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Christopher J. Arndt fights
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Saturday, May 24, 2008
Enterprise from Star Trek prequel A prequel image of the original Enterprise  View the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 I'm inspired. Labels: imagery, Star Trek, starships NBA Playoffs Game 3 - Celtics at Pistons I cannot wait. I wonder if I will see it tonight. I hope the Pistons win. How simplistic is this? Labels: sports Childhood Flasbacks on Ion network When I was a child there was a program on CBS called Space Rangers. It was science fiction, live action and on primetime. I think it was at 8 PM on a week night. I was but in elementary school at the time, and it was not yet that I was in the Fifth Grade when the show started, last six whole episodes, and was canceled. I do not know if the show was bad or if it was merely not given a chance. I still don't know. At that age few have good judgment on the quality of television-writing. The DVD release is horrifically prohibitively expensive for a six-episode batch. That rules out watching it willfully these days. Yet: Tonight the Ion television network (a micro-network that is smaller than the CW, but is the size Fox, the WB or UPN once was, I reckon; it was once known as Pax and then i Network) as part of their RHI Movie Weekend time block, is playing all six episodes as one entry from 7 PM to 11 PM. I presume that this particular program is all six episodes poorly edited into one four-hour movie with few breaks. There will be advertisements. But based on the opening credits I reckon it is all one bit. The credits for each episode was presented at he beginning of this 7 PM broadcast. It's hard to say if the movie will present the complete contents of all six episodes. It's hard to say what the individual links of the respective episodes are, let alone how they fit into a four-hour block, or if they would fit into one with commercials included. Unfortunately I probably will not be able to see the whole thing tonight; I lost the VCR remote and so I cannot record it. Fortunately these RHI presentations come back as reruns time and again. Someday I'll properly be able to review some semblance of the show, but as old as I am I do not think I'll give Space Rangers the benefit of the doubt. Labels: science fiction, television Friday, May 23, 2008
David Kaye interview He played (the second) Megatron (he named himself after the original one we knew in 1984, 1985, and s on). on Beast Wars Transformers and Beast Machines Transformers. He then played a different character named Megatron on Transformers Armada, Transformers Energon and Transformers Cybertron. He was the voice of Professor X, Professor Charles Xavier on that terrible X-Men Evolution program. He currently is the voice of Optimus Prime on Transformers: Animated. Labels: embedded media, science fiction, Transformers Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Trackback Technology From the afore-mentioned file-rewriting I lost my easy-to-find-ability, my link to Adam Kalsey's Trackback function, which is what I used to get trackbacks, and people tracking back to here. I used it sparingly. Fortunately Googling "Trackback" led me right to it. Trackback. Also: here is his Buttonmaker, another bookmark I lost. I hate Windows Vista and Firefox is something I'm not too fond of right now either. Labels: link dump, technology Fred Thompson returns... to regular writing Fred Thompson will assure us: I'm not comforted yet. The presence of the eternal truths and first principles which I already knew about is not enough just by themselves to stem the fast-declining waters in the pool of liberty. However Senator Thompson serves to deflect the chief transparent banner of Senator Obama. Of course the purpose of the writing is simply to announce that Fred Thompson will write for Townhall and Townhall Magazine and to justify his decision. I do not know how I feel about it; I don't care to pay for a (cheap with Michael Yon book included) costly magazine subscription and while I would enjoy the free Townhall columns (which I assume will be published sparingly) I have my own set of distinct beefs with Townhall.com I love Fred Thompson though, and not blindly. I wish Senator Thompson was writing for NRO again, and issuing Fred Thompson Reports from ABC Radio. As it is, it appears that Fred Thompson's contributions to Townhall.com will be formatted as blog posts, and not Townhall's general blog, which this