Mighty Forces

FontStruct

2008-05-13T14:32:54Z

My latest online obsession is FontStruct, a free online font editor from FontShop. I love typography and fonts, but font design programs have always been expensive and complex. Not so for FontStruct, which is actually fun in addition to being free. For some reason I enjoy making the punctuation the most. My first attempt at designing a font is called dottie:

Some Hillary humor

2008-05-12T16:46:44Z

This woman, Rosemary Watson, has a whole set of Hillary videos on YouTube. Recommended.

Quote of the day

2008-05-11T21:39:11Z

"You needn't worry about your reward. If money is all that you love, then that's what you'll receive." -Princess Leia, "Star Wars" Memo to the universe: Money is all that I love.

The internet can still surprise me

2008-05-11T03:53:32Z

So I just started using Twitter, a little bit. Still not convinced about why or how to use it. But right now I'm just posting random thoughts, like this one from last week: How can Barack Obama be a radical Christian, a Muslim, and a Marxist all at the same time? Amazingly, some writer from Wired picked this up, and mentioned me in an article about Obama: Report: Hoax Anti-Obama E-Mails Still Fool Dumb White Guys Crazy.

Advanced procrastination

2008-05-08T04:10:33Z

From Tales of Mere Existence:

I'm just an unfrozen caveman

2008-05-06T21:04:09Z

But for the life of me I can't understand how Barack Obama can be a radical black separatist Christian, a Muslim terrorist, and a Marxist, all at the same time. Someone explain it to me....

Adventures in video game repair

2008-05-05T20:12:29Z

After ending up having to wait two weeks for the box to ship my dead Xbox 360 back to Microsoft, I took the (now filled) box to the UPS Store this afternoon. Even though Microsoft makes you use the plain unmarked white box to ship the console - supposedly to combat theft - the guy behind the counter took one look at the box in my hands and smiled, saying, "Xbox, huh?" "Yes," I said. "Do you get a lot of these in here?" "Yeah - about three or four a day," he said. Three or four a day, at one UPS store in one town. Wow. Meanwhile, thousands of copies of GTA IV sit on store shelves, mocking me.

I want to be Tony Stark

2008-05-05T03:51:30Z

I don't think I've ever seen a movie that delivers such a heady mixture of wish fulfillment as "Iron Man." Tony Stark is a brilliant, charismatic inventor billionaire with a fantastic house, dedicated loyal assistant and a whole host of high-tech playthings. And did I mention he can fly? Yeah. As played by the incomparable Robert Downey, Jr., I both want to sleep with Stark and be him; his charisma is palpable. And as the centerpiece of one of the most fun summer blockbusters I've ever seen, he and director Jon Favreau provide us with that rarest of entertainments - a movie that absolutely delivers, on every level. It's funny and sweet and exciting and the action is thrilling. And Downey is the heart, literally. I'm not normally much of a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, but her chemistry with Downey as aforementioned loyal assistant Pepper Potts adds much to the experience, rather than being just the focus-grouped distraction it would be in a lesser movie. Favreau is a master of tone here, absolutely committing to both the action and the human elements of the story. This. movie. kicks. ASS. If you don't see it, you're not having all the fun you could this summer.

Grand Theft Auto: Tipper Gore

2008-05-03T13:42:31Z

After years of laughing at all the people whose Xbox 360s got the "red ring of death," mine is now dead too, right at the release of GTA IV. Yes, I am a tragic figure.

Random thoughts

2008-05-02T08:32:20Z

One of the reasons I don't have pets - especially cats - is that I don't want them found eating my corpse after I die alone.

Laugh for the day

2008-05-01T15:54:55Z

I was chatting online with my wise and funny friend Jason this morning, and I told him that Bill O'Reilly said that we never invaded Iraq. "Maybe Iraq fell on our army while taking a shower," he said.

Ben Stein is basically evil

2008-05-01T15:21:21Z

"When we just saw that man, I think it was Mr. Myers [i.e. biologist P.Z. Myers], talking about how great scientists were, I was thinking to myself the last time any of my relatives saw scientists telling them what to do they were telling them to go to the showers to get gassed ... that was horrifying beyond words, and that's where science -- in my opinion, this is just an opinion -- that's where science leads you." -Ben Stein, in an interview with Trinity Broadcasting Network The thing is, Stein knows better. He knows better. And that's what gets me so angry. I'm just so tired of putting up with this nonsense. Terri Schiavo was just napping. The earth is 4,000 years old. Evolution is a conspiracy. Science is faith. HIV does not cause AIDS. Global warming is a conspiracy. Anyone who's ever read a book not on Oprah's list is an elitist. Racism doesn't exist. We didn't invade Iraq. We found WMDs in Iraq. George W. Bush is a genius. Gay marriage will destroy the family. Michael Moore has blood on his hands. Barack Obama is a Muslim. Barack Obama is a Marxist. Liberals are fascists. What exactly is wrong with us? Why are we like this? I honestly would like the answer. UPDATE: Here's a puppet with some thoughts on Ben Stein.

Giving life meaning

2008-04-30T15:53:09Z

Look at the narcoleptic cat, and all will be revealed.

Taxi ride

2008-04-30T11:17:13Z

My niece is putting on a children's play with her Edgewood College class called "Nowhere for Polar Bear" about the effects of global warming. I snuck my little camera into the "family night" performance and took this and a couple other video clips. Now that Flickr allows posting short (less than 90 seconds) videos, I thought I would try posting these. Worked well, I think.

Why I love John Cole of Balloon Juice

2008-04-29T01:22:03Z

"Rev. Wright was a Marine and then spent his entire life trying to make things better for people. He can say whatever the fuck he wants. And he sure as hell didn't send the economy into the shitter while vilifying half the country and sending 4,000 people to their deaths while presiding over a torture regime. Some perspective, please." Amen, brother.