Iraqi forces have announced that they'll be establishing a cordon around Bagdhad before conducting security sweeps. Like a lot of folks, my first reaction was to question why would you announce something like that?

Thinking about it, I wouldn't be surprised if they're hoping that the terrorists (screw that misapplied "insurgent" label) make some conspicuous movements in response. Right now, a lot of Iraqi citizens are sick and tired of the bad guys inflicting civilian casualties. There might be some very directed action taking place thanks to tips provided by the locals.

Posted by: Ted at 07:53 PM | category: Military
Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 96 words, total size 1 kb.

Got a *lot* done yesterday and finished up the evening by watching one of Misty Mundae's more recent efforts, Bite Me! Giant mutant spiders in a strip club. You know I'm loving it.

Boss: What's gotten into you?

Crystal: Spider venom, and I like it.

Consider that a mini-review and recommendation.

Speaking of clitorises... clitoris's... clitorii... what's the plural of clitoris? Oh well, doesn't matter... Speaking of female anatomy, wegglywoo points out an article that proves once again that there are always new things to discover right under our noses (ahem).

Sorry, I was up way late and up way early. Sleep deprivation makes me silly. It's a serious article though, and has some interesting implications for current surgical techniques.

Since we're navigating around the female form, it might be useful to be able to actually navigate, eh? And what better way than by sextant, especially an actual working sextant you build yourself using AOL cd's, mirrors and lego? Thanks to the Ministry for this nifty link.

Mookie picked up the soundtrack to Spamalot. Excellent. I especially enjoyed "The Song That Goes Like This". By the way, that is also one of the best home pages I've ever seen.

One Hit Wonder Central, courtesy of the Llama Butchers.

Gir has tagged me with another meme that goes on the ol' "get to it later stack", alongside the one from Elisson.

Squipper (who has a loaf of home made cinnamon-raisin bread heading her way at the speed of USPS) points out an amusing list: "Things I'd Probably Say If the Bush Administration Were Just a Weekly TV Show and I Were a Regular Viewer". In a completely non-partisan manner I'd like to mention that you can replace "Bush" with "Clinton" or even "Republican" or "Democrat" and the list would still be perfectly spot on.

(I know that contest was a long time ago and I'm just getting around to sending Cindy her prize, but I prefer to think of it this way: I take a long time to satisfy a lady.)

A while back I linked to "By Ourselves, For Ourselves" over at Random Nuclear Strikes. Basically, it's a series of practical essays on survival if the shit ever hits the fan. I consider these a must-read, and the latest installment is up.

You might not like guns, but you should understand the purpose of the 2nd Ammendment. And if you think it's terrible that the government tells you who you can or cannot marry, or what you can or cannot do in the privacy of your own home, yet you remain anti-gun, then I say you're foolish to discard the ultimate Constitutional remedy provided by the men of wisdom who designed that document. Another link from Random Nuclear Strikes.

The Everlasting Phelps has a new advertiser that sells Japanese products. I got a kick just browsing the catalog, and just might order the "Respect the Emperor, Expel the Foreign Barbarians" t-shirt.

Lynn S has been on a roll lately, with links to this page of vintage pulp Octopus covers, and this group blog called Drawn!, which is all about illustration, and which led me to By It's Cover and The Planet of Sardines.

I love the internet.

Posted by: Ted at 06:01 AM | category: Cult Flicks
Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 553 words, total size 5 kb.

Peeps, I'm taking a couple of days off for an extra-long weekend. This is my first real time off since last August.

I'm not doing anything special, just some down time. I've got a long list of little things to do around the house which I may or may not bother with. Rocket Jones falls into that category, so if you don't hear from me for a few days, well, you know I'll be back soon enough.

In the meantime, go visit Alien Loves Predator. Really. I had tears from laughing so hard.

Posted by: Ted at 07:11 AM | category: Square Pegs
Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 95 words, total size 1 kb.

1 I have a ton of crap to do around the house too, but I'm still blogging.

Wuss!
Girly Man!
Mama's boy!

Oh wait...
I haven't even answered my comments let alone posted!

Oh GREAT!

Thanks a lot Ted.
Now I'm a girly man too!
I hope you're happy now!

Man, you're a bad influende on me

Posted by: Tricia at May 26, 2005 08:38 PM (lRTFS)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

"All your base are belong to us."

Posted by: Ted at 06:57 AM | category: Cult Flicks
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 37 words, total size 1 kb.

Female: I hate having my period.

Me: Look at the bright side.

Female: What bright side?

Me: In school, you never had to go do a problem at the black board while sporting a boner.

Female: *snort*

Posted by: Ted at 07:28 PM | category: Square Pegs
Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 39 words, total size 1 kb.

