tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:19:22 +0000Love never blows up and gets killed.http://swatkins.info/index.htmnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)Blogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-7809698845623494110Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:15:00 +00002008-11-14T08:19:22.427-05:00blogThis post is really for the benefit of anyone who reads my blog via RSS (you both know who you are). I am making some changes in my blogging practices and so my feed address is a'changing. This will be the last post at this address. To continue following my madcap, zany adventures with your feed reader, please point instead to http://blog.swatkins.info/rss , and to visit the blog on the Web, http://swatkins.info/2008/11/change-you-can-feel-somewhat-ambivalent.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-4617349082550159463Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:59:00 +00002008-11-04T12:18:48.715-05:00obamapoliticsTo Obama supporters: Please don't neglect to vote today. Many of the predictions are encouraging, but don't get complacent and think that you don't need to vote. Who knows, you might be in line next to an undecided voter, and you can talk to them about your choice. To undecided voters: If you really exist, then I encourage you to vote your hopes instead of your fears, and not to let the Repubs http://swatkins.info/2008/11/vote-for-obama-today.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-5097882047093216758Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:17:00 +00002008-10-23T14:32:18.052-04:00activismpoliticsThere's a very simple way to contribute to this important and historic movement, and help to ensure that Barack Obama is elected over the lying, cheating, morally repugnant faction of Republicans that currently runs that party. Contribute a small amount of money to the Obama campaign. Even $5 or $10 helps. Here's the thing: the deadline is TODAY. Final decisions about the Obama campaign's groundhttp://swatkins.info/2008/10/what-to-do-if-you-cant-volunteer-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-5459500209800155457Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:53:00 +00002008-09-25T23:03:22.511-04:00politicsI'm sorry, but it's more and more clear every day that Sarah Palin is not qualified to be anywhere near the Presidency. Here is the transcript of part of Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin: COURIC: Explain to me why [Alaska's proximity to Russia] enhances your foreign policy credentials. PALIN: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're inhttp://swatkins.info/2008/09/palin-is-not-qualified-to-be-vp.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-1563461472171500621Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:04:00 +00002008-09-24T16:10:47.706-04:00activismpoliticsSaw this on a listserv today... what a great idea. "Here's the deal-make a $5 donation to Planned Parenthood. In honor of Sarah Palin. The best part is (1) it's tax-deductible and (2) PP will send a card to Sarah Palin letting her know about your gift. Support a good cause (a necessary cause---PP is fighting for so many important services and issues) and send a message to the McCain/Palin http://swatkins.info/2008/09/how-much-satisfaction-can-5-buy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-9097390980877267462Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:44:00 +00002008-09-23T18:50:19.790-04:00politicsI found this on a message board and thought I'd share, even though I'm aware that some on the right claim that a lack of education makes one more fit to hold high office. I just don't understand the right's position that ignorance is something of which to be fiercely proud. Ow, my balls! Obama: Occidental College (Los Angeles) - 2 years studying Politics and Public Policy. Columbia University (http://swatkins.info/2008/09/edumacation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-3398136802186754425Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:05:00 +00002008-09-12T10:08:17.678-04:00politicsA story at AlterNet lists 20 of the McCain campaign's lies. From the story: "John McCain is a liar. And so is the woman he now shares the Republican ticket with. Yes, Sarah Palin is a liar, too. Together they are responsible for one of the most inaccurate and misleading presidential campaigns, in a business known for inaccuracy and misdirection. But even by the standards of American politics, thehttp://swatkins.info/2008/09/mccain-and-palin-are-liars.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-4010789826249970440Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:19:00 +00002008-08-19T19:24:51.593-04:00quizzeszombies42%http://swatkins.info/2008/08/wish-i-had-done-better-on-this-one.