- Overall, it was a pleasant way to spend a 100+ degree summer afternoon.
- However, Inglourious Basterds suffers from much the same problem I think Death Proof had. Quentin Tarantino is too much in love with the sound of his own voice as a writer. Sure, he’s somewhat entitled to be; when he’s on, he’s very good at it. But apparently no one around him is willing to edit him; there’s no one to say, “Q, the basement scene goes on a little too long,” or “Q, less talk, more Nazi killing.”
- Mélanie Laurent is something special.
- I was glad to see Zoe Bell, even if it was just stunt credit; she was the best thing in Death Proof, and I hope Tarantino or someone puts her in a real movie sometime soon.
- Edited to add: I should have linked to Jesse Walker’s essay on Reason‘s web site when I was composing this last night. Sorry.
Archive for August, 2009
Quick thoughts on Inglourious Basterds.
Sunday, August 30th, 2009We like the moon, but not as much as a spoon…
Sunday, August 30th, 2009The Austin American-Statesman has a wonderful profile of UT geology professor Bill Muehlberger, the man who has been teaching geology to NASA astronauts since 1964.
…he believes it’s important for humankind to return to the moon — and not just to finish the work begun at the old landing sites.
“I think it would be more valuable to go to new places,” he says. “One of my favorites is the Copernicus Crater. You could land in the bottom of it and be within a mile of the central uplift, which brings you stuff in from deeper in the moon. Or you could go over a mile in the other direction, to stuff that fell back out of the crater during the impact, and get a 3-D sampling. You’d be landing on glass, on the melt rock that flowed in during the impact. Hey. We could keep going forever … “
I’m fascinated by geology, but, sadly, not very good at it. That hasn’t stopped me from reading John McPhee’s and Simon Winchester’s books, though. In that vein, I’d like to recommend Donald Beattie’s great book, Taking Science to the Moon
Random notes from a Friday night dinner.
Friday, August 28th, 2009First of all, if any of my friends (or even blog readers who are not friends) are considering purchasing Snow Leopard from Amazon, here’s the link
To keep this from being a 100% “Buy Amazon! Give me money!” entry, I want to mention a web log that’s new to me; by way of Lawrence, we have Lovely Listing. One entry that he found particularly striking was the velour people. Lawrence also included this link, but I’m not sure where he found it on Lovely Listing.
When he mentioned the names Arakawa and Gins, I thought they sounded somewhat familiar. Indeed, they were; it turns out Arakawa and Gins were two of Bernie Madoff’s clients. (That second link is by way of Nancy Nall, who has some pungent things to say on the subject.)
Principles.
Friday, August 28th, 2009I’m about 99 and 44/100ths percent Liberatarian. Every so often, however, something comes along and makes me question my principles.
For example, when I see that the State of Texas has approved personalized license plates that sell for $395 a year, I’m tempted to endorse increasing the income tax rate to 90% for anyone dumb enough to pay that kind of money for a license plate. (The same applies to anyone who would pay $4,295 for a tone arm to improve the playback of their 78s, or $500 for an Ethernet cable
I heartily endorse this event or product. (#2 in a series)
Thursday, August 27th, 2009I’ve generally been pleased with the quality of the No Starch books I’ve picked up. And they’ve been a constant and friendly presence at DEFCON for as long as I’ve been going.
What pushed me over the edge, though, is that I ordered some books on Saturday. They were at my PO Box by Wednesday, shipped priority mail, and No Starch didn’t charge me anything over actual cost for the shipping.
No Starch is also running a 30% off sale through August 31st; enter voucher code 100896985 at checkout.
Clippings: August 26th, 2009
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009I haven’t been to NYC since Jesus was a corporal, but for some reason I enjoy reading the NYT food coverage. Retiring food critic Frank Bruni has a nice retrospective piece in which he answers questions like “What’s the best sushi?” (Answer: are you willing to drop $400 a person?) and “What’s the best steakhouse?” I would have liked to see more of his greatest hits, such as the classic review of Ninja, but you can’t have everything…
Speaking of the NYT, I have a new blog to watch: The NYTPicker. This looks like it could fill the void left by SmarterTimes and the late lamented J. J. Hunsecker’s Spy column. If they start referring to “bosomy dirty book writer Shirley Lord”, I am there, man.
