In (extreme) brief… Had a great time at alobear’s parents place. Her mum goes mildly insane at Christmas time and ensured that everyone had at least 10 parcels to unwrap on the day including books, CDs, DVDs and t-shirts for me :-D. Went from there to my folks place which was okay but it’s…

January: Drinking. I wasn’t planning to but I need to steady my nerves. The flat smells of burnt cat-hair. Go read thessalian’s journal if you haven’t already…

Febuary: Gah. Must do proper update at some point…

I need to refer to serenitysangel’s latest LJ entry to qualify for one of her meme’s — which is a bit pointless since if she hasn’t already friended you you won’t be able to read it anyway… ;-)

Went to see King Kong with alobear tonight. To get it out of the way first — yes, Andy Serkis deserves an Oscar.

The film really is a spectacular in the old vaudevillian styles. You’ll laugh, you’ll scream, you’ll cry — “Roll up, roll up, the…

Anyone interested in a cthulhu live game?

I’ll send out an email for the (many) people that don’t read my LJ.

Excellent discussion going on over at thessalian’s. Be particularly interested in corone’s PoV what with him considering a degree in RE an’ all…

If people are interested in discussion this stuff then how about some theodicy? More here.

alobear and I have a good time at Dragonmeet. Picked up a copy of Affils as well as more dice and a copy of Saving Dr Lucky.

Played a very silly game on Runequest in the afternoon. The players were just me, alobear and a 13 year old kid called Conner who had way more good ideas than…

Following on from this post a micro-review of the Atheism sites I happened across there. These are for my future benefit (for finding this stuff again) as much as for anyone else.

Site Arrogance Personal Rating Comment 
 
 
 
 http://www.atheists.org 2/10 8/10 Reasonable…

A school in Hampshire has recorded dramatically improved results by streaming the entire school. Like the American grading system (in theory if not in practice) all classes are devided by ability not age (must make timetabling a nightmare).

What do people think or the practice in general…?

Belligerent Design

© Lore Brand Comics.

• The technology for parents to track their kids via GPS is on sale this Christmas.
• In the US a court case is pending as to whether a school can legally inform a childs parents about their sexuality.
• Flights to extra-national CIA “prisons” stop off in…

Though I’m not really following the fandom any more I just had to include this link via serenitysangel to The Hand Puppet Movie Theatre Presents: Serenity.

I particularly liked:

• Operative: “Peek-a-boo! All your psychic runaways…

• PATRIOT Act extended.
  Impeachment raised in the Senate but nothing will happen. American judge rules detentions in Cuba illegal but there’s nothing he can do about it. Dispatches From the Culture Wars essay about how the administration of President Bush is so arrogrant that it doesn’t even…

• Good to know the ‘ol Homeland Security people are on the ball as ever with 30,000 people mistakenly put on a watch-list and staking out mini golf courses.
• Usual religous double-standards as the Pope denounces materialism from balcony of…

BloodRedSun on /. put into eloquent words something I’ve been trying to say for ages. Quote:

“I agree with you to a certain extent in that people take knowledge for granted but that is understandable. Knowledge at a certain level does become, for want of a better…

Snagged from serenitiesangel

[ ] I am shorter than 5'4.
[ ] I think I’m ugly sometimes.
[ ] I have many scars.
[ ] I tan easily.
[ ] I wish my hair was a different color.
[ ] I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color.
[ ] I have a tattoo.
[x] I am self-conscious about my…

Radio Four’s In Our Time current has an excellent episode discussing the idea of heaven (they’re never up for long).

Reminded me of this from The Parking Lot Is Full:

For some odd reason I seem to find this rather endearing. Plus he’s already number 5 if you google for “dancing man”.

US: As far back as 2002 President Bush authorised the NSA to spy on American citizens inside the US (Giblets take on this). The Department of Defence regularly spies on peace groups including the Quakers. President Bush finally agrees torture ban that the Senate was going force him into anyway (Giblets on…

Seen reports in several places that The Department of Homeland Security investigated this guy for taking Mao’s ‘Little Red Book’ out of his college library.

I’ve not seen any credable links to any proof of this though. It wouldn’t surprise me if…

sinbadsilk talks excellently about the CIA.

Huge list of lists of everything form 2005.

The UK becomes one of the most morally forward looking countries in the world as it legalises cival partnerships. Interestingly you can be straight/celabate and have one of…

New Conservative leader (what’s his name again…?) gets off to a flying start by hiring on of the sub-eds of the Sun to be a speechwriter.

Argentina breaks ties with the IMF. I think, like so many political institutions, the IMF is a grand idea but in reality is used by the…

I’m an athiest but stuff like this (very negative review of Narnia) and the original version of this (porn for Bibles exchange) do not help the cause.

At least the second one has stepped back somewhat and provided some very interesting URLs I may review here later…

Blimey.

Quote:

“Those who disagree with our holding will likely mark it as the product of an activist judge. If so, they will have erred as this is manifestly not an activist Court. Rather, this case came to us as the result of the activism of an…