For all its flaws, we must admire Google for knowing the length of a smoot. Alas, it does not know the value of a quatloo, but then again, neither do I. On the other hand, while searching for quatloo valuations, I did find a proposal for an XML standard for Shadowrun (original). But I digress. Smoots (original) are real.
Pleasingly, Columbia just released the Once Upon A Time In China series on a two-DVD set for a mere twenty-five bucks or so. Each movie is on one side of a DVD, so there’s no quality compromise. Alas, they left out the commentary from their previous edition of Once Upon A Time In China I, but one can’t have everything and it was just a commentary from a Hong Kong film expert rather than anyone connected with the production. ...
I’m linking to this fairly amusing article on the Texas Democrat walkout not because I am shocked and horrified by the thought that the Republicans may try to delay elections, since I’m not. I could care less if the Republicans want to delay primaries; I see no real reason why primaries should be part of the legal framework of American elections. If the real elections happen without the Republicans selecting a candidate, well, that has its own rewards. ...
The Ultimate California Gubernatorial Recall Candidate List is a nice overview of who’s who, with annotations. “This candidate failed the Turing test in 1999.” Heh. And I didn’t know Bill Walton’s son was running. Although I think he was too kind to Gallagher and Gary Coleman. They belong in the publicity seeker category.
I said something flippant early this week about West Wing setting unreasonable expectations for a Presidency. Stephen Kaye (nice new blog location and layout) noted that some people do ask why President Bartlett couldn’t be president, which actually doesn’t surprise me. All this in preamble to today’s California recall news: Schwarzenegger asked Rob Lowe to join his campaign. Lowe is in fact a Democrat, and of course was a regular on West Wing. George Schultz and Warren Buffett are already on board the campaign. ...
WISH 60 (original) asks: How do you use different frames of reference or mindsets in your games? In what ways do your characters or NPCs in games you GM think differently from the people around you? What sorts of things make them different (societal, mental, physical, etc.)? Do you feel that you’re successful in incorporating and showing the differences? I was actually kind of taken aback by this question for a moment. Shifting mindsets is a really basic, low-level component of my gaming. I am, to borrow the r.g.frp.advocacy jargon, an immersive player. I don’t forget who I am — that path is not deeply healthy for me — but I like the experience of mentally filtering reactions through a different mindset. ...
This (original) is my favorite picture so far from the blackout. New York by night. That’s not a picture you’re going to see very often. I like the grainy effect produced by the cell phone camera; it’s very post-apocalyptic. Mad Max was here.
LiveJournal from the streets of Baghdad. Yeah, no kidding; rebelcoyote is a National Guardsman who’s serving a tour of duty over there. He’s got some interesting stories to tell. (Thanks to rollick for the pointer.) Of the other LiveJournallers who list their location as Baghdad, slownewsday, notquitejesus (original), and giantlaser are the only ones who seem to actually be in Baghdad. Or at least are making a good effort to fake it. The directory of people listing their location as Iraq has 161 people in it, so perhaps I will not sort through them just now. Best guess: “not many of ‘em.” ...
By way of Warren Ellis, we have open phonecam NYC blackout coverage (original). News moves at the speed of people.
Bravo started airing reruns of West Wing today with a six show marathon, so of course I watched the whole thing. Now I really recognize the vibe Mr. Sterling failed to achieve. Yep, that’s Sorkin, all right. I liked it OK. Snappy dialogue, noble and honest politicians and staffers. My new theory is that Democratic resentment (original) of Bush arises from his failure to live up to the example set by President Bartlet. (Sure, I’m joking.) But it’s a good show, and I like the impossibly witty characters. ...