Jockularocracy. Cursor fun.

Ghost of a flea. Visual Thesaurus. Very very cool.

Pensieri found an odd site. It's an online collection of stewardess uniforms.

Jon took a candidate quiz to see who he's most in tune with. He posted his results with comments. My favorite line:
I'd move to Chicago so I could vote against him twice.

Heather of Angelweave points out this hilarious bit of internet humor. Bandwidth alert, and drink warning too. I'm soooooo there.

Brian Noggle creates a nifty new swear word, but lost me during the explanation when he used the phrase: "That's a twofer you don't get with an unvoiced labiodental fricative." I had to look it up, because to my admittedly gutter-dwelling mind, it sounds like performing non-reciprocated oral sex while staying at her folk's place for the holidays. Thanks again to Heather, for that mental image. Ever been to a space station?

Over at Spacecraft, Chris Hall posts a picture that proves us rocket nuts people are everywhere. If you want to see something slightly twilight-zonish, visit Huntsville, Alabama. Every other business there is named Rocket-this or Astro-that.

Ben Dover, because good advice is timeless.

Learn about rocketry.

I've mentioned him before: Ray Dunakin builds rockets that take aerial photographs. He sells beautiful 8x10 prints, mounted and matted, for $15.00 + shipping. Worth considering if you're looking for something different to give as Christmas gifts.

For those who are sick of holiday music, you must Must MUST go here and listen. Actually, everyone should go, because this is falling-down-holding-your-side-it-hurts funny. Work safe, and don't forget to click the 'offended?' link at the end. Major kudos to Shell of Across the Atlantic for pointing this one out.

Terry has been visiting China, has a camera, and knows how to use it. Wow.

The Meatriarch posted a great bit about Hollywood fighting vs. Real Life fighting.

If you look up the word despair in the dictionary, you'll find that they mention being a Cleveland sports fan.

Mr. Helpful casts and scripts his version of A Christmas Carol.

Lynn points out this cheerful virtual snowglobe, and helpfully reminds you to turn the sound up so you can hear the screams as you rock their little universe.

Jail babes. Another option for that special nitwit on your list. Thanks to Say Uncle for the link.

More gift-giving goodies, courtesy of Jay at Sophont.

Gee, Ya Think?! points out this page full of Christmas Hamster-dancing.

Ho.

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Cross stitch with an attitude.

Thanks to the flea for this pointer.

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I didn't much care for the original, and I didn't watch the remake last night on the Sci-Fi channel. But a friend pointed out this page with a BG game, if you like shoot-em-ups.

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Another specialized niche in the genre of pinup art. Yipee Ki-ay!

For another obscure bit of pinup history, check out my earlier post on Art Frahm.

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More than 2200 links about telescopes, observatories, the solar system, societies, deep-sky, space agencies, space missions, rockets, space stations, astronauts, launch facilities, aerospace companies... and much more.

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I'm going to wander all over the place with this edition, including a couple few old friends, as well as some folks who I'd guess aren't already on your radar screen.

Starting off with some naughty stuff, check out Book Whores, reviewers of 'Cruel and Unusual Books'. Plenty of links to their listed favorites, and categorized into such as Bodice Rippers and Absinthe & Opium. I discovered them courtesy of Yummy Wakame, a beautifully designed site that I found via ErosBlog.

Her byline reads "Porn, Politics, and Punditry". Blogslut works in the Internet Porn industry. I'm looking forward to reading more of her insights about the industry, because so far it's pretty interesting stuff. It's not all porn related, but it's not kid-safe either.

This is just fowl, and yes I spelled it that way intentionally. Do you remember the joke about the difference between kinky and perverted? The story at the link is perverted. Hey, I laughed as I read it.

Ok, let's move away from the adult section...

Rocket Man has a great review of missions to Mars, including several that he's worked on himself. Thanks to Professor Hall for pointing this out.

You may have heard that the Japanese lost a rocket that carryied a couple of spy satellites last week when their home-built rocket failed. Rand Simberg talks about the possible shortcomings to the way the Japanese are approaching space (hint: way too NASA-like). He also talks about the Chinese and their long-term goals. Read the comments too, there's some intriguing debate going on.

And just in case you don't read Rand because you think it's all tech-related (as if that's a bad thing), check out his razor-sharp parody of Al Gore.

Congratulations to Kurt of Jockularocracy for being invited to join the Bear Flag League. These folks are smart California bloggers, and restore my faith in my home state. You probably already read some of them. California also has the coolest state flag. No arguments will be entertained. If you disagree, you're wrong.

