Yay! I'm a complete bastard!

Via Pooflinger's Anonymous come this Machiavelli personality test

I scored a 92.

I think this is because of the way the questions are worded. I scored so high, not because I'm manipulative, but because I'm cynical. What I believe about people, and how I try to behave personally, are very different.

Later,

I want this guy for Wyoming, dammit!

Via Pharyngula comes a gleam of hope in an otherwise dismal election cycle.

A guy named Sean Tevis is running for State Representative in Kansas

Check it out. Consider donating (At least check out the link, it's got a good comic). Even if you don't live in Kansas (I don't) this is a step in the right direction.

Later,

Shadows Over Baker Street

I saw this book (see post title) in Hastings and was intrigued enough to get it.

The front cover proclaims:
"Includes the Hugo Award-winning 'A Study in Emerald' by Neil Gaiman"
Which is what caught my attention in the first place.

Here's the back cover blurb:

What would happen if Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's peerless detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his allies were to find themselves faced with Lovecraftian mysteries whose solutions lay not only beyond the grasp of logic, but beyond sanity itself? In this collection of original tales, twenty of today's cutting-edge writer's provide answers to that burning question.

Contributors include Neil Gaiman, Brian Stableford, Poppy Z. Brite, Barbara Hambly, Steve Perry, and Caitlin R. Kiernan. These and other masters of horror, mystery, fantasy, and science fiction spin dark tales within a terrifyingly surreal universe.

Not to bad for a blurb (I've seen some that barely relate to the book they were written for).

The stories very in quality, but are all pretty good. They also have varying degrees of Lovecraftian-ness.

Neil Gaiman's story was a bit disappointing, in that the Lovecraftian elements were mostly background, and I know from a couple of stories in "Smoke and Mirrors" that he can do better.

I particularly liked "The Adventure of the Antiquarian's Niece" by Barbara Hambly.

If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes or a fan of HP Lovecraft (I, of course, am both), then I recommend this anthology.

Later,

The Pharyngula cracker incident

Many of you reading this are probably aware of the kerfluffle going on over at Pharyngula.

Recap: A student at a Florida university, during a communion mass on campus, didn't eat the cracker given to him by the priest. Instead, he took it back to his seat, later claiming the intention to eat it after showing it to his friend. The priest apparently assaulted the student for "desecrating the eucharist"

Dr Myers expressed his opinion, going so far as to say that he'd be happy to "desecrate the eucharist" in many imaginative ways.

Bill Donohue, professional umbrager for the Catholic League, went ballistic.

Which brings us to the kerfluffle.

It has certainly generated some record-length comment threads.

Here are the appropriate posts:

IT'S A FRACKIN' CRACKER
1007 comments

Now I've got Bill Donohue's attention
843 comments

Fresh crackers!
1041 comments

Fight back against Bill Donohue!
1227 Comments

Internet getting full, here's a new hole to dump comments into
610 Comments

Can this possibly get more insane?
564 Comments

I get email — special cracker edition!
1306 Comments

FYI
969 Comments

Apparently Dr Myers is still getting hate-mail (including death threats) over this matter.

Whatever happened to ""turn the other cheek" or "judge not..." or even "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord" ?

How about a sense of freaking proportion. It's just a cracker.

Feel the xian love.

Later,

So obvious even an Engineering drop-out (to wit: me) can spot it

From SciencePunk via Bad Astronomy:



Can you spot the mistake (it took me about 3 seconds). This is from a school that offers engineering courses.

Later,

This is from the archive of The Pain".

Later,

Theistardery, alive and well in Florida

Via Pharyngula comes (as PZ describes it) "a story that will destroy your hopes for a reasonable humanity".

Remember this next time you hear a Xian call Muslims fanatics.

Later,

I'm 100 years old today (in Base6)

GET OFF MY LAWN! (Damn kids.)

Later,

Should have posted this yesterday.

As I have mentioned previously, I loved "The Muppet Show"

I have no idea when this was made, not from the original show (at least not Sam the American Eagle's part)



Later,

Happy 4th of July

Celebrate the independence of your country by blowing up a small piece of it.
(thanks, Apu)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go see "Hancock".

Later,