Let's see Hulk Hogan do that

Thank you, Image Comics for what may be the single greatest panel ever. A dude choking out a dinosaur-like monster with a sleeper hold. All in the name of awesome.

The Antiobiotic-Quest of the Unknown Macrolide

I am assuming that most scientists are also H. P. Lovecraft fans. How else do you explain pharmaceutical with names like Azithromycin, Dirithromycin, Erythromycin, Tulathromycin, among others? It's like reading off a list of the elder gods. On top of that, these antibiotics are all macrolides which itself sounds like a group of demonic ghoul dogs that serves Shub-Niggurath or something.

Beware the Azithromycin! Its chaos crawls with deoxy sugars!

Another thing, any time I think of Azathoth, I'm reminded of Isaac Azathoth, a villianous character from the RPG Macho Women with Guns which is self-described as deliciously tasteless*, entirely satirical RPG of blowing things to smithereens. Now in its second edition, it continues to appeal to our basest instincts by providing sex, violence, and vehicle statistics in one inexpensive package. I always thought it was a game created to make us geeks think that women would actually play an RPG.

Isaac Azathoth is described in the game as: A popular keynote speaker at the annual convention of Extradimensional Aliens Who Want To Eat Our Souls, "Dr. I" is prolific, witty, and a sneaky teleporting hell-fiend. Responsible for over 400 occult grimoires, and well-renowned throughout the seventh dimension for his off-the-cuff cocktail speeches and bawdy humor, he's the only living entity who's ever groped ZsaZsathoth for fun.

The fact that I find that tremendously funny makes me very happy (and surprised) that I am a married man.

Enough rambling, discuss.

Who are you calling judgemental you stupid quiz?

From Ricki.

Your result for The Brutally Honest Personality Test...

Crackpot - INTJ

47% Extraversion, 67% Intuition, 73% Thinking, 60% Judging

People hate you.

Paris Hilton hates Nicole Richie. Lex Luther hates Superman. Garfield hates Mondays.But none these even rates against the insurmountable hate, people have for you.

I mean, you're pretty damn clever and you know it. You love to flaunt your potential. Heard the word "arrogant" lately? How about "jerk?" Or perhaps they only say that behind your back.

That's right. I know I can say this cause you're not going to cry. You're not exactly the most emotional person. You'd rather spend time with your theoretical questions and abstract theories than with other people.

Ever been kissed? Ever even been on a date? Trust me, your inflated ego is a complete turnoff with the opposite sex and I am telling you, you're not that great with relationships as it is. You're never going to be a dude or chick magnet, purely because you're more concerned with yourself than others. Meh. They all hate you already anyway.

How about this- "stubborn?" Hrm? Heard that lately? All those facts which don't fit your theories must just be wrong, right? I mean, really, the vast amounts of time you spend with your head in the clouds...you're just plain strange.

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If you enjoyed that test, make sure you check out my latest venture: The Presidential Capacity Quiz - It's much shorter, just as fun and just as accurate. Find out how far you would get in the race for President. Are you fit to rule the free world?

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If you want to learn more about your personality type in a slightly less negative way, check out this.

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The other personality types are as follows...

Pushover - Introverted Sensing Feeling Judging

Criminal - Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving

Borefest - Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging

Almost Perfect - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving

Freak - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging

Loser - Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving

Crackpot - Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging

Clown - Extraverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving

Sap - Extraverted Sensing Feeling Judging

Commander - Extraverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving

Do Gooder - Extraverted Sensing Thinking Judging

Scumbag - Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving

Busybody - Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging

Prick - Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving

Dictator - Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging

Take The Brutally Honest Personality Test at HelloQuizzy

Snubbed

Mickey Rorke was snubbed at last night's Oscars. Kind of sad, especially since the award went to Sean Penn. It would have been nice to see them step out of their box and give it to someone who really earned it.

Otherwise, what I saw of the show was pretty good. Hugh Jackman was the best host in years.

Parting shot - was Slumdog Millionaire really that good?