I feel compelled to say something about Teddles, but I (and probably a dozen other people by now) have already used the “…unavailable for comment” trope. So I’m grudgingly linking to Michael Kelly’s “A Sober Look At Ted Kennedy“. I say grudgingly because the formatting and pagination of this version of the article is horrible. You’d be a lot better off finding and reading a copy of Kelly’s excellent posthumous collection Things Worth Fighting For: Collected Writings
Clippings: August 25, 2009 (plus blogging slowdown)
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009Classes have started up again at St. Edward’s, so blogging is likely to slow down a bit. I’m planning on taking Project e with me to classes, so I may have some time to blog before class and during breaks; however, St. Ed’s made some changes to the wireless network this semester, and so far connectivity isn’t working very well for anyone. Work on Project e does continue, slowly.
I did want to point out two interesting articles: this one from The Atlantic on health care reform, and why the current proposals will do nothing to fix the structural problems of our health care system (by way of Radley Balko), and Roger Ebert’s latest journal entry on AA and his alcoholism.
Project e: Part 2: The Ubuntuing
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009Before I begin, a couple of notes:
First, I’d like to publicly acknowledge D. D. Tannenbaum as the first person to actually leave a real substantive comment on Whipped Cream Difficulties. (There was one spam comment before his, which I guess makes some sort of pathetic statement about the state of the Internet.) Thank you, sir.
Second, another size comparison:
That’s my (somewhat beat up, as I’ve been toting it for a while) copy of Learning Python, 3rd Edition. As you can see, the eee is only slightly larger than the book; you can’t see this in the photo, but it is substantially thinner. I wanted to get a weight comparison between the two as well, but I don’t have a scale that will work well for that purpose; manufacturer’s quoted weight for the eee is 2.9 pounds.
On to The Ubuntuing.
Obit watch
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009Vicki Cruse, aerobatic pilot, president of the International Aerobatic Club, and United States champion in 2007.
For the folks who were at dinner tonight…
Friday, August 21st, 2009…here’s the link to the Wikipedia entry on Heil Honey I’m Home!
Edited to add: Lawrence provides us with a link. And a warning: “Some two and a half minutes in, it’s actually worse than it sounds.”
Yeah. I lasted about three and a half minutes.
Clippings: August 21, 2009
Friday, August 21st, 2009Pulitzer-prize winning automotive writer Dan Neil has a good piece in the LAT on “Which of today’s clunkers will become tomorrow’s classic cars?“. It gets especially funny when he talks about a 1971 Monte Carlo going at auction for $60,000. (“…Spot-welded together with the craftsmanship one might expect of unsupervised political prisoners…”) There’s also a followup here with some more classic candidates.
I’m with Neil on many of these choices. I’ve poked my share of fun at the Aztec, but if I could pick a used one in good shape up cheap, I’d consider it (especially with the tent). Likewise, I’d be willing to consider the Volvo or the S320 (but I’d worry that upkeep on the S320 would eat me alive).
Two more interesting stories by way of Overlawyered: a WSJ story on the Nicaraguan banana pesticide lawsuit fraud mentioned here previously, and a Fortune story about alleged massive medical fraud in Las Vegas involving both doctors and trial lawyers:
According to government evidence, the group coordinated their testimony as expert witnesses, lied under oath, protected one another from malpractice lawsuits — even after the surgeries left a few patients paralyzed — and ate away at the plaintiffs’ settlement money with kickbacks disguised as contingency fees.
One of the problems, however, is that the government has failed to actually prove their case so far.
3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751
Thursday, August 20th, 2009The Japanese have set a new world’s record for calculating pi: 2,576,980,377,524 decimal places in 73 hours 36 minutes.
Those of you who know me well, also know of my long standing fascination with calculations of pi, and should realize I couldn’t pass this one up.
Administrative note
Thursday, August 20th, 2009For the record: Amazon links appearing in posts are affiliate links, and I do get a small cut of those purchases.
Justice?
Thursday, August 20th, 2009The government of Scotland has released Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the convicted bomber of Pan Am Flight 103, from prison on “compassionate grounds”.
