Actors: they’re acting. And the smoking thing.

A basic truth, isn’t it? Actors are playing a part. Probably, it really shouldn’t matter, but I find myself really disenchanted from a show when it turns out that the actor is a complete asshole or, perhaps he’s playing a genius on TV but turns out to need to buy a vowel to fill in the word “d_h”. I’m not going to name any names. Enjoy your fantasies.

Subversive thought of the day

Over the course of your life, which has caused you the most hassle: criminals or the police?

The role of taboo and the sexualization of nudity

It was about in the middle of college, I guess, that I started taking my first serious steps towards “coming out”… as hesitant as they were. My best friend, who’d been through a heavy Catholic upbringing and all-boys’ schools, took it rather more hard than he let on. If I’d recognized then what I realized later, that might well have been the end of it, but I cheerfully and ignorantly continued on the way I’d always done… and, after some weeks, he came to the conclusion that I might be a weirdo pervert, but was nonetheless the same old guy he liked to hang out with.

Thank Government for Food Safety

I recently bought some eggs. They had the vital warning on them, “allergens: contains eggs”. Strictly speaking, this was not true, of course. The eggs did not contain eggs. They were eggs.

As it turns out, this warning label is mandated by the Government. Our tax dollars at work! Hooray!

New lamps for old!

There’s a new Government initiative out, to pay people $2,000 to trade in their old cars for new ones. As you might guess, this is slanted as for the children improving the environment by getting less efficient cars off the road.

The problem with this, of course, is that my old Toyota is considerably more efficient than most of the new cars I’m seeing advertised. And it’s paid for, and running fine, and there’s no need for it to be taking up landfill space. And, hey, where is that magic $2,000 coming from? Oh, right, higher taxes. Another bad corporate bailout dressed in sheep’s clothing. As if the Government wasn’t already deeply in debt.

We bulls wobble but we don’t fall down

I remember a time in Greece, when I was young. “I don’t think I’ve tried the octopus, yet,” I said. Mom was enchanted, possibly cementing my love of trying new foods. Unbelievably hot days, pleasant nights, and the local habit of the siesta that seems to go with such places. I wonder if it would be fair to track my love of hot places to that glaring spot, with its lazy ruins and ancient culture. Sorry, I never did learn to like Ouzo. It’s one of very few liquors that I really can’t stand.

The Greeks have a dish called Dolmades which, with the right ear, you can hear to say Tomatoes. They’re various things wrapped in olive leaves but, traditionally, involving tomatoes. Can’t be exactly an ancient tradition, as tomatoes are a relatively modern import from the Americas.

Temperatures, presents, and other idle thoughts

Today’s xkcd.com presents a lovely little chart of relative units, including temperatures in metric and olde style. The problem with trying to make sense of relative units, of course, is the relative problem.

“20C, room temperature”. Room temperature, my butt. That’s only 68F, a good 12 degrees below winter room temperatures in Phoenix. I’d be testing a frosticle. Room temperature is a good 26C, or about 80F, if you don’t mind. Or even if you do. Oh, it’s gotten a bit lower, but that’s typical. It’s never gotten down to the 60s indoors, here, and never will. I’m not sure why there’s a “heat” option on my climate control. Do people actually live at 68F anywhere? Sounds horrible. Why, you’d need to wear clothes indoors. A sweater, even.

Helpful hint: do not write up recipes that involve anything sitting “at room temperature” or “in a cool place”. You have no idea at all what that means to your readers. Like I’d be running the A/C at 68F all year (shudder). I don’t think I could even make it that cold if I wanted. Maybe in January.

The ineptitude of government

Not to give our tax-paid torture squads any new ideas but, did you notice that they’re depriving people of sleep by blasting such songs as These boots are made for walkin’ instead of using TV commercials?

Bet they don’t pay ASCAP, either. And here the advertising boys are just ready to kill for a captive audience.

Libertarian candidate commits seppuku

The Libertarian candidate for U.S. President, this year, is Bob Barr. A former Republican Congressman, Mr. Barr picked up the Libertarian Party nomination through slick (and slimy) last-minute deals. The folks in the LP who are eager to win at any cost were delighted, of course. He’s certainly a politician. Libertarian, no.

Dig his press release:

Today, as we celebrate our freedom and independence, we should stop and give thanks to God for the life and work of Jesse Helms. As a nation we are stronger and the world is freer for his commitment to liberty.

Mother of God.

The go of the flow

Time was, a computer game was an arcade game. You went to a “video arcade”, which was a shop in a mall or, perhaps, on its own. You paid with quarters, one or two or four at a time, or perhaps you bought tokens.

You didn’t buy the games, you rented them. The shopkeeper bought the games. While they had to suit you, they were very much more designed to suit the shopkeeper. The games had to be attractive and fun to play… and, ideally, they had to give you the least amount of time playing them as possible, so you’d have to drop down some more money, or turn the game over to another customer.