Mapgirl is hosting this week's Carnival of Personal Finance. Go, visit and usk djc nm87##2i----------

Posted by: Ted at 11:33 AM | category: Links
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Pimp My Cubicle. We're doomed I tell ya. Freakin' doomed.

Posted by: Ted at 05:06 AM | category: Links
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The title is one of those eternal questions, asked in a purely spiritual sense.

I've been very naughty because I haven't written about this sooner, but it should be alright because "salvation is negotiable". At least, so says Father Nookie of the Church of Chaos.

No, my meds are fine, thanks.

See, it's like this... a while back I got this package in the mail. It was small, but packed full of concentrated coolness. As I pulled item after item out of the box, I was amazed at the generousity of Blue. What this guy did was to send me a care package full of music and poker goodies.

If you've been to Blue's place, you know that besides his day gig as a 'puter drone, that he's a blogger and podcaster. He's also a musician with a studio in his basement, and several self-produced CD's in his catalog. And that's what was in that little box.

Not long ago he finished up the soundtrack to a television documentary, and he included a copy of that. It's perfect for the Friday afternoon commute, when I need to stay calm. As an added bonus, being mostly instrumental, I can make up my own lyrics to serenade the idiot-du-jour in traffic.

This morning (and what reminded me to finally write something about this), I listened again to Church of Chaos: Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins. Blue describes this as "industrial dance", and it's chock full of memorable wordplay set to catchy, hook-filled music. Great stuff, if you like the style. I do, it's excellent cranked up during my early morning drive to work.

Like I said, there were several CD's in the box, and I'll talk about the others real soon now. In the meantime, I really do recommend Blue's music, because everything I've heard has been good times.

This week Blue is in the studio, working on his latest Booze Monkey offering. Sometime this summer (I think), he'll be playing a live gig in Winchester, Virginia. I'm planning on going, and I think that it would make an excellent blogmeet as well. Stay tuned and I'll keep y'all up to date on future plans.

According to Miss Sin, the average length, erect, is 5 1/4 inches. So there's a physical answer to that metaphysical question.

Posted by: Ted at 05:15 AM | category: Links
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Remember, Google is Satan your friend.

Among the results returned for "Candy Baby Jesus":

Amazon sells a Nativity Chocolate Candy Mold set. Oops, "not available". Dang, 'cause that was just about perfect for when the Pope drops in and you want to offer him a little something sweet. I'm unclear on the etiquette here, would you nibble the savior feet first or head first? I think it would be funny to make one of these and gnaw the heads off of all the figures. Oh, and use white chocolate... hey, I just played the race card!!! Go, me!

Mapgirl, I'll save you a seat. Look for me near the boiling lake of blood.

Posted by: Ted at 07:02 PM | category: Links
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My thanks go out today to every man and woman who has ever worn the uniform.

My grandfather served in WWI.

My great uncle served in WWII. This is the citation from his Medal of Honor:

NEPPEL, RALPH G.

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company M, 329th Infantry, 83d Infantry Division. Place and date: Birgel, Germany, 14 December 1944. Entered service at: Glidden, Iowa. Birth: Willey, Iowa. G.O. No.: 77, 10 September 1945. Citation: He was leader of a machinegun squad defending an approach to the village of Birgel, Germany, on 14 December 1944, when an enemy tank, supported by 20 infantrymen, counterattacked. He held his fire until the Germans were within 100 yards and then raked the foot soldiers beside the tank killing several of them. The enemy armor continued to press forward and, at the pointblank range of 30 yards, fired a high-velocity shell into the American emplacement, wounding the entire squad. Sgt. Neppel, blown 10 yards from his gun, had 1 leg severed below the knee and suffered other wounds. Despite his injuries and the danger from the onrushing tank and infantry, he dragged himself back to his position on his elbows, remounted his gun and killed the remaining enemy riflemen. Stripped of its infantry protection, the tank was forced to withdraw. By his superb courage and indomitable fighting spirit, Sgt. Neppel inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy and broke a determined counterattack.

He passed away in 1987. He was named "Handicapped Iowan of the Year" in 1970, and in 1989 the VA honored him by naming a wing of the Iowa City VA Hospital for him. A VFW post in Carroll, Iowa continues to award to scholarships each year in his name to the children of veterans.

My Dad was in the Air Force during the Korean conflict. He wasn't in-theater, and was medically retired after a devastating illness.

On my wife's side of the family, I know that Liz's Dad was a Marine, and at least two of her uncles served in Vietnam and made the Air Force their career.

Our son served a tour in the US Navy on the submarine USS Philadelphia. That boat is specially equipped to deliver special forces, and although he can't and won't say, I believe that they were directly involved in the initial stages of the Iraq invasion.

Finally, I'll include Shaun. Shaun has served two tours in Iraq with the US Army, and is the son of a friend that I served with during my Air Force days in Germany.

Thank you all.

Previous memorial posts on Rocket Jones can be found here and here.

Posted by: Ted at 12:05 PM | category: Links
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Pixy Misa pointed out this nifty Java applet that graphs your website. Check out Rocket Jones in the extended entry. more...

Posted by: Ted at 09:19 AM | category: Links
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I should have mentioned yesterday that both Dick Stafford's Rocket Dungeon and Mapgirl's Fiscal Challenge have been added to the blogroll. Of course, if I would've done that, then I wouldn't have had a post today.

Posted by: Ted at 08:10 PM | category: Links
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Over at Pratt Hobbies blog, Doug has put up a picture of himself and his son Brian. Brian was my co-timer during the Team America finals.

