Random Words on the Web

I am back

2009-12-25T22:11:30Z

I will post loot-list tomorrow.

Make sure you use protection or you will face a COURT-MARTIAL???

2009-12-20T09:32:36Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8422989.stm

What the fuck!?!

Considering the unfortunately not uncommon reports of rape in the US military, this could mean that female soldiers could face punishment for being raped.
Unless, of course, this general has just effectively ended his career with this move...

Fuck you, Obama administration!

2009-12-19T20:03:15Z

At least, the Bush administration was honest about their attitude towards homosexuals!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/18/MNSN1B6ISS.DTL&tsp=1

History of the universe!!!

2009-12-19T19:55:17Z

jackob @ 2009-12-17T20:03:00

2009-12-17T19:01:06Z

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

This year I've been busy!

In March I gave xxpyromanticx a kidney (1000 points). In July I put money in steamwyck's expired parking meter (14 points). Last Monday I gave lunascura a wet willie, then I took it back (-5 points). In September I had a shoot-out with rival gang lords on the 5 near LA (-76 points). Last week I gave shadowed_seraph a Dutch Oven (-10 points).

Overall, I've been nice (923 points). For Christmas I deserve a pony!

Sincerely,
Jackob

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-17T07:00:54Z

Wow, I can't remember the last time we had snow that stayed on the ground in December! *S*

jackob @ 2009-12-12T23:52:00

2009-12-12T22:50:17Z

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Jackob sent to me...

Twelve innocent_mans drumming

Eleven gregor_asmadis piping

Ten shadowed_seraphs a-leaping

Nine destinyfrostes dancing

Eight despotic_saints a-role-playing

Seven auralis a-writing

Six vampires a-roleplaying

Five rpgs

Four cruxshadows

Three roleplaying games

Two saltatio mortis

...and a white-wolf in a firefly.

Crüxshadows' newest video!

2009-12-08T17:39:12Z

The new Warhammer role-playing game

2009-12-06T21:44:31Z

After a quick perusal, and I mean REALLY quick, got it today, simply paged through it:

* They changed the money system!!! 1 gold is now 100 silver, 1 silver is 25 brass. DAMN! It's a lot easier than the old system, but I LIKED the old system, it felt much more real and realistic.

* Spears are now way superior to hand weapons. I like that.

* Hey, a reason to use two-handed weapons and rapiers. Finally.

* Errr, why are quarterstaves one-handed weapons mainly intended for off-hand use???

* Lances seem overpowered, but with those and sabers, there's now a really good reason to fight mounted.

* Looks like firearms are now not only within reach financially, but worth spending money on.

* Yikes, not much geography and history description, leaves those of us who don't already know what's going on somewhat in the blind, IMO.

* I like the two-page monster set-up. Now gimme more monsters!

* Doesn't look like it'll be an easy game to DIY in, but I need to read more.

* I will lose cards and dice. I just know I will. Some of them will disappear into whatever dark hole such gaming stuff ends up in.

* I want more careers.

* This is DEFINATELY a different breed than 1e or 2e. Don't feel all that inspired to run it, yet, but definately inspired to play. Wouldn't wanna run The Enemy Within with this (I got the campaign and I want to run it at some point), but I can see many other possibilities.

I like Mr. Specter

2009-12-04T16:38:55Z

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Michael Specter

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

Yes, Jon Stewart is a liberal who'd never critize the Democrats and Obama

2009-12-03T19:23:35Z

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

30,000

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

Someone saw the light

2009-12-01T20:40:00Z

So, littlegreenfootballs.com used to be a rather heavily right-wing political blog. However, the guy behind it parted ways with the right, due:

"1. Support for fascists, both in America (see: Pat Buchanan, Robert Stacy McCain, etc.) and in Europe (see: Vlaams Belang, BNP, SIOE, Pat Buchanan, etc.)

2. Support for bigotry, hatred, and white supremacism (see: Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Robert Stacy McCain, Lew Rockwell, etc.)

3. Support for throwing women back into the Dark Ages, and general religious fanaticism (see: Operation Rescue, anti-abortion groups, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Tony Perkins, the entire religious right, etc.)

4. Support for anti-science bad craziness (see: creationism, climate change denialism, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, James Inhofe, etc.)

