Category Archives: arts and entertainment

Horrendous Halftime

3 Replies

Wow. That halftime show really sucked. The sound was terrible for at least half of the first song due to a guitar was left out of the mix, amonst other things. Even if the sound was perfect, though, the Stones would have sucked. First of all, I think they’re one of the most overrated rock bands. Sure, they have a number of good songs, but so do a lot of bands who don’t get nearly the attention these guys do. Secondly, they’ve been a band longer than the Superbowl’s been played. I’m impressed by their longevity and I wish them all the best, but they’re way too old to be an appropriate act for the biggest ratings event of the year.

Mick Jagger was an ugly dude when he was in his prime. Now he’s like the crypt keeper. Worse yet, the crypt keeper was wearing a shirt that showed off midriff and was gyrating like he’s still (or ever really was) a sexual icon. Watching him hump the air in the audience’s direction was like watching old people having sex. Thank goodness there weren’t any wardrobe malfunctions. *shudder*

Idiots On The Road

5 Replies

The Steelers just won the Superbowl, which means parties are over, the bars are emptying, people are going home, and there are countless idiots driving around the city honking like it's going out of style. Making matters worse are the groups of drunken college students staggering in and out of the streets with less appreciation for the fragility of life than usual. The icing on the cake, though, is the snow. There's a thin layer of icy snow on every road in Oakland and Squirrel Hill (and probably elsewhere) making driving a rather hazardous endeavor. Don't tell that to the heros in the SUVs, though. They're invincible. (They're loonies.)

My apartment building is off of one of the steepest roads in the city, Forward Avenue. Every time there's snow, freezing rain, or sleet it becomes a skating rink. That doesn't stop General Patton in his almighty SUV tank. No siree. There ain't no mountain high enough to stop him.

Right.

Most of them end up sliding back down. Just tonight, for instance, there was a fender bender caused by fools who thought they could tackle Mount Forward. Idiots. I hope nobody was hurt.

Of course, the drivers aren't the only ones to blame. The city takes a big chunk of that. You'd like to think the ridiculous taxes we pay would buy us decent snow and ice removal. As if. I doubt there'll be any salt on my road before sunrise. We're not on a major city artery, so we're chopped liver. I thought the new 61D bus route would mean better road maintenance. I suppose on weekdays before 10PM it might. It's Sunday, though, and the 61D doesn't run on weekends. So the ice capades continue as folks try to get home.

I don't think Forward will be taken better care of until a major accident happens. Even then, it'll probably take a law suit to overcome political inertia and get something done. Why give a damn about your electorate when your party has effortlessly controlled the city for decades?

*sigh* I should stop ranting and go to bed. I hope everyone, especially my readers, got home safe and sound from their Superbowl parties. Goodnight.

Another Reason to Hate Country Music

1 Reply

This is freakin’ hilarious.

"This is the greatest collection of Al-Qaeda crooners ever assembled — almost 2 hours of the most memorable country music titles all on indelible hi-fidelity audio — featuring 13 huge hits, from the caves of Pakistan to the ‘private studios’ of Guantanamo Bay, including 10 Top 10 country smashes, duets with Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri and more! Digitally remastered from the original sources for sterling analog sound quality"

Read the rest!

Warp Speed, Mr. Sulu

8 Replies

Another Star Trek technology becoming a reality?

"The hypothetical device, which has been outlined in principle but is based on a controversial theory about the fabric of the universe, could potentially allow a spacecraft to travel to Mars in three hours and journey to a star 11 light years away in just 80 days, according to a report in today’s New Scientist magazine."

"The theoretical engine works by creating an intense magnetic field that, according to ideas first developed by the late scientist Burkhard Heim in the 1950s, would produce a gravitational field and result in thrust for a spacecraft." [impulse engine?]

"Also, if a large enough magnetic field was created, the craft would slip into a different dimension [subspace?], where the speed of light is faster, allowing incredible speeds to be reached. Switching off the magnetic field would result in the engine reappearing in our current dimension." [warp drive?]