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Jul. 18th, 2008

Mad Scientist

Special Event Notice for My Angeleno Friends

The Los angeles chapter of the National Space Society, OASIS, is hosting a reception this Saturday, July 19, 2008 at 3:00 PM to mark the 30th Anniversary of the chapter. The reception will be at the
Western Museum of Flight at Torrance Airport.

Tickets are $25. Tickets can be purchased at the door, but we'd like a good count for the catering.

To make reservations and pay at the door, call the OASIS Hot Line at
310-364-2290.

What: OASIS 30th Anniversary Celebration
Where: Western Museum of Flight
Torrance Airport
3315 Airport Drive,
Hanger Red Baron #3
Torrance, CA 90505
When: Saturday July 19, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Tickets: $25/person

The timing of my recent trip didn't allow me to make this event, but I hope that some of you can make the trip; it would be another great way to celebrate Tranquility Day.

Apr. 6th, 2008

Mad Scientist

Charlton Heston, 1923 - 2008

A graceful remembrance of an extraordinary talent.

Rest in peace, sir.

Mar. 23rd, 2008

Mad Scientist

Christus resurrexit!

Vere resurrexit!

Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!

Krisztus feltámadt! Valóban feltámadt!

... and a whole host of other languages' exultation, here.

Happy Easter!

Mar. 21st, 2008

Mad Scientist

TANSTAAFL

... About that strike thingie...

TANSTAAFL

Just. Sayin'.

Mar. 9th, 2008

Mad Scientist

MORE

... good reading to be had at Voices/Future Tense;

Issue Eight is now online!

I remain,
your humble publisher

;-)

Feb. 29th, 2008

Mad Scientist

Grace Notes

Many of us are Quite Wittier; few are quiet -- wittier.

... John Hertz

Feb. 27th, 2008

Mad Scientist

William F Buckley, Jr: 1925-2008

I learned, from WFB, that grace in discourse was a virtue. I learned that disagreeing with someone’s politics did not require me to hate them; was, in fact, my loss, did I do so. I learned that I might, sometimes, myself be mistaken, and to be mindful of that even when I am certain of my stance.

He taught me to value douceur before I even knew the concept existed.

I see, here and there in commentary, that this lesson hasn’t “taken” everywhere.

We are the poorer for that, and for his loss.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine:
et lux perpetua luceat eis.

(crossposted at 'tother blog)

Feb. 25th, 2008

Mad Scientist

A Rare Attack Of Memeage

I rarely do these. But courtesy of sister [info]coyotewoman ...

[ ] I've been to a drive-in movie theater.
[ ] I saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show.
[ ] I voted for (or could have) Ronald Reagan.
[ ] I was in a Christmas pageant in public school.
[ ] I remember what I was doing when John Kennedy died.

[ ] I used to watch Star Trek during its original run.
[ ] I know what 45 and 33-1/3 describes.
[ ] I've ridden in cars that didn't have seat belts.

[ ] I used to watch Romper Room.
[ ] I belonged to Future Homemakers of America.
[ ] I've gone to an Elvis Presley concert.
[ ] I own/used to own an 8-track player.
[ ] I used to wear a hat, doilie, or handkerchief on my head in church.
[ ] I've bought a McDonald's cheeseburger for 18 cents.
[ ] would go to sleep while or just after watching Johnny Carson.
[ ] I have watched a black and white television.
[ ] I have/used to have a leisure suit.
[ ] I've been to a tent revival.

[ ] I attended
Woodstock.
[ ] I've been to a state fair and looked at the animal barns.
[ ] I could spin a hula-hoop around my middle.
[ ] I've been spanked at school by a teacher/principal.
[ ] I've been to a
Cher concert.
[ ] I watched The Sonny and
Cher Show during its original run.
[ ] I looked forward to hearing Guy Lombardo play "Auld Lang Syne."
[ ] I called adults "Sir" or "Ma'am."
[ ] I've had a smallpox vaccination
.
[ ] I used to watch Dick Clark on American Bandstand
[ ] I've been to a rodeo
.
[ ] I've competed in a rodeo.
[ ] I scheduled my evenings around Dynasty.
[ ] I've sold Girl Scout cookies.
[ ] I am/was in a fraternity/sorority.
[ ] I've eaten breakfast at a Sambo's Restaurant.
[ ] I had a poster of Farrah Fawcett on my wall/door.
[ ] I had a crush on Ricky Nelson.
[ ] I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon.
[ ] I had an aluminum Christmas tree and a color-wheel lamp.
[ ] I have/had a fondue pot and use/used it.
[ ] I've used a rotary phone.
[ ] I remember when African-Americans were called "colored people" in polite company.
[ ] I've been to
West Berlin before German reunification.
[ ] I had a paper credit card.
[ ] I played with a Water Wiggle.
[ ] I danced all night to Donna Summer and Whitney Houston.

[ ] I've driven/ridden in a Pacer.
[ ] I've stayed up all night playing Risk.
[ ] I saw the original Star Wars movie in a theater.
[ ] I've taken group showers with members of my junior/senior high school class.
[ ] I remember when HIV was called HTLV-IV.

[ ] I watched The Simpsons when it was a short on The Tracy Ulman Show.
[ ] I had to install MS-DOS on my computer before I installed Windows.
[ ] I have/had a Sony Walkman.
[ ] I modeled my hair and clothes on people in
Beverly Hills 90210.
[ ] I've played PacMan.
[ ] I (used to) put on a suit and tie/dress to go shop at the downtown department store.
[ ] I saw Top Gun in the theater more than six times.
[ ] I've read Rushdie's The Satanic Verses.
[ ] I've used a Jane Fonda workout video.
[ ] I remember when Michael Jackson was black.
[ ] I know who shot J.R.
[ ] I owned a pet rock.
[ ] I have/had a Betamax
VCR.
[ ] I had "all the way" sex before I was married and had to keep it secret.
[ ] I burned a bra and/or draft card.
[ ] I've ridden in a double-decker bus.
[ ] I've ridden in the back window of my parents' car.
[ ] I've edged the grass in a yard with hand clippers.
[ ] I had a television aerial outside my house.
 