Nichole Elizabeth Avonye, Jerry Don Avritt, Noelle Lydie Berti, Siv Ulla Engstrom, Stacie Denise Franklin, Paul Isaac Garrett, Elke Etha Kuehne, Maria Nieves Larracoechea, James Bruce MacQuarrie, Lilibeth Tobila McAlolooy, Mary Geraldine Murphy, Jocelyn Reina, Myra Josephine Royal, Irja Syhnove Skabo, Milutin Velimirovich, Raymond Ronald Wagner, John Michael Gerard Ahern, Sarah Margaret Aicher, John David Akerstrom, Ronald Ely Alexander, Thomas Joseph Ammerman, Martin Lewis Apfelbaum, Rachel Marie Asrelsky, William Garretson Atkinson III, Judith Ellen Atkinson, Clare Louise Bacciochi, Harry Michael Bainbridge, Stuart Murray Barclay, Jean Mary Bell, Julian MacBain Benello, Lawrence Ray Bennett, Philip Vernon Bergstrom, Alistair David Berkley, Michael Stuart Bernstein, Steven Russell Berrell, Surinder Mohan Bhatia, Kenneth John Bissett, Diane Anne Boatman-Fuller, Stephen John Boland, Glen John Bouckley, Paula Marie Bouckley, Nicole Elise Boulanger, Francis Boyer, Nicholas Bright, Daniel Solomon Browner (Bier), Colleen Renee Brunner, Timothy Guy Burman, Michael Warren Buser, Warren Max Buser, Steven Lee Butler, William Martin Cadman, Fabiana Caffarone, Hernan Caffarone, Valerie Canady, Gregory Capasso, Timothy Michael Cardwell, Bernt Wilmar Carlsson, Richard Anthony Cawley, Frank Ciulla, Theodora Eugenia Cohen, Eric Michael Coker, Jason Michael Coker, Gary Leonard Colasanti, Bridget Concannon, Sean Concannon, Thomas Concannon, Tracey Jane Corner, Scott Cory, Willis Larry Coursey, Patricia Mary Coyle, John Binning Cummock, Joseph Patrick Curry, William Allen Daniels, Gretchen Joyce Dater, Shannon Davis, Gabriel Della-Ripa, Joyce Christine DiMauro, Gianfranca DiNardo, Peter Thomas Stanley Dix, Om Dixit, Shanti Dixit, David Scott Dornstein, Michael Joseph Doyle, Edgar Howard Eggleston III, Turhan Ergin, Charles Thomas Fisher IV, Clayton Lee Flick, John Patrick Flynn, Arthur Fondiler, Robert Gerard Fortune, Paul Matthew Stephen Freeman, James Ralph Fuller, Ibolya Robertine Gabor, Amy Beth Gallagher, Matthew Kevin Gannon, Kenneth Raymond Garczynski, Kenneth James Gibson, William David Giebler, Olive Leonora Gordon, Linda Susan Gordon-Gorgacz, Anne Madelene Gorgacz, Loretta Anne Gorgacz, David Gould, Andre Nikolai Guevorgian, Nicola Jane Hall, Lorraine Frances Halsch, Lynne Carol Hartunian, Anthony Lacey Hawkins, Pamela Elaine Herbert, Rodney Peter Hilbert, Alfred Hill, Katherine Augusta Hollister, Josephine Lisa Hudson, Melina Kristina Hudson, Sophie Ailette Miriam Hudson, Karen Lee Hunt, Roger Elwood Hurst, Elizabeth Sophie Ivell, Khalid Nazir Jaafar, Robert van Houten Jeck, Paul Avron Jeffreys, Rachel Jeffreys, Kathleen Mary Jermyn, Beth Ann Johnson, Mary Alice Lincoln Johnson, Timothy Baron Johnson, Christopher Andrew Jones, Julianne Frances Kelly, Jay Joseph Kingham, Patricia Ann Klein, Gregory Kosmowski, Minas Christopher Kulukundis, Ronald Albert LaRiviere, Robert Milton Leckburg, William Chase Leyrer, Wendy Anne Lincoln, Alexander Silas Lowenstein, Lloyd David Ludlow, Maria Theresia Lurbke, William Edward Mack, Douglas Eugene Malicote, Wendy Gay Malicote, Elizabeth Lillian Marek, Louis Anthony Marengo, Noel George Martin, Diane Marie Maslowski, William John McAllister, Daniel Emmet McCarthy, Robert Eugene McCollum, Charles Dennis McKee, Bernard Joseph McLaughlin, Jane Susan Melber, John Merrill, Suzanne Marie Miazga, Joseph Kenneth Miller, Jewel Courtney Mitchell, Richard Paul Monetti, Jane Ann Morgan, Eva Ingeborg Morson, Helga Rachael Mosey, Ingrid Elizabeth Mulroy, John Mulroy, Sean Kevin Mulroy, Karen Elizabeth Noonan, Daniel Emmett O’Connor, Mary Denice O’Neil, Anne Lindsey Otenasek, Bryony Elise Owen, Gwyneth Yvonne Margaret Owen, Laura Abigail Owens, Martha Owens, Robert Plack Owens, Sarah Rebecca Owens, Robert Italo Pagnucco, Christos Michael Papadopoulos, Peter