Meanwhile, for the true tech-geek out there, check out this mashup of Google Maps that lets you track the orbital positions of satellites as well as letting you know when and where they'll appear in your sky over the next 48 hours. Tres cool! Kudos to Dick's Rocket Dungeon for the info and pointer.

Posted by: Ted at 09:14 AM | category: Space Program
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You may or may not have heard about Lordi, the Finnish band that staged a huge upset to win the European version of American Idol*.

No? Over at the Ministry of Minor Perfidy, they have a bunch of pictures of this group along with plenty of background. Fun reading, even if you're not into "Arctic Death Metal bands" (and if not, why not?).

I liked this comment by the lead singer of Lordi:

"We are not Satanists. We are not devil-worshippers. This is entertainment. Underneath [the mask] thereÂ’s a boring normal guy, who walks the dogs, goes to the supermarket, watches DVDs, eats candies.

But my favorite part, which resulted in a massive choking fit caused by the ol' soda-through-the-nose effect, was when Mapgirl** wonders aloud in the comments:

Heh heh “eats candies” Candied what? Baby Jesuses?

Worth the click.

**Mapgirl is a long-time commenter at the Ministry (she was already there when I found them) and she has a personal finances blog. You should go say hi.

Posted by: Ted at 08:03 AM | category: Rocketry
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NASA creates some wicked cool animated mission videos, and the best I've seen was a version where someone added a background soundtrack of Lenny Kravitz' Fly Away.

This version is pretty good though, set to Nine Inch Nails Sunspots. Check out NIN to Mars.

Here's another, which leaves the original NASA audio intact. It's longer too, not edited down to fit a particular song.

Posted by: Ted at 07:52 AM | category: SciTech
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I remember seeing the pubic service announcement as a lad.

I don't remember it being a big problem.

Maybe a regional thing: Willie Mays warning kids not to play with blasting caps.

Thanks to The McCovey Chronicles for the memories.

Posted by: Ted at 07:28 AM | category: Links
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A while back... ok, quite a while back, I mentioned an idea I had for a new banner. I was just hoping to pull it off using my basic photoshopping skills ("photoshopping" as a generic term, I have an older version of Paint Shop Pro, which isn't quite the same thing).

Derek, professional art-teest that he is, was kind enough to offer to create it based on my idea. His first go was awesome, but not quite what I had in mind. Second and third, closer. There are a couple of changes I'd still like to make, but tell me that ain't genius up top there, both in execution and concept.

Derek, you rock. Go Avs.

Posted by: Ted at 07:13 AM | category: Links
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Over at Iowahawk, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi (listed as "Senior VP, Al-Qaeda In Iraq") is guest-blogging.

Make sure you check out his past posts too, there are links in the article.

Thanks to Transterrestrial Musings for the pointer.

Posted by: Ted at 05:02 AM | category: Links
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Zombies, of course.

From Mookie, the agenda driven ZombiesDontRun.com.

And one from my personal bookmark collection: Zombie Astronaut.

Recommended.

Posted by: Ted at 12:18 PM | category: Links
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Via Mookie, who writes:

They got Bub!!!

Horror and monster masks of many famous (and gruesome) faces. Including Bub, official zombie of Rocket Jones (you'll have to scroll down a ways to find him).

Posted by: Ted at 05:01 AM | category: Cult Flicks
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Teledildonics!

Sometimes I just crack myself up.

But this could be huge. Imagine handcuffs where the lock is remote controlled like OnStar! Oh man, I can picture the commercials now.

I'm claiming first credit for publicly linking the ideas of teledildonics, bondage, and OnStar-style services. Anyone wanna invest?

Posted by: Ted at 05:11 AM | category: Links
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1 *singing* Reach out, reach out and f**k some one...

Sorry, couldn't resist. ;-)

--TwoDragons

Posted by: Denita TwoDragons at April 21, 2006 12:02 PM (JbsXm)

2 Ted needs a vacation.

*chuckle*

Posted by: Cindy at April 21, 2006 02:45 PM (7aXDY)

3 You have no idea how right you are.

Posted by: Ted at April 21, 2006 04:00 PM (+OVgL)

4 I need one too. In fact, it's so bad I want to run away from home.
;-)

Posted by: Cindy at April 24, 2006 08:11 AM (7aXDY)

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Surround yourself with interesting people, and you'll never be bored.

Doug Pratt tells a great story about his family history and where he grew up, a place called Robin Hill.

Posted by: Ted at 05:02 AM | category: Links
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Les Jones. No relation.

Posted by: Ted at 11:08 AM | category: Links
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I mean, there's that giant rock that was rolled in front of JC's tomb, and then there's rock's giant moments. And in today's world JC might've called his apostles "peeps".

Check it out: Great Moments in Rock and Roll History - as reenacted by marshmallow peeps.

Thanks be to Dustbury for the pointer.

Posted by: Ted at 09:38 PM | category: Links
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My buddy Russ sent this link to me:

ATF agents are always on alert for anything suspicious — including ninjas.

Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm agents, on campus Tuesday for Project Safe Neighborhoods training, detained a “suspicious individual” near the Georgia Center, University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said.

Jeremiah Ransom, a sophomore from Macon, was leaving a Wesley Foundation pirate vs. ninja event when he was detained.

After being held in investigative detention, he was found to have violated no criminal laws and was not arrested.

The story is pretty funny, after the fact. It's easy to see now that the agents overreacted, but given today's environment I'm glad to see that they are paying attention.

Just in case though, I'm working up a list of people I suspect are secretly Ninjas and I'll be forwarding that list to the BATFE.

Posted by: Ted at 05:04 AM | category: Links
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