, just let me know so we can swap links.

So far, we have Scott Boone, Alex, and JimK Get the word out, and let’s see what we can do.

Posted by Drumwaster at 09:03 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category: Heroes |

Global Warming proven correct?

Gimme some more o’ that Global Warming.

Snow and strong winds pounded southeastern Michigan and the Thumb for the second day in a row Sunday.

Total accumulation was expected to reach up to 18 inches in the northern Thumb and five to 11 inches in Detroit’s northern suburbs, said meteorologist Rich Pollman of the National Weather Service. The two-day storm was expected to taper off by the late evening.

“It’s covering the roads. It’s very winterlike up here,” Pollman said from the weather service’s office in Oakland County’s White Lake Township. The snow caused several spinouts on I-75 north of Clarkston, he said.

But by all means, let’s let the tree-huggers control our economy…

Posted by Drumwaster at 10:26 AM | (0) Trackbacks
Category: Asshats |

Saturday, April 23, 2005

From Manda’s Place

Your Linguistic Profile:

75% General American English

20% Yankee

5% Dixie

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

With a carefully trained neutral accent, too. (I could pick up an accent fairly quickly, but I don’t want to limit myself like that...)

Posted by Drumwaster at 06:26 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category: Internet quizzes |

Friday, April 22, 2005

Been taking some time off

As if you couldn’t tell…

I appreciate John and Kevin and Helo for picking up the slack while I have been struck with Blogger’s Block, plus getting over some health issues (and I have an interesting theory about why Fibromyalgia causes random, undifferentiated pain).

I’ve been posting occasionally over at Lee’s, but not here. Sorry about that, but everyone has things they have to deal with from time to time. The last few days were my turn in the barrel, but hopefully we can stick the Dems back in there.

Lots of things going on in the world, from the Vietnam Vet getting even for all of his brothers (lots of Dems bitching about that who thought it was funny to assault conservative speakers with pies laced with God-knows-what) to an election of a new Pope to discussion of the so-called “nuclear option”.

Speaking of that, why is it that Dems always tag things they don’t like with war-like nicknames? For example, back during the 80’s, Reagan was talking about a means of trying to protect our nation against ICBM attack. It was called the Strategic Defense Initiative - a purely defensive system. Dems didn’t like the idea that we might actually pull it off, so they started calling it “Star Wars”, after a fanciful sci-fi movie. The Mainstream media pounced on it, and now if you were to say “SDI” to someone, they will look at you blankly. But say “Star Wars”, and they will usually sneer dismissively and say, “Oh yeah, that Reagan thing.”

Now it seems as though they don’t like the idea that their position as a minority party is being reduced to that of a minority party, and so they are doing everything they can to disrupt procedures that have been in place for more than two centuries.

What happens if the Dems lose a few more seats? If the Republicans suddenly have the 60 votes necessary to shut down a filibuster at any given moment. Will the Dems suddenly start crying that judges and Ambassadors need a 2/3 supermajority? Will they start missing sessions, hoping to prevent a quorum, like the Dems in the Texas State Legislature did a while back?

This does not eliminate the filibuster (which is a Senate rule, subject to change, rather than a Constitutional power), it just takes it away as a parliamentary tool for blockages of a simple majority - “Advice and Consent” means 51, not 60 or 67. And when just a handful of Senators (literally less than five of them) can stall the voting on judicial nominees (especially for those who have already been confirmed by the Senate at least once already), issuing blocks until their particular pork barrel gets overfilled or because they don’t like a particular stance on issues.

Look, it’s simple. Unless the Constitution requires a higher number, all it takes is 51 ‘yes’ votes. If a Senator doesn’t like a nominee, the rules state that the Senator gets his/her say, describing in great detail why. If enough Senators are convinced to agree, then they should hold a vote, up or down, and see if the White House can get the 51 votes necessary. If not, then at least they will have done their Constitutional duty.

But to pull parliamentary tricks in an attempt to run out the clock (hoping for a different party in the White House) is not what ‘Advice and Consent’ means.

