Mythusmage Opines

Posted By Mythusmage on July 3, 2009

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, is still dead.

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Posted By Mythusmage on July 3, 2009

When you find yourself agreeing with Helen Thomas, of all people, you start to realize just how arrogant a man like Robert Gibbs is. And since people tend to attract supporters like them, Gibbs’ need to control a situation tells us much about Obama.

Do you get the feeling President Obama is playing JFK, while channelling Richard Nixon?

HT: American Digest

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Category: Bloviating | No Comments »
Tags: control, underlings

Posted By Mythusmage on July 2, 2009

Every one of the 50 states of the United States of America is having problems. Most of them are handling their problems fairly well, considering the fact government officials tend to be lacking in common sense, foresight, and maturity. But California is in the hands of people who take typical politician behavior and add a malignancy Fred Phelps would find appalling. As a result California’s problems have progressed to the point where the state is nigh eligible for receivership, and would be facing mandatory bankruptcy if it were a private corporation.

This situation can be laid on the doorstep of one institution, the California State Legislation; as mendacious a bunch of attention sluts as ever abused a microphone. A band with no sense, no taste, and a granite ribbed foundation of moral turpitude and ideological obstinancy. In short, they’re jerks.

So what do we do about California’s legislature? A recall.

No, not of any single member of the legislature, or even of the members as a whole individually. We recall the legislature. We lay this proposal before the voters of the state of California, “Do we remove each and every member of the legislature of the State of California from office without exception, yes or no?” A “no” vote means they get to stay. A “yes”vote means they are gone, every dang one of them. They want to try getting their seat back, they can try. But, all those removed by the recall who were going to be leaving anyway thanks to term limits, have those term limits apply to them.

Talk about this, pass it on to your friends, let’s get cracking and get the bums out. Accountability in Sacramento, or join the unemployment line. Recall the California Legislature.

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Tags: California legislature, mass recall

Posted By Mythusmage on June 28, 2009

And that took practice.

HT: James Hudnall

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Tags: Bach, giant keyboards, music

Posted By Mythusmage on June 25, 2009

From this fellow via this thread.

Nothing could be keener than to be in Argentina in the morning.
No one could be sweeter than my little senorita in the morning
When I say I’m camping
The Appalachian trail
Honestly, I’m tramping
With some Argentina tail
Any politician will be hungry for some fishin’ in the morning
Lordy, she’s appealing, and my rod could have her reeling in the morning
If I had Aladdin’s lamp for only a day
I’d make a wish and here’s what I’d say
Nothing could be keener than to be in Argentina in the morning!

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Posted By Mythusmage on June 24, 2009

Via Cheat Seeking Missiles we have this story of corruption. According to the story California Unions for Reliable Energy (CURE, and how manipulative is that?), a California labor consortium, is using questionable tactics regarding a solar power project in California, registering concerns where one prospective builder, Ausra is concerned, but not where another, BrightSource Energy is. Now, if the fate of one small animal is worthy of consideration when talking about what Asura plans to do, isn’t that same animal worthy of consideration when talking about what BrightSource plans to do?

Cure is, according to them, dedicated to promoting environmentally sound construction practices.  Yet, as recounted in the New York Times story linked to above, they treat union friendly projects differently than non-union projects. Where I come from we call that hypocrisy. When the non-union plant is saddled with all sorts of nit-picky crap while the union plant gets nothing, we’re talking about blatant, self-serving hypocrisy.

In this particular case CURE is engaged in delaying tactics, with the aim of either wearing Ausra  down and thus driving it from the project, or of presenting it with such a mountain of crap the company ends up failing at its due diligence at some point; at which point CURE will demand one of any number of environmental agencies disqualify the company’s proposal.

All the while BrightSource Energy -CURE’s favored enterprise-skates through unchalleged. Not because BrightSource is the better company, but because BrightSource is using union labor.

