CoffeeJedi

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:10:27 GMT

Look out climate change deniers, here comes the science:
http://gristmill.grist.org/skeptics

A point by point examination of the denialists' claims, backed up with hard science. So silliness like "its the natural cycle" or "other planets are warming up too!" can be easily dealt with.

Ok, we established its real, now can we finally start working together on doing something about it.

edit: whoops, the site's been boing-boing'd

One year? So what.

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:36:54 GMT

Seriously people. Calm down.

Its been one year, so what? Its an arbitrary meaningless period of time. Be rational about this, those things weren't magical, there was a perfectly reasonable explanation, and with proper scientific investigation, we WILL know what caused it. Everything is fine. Focus on the future, not the past.

Halo cheats

Fri, 23 May 2008 15:03:35 GMT

Hey, you know that part of Halo 3, on Tsavo highway where you're up on a hill with some little buildings and Katie Sackhoff and wave after wave of pissed off Brutes come charging up the hill and all you have to defend yourself with is a woefully inaccurate mounted machine gun, panicky marines, and some prox mines (well, there's a sniper rifle too, but that might as well be a rubber band gun in my hands); and some of those aforementioned Brutes have fuel rod cannons and then finally after killing a million of them, a Wraith shows up and blows you to hell? Right, that part.

I figured out a way around it.

Run down the hill, kill the guy in back with the fuel rod gun (he won't turn around until you shoot him the first time, 3 shotgun blasts will do it), if you're lucky, the other Brutes won't notice (they're a bit busy), grab the now available fuel rod and knock the gun off the Phantom that's dropping off another hundred or so Brutes and run around the corner.

Look who it is! Its the Wraith that's not scheduled to appear until after you kill those Brutes. (my first idea at this point was to steal that and use it to kill the Brutes, that didn't work out)

Unfortunately there's a sniper tower next to the Wraith tank, but fortunately you have a fuel rod cannon, unfortunately you have to take out the tower while the tank shoots at you, but fortunately you can stay out of range easily enough. After that, kill the Wraith's gunner, and run up and pound on it, thus taking it out.

You will be rewarded with a cacophony of noises as every scripted event for this section fires at once. Johnson tells you that Covenant armor is on the way (you just blew it up), Starbuck announces that more Brutes are coming, Johnson congratulates you, Keyes says that she's coming in with reinforcements. While this is happening, Pelicans and Phantoms are popping in and out of existence above your head.

And there you go, way easier than fighting several thousand Brutes.

These are my men...

Sun, 11 May 2008 20:16:23 GMT

I wish I was in a position of power so I could say the phrase "my men". Like:
"These are my men, they will pledge their lives to you if I order them."
or
"My men will kill you if you harm her."
or perhaps
"These are my men, I trust them to the ends of the earth... you I do not."

Wouldn't that be great?

Fri, 09 May 2008 18:22:37 GMT

So, I couldn't watch any of the NBC shows last night, including the series finale (on that network anyway) of Scrubs, because our local affiliate decided to run two hours of a guy standing in front of a map saying "now if you live here, the tornadoes will be here, lets look at this handy graph..." FOR TWO HOURS. We get it dude, tornadoes are coming, shut up and run a ticker. I think people understand "Tornado watch for Podunk county" scrolling along the bottom of their TV.

Halo was fun last night, far less frustrating than last time. My gun actually managed to kill someone for once.

I also finished Watchmen last night. I know, I know, I'm the last geek on the planet to read it. They're making a movie of it... somehow. I'm afraid it's going to suck. As fantastic as the graphic novel is, stupid moviegoers won't want to watch superheroes stand around and talk for two hours. They're going to have to change it far too much. The nuance and subtlety and brilliance will be lost.

verdict: absinthe just another booze

Tue, 06 May 2008 20:02:16 GMT

Ha! Suck it goth kids:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429120905.htm

As usual, we see that myths and legends get accepted as fact by people who don't use critical thinking.