Professor Chris Hall appears after a long absence at his new site, under the same old name: Spacecraft.

You've been missed!

Posted by: Ted at 07:24 PM | category: Links
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 23 words, total size 1 kb.

We've heard that term used a lot lately. There are the personal variety ("I've had enough!") and the group version (Lebanon is an excellent example, as is the Ukraine).

Here is one Canadian's declaration of having reached their tipping point.

Wow.

Thanks to Debbye for pointing that out.

Posted by: Ted at 11:45 AM | category: Links
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 52 words, total size 1 kb.

Around this time of year, Little Debbie starts coming out with various 4th of July themed goodies. I noticed that on the back of the box for their "Stars and Stripes" cupcakes they've put a primer on how to display the American flag.

Posted by: Ted at 06:10 AM | category: Square Pegs
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 53 words, total size 1 kb.

It's that my fantasy league baseball team sucks that bad.

Posted by: Ted at 05:56 AM | category: Square Pegs
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 28 words, total size 1 kb.

Speaking of baseball, over at the McCovey Chronicles, Grant tries to explain the rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers.

It's something so ingrained, so automatic, I can't even prevent myself from sneering when I see a child wearing a Dodger cap. It's ridiculous. There but for the grace of geography go I, you know? The reason most of us are Giants fans is because of where we were born, where our parents were born, the careers they might have pursued, the twists and turns of relatives seven or eight generations back, and little more. At times, the rivalry seems completely arbitrary.

Also, the Dodgers are objectively evil and wrong. That also has something to do with this whole rivalry thing.

Amen.

Posted by: Ted at 05:11 AM | category: Links
Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 125 words, total size 1 kb.

Alien Loves Predator.

Thanks to Red Ted for the pointer.

Posted by: Ted at 05:10 PM | category: Links
Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 36 words, total size 1 kb.

1 That's pretty funny, I'm not even close to being a New Yorker or baseball fan so most of the jokes seem to go over my head.

I just say lookit the funny posable figurines

Posted by: Oorgo at May 24, 2005 06:30 PM (lM0qs)

2 I almost fell out of my chair laughing when the Yankees signed Jesus and then Pedro drilled him!

Posted by: Ted at May 25, 2005 06:14 AM (blNMI)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

She hasn't posted for a while, but she's still very much alive and kicking. In the county we live in, high school juniors must complete a research paper in order to graduate. They're given the entire year to work on it, and a lot of kids just barely squeak by on it (you may have met one this morning when you got your Egg McMuffin).

If there's one thing Rachael (aka Mookie) doesn't need, it's motivation to do well in school, so usually we just get updates on how things are going.

The other night, my wife Liz and I and Rachael went out. Over dinner I asked Rachael how her paper was going. Liz and I sat there stunned as she spoke for 20 minutes on her chosen topic: The National Theater Project, which was part of FDR's "New Deal". Without hesitation, she rattled off names, dates and places, and even tied it in with other similar programs of the day. The conversation went on for quite a while after dinner, even as we walked through a department store looking for something or other she needed (jeans maybe? I forget).

So between that, another huge research paper on the Canadian military in WWII, plus stage managing a show that the school chorus is putting on, she's been a busy busy bee. Yesterday I took her over to the Community College to get a library card and another reference book.

Hopefully, in a month things will settle down for her when school ends. Or maybe she'll just sleep for 36 straight hours and then charge right back into life.

Posted by: Ted at 05:48 AM | category: Family matters
Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 273 words, total size 2 kb.

From my friend Gordon Tatro:

This was a pretty interesting story from The Sunday Wichita Eagle Newspaper a couple of weeks ago. A resident in the area saw a ball bouncing around kind of strange in a nearby pond and went to investigate. It turned out to be a flathead catfish who had obviously tried to swallow a child's basketball which became stuck in its mouth!!

The fish was totally exhausted from trying to dive, but unable to because the ball would always bring him back up to the surface. The resident tried numerous times to get the ball out, but was unsuccessful. He finally had his wife cut the ball in order to deflate it and release the hungry catfish.

He finishes up with this bit of wisdom:

I suppose you need pictures in order to believe this? OK... But just remember:

Be kinder than necessary...
for every creature you meet (be they human or not)...
is fighting some kind of battle.

Posted by: Ted at 05:12 AM | category: Square Pegs
Comments (11) | Add Comment
Post contains 176 words, total size 2 kb.

In other words, he's saying what he's said all along.

Regardless of what opinion you personally hold about the subject or the man holding the office, you have to admit that the President is consistant.

That's one of the things I like about him.

Posted by: Ted at 12:15 PM | category: Politics
Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 60 words, total size 1 kb.

