Tautology of the Skeptical Sinner

Ahh 80’s geekiness revisited with relish, Karate Kid 1 and 2 available now on hulu.com - wax on… wax off.

Classic.

“Spies don’t get fired… they get burned”

I recently read a review of Burn Notice. A USA original series which is part action, part tongue in cheek that was getting some excellent ratings. Its second series season has just started, but guess where you can find season 1 in its entirety??!! You got it.

Check out the first 5 minutes and see if you likey

Go Hulu, it’s your birthday…

The show that we all love to rag on, yet can’t surf away from is now on demand at hulu

Let’s see how many “accidently” hit the link… you freaks!

I like to keep track of the blogs and sites I run across, this way I won’t forget later which site was useful/funny etc. etc. Occasionally I remember to share them.

Hair of the blog on the values of entering into discourse with service industry employees http://smellmyfinger.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/listen-i-heard-you/

I failed a geek test spectacularly over at the Taoist biker
http://taoistbiker.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/quick-dork-test/

The Generation Gap regenerates for Gen 2k over at A Tale Told by an Idiot
http://ianheath653.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/and-so-the-generation-gap-regenerates/

(And I potentially identify another one of Her Royal Majesty’s exports to The Colonies)

The “I Can’t believe it got through the Filter at Work” site of the week.
(And close contender for the most amount of smut and/or profanity in the smallest space - well done!)
http://emergingontheotherside.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/sugasm-139/trackback/

I found the above looking for the aforementioned ex-pats, not surfing for smut at work (I do that purely at home, thank you very much) on this search I also located:

http://calvininjax.wordpress.com/about/ Who I was obliged to type back a reply in a deep northern accent (Typing in accents is always a challenge)

and

http://bardsworld.wordpress.com/ Who reminded me of an old TV Show I hadn’t thought of in years called “The Crystal Maze“

I think it would be neat to have a little Ex-pat blogroll on the page, and through the magic of Wordpress. BING! Look Down and to the right… for my next trick…

And what a finale it was. **spoilers** see it first!

The final two were Christina, a 23 year old Culinary Student from MO, and Petrozza a 47 year Catering Director from NC.  If you haven’t seen it yet, you can see it over at Hulu.com, because **spoilers** will follow.

Both were strong players, and throughout the show, both of them played fair with a minimal amount of strategizing… they just focused on cranking out good food, and aside from both of them feeling the stress early on, both had great attitudes.

I really felt it was too close to call going in, but I was leaning towards Petrozza  although Christina is very cute, and talented.

Ultimately, it was a cliff hanger to the end with neither Chef really pulling away. Both had handicaps, the AWFUL Jen was on Petrozza’s team… and had the nerve to ask Chef Ramsay for a letter of reference! Then proceded to sulk her way to the end of the show.

Christina had the unpredictable and frankly, somewhat unstable Matt. Matt can cook, and when he’s not getting yelled at can really deliver good results, but does not do well under pressure.

Petrozza ran out of 2 of his prepped appetizers, and Christina had two dishes sent back for being cold. Otherwise they both had a great dinner service.

Ultimately, the way Christina handled her staff and her willingness to adapt and learn was what won her the 4th Hells Kitchen.

Way to go Christina! Enjoy your new role at LAs London Restaurant

Theres a great interview with her here.

CAN’T WAIT TIL NEXT SEASON DAMMIT!!!

The Political Inquirer sat down an Atheist and a Theist and asked them to debate this question:

“Is Atheism beneficial or dangerous to society?” and similarly, “Is Theism beneficial or dangerous to society?”

You can read the full article here http://politicalinquirer.com/2008/06/26/god-in-society-an-atheism-theism-debate/

Having read the preliminaries, I’m still a greater fan of Kyle Williams debating with a book. (Warning Long ass post). But both personalities involved in the debate seem measured and not too vitriolic. http://www.atheismisdead.blogspot.com/ represents the theist position and Leo Pardus of DE-CONVERSION the atheist. Personally, I’d have hoped someone from exchristian.net would have been invited, but it still promises to be an interesting discussion.

What, as always, has me amused is the comments.

Soon to be followed by .duh

According to CNN http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/06/25/domain.names/index.html

Apparently the most sought after domain name in this new land grab is going to be “dot.sex”
The least popular? I’m not sure, but my prediction: “ionlyhave.sex”

First I thought I was ambivalent about this decision, but then I was in two minds about that initial thought as well. It may help the adult industry find more available domain names, but more than likely all of the speculators looking to turn a buck will be camping the Registrars like only an ex-everquest player could do and buy chunks of domains that relate to the major players in the adult world.

If they’re smart, instead of doing a first come first served virtual land grab, they should auction the domains themselves a la ebay (ooo ebay.sex! - lawsuit waiting to happen!), themselves.

In my last post on Hell’s Kitchen, I struggled to find out what it was about this show that was so damn appealing.

In last night’s competition (free over at hulu.com), I think I found out what it was.