Tue, 06 May 2008 14:03:30 GMT

I can think of more than a few ladies (with one in particular) who should own this shirt:
http://www.uneetee.com/

at last, we meet him face to face... to face, Two Face

Tue, 06 May 2008 02:19:40 GMT

Giant spoiler!!!

Click here to see Two-Face before the studio takes it down:
http://aintitcool.com/node/36628

Warning, potentially disturbing image.

edit:
Apparently this is an official "concept" rendering, and isn't the final design. To be honest, I think it goes a little too far, Harvey just wouldn't be able to survive with that kind of damage.

Tony Stark makes you feel, he's the cool exec with a heart of steel!

Sat, 03 May 2008 04:23:32 GMT

Damn, that was a good one. Probably buy the DVD when it comes out, might even pick up an action figure.

Also, STAY UNTIL THE CREDITS ARE OVER. Yeah, the credits are LOOOOOONG, but its so worth it. Trust me.

twittering

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:02:13 GMT

How do you guys use twitter?

Do you get every tweet that you're following sent to your phone? (even wilw?)
Only DM's and replies? I was doing only DM's and replies but at work I run snitter, so I turned that off. I love the idea of being connected to everyone, but I'm not sure if I'm "doing it wrong".

GTA IV

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:49:02 GMT

So, anyone actually buying GTA IV today? It seems like there's so much buzz about it, but to me the game is simply "not interesting". I always get the impression that the GTA games are for people who get a console just to play Madden but then want to break out into some non sports gaming. But then, I've heard the same critisism leveled against Halo as well.

primary stupidity

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:27:08 GMT

Gaaaah, its NOT OVER yet!
Why Hillary, WHY?!?!

Can we just end this stupid thing and get on with the general election already?

No, actually, lets skip to AFTER the general election, with the economy as shitty as it is (more on that later, its effecting me directly, ugh) my capacity for caring dwindles every day.

edit: I just heard on the radio that Bush is denying that we're in a recession. Oh HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... fuck you you fucking asshole.

Motel

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:16:31 GMT

Motel
Originally uploaded by CoffeeJedi

the lap of luxury in coal country Pennsylvania

Seeeekrit entrance

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:00:31 GMT

I've never been through security that fast before. The line was about 60 people deep, but I got a hot tip from the bus driver lady. Don't go through the main line that everyone else goes through. You got United, Delta, and all the major carriers crammed together down on one side of the terminal. That's for chumps. If you're in the know, after you check in, you hoof it down to the other end of the terminal to Jetblue and the other premium or small carriers. NO LINE WHATSOEVER. Granted I had to walk all the way down there, then all the way back once I was through the veil to the other side, but it was so worth it!

edit: also of note for the future, slip-on shoes and no belt: good idea, will do again

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:00:41 GMT

Testing mobile posting with my new phone!

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:19:40 GMT

Hey everyone, thanks for the condolences on twitter and gmail.

For those of you without twitter (?), my grandfather, Harrison "Dutch" Steninger passed away at the ripe old age of 97 this morning. I'm not really "sad" exactly... I mean, he was NINETY SEVEN, just kinda melancholy, ya know? The family was really hoping he'd hang in there till the big one-oh-oh; ah well, such is life.

Funeral's either Saturday or Friday, I'll be flying up to Pennsylvania the night before.

actual funny non-Rick Astley related video

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:37:23 GMT

Amazingly, not a Rick'roll.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdjt6Bl5qdY

Hilarious German forklift safety video with subtitles. Takes a little while to get going, but the payoff at the end is so worth it.

Probably NSFW, also, not safe for the squeamish; copious amounts of blood and gore abound but its all done in a purposefully unrealistic and cartoony fashion. Its like Sam Raimi made a safety video.

Edit: it occurs to me that people probably aren't clicking on the link, thinking that it must be a Rick'roll. I assure you, it is not. Its after 12:00pm now anyway, April Fool's is over.

