Monday, June 18, 2007

I'm Baaaack....

Suspicions confirmed:

I am nerdier than 65% of all people. Are you a nerd? Click here to find out!
OK, I don’t code, can barely spell “SysAdmin,” and, like 87% of the Western World, I use a PC…not a Mac. But being nerdy goes beyond computers. And I think that’s what upped my “nerd quotient.” That, and 17 years in the IT Biz.
This week’s tempest in a teapot… Doubtless you’ve heard Queen Elizabeth knighted that bête noir of the radical Islamists, Salman Rushdie. And the usual suspects have their knickers in a twist. My language is way too dismissive, however. It’s so far over the top as to be unbelievable when a cabinet-level minister of a government, any government, endorses suicide attacks for any goddamned reason. In the West, that is. Not so in countries dominated by 7th Century political ideologies, I suppose. Here’s Captain Ed on the subject:
This points up a well-known problem among Muslims, even those considered somewhat moderate and cosmopolitan. They refuse to allow for any criticism of their faith, even from fellow Muslims. While Christians and Jews and Buddhists react to criticism with debate and protest, Muslims react with violence, usually encouraged by governments throughout Asia. Twenty years ago, it was Iran that encouraged assassins to target Rushdie, and now Pakistan has renewed the contract.
Sometimes I buy into the “clash of cultures” meme, sometimes I don’t. Today? I’m buying the whole nine yards. You simply cannot reason with idiots like these, much the same as you cannot reason with a rabid dog. You just gotta kill it.
More from the Middle Eastan interesting take on the situation in Gaza. “An Israeli in Ramallah:”
Wearing Ralph Lauren polo shirts and speaking fluent Hebrew, they told hair-raising stories of teenage boys presumed loyal to Fatah being flung from the fourteenth floor of office buildings, their hands shackled and their mouths taped shut. One man said that the Hamas fighters had behaved worse than the Nazis. All this should be taken with a grain of salt, of course: Nazi comparisons are flung around with abandon in the Middle East, and we have not heard from the Hamas fighters what the Fatah guys may or may not have done to them. The unspoken message, though, is interesting: suddenly Fatah represents the reasonable, civilized Palestinians. They speak Hebrew, they look like us and they sound like us, and Islamist militants threaten them just as they threaten Israel.
As a commenter to this piece noted… “This is better writing -- and MUCH better reporting -- than we get from The Times.” Agreed.
And finally…a condom ad that’s painfully funny.



And here’s something you’ll probably never, ever see on this blog again: the hat tip goes to LitBrit at Shakesville. Credit where credit is due, and all that. She has more condom ads posted, by the way. Just in case you might be, ya know… interested. In a strictly academic sort of way, of course. (Work safe. And pretty funny, too.)
Today’s Pic: Two scoots, taking a break beside the road in Colorado. I like this pic…a lot. The ‘Zuki looks like it’s same size as Buck’s bike, but it’s not. The fact that she’s parked about six or eight feet behind Buck’s ride conceals the fact that she’s bigger…a lot bigger. Maybe even too big.
May, 2007.

8 comments:

  1. My nerd score was 4. That ad was very funny!

    What does that say about me, I wonder...

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  2. As to the video - I wouldn't touch that one with ten foot pole - even if I had one.

    Jesse's dandies came over yesterday afternoon and picked her up to go motorcycle riding. She had a great time, but did not like the position of her legs - the pegs were pretty high up for the back rider. Her bum was sore too. I will post some pictures of the bikes on my blog.

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  3. P.S. Your photo of the motorcycles made me think of Jesse and her latest adventure.

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  4. Becky said: What does that say about me, I wonder...

    That you're not a nerd and you have a sense of humor? ;-)

    Can't wait for the pics, Lou. Sounds like the Dandies ride sport bikes...to me. Passenger accomodations on those things are lacking, at best.

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  5. My nerd score was 10. Higher than I thought it would have been. LOL!

    As for the ad...too funny! I'm going to have to show that to hubby tonight when he gets in from planting.

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  6. I got a 68 on the nerd score. I have a lot of work to do ;)

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  7. Why, Laurie...you lil nerdette, you! Any more work and you'll be a geek!!

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  8. What, the hacking blogger template at 2 a.m. until I got it just right didn't tip you off? LOL!

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