Yes, the Republicans will be the minority party again. That means that they will be facing the same situation that the Dems are facing now (making it utterly fair), and I feel that when the Dems are the majority party again, they will not hesitate to shut down opposition from the Republicans in any way they can, and not just limiting the filibuster on judicial nominees.

After all, the filibuster is not in the Constitution.

Less...

Posted by Drumwaster at 06:38 AM | (0) Trackbacks
Category:

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Words That Should Never Be In The Same Sentence, Ever.

”Michael Jackson, jar of Vaseline, aroused “King of Pop”, and teenage boy.”

Now, excuse me while I go dump my brain in Clorox^TM

Posted by Kevin at 02:01 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category: Asshats | Weirdness |

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Sure it wasn’t

Remember not to use this excuse next time you end up butt-naked in someone else’s bathtub.

Posted by Helo at 10:10 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category:

More Fun…

With our good friends, The Democratic Underground.

Well it seems the ascension of Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy has unleashed all kinds of lunacy in DU-Land, and of course this should suprise absolutely no one. So, come with me won’t you as we step, once again, into the Halls of Moonbatdom known as, The Democratic Underground:

Kind of makes you wonder if cardinals vote on Diebold machines.

Of course it does. Also kind of makes me wonder if you have a functioning synapse in your head.

Oh goody. Another neocon in power…

Hm.. and here I thought neocon was Lefty code for JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Never knew it could also be applied to a 78 year old German Catholic as well.

This is BS. Maybe we’ll get lucky he will “die in his sleep” like our 33 day “Progressive Pope” John Paul 1st, did.

Nice scare quotes. Of course that is an allusion to the conspiracy theory that John Paul I was assassinated. Nothing quite like wishing for a papal assassination to show tolerant the Left is.

It’s a sad day when the best aspect of a new pope is that he’s likely to die soon.

What, no well wishes for the new pontiff? No comparing and contrasting between him and say Pope Pius (pick a number)? Just that the best thing about the new Pope is that he is likely to die soon?

This is very sad news, indeed, for the Catholic church. Once again, the forces of evil triumph…

YAWN… You guys are losing me.

Hopefully, they’ll all die off soon.

I am not being entertained, dammit! I read this stuff to be entertained!

I knew he would be named. The rest of the names were just ROVE tricks to throw off everyone. He was placed there by the likes of BushCO. It sends a STRONG signal to the non white people of the world that “WHITE POWER” is the name of the game.

It was also a strong signal for WHITES to return to the church and be welcomed with open arms. They don’t care about the Hispanics and Africans that are devoting themselves to the church.

It is a sad day for the world in my opinion.

*Consults the Judges*

*DINGDINGDINGDING* We have a WINNNAHHHH!!! Thanks for not letting me down, Mr. (Mrs?) DU-Poster.

Of course every dark cloud has a silver lining…

If he hates fundie Protestants, that’s a GOOD thing

Just call this poster, Mr. Brightside. (Via Free Will)

Posted by Kevin at 05:17 PM | (0) Trackbacks
Category: Asshats |

Well, lookie here….

ol’ Andrew Sullivan is losing his mind about the new Pope, Benedict XVI.

Because of this, I bet this guy is a great Pontiff.

Andrew, get out of the Church, and quit trying to change it because you desire acceptance of homosexual behavior by Rome. See, that is the mantra...just like his problems with GWB, Sully has a problem with the new Pope because he’s like JPII...a conservative, who won’t liberalize the Church, i.e. proclaim homosexual behavior as moral.

Good Lord, give it a rest, Sullivan.

Posted by John Cross at 04:01 PM | (1) Trackbacks
Category:

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Friday, April 29, 2005

Let’s play another game

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Let’s play a game

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Well….like Drummy and most of the other bloggers….

I had this great rant

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

I’ve been taking too much time off recently

Monday, April 25, 2005

Mexifornia

Jeff Goldstein brings teh funny

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Summer’s coming, part the third

Global Warming proven correct?

Saturday, April 23, 2005

From Manda’s Place

Your Linguistic Profile:

Friday, April 22, 2005

Been taking some time off

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Words That Should Never Be In The Same Sentence, Ever.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Sure it wasn’t

More Fun…

Well, lookie here….