Which in the long term means the decision is made for the wrong reason. Not because one company will do a better job than the other, but because one company did what a third party told them to. I don’t know what the legal beagles would call this, but to me it stinks of extortion.

How to address this? Simple, require BrightSource Energy to fulfill the same requests as Ausra. Whatever studies and mitigations are demanded of Ausra BrightSource must comlpy with as well. Let’s see how long CURE can keep up their crap when their favorite has to pay for it. And any money for the studies etc. provided to BrightSource by CURE or any member of CURE must be matched by funds provided to Ausra for their studies etc. CURE, if you’re going to help one company cheat, you help both companies cheat.

Keep your eye on this one folks, for what’s happening in California is likely happening in your state.

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Posted By Mythusmage on June 24, 2009

A while ago I sent a small donation to the University of California Press. Just ten dollars American, to be followed by ten dollars a month continuing. Wasn’t expecting anything for it, just thought I’d do what I could for good books.

Today I got a package via UPS containing a membership package -a friend I am of UCPress, along with a copy of James P. Delgado’s Khublilai Khan’s Lost Fleet. that was a surprise.

You see, UCPress didn’t have to do this. As a matter of fact, when you consider the fact I could decide to cancel the monthly donation at any moment, naming me a friend of UCPress at this time could be considered premature. Still, a friend I am, and a friend I shall remain. Sort of obliged to you know.

Yet for all the ulterior motive behind the largess, UCPress did do a kindness by trusting my generosity and probity. Thus this posting, and my encouragement to you, my reader, to have a look at their site and what they have to offer there. Pick up a book or two, make a donation, and pass word on to others about this publisher.

Update: Added the dang link

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Posted By Mythusmage on June 22, 2009

There is a most unusual situation here where I live, in downtown San Diego. In my neighborhood you can only get one channel over the air, KFMB. That’s it, just KFMB, the CBS affiliate.

For a while you could get KGTV, the ABC affiliate, but now you can’t. Signal strength went from 20% to 0%. No signal being received at all. In contrast KFMB’s signal strength is, at time of writing 16%. On occasion it’s been up to 25%. How is it one station can reach the downtown area with its signal, but the other can’t.

BTW, KNSD -owned by NBC and with their studios downtown- also doesn’t broadcast to downtown San Diego.

One station, one station alone broadcasts to a major community. As far as I can tell, only one station in San Diego CA wants to broadcast to a major San Diego community. Another station will, when you remind them they’re not. But then that station stops broadcasting to Downtown when the weekend crew comes on duty, and somebody on that crew decides to change the settings on their transmitter. No other San Diego television station even tries.

Can you get any stations over the air where you live? Who responds to your concerns? Who doesn’t? What is your experience with the FCC regarding this matter? Let’s put some heat under certain stations and get them up to speed.

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Posted By Mythusmage on June 20, 2009

Clarice -our unicorn- bitched about the harness. Then again, she always bitches about the harness. But then she started bitching about her beak (yes, unicorns have beaks, it’s just hidden under a pair of fleshy lips) and when we found out why it meant shelling out for a mending, antibiotics, and salve. Which all meant an additional $200.00 expenditure on top of the $2,000.00 we’d already spent for the trip. (You haven’t priced healing magic lately, now have you?)

A week late (thank the gods for self-sufficiency) we finally get Clarice settled in her travel harness, Barney settled in his travel chair, and this wizard emeritus and her theoretical astrologer husband -on sabbatical- on the road to adventure up the Southern California coast.

Having time to waste, and a unicorn who gets sick whenever engine fumes get thick, we headed up the surface streets. Wasn’t long (with one short stop to get new batteries for our crystals and Clarice to sponge treats off passersby) before we were in the UCSD area, where Tom -staid and proper fellow that he is- suggests I ride our trusty steed up Black’s Beach, nude.

“I’m a woman in my forties, I don’t have the body of a twenty year old any more.” I protested.”

