We Are Hugh...

You will be known by those who speak for you...

2009-11-10T22:01:26Z

The following is from THIS ARTICLE, about the recent protests against Health Care Reform in Washington, DC.

“You’ll be starting a civil war, you fascist tyrant!” yelled Andrew Beacham, 27, of nearby Falls Church, Va.

Mr. Beacham, his hair in a ponytail, said in an interview that he believed Mr. Obama was a fascist because, he asserted, the bill would force Americans to pay for abortions and for government-provided health care. Reminded that Americans have long contributed to Medicare and Medicaid, Mr. Beacham replied, “I would favor getting rid of both of them, and Social Security, too. They’re all going broke anyway.”

A freelance producer of film documentaries, Mr. Beacham said he did not have health insurance. “When I need health care, I pay for it out of pocket,” he said, adding that he did not fear the possibility that an accident or illness would leave him with unaffordable bills. “I’m a Christian, so I’m not afraid of death,” he said.

I'm so glad that Jesus has agreed to pick up your medical expenses, Mr. Beacham. And what exactly do you mean by "a freelance producer of film documentaries"? As that description can mean anything from "I'm Michael Moore" to "I post my obscenity-laden rants on YouTube out of my parent's basement"; as such, it ends up being meaningless.

People wonder why I come off as anti-conservative? I'm not... I'm anti-WINGNUT. And right now, it's people like Mr. Beacham, or Glenn Beck, or Limbaugh, or Palin, who are claiming to the SPOKESPEOPLE of the Right! Please, Conservatives... if you don't agree with their stupidity, and you don't want them acting as your spokesmen, then YOU have to speak up and SAY that they don't speak for you! And you have to say it LOUDER than they do!

Otherwise, I'm going to have to assume that they do speak for you. And I really hope that's not the case.

The Island Of Misfit... Phones?

2009-11-10T21:32:04Z

One of my coworkers just showed me THIS, and I just LAUGHED...

Come and play... everything's A-OK.

2009-11-10T21:09:11Z

On Monday, November 10th, 1969, I was five years old, and in kindergarten at a small Catholic school in West Philadelphia.

School ended at 3pm, and my mom would pick me up and we'd (usually) walk the four blocks back to our home near 46th St. and Chester Avenue. We'd get home, she'd give me some juice, and then sit me in front of the TV while she did housework (it was the '60's... this was pretty much the way parenting was done back then...).

Kids' TV at that time was... well, it was... hmm... I think "lacking" would be a good word for it. There was NO cable TV, so there were the three network channels, an assortment of local stations on UHF frequencies (in Philly, channels 17, 29, and 48), and PBS (channel 12)... and that's it. The network stations (channels 3, 6, and 10) were airing soap operas at this time (talk shows didn't become big in the afternoon until the '80's), so us kids were stuck with the UHF channels.

And, while Philly brought some of the greatest of TV's children's entertainers to the screen (Gene London, Pixanne, Sally Starr, Chief Halftown, Captain Noah and his Magical Ark, among many others), most of these were on early weekday mornings or on weekends. The afternoons were pretty much left to reruns of cancelled kid-friendly prime-time shows (Gilligan's Island, I Dream Of Jeannie, and The Munsters got played A LOT), and cartoon shows. Usually, around 4pm, I'd be watching "Wee Willie Webber's Colorful Cartoon Club" on channel 17, and getting my fill of classic Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera shorts, and other assorted bits of brain candy.

On this day, however, I was flipping through the channels (as I would do after each show, because (at least to my five-year-old mind) it seemed that the TV schedules would change randomly, and I found something new on Channel 12. It was a show that had KIDS on it. And not just as an audience, like on the cartoon shows, but DOING things, like singing, or talking to the other characters. And there were cartoons. And puppets. And songs. And it was FUNNY.