5. Support for homophobic bigotry (see: Sarah Palin, Dobson, the entire religious right, etc.)

6. Support for anti-government lunacy (see: tea parties, militias, Fox News, Glenn Beck, etc.)

7. Support for conspiracy theories and hate speech (see: Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Birthers, creationists, climate deniers, etc.)

8. A right-wing blogosphere that is almost universally dominated by raging hate speech (see: Hot Air, Free Republic, Ace of Spades, etc.)

9. Anti-Islamic bigotry that goes far beyond simply criticizing radical Islam, into support for fascism, violence, and genocide (see: Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, etc.)

10. Hatred for President Obama that goes far beyond simply criticizing his policies, into racism, hate speech, and bizarre conspiracy theories (see: witch doctor pictures, tea parties, Birthers, Michelle Malkin, Fox News, World Net Daily, Newsmax, and every other right wing source)

And much, much more. The American right wing has gone off the rails, into the bushes, and off the cliff.

I won’t be going over the cliff with them."

I like this.

Funny political videos

2009-11-27T20:49:58Z

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/funnyvideos/tp/funniest-videos-of-decade.htm

I especially like this one:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Bush V. Bush

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

I am thankful for being a Crüxshadows fan

2009-11-26T16:17:25Z

It probably hasn't escaped anyone's notion that I was just at a Crüxshadows concert. More specifically, I took two days off work and spent money to fly to Holland in order to attend a CXS concert. And it was worth it.
Not only is it a band that makes great music. Not only do they put on the best live show I have ever witnessed. Not only do they have some gorgeous women (come on, I wouldn't be me if I didn't say that). But they are genuinely nice people who care about their fans. They know me. They're happy to see me (and not just because I bring presents). I get hugs. I get Rogue shaking my hand as soon as he gets on stage. I get Cassandra's pick. I get to groove with Pyro during "Marilyn". I get to go backstage. All this and more.
And this, this right there, is why I'll spend money and time to go out of my way for concerts. Because they are just that awesome. Listening to them on CD is not enough, I need to meet them, to experience them live, to feel the energy and be a part of the whole CXS thing.
I love those people. I truly do.

Crüxshadows at Osnabrück

2009-11-26T15:23:26Z

That was one hell of a cool gig!!! I got to go backstage and I got Cassandra's pick. *S* And played the last note of Marilyn!

This is why Fox News went to court

2009-11-20T16:45:52Z

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts988
---

Fox News again accused of airing misleading video

For the second time in just over a week, Fox News is coming under fire for misusing old news footage. The latest flap is leading some people to charge that the cable news network is intentionally misleading its audience, while Fox claims a "production error."

Wednesday's incident occurred when Fox News host Gregg Jarrett mentioned that a Sarah Palin appearance and book signing in Grand Rapids, Michigan had a massive turnout. As footage rolled of a smiling and waving Palin amidst a throng of fans, Jarrett noted that the former Republican vice-presidential candidate is "continuing to draw huge crowds while she's promoting her brand-new book,'' adding that the images being shown were "some of the pictures just coming in to us.... The lines earlier had formed this morning."

However, the video used in the segment was from a 2008 McCain/Palin campaign rally. In response to the minor uproar that arose after clips of Jarrett's report hit the Internet, Fox senior vice-president of news Michael Clemente issued an initial statement saying, "This was a production error in which the copy editor changed a script and didn't alert the control room to update the video."

On Thursday afternoon, Fox News issued an on-air apology delivered by host Jane Skinner:

Yesterday we told you about Sarah Palin kicking off her book tour and then we spoke to Sean Hannity about an interview that he did with former Governor Palin. When introducing the segment we showed you footage of people lining up in Michigan for a book signing that evening. In the tease before the segment, the tease to commercial, we told you how those people were already lining up to meet Palin. The problem is we didn't show you the video we were actually referencing. Instead we mistakenly aired what's called "file tape" of Sarah Palin. We didn't mean to mislead anybody in that tease. It was a mistake, and for that we apologize.
The current mishap comes on the heels of a controversy sparked last week when footage from a conservative rally held over the summer was played on "Hannity" during a segment on a more recent rally. During the clip, host Sean Hannity marveled over the large turnout for a Washington, DC protest. The Daily Show later pointed out that there seemed to be some inconsistencies with the video shown on Hannity's show, namely that the atmospheric conditions seemed to vary from shot to shot. Hannity later apologized on the air for what he called "an inadvertent mistake."

