tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-146773652024-03-13T06:31:17.124-04:00DanspottingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger263125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1169219264900620882007-01-19T09:54:00.000-05:002007-01-19T10:09:04.516-05:00Coming soon: photon torpodoesGolly. The Navy has a working <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railgun>railgun</a>. <br /><br />From the <a href=http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/012007/01172007/251373>Fredericksburg Free Lance - Star</a>:<blockquote><i>Normally, new weaponry tends to make defense more expensive. But the Navy likes to say its new railgun delivers the punch of a missile at bullet prices.<br /><br />A demonstration of the futuristic and comparatively inexpensive weapon yesterday at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Dahlgren had Navy brass smiling. <br /><br />The weapon, which was successfully tested in October at the King George County base, fires nonexplosive projectiles at incredible speeds, using electricity rather than gun powder. <br /><br />The technology could increase the striking range of U.S. Navy ships more than tenfold by the year 2020.<br /><br />...<br /><br />The railgun works by sending electric current along parallel rails, creating an electromagnetic force so powerful it can fire a projectile at tremendous speed. <br /><br />Because the gun uses electricity and not gunpowder to fire projectiles, it's safer, eliminating the possibility of explosions on ships and vehicles equipped with it. <br /><br />...<br /><br />The railgun's 200 to 250 nautical-mile range will allow Navy ships to strike deep in enemy territory while staying out of reach of hostile forces. <br /><br />...<br /><br />The projectile fired yesterday weighed only 3.2 kilograms and had no warhead. Future railgun ordnance won't be large and heavy, either, but will deliver the punch of a Tomahawk cruise missile because of the immense speed of the projectile at impact. <br /><br />Garnett compared that force to hitting a target with a Ford Taurus at 380 mph. "It will take out a building," he said. Warheads aren't needed because of the massive force of impact.<br /><br />The range for 5-inch guns now on Navy ships is less than 15 nautical miles, Garnett said. <br /><br />He said the railgun will extend that range to more than 200 nautical miles and strike a target that far away in six minutes. A Tomahawk missile covers that same distance in eight minutes. <br /><br />...<br /><br />"A Tomahawk is about a million dollars a shot," McGettigan said. "One of these things is pretty inexpensive compared to that."<br /><br />He said estimates today are that railgun projectiles will cost less than $1,000 each, "but it's going to depend on the electronics."</i></blockquote><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/technology rel="tag">technology</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1166900030681129732006-12-23T13:49:00.000-05:002006-12-23T13:55:16.393-05:00The best of my photos: 2006I took thousands of photos this year. Follow the link below for the 50 or so that I think are best. <br /><br />Note that some of them, particularly towards the beginning, have been seen on Danspotting before.<br /><br /><center><b><font size=3><a href=http://danspotting.blogspot.com/2006/12/best-of-my-photos-2006.html>See Photos</a></b></font></center><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/2006jan-CapHill/images/aa100_7789.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/boulder-downtown/images/c100_6360.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/denver-middletown/images/100_6202.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/denver-lowtown/images/m100_6141.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/boulder-downtown/images/b100_6382.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/denver-uptown/images/100_6259.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/denver-uptown/images/c100_6271.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/denver-lowtown/images/m100_6489.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/lajunta-downtown/images/_a100_7087.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/lajunta-downtown/images/_a100_7098.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/lajunta-railyards/images/100_7042.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/lajunta-railyards/images/100_7045.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/lajunta-uptown/images/a000_0087.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/gardenofgods/images/100_7519.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/frye_cabin/images/f100_6782.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/Colorado/frye_cabin/images/f100_6789.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/2006jan-CapHill/images/ab100_7749.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/2006jan-CapHill/images/ab100_7753.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/privatesets/2006jan-CapHill/images/bc100_7706.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006Alexandria/images/100_7960.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006Alexandria/images/100_7962.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006Alexandria/images/100_7968.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006Alexandria/images/100_8013.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006Annapolis/images/w000_0105.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006Annapolis/images/x100_8424.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006CherryBlossoms/images/100_8220.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006CherryBlossoms/images/100_8236.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006CherryBlossoms/images/100_8206.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006KStreet/images/100_9919.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006LoganCircle/images/0100_9864.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006LoganCircle/images/100_9884.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006MtPleasant/images/100_9656.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006MtPleasant/images/100_9722.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006OceanCity/images/101_9530.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006OceanCity/images/101_9457.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006OceanCity/images/101_9481.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006OceanCity/images/101_9497.