Ghost in the Machine
Archive for July, 2002
Don’t sleep on the Berk.
A new study finds dogs have higher language and math skills than you’d think.
Adaptable, Resourceful, Clueless.
I don’t normally blog quizzes, but this is Farscape, and I did get Crichton…so here ya go…What Farscape Character are you? (Via Quiddity.)
Druids Rejoice!
Stonehenge will be getting a retro makeover for the new millennium.
Dem Debacle.
Lieberman, Hillary, and the Ghost of Gore…is this really what the Dems have to look forward to? I still might vote Kerrey, Edwards, Daschle, or Dean, but right now this DLC affair is definitely turning me off.
Gotham Makeover.
ESPN tries to reinvent the Knicks. Houston for Van Horn sounds better than any of the Sprewell trades I’ve been hearing.
Scram!
An Australian research team may have pulled off a successful scramjet test, which, according to the article, would mean “one of the most significant technological advances since American Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier in 1947.” If nothing else, to be able to fly to Australia and back in two hours would be something else.
Dear Thai-ry…
Visiting spaceships and penis shrines, My friend Seth reports in from Bangkok.
Talkin’ the Talk.
“The era of low standards and false profits is over…No boardroom in America is above or beyond the law.”. And with that, Bush signs the corporate reform bill. He then leaned into the microphone, made the Dubya face, and declared, “You can run but you can’t hide, Dick Cheney. We’re going to hunt you down like the agent of evil you are. You hear me talkin’, Halliburton boy?“
Halloween Hall of Fame.
Sportsguy Bill Simmons pens the Michael Myers’ Sportscentury. Pretty lame, I know, but the Hubie Brown bit really cracked me up. “OK, you’re Michael Myers. You have a tremendous amount of upside for a serial killer, but you have to understand, you’ve been locked up for the past 15 years…“
Fanboy makes good.
Rising star Vin Diesel loves his D&D. Who knew?
Dog and Pony Show.
Dem hopefuls line up to kow-tow to the DLC. You’d think given the current economic climate that some modicum of progressivism might take hold in the party of the Left. But, no, it’s “New Democrat” this and “Al Gore” that all over again.
Phew.
The asteroid noted here last update will miss Earth in 2019, although it may be coming back circa 2060.
The Rings Motherlode.
Elves going west, Bilbo writing, Isildur in trouble, and Gollum on a log(!), and that’s just the Fellowship stuff. TORN.net gets their hands on tons of precious stills from The Two Towers and the extended Fellowship [Spoilers, and, if you're keeping score, give yourself ten points.]
Cleopatra Bellucci.
Garth points the way to the Asterix and Cleopatra trailer.
Setting the Record Straight
Ex-President Clinton fires back at Dubya on corporate abuse.
Don’t call it a comeback.
The stock market rallies almost 450 points today, but will it be enough to take the heat off Dubya?
Hey Jude (Get in the Gym.)
Harry at AICN says he’s got the goods on the World’s Finest casting…and it’s Jude Law as Superman and Colin Farrell at Batman. Unconventional choices, but I like ‘em.
It’s the size of Texas, Mr. President.
Astronomers find a possible collision course asteroid hurtling toward us. Target date: 2.1.2019.
There He Goes Again.
As GOP polls predict considerable electoral fallout from Enrongate, Dubya plans to regain the political initiative during the August congressional recess. Uh-oh.
The Minister’s Wayward Flock.
How you like them apples? Even conservatives are sick of Ashcroft. And so, it turns out, are many of are his underlings, who are clashing with him on gun checks.
Crichton, Cartman, and the Coens.
As per usual, I’m not sure which link I most want to jack from Quiddity…Farpark (Gotta love South Park Scorpy), or news of Romance and Cigarettes, the Coen-produced, Turturro-written musical.(Thanks, Megg.)
Don’t buy Falafels or Ziplocs…
…cause your shopping habits are being monitored. I wonder what the Feds would think of my alarming intake of Red Bull and Mt. Dew Code Red.
Red Whining.
The mystery of the red wine headache, via Follow Me Here. I’m definitely suffer from ‘em, which is why most of my drinking is confined to beer, whiskey, and other potables time-tested by my Gaelic forbears.