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:07:41 GMT

Hey everyone, this is CJ's long lost evil twin, JC* posting today. Hey, what's up? Um, I locked CJ in the basement, yeah... cuz I'm so evil. I'm probably gonna do mean stuff to mess up his life, like, uh, go to his job and tell people they suck. Ha ha... that'll show 'em. Yep, so to reiterate, not CJ, JC, twin, evil. Uh, that's about it.

Oh, btw, here's a funny and awesome and sexy youtube video, I think there's like, a boob in there somewhere between all the machine guns and awesome. Its totally not Rick Astley singing "Never Gonna Give You Up", nope, not at all.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI (totally for realz youtube link)

Ok, catch you later, I'm gonna go be all evil now or something.

*JavaCylon

Clearance Sale at Target

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:22:08 GMT

Just a heads up, the Target near me has the Xbox 360 VGA adaptor cable on clearance for only 12 dollars! This is a great way to get high definition gaming if you don't have an HDTV. I was playing last night on my 20" LCD monitor, and it looked fantastic!

Also, I now have Halo 3!

edit: As usual, Google adwords is picking up replies to this, and is serving appropriate ads. There's one up there right now for an Xbox VGA adaptor for $59.95 plus shipping!

debunkin' Monday

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:02:26 GMT

Hello there LJ friends.
It occurs to me that the Christians on here get a bit of a lopsided amount of critisism sent their way concerning their views on homosexuality and creationism. In the interest of fairness, here's a bunch of stuff that has no evidence or basis in reality whatsoever, but I'm sure some of you believe in it:

homeopathy
acupuncture
reiki
astrology
numerology
tarot cards
past lives / reincarnation
ghosts / speaking to the dead
angels
psychic powers (includes ESP, telekenisis, predicting the future, remote viewing)
divination (finding water with a divining rod)
applied kineseology
"traditional" chiropractic (inate intelligence)
magnetic/copper bracelets
alien abduction
alien cattle mutilation
Bigfoot/other cryptids
over-priced audiophile equipment ($3,000 speaker cables, $400 wooden volume knobs)
mercury in vaccines causing autism

Also, in 1969, human beings did in fact walk on the moon, thankyouverymuch.

edit: added s'more

Lrrr and Ndnd on wuv

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:31:50 GMT

Lrrr: "Blech! These candies are chalky and unpleasant!"
Ndnd: "And what is this emotion you humans call 'wuv'?"
Lrrr: "Surely it says 'love'."
Ndnd: "No, 'wuv'! With an Earth 'w'. Behold!"
Lrrr: "This concept of 'wuv' confuses and infuriates us!"

http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/EpisodeSounds/4ACV03/
(sound file 13, direct linking not allowed)

Squeeee!

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:46:35 GMT

OMG!!!!
Listening to a skeptical podcast right now, and Phil Plait is going to be at Dragon*Con!!!!

Actors? Musicians? Meh, who cares about them.. but I find out that I'm getting a chance to meet my FAVORITE ASTRONOMER / SCIENCE BLOGGER and I turn into a drooling fanboy.

my fandom, let me show you it

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:48:58 GMT

Its come to our attention that PAX and Dragon*Con are both Labor Day weekend this year. I'm surprised that Penny Arcade scheduled it like that, Dragon*Con is ALWAYS that weekend. Oh well.

Personally, I'm going to Dragon*Con in Atlanta; not only is it within driving distance of me, its a more general purpose event. As much as I love gaming, I'd rather go to somethng more diverse. Kinda sad though, because more people I know are going to PAX.

How about you guys? Planning on attending one or the other? Like Ariock's doing in his post with PAX, those of us going the other direction should probably start planning the Atlanta trip now.

Arrival!

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:59:17 GMT

Dearest Friends,

I have finally arrived in England, but not without some adventure, as is my lot in life I'm afraid.

