Mood:  irritated

So it seems that the regime in Tehran has been up to more than just killing gays and beating dissenters with gigantic, Prophet Mohammed-approved sticks-o-righteousness:

They claim to have built and launched a space missle in under nine-months... all by themselves!

Okay: never mind that, despite the fact that each and every piece of that missile has the words "Made in N. Korea" stamped on it (and that it STILL took them nine months to figure out the assembly instructions; I did better with toy airplane models as an 8-year-old!) but doesn't the Qur’ān itself disprove of such a task?

I mean, that sounds like science, doesn't it? Kinda... blasphemous, and forward-thinking. Not something that's supposed to be encouraged by the religious ruling counsel, unless they're hypocrites and only want to bolster their military might, of course (and heaven forbid that be the case!). Considering this: I think that Ahmadinejad should be brought before the Moral Police: sounds like someone's dissing the Prophet.

In any event, this is just another step Iran is taking towards its own annihilation (we can only hope that they do as little damage as possible to the rest of us on their way out).

Hell, in Typers I posit that the 'Arab War'* takes place in the 2050's or so. Guess I may have to move that date up a bit.

*(Yes: I'm aware that the Iranians are 'Persians', not Arabs, but I assume that the eventual conflict that brings the West and Middle East to serious blows will be some kinda proxy-war in Palestine. Remember, Hezbolla is Iranian-run, after all, and one assumes that a blustery Iranian nation will first overstep their bounds in this theater; it will only END in the Iranian theater... Of course, my opinions are rooted in fiction, but still based on  some reality...)

Posted by shanekentknolltrey at 1:16 AM MNT

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Mood:  chillin'

Far be it for the defense department and the military to have all the fun throwing up missiles at disabled spy satellites: why can't those guys at NASA get in on the demolition racket?

Seems they've found an excuse...

Alright: technically this sounds like a reasonable method to determine the contents of the moon's poles, or at least the quickest. But, then again, it's rather like a doctor slicing his patient down the middle in order to check for any possible tumors or diseases of the internal organs...

Don't we have enough sophisticated technology to determine the pole's contents with a less... I dunno, invasive procedure?

It's just that, as a taxpayer, I get a little bit nervous when I notice this apparent trend of sending complicated, state-of-the art equipment hurtling into stuff that's gonna destroy it...

Couldn't they just buy a few faberge eggs and toss them against a wall? 

In other news, here's a "tart" alert:

This (or most likely a heavily-modified contrast-and-color-variation thereof) is going to be the next chapter's leading image: 

And this is what I'd really like it to be, but unfortunately it's way too wide-screen (and, frankly, way too explicit, thematically...)

 Of course, if anyone wants to change my mind, I'm receptive to the argument (or, if you wanna tell me that both images are rubbish that's fine too: my ego will rise from the ashes, for sure  :-)

Posted by shanekentknolltrey at 7:45 PM MNT

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Mood:  a-ok

So, I remember sayin' that I'd have 'Filial Affection' done in a month...

That was before I lost the chapter, or at least 75-percent of it, half-way through the writing.

I was so bitter about it that I haven't seen fit to bring it up, lately, but I think I will now.

Mainly because the chapter is now up, at long last, and my bitterness has passed.

These little snags simply provide us with the opportunity to (albeit forcibly) rewrite and, in doing so, polish things to a slightly keener sheen.

Well, I'll leave that judgement to the reader, I suppose... 

Posted by shanekentknolltrey at 6:25 PM MNT

Updated: Tuesday, 26 February 2008 6:27 PM MNT

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Mood:  cheeky

Word comes from the Land of the Rising Sun that there's a spiffy new communications satellite going up in the near future...

The Japanese have launched a new satellite into orbit, huh? Big deal.

Guess they haven't been following curent trends: these days all the really cool kids on the space-race block aren't putting stuff into orbit.

We're taking sh*t down, led by the example of the Chinese, 'natch.

Hey: take that, you f**king Russian bastards! Never thought I'd see the day that the new space-race would pit the US against "Made In" China.

Although, on second thought, I really should have...

In any event, you just KNOW that ol' Ronnie's sitting on his cloud and getting one hell of a chuckle out of the whole thing. 'Star Wars', my ass... 

Scientific Progress goes out to the Interstate and tries chucking rocks at fast-moving cars. 

Posted by shanekentknolltrey at 3:35 PM MNT

Updated: Sunday, 24 February 2008 3:38 PM MNT

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Here's my own rejoinder to the 'eated your cookie' meme:

Bengals aren't known for their incredible home-ec skills, or their temperment after being woken from a nap, I'm told... 

