Walking on the Moon

Boy, you’d think this kind of thing was “conflict of interest 101,” wouldn’t you. Thanks, Henry Waxman.

While Bruce Schneier is right about this not being a terrorist problem, it is a really stupid idea.

Mmmmm, Kirby monster comics. Betcha can’t read just one. Link via BoingBoing.

There’s a fellow out in (confusingly enough) California, MD, who owns a Harrier. These are the conveyances of Free Men, as P. J. O’Rourke once said. Link via AVWeb.

Radio controlled Constellation model. You know how I enjoy things like that. Link from BoingBoing.

I have a little holding entry quiz on the site that I wrote when I was writing Java more frequently.  A fellow named Ruben Pelaez pointed out a missing feature this week, so I added it.  Details are on the quiz’s home page.

I wish all my choices were this clean cut.  It kind of scares me that people still want Robertson’s endorsement.

Maybe that Wertham fellow had a point. Scans from Mike Sterling. The third panel of page 8 is particularly impressive in its political incorrectness.

Fine, Rod, I read Fiasco. My review of that and a biography of and pamphlet by Thomas Paine are up on Bell, Book, and Candle.

My instant messaging (IM) system of choice is Jabber, the IETF standard messaging protocol.  Of course, many folks don’t use Jabber, but that’s mitigated by the ability to use gateways to other IM technologies.  My Yahoo gateway’s been down for a while, but I think I’ve restored it.  If you know my old yahoo ID, look for me on yahoo messenger.  If you know me and don’t know my yahoo ID, send me mail and we’ll try to connect.

Thanks!

Again, a couple weeks worth:

The Flash #233 – Waid and Eddie Williams II (backup by Waid & Rogers & Braithwaite). It’s a bad sign when the comic about the fastest man alive feels too slow. The villains are the sort of distraction that Wally would have dalt with off-panel a few years ago, and the character development is all happening too slow. Add to that an out-of-character JLA “intervention,” and I’m done. I did almost stick around for the lively back up, but the slow front doesn’t need anything stealing its focus.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #2 – Palmiotti, Gray, Arlem.  I’m liking this quite a lot.  This issue focuses on the FF’s party girl, Phantom Lady, drawing from today’s tabloid culture fascination pretty reasonably for a mainstream underwear book.  That’s fainter praise than the book really deserves; this is good work.  The detailed and gritty art tells the story clearly and the stroy’s interesting and well paced.  This is worth reading.

Captain America #31 – Still solid.  Man I live in fear that something will happen to screw up this team’s creative footing.  But so far, so good.  Bucky’s in the clutches of Dr. Faustus and the Skull, the Skull’s plans moving forward and S.H.I.E.L.D. playing catch-up.  Everyone still behaves like they should and tensions are high.  Still a great book.

Black Summer #3 – Ellis & Ryp. The point of this issue is to let us know what Tom Noir can really do, and why he’s important at all.  And Ellis does it beautifully.  The art’s beautiful, the pace is breakneck, and now we know who’s the really dangerous gun.  Catch up while you can.

Doktor Sleepless #3 – If Black Summer is getting clearer, we’re only beginning to see all the twisty passages in Doktor Sleepless.  Interconnections and magic and technology all bouncing off one another.  It’s good and creepy and probably has a point.  This issue is fleshing out the supporting cast some more, so it may be a bit confusing if you haven’t read the earlier two. Top notch stuff!

I’ve mentioned the great joy that is Nathan Rabin’s My Year of Flops, but you really have to see this one to believe it.

Most computer or math geeks have come to love xkcd for its quirky geek humor and surreality.  What I think is underrated about it is its breathtaking heart.

Nice excoriation of the stupid over at BoingBoing from Xeni Jardin.