News & Views from an Embedded Systems Designer
Martin, The Lay Scientist is hosting the 92nd Skeptics’ Circle. He’s done a wonderfully funny Olympic team theme for your reading pleasure.
My two readers will be as pleased as I am that I finally got one of my posts included in this great blog carnival. I’m not saying which post, you two will have to go read the Circle to find out.
I just watched and liked
Joss Whedon’s “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” is to the super hero genre what The Rocky Horror Picture Show is to the horror genre.
Everyone have a good laugh out loud at Land O’ Lakes Florida because a substitute teacher at the Charles S. Rushe Middle School was fired for wizardry. This is pure insanity most likely inspired by religious fundamentalism (IMO, religious fundamentalism is a mental health problem).
Substitute Teacher Says Wizardry Accusation Cost Him Job
The trick requires a toothpick and transparent tape. A sleight-of-hand maneuver causes the toothpick to disappear then reappear. At least, so it seems. In reality, the toothpick hides behind the performer’s thumb, held in place by the tape.
“The whole thing lasted 45 seconds,” Piculas said.
He said the students liked the trick. He showed them how to do it so they could perform it at home.
One student in the Rushe Middle class apparently took the trick the wrong way, Piculas said. He said he was told the student became so traumatized that the student’s father complained.
Traumatized by a magic trick! This child and its parents are in need of urgent psychological treatment perhaps a long stay at a mental health facility for their extreme fantasy prone personalities. I’d guess they fall for the magic tricks some fundamentalist/evangelical preachers use to convince people of their faith healing and other scams to gain followers and make money.
LOL Florida citizens repeat after me, there is no real magic, they are just tricks for entertainment or scams to get your worship and/or money.
See also:
Magic trick costs teacher job
Wizardry In The Classroom
Back to Blogging: “Wizard” fired from teaching gig in Florida.
Why Harry Potter will never teach in Florida
Hexpelled: No Wizarding Allowed
I can’t believe in Florida anymore
Tip of the wizard hat to PZ Myers for pointing out the story and to Christopher Petroni at Allusions of Grandeur for pointing out that the abbreviation of Land O’ Lakes is LOL.
The comic Hypnocrites appears to have vanished from the public for good. 😦 When you go there all you get is this message.
This blog is open to invited readers only
Hypnocrites
http://hypnocrites.blogspot.com/
Oh well, I still have great comics to read, Cectic and xkcd, the blogroll has been updated.
This little Black Capped Chickadee at first doesn’t notice the lawn tiger peeking out below the lower rail in the deck corner.
But that doesn’t last long, lawn tiger is foiled again, better go back to hunting chipmunks.
The first week of October, Comedy Central is premiering new episodes of both South Park (Wed, Oct 03 10:00p / 9:00c) and Drawn Together (Thurs, Oct 4 10:30p / 9:30c)
I was watching a rerun of the season two episode “Foxxy vs. The Board of Education” when I saw this flash by in the scene at the cartoon hospital, classic Drawn Together humor.
I watched this video a while back and loved it. Since it’s making the rounds of blogs again I thought this would be a good opportunity to finally try embedding YouTube video into the blog.
Star Trek and Rocky Horror both make me laugh, the combination makes me LOL.
Check out the new map, Google Moon – Lunar Landing Sites
Be sure to zoom all the way in to see an up close view of the moon’s real surface. 🙂
Tip O’ the hat to Cristo of the PICList
Update – Turns out it’s 2 years old, but it was the first I saw of it
For the first time in my life I attended an exclusive, by invitation, fashion premier. OK, well everyone who buys from Despair Inc. got invited and, anyone who typed in despair.com today after 9:00AM CST got to see the premier so, I guess I’m not too special.
I’ve been a big fan of the Demotivators series of products from Despair for the past few years, how could you not love a company that has this, :-(, for a logo. Their customer disservice motto of “We’re not satisfied until you’re not satisfied” clearly shows how they care for you.
Now that they’ve introduced the DespairWear clothing line you can share their hilarious messages where ever you go. I like everything in this first round of introductions and as they promised in my invitation,
With new clothing items added EVERY WEDNESDAY until the Apocalypse*.
*After that, well, you’ll just have to shop elsewhere, ‘cuz we ain’t down for that mandatory Mark of the Beast thingie… It’s not gonna be retailer-friendly… Not in the slightest.
Wednesdays have just gotten a lot more fun!
After you check out the latest fashions try your hand at creating a personal Demotivator in the D.I.Y. section. Here’s my attempt:
Image is from CICLOPS: Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for OPerationS with me adding the arrow and text. The original image was chosen as Number One Astronomy Picture of 2006 by BadAstronomer Phil Plait.
—————–Update——————
A new exclusive mailing I received, OK, OK, it’s just marketing info that goes to anyone who wants it, has expanded on the Apocalypse comment:
*Yes, we’re serious… Offer not valid if:
1)
the economy completely collapses under the weight of its sheer unsustainability… (Don’t think it can’t happen- the US Government is spending money every bit as irresponsibly as YOU are, and on a whole lot of stupid junk every bit as non-substantive as the products that are our lifeblood…)
2)
Despair goes bankrupt… Which won’t happen AS LONG AS YOU KEEP BUYING OUR VALUABLE WARES! We’re a team, remember?
3)
The Apocalypse starts…**.
** What, didn’t you ever go to Church? You don’t even know what to look for? Well, if you see a prophet bringing fire down out of the skies in the full view of men who encourages you to worship a messianic figure from whom he derives power… THAT’s a good sign that we’re not going to be selling any more DespairWear. If that messianic figure tries to enforce a cashless society where no person can buy or sell stuff who doesn’t take a mark on their right hand or forehead- you better start shopping at Hot Topic for your novelty t-shirt needs. ‘Cuz for real, we’re heading to a non-disclosed and heavily fortified location at that point. Yes there are other signs but jeez, I’m just a marketing lackey trying to finish an email newsletter… Can’t you crack a Bible or something?
[UPDATE Nov. 2010 – This no longer works, move along nothing to see here]
From a post on the PICList today check out these funny directions.
Go to Google Maps.
Click on “Get Directions”.
Enter Boston, USA and Cork, Ireland in the start and end address boxes.
Click the “Get Directions” button.
Now look at step 9 in the directions. 🙂
After you stop laughing, look at the way Google Maps routes you through France and England before getting to Ireland. This seems to be a common problem with all the map direction software I’ve tried. You have to monkey around with the software to get a direct route. In Microsoft Streets & Trips I find myself frequently having to add additional stops to force a direct route.
Paul Hutchinson's Blog 