Terry of The Coyote's Bark is travelling in Asia, and posting some amazing pictures. He also managed to catch Simon's soiree of Hong Kong bloggers.

Ten Rules of Cell Phone Etiquette. I hate the damn things. Occasionally, my wife will insist that I take hers, but I seldom turn it on and it just sits in the glove compartment. I don't have one of my own, and can barely work one. In fact, Liz is going to give me the instruction book for hers this week so I can check her voice mail since everyone will be calling to find out how she is. Link thanks to DynamoBuzz, a Jersey blogger who scores bonus points for the (intentional?) Zappa-esque reference. And just because the whole point here is linkage, check out Backstage, a charter member of the Axis of Evil Naughty Classic.

Fake Lincoln quotes being used by anti-war protesters. Thanks to Paul of Sanity's Edge for that link. By the way, he also linked my Cornucopia of Ted post and even said it was interesting. Best money I ever spent. Thanks Paul!

Alright, this site is funny. Maybe you already knew about Bunsen, but it's new to me. In fact, I'll excerpt a little bit here, but you can read the rest.

Michael Jackson Song Titles That Will Conveniently Double as His Prison Bitch Name

-- "Billie Jean" [Thriller]
-- "Dirty Diana" [Bad]
-- "Girlfriend" [Off the Wall]
-- "The Girl is Mine" [Thriller]
-- "PYT" (Pretty Young Thing) [Thriller]
-- "Liberian Girl" [Bad]
-- "Albino Man Barbie" [Dangerous B-side]
-- "Sexy Sexy Nose Hole Jackie" [Japanese Import]

Justice is Coming. And his name is not Ryan Leaf. A San Diego Chargers blog, for the masochistic among us. LeeAnn, the Chargers and Padres are the price you pay for living in paradise.

"I got my first boner in church." Finally, like the last kid picked when choosing sides, our honorary right-fielder (someone has to be it) is LasagnaFarm. Amusing stuff, even moreso since almost none of it applied to me. Except maybe that boner line. Is there a statute of limitations on sin?

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1 I know, I know... this is why I follow the New York Jets and Green Bay instead.
And as always, thank you for the link.

Posted by: LeeAnn at December 02, 2003 11:48 AM (HxCeX)

2 Thanks for the link to DynamoBuzz. Yes, you're right the name is influenced by a certain Frank Zappa tune. If you check the link on my main page "WHY DYNAMOBUZZ??" you'll see a copy of a Zappa concert ticket.

Thanks again, I'll be checking ROCKET JONES in the future.

Posted by: roberto at December 02, 2003 05:40 PM (Zsoda)

3 Thanks for your kind mention of my blog. I have added a link to your blog, Rocket Jones onto my main page.

I've also RSS-ified my little page

~slut~

Posted by: blogslut at December 12, 2003 04:59 AM (oaPaN)

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Build your own outdoor ice rink. Link courtesy of the Hockey Pundits.

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Lynn from Reflections in d minor reflects on why Thanksgiving is special to Americans. This is a beautiful bit of writing and absolutely correct too.

President Bush visits the troops in Iraq for Thanksgiving. This man is amazing, and that was the perfect thing to do at the perfect time.

While I'm admiring leadership, let's give Hillary Clinton a hand as well, for visiting troops in Afghanistan over Thanksgiving. I've spent holidays working on the flight line, and visits like this are very much appreciated.

And although I'm at work today, that's a good thing too because Mookie and mom are putting up Christmas decorations. It's nice to come home and find that my only job is to haul boxes back up into the attic.

Oh yeah, it was a pleasant surprise this morning to find myself alone atop the standings in my Fantasy Hockey League. The top five or six teams have been tight all season, and it changes every day, but this is the first time I've been in first place all by myself. Woot!

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From the same artist who brought us the Oz painting from yesterday, say hello to Rocket the cat.

Now this is guaranteed to steam your buns! The Rocket Dog frankfurter vending system. It's Ergonomic too. Be still my heart.

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Finding Oz.

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Thanks to DeltaTangoBravo (and I even stole his excellent post title), you can now learn what your initials would be in the Radio Operator Alphabet. Military types might already know this, but it's still fun.

Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India
Juliet
Kilo
Lima
Mike
November
Oscar
Papa
Quebec
Romeo
Sierra
Tango
Uniform
Victor
Whiskey
X-ray
Yankee
Zulu

Interestingly, many folks seem to wind up sounding like old porn stars and strippers.

This is Romeo Tango Papa signing off. Over and out.