will fall into, cannot be viewed as simply by writer, so I cannot open a page of just Thompson Blogs. His will be lost among those I don't care about. Labels: Fred Thompson, link dump, politics, Republicans Townhall.com BS Part I "Townhall-- Where your opinion counts!" -- audio blurb, radio advertisement on Salem-owned radio stations, often heard during the Hugh Hewitt Show The blurb is a lie. Your opinion does not count. The blurb is the company's way to encourage you to start your own weblogs hosted and staged and presented on the Townhall.com web space and venue. The fact is that Townhall.com has all of these articles, columns and blogs present to make cash. Townhall.com gets income through page views and I presume some ad-clicks for the advertisements, banner ads, on all the Townhall.com pages. The fact is that the professional Townhall bloggers get paid a cut from the ads. I know the columnists do. Of course, the "townhall" name is based in part because of the large membership blamming away their various opinions in the Comments after the articles, columns, and blog posts. That content generates traffic. Townhall doesn't pay for the content yet they benefit from cash. The community members do not get compensation. More importantly the majority of bloggers who write blogs on Townhall.com, hosted on the webspace and presented on the venue... create content for the company; that content is viewed and so income and is created/derived from the banner advertisements on those pages. Townhall.com benefits from the content created by these bloggers and they are never compensated a cut from the advertisements that are on the edges of the weblogs they write, and the traffic they generate. Your opinion does not count where it ultimately counts for the Townhall.com company business model. The reason, in the end, is because these people are jerks. That they are jerks is not the reason I discontinued my Townhall.com blog; that I wasn't getting paid for generating content (or even getting significant attention) which they got monetary benefit from minute amounts of viewings was the reason. I get more control of everything here with blogger or the Wordpress at blogivists. I write for free by choice. I do this for my benefit. That they benefited without my permission is reason enough to stop. Obviously I am not done with these people. Not by a long shot. Labels: Hugh Hewitt, politics, Townhall.com Doctor Who canonocity Recently a realignment of my Hard Drive made by Windows Vista rewrote the file that the Mozilla Firefox Bookmarks are stored on. It was odd. Some stuff I thought deleted was there, yet folders and folders of files and locations and URLs of articles and website and charts I saved for the purpose of writing articles and blog posts were GONE. Hours of research on Fred Thompson, bikini babes, Paul Cornell's Doctor Who dogma, Proving Grounds, science, junk science, false science, anti-science, and political philosophy were all gone! Oddly enough what was untouched was the stuff I saved in the Bookmarks Toolbar Folder. Thank God for the small blessings. Still, I miss my research and I miss the security I thought I had for saving stuff in my Bookmarks list! That's long gone. I hate Windows Vista. Nonetheless, we press on and I find yet again Paul Cornell's blog post clarifying just what isn't Doctor Who canon. The obvious point is that nothing is canon in a storytelling universe where the protagonist travels the Time Vortex, the Universe, the space-time continuum, whatever, altering events and undermining cause and effect. While the relationships and commonalities between both series (as we Americans understand the word) are there and obvious it's best to approach it as that it is just the stuff brought up in the modern version that matters for the current episodes. What was visible for the present-day audience is what matters. Yet even then in the grand scheme as one wants to see the Doctor Who stories, even those may not quite matter and what seems significant to the viewer does not quite matter, nor should it, for a cause-and-effect relationship between episodes in different series (as the British understand the word; we Americans call them "seasons") should not be reasonably expected exactly. There are two things to consider: 1) that the program is about a Time Traveler and in his travels he certainly does not maintain a set continuity himself nor does he maintain a set order in the continuity of his own universe. At multiple stops he alters events in the past and present and future sometimes by accident and sometimes deliberately. He has obliterated species on purpose at periods of time before his actual encounter. 