And so it was that I was one of the first generation of SESAME STREET, which is 40 years old today. The show was originally geared toward children ages 4-6, so I was right in their sweet spot. Later on, they realized that younger children were tuning in, and so they started to gear the show more for tots. I think the current mean age of the average Sesame Street fan is 3.

I learned a lot of things from SESAME STREET that I've carried with me through my whole life. And it's a lot more than my ABC's and 123's. I've learned:

- People come in all types and colors. Bob and Mr. Hooper were white, like me, but Susan and Gordon were black, Maria and Luis were Latino, and Buffy St. Marie was an Indian (we weren't using the term "Native American" yet). And they all lived together, got along, and were friends who cared about each other, even though they were all different. In fact, they call kept TEACHING each other new things, BECAUSE they were all different. So you can't judge a person by the fact that they're white, black, brown, yellow, or red. Of if they're orange, blue, green, furry, or made of felt, for that matter.

- I learned that It's Not Easy Being Green, It's Alright To Cry (even if you're Rosey Grier), and that if I felt down, I could always Sing A Song.

- It's OK sometimes to be grouchy, enjoy cookies, or pretend to be a super hero. It's also OK to laugh while you're doing common, everyday things... like counting (Ha-ha-ha!).

- You are supposed to ask questions, and it can be fun to find out answers.

- It's good to look at things with a sense of wonder and amazement... especially if you're a 7-foot-tall canary.

- It's no big deal if two single grown men are living together... even if they share the same bedroom.

And, maybe the most important lesson...

- It's possible to create a new and wonderful thing, like a television show, that does a great deal of good.

Here's to 40 more years of sweeping the clouds away. :-)

An Open Letter To Me...

2009-11-10T18:23:52Z

Dear Hugh;

Stop having wonderful ideas. Especially ideas that, when people who's opinion you respect hear them, they say "that might not be a bad idea...".

No, really. Stop.

Sincerely,
Hugh

When Alternate Histories Collide...

2009-11-10T12:25:52Z

Alternate-Universe Sci-Fi Channel Show Asks
What Would Happen If Germany Lost War

This is not only a funny (and kinda creepy) article from THE ONION (and only Jon Stewart does funny news better than these guys), but it's also a neat little alt-history SF story in it's own right. Check it out, if only for the Battlestar Gleichschaltung gag.

Master of Dreams...

2009-11-10T12:19:14Z

Happy 49th to the finest living writer in the world.

If you've not read his works, then get yourself to a freakin' bookstore and BUY SOME AND READ IT!

Because EVERY monster deserves their chance for an angsty-gothic-teen-romance...

2009-11-09T18:53:51Z

So, what if, instead of vampires, Stephanie Meyers had decided to use ANOTHER kind of monster for TWILIGHT?

Well, you might have gotten something like this.

LOL

If I Had A Hammer...

2009-11-09T12:26:55Z

Twenty years ago today...

We still have far to go, but look at how far we've come.

Let freedom ring.

The power of online networking...

2009-11-07T14:32:10Z

A few days ago, I blogged about a writer, Catherynne M. Valente, who was stranded in Europe on her honeymoon after Expedia gave them wrong information and then wouldn't admit their mistake. Thanks to the response of her fans and her online social network, Expedia reversed their position and everything ended happily.

Well, now the whole story has hit USAToday. Check it out.

Instead of popcorn, the consession stand will sell you a pic-a-nic basket!

2009-11-06T20:27:31Z

Warner Bros. will produce a combined live-action/CGI movie of YOGI BEAR, with Dan Aykroyd voicing the smarter-than-the-average-bear, and Justin Timberlake voicing his lil' pal, Boo-Boo. No word on who would play Mr. Ranger.

This will either be very cool, or absolutely horrible. As I remember Bill Murray doing the voice of Garfield, I'm thinking horrible. :-\

We are Legos.

2009-11-06T19:38:53Z

Today's XKCD is a beautiful work of art. Go read it.