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006OceanCity/images/101_9533.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries/2006OceanCity/images/101_9546.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Chicago2006/downtown/images/100_8640.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Chicago2006/downtown/images/100_9118.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Chicago2006/hancockobserve/images/100_8721.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Chicago2006/lakeview/images/100_8937.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Chicago2006/lakeview/images/100_8938.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Chicago2006/lincolnpark/images/100_8922.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Chicago2006/transit/images/100_8920.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Chicago2006/wickerpark/images/100_9060.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Harrisburg2006/images/c100_9169.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Harrisburg2006/images/c100_9267.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Harrisburg2006/images/h100_9278.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Richmond2006/images/a101_0001.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/galleries2/Richmond2006/images/h101_0046.jpg><br /><br />See you in 2007!<br /><br /><img src=http://beyonddc.com/images/photos/transit/metro/metrocenter01.jpg><br /><br /></span><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/photography rel="tag">photography</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1166393082721714492006-12-17T16:57:00.000-05:002006-12-18T11:57:30.516-05:00Apocalypto: Apocapointless<table border=0 align=right cellpadding=5><tr><td valign=top width=210><center><a href=http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~marl/images/Tikal%20Temple%201.JPG><img src="http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~marl/images/Tikal%20Temple%201.JPG" border="0" width=200></a><br><i>Temple 1 in Tikal</i></center></td></tr></table>Mel Gibson may be a douche of a self-pious bigot, but there can be no denying the man is a master storyteller. That, combined with my interest in pre-Columbian American civilizations, had me looking forward to his movie <a href=http://imdb.com/title/tt0472043/>Apocalypto</a> more than perhaps any other this year. <br /><br />Boy was I disappointed. My laundry list of complaints is long, but to sum up: It was unrealistic and outrageous. Stop reading if you don’t want to be spoiled, but as the whole movie is instantly predictable it doesn’t really matter. <br /><br /><ul><li><b>Predictability:</b> The movie comes in essentially two acts: Our Hero's capture and then escape. There is literally not a single plot thread that anyone paying the slightest bit of attention couldn’t predict with 100% accuracy 1/4 of the way through the movie.<br /><li><b>Outrageous coincidences:</b> All of this happens in one roughly 72 hour timespan: Our Hero’s (from here on known as “OH”) village is attacked, there is a solar eclipse, OH’s wife has a baby, and the Spaniards arrive. And it all happens at the most opportune times imaginable. The eclipse happens at the exact second OH is laid out on the sacrificial altar with the priest’s hands raised ready to kill him. OH’s baby is born just seconds before he arrives to rescue his family. The Spaniards arrive at the exact minute in the exact place necessary to save OH from his pursuers. Not in a million years, Mel.<br /><li><b>Imaginative geography and timeline:</b> OH is captured from his barbarian village and over the course of a one-and-a-half-day march, taken to <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikal>Tikal</a>, greatest of Mayan cities. OH has never heard of Tikal and is completely unaware of the existence of a larger civilization beyond his hunter-gatherer village. In real life, Tikal was the center of a great empire and would have been well-known to anyone living such a short distance away. Indeed, anyone living within 2 days walk of the city would have been a subject of the empire, if not a citizen. It gets worse. As noted earlier, the Spanish arrive at the end of the movie, which would set the movie sometime in the early 1500’s. But Tikal was a classic-period Mayan city which flourished fully 1,000 years before then and was largely abandoned by end of the 10th Century. Oops.<br /><li><b>B-O-R-I-N-G:</b> Like I said earlier, the movie comes in essentially two acts. It’s two-and-a-half hours long. You do the math. The thing drags.<br /><li><b>Made-up cultural history:</b> One would think that in a movie which goes to such great lengths to achieve realism that actors speak in the native, ancient language, there would be at least an attempt to get the most basic things about their culture correct. What’s the one thing everyone knows about the Mayans, and which this movie is largely based on? The practice of human sacrifice. Unfortunately, the movie’s attitude towards the practice shifts with whatever plot event is most convenient. I won’t go into specifics, but it was wrong, wrong, wrong.<br /><li><b>Needless violence:</b> Here’s the thing, though. The Mayans really did kill humans as part of their religion, and in a movie with battles, conquest and chase scenes on top of human sacrifice, there was plenty of opportunity for “legitimate” violence. Why, then, did Gibson feel the need to contrive cultural practices of even greater violence? The “escape game”, where OH runs into the corn field was totally fabricated and completely gratuitous. It is proof that Gibson had no interest in telling an engaging or meaningful story, and simply wanted to pack as much death and destruction into one movie as humanly possible. </ul>... And that’s really the story of the film: A pointless excuse to kill a lot of people and show a lot of blood. I don’t object to violence in movies, but there ought to be a point somewhere in there, or at least a plot beyond “good guy escapes from bad guys”. The supposed morality lesson about the death of civilizations was basically non-existent. The one positive was the short scene in Tikal itself, which although it suffered from many of the same sort of problems as mentioned above, was at least visually cool. Points for that, I guess. <br />Overall, thumbs way down. <img src=http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/400/thumbdown3.gif><br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/entertainment rel="tag">entertainment</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1166290868347641342006-12-16T12:33:00.000-05:002006-12-16T12:58:16.316-05:00College football bowl predictionsI'm 133-38 on straight-up picks this season. Let's see how it goes with the bowls.