2) That there has been a grand-scale cosmic phenomena in the backstory of the current version of the Doctor Who show called the "Time War" which has effectively rendered previous understandings of various unfolding of events for various characters rather moot. We cannot trust what we have seen to be certainly what happened for before what we see now. Thus if that is confusing enough, or nebulous enough to not quite define an exact or tight history of the characters and antagonists for the show when it comes to just the television medium, certainly it can be left to the air and the minds of fan(atic)s that the events of the audio plays and the novels happened as they happened when they happened, but were promptly folded and squeezed out of significance by the Time War. Even if the Ninth or Tenth Doctor does not acknowledge certain events, as would neither his Dalek foes, they happened for somebody, yet for the point of whatever story being told right now is doesn't matter if they happened at all. Stopping to think about that while watching the story certainly ruins it for somebody, now doesn't it? Labels: link dump, science fiction Tuesday, May 20, 2008
next Eaton County GOP meeting (June 2008) Date and Time: Tuesday, June 3th. 2008 from 7:00PM to 8:00PM* *Regular meetings are the first Tuesday of the month, unless posted otherwise. Labels: Michigan, politics, reprints, Republicans hopefully we will still have a Congressman Hunter The following is from an American Conservative Union listserv e-mail. All the best to Congressman Hunter, and I hope we have another one.  Dear xxxxx, California Congressman Duncan Hunter has been a member of the ACU Board for many years and served as a standout conservative in Congress for 28 years including several years as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He decided to give up his seat last year when he launched his presidential campaign. He will be missed in Washington, but his son is running for his seat. I've known father and son for more than a decade and can vouch for both politically, philosophically, and personally. Anything you can do to help you Duncan take over for his father would be appreciated. Please take a moment to read the below note from him. Thank you, "Dad I quit my job and I'm joining the Marines." These were the words of my son Duncan Duane a few days after September 11th. Like a lot of parents who have received similar calls, I experienced a rush of feelings: concern and worry about my sons' safety and the impact on his wife and baby. Then as he continued to talk, I felt great pride in his patriotism. Within a few weeks he was in the U.S. Marines training to become an artillery officer. He was then sent to Iraq twice, and Afghanistan once. After he finished his hitch in the Corps he joined me in my 2007/08 Presidential Campaign. As he spoke for me in New Hampshire and South Carolina on our platform of a strong national defense, enforceable borders, and American values, Duncan made another decision -- to run for Congress himself. He is now waging a battle for Congress in the seat I am vacating in San Diego. His platform is a statement in conservative principles: Limited government He is running a great campaign but he needs your help. When he is elected, he will be the first combat veteran from Iraq in the U.S. Congress -- something we sorely need. As a fellow conservative, I hope you will visit HunterForCongress.com and help Captain Duncan Duane Hunter, U.S. Marine Reserve win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please send whatever you can afford to his website. His conservative principles are badly needed in Congress. I know I sound like a proud Dad, and I am. I hope you will be able to help. With warm wishes, Duncan Hunter Labels: Duncan Hunter, politics, reprints, Republicans Template Update Ah, the long-awaited, long-promised Template Update. I have removed the Bloglet subscription field because the service literally has been out of service for multiple years. I removed that stupid newsvine endorser that was on the top left and its constant presence was an embarrassment past February 2008. Obviously the bulk of these improvements is long past due. I should add links to The Wandering Wolverine and Core Principles, as well as Red Michigan, but those will happen soon, today or tomorrow. I'm going to write for Red Michigan by the way.