(And make sure to hover your mouse over the cartoon to read the alt text...)

New, from GM... the Dodge Daffy! It's Dith-picable!

2009-11-06T19:31:59Z

Did you know that if you flip the logo for the Dodge Viper, it's a picture of Daffy Duck?

However, if you flip a Dodge Viper, the result isn't anywhere NEARLY as humorous. ;-P

"You don't believe in my loving and forgiving God!? Then I hate you!"

2009-11-06T18:59:02Z

From a few people on my LJ F-list:

According to a civil suit filed in CT, a district manager for the Bath & Body Works chain of stores was fired because she was a Wiccan.

The suit claims that the plaintiff had requested vacation time to travel to Salem, MA, to celebrate Samhain. The leave was granted to her the year before by her previous supervisor, the regional manager. Her new regional manager apparently had issues with her taking leave at that time, due to a new project being rolled out, and contacted her about this on Nov 4, 2008. Upon being told that the time off had been approved the year before, and that it was to celebrate a religious holiday, the RM apparently asked what holiday took place in the last week of October. The plaintiff then explained that she was a Wiccan, what that meant, and that October 31 was a religious holiday.

The regional manager's response, according to the suit, was "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, let me ask you where your priorities should have been?"

When asked by the plaintiff what she meant by "ridiculous", she was told, "Well, you will need a new career in your new year." She then also reportedly stated, "I will be damned if I have a devil-worshipper on my team." (I have the feeling that this regional manager may not have understood the irony of that particular statement.)

The plaintiff was then fired on November 20, 2008... less than two weeks later.

A few people have mentioned that boycotting the entire chain of B&BW may not be the best course of action, because they are still investigating the incident, and this may well simply be the actions of a single asshole employee. I have to agree, although maybe not shopping at the stores in the CT district may still be appropriate, along with a polite-yet-firm letter or email to the home office of B&BW explaining why you feel that this was wrong, and why you will not be purchasing from them until the matter is appropriately resolved.

"I never will, by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance or admit a right of inquiry into the religious opinions of others." - Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, and 3rd President of the United States.

ORGAN-ize! LOL

2009-11-06T16:50:17Z

- On yesterday's Daily Show, John Stewart provided 8 minutes of the funniest skit you may see all year!

Shooting at Fort Hood, TX Army base.

2009-11-05T21:04:54Z

NBC: 7 dead, 12 injured in Fort Hood shooting

SWAT teams battle at least one gunman on the military base, others still sought

Damn.

This makes it official... Hollywood is COMPLETELY creatively bankrupt...

2009-11-05T20:52:12Z

Columbia Pictures and Overbrook Entertainment (Will Smith's company) have bought the film rights to the classic boardgame "RISK".

Really?

No, REALLY!?

According to the article, this is apparently because movies based on toys, like "TRANSFORMERS" and "GIJOE" are hot right now. What someone seems to have forgotten to tell them is that those two properties actually come with RECOGNIZABLE CHARACTERS AND A STORY! (OK, maybe not GREAT characters and a story, but at least they HAVE them!) I mean, what the hell kind of movie can you make out of RISK!? Three hours of conquering and losing Ukraine over and over again? "RISK: The Battle For Kamchatka"? A poignent character study of a man desperately trying to hold on to Australia against overwhelming odds? A six hour epic about two dorks trying to conquer the world with DICE!?

*sigh*

In related news, Kevin James has optioned the rights for Hungry Hungry Hippos, Patrick Stewart will star in Connect Four: The Movie, and Settlers of Catan will be directed by Uwe Bowl, and star Steven Segal.

Eyerolling to commence in 3... 2... 1...

Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November...

2009-11-05T12:08:58Z

Keep your powder dry, everyone.

Swine Flu Confirmed In Iowa Cat.

2009-11-04T21:43:10Z

Yes, the headline sounds kinda funny.

Unfortunately, it's also true.

This means that you can transmit H1N1 to your pet.