“Should’ve fought harder in court.” he replied as he turned down this road to a small parking lot near the beach. Black’s proper was a mile up the way.

It didn’t take him all that long to persuade me; for truth to tell it would be fun, liberating, and get our unicorn used to being out away from familiar surroundings and the comfortable. So I did a Godiva as my dear -but oh so doomed for his smooth and persuasive ways- husband drove north to Torrey Pines State Beach.

As he disappeared back up the defile we had come down, I undressed, packed my garb in one of Clarice’s saddle bags, and we headed up along the water packed margin of the beach. It felt good.

Bright sun, sea breeze, frendly people saying hello. An ogre dad building sandcastles with his kids. A busy place on this summers day, with folks of many species mostly in a state of complete undress. As you can see, it really didn’t take all that much to persuade me to go skyclad (but devising revenge schemes is still fun). There was even a beached dragon turtle to contend with.

That brought us both up short. Upon seeing this animated atoll planted in her path, Clarice proceeded to get herself into battle mood. Even for a unicorn -not known for their shy and retiring natures- Clarice was a rampant battle axe. She had horn and hooves, and damn the fact her foe was large enough to carry a small town on his carapace, he would, by gum, be moving his vast bulk and moving it with alacrity and cries of “Don’ be hurting Toby none Massa!”

That was when the Barney Fife got our attention. A uniformed busybody bound and determined to make life more difficult for everybody regardless of the situation. First a dragon turtle, now a naked lady on a belligerant unicorn on his beach. Ignore the fact said beach wasn’t even in the city of Del Mar CA, for he was first on the scene, and he was talking charge.

But he wasn’t totally stupid (just mostly), for he had the idea he could use Clarice and I to haul the DT off the beach, being under the impression the beaching was involuntary.

I know dragon turtles. I’ve worked with dragon turtles in my studies and research. Dragon turtles Lay their eggs on the beach all the time, so getting back in the water is no problem. Tell the Barney Fife that. He was getting the poor stranded beastie back in the sea where he belonged, even if the chap weighed 200 tons or so.

The Barney Fife told me “Come with me, I have work for you.”

I replied, with some heat, “Don’t you give me that attitude, young man.”

Clarice backed me up by leveling her horn and stamping her hooves.

The officer decided he need back up in the face of this wild woman and her savage beast.

By this time state and local law were making their appearance and getting caught up on the situation. My new found annoyance headed for one San Diego officer, who armed with the man’s disinformation approached and asked for my side.

Which I gave. He looked at me, looked at the Barney Fife, waved a mini-wand in our  respective directions. Then hauled a protesting fellow cop off to one side, chastising him all the way.

With that barrier dealt with I now had the archosaur to surmount. Which, after a moment’s thought, I did.

Having noted the sand piled up around him, a modified mud/rock solidified the slope enough for me to ride onto his carapace. As I expected he ignored our presence on his shell, except for a request for Clarice to dance a bit on one spot. An itchy place he just couldn’t get to.

Descent from the turtle’s back was as easily accomplished as the ascent, and soon thereafter we were headed for the state beach and my waiting hubby.

(Inspired (in a sense) by this post.”

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Tags: Lady Godiva, nude beaches, road trip, the officious, unicorn, unicorns

Posted By Mythusmage on June 20, 2009

Bio-bloggers have been talking about a recent paleontological discovery. The new animal is known as Limusaurus inextricabilis, and David Hone of David Hone’s Archeosaur Musings has the most complete write-up. Which makes sense, since he’s one of the authors of the original paper.

The tale is a complex one, there’s still a lot to learn about the animal and what its anatomy means in the greater scheme of things. It still illuminates a problem in dinosaur/bird evolution, and could lead to further revelations as time goes by.

I’ll let Dave tell the story of L. inextricabilis and its distinctive hands. I’m just posting this to bring the subject to your attention and encourage you to read his post.

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