Obviously there are more changes to come. Labels: site news - update status, template update Friday, May 16, 2008
The neverending stream of Poverty It is mankind's sin nature that drives one to spend without restraint, to trade whatever it is they have or don't have, only symbolically have or potentially have in exchange for stuff, material object. It is lust, greed, envy that drives us to trade what we do not have for what we want, regardless of true harmful cost. Today's modern society has successfully delivered the message that such action should not have consequences and that is very reasonable to expect a rescue for when we get in over our heads. In George Washington's time this was unthinkable. 200 years ago we has the concept of charity but we had the concept of consequences and if you were stupid with what you earned, without your wealth you lost it. Our sin nature drives us to act without restraint. Christian lessons of moderation, Conservative principles of self-control command that we place a lock on our own worser instincts and that whatever we are driven to do must be directed, regulated, and slowed to the point of reason and construction. Following the baser instincts and desires leads to destruction. This was obvious in the older society; American civilization 200 years ago showed Americans that were more willing to let a fool's action reap a fool's reward, if just to teach. Most importantly actions have consequences. It didn't occur to our Founding Fathers to invert that simplest moral axiom. Present day society teaches that a fallback is to be expected and that second chances are what we blanket deserve, regardless of action and choice. That is why politicians who promise to "bail people out" gain traction. The promise that a poor choice or a bad gamble, an unwise commitment could result in personal loss or crippling poverty seems obvious to the Oldest and Wisest of us but the modern man, even many of the Elderly, sees a world where government has opened the door to possibilities of safety pads and the CTL-Z "undo" function. Where before it may have been silly fantasy at best, and unthinkable at the most common, now it's promise that people expect to be kept, and a sort of bait. It's a distraction from real possibility and real Salvation but this sort of material grace in the World, and the promise of it, is what allows politicians to make this sort of deadly promise and ride that promise of Salvation to political power. People think it's possible, credible, and that perception of credibility (which in politics is credibility) is a reason to put that figure in a place to work his wonders. It will not work. The notion of "eliminating poverty" is a distraction, a feint. People's natures will always drive a portion of us to live just beyond means and spend in a manner that would render themselves powerless or damaged. The human condition cannot be simply erased. Now unless we alter the very things we work with; perhaps the environment should changed. Let's tamper with nature. Even if there is no God and thus no separation from Him and thus no sin nature there is still human nature. Human nature lacks the protective instinct, which necessarily may lead to that Conservative, conservative choice when it comes to spending for needs or wants. The promise to eliminate need on earth is a lie. Alterations may be attempts made in earnest but historically that leads to failure. Yet time after time we see so-called 'leaders' receive numerous accolades based on faith. Even Christians are taken in. I.C. Jackson is enraged by this. We Americans, in so many numbers, are taken in by this lie. Christians and compassionate people often lead themselves with their hearts, and not with the Truth. They engage the less fortunate with the idea of eliminating the condition itself, which is impossible, a "Satanic lie". There are political faction leaders who promise to do this, repeat old promises that cannot come to fruition, although illusions of those promises may do more harm than good. That so many of us swallow the lie, regardless of what Jesus said solve a "problem", as if certain rules of the World were not irrefutable, and are not eternal challenges, symptoms of separation from God. I intend to cover this further in the coming weeks. I.C. Jackson and Akindele have themselves pushed the horrific thrust: there are people relying on men to remake matters of sin and selfishness. Labels: Barack Obama, Christianity, John Edwards, politics, theology Friday, May 02, 2008
Is Iron Man the movie Good for kids? Depends on your definition of the word "good". I also cannot say for certain whether the film's sexual content is appropriate for kids of certain ages, or will fly over their heads. What Focus on the Family's Pluggedin online reports on the movie Iron Man: The violence doesn't concern me. The question I ask is: is this film so potentially damaging to children that they shouldn't see it? Or is it simply entertainment with negative elements that would be overlooked in all the awesomeness? Labels: comic books, movies Thursday, May 01, 2008