1 But, unfortunately, that's also one of the things that causes me to NOT like him. No amount of reasoning or proof can get him to change his mind (be it stem cell research, privitizing Social Security, WMDs, or the myriad other things that he's been wrong on, but "can't name one of them.")

Posted by: John at May 23, 2005 01:05 PM (GuDvW)

2 Ahhh, but how can he be wrong in his opinions? WMD? Everyone thought they existed. Stem Cell? Up in the air, and he hasn't banned research, just federal funding for new lines that would require the destruction of fetus's - which is entirely consistent with his conservative religious view - and as for privatizing social security, I've yet to see a convincing case for not doing it that didn't involve scare tactics. I'm old fashioned about that particular subject because social security wasn't meant to be welfare, it was meant to supplement a retiree's life savings. There's no way I'm going to see everything I've already paid in, so why shouldn't I expect others to chip in by saving some money on their own?

Let's hear some more about that "myriad". I've got one right up top that he was absolutely wrong about: steel tariffs, and he did reverse course on that one. Not soon enough in my opinion, but he did do it.

Posted by: Ted at May 23, 2005 01:27 PM (blNMI)

3 I like stem cells, they taste like chicken.

Posted by: shank at May 23, 2005 03:39 PM (+H1yK)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

The tapestry up top was done by yours truly and entered anonymously into the banner contest.

If you'd like, follow this link to make your own Bayeaux Tapestry (needs Flash).

Posted by: Ted at 04:45 AM | category: Links
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 34 words, total size 1 kb.

ZZ Bub.

"Lord take me downtown. I'm just looking for some tush."

Posted by: Ted at 08:59 PM | category: Square Pegs
Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 28 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Ted, you need some professional help.

Posted by: Victor at May 23, 2005 08:06 AM (L3qPK)

2 As long as you say that with a smile...

Posted by: Ted at May 23, 2005 08:57 AM (blNMI)

3 I think it's brilliant. Ted's an artist, reinventing himself in his medium each time.

Posted by: shank at May 23, 2005 01:50 PM (+H1yK)

4 LOL!

Posted by: JohnL at May 23, 2005 04:44 PM (YVul2)

5 John L stole my comment...

Posted by: Susie at May 24, 2005 11:39 AM (V1YvO)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

I'll put up a more complete post later, but for now here are some Team America Rocketry Contest highlights and things that come immediately to mind, in no particular order.

The top three student teams were all within 1 second of the target time.

Ken Mattingly of Apollo 13 fame (still sans measles) was there.

The Director of Education for NASA attended again, and in her remarks said that NASA was on the edge of a massive wave of engineer retirements, and that they desperately needed an influx of young talent. She said that they weren't able to get enough new people to backfill the positions left vacant.

No mention of commercial space. Not surprising since NASA and the Aerospace Industry Association picked up the tab for TARC, and none of the new players are members in the AIA (yet). Still, this is an opportunity to recruit and promote that private space companies should grab a piece of if they can.

One of the demo flights was a full-scale reconstruction of Robert Goddard's original rocket. Unlike the original flight, this one was designed to fly in a safe and stable manner, and did. It looked scale, it didn't fly scale.

Several teams managed to hang their rockets in evil rocket-eating trees, but all managed to get them back and return the egg payload for scoring. One team found their rocket after searching for five hours. Only one team never found their rocket.

God likes rockets.

Lots of goodies and stuff to check out along "vendor row". Mostly colleges passing out information on their engineering and sciences curriculums. The CIA was there, so was the Civil Air Patrol, and they had a nifty Wright Brothers flight simulator where you could sit in a reconstruction of their original flyer's cockpit (such as it was) and try to fly the darned thing. The line was too long for Mookie and I to get to try that.

I remembered sunscreen. Mostly.

My cheeks hurt from smiling all day long.

Posted by: Ted at 06:37 AM | category: Rocketry
Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 343 words, total size 2 kb.

Today is the day.

Last night Mookie and I sat in an auditorium with over 500 motivated and enthusiastic young men and women, their parents and teachers, listening to the pre-brief.

Gotta run. More info over on the right sidebar. Do a search for "Team America", or scroll down under the sections for "Rocketry" and "I'm Involved".

Fun, fun, fun, and a complete report later.

Posted by: Ted at 04:44 AM | category: Rocketry
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 73 words, total size 1 kb.

The latest is up over at Curmudgeonry, and fellow Munuvian Jordana has done a fine job of whetting my appetite before lunch. Enjoy!

Posted by: Ted at 11:50 AM | category: Recipes
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 31 words, total size 1 kb.

Space.com is asking you to vote on the best Hubble images. From this page, click on any image to go to a slideshow that allows you to rate each image on a 1-5 scale. There are some amazing and beautiful choices.

Posted by: Ted at 11:38 AM | category: Space Program
Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 51 words, total size 1 kb.