<br /><br /><b>Poinsettia Bowl:</b> <i>Northern Illinois vs TCU</i><br />TCU is a legitimate ranked team. NIU is 4th place in the MAC. <b>TCU</b> will win.<br /><br /><b>Las Vegas Bowl:</b> <i>Oregon vs BYU</i><br />Should be a great game. BYU has looked good lately, but came up short in two tries this season against BCS conference schools, and Oregon is no pushover. The Ducks have lost 4 of their last 5 against I-A teams, though, so I'm picking the <b>Cougars</b> to win.<br /><br /><b>New Orleans Bowl:</b> <i>Rice vs Troy</i><br />What? Who versus WHO? Actually I always find myself rooting for little Troy. They go out and schedule multiple top-quality non-conference opponents every season. But unfortunately, steamrolling through the Sunbelt isn't the most impressive feat, and Rice will want the game more. <b>Owls</b> win. <br /><br /><b>Birmingham Bowl:</b> <i>South Florida vs East Carolina</i><br />Both these teams are better than they get credit for, but <b>South Florida</b> is the better between them. They beat West Virginia and only fell to Rutgers by two.<br /><br /><b>New Mexico Bowl:</b> <i>San Jose St vs New Mexico</i><br />This bowl may accomplish what I thought was impossible: Match up a pair of teams worse than the two in the New Orleans Bowl. Somebody has to win, so I'll pick <b>SJS</b>.<br /><br /><b>Armed Forces Bowl:</b> <i>Utah vs Tulsa</i><br />Tulsa has struggled a bit lately and Utah has been doing well, but my gut says <b>Tulsa</b>.<br /><br /><b>Hawaii Bowl:</b> <i>Arizona State vs Hawaii</i><br />There are a few "rules" I have when making bowl picks. One of them is "never pick against Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl". <b>Rainbow Warriors</b> will win.<br /><br /><b>Motor City Bowl:</b> <i>Central Michigan vs Middle Tenn. St.</i><br />I thought we were through with the Who Cares Bowls. Anyway, another of my rules is "don't pick teams from the Sun Belt". <b>Central Michigan</b> will win.<br /><br /><b>Emerald Bowl:</b> <i>UCLA vs Florida State</i><br /><b>UCLA</b> beat USC. FSU lost to NC State. I remember a few years ago when Bobby Bowden said "we don't play to go to the Gator Bowl". I wonder how he'll feel after losing the Emerald.<br /><br /><b>Independence Bowl:</b> <i>Oklahoma St vs Alabama</i><br />Interesting matchup. Neither team is very good most of the time, but both are capable of playing up on occasion. 'Bama came close a couple of times in the SEC, and OSU beat Nebraska. This game will come down to which team shows up, and I really have no idea who it will be. I'll pick <b>Alabama</b> because I have to pick someone. <br /><br /><b>Holiday Bowl:</b> <i>Texas A&M vs Cal</i><br />Cal has looked awfully vulnerable the last few weeks, but they simply have more talent than A&M. The <b>Bears</b> *should* win, and though my gut is screaming otherwise, they're my pick. <br /><br /><b>Texas Bowl:</b> <i>Rutgers vs Kansas State</i><br />Yikes. That's a helluva drop-off for Rutgers. One more win and they were in the BCS. Normally I'd be tempted to pick an upset behind a wave of "good team isn't motivated for shitty bowl", but this is Rutgers. No matter the circumstances, they're happy to be playing. And though Kansas State is rising and could once again be a B12 North factor in the coming years, the <b>Knights</b> will win this one. <br /><br /><b>Music City Bowl:</b> <i>Clemson vs Kentucky</i><br />Clemson only loses big games. This isn't one. <b>Tigers</b> win.<br /><br /><b>Sun Bowl:</b> <i>Oregon State vs Missouri</i><br />The Tigers fooled me for exactly one week this year, when they were 6-0. But it was a fluke. They suck. Since then they're 2-4. Meanwhile, <b>Oregon State</b> has 7 of its last 8.<br /><br /><b>Liberty Bowl:</b> <i>Houston vs South Carolina</i><br />Houston has had an awfully good year, while SC's best non-rivalry win came against, uh, Kentucky. The <b>Cougars</b> will be out to prove themselves, and will win.<br /><br /><b>Insight Bowl:</b> <i>Texas Tech vs Minnesota</i><br />Tech took a step back this year, but not THAT far. Gophers wouldn't even be going to a bowl if we still had 11 game schedules. <b>Raiders</b> win.<br /><br /><b>Champs Sports Bowl:</b> <i>Purdue vs Maryland</i><br />Purdue <i>survived</i> in a weak B10 (after the top 3). Maryland was a couple of bad throws away from winning a very tough division. I pick <b>Maryland</b>, but it will come down to if Hollenbach (MD's QB) can keep the interceptions down.<br /><br /><b>Meineke Bowl:</b> <i>Navy vs Boston College</i><br />What Navy does is remarkable, but they don't have a chance against <b>BC</b>.<br /><br /><b>International Bowl:</b> <i>Western Michigan vs Cincinnati</i><br />Cincinnati has fared pretty well against the MAC this year. <b>Bearcats</b>.<br /><br /><b>GMAC Bowl:</b> <i>Ohio vs Southern Miss</i><br />I like the matchup. Could see it going either way. Will pick <b>Ohio</b> with a gun to my head.<br /><br /><b>Alamo Bowl:</b> <i>Iowa vs Texas</i><br />With or without Colt McCoy, there's no reason <b>Texas</b> shouldn't win this game.<br /><br /><b>Peach Bowl*:</b> <i>Virginia Tech vs Georgia</i><br />The Bulldogs have managed to turn things around here, but Tech is a nationally elite team that somehow slipped through the cracks. They dominated Wake in Durham and Clemson still hasn't recovered from their game with the Hokies. <b>Tech</b> will win.<br /><br /><b>MPC Computers Bowl:</b> <i>Miami (FL) vs Nevada</i><br />Nevada will be worked up for the biggest game in the program's history. Nobody in Miami will care. Considering the Hurricanes suck anyway, I smell a <b>Nevada</b> victory.<br /><br /><b>Outback Bowl:</b> <i>Tennessee vs Penn State</i><br />The Lions are the best of the mediocre B10 teams. They beat who they're supposed to beat and lose to who they're supposed to lose to. <b>Tennessee</b> will win.<br /><br /><b>Cotton Bowl:</b> <i>Auburn vs Nebraska</i><br />Nebraska is getting better, but they're not there yet. <b>Auburn</b>.<br /><br /><b>Gator Bowl:</b> <i>Georgia Tech vs West Virginia</i><br />I'm not sure I'd pick GT to beat much of anybody right now. But one of the country's most unstoppable offenses? Forget about it. <b>West Virginia</b> easy.<br /><br /><b>Citrus Bowl*:</b> <i>Arkansas vs Wisconsin</i><br />Toss up. Nobody has any idea how good Wisconsin is. Arkansas is good, but was clearly a bit overrated. I guess I'll pick <b>Wisconsin</b>, but I'm not confident about it.