Posted by: Ted at 10:48 AM | category: Links
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1 I referred to a project here at the office as a "charlie foxtrot" in a meeting once. My boss knew what I meant (and luckily agreed with my assessment), but I was a little embarrassed when he made me explain to the rest of the staff.

Posted by: nic at November 25, 2003 01:25 PM (nUOJD)

2 'completely fubar'?

Posted by: Ted at November 25, 2003 01:52 PM (Qj620)

3 Juliet November Lima.

Well, now I have a "stage name" in case I ever go Hollywood. (I'll just drop the Lima though.)

Posted by: Jennifer at November 25, 2003 05:10 PM (MWEk/)

4 ...and the fox you trotted in on!

Posted by: triticale at November 25, 2003 05:46 PM (YmQkS)

5 OK...Mine is Delta Mike Romeo, which sounds totally TOO MASCULINE for a chick like me. Even if I'm a tomboy.
Of course, if I use my 'net handle it becomes Delta Tango--which conjures up images of steamy evenings on the verandah with music in the background and a mint julep in my hand...I think I'll stick with that one instead... ;-)

--TwoDragons

Posted by: Denita TwoDragons at November 25, 2003 08:49 PM (yv+Dg)

6 Mike Whiskey: a fitting tribute to Madfish Willie.

Mike Juliet Tango: ? I don't know about that one.

Posted by: The Bartender at November 29, 2003 02:58 AM (EOu4A)

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More entries into the 'meant to blogroll these but forgot' category.

Quibbles and Bits is quirky and scattershot. Not for everyone, but definitely worth a look.

Enjoy one of the most beautiful blog layouts I've ever seen. Now if only the font size was just a tad larger. Welcome to Candy Universe.

Fellow Munuvian Daniel is one of the minds behind Bsurot Tovot. Check it out.

Primal Purge. She knows Kerpal, who kicked my dog. Oh, just go see her and click the link.

Margi Lowry is taking a short break for personal reasons. Worth waiting for.

The troll blog from On the Fritz has been on the roll for awhile. I've now added his main blog. His site is one of those that won't let you 'back button' out.

Conrad is the author of Gweilo Diaries. He's another expat in Hong Kong, ala our Simon.

Idiot Villager, where "solutions are not the answer". 'Nuff said.

More well-written randomness, courtesy of Travelling Shoes.

Allah. Yahweh. In the house.

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Evil little fuckers. Have you ever seen that Geico commercial where the squirrel runs out into the middle of the road, causing a car wreck? Of course you have.* And then they celebrate, getting all jiggy widit.

Need more proof of their sinister nature? Ask and ye shall receive!

I'm just glad they live in my neighbor's attic. In fact, I'm tickled pink about that, because he's a jerk.

*To my international friends, just smile and nod. It works for teenagers.

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1 HAHA, Mark deserves it...though it is mean to say that...oops O

Posted by: Robyn at November 21, 2003 03:21 PM (gWcjd)

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Most of these were previously mentioned, but never added to my blogroll for one very good reason: Mookie distracted me with her teenage attitude and crap.* I hope to remedy all of it this weekend.

Carol’s Chaotic Collection of Curiosities – Tino Martinez news, some good recipe links, and a roundup of spam news for which I was included for this. Why didn’t I see this coming?

Reflections in d minor – I don’t visit as often as I should, because I’m never disappointed by Lynn’s gentle good humor. She also makes me want to learn more about classical music.

This blogger named Taco lives in Norway and heÂ’s into politics and history. He has some interesting things to say.

Delusional Duck is a very news-oriented open blog. Everyone is invited to post, or as they put it “No rules, just write.” Somewhat local to me.

Left & Right. Salt & Pepper. Lea & Perrin. Rum & Coke. Some things are just naturally right (and left). HeÂ’s another local blogger too.

These guys kind of fell off of my radar. IÂ’m an idiot. Vote for me! (seemed like a natural followup)

Sheri canÂ’t come to the door right now. Anyone know whatÂ’s going on?

Glenn of Hi, IÂ’m Black! has a t&a blog called, appropriately enough, Not Work Safe. He doesnÂ’t update often, but I see someone from there visits me every day. So I return the favor. I know, itÂ’s a terrible imposition, having to visit a site with pretty and near-naked ladies. That tells you what a nice guy I am.

Fleshbot is fairly new and rather adult oriented. It’s not really a blog, but more like an e-zine. But hey, gotta love a site that points out a link to ‘Women of Wal-Mart’.

I stumbled across this blog while googling for images. Nice site and nice guy.