Barely a week into Palin’s blitz to promote “Going Rogue,” media coverage is becoming its own story. Fox News rival MSNBC caught heat last week for using altered images of Sarah Palin on the air, for which they later apologized. On Wednesday, Yahoo! News reported Newsweek’s defense of their latest controversial cover, which Palin herself blasted as “sexist.”

-- Brett Michael Dykes is a contributor to the Yahoo! News Blog
---

Will some

Gays aren't destroying marriage, Republicans are

2009-11-19T16:05:00Z

The link

Texas' gay marriage ban may have banned all marriages

AUSTIN — Texans: Are you really married?

Maybe not.

Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a 22-word clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment designed to ban gay marriages erroneously endangers the legal status of all marriages in the state.

The amendment, approved by the Legislature and overwhelmingly ratified by voters, declares that "marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman." But the troublemaking phrase, as Radnofsky sees it, is Subsection B, which declares:

"This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage."

Architects of the amendment included the clause to ban same-sex civil unions and domestic partnerships. But Radnofsky, who was a member of the powerhouse Vinson & Elkins law firm in Houston for 27 years until retiring in 2006, says the wording of Subsection B effectively "eliminates marriage in Texas," including common-law marriages.

She calls it a "massive mistake" and blames the current attorney general, Republican Greg Abbott, for allowing the language to become part of the Texas Constitution. Radnofsky called on Abbott to acknowledge the wording as an error and consider an apology. She also said that another constitutional amendment may be necessary to reverse the problem.

"You do not have to have a fancy law degree to read this and understand what it plainly says," said Radnofsky, who will be at Texas Christian University today as part of a five-city tour to kick off her campaign.

'Entirely constitutional’

Abbott spokesman Jerry Strickland said the attorney general stands behind the 4-year-old amendment.

"The Texas Constitution and the marriage statute are entirely constitutional," Strickland said without commenting further on Radnofsky’s statements. "We will continue to defend both in court."

A conservative leader whose organization helped draft the amendment dismissed Radnofsky’s position, saying it was similar to scare tactics opponents unsuccessfully used against the proposal in 2005.

"It’s a silly argument," said Kelly Shackelford, president of the Liberty Legal Institute in Plano. Any lawsuit based on the wording of Subsection B, he said, would have "about one chance in a trillion" of being successful.

Shackelford said the clause was designed to be broad enough to prevent the creation of domestic partnerships, civil unions or other arrangements that would give same-sex couples many of the benefits of marriage.

Radnofsky acknowledged that the clause is not likely to result in an overnight dismantling of marriages in Texas. But she said the wording opens the door to legal claims involving spousal rights, insurance claims, inheritance and a host other marriage-related issues.

"This breeds unneeded arguments, lawsuits and expense which could have been avoided by good lawyering," Radnofsky said. "Yes, I believe the clear language of B bans all marriages, and this is indeed a huge mistake."

In October, Dallas District Judge Tena Callahan ruled that the same-sex-marriage ban is unconstitutional because it stands in the way of gay divorce. Abbott is appealing the ruling, which came in a divorce petition involving two men who were married in Massachusetts in 2006.

Massive error?

Radnofsky, the Democratic nominee in the Senate race against Kay Bailey Hutchison in 2006, said she voted against the amendment but didn’t realize the legal implications until she began poring over the Texas Constitution to prepare for the attorney general’s race. She said she holds Abbott and his office responsible for not catching an "error of massive proportions."

"Whoever vetted the language in B must have been asleep at the wheel," she said.

Abbott, a former state Supreme Court justice who was elected attorney general in 2002, has not indicated whether he will seek re-election and is known to be interested in running for lieutenant governor. Ted Cruz, who served as solicitor general under Abbott, is running for attorney general in the Republican primary.

Radnofsky, who has not yet drawn a Democratic opponent, is scheduled to appear at the Tarrant County Young Democrats Gubernatorial Forum at 6:30 tonight at TCU.