My response is that when Creationists talk about God creating every individual species as a separate act, they always instance hummingbirds, or orchids, sunflowers and beautiful things. But I tend to think instead of a parasitic worm that is boring through the eye of a boy sitting on the bank of a river in West Africa, [a worm] that’s going to make him blind. And [I ask them], ‘Are you telling me that the God you believe in, who you also say is an all-merciful God, who cares for each one of us individually, are you saying that God created this worm that can live in no other way than in an innocent child’s eyeball? Because that doesn’t seem to me to coincide with a God who’s full of mercy’.
— David Attenborough
This, shown against my dirty keyboard for scale, is the rubber ring used to castrate lambs. For some back story, see Mike Rowe’s TED talk about the process, and the definitely more humane alternative (despite what animal rights groups believe).
6 August 2009 - 07:32 | Tags: tedThe-Dream’s original version of Rihanna’s “Umbrella”. It’s awesome.
4 July 2009 - 20:13 | Tags: music, musicvideo, rihanna, thedreamCobra Starship’s “Good Girls Go Bad” featuring Leighton Meester (Queen B). Yes, she sings. Dedicated fans have her version of “Bette Davis Eyes” as their ringtone.
1 July 2009 - 20:58 | Tags: gossipgirl, music, musicvideo, cobrastarshipTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a horrible experience of unbearable length, briefly punctuated by three or four amusing moments. One of these involves a dog-like robot humping the leg of the heroine. Such are the meager joys. If you want to save yourself the ticket price, go into the kitchen, cue up a male choir singing the music of hell, and get a kid to start banging pots and pans together. Then close your eyes and use your imagination.
— Roger Ebert’s review of the second Transformers film (or third, if you count the cartoon version)
Do not disturb thyself by thinking of the whole of thy life. Let not thy thoughts at once embrace all the various troubles which thou mayest expect to befall thee: but on every occasion ask thyself, What is there in this which is intolerable and past bearing? For thou wilt be ashamed to confess. In the next place remember that neither the future nor the past pains thee, but only the present. But this is reduced to a very little, if thou only circumscribest it, and chidest thy mind, if it is unable to hold out against even this.
— Marcus Aurelius - Meditations
I enjoy Castle. It’s a lot like The Mentalist: funny, cute, no brain strain with a charismatic cast (especially Nathan / Captain Mal / Dr Horrible). However, I’ve noticed that the female cop wears the same top nearly every episode. I assumed it was a product placement but I couldn’t find anything on the Internets about it. Evidently the style is called a “boatneck”. It’s probably more realistic that someone on a detective’s salary in New York would buy in bulk, but the character wears a hundred different stylish coats and scarves every episode. Maybe it is the costume department playing with my mind.
Again, this is the type of hard-hitting story I would be uncovering if I’d gone into investigative journalism.
7 May 2009 - 07:57 | Tags: tv, castle, fashion
Michael’s victory stance, with Jim’s salute. The Office, Season 5 Episode 23.
Two fantastic quotes in this episode, both from Michael. Firstly: “Well… how the turn tables have … …” (confused stare) and secondly: “Our balls are in your court.”
6 May 2009 - 10:54 | Tags: tv, theoffice
The penultimate episode of Gossip Girl season 2 was the most ridiculous, and therefore most AWESOME, story they’ve come up with. Georgina is back, but as a born-again Christian complete with OMJC tshirt (a play on the OMFGG branding). Serena arrested for stealing her own bracelet. The gang let someone who frauded millions of dollars to get away because he had feelings of true love for Serena. Rufus didn’t propose to Lilly because she invested money for him. And so on…
The only true part of the episode was Chuck not telling Blair how he really felt. And Chuck got the best line: “She’s a faux-ialite”.
Mad props to Australian indie artist Gotye having his (two year old) song “Heart’s a Mess” used during the closing montage.
6 May 2009 - 10:46 | Tags: tv, gossipgirl
Porn star: Can I have a vodka red bull?
Roman: Live long and prosper.
Porn star: Hey… are you into sci-fi?
Roman: Yeah. Are you into sci-fi?
Porn star: Yeah, totally. I even did a sci-fi movie once. This alien did me with his tentacle arms. It was cool.
Roman: It sounds cool. I haven’t seen that one. What’s your name?
Porn star: Cramsy. Lisa, actually.
Roman: I’m Roman. I’m a writer. I write movies and books. I have a blog. It’s pretty cool. So what kind of stuff are you in to?
Porn star: All of it. What I really like is dragons.
Romans: Dragons? sigh. Dragons are fantasy. If there’s magical talismans or a magic sword or wizards or fucking crazy not-real animals…. all these basic things that break laws of reality: that shit’s all fantasy. I’m into hard sci-fi. Fantasy is bullshit.
30 April 2009 - 07:19 | Tags: tv, partydown