Oddly, though, I don't feel old. *grins* 

Jan. 1st, 2008

Mad Scientist

New Year's Much?

If what you do on New Years' Eve sets the theme for your upcoming year?

I'll be BUSY.

*whew*

So my best to you all, and may you all enjoy splendid New years! 

Dec. 19th, 2007

Mad Scientist

No Boom Today...

Not near my place, nor any of mine.

We don't know if anyone's been injured, or killed, as I write this. We wait in trepidation...

But I'm OK. So's Sharpie, and John.

Dec. 18th, 2007

Mad Scientist

Time For Some Thrillin' Didactics...

(crossposted at dedoc.net, facebook, myspace, and a host of other places)

For those of you who live in Venomous Kate’s neck of the woods (may you all be warm)… or whom are interested in seeing what David was writing about, a few months ago…

Great Plains Fechtschule Presents:
Biomechanical Concepts of
Historical Martial Arts
A Seminar by Roger Siggs

Historical Western Martial Arts are the martial arts that were taught, studied and used throughout Europe prior to the widespread usage of firearms. Similar to Asian styles, WMA has a number of different ‘traditions’ and systems — all of which hold one fundamental truth in constant: To defend oneself, and ones companions, regardless of situation, environment or opponents.

This seminar will focus on the biomechanical and kinestethic underpinnings of all combat, through the use of historical close-quarters combat material.

Date: March 1 & 2
Time: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm each day
Requirements: Longsword Waster, Rondel Dagger Waster, Loose-fitting clothing
Place: Cair Paravel Gymnasium, Topeka, KS
Minimum Age: 14
Cost: $80 before 2-1-08, $90 after 2-1-08 and at the door. Lunch and drinks included both days.
Contact: Jessica Finley at jessica.finley AT sbcglobal.net or 785-235-9630 for more information and registration.

I have been asked by Roger to attend as a teaching assistant, and I am delighted to accept.

Mark your calendars. I have…

Tags:

Nov. 21st, 2007

Mad Scientist

Happy Getaway Day!

... from here, from work, my happy good wishes to everyone who hits the roads today. 

May you travel smoothly,
safely,
happily,
and arrive in a good time,
have a splendid holiday,
and a pleasant trip home.

(I'll see some of you tomorrow, at zero-dark thirty, as I travel. But for now... "work of the day".)

Oct. 3rd, 2007

Mad Scientist

From WMAW: Le mot juste

I am still processing and integrating the marvelous weekend I had at WMAW.

But I wanted to stop a moment and share this. Lots of people semed to find it apt, so it is perhaps worth sharing.

The world is your dojo
Your training? What you face, today.
Your ground is here.

Sep. 9th, 2007

Mad Scientist

Random Sunday Mailbox Cleaning Thought:

If you're trying to entice someone into opening your spam,
no matter what the reason be...

It is, perhaps, not a bad idea

to spell correctly.

"Colleage degree"?

oh, please.

Aug. 12th, 2007

Mad Scientist

SHARKS!

well...

kinda.

Sorta.

http://www.dedoc.net/?p=1221 has the chilling details. *twinkle*

Jul. 27th, 2007

Mad Scientist

To The People Who Love Me...

in the varied ways and fashions you do...

I've been thinking about the old saw "... you make me a better person".

I am not sure that's true.

You don't make me do things, become someone I am not, or become someone I cannot be.

I'm much more blessed.

You inspire me...
cajole me...
convince me...
encourage me...
help me...
delight me...

You free me to be more honest;
more relaxed;
more calm;
more... really me.

You free me to be a better person.

And because of you... I am.

To all who bring love to my life?

Thank you, and LOVE you.
Tags:

May. 31st, 2007

Mad Scientist

Striking A Balance

Warren Ellis gets it just right.

LJ has the right to do what they want with their servers...

and I have the right to eye their claims to support free speech with jaundiced pen.

Identify and strike illegal activity, involving child abuse, from their servers? No argument here. I'll applaud, cheerfully.

But they have stricken rape survivor groups and incest support groups in order to appease the delicate sensibilities of a fundamentalist group. That's what they chose.

THEY chose to wrap themselves in the mantle of "free speech".

Now let them earn it.

Or earn our scorn, and our departures.

May. 16th, 2007

Mad Scientist

Rev. Falwell: RIP

Deeply, deeply flawed.

Angry, scared, bitterly hated man.

May God have mercy on his sins and mistakes.

And may every blogger who's posted about Falwell's death receive more mercy, when they die, then they've showed him in their writings.

Yes, more mercy.

Because some of them are going to need it.

Feb. 28th, 2007

Mad Scientist

Random Cheerful Observation:

It is extraordinarily pleasant to spend an evening's dinner in the presence of a man who adores his beloved wife.

*smiles*

Jan. 30th, 2007

Mad Scientist

Busy? Well, A Wee Bit... (UPDATE)

Editing, actually...

And if far-future SF is your cuppa, I hope you like the result:

Issue Four of Voices/Future Tense is now online.

www.voicesoa.net/issue-four-january-2007-37-at/

(Update) There's a reason I disabled the hotlink, BTW -- apparently lots and lots and LOTS of traffic is generated by any autolink built into a new LJ entry. I just appear to have crashed access to my server...

Home-grown DDOS. Dear. Me.

It may be another day or so, now, before you can get in. I hope the wait's worth it... :-/

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