<br /><br /><b>Fiesta Bowl:</b> <i>Boise State vs Oklahoma</i><br />I do think Boise has a chance, and if the game were on the blue turf I'd think seriously about picking them. But <b>Oklahoma</b> is too good on a neutral site.<br /><br /><b>Orange Bowl:</b> <i>Wake Forest vs Louisville</i><br />My head says Louisville, but this is a dream season for Wake... and they keep proving me wrong. So I'm done picking against them until they lose again. <b>Wake</b>.<br /><br /><b>Sugar Bowl:</b> <i>Notre Dame vs LSU</i><br />If Notre Dame wins I don't think I'll be the only shocked football fan. <b>Tigers</b>.<br /><br /><b>Rose Bowl:</b> <i>USC vs Michigan</i><br />The Trojans are a legit top 10 team, but I don't think they can hang with Michigan *if* Michigan shows up ready with its A game. If the <b>Wolverines</b> can get past the emotional blows of losing to OSU and then watching one team after another move above them in the polls, they'll win. <br /><br /><b>Championship Game:</b> <i>Florida vs Ohio State</i><br />It will be an absolute travesty if Ohio State - the team that's *already* twice beaten the number 2 team - doesn't win the national championship. But that having been said, wouldn't it be poetic justice for FL to do to the Bucks what the Bucks did to another Florida school just a couple of years ago? Wouldn't it be fitting in this topsy turvy year where Wake Forest and Rutgers have fewer losses between them than USC and Texas if the undisputed best team in the land lost the title game to a team lucky just to be there in the first place?<br />Oh man. <br />Man oh man. <br />Tressel is the man. <br /><b>Bucks</b> win.<br /><br /><i>* I refuse to call them the Chick-fil-A and Capital One Bowls.</i><br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/sports rel="tag">sports</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1165863462531758932006-12-11T13:56:00.000-05:002006-12-11T13:57:42.563-05:00Be your own tyrannical despotRemember <a href=http://www.nationstates.org/>Jennifer Government</a>, the free online nation simulation game that everyone on the internet played for about two weeks a few years ago? Yeah, I know; good times.<br /><br />Well now there’s a better option. Where Jennifer did nothing but ask us a few repetitive questions to determine what sort of ideology our government would be categorized as, my new addiction <a href=http://cybernations.net/>CyberNations</a> is far more extensive. Like JC, it’s a free online nation simulator, and like JC it only takes about 10 minutes per day to keep up. But unlike its predecessor, you have direct control over taxation, technology, relations with other countries (including trade and war), religion – a whole host of issues. <br /><br />And the more real life friends you know who have nations, the better off you are, since those folks are natural allies. <br /><br />So go create a country and start up relations with <a href=http://cybernations.net/nation_drill_display.asp?Nation_ID=70893 >mine</a>.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/fun rel="tag">fun</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1165436587601876992006-12-06T14:58:00.000-05:002006-12-06T15:23:20.973-05:00Water on Mars?Not to get too hung up on one category, especially as entries here will continue to be few and far between (though hopefully not as much), but this is big news:<br /><br />NASA’s <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Global_Surveyor>Mars Global Surveyor</a>, which did for <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areography >areography</a> what Hubble did for astronomy, has produced evidence that <b><a href=http://space.com/scienceastronomy/061206_mars_gullies.html>liquid flows regularly on Mars</a></b>. That is, Mars has rivers. Today, not just eons ago. Or if not today, within the last decade, anyway.<br /><br />I’m exaggerating a bit. What NASA has spotted isn’t a river so much as a gully cut by a sudden but temporary rush of fluid, and it remains to be seen whether that fluid was water or liquid carbon dioxide. But nevertheless, the probably of easily accessible water is a gigantic boon for both the likelihood of Martian life and the capacity of the planet to support permanent human colonization, and perhaps ultimate terraforming. <br /><br />I can almost see my lanky, pale ancestors now, bobbing along near their lakefront homes on the shores of <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellas_Planitia>Hellas Planitia</a>.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/space rel="tag">space</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1165332584079988672006-12-05T09:46:00.000-05:002006-12-05T10:37:39.836-05:00Throw a lasso and pull it downNASA has announced plans to <a href=http://www.space.com/news/061204_nasa_moon.html>colonize the moon</a> with a permanent base, most likely near the south pole. Bush-I talked about something like this, but with the Shuttle fleet aging and the International Space Station more or less a done deal, now's the time for NASA to consider new directions.<br /><br />I'm all for it. When historians 1,000 years from now study ancient American history, it's things like this that will be our legacy. As Sumer gave humanity civilization, Greece gave it democracy, and Rome public infrastructure, so will our contemporary civilization give humanity the heavens. If you ask me, that's worth a few billion dollars.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2597/1336/1600/564383/moon.jpg"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2597/1336/400/111094/moon-small.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><i>A saturated, but true-color image of the moon.</i></center><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/space rel="tag">space</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1164723503681609732006-11-28T09:05:00.000-05:002006-11-28T09:18:23.920-05:00World’s largest collection of coloring booksHere’s the deal: I was spending far too much time writing for Danspotting before. If I’m to get back into it, posts will necessarily have less original content and more links, quotes, pictures, etc. <br /><br />But as I like a good Bush-bashing session as much as anyone, this was too good to pass up.<br /><br />From the <a href=http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/475052p-399492c.html>New York Daily News</a>:<blockquote><i>He may be a certified lame duck now, but President Bush and his truest believers are about to launch their final campaign - an eye-popping, half-billion-dollar drive for the Bush presidential library.