I'm sure there's more. I'll get to it when I get a chance.

*That was for her creepy post about the death row inmate that was executed on my wedding aniversary. She's a punk.

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Not one, but two books on the complex art of napping. Further proof that you can make money selling most anything on the internet.

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The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has created a web page detailing what each death row inmate had for his (or her) final meal. It's interesting that tobacco is prohibited, even to those about to be executed.

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For a wonderful report on a pro-US rally in Washington state, with lots of pictures, go see these guys. Say hello and thanks in their comments too.

Al points out a webring of sites owned and operated by military personnel.

Across the Atlantic. List of countries with troops in Iraq. How unilateral of us.

Every Monday, Jeff at Alphecca does a roundup of firearm related stories and some damn good analysis. WeÂ’re talking fair and balanced here, in itÂ’s original sense. Whatever your personal take on guns and related issues, you should visit him and read what he has to say. He also provides tons of links to sources.

Related to the above, Publicola relates the story of a woman who sees men with guns on her front porch. She shoots and wounds one of them, and is now being prosecuted because they were police SWAT team members preparing to break down her door unannounced. The first trial ended in a hung jury, but she faces the possibility of going through it all over again.

Being one of those twisted individuals who enjoys obscure and historical military trivia, I found this item at the Flea to be fascinating. Imagine being a member of one of the Canadian Tunneling Companies during World War IÂ…

Kelley has the new Cul-de-Sac up. Good links to several blogs IÂ’ve mentioned before, so if you didnÂ’t believe me, trust her. She also includes fellow-Munuvian Heather, of Angelweave fame.

Thanks to Jay at Sophont, we now know that art is shit. And vice versa. I'm so glad we've learned to synthetically produce that, because I live near Washington DC, and if the Saudis can run short of sand...

Let's finish up with a cool little optical illusion, courtesy of Jockularocracy.

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Of the various Radio Control hobbies, RC boats is a small part, almost an afterthought compared to cars and airplanes. Most RC boats are racers, but there is a small and dedicated group dedicated to military warships. This group is further divided into the scale-model contingent and the combat enthusiasts. The scale-modellers create miniature versions of real ships, taking great pains to fill them with exacting detail. The combat guys don't go to the trouble, since their goal is to sink everything else floating.

That's right, they build models of warships that have working guns. Most of the ships are at 1:96 scale or better, meaning that a scale WWII aircraft carrier like the Yorktown will be around six feet long.

There's a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions file) here with lots of information about this interesting hobby, including estimated starting costs and construction tips. My favorite part:

3. Do the ships actually sink?

Yes. There is no challenge otherwise.

The ships are built to rigid standards that ensure that they can be damaged easily and can be sunk if sufficient damage is sustained. Low-powered BB cannons are used to poke holes in the 1/32" balsa wood that is used on the hull of the ship. Ships also have homemade bilge pumps on-board that can be used to pump out as needed.

However, if the rate of incoming water exceeds the pumping rate, the ship will fill with water and eventually sink.

There's more information here at the Home Port of Big Gun RC Warship Combat. If you look around this site, you'll find a list of clubs in various areas of the US and around the world, as well as an extensive listing of materials suppliers and resources.

And if you look here, you'll find a list of links to many Australian battlegroups, among others.

Cool stuff, but the last thing I need is another expensive hobby.

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1 but the last thing I need is another expensive hobby.

Amen!

No, wait, as another guy, I'm supposed to talk you into it, aren't I?

Posted by: Victor at November 17, 2003 11:16 AM (L3qPK)

2 My stepdad, for what seemed like a large part of my junior high years, flew RC planes, big ones. I spent most weekends up to my armpits in one swampy field or another, looking for downed flights. My fondest memory is watching a huge one suddenly dive straight down and bury itself a foot into the ground about three feet away from him.
It was at least one I didn't have to chase.

Posted by: LeeAnn at November 17, 2003 05:27 PM (HxCeX)

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In fact, I don't even want any of these, so my ranking on the geek/fanatic scale should be adjusted downwards by a few points.

For the record, I don't own rocket jammies either.

But for those who feel a bit rocket-deficient, I offer the following suggestions.

Shaken, not cryo stirred.

And while you're sipping your martini, you can prepare a delicious dinner with the help of the RocketChef food chopper.

Toys! How about the Rocket Football? Or perhaps your youngster (or you yourself?) has one of those wooden Brio trains, in which case you couldn't pass up your very own Curious George and the Rocket Ship track add-on.

You just knew that this one had to be here - the Pocket Rocket.