Thoughts?

Something embarrassing Friday Pt. 2

As promised, embarrassing picture.

I thought for certain I had the Member's Only-style jacket too, but somehow the vest is even worse.

Again, relieve yourself of your embarrassment. It's therapeutic.

Update: I should probably explain that at the time I attended a private Christian school (hence the shirt, tie, etc.).

Gonna make up a blog post about Cor-a-liiiiiiiiiine

Finally got out to see Coraline with Daughter Number 1. It was fantastic. Perhaps a bit dark for younger kids, even DN1 at 9 thought it was pretty scary in places, but overall a great story of "be careful what you wish for you just might get it."

And here I speak less about the movie and more about 3D. Of course we went and saw the 3D version of the film and I think it's the best 3D movie I've seen yet. Animation, particularly this kind of stop-motion animation, seems to really shine in 3D. Rather than looking two-dimensional, 3D gives animation beyond the depth we read into regular film. When shooting real actors, it seems that we read faces and things with depth and curves but animation can really look flat. Good 3D gives us those curves and depth.

Now, I am not a 3D apologist. I am one of those people who used to get sick at 3D movies. Not long ago, we took the kids to see Spy Kids 3D and we all got horrible headaches during the film. I think J-Mom and Daughter Number 2 had to leave the theater because even the 3D artifacting made them sick. Well long gone are those days. The new digital 3D pioneered by Disney and Dolby is fantastic. The glasses don't give you headaches and don't alter the color of the movie. Also, the quality of 3D is much better than those in years past.

The first movie that sold the new 3D format to me was Disney's Bolt. While that movie showed how good 3D could be and how well integrated it is with animation, Coraline goes a step further and shows just how spectacular the format can be.

I still cannot think of how 3D can be applied to live-action film without seeming gimmicky. My wife and kids went and saw the Hannah Montana 3D concert movie and said the only real 3D moments they noticed were a guitar pick being thrown or a drummer pointing his drum stick out to the audience. I know it's coming, but I'm not sure it's going to be good. In the meantime, I'm on the lookout for the opening of Monsters vs. Aliens which looks like it's going to be another amazing 3D animation flick.

Something embarrassing Friday

Because I feel like revealing something embarrassing today (hoping it will take my mind off the other crap going on today), I’d like to talk about the mid-80s, Members Only-style jackets and sunglasses.

When I was in seventh grade – 1987-ish – Members Only jackets were still in, not quite as big as they were, but still all over the place. I was no slave to fashion in my youth, but there were some things I really wanted. This style jacket was one. I didn’t care about brand name though. I finally got one. It was lightweight and gray, a cheap knockoff of the light leather jackets seen everywhere at the time. I loved the hell out of that thing though. I wore it like every freaking day. With the sleeves pushed up to my elbows. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking, but I sure felt good about it so what the hey?

Now, so you get a complete picture here, take a socially inept, chubby 12-year-old with moderate acne and bad hair. Throw this jacket on him and you have me, although the picture is not quite complete. I also wore glasses.

Most of my youth was spent wearing the standard kid glasses – big frames that could withstand the pressures of being a young boy. However this year was a tad different. When I went in to get my annual eye exam and prescription filled, I decided I wanted to get a darker shade put on my glasses. I had up until this point put a light gray shade on them that was barely noticeable. Heck, my parents were having to pay for these (though at the cool, discounted military rates) so their should be some noticeable shade if they’re having to fork out the bucks, right? I pointed to the second- or third-to-the-last darkest gray shade when they asked if I wanted them to put a tint on the glasses. I distinctly remember the guy at the eye glasses shop warning me, “Are you sure?” he said. “The tint is actually going to come out a bit darker than it looks here.” I couldn’t be dissuaded. “Billy, are you sure,” my mom asked me (the fact that I grew up as a Billy is exactly why I am now Cullen). I was sure. Rock solid certainty.

What a naïve dork I was. The glasses came out as dark as a pair of Ray Bans.