It may ALSO mean that your pet can transmit it to you. So be careful.

(Say, elionwyr... could this be what was wrong with Lurk a couple of weeks back?)

I gotta 12. I'ma gonna Hell.

2009-11-04T19:44:41Z

So, what's YOUR score?

(Stolen from filkertom, so that's yet ANOTHER sin!) ;-P

A delightful way to introduce your children to the mind-shattering horror of the Great Old Ones!

2009-11-04T13:14:25Z

The Adventures Of Lil' Cthulhu!

Ia! Ia!

"V", the should-have-been-a-miniseries...

2009-11-04T02:03:53Z

OK, so the pilot episode is over.

Well, everyone seems to be giving it the ol' college try, and they're bringing their A-game.

Everyone except the writers, that is.

They crammed what should have easily been 4 hours worth of episodes into one, and to do so they did far too much handwaving, telling without showing, and merrily skipping past plot points that should have been better explained.

I don't know that I'll be tuning in next week. :-\

Can't Stop The Signal (Boost)!

2009-11-03T21:53:27Z

Doing a little signal boosting here.

From reannon's LJ:

You guys know yuki_onna? Author Catherynne Valente?

She got married. It was lovely. Then they went on the honeymoon. And got utterly screwed by Expedia, stranded in Germany and unable to get to their destination, Russia.

The problem has been sort-of solved by them pouring every dime they had into it, and now they have no money to get out. They're stranded.

In the meantime, Cat has been writing a novel online, a book-within-a-book titled "Fairyland," or "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In a Ship Of Her Own Making."

The latest chapter is up now. With tip jar.

They need $900 to get free.

If y'all chose to, say, be more generous than usual with the tip jar, you can help Cat get where she needs to go.

As you know... together we do more than we can apart. Do what you can.

Some people have a bad day... and then there's THIS guy...

2009-11-03T21:49:08Z

A warehouse forklift driver accidentally causes the warehouse to COLLAPSE!

Compared to this guy, my day has been JUST FINE, thankyouverymuch! 0_0

I wonder if they're going to make Morena Baccarin eat, like, a hamster or something...

2009-11-03T19:30:00Z

So, who plans on checking out the premiere of the new "V" tonight?

Evil Paleontologists Plan To Wipe Out One-Third Of All Dinosaur Species!

2009-11-03T18:41:21Z

OK, not really.

But, according to a new study by scientists from UC Berkley and the Museum of the Rockies, dinos that we THOUGHT were separate species were actually the same animal at different stages of life.

One example is the torosaurus, a ceratopsid with a very large nick-frill, which has now been reclassified as a much older triceratops. Another is the nanotyrannus, originally thought to be a small tyranosaurid, which is now recognized as a juvenile T-rex.

The most significant, though, is the merging of two separate "species", the stygimoloch and the dracorex hogwartsia (who's name, meaning "The Dragon King Of Hogwarts", was provided three years ago - to a great deal of fanfare - by some Rowling's-loving paleontologists), into the same species as the pachycephalosaurus, a dome-headed dinosaur first discovered in 1943. It seems that they were the younger, non-sexually mature stages of the older dinos.

It seems that, moreso than many other animal species, many dinosaurs changed substantially over time. For example, dracorex had no boney dome, but numerous horns, while the somewhat older stygimoloch has smaller horns and a slight dome, and the adult pachycephalosaur had a large and thick dome, but only a few boney knobs in place of the horns.

(Clockwise from upper left: Dracorex Hogwartsia, Stygimoloch, and an adult Pachycephalosaur.
Credit: Holly Woodward/Montana State University)

Dr. John "Jack" Horner, one of the scientists who headed up the study, thinks that many currently recognized species are actually misclassifications of older or younger members of others, and states that such classification "may be overextended by a third".

OK, so this stuff may bore YOU to tears, but to me.. DAMN, it's COOL STUFF! :-)