Ooooo, rocket clip-art.

Go Google on Maurice 'Rocket' Richard and Roger 'Rocket' Clemens.

And finally, a whole page full of rocket-shaped crapola, presented with flair and humor.

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This edition is the Happy Birthday celebration for Bill, who just turned the big five-oh! It's all downhill from here, guy, so just settle into your rocking chair, put on your reading glasses, and try not to doze off.

I was going to link to this article over at Rocket Man, about the most recent technology involved in tomorrowÂ’s airships and how the US is planning to use them (you should read it and be amazed), but then I ran across the post where he relates his fatherÂ’s experiences in WWII. Both well worth the visit.

Over at Transterrestrial Musings, Rand Simberg points out an interesting discussion about how nanotechnology is described to everyday people, and how the metaphors used in that description could be part of the acceptance problem. Daniel, did you already see this?

Kate of Electric Venom is dealing with her military husband leaving for situations unknown. Harvey says it so much better than I could, so my thanks and best wishes to Kate and her family, and to Harvey and his. This particularly touched me because at this time we donÂ’t know exactly where our son is. IÂ’ve talked about him before, he serves on a US Navy attack sub. His last message was a middle-of-the-night phone call from the Med to let us know he was ok, but heading right back out again. No details other than to forget Christmas plans.

Also, on Jocularocracy, an excellent post about American sports figures who served their country.

Genital Warts: the Musical. Seriously. Which is also what this guy is. Seriously funny that is, not genitally warted. Uh, that I know of. I mean, I don't know for sure either way, ok?

Aaaaagh! My eyes! The flea must pay for this atrocity. Oh wait, he has. With thisÂ… IÂ’m in lust! (This excerpt brought to you by Lithium, trusted by multiple personalities the world over.)

StMack of Hold the Mayo goes on an analysis binge. HeÂ’s spot on about the current filibustermania and what it really means. HeÂ’s also done some introspection about his own postings and decided that it all breaks down into two categories: It Amuses Me, and It Pisses Me Off. Yin and Yang.

Now Alice (who is married to a much older man) is posting pictures from a pig roast. At least they claim it's pig. Pretty grotesque if youÂ’re not into whole roasted animals. Pretty yummy otherwise. Is it just me, or does that look like Alf lying there after the Feds finally caught up with him? Betcha WillieÂ’s doing hard time for that one, or maybe spending the reward moneyÂ…

Speaking of throwing meat-flavored animals on the fire, the Meatriarch posts about objectivist pickup lines, which probably pleases Don no end, because to hear him tell it, he needs all the help he can get.

Plus, Mr. A points to one of the coolest online toys/time wasters IÂ’ve seen in a while. I love this kind of stuff!

SantaHelpful has arrived. Be joyous and merry.

This kind of stuff is why you should read this guy.

Bill, wake up... Bill, we're almost done.

The AnalogKid at Random Nuclear Strikes is planning to show up to support the troops because the screwballs from Not In Our Name are planning to show up to encourage troop mutiny. HereÂ’s a followup post as well.

Ross at Rocket Penguin is going active duty. Drop by and wish him well, and encourage caretaker Phil.

Dead Pool anyone? The clock is ticking – no pun intended, Bill. Thanks to Paul for the pointer, and who hates the elderly (well, just one specific old guy).

Homemade pies and strip joints and antique silver.

McTroll meets TwoDragons and is warned: “you'll discover what "McAlteration of McComments" means.”

Bill has been bitching about his job quite a bit lately. My advice is to quit. Maybe McDonalds is hiring greeters. He's such a people person, ya know? Besides, folks expect the elderly to be grouchy.

Nic is riding the roller-coaster of Washington Capitals fandom, along with everyone else who roots for them. I wonÂ’t even mention mood-swings to Victor, because heÂ’s undoubtedly going through them too. What was that about Yin and Yang? Oh yeah, which Capitals team will show up on any given night.

All done. I'd call Bill a link-whore, but that would imply an active libido, and there's no evidence he can even get it up anymore. Anyway, stop by and say hello and wish him a happy birthday. Stop by again later, don't worry, he won't remember.

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1 Analysis binge! This amuses me.

Posted by: StMack at November 13, 2003 01:49 PM (UquFN)

2 Jennifer was kidding--Bill was waiting for his sitemeter to kick over 50K (which it did, with an Instalanche).

Posted by: Susie at November 13, 2003 02:57 PM (0+cMc)

3 I know!

Posted by: Ted at November 13, 2003 03:17 PM (Qj620)

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