Good for pointers and aiming rifles… they also make for vaguely interesting art:
They also entertain the hell out of cats, even when not moving:
May 202010
May 202010
Neato!
Created at a cost of $40 million, this experimental one-cell organism, which can reproduce, opens the way to the manipulation of life on a previously unattainable scale, several researchers and ethics experts said. Scientists have been altering DNA piecemeal for a generation, producing a menagerie of genetically engineered plants and animals. But the ability to craft an entire organism offers a new power over life, they said.
Note that this lifeform was created without the assistance of magic superpowers, thus demonstrating that pureley materialistic forces are up to the task of biogenesis. No deities required.
May 192010
And that includes power vacuums. For example: Fingers has been in control of the farmland immediately around my home for a few years. Mark has recently tried to take over, failed, but still stayed around. But within the last week, both have been removed from power by the simple expedient of relocating them into my basement. And the result has *not* been the de-catification of my land. Just the opposite: numerous candidates for the position of HMFIC have put themselves forward… cats I’ve seen before, cats I haven’t.
One team that has recently appeared are these fellers:
1) A small cat, presumably female, somewhat civilized (though not very):
2) Her “partner,” who hangs around with her and is clearly male (his harbls are quite visible, and he likes to piddle on things to claim them his):
Soon enough, the two mommacats in the basement maternity ward will be returned to the world. Depending on whether he can be brought up to code before he has to travel, Mark may or may not also be returned to the outside. It’ll be interesting to see what the final disposition of forces is.
May 192010
On full auto. Oh my, yes indeed.
FUN.
Expensive, though. Not near as much recoil as expected; easy to keep more or less on target when fired from a standing position.
Highly recommended.
May 182010
A YOUNG mum died after a series of blunders by doctors who failed to spot a six-inch long TOILET BRUSH HANDLE embedded in her buttock, an inquest was told today.
Cindy Corton, 35, was left with the bizarre injury after a drunken fall in a friend’s bathroom in 2005 but “serious errors” by doctors then led to her death.It was two years before Cindy, who was in constant pain, was able to convince doctors that the thin serrated plastic handle was stuck in the flesh of her bottom.
That’s medical awesomeness right there. How’n the hell does it take two years to convince doctors to give a proper exam? I’ve known people who have not gotten satisfaction out of a doctor… and so they marched on over to the next doctors office or hospital and gotten a second opinion the very same day. The article blames the first doctor for screwing up… and to be sure, there’s some blame there. But the article blames the first doctor for not getting a second opinion. Isn’t that the patients responsibility?
And there’s this:
Husband Peter, 61…
Wow.
May 182010
Artwork by Leo Skubic of Marquardt illustrating the “Spaceliner” SSTO concept. This used the Supercharged Recycled Scram LACE (“Synerjet”) concept for propulsion, and was intended as a Space Shuttle concept. The payload compartment was not in the nose, or in the middle, but instead was firmly in the rear of the vehicle… the central “plug” of the aerospike engine was the primarily payload compartment.
May 152010
Friday my parents arrived for a visit. (As a consequence of this, things around here may be a bit quiet). One of the goals of this visit is to pick up the cat Fingers. A friend of theirs saw pictures I’d posted of her and got smitten, and wanted to adopt her as an indoor cat. While I was not thrilled with the idea of sending Fingers far away, it’s clearly a better option for her than to be left to run free out her and meet an unfortunate end, sooner rather than later.
Fingers, the cat who for four or so years has been by my house several times per day, every day. Fingers, the cat who I last saw Wednesday night… and haven’t seen since. Cat food left on the deck would normally get eaten within an hour or two. Now… food left yesterday is still there.
Out of four years… two freakin’ days.
May 132010
It’s official… it’s going forward. I plan on finishing this one before the “SF Spaceship Design” book for a few reasons… it’s closer to done, and I think having the Orion book out there will make the Design book more sellable. Instead of some completely unknown nobody writing the Design book.. it’ll be written by the “hey, didn’t this guy write that Orion book” guy.
May 132010
Yes, yes, I know not all Brits are like this. But damn, gents, y’all need to figure out some way of dewussifying your country before everything resembling manhood completely vanishes from your island.
The American actress, 16, told how she has a knife collection and ‘relaxes’ by opening and closing a switchblade.
She said: ‘I have a knife collection. I have my favourite black knife with me all the time. It’s a switchblade.
‘It relaxes me to flick it. I close it and open it.’
So far, so what. A knife is a tool. And I also have a folding knife that, some years ago, I’d flick open and closed as a form of mindless relaxation. Better’n smoking.
But her words were condemned by campaigner Lyn Costello who said her comments were ‘warped’.
The co-founder of Mothers Against Murder and Aggression said she should set a better example to young fans.
Well, perhaps. Instead of a switchblade, something like a .380 automatic would be better. Granted, the .380 is, as defensive rounds go, kinda “girlie.” But this is a 16-year old “Gossip Girl” we’re talking about here.
Oh, wait, you mean she should set a better example by publicly announcing her defenseless victim status? Screw that noise!
Where the story gets really sad is when you read the comments.
Personally, my biggest problem with Ms. Momsen is that she looks like she could do with a couple cheezburgers.
“The women of this country learned long ago, those without swords can still die upon them.”
May 122010
… in one easy to bookmark Fark thread.