While traversing the Atlantic, we were beset upon by villains! Air pirates! They struck The Vermilion Potentate, our vessel, with many small aircraft, biplanes, one man each. Such maneuverability! We fought hard and valiantly, I almost wish we used a bit more reserve, some of the patchwork engineering and customization done to these craft was marvelous, a better look was to be had, but alas, too many of them fell to the ocean in flames thanks to my uncle's steadfast crew. I didn't know the party responsible, but I knew they had a tremendous engineer in their employ. In the end however, their forces overwhelmed ours, and we were boarded. A larger plane (a fantastic piece of work unto itself; I had never known that heavier-than-air vehicles could approach this size and complexity) docked with ours.

Their captain, a roguish fellow calling himself "Captain Flint Lockehart" (a ridiculous alias if I'd ever heard one) strode forward with a few of his men and addressed us. Everyone was brought above deck and the pirates began taking our valuables, pocket watches and jewelry. They even took my Electrovoltaic Aetherium gun that I had equipped in the earlier battle. While the more sensible of us tried to maintain our reserve and composure in the face of danger, the ladies on board made such a scene whenever this Captain Lockehart came near (or even so much as gave them a passing glance and raised eyebrow). Swooning, fainting, wailing in anguish, but then sometimes giggling when his back was turned. At one point, he walked over to my cousin Victoria. Uncle Wilhelm bellowed and began to burst forth and draw his sabre but was restrained by two of the buccaneers. Lockehart whispered something in her ear and a loud slap was heard; his cheek was met with a rejoinder by her hand. I have never before seen my cousin's eyes smolder with anger in that manner. The captain merely walked away smugly.

He called out to his crew to find the airship's strongbox and liberate it from our possession. It was at this point when I realized my uncle's manservant, Cliverdale was not among our number. My suspicions were correct, he sauntered out on deck with an arrogant swagger. Heated words were exchanged between him and Uncle. Now is when I made my move. I must divulge, dear reader, that the Potentate is not in the same condition it was when it first left the shipyards where it was built. Uncle employed me to create a series of concealed devices for just such an occurrence. I slunk back away from obvious view, and with a deft flick of my foot triggered a hidden switch.

A bright flash and thunderous crack interrupted the proceedings! Harmless flash powder, but it was enough to distract the rapscallions. My uncle's crew was well trained, they sprung forth and took the guns and sabers that were hidden in the very bulkheads themselves. I managed to reach my own ordinance and gave a few of the villains a quite "shocking" experience if I do say so myself. The coward,Cliverdale was the first to retreat. The pirates dropped their ill-gotten booty and fell back. However in the tumult, Captain Lockehart managed to grab cousin Victoria and use her as a shield, pressing his pistol against her delicate neck. Uncle called for us to hold. That same smoldering fire was returned to Victoria's eyes; she has such remarkable spirit for a young lady in the face of such terror. The pirate lord informed us that would we ever see her alive again, we would let them depart. Uncle Wilhelm bid his daughter farewell, never once unlocking his gaze from the captain's eyes, and their craft departed. We had not enough fuel to give chase, nor could an airship ever hope to overtake a craft such as theirs, so we resolved to continue our journey.

Upon returning to my quarters, it was as I feared. Cliverdale had ransacked them. However, all hope is not lost, I suspected him of such devilry, and swapped the blueprints for my device with those of a common atmospheric accelerometer. The real plans are still quite safe in my possession, hidden in a secret compartment of my own design.

It seems we also took a prisoner. One of the pirates was knocked unconscious by a blow to the temple during the battle. We discovered him while cleaning up the bodies of their fallen. Well, I say "him" because at this point, we didn't have any more knowledge to this pirate's identity. We revived the young pirate with smelling salts, but found him quite uncooperative and non-vocal. Upon inspection by my uncle's associate Dr. MacGillicuddy, a cascade of raven locks fell down upon shoulders as "his" hat was removed. Cleaning the dirt from the pirate's face revealed a beautiful young lady of barely eighteen years!