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-1700475712645656906Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:10:00 +00002008-08-19T19:11:40.560-04:00quizzesrobotssci-fiCreated by OnePlusYouhttp://swatkins.info/2008/08/i-can-name-that-robot.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-9044659652178813395Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:28:00 +00002008-08-19T16:12:12.821-04:00politicsSomeone writing on John McCain's website made a reference to "the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd." I didn't even know there was such a crowd. Seems like somebody would have sent me an e-mail about it at some point. Does anyone have a link to where I can buy the t-shirt? I'd wear that t-shirt. I think the comment was (somehow) trying to criticize opponents of McCain for perceived slights http://swatkins.info/2008/08/i-want-t-shirt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-1950239934165137925Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:25:00 +00002008-08-11T20:34:15.915-04:00usapoliticsThere are several reports today that parts of John McCain's speech about the Russian invasion of Georgia were plagiarized from Wikipedia. Are you freaking kidding me? Lifting passages from an online encyclopedia is something we have to teach children not to do, and this elderly man who wants to be President thinks that it's okay to try to pass off Wikipedia's words as his own? There is reportinghttp://swatkins.info/2008/08/john-mccain-plagiarizes-speech-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-8240692448482419039Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:25:00 +00002008-08-05T20:27:18.820-04:00carscomplaintsI was in San Diego for a conference, and I decided to spend a couple of extra days after the conference to do a little sight-seeing. I made a reservation with Enterprise Rent-a-car for 1pm on Friday, with the intention to return the car on Sunday at the airport before I flew out of town. Nearly every step of the process of dealing with the people at Enterprise was a hassle. Haggling the price http://swatkins.info/2008/08/rant-against-enterprise-rent-car.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-5039790800944326056Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:21:00 +00002008-07-21T14:23:01.856-04:00usapoliticsThis morning on Good Morning America, Diane Sawyer asked John McCain whether "the situation is Afghanistan in precarious and urgent", and McCain replied, "I think it's serious. . . . It's a serious situation, but there's a lot of things we need to do. We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border." I'll send youhttp://swatkins.info/2008/07/mccain-continues-to-be-confused_21.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-2872152599102233271Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:13:00 +00002008-07-14T22:18:07.542-04:00usapoliticsEarlier today, John McCain described his concerns about Russia's recent action of "reducing the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia." McCain, who wants to be President, apparently doesn't know that there is no such country as Czechoslovakia. It was dissolved politically in 1993. Fifteen years ago. We shouldn't worry, however, that McCain is uninformed. The New York Times yesterday quoted him as http://swatkins.info/2008/07/mccain-continues-to-be-confused.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-690703700403218810Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:48:00 +00002008-07-10T12:25:15.461-04:00usapoliticsPittsburgh, July 8, 2008: Reporter: We've learned that the exports to Iran increased by tenfold during the Bush administration. The biggest export was cigarettes. Given that the [McCain looks surprised], yeah, that the, supposedly that the-- John McCain: "Maybe that's a way of killing them." (laughter) I'm sorry, making jokes about the killing of civilians in another country is just another http://swatkins.info/2008/07/mccain-wants-civilians-dead.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-6967286959017178249Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:59:00 +00002008-06-25T19:02:58.226-04:00deathcomedyI've been thinking a lot about George Carlin since the news of his death. There are plenty of deaths of famous people all the time, Stan Winston and Tim Russert recently, for example, but it's rare that I feel affected by them. Carlin is an exception. The human race is lessened by the death of George Carlin. A world without Carlin is a slightly less beautiful world. He was more than a comedian, http://swatkins.info/2008/06/george-carlin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-1284497092684913700Thu, 08 May 2008 22:18:00 +00002008-05-08T18:27:55.841-04:00gamesanimationtvA while back, I saw the hilarious Scooby Doo bingo card and was inspired to make something similar, so I started working on a Speed Racer version. With the release of the movie tomorrow, I figured it was time to share it. Note: This bingo card is meant to be used with the original cartoon