Witches Pardoned
Scotland is pardoning witches a few hundred years too late.
Salem gets a lot of press but nowhere in what is now the U.S. (even the Southwest which was under the jurisdiction of the Inquisition) were witch hunts as brutal, long, and plentiful as they were in contemporary Europe. Some towns in Scotland would engage in extensive, murderous witch trials while towns a few miles away would ignore the whole issue.
On the other hand, European witch hunts were far more rational and scientific (for their time) than the Satanic daycare panics of the 1980s. Not to mention the West Memphis Three.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Groo the Movie
If you're one of the nine or ten other dorks in the world who read Groo comics, this might interest you. Everyone else will slowly shake their heads.
If you're one of the nine or ten other dorks in the world who read Groo comics, this might interest you. Everyone else will slowly shake their heads.
Kerry Loves Satan
Well, maybe not. Covington found this picture a while back but apparently it's fake.
Well, maybe not. Covington found this picture a while back but apparently it's fake.
Engineered Cats
I don't see anything wrong with this but I wonder how far it will go. How many years until you can buy a three-headed Cerebus at Pet World?
I don't see anything wrong with this but I wonder how far it will go. How many years until you can buy a three-headed Cerebus at Pet World?
Dog and Orca
Hoax Museum says this is real. It might be the name "killer whale" that creates a bias. If this were a picture of a bottle-nosed dolphin and dog, I wouldn't doubt it for a second.
Secondary issue: I'm not trying to be insensitive to Indians but if a Christian group claimed a whale was the reincarnated spirit of one of their leaders, I'd argue for calling in Janet Reno and the ATF. It's no stupider than claiming the Earth is only a few thousand years old but it's a shame that a whale's welfare is even partially affected by religious beliefs.
Hoax Museum says this is real. It might be the name "killer whale" that creates a bias. If this were a picture of a bottle-nosed dolphin and dog, I wouldn't doubt it for a second.
Secondary issue: I'm not trying to be insensitive to Indians but if a Christian group claimed a whale was the reincarnated spirit of one of their leaders, I'd argue for calling in Janet Reno and the ATF. It's no stupider than claiming the Earth is only a few thousand years old but it's a shame that a whale's welfare is even partially affected by religious beliefs.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Horror Movie Quiz
Via Pharyngula (who also got a 92%), 13 questions about horror movies. He missed the Friday the 13 question. I missed the one about Roger Corman.
Via Pharyngula (who also got a 92%), 13 questions about horror movies. He missed the Friday the 13 question. I missed the one about Roger Corman.
Hey! I Know That Guy!
I just mentioned Zombie Cult Massacre a few posts ago. Jim Van Bebber, the guy who did the zombie effects, just had a movie reviewed by Roger Ebert with an 82% rating from Rotten Tomato. This was one of the movies I'd heard about that somebody sunk a boatload of time and money into but was never expected to finish. That's no guarantee that it's any good but just getting to this point was an achievement.
I just mentioned Zombie Cult Massacre a few posts ago. Jim Van Bebber, the guy who did the zombie effects, just had a movie reviewed by Roger Ebert with an 82% rating from Rotten Tomato. This was one of the movies I'd heard about that somebody sunk a boatload of time and money into but was never expected to finish. That's no guarantee that it's any good but just getting to this point was an achievement.
Stern vs. Powell
I'm not a fan of Stern but I'm behind him with this. I've got three kids under 12 and somehow I can find ways of not exposing them to radio or television broadcast I think is inappropriate thanks to the wonderful invention of the channel changer. If it were really difficult to find material for children, I could see Powell's point, but parents have the power to pick and choose whatever they feel best.
I'm not a fan of Stern but I'm behind him with this. I've got three kids under 12 and somehow I can find ways of not exposing them to radio or television broadcast I think is inappropriate thanks to the wonderful invention of the channel changer. If it were really difficult to find material for children, I could see Powell's point, but parents have the power to pick and choose whatever they feel best.
Hey, That's Not a Light Saber
I went looking for a science fiction page (www.revolutionsf.com) but instead typed in www.sfrevolution.com. Quite different results.
I went looking for a science fiction page (www.revolutionsf.com) but instead typed in www.sfrevolution.com. Quite different results.
Shooting Blanks
On the set of Zombie Cult Massacre, I saw a guy who had been shot by a 12-gauge shotgun blank. Do not shoot yourself with a blank. Do not shoot other people with blanks (unless you'd like to hurt them). Cecil Adams explains this here but leaves out the shotgun angle. Not that either option would be nice, but I'd rather be shot by a .44 magnum than a 12-gauge (at least at close range).
In high school, I knew an idiot who liked to shoot people in the chest with blanks from a .22. Even wearing a thick shirt and from across a wide room, it was like being snapped by a wet towel against bare skin.
On the set of Zombie Cult Massacre, I saw a guy who had been shot by a 12-gauge shotgun blank. Do not shoot yourself with a blank. Do not shoot other people with blanks (unless you'd like to hurt them). Cecil Adams explains this here but leaves out the shotgun angle. Not that either option would be nice, but I'd rather be shot by a .44 magnum than a 12-gauge (at least at close range).
In high school, I knew an idiot who liked to shoot people in the chest with blanks from a .22. Even wearing a thick shirt and from across a wide room, it was like being snapped by a wet towel against bare skin.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Work in Bed
This sounds like a setup for Eddie Murphy's old SNL skit but it's a plea for European women to help the "space race" (I haven't heard that term in a while).
Considering that weight is a major factor in the cost of space flight, women (and dwarfs) would help NASA's budget. When the shuttles first when up, the external fuel tanks were painted white. Soon they were left untouched because the weight of the paint was too costly to justify. Primarily female crews go against SF tradition (unless they're all half-naked blonde bimbos) but would save considerable money.
This sounds like a setup for Eddie Murphy's old SNL skit but it's a plea for European women to help the "space race" (I haven't heard that term in a while).
Considering that weight is a major factor in the cost of space flight, women (and dwarfs) would help NASA's budget. When the shuttles first when up, the external fuel tanks were painted white. Soon they were left untouched because the weight of the paint was too costly to justify. Primarily female crews go against SF tradition (unless they're all half-naked blonde bimbos) but would save considerable money.
EU's Anti-Smoking Measures
If this isn't a joke, the EU is planning to include graphic pictures on cigarette packages. I'd think kids might buy them for the grossness factor.
If this isn't a joke, the EU is planning to include graphic pictures on cigarette packages. I'd think kids might buy them for the grossness factor.
Selling Wife on Installment Plan
This is presented as true but sounds too much like something from Snopes. But if I could just get my wife on the operating table.
This is presented as true but sounds too much like something from Snopes. But if I could just get my wife on the operating table.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Number of People Who Ever Lived
I bring this up for the fact that so many people are under the belief that "more people are living today than ever died" and that creationists came up with the same result as legitimate scientists.
I bring this up for the fact that so many people are under the belief that "more people are living today than ever died" and that creationists came up with the same result as legitimate scientists.
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