The three finalists were: Christina, Corey and Petrozza. It’s obvious, from watching them, that they’re all competent chefs who know how to cook, but can they lead the kitchen? In this episode you’ll find out. If you ask someone to describe Chef Ramsay - they’ll probably mention “shouting”, “rude”, “mean” or “English” in their description of the charismatic owner of Hell’s Kitchen - and if you have only seen previews of the show, then you’d probably be inclined to agree.

But in this episode, as each of the aspiring chef’s take a turn at running Hell’s Kitchen, showcasing their leadership skills for a shot at the prize of being Gordon Ramsay’s next executive chef, you’ll see the teacher and mentor in Gordon Ramsay. I believe that is what makes this show so worthwhile for me. You’ll see that all of the lessons, the demands for perfection and communication, the frustration he demonstrates when a chef gives him less than he knows they are capable of, all come together when each of the final three take a shot at running the hotplate. Also known as The Pass, the hotplate is where the executive chef takes the orders from the dining room, relays them to the kitchen and provides quality control on those dishes that get sent out.

The best part is when Gordon gives each of the three some “assertiveness” training. Priceless.

I’d recommend watching this one, even if you’ve never seen a single episode before. If you like it, then go back and watch how Hell’s Kitchen got whittled down to the final 3. Then tune in next Tuesday (July 1st 2008) for the Final on Fox, or next Wednesday on Hulu.

This was an awesome final three, and you are left hanging right until the end. I won’t spoil it. But I think the best two are left.

Next week’s finale looks like an amazing 2 hours of TV, with the 2 finalists each creating their own restaurant, menu, look and feel… oh, and staffing their kitchen from the contestants previously eliminated from this season.

Keep an eye out for a preview of the finale, coming soon!

An advanced, unauthorized review of their new thriller: Alone in the Dark, has apparently created a wonderful PR experience for Atari. One site broke the pre-release review publication with a “negative review” (5 out of 10 - that’s not negative, thats “meh”) in dutch.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53249

How DARE journalists warn the public in advance that a much hyped product that has a zero return policy is in fact a steaming pile of fecal matter and thereby interfere with a corporations bottom line. God forbid the game publisher should actually wait and release a game that’s original and worth playing.

Pre launch, this game was generating a lot of excitement:
http://buttonbasher.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/alone-in-the-dark/

The good news is that with all of this publicity, gamers will hopefully be put off purchasing the title and rightly so. The hilarity is that this one little Dutch site, that’s IN dutch, would probably not have impacted sales nearly as much if Atari had just quietly black-balled them. That’s right, boys and girls, classic Corporate strategy at work: Greedy AND Dumb.

 A while back, I was writing freelance for a gaming magazine. I panned a game called Master of Orion 3 in a review I wrote, mainly because out of the box it was a pile of steaming fecal matter. I awarded it a magnanimous 18%, which the editor upgraded to a 30 something, because he didn’t want to upset the publishers. But to his credit, he published the review intact.

So… Dutch Computer Games Reviewing Website no one had heard of before all this. Crack open a bud light, we salute you. You may have a funny accent, but when it comes to fighting the good fight against corporate sell outs, you tell it like it is.

Oh, and an advisory to any Game Publisher who plans on sending me an advance review copy, if it sucks, I’ll break your embargo to tell the 3 people who visit my site regularly world… and sue you for wasting my time.

And it will be in English, mother-f^@#*rs, not dutch. How’d you like THEM apples?

Skep

I think George would be glad to have died. At least now we’ll see less of Tim Russert.

But seriously, there’s a whole generation out there who barely knew him, and hopefully in death he’ll be able to get more of his important message across to those who desperately need to hear it.

Plus, he’ll get to offend people from beyond the grave… I never knew him personally, only through his comedy, but somehow… I think he’ll get a real kick out of that.

Check out his wikiquote entry (and while you’re at it… check out Mark Twain too. They died almost a hundred years apart, although the language of Mr Clemens is cleaner, the message is the same)

Some of the worthwhile links in the Blogosphere:

Some great Clips:
http://furzdurzelette.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/im-fine-but-im-not-dandy-george-carlin-rip/trackback/

A nice tribute:
http://legionofnameless.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/rip-george-carlin/trackback/

Seven Words sketch:
http://forestdragon.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/george-carlin-may-12-1937-june-22-2008/trackback/

and a Xtian writer who is saddened by the news, but happy that George is an aetheist no more: http://davidtjordan.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/newsflash-george-carlin-atheist-no-more/trackback/

The agnostic in me hopes that the enlightened are wrong, that there is indeed a heaven, I can imagine god welcoming George at the pearly gates with a “Hah!”. and a “Thanks for thinking”, then watch him go get introduced to Sam L Clemens, those two I imagine could talk for a while.

My list of (probably pulled by the copyright owner shortly) Memorable Carlin clips:

Religion is bullshit

Pro Life is Anti-Woman

George Carlin on Education & the Hidden Rulers of America

Saving the Planet

A nicely put together tribute

and most appropriately: George Carlin on Death

I know George would love it if he offended a few more of the narrow minded, and liberated a few more seekers.

George, if you’re yelling from down there… see ya soon

Skep