version of Speed Racer; I'm not sure how well it will work with the upcoming movie. Click to embiggen. http://swatkins.info/2008/05/speed-racer-bingo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-1921860276970369491Thu, 01 May 2008 18:19:00 +00002008-05-01T15:36:08.159-04:00newsI can't figure out which of these news stories is the funniest. There's the guy in Dallas who tried to cash a check for 360 billion dollars, and then there's the ritual in India of throwing babies off of a tall building to help them grow up healthy (seriously, there's a video), and then there's the South Carolina kid who planned to blow up his school so that he could die, go to heaven, and then http://swatkins.info/2008/05/weird-news-abounds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-6497867132167057272Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:32:00 +00002008-07-10T12:23:37.198-04:00weblanguageI just wanted to remind you all of this. There is no such word as "webinar" and anyone who tells you differently is in error. Join with me in resisting this unnecessary and ugly misuse of the English language, won't you? When you use a calendar online, do you call it a "weblendar"? Do you keep online contact information in a "webdress book"? Maybe you've learned some new skill through a "http://swatkins.info/2008/04/webinar-is-not-word.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-3450274015002760879Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:38:00 +00002008-03-27T19:47:23.260-04:00tvsci-fiWow. I just found some videos from the Krofft Supershow, which aired on Saturday mornings when I was a kid. If you're around my age, maybe you'll remember watching Wonderbug, ElectraWoman and DynaGirl, Bigfoot and Wildboy, or Dr. Shrinker (while eating bowls of cereal). I love the maniacal expressions of Dr. Shrinker. Plus, his assistant was played by Billy Barty. Gotta love the Barty. http://swatkins.info/2008/03/krofft-supershow.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-6087480096848744692Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:34:00 +00002008-03-19T22:41:01.816-04:00musicOn Monday night, the boy and I went to the Taste of Chaos concert. It was a group of rock acts, mostly "metal" although there is at this point sufficient variation among metal bands that a metal fan can go to a metal show and not hear his own preferred style of music. Overall it was pretty cool, although being unfamiliar with most of the music, I had to be content to nod in time and clap and http://swatkins.info/2008/03/taste-of-chaos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-7572262259475626592Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:43:00 +00002008-03-10T21:11:22.749-04:00tvThis past weekend, I was flipping channels on the boob tube, and I happened upon something weird. It was an episode of Alice in which, apparently, the gals at the diner (and Mel) were trying to avoid being swindled by Boss Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard. Boss Hogg was there with his white convertible, and Enos in tow, and he was huffing and puffing and sweating as he is wont to do. I didn't http://swatkins.info/2008/03/this-past-weekend-i-was-flipping.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-1111718117108588415Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:17:00 +00002008-03-03T20:20:48.971-05:00So I was confused by this comic at xkcd.com, and I started investigating, and I learned some stuff, and man, do I regret investigating! If you're confused by the comic, just accept it as a good thing and leave it alone.http://swatkins.info/2008/03/game.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-6551642447028431231Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:42:00 +00002008-02-26T19:06:11.839-05:00moviesnetflixdvdThis post is a rant against the Netflix "Friends" feature... I mean the "Community" feature... I mean the "Friends & Community" feature. Have they changed the name again yet? I guess that Netflix is trying to be all "Web 2.0" and "social" but their services in this regard just plain suck. Netflix must be making some money; can't they hire somebody with some clue about building a Web community? http://swatkins.info/2008/02/some-reasons-that-netflix-community.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16780017.post-8019433621028296946Sat, 23 Feb 2008 22:17:00 +00002008-02-23T17:34:23.714-05:00humorwebIn addition to the many useful websites out there, there are also some that are, shall we say, more limited in their usefulness. A post at kottke.org refers to sites like these generally as "single serving sites" and lists a whole bunch of them if you want to explore some more. What are single serving sites? Here are some examples. If you need to know whether the upcoming episode of Lost is a http://swatkins.info/2008/02/single-serving-sites.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (swatkins)1