Friday, April 3, 2009

New Mind Mapper software

A comprehensive Java tool for mind mapping. Looks too serious just to play with in a day. Maybe the next time I get an interesting project, I'll try it.

MindRaider

Thursday, April 2, 2009

50 year-old murder

Question: If David shoots Victor with intent to kill, and the attempt fails, and David is convicted of the failed attempt, and the malice evaporates, how do the following circumstances of the attempted murder still constitute proper murder without the mens rea at the time of incident?

You'd have to prove that the alleged murderer retained the mens rea over 50 years, wouldn't you? Is there case law that says mens rea is perpetual, and to erase it you must act opposite to the prior crime?

Seems pretty overkill to me.

What, she's made of crepe paper?

Michelle Obama embarrasses everyone in Britain, save Her Majesty.

Something makes me think that perhaps the Queen is a bit stronger of personality than most people think, while they busily protect her with "decorum." It would almost seem like she the Head of State for a powerful European nation, no?

... and they gave her an iPod (never you mind that she asked for it)!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Cotton Balls

Sully says there's something deep in this story, but isn't seeing it.

I see it: This woman is now the most legally-immune domestic soldier for-hire in the world. Or maybe Germany.

Either way she's getting a call from Dick Cheney right now.

Desktop

Drug War Casualties: +1

A guy has pot, his home is searched under a warrant. Not news.

Somewhere between start and finish, he's shot. Unfortunate (he's fine, recovering), but not really news anymore.

Commenters on the article say the Sherriff's dept. is in the right, because the boy is a druggie. Depressing, but not news.

What's news to me? That apparently cops are to be treated as dangerous animals when executing a warrant. If this is to be so, then lets write a law that all searched persons are to be given a kevlar vest before the search.

Or we could expect our cops to calmly and gently restrain all civilians during police operations. Just throwing a wild idea out there.

Monday, March 30, 2009

This too.


YYYN experiment 14 from Adam Pelling-Deeves on Vimeo.

Wait for the part with the numbers.

This is too brillant.


SlagsmÄlsklubben - Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.

And for those that like the music, the title of the video is the title of the music piece.

Question: didn't torture save American lives?


Seriously, people, we knew this since early English jurisprudence. Back when they considered transmutation a worthy attempt at economic vitality.

Cause --> effect

Aid torture --> prosecuted for war crimes.

Any questions?

:s/GWOT/OCO/g

or "Overseas Contingency Operation"

Please, God, no.

A massive helicoper-and-floating-hotel. When the hell will people realize that it takes massive energy (for the proles: FUEL) to counteract gravity (prole: FLY) ??

I've seen worse colo closets.

But not by much.

Put Down the Phone

Yes, they (usually) make pretty cars. I'm a big fan myself. But, seriously, please stop consulting them for design decisions. They're not gifted or anything.

No really: stoppit.

Another Brilliant Whine

UGH

We're Not Crazy About All the Slapping

Script Notes From the VP of Programming Following the Inevitable Purchase of the Spice Network by GE/NBC Universal

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

We can all agree on Blagojevich's corruption

But you can't keep bigots from being bigoted while talking about it.

K-Lo: you better tell your kid about "Gay-Americans". They're going to find out about it anyways. And the difference between telling them at 12 and them learning about it at 16 is 8 years of collegiate experimenting that you'll have to find out about the hard way.

And after you get done with that, start working on "Gay-Canadians".

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Semantics alert!

Publius, regarding the Bombay attacks:

Even more maddening though, India’s outrage and desire for revenge are absolutely reasonable.

No. Bad language. Revenge does not come from reason. It comes from something less than reason. It will never be "reasonable" to seek revenge. Understandable, yes. Reasonable, never.

However, when you get attacked and you respond to the attacks with a reasoned "Well, that was blowback for something I did earlier", you're name is Ron Paul and you're angrily shoved off the soapbox.

Monday, December 1, 2008

THIS.

This. Read. NOW.

My comment wouldn't do this man sufficient honor. Just read.

(Requisite Hat Tip to Sully, ever the foreigner who gets it)

Wednesday, November 26, 2008