Her name is Margaret (though she is at this very moment standing next to me demanding that I inform you that she is to be called "Maggie") and I discovered that it was she who did the marvelous work on the pirates' flying machines! She's a brilliant engineer, and much of the remainder of the journey was spent conversing over technical matters. Never have I met a girl who understood the intricacies of cross-phlux aetheric interactions as she! It seems her father was the late Professor Brimley, who was abducted and killed by these selfsame pirates. Upon arrival, I pleaded with my uncle to not turn her over to the authorities. She is no more pirate than I am, simply a troubled girl caught in a world that she wanted no part in. Having nowhere else to go, she has joined our party.

Uncle has resolved to rescue Victoria with the Royal Navy. Maggie says that Lockehart's men move throughout the seas unpredictably, they will be quite hard to find. Nevertheless, he vows to fight to the death to save her and swears revenge upon his former manservant. Though I wonder, knowing my cousin, it seems it may be the pirates who need rescuing from her.

Kindest Regards
-C. J. Huffnagle

(rabbit hole day) my carriage awaits

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:39:13 GMT

Greetings and salutations friends and confidants from all across the Interteleographary.

I thought it best to update you all the progress of my journey. I have arrived safely in New York city thanks to the speed and courtesy of the Greater North American Overland Carriage and Rail system. The machine that delivered me hence was a marvel of the age, their newest model, a towering behemoth a full 40 feet tall at the stern. To merely call this a locomotive would be an injustice. Sixteen wheels and two mighty boilers pulled the nearly two mile long train of coaches. It truly earns its given moniker, Chariot of the Gods! As for the train proper, it was as a city unto itself, with every luxury afforded to man available within. Thanks to the generosity of my uncle that is, I could never afford this sort of excess on my own.

At present, my uncle's airship is undergoing final preparations for the cross Atlantic portion of the sojourn. His manservant, Cliverdale, tells me that the main propeller drive has recently been upgraded, granting us six less hours suspended in the atmosphere. In a way, I almost regret it, recalling the times spent on Uncle's airship as a boy. Its a veritable palace in the sky, and I'm sure warm family memories will flood back to me the moment I set foot. A strange one that Cliverdale, there is something about his manner that is a bit unsettling. Uncle assures me that its simply because I'm not accustomed to having assistants waiting on me hand and foot, but still... I grow wary of his presence.

Perhaps it is simply because I'm nervous about my meeting. I shouldn't be. All plans are in order, and Uncle will step in and do most of the talking. He assures me that all I need to do is display the plans for my device (that still at present, I am not at liberty to divulge more information my friends), and he will handle convincing the investors of parting with their funds. Still though, what if they badger me in queries? These are powerful gentlemen, captains of industry, and despite the adventures taken in the last few years, I consider myself still but a lowly tinkerer. Perhaps I shall remind myself of the time the mole-men anointed me their king after solving that nasty spot with the cave creature. Or the adventure of the Orient, wherein I received highest honors from the noble sovereign of Shang-Ri-La (and no, I shall not betray its location, I have sworn an oath of the deepest secrecy). By the gods, I will muster the confidence somehow! (perhaps a few deep swigs of Colonel Breckinridge's All-Purpose Nerve Tonic will do the trick, they say its made with extract of genuine Cherokee snake-oil!)

Also of note! You may notice that my sponsors here on my Interteleographic Pane have been updated! Rest assured that I verify each establishment before allowing them advertising space. I can not give Lord Chumly's Haberdashery and Gogglarium higher honors! Why just this morning I visited their New York location, as in my haste I realized that I forgot to pack my morning goggles! Evening, daily, and formal were accounted for, but they in jolly old England are not as casual about such matters as we Americans. The fine young saleslady at the shop was most pleasant in helping find a suitable pair of eyewear (though none were needed in her alluring presence). I nearly spent a full hour perusing their wares.

Cliverdale has just informed me that he needs to use this Aetheroscope to conduct last minute preparations for liftoff. I shall not over extend my welcome to borrow Uncle's device, so I will be off! Wish me luck all! My next communique will be from across the pond!

Yours
Cornelius J. Huffnagle