</i></blockquote>… And from the <a href= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/11/13/MN100771.DTL>San Francisco Chronicle</a>:<blockquote><i> George W. Bush, who is often photographed reading to children on the presidential campaign trail, was asked in a survey recently to name his favorite book from childhood. He cited Eric Carle's ``The Very Hungry Caterpillar.'' Trouble is, it wasn't published until 1969 -- the year after he graduated from Yale. </i></blockquote>For the record, Clinton’s Presidential <s>trailer</s> library (<a href= http://www.southdakotamagazine.com/word/wp-content/BuildingPhotos005.jpg>photo</a>) was a paltry $165 million. Gee Dubbya’s would set a new record, by far.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/politics rel="tag">politics</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/funny rel="tag">funny</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1158181621701898042006-09-13T16:58:00.000-04:002006-09-13T17:09:37.090-04:00Boy, are my arms tired<a href=http://gc.kls2.com/>Great Circle Mapper</a> is a webpage that generates a map of all the flights you've ever been on, along with other statistical data. You input where you've gone and the program does the rest. Neat.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/1600/flightmap2.gif" border="0"><br><i>Yeah, I'm pretty familiar with the Denver airport.</i></center><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/fun rel="tag">fun</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1157983326941225702006-09-11T09:57:00.000-04:002006-09-11T10:02:06.963-04:00Format changesDanspotting was once a daily blog. Obviously it’s not anymore. Thanks to a combination of being busier at work, having a more active social life and trying to devote more energy to <a href=http://beyonddc.com>BeyondDC</a>, which gets about 1,000 more daily visitors than Danspotting, I’ve cut back on the posting and probably won’t, uh, cut forward? anytime soon. I’m not closing shop entirely, but will only post when I feel like it or if something particularly post-worthy happens, as opposed to trying to find something to say once every day. <br /><br />So I’d suggest syndicating the blog with your favorite RSS aggregator, such as MyYahoo, and letting the feed tell you when there’s an update. <br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/blogging rel="tag">blogging</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/personal rel="tag">personal</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/office rel="tag">office</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1157553004550598702006-09-06T10:22:00.000-04:002006-09-06T12:47:49.460-04:00A public service announcement from mom<center><a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/cartoonsandvideos/toles_main.html?name=Toles&date=08272006><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/1600/earthvote.0.gif" border="0"></a><br><i>That's mother earth. Yeah I know. Hippyspeak.</i></center><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/environment rel="tag">environment</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/politics rel="tag">politics</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1156861523447644472006-08-29T10:24:00.000-04:002006-08-29T10:25:23.470-04:00Spoke too soonThose pesky astronomers changed their minds. When it came time for the International Astronomical Union General Assembly to vote on a new map of the Solar System, rather than <a href=http://danspotting.blogspot.com/2006/08/update-your-maps-dictionaries-and-sci.html>adding planets</a>, they <a href= http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060824/ap_on_sc/planet_mutiny_15>made the “dwarf” label official and demoted Pluto</a>. Now to qualify as a full “planet” a celestial body must not only have enough gravity to be round, but must also be the dominant body in its orbit around a star. Since Pluto’s orbit is erratic and loops inside that of Neptune, it isn’t dominant, and is therefore only a dwarf. <br /><br />The ironic bit of storyline here is the emotional response Pluto’s demotion seems to have sparked. In online poll after online poll the options that read something like “Who cares what the astronomers say? Pluto will always be a planet in my book!” or “Why mess with tradition? Pluto should remain a planet.” are winning by huge margins. And it’s not just the bumpkins; a lot of otherwise smart, progressive people are reacting in anything but a smart, progressive way. People grew up learning that Pluto is a planet and it seems most are unwilling to part with childhood comforts. <br /><br />Well folks, that ain’t science. Tradition once dictated that the world is flat, that god created it in six days, and that the best way to cure sickness is to drain a person of his blood. I can’t believe that in this so-called enlightened age we’re so set against an obviously necessary and correct change just because it’s a change.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/space rel="tag">space</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/society rel="tag">society</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1156771506626326022006-08-28T09:22:00.000-04:002006-08-28T09:26:01.070-04:00Emmy falloutMildly satisfying, with the exception of snubs to <i>Jaime Pressly</i> and <i>Steven Colbert</i>. <i>Elizabeth I</i>, the miniseries from HBO, led the pack with four awards, followed by FOX drama <i>24</i> and HBO’s movie <i>The Girl In The Café</i> with three each, and NBC’s <i>My Name Is Earl</i> and Comedy Central’s <i>The Daily Show</i> with a pair. No other show earned more than one. A full breakdown of winners is after the jump.