Raymond Peirce, Michael Pescatore, Sarah Susannah Buchanan Philipps, Frederick Sandford Phillips, James Andrew Campbell Pitt, David Platt, Walter Leonard Porter, Pamela Lynn Posen, William Pugh, Crisostomo Estrella Quiguyan, Rajesh Tarsis Priskel Ramses, Anmol Rattan, Garima Rattan, Suruchi Rattan, Anita Lynn Reeves, Mark Alan Rein, Diane Marie Rencevicz, Louise Ann Rogers, Edina Roller, Janos Gabor Roller, Zsuzsana Roller, Hanne Maria Root, Saul Mark Rosen, Andrea Victoria Rosenthal, Daniel Peter Rosenthal, Arnaud David Rubin, Elyse Jeanne Saraceni, Scott Christopher Saunders, Theresa Elizabeth Jane Saunders, Johannes Otto Schauble, Robert Thomas Schlageter, Thomas Britton Schultz, Sally Elizabeth Scott, Amy Elizabeth Shapiro, Mridula Shastri, Joan Sheanshang, Irving Stanley Sigal, Martin Bernard Christopher Simpson, Cynthia Joan Smith, Ingrid Anita Smith, James Alvin Smith, Mary Edna Smith, Geraldine Anne Stevenson, Hannah Louise Stevenson, John Charles Stevenson, Rachael Stevenson, Charlotte Ann Stinnett, Michael Gary Stinnett, Stacey Leanne Stinnett, James Ralph Stow, Elia G. Stratis, Anthony Selwyn Swan, Flora MacDonald Margaret Swire, Marc Alex Tager, Hidekazu Tanaka, Andrew Alexander Teran, Arva Anthony Thomas, Jonathan Ryan Thomas, Lawanda Thomas, Mark Lawrence Tobin, David William Trimmer-Smith, Alexia Kathryn Tsairis, Barry Joseph Valentino, Thomas Floro Van-Tienhoven, Asaad Eidi Vejdany, Nicholas Andreas Vrenios, Peter Vulcu, Janina Jozefa Waido, Thomas Edwin Walker, Kesha Weedon, Jerome Lee Weston, Jonathan White, Bonnie Leigh Williams, Brittany Leigh Williams, Eric Jon Williams, George Waterson Williams, Stephanie Leigh Williams, Miriam Luby Wolfe, Chelsea Marie Woods, Dedera Lynn Woods, Joe Nathan Woods, Joe Nathan Woods, Jr., Andrew Christopher Gillies Wright, Mark James Zwynenburg, Kathleen Mary Flannigan, Thomas Brown Flannigan, Joanne Flannigan, Dora Henrietta Henry, Maurice Peter Henry, Mary Lancaster, Jean Aitkin Murray, John Somerville, Rosaleen Later Somerville, Paul Somerville, and Lyndsey Ann Somerville were all unavailable for comment.
(List by way of Victims of Pan Am Flight 103. Errors in transcription are solely my own.)
Clippings: August 19, 2009
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009By way of Radley Balko, we found an interesting Slate article; wine expert Michael Broadbent is suing author Benjamin Wallace for allegedly libeling Broadbent in his book, The Billionaire’s Vinegar
In other news, the Williamson County Attorney has decided that letting a waitress fondle your patrol rifle in the parking lot of a restaurant is not a crime. At least, not if you’re cops visiting from another county. Twin Peaks is right around the corner from work; I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve heard it described as “Hooters without the class”. (Personally, I would apply that description to Bone Daddy’s.) For once, I find myself agreeing with the Williamson County establishment; I couldn’t see what the criminal conduct was when this story first broke. Bad taste? Poor judgment? Sure. A crime? Not as long as she wasn’t pointing it at anyone or making threats.
Edited to add: Our friend James points us to a second article from MyWestTexas.com. According to this article, one of the five deputies was fired, three were suspended for three days without pay, and one was issued a letter of reprimand. Even better, this article includes a photo of the waitress and the patrol rifle.
Edited to add 2: Our great and good friend Commvault Bryan points out that The Smoking Gun is now on top of the story, complete with legal documents, a larger version of the photo, and the fascinating tidbit that the waitress uses the name “Bambi”. Seriously, “Bambi”. If I put that into a work of fiction, my editor would reject it as implausible.