Add to the picture mentioned above these glasses. Then add to this the fact that I refused to take that jacket off for class pictures that year. If I can find a photo I promise I’ll post it.

Tell me something embarrassing. It’s good for the soul.

A > B, but X < Y by explanation

Mr. Bungle > RHCP

Proof:



This is a fan video of the song Pink Cigarette from Mr. Bungle's album California and it is full of win.

I need to post something so I'll pull something from Facebook

We can't make up our minds if we're industrial or techno! Whatever.

How to Play:

1. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random - The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. Click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 - The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. Visit http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/ - The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4. Use your graphics program of choice to throw them together, and post the result. And then ask someone else to play.

5. Give props to the person whose photo you used by linking to the flickr page you got the photo from, please.

I totally ganked this photo without getting the guy's name. Sorry unknown person.

Filibuster

Show some damn backbone.

A meme started by Ken.

A > B, but X < Y

UPDATE: I don't mean to say that you have to weigh in on these topics (though you are certainly welcome to do so). Choose your own. Just take a side.

I tagged some of you with this on Facebook, but it seemed to be fun enough to post here as well.

Here's my charge - take a side. Weigh in on five different topics pick one as greater or less than another. Offer an explanation. Or don't. I'll get things rolling:

Mike Patton > Anthony Kiedis
Kind of self-explanatory I guess. There was quite the dust-up between the Peppers and Faith No More/Mr. Bungle. Patton is by far the superior singer. Just proves further that talent doesn't equal popularity.

Creamy > Crunchy
I want peanut butter, not some peanut butter and peanuts.

British Office < American Office
Personal opinion and quite a controversial one, but there it is.

Tune-o-matic > Vibrato/Tremolo
They just are.

Angry postal workers < Angry Samoans
Though they're probably more dangerous

Have fun.

Inkhuh

I took Daughter Number 1 to see Inkheart this past Saturday. I didn't knoww a lot about the story going into it (DN1 has read the first book and most of Inkspell - she's stalled in that though, don't know why, but she put it down to read the Maximum Ride series). DN1 had told me some things, I had some very basic ideas, but didn't know where things would be going and that's generally how I like to be going into a movie. For this one, though, I wish I would have read the book first. There just seemed to be a lot going on that would have been more understandable if I'd read the book.

The movie is relatively well self-contained, but it's clumsy. You don't get a feel for the characters before the story starts dashing them off to danger and then you're introduced to so many different characters and situations that you're left feeling a bit left behind. I understand that this is an action flick and one geared toward a younger audience, but even Harry Potter spent sufficient time setting up character motivation. Inkheart doesn't. I've just started reading the book and am already beginning to understand some of the characters better than I did after seeing the film.

However, this is not to say that Inkheart isn't fun. It is, perhaps too fun or too dashing, while sacrificing some coherency. I read a couple of reviews after seeing the movie and many reviewers are quick to put most of the blame on Brendan Fraser. I don't see that. I am a Fraser fan - yeah, the guy doesn't have great acting chops, but he's fun - and he fits the role pretty well. The problem is that the changes the filmmakers made to the book were unnecessary but the things they cut out were very important to the makeup of the tale.

While Inkheart can be entertaining, I suggest waiting until it hits the discount theater or video. The good thing about seeing it in the theater is that there's a extended preview for the wonderful-looking Coraline.

Sharp dressed man

It's something I've been putting off for a long time. Yesterday we went out and I bought a couple of suits.

I'm beginning to interact with higher level people in my organization and I've got to start dressing the part. I also have a conference coming up in April and can't dress in my usual polo shirt and slacks, so I've had to upgrade the wardrobe. It was kind of shocking how much money it all came to, but I have to keep telling myself that I was starting with nothing.

While it was pricey, it was still a good deal. The store I went to was having Buy One-Get One sales on suits, shirts, shoes and other items. So I got two suits, two shirts and two pair of shoes all BOGO and some ties that weren't. I can't even tell you the last time I wore a tie. I was still active-duty Army though.

It's the price of moving up in an organization though.