<br /><br /><center><b><font size=3><a href=http://danspotting.blogspot.com/2006/08/emmy-fallout.html>Continue reading</a></b></font></center><br /><span class="fullpost"><b>Comedy: </b><br />Supporting actress: Megan Mullally, Will & Grace<br />Supporting actor: Jeremy Piven, Entourage<br />Directing: Marc Buckland, My Name Is Earl<br /><i>Writing: Greg Garcia, My Name Is Earl</i><br />Lead actor: Tony Shalhoub, Monk<br /><i>Lead actress: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine</i><br /><i>Best show: The Office</i><br /><br /><b>Drama: </b><br />Supporting actor: Alan Alda, The West Wing<br />Supporting actress: Blythe Danner, Huff<br />Directing: Jon Cassar, 24<br />Writing: Terence Winter, The Sopranos<br />Lead actress: Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU<br />Lead actor: Kieffer Sutherland, 24<br />Best show: 24<br /><br /><b>Miniseries / Movie: </b><br />Supporting actress: Kelly Macdonald, The Girl In The Café<br />Supporting actor: Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I<br />Lead actor: Nick Atwater, Thief<br />Best movie: The Girl In The Cafe<br />Directing: Tom Hooper, Elizabeth I<br />Writing: Richard Curtis, The Girl In The Café<br />Best miniseries: Elizabeth I<br />Lead actress: Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I<br /><br /><b>Variety Show: </b><br />Best show: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart<br />Individual Performance: Barry Manilow, Music and Passion<br />Directing: Louis Horvitz, 78th Academy Awards<br /><i>Writing: The Daily Show With Jon Steward</i><br /><br /><b>Reality Show: </b><br />Best show: The Amazing Race<br /><br /><i>Italics indicate a pick I mentioned Friday.</i></span><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/entertainment rel="tag">entertainment</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1156510593787792042006-08-25T08:51:00.000-04:002006-08-25T08:59:35.630-04:00Break a leg, Conan<table border=0 align=right cellpadding=5><tr><td valign=top width=210><center><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/1600/shatneremmy.jpg" border="0"><br><i>The Shat's need for recognition is insatiable</i></center></td></tr></table>The Emmy Awards are this Sunday. I haven't watched any miniseries or much drama this year except for <i>The West Wing</i>, which was solid but unextraordinary, so I'll stay away from those subjects, but here are my thoughts on some of the others:<br /><br /><b>Best Comedy Series:</b> I can't stand “comedy” that's just people being stupid, so scratch <i>Arrested Development</i>, and I didn't see much of <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i>. That leaves <i>Two And A Half Men </i>, which is cute but not particularly special, <i>Scrubs</i> and <i>The Office</i>. The presence of those two though make this a strong category. Either deserves to win, but painful as it may be for me to vote against a show I think is one of the best in recent memory, <i>Scrubs</i> just didn't have as good a season as <i>The Office</i>. <br /><br /><b>Lead Actor in a Comedy:</b> <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i> and <i>Monk</i> are off my radar. Charlie Sheen's schlock on <i>Two And A Half Men</i> is tired and boring, and Kevin James has never been funny on the show that wouldn't die, <i>The King Of Queens</i>. Steve Carell, on the other hand, got us to sympathize with the boss from hell on <i>The Office</i> and deserves the win.<br /><br /><b>Lead Actress in a Comedy:</b> I missed out on Lisa Kudrow in <i>The Comeback</i>. <i>Will & Grace</i> and <i>Malcolm In The Middle</i> lost their relevance years ago. Although Stockard Channing's bit on <i>Out Of Practice</i> was cute, it was basically one joke stretched way too far. That leaves Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who gets points anyway for breaking the <i>Seinfeld</i> curse with her show, <i>The New Adventures Of Old Christine</i>.<br /><br /><b>Supporting Actor in a Comedy:</b> Despite what I said earlier about the show not being that great, Jon Cryer is the heart and soul of <i>Two And A Half Men</i>. He ought to win.<br /><br /><b>Supporting Actress in a Comedy:</b> Jaime Pressly's role on <i>My Name Is Earl</i> is perfect. It's iconic and hilarious. No other choice will do.<br /><br /><b>Writing for a Comedy Series:</b> Give it to <i>My Name Is Earl</i> for a fun and unique new premise.<br /><br /><b>Best Reality Program:</b> I realize I'm fighting a losing battle with this one, but would this genre please just go away? <i>Survivor</i> and <i>American Idol</i> were neat when they were fresh ideas, but that was like a million years ago. I'm bored. <br /><br /><b>Best Variety or Music Series:</b> I hear <i>Real Time With Bill Maher</i> is good, but haven't seen it. <i>Letterman</i> lost his edge ages ago. I'd be happy with any of the other three choices, though. <i>The Colbert Report</i>, <i>The Daily Show</i> and <i>Conan</i> are all worthy winners. If I have to pick I'll go with <i>Colbert</i> to beat out a weak season of <i>Stewart</i>.<br /><br /><b>Writing for a Variety or Music Program:</b> It's all the same candidates as Best Variety Program. I'll give this one to <i>Stewart</i> though. The season was a little off because of all the new faces, but the writing was as sharp as ever.<br /><br /><b>Individual Performance in a Variety Program:</b> Stephen Colbert must win this category.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/entertainment rel="tag">entertainment</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1156181743061282592006-08-21T13:20:00.000-04:002006-08-21T13:35:43.803-04:00Get your burqa out, ‘cause here comes the theocracy<table border=0 align=right cellpadding=5><tr><td valign=top width=210><center><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/1600/eve.0.jpg" border="0"><br><i>Always remember: God hates women.</i></center></td></tr></table>A Baptist church in upstate New York <a href= http://news10now.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=76479>fired a teacher for being female</a>. It’s not your everyday case of sexism, though. Check out this except from the termination letter:<blockquote><i>"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became sinner… Thank you for your anticipated cooperation. Very truly yours, Kendra LaBouf."</i></blockquote>Kendra being the wife of Watertown, NY City Councilman and Church Pastor Tim LaBouf. <br /><br />City Councilman AND Church Pastor. <br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/religion rel="tag">religion</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/society rel="tag">society</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1155910367038316032006-08-18T10:10:00.000-04:002006-08-18T10:13:23.546-04:00He does seem honest by comparison<center><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/1600/cellcam-nixon.jpg" border="0"></center><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/cellcam rel="tag">cellcam</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/politics rel="tag">politics</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1155819688080456322006-08-17T08:58:00.000-04:002006-08-17T09:06:59.026-04:00Metro MemeAll the metro systems I've been on. Who can beat me?