Didn’t they see Outland?
A three-day conference in Houston argues for a return to the Moon as an integral first step in Martian exploration.
Gentle Giant or Ivan Drago?
The NBA and the Houston Rockets try to figure out how to market Yao Ming. Looks like Agassi’s just psyched Yao doesn’t play tennis.
Somewhere in Time.
By way of Lake Effect, Terry Gilliam’s sequel to Time Bandits is coming to television! (although someone else is directing.) And this was announced in May? The fanboy sites have been sleeping on this.
Pearls That Are Her Links.
Booyah…After a too-long hiatus, Pearls That Are His Eyes returns. (Via Do You Feel Loved, who’s hopefully not taking too long of a hiatus either.)
Vinsanity.
In the first big NBA deal since draft day, the Celtics trade underachieving head case PG Kenny Anderson for underachieving head case F Vin Baker. I dunno…but I’ll wager it was a terrible call for the Celts. I would have stuck with Rodney Rodgers, but perhaps Baker can turn it on in the East. At any rate, thank goodness the Knicks didn’t end up with him.
Taxpayers for Jeb.
TNR explores how Dubya’s using your money to re-elect his brother (and keep the Florida machine greased for 2004.) Amazing how little we’ve heard about this considering all the treatment the FALN clemency story got during Hillary’s run. (Speaking of Hillary, my respect for her diminished further — it was already pretty low after the “somebody should kill Nader” bit on election night — when she got in a shouting match with Russ Feingold over campaign finance reform last week. Apparently, she’s already trying to find ways around the ban.)
The Complicated American.
What the World Thinks of America, from Gary Kamiya of Salon (premium). A fascinating read.
Out of touch.
On a day which saw the stock market drop below 8000, Dubya (according to the Standard & Poors index, the worst President in 75 years) declares “the future’s gonna be bright.” Oh, good…I feel better already. As Time noted yesterday, “the President and congress appear to be zealously attacking corporate abuses the way Pilgrims would a dance hall. But get past the reformist posturing, and the proposed new laws add up to half-measures.
The Next to Fall?
The plot thickens…just when the stock market really doesn’t need any more bad news, turns out Citigroup helped Enron evade the law to clear $125 million in debt. Shameful…struggle to get by, and Citibank screws you with exorbitant credit interest rates. Live on the high hog, and they cut you an (illegal) sweetheart deal. Update: J.P. Morgan is in the mix too.
Goodbye, Sherilyn…
and HELLO Mia. Eighties beauty Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Legend) replaces Sherilyn Fenn on the new WB Batman spin-off, Birds of Prey.
Heading for another joint.
The official Bob Dylan site announces he’ll be touring the US through the fall of 2002. Dates to follow. Apparently, Dylan’s also got a new song, “Waitin’ for You”, for the Ya-Ya soundtrack. Time to hit Kazaa.
I’ll trade you my Ebbers rookie card for a Waksal…
Corporate Scandal Trading Cards…collect them all!
Shrinking Coattails.
In the wake of the administration’s corporate shadiness, GOP candidates run away from Dubya and his vice-president.
The Road to Perdition.
NYT editorialist Frank Rich deftly skewers Dubya yet again. “For [Bush's] first pitch, he appeared against a blue background emblazoned with the repeated legend ‘Corporate Responsibility.’ Next came a red backdrop, with ‘Strengthening Our Economy’ as the double-vision-inducing slogan. What will be strike three – black-and-white stripes and ‘Dick Cheney Is Not a Crook’? Maybe this rah-rah technique helped boost the numbers back when George W. Bush was head cheerleader in prep school. But he’s not at Andover anymore. Where his father’s rhetoric gave us a thousand points of light, his lopped a thousand points off the Dow.”
Suspicion Breeds Confidence.
How to Identify a Terrorist, from the Office of Homeland Security. (Via Quiddity.)
NSync Nspace.
Apparently NSyncer Lance Bass has negotiated a deal to become the youngest person ever in space. As I’ve said before, if I had that kind of disposable income, I’d probably be trying to do what he’s doing. Bully for him.
Pinterested
Visions
The Great Gatsby (7.5/10)
Currently Reading
Hidden Cities, Moses Gates
Omsbudsdog.
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