question John McCain! The following is a MIGOP Victory Update e-mail/press release. It describes Senator John McCain's imminent visits to my/our state. I see these visits only as opportunities to press, probe, push, and nudge our only Republican Presidential candidate further right. I also have questions about the Border Patrol officers wrongfully and unjustly imprisoned as if they were true criminals.  Victory Update :: News from the Michigan Republican Party SENATOR MCCAIN IN MICHIGAN Great news, I just received word from the McCain Campaign that Senator John McCain will be making two important stops in Michigan next week. This will be a great opportunity for us to meet with the next president of the United States as he campaigns in Michigan, which will be a key swing electoral state in the General Election. I hope you will join me in showing up and supporting our next president. Here are the details on Senator McCain?s Michigan events: On Tuesday, May 6, Senator John McCain will attend a fund-raising reception hosted at the home of Peter and Danialle Karmanos with special guest Governor Mitt Romney. The reception will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. and the cost is $2,300 per person. For more information and to R.S.V.P. please contact Sarah Prues Hecker at (313) 586-4314 or sarah@prueshecker.com. On Wednesday, May 7, Senator John McCain will hold a town hall meeting at Oakland University in the Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion (adjacent to Meadow Brook Hall). The pavilion is located at 280 South Adams Road in Rochester. There is no cost to this event, no tickets are needed, and doors open at 8 AM. For more information please click here to RSVP to the event. You can also email Michigan@johnmccain08.com to RSVP to the event. You do not need a confirmation nor reply from campaign staff to attend the event. Click here for more information on the event and news and photos from the campaign trail. Click here for a map of the event location.  Saulius "Saul" Anuzis Chairman Labels: John McCain, Michigan, politics, Republicans Alice Cooper - Bed of Nails I don't care too much that this doesn't sound very "pure" and I get uncomfortable listening to this song with other people. It rocks! Labels: Alice Cooper, embedded media, music the inanity/insanity of global warming alarmism How appropriate that in the past couple of days I have received a hard and fast education on nuts and bolts (basic, of course) of Green Fascism from the Director of Climate Strategies Watch, Paul Chesser (courtesy of the Mackinac Center, of course, and CSW) that I get an e-mail from some heretofore anonymous (to me) character Patrick Rockey soliciting his Global Warming Insanity website. Apologies Demanded is not The Corner or Instapundit. If someone sends a link to me I will more than likely read it (eventually) and I will (likely) write about. There's little competition. Send it and I'll likely plug it. Usually I procrastinate on it, but this seems hyper-appropriate. This past Tuesday I attended an Earth Day luncheon at the Radisson, paid for and hosted by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. I tend to see the Mackinac Center as a patron of mine, for various reasons. I was invited to that. The speaker was Paul Chesser. It lasted an hour. The wraps were, as usual, just a shade above mediocre, but the roll was excellent and I love the fruit. The chips were chips. Chips are always good. That day I got myself invited to the Mackinac Center's Earth Day dinner-event hosted, in this case, Paul Chesser. That is, while the marvelous Jack McHugh was organizing things (and Michael D. Jahr, from what I can tell) , it was Paul Chesser's show insamuch that he paid for the dinner. It was at La Seniorita's. It is a great Mexican restaurant (I should have wrote an article last year about how authenticity in ethnic foods be damned; I want deliciousness and genres in food are not named after a literal truth!). The food was delicious. I had a Seafood burrito. What is more important than that is that the service was fantastic! The waitress (whose name I wrote down for my purposes but which I will not share because I don't want to share) certainly went above and beyond the call of duty. It should be said that upon my return to that culinary establishment I will ask for that particular waitress and will not give anyone else the opportunity to sit across the room and spread her efforts thin! I came to that event because my buddy, friend, and blogson John Breen, the Wandering Wolverine, was invited, and I went hunting for further information upon being told of it. The most fun part was walking in and... I'll tell that story later. The important bits regarding Green Fascism will be shared at a later date in a later post. The details regarding Center-Right Coalition meeting yesterday will be shared at a later date in a later post. That any seemingly new-found focus on global warming seems anti-thematic to this blog is a misinterpretation; the analysis of Green Fascism fits in quite swiftly with the old series/theme of the abuse of science. Considering the similarities between the core of the broad attack on these alarmist inanities (or as I told Joey Pants today, these "enviro-weenies") and my obsession with the proper use of real science, it's only logical that after only a cursory examination of the site I plug Patrick Rockey's Global Warming Insanity.com. Labels: climate change, global warming, link dump, Michigan, politics, science |
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This week Sen. John McCain embarked on a trip across America, visiting regions that have been forgotten and left behind by our nation's elected leaders. In doing this, Senator McCain listened to the people who have lived in these areas and faced adversity.