<br /><br /><center><div style="border:thin solid black"><br /><img src='http://metro.b3co.com/logos/chicago.gif' title='chicago'><img src='http://metro.b3co.com/logos/montreal.gif' title='montreal'><img src='http://metro.b3co.com/logos/baltimore.gif' title='baltimore'><br /><img src='http://metro.b3co.com/logos/new-york.gif' title='new york'><img src='http://metro.b3co.com/logos/pittsburgh.gif' title='pittsburgh'><img src='http://metro.b3co.com/logos/philadelphia.gif' title='philadelphia'><br /><img src='http://metro.b3co.com/logos/boston.gif' title='boston'><img src='http://metro.b3co.com/logos/washington.gif' title='washington'><img src='http://metro.b3co.com/logos/denver.gif' title='denver'><br />Got at <a href="http://metro.b3co.com">b3co.com</a>!<br /><br /></div></center><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/fun rel="tag">fun</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/urbanity rel="tag">urbanity</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1155741800584710012006-08-16T11:17:00.000-04:002006-08-16T11:23:20.843-04:00Update your maps, dictionaries and sci-fi dialogue<table border=0 align=right cellpadding=5><tr><td valign=top width=210><center><a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_Ceres><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/1600/ceres.jpg" border="0" alt="Clicking goes to the Wiki entry on Ceres"></a><br><i>Formerly considered to be the largest asteroid, Ceres is now the 5th planet from the sun.</i></center></td></tr></table>I <a href=http://danspotting.blogspot.com/2005/08/10th-planet-discovered-sort-of.html>said it would happen</a>, and now it has. Astronomers have <a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/15/AR2006081500330.html>redrawn the map of the solar system</a> to account for newly discovered objects in the <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuiper_belt>Kuiper belt</a> that are larger than Pluto. <br /><br />Our new solar system includes, at the moment, 12 planets. The traditional 9, plus <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charon_%28moon%29>Charon</a>, <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_Ceres>Ceres</a> and an as-yet unnamed body provisionally called <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UB313>UB313</a>. However, there are a <a href=http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=060816_planet_candidates_02.jpg&cap=In+proposing+a+new+planet+definition%2C+the+International+Astronomical+Union+put+12+objects+on+a+watch+list+of+candidates+that+need+further+study.+They+are+shown+here+to+scale+with+Earth.+Credit%3A+IAU%2FMartin+Kornmesser>dozen others</a> under immediate consideration and astronomers predict that there could be <a href=http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060816_planet_definition.html>hundreds</a> (scroll down to <i>“Tally would soar”</i>) that would qualify. <br /><br />The solution includes the designation of new types of celestial bodies and new definitions for old terms.<br /><br />The new, official definition of a planet is <i>any “celestial body that (a) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (b) is in orbit around a star, and is neither a star nor a satellite of a planet.”</i><br /><br />Additionally, astronomers invented a new term, <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluton>pluton</a>, which means any planet with an orbit that takes more than 200 Earth years to complete. <br /><br />Finally, two unofficial terms seem likely to become widespread: <i>Dwarf planets</i> are those smaller than Mercury, including Pluto and all the new entries, while <i>Classic planets</i> are the 8 large bodies traditionally called planets before the discovery of Pluto.<br /><br />The changes are expected to become official on August 24 with a confirmation vote at the <a href= http://www.astronomy2006.com/>International Astronomical Union General Assembly</a>.<br /><br />Got that?<br /><br />For kicks, and since heaven knows this entry could use some more links, here are a couple of handy infographics showing <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:2006-16-d-print.jpg>the largest known Kuiper belt objects</a> and <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Iau_three.jpg>the 3 new planets already confirmed</a>.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/space rel="tag">space</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1155653658293248602006-08-15T10:38:00.000-04:002006-08-15T10:54:18.986-04:00Ignorance only gets you so farRepublican George Allen, campaigning to be reelected as Senator from Virginia, <a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/14/AR2006081400589.html>repeatedly used a racial slur</a> to describe an Indian volunteer for the campaign of Allen's opponent, Democrat James Webb. Allen later apologized, noting that he doesn't know what the word means. <br /><br />That seems plausible given the context, but it begs the question of where Allen has heard the word before. The odds that he randomly invented an incorrect name to call someone that happens to be a slur against the exact race of the person being describing are astronomical. Allen must have heard the word somewhere, in a context that connected it to those of Indian descent. So if Allen is not a racist, the question becomes who among those he chooses to surround himself with is, and how much influence that person has.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/politics rel="tag">politics</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/society rel="tag">society</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1155564591969805862006-08-14T09:46:00.000-04:002006-08-14T10:13:19.416-04:00Oh Gaithersburg<table border=0 align=right cellpadding=5><tr><td valign=top width=210><center><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/1600/gburgaerial.jpg" border="0"><br><i>Small town charm, small town bigotry</i></center></td></tr></table>The good news: My hometown of <a href=http://beyonddc.com/profiles/gaithersburg.shtml>Gaithersburg, MD</a> is in the international news!<br /><br />The das-is-not-so-good news: It's because of <a href=http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6013672,00.html>this goober</a>.<br /><br />I'll let the article explain:<blockquote>A protester staked out the home of a Muslim candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates, holding a sign and wearing a T-shirt that mocked Islam.