Posted by shanekentknolltrey at 5:43 PM MNT

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Mood:  a-ok

I didn't make a reccomendation right after seeing it, but if you want a real pisser of a great movie treat, go out and catch a screening of In Bruges. After seeing it for a record third time (long story...) I'm just as convinced now as then that it's one of the best arty-ish action flicks around. I'm being serious: I rate this thing way above more morose fare like 'There Will be Blood', and only slightly behind a movie like 'No Country for Old Men' (yeah: the genres are slightly off, but you get my point).

The flick actually makes me wanna possibly stop off in that pretty li'l town if my Scotland trip ever pans out. At least I know they've got a pizza place, anyway (see the movie for that one...)

Hell: see the movie anyway: it's friggin' terrific. 

Posted by shanekentknolltrey at 1:29 AM MNT

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Mood:  lazy

Well: here's the last chapter in what has come to be the 'Aquarium Trilogy' of postings: I tossed li'l "Draygon Jr." in the tank with a blessing and a good luck wish (hey: kinda like the first R-Type ship and the Bydo Empire! Only... well... not...)

After some chasing and general harassing, Draygon seems to have calmed down somewhat; it's possible that the li'l dragonet might just make it to spring break, and if it makes it that far, I'll be most pleased indeed. 

And if it gets itself killed, well: I vow to NEVER again waste any $ on such a chameleon charlatan of a fish. Sheesh: dragonets are more a nano thing, anyway...

On a TOTALLY unrelated note, I was pleased to find that 'Planet Tad' was added back into the most recent issue of MAD magazine. That's easily my favorite piece in the whole damn magazine (and the only thing that's kept my subscription afloat in recent times: I've been on the fence ever since Prohias kicked the bucket...)

Low Brow, am I? Well: If you think yourself too intelligent to be bothered by such a sundry item then good day to you, sir. 

Posted by shanekentknolltrey at 2:49 AM MNT

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Mood:  don't ask

Guess who decided to crawl out from behind one of my tank's filter column as I spot fed my fire shrimp ten minutes ago?...

That son of a bitch! Three weeks I've gone without hide nor hair of him (he doesn't really have hair anyway, but... you know what I mean...) and then, not a day after I place an order for a replacement dragonet with the good people at SaltWaterFish.com, not a DAY after, the little bastard comes poking out of the back of the tank...

...yeee-eee-eee...

Now, I provide enough space behind the rockwork in the tank so that, concievably, any fish could live their entire life back there without ever coming near the front glass (though it'd be a tight fit...), but just based on the law of averages I usually see all my fish at least every other day...

Draygon is a bastard: plain and simple. And I've already bought him a little roomie, as I've said, that I cannot refund. I hear tell that mandarins tend to fight with each other unless they're mated pairs. Eh: the tank should be big enough for the two of 'em to stay out of each other's way....

...and if they don't? Well: Draygon'll kill the li'l replacement, cementing his position as the a**hole of my tank.

If you'll excuse me: I need a stiff drink... 

EDIT:  In retrospect, I assume that all the copepods I dumped in the tank prior to the replacement dragonet's arrival must've coaxed him out of the muck beds in the back and to the surface so he could chow down on some quality food.

Posted by shanekentknolltrey at 5:54 PM MNT

Updated: Friday, 15 February 2008 6:07 PM MNT

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Mood:  down

All signs point to the fact that one of my fish has gone to the great big ocean in the sky.

I say the signs 'point to'  this conclusion because:  a) Draygon (my Mandarin Dragonet) is a pretty secretive fellow, and I only saw him every couple of days at a time, if I'm lucky and  b) my tank is a most efficient ecosystem, and fish corpses don't last very long at all before they become 'one with the reef', as I euphemistically put it. In fact, I've never seen a fish corpse floating in my tank ever, and I've gone through a few fish in my time.

Anyway, I've already ordered a 'replacement-part' for the tank (Draygon Mark II) and I'm stockin' up on some tasty, tasty copepods, in case that was an issue in the previous fish's demise.

I sound glib and ho-hum about it, but in point of fact that was one of my best fishes (and 2 years old, I think) and if I were to lose a fish, that one wouldn't have been my first choice...

And yes: I tend to name all my fish, too... lots of people do it... I'm told...

...it's perfectly normal.... 

Posted by shanekentknolltrey at 3:41 PM MNT

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Mood:  bright

I'm not the only one wasting my time with utterly stupid stuff, as this video link I was provided with clearly shows (although, in this case, the result is f**king hilarious...)

YouTube presents: metal gear kitty!

Posted by shanekentknolltrey at 4:56 PM MNT

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