http://www.mdlake.net/ en-us mdlake@well.com 2008-07-22T15:54:04-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002314.html This is the end of an era. A very small-scale, personal era, but still… The Civilization product line has finally come up with a game I don’t want to play. I’ve been a complete Civ addict since the dawn of the series. And even though many good games have come... 2314@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-22T15:54:04-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002313.html Within arm’s reach of where I write this is my water bottle. Although it is labeled “Poland Spring,” it no longer contains Poland Spring water, but ordinary tap water—which I gather is all it originally contained. The fact that most bottled water, despite some suggestive advertising, is no more pure... 2313@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-22T13:58:32-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002312.html We had a visit from evangelists this morning. Typically, I receive them with good humor. I respect the right of people to be wrong, if not the actual willingness to remain wrong in the face of compelling evidence, and a cheerful face is more likely than righteous atheistic fury to... 2312@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-18T16:00:38-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002311.html Earlier I commented on John “you cunt” McCain’s tactic of attempting to equate Barack Obama with Jimmy Carter. Peculiar because Carter, widely held in contempt during his presidency, has become quite admired since; peculiar because so many of his unpopular policies have proven wise and prescient, especially his attempts to... 2311@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-17T17:56:52-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002310.html Governmental distortion of truth through statistics is nothing new. We’ve seen irrelevant distractions, like the Johnson administration’s reporting of Vietnamese troops killed instead of actual battles one or territory gained in Vietnam—and a fading desire to discriminate friend from foe to keep those figures inflated. We’ve seen fudged values, like... 2310@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-16T10:54:00-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002309.html Surely you’ve realized by now that I’m angry at the Republican party generally: its candidates, its rank-and-file, its machine, and above all its leadership, the criminals sitting in office or happily awaiting proactive pardons for all they’ve done for the Bush administration. Honestly, though, there’s plenty of blame to go... 2309@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-15T15:24:45-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002308.html Yesterday was my birthday, the big four-oh. I am now officially middle-aged, and officially on the decline, mental and physical. I know a lot of people consider the fortieth birthday a big deal, an occasion to make (or, more likely, endure) jokes about aging. But me? I hardly noticed. Not... 2308@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-14T16:36:16-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002307.html Remember all the promises we heard way back in the heady days of 2000, when certain politicians insisted that it was all onward and upward, if only you put them in charge? Slash taxes across the board—but mostly for corporations and the very wealthy—deregulate the financial industry while the benevolent... 2307@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-11T10:20:36-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002306.html Eileene has come down with a case of Bell’s Palsy; briefly, one side of her face is paralyzed. Fortunately for her, it’s unlikely to stay that way. Typically for neurological disorders, Bell’s Syndrome can stem from any of several causes, including the ever popular “we’re not really sure,” but most... 2306@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-10T13:19:23-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002305.html I dunno. Last night, Eileene made me watch Doctor Who again, one of the episodes that “Mike might like.” Not so much, as it turned out. The most recent incarnations of the show—and the Doctor, for that matter—are significantly better than they used to be. The show is enjoying a... 2305@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-09T20:22:11-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002304.html I ran a number of shopping errands today: garden shears for the overgrown holly bushes, window shopping for Star Wars gaming material, birthday shopping for Eileene, and a replacement bulb for our AeroGarden. I had some trouble with the last, because I couldn’t find the Bed Bath & Beyond store.... 2304@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-08T17:20:30-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002303.html Had a weird encounter with synchronicity today, apropos of nothing, but curious nonetheless. It started with a link to an old article in The Huffington Post; which one isn’t important. That led me to some commentary on the presumed insult of comparing Bill O’Reilly to Ted Baxter—a fictional stuffed-shift newsman... 2303@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-07T17:41:41-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002302.html Sometimes ideas just spring upon you fully ripened, whole and entire in themselves, like Athena erupting from the head of Zeus. I had just such a moment this afternoon, in reply to someone speaking tongue-in-cheek about what makes Baby Jesus cry. Given that the people most likely to take that... 2302@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-04T16:40:03-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002301.html It’s early morning as I begin this, not my usual writing time. Touch of insomnia. I’d intended to gripe today about the crap the Bushies continue to shovel on the rule of law, but frankly, I don’t want to start the day that way, so I’m going to talk about... 2301@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-02T09:38:16-05:00 http://www.mdlake.net/archives/002300.html Wall-E is the most recent offering from Pixar studios, its title character an adorably clunky robot, about the size of a large microwave with tank treads and coke-bottle glasses. Wall-E spends his days scooping garbage into his cubical chest, where it is compressed into blocks, which he stacks into towering... 2300@http://www.mdlake.net/ Ramblings 2008-07-01T12:55:28-05:00