<br /><br />Timothy Truett sat in a folding chair Saturday on the cul-de-sac outside Saqib Ali's home in Gaithersburg with a sign reading "Islam sucks," and a shirt with the slogan, "This mind is an Allah-free zone"... <br /><br />Truett called his protest "an experiment," explaining: "I had heard that Muslims were generally intolerant of views other than their own, and so I thought I would put it to the test"... <br /><br />Truett said he did not think the sign or the T-shirt expressed a message of hate... "I don't think there's anything intrinsically hateful about it."</blockquote><br />Oiy.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/dumbfuckery rel="tag">dumbfuckery</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/religion rel="tag">religion</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1155303085264540552006-08-11T09:26:00.000-04:002006-08-11T12:40:10.073-04:00You're on notice!Check out <a href=http://www.shipbrook.com/onnotice/>The Colbert Report <i>You're On Notice!</i> Generator</a>. <br /><br /><center><img src=http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/1600/OnNotice.jpg><br><i>10 points to anyone who understands the reference in the last line.</i></center><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/fun rel="tag">fun</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1155223723567226702006-08-10T10:50:00.000-04:002006-08-10T11:28:44.163-04:00A good summer for American soccer<table border=0 align=right cellpadding=5><tr><td valign=top width=210><center><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/1600/dcunitedkeeper.0.jpg" border="0"><br><i>United keeper Troy Perkins during the match against Real Madrid<br>(Photo: Ted Warren / AP)</i></center></td></tr></table>Sure, our World Cup team stunk it up for the most part, except for that one game where they played the eventual champs better than any other team in the tournament, but what’s happened since then is <a href=http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-realmadrid-dcunited&prov=ap&type=lgns>pretty darn noteworthy</a>, and it’s mainly thanks to local side DC United.<br /><br />First United destroyed Scottish power <a href=http://www.celticfc.net/>Glasgow Celtic</a> 4-0. Then last week a team of MLS all stars beat English champion <a href=http://www.chelseafc.com/index.asp>Chelsea FC</a>, and just last night in Seattle United played Spanish champion <a href=http://www.realmadrid.com/portada_eng.htm>Real Madrid</a> to a 1-1 draw. <br /><br />These are major international clubs stocked with the world’s most famous and talented players. It’s still a stretch to claim DC and American soccer are as good or better than the world’s finest; MLS is still a relatively minor league in the grand scheme of world soccer. But after these games it simply cannot be denied that the best of our teams are competitive with the best of Europe.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/sports rel="tag">sports</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1155128720771330002006-08-09T08:55:00.000-04:002006-08-09T10:51:10.643-04:00Joe Lieberman is a traitorAnd not just to his party. Party loyalty is unimportant. I'm concerned about America itself.<br /><br />On Tuesday the incumbent senator from Connecticut <a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/08/AR2006080800596.html>lost his party primary, but vowed to run in the general election as an independent</a>. Never mind support for the war or views on national security. The story here is that Joe Lieberman is now willing to split the Democrat vote and turn a solidly Democratic seat into one the GOP can win. Lieberman running as an independent is the very worst scenario for anyone who wants Democrats to retake control of the Senate. It's not about Lieberman's politics at this point, with the GOP in control of every branch of government. It's a simple numbers game. Democrats need seats or the Republicans stay in control of every branch of the government.<br /><br />Frankly, I wouldn't want the Democrats in control of every branch of the government either. Checks and balances are important, and by working against them in this manner Joe Lieberman is making it clear to the world that he values his own career over the health of American democracy. <br /><br />Therefore I do not think it exaggeration to call him a traitor.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/politics rel="tag">politics</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1155044395168156422006-08-08T09:10:00.000-04:002006-08-08T09:39:55.443-04:00Because we shouldn't even try thinking for ourselvesBritish daily The Observer has a list of the <a href=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1061037,00.html>100 greatest novels of all time</a>, according to their editors - and probably only out of those written originally in English. It's an interesting list, but for pure entertainment purposes, I'd also recommend some uber conservative weekly's Nazi-like <a href=http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=7591>list of books to burn</a> (next to the list, a picture of a screaming blonde girl with "stop dating liberals!" written above her head, and an ad for a book by Ann "Douchebag" Coulter). <br /><br />The former list includes such titles as "Don Quixote", "Catcher in the Rye" and "Robinson Crusoe". The latter includes texts written by such dangerous minds as Charles Darwin, Ralph Nader, Paul Ehrlich, Rachel Carson and Alfred Kinsey. And while I can't argue with their inclusion of "Mein Kampf" as a dangerous work, I do find it a bit ironic that in preparing a list of books to burn they seem to have forgotten just what made Hitler's so dangerous.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/politics rel="tag">politics</a> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/fun rel="tag">fun</a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14677365.post-1154956114762958132006-08-07T08:50:00.000-04:002006-08-07T09:08:34.983-04:00The first is paper, right?<table border=0 align=right cellpadding=5><tr><td valign=top width=210><center><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2597/1336/400/cupcake.jpg" border="0"><br><i>ooOOoo, sparkly</i></center></td></tr></table>July 22nd was the one year anniversary of Danspotting. Hooray! <br /><br />I forgot to mention it before. Oops. <br /><br /><a href=http://danspotting.blogspot.com/2005/07/in-beginning.html>Read the first ever entry</a>.<br /><br /><p align=right><b>Tags:</b> <a href=http://del.icio.us/danspotting/blogging rel="tag">blogging</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2