I don’t have a lot that’s profound or interesting to say about WikiLeaks, and much of what I could say has been said better elsewhere.
But as it happens, I’ve got a copy of John Brunner’s The Shockwave Rider
I’m increasingly convinced that Brunner got it right. Not the small details of what the society of the Internet would look like, but I think he’s batting close to 100% on the big picture.
Dear members of the Imperial Stars:
Here’s a link to the guitar tab for “Folsom Prison Blues”.
I think you might need that where you’re going.
So what has Gregg Easterbrook up in arms this week? Would you believe Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?
Cranston, Rhode Island, a town I have a passing familiarity with, has a small problem.
Some of their stop signs were put up illegally.
And when I say, “some”, I mean, “692 out of 2,600“.
Hilarity has not, so far, ensued, but the city council is working on it.
Every issue of Playboy from 1953 to 2010, on a USB hard drive, for $300.
(Hattip: Jimbo.)
I don’t see this on Amazon yet, or I’d throw up a link. In any case, if I was going to get a complete magazine archive, Playboy is pretty low on my list. The Complete New Yorker
This is a general administrative reminder that purchases made through Amazon links on Whipped Cream Difficulties, such as this one
You can also use the new Amazon search box on the sidebar to get the same effect, just by searching for products on Amazon. (I’ll leave that box near the top for now, but I’ll probably move it lower after the holiday season ends.)
To repeat what I said last year, “Think of it as like a PBS or NPR pledge drive, but without all the annoying program interruptions, and not so much Three Tenors or Wayne Dyer.”
More local moms taking placentas home.
Am I evil? Because the first thing I thought of was the SNL “Placenta Helper” skit.
(I am unable to find a transcript online, but here’s a “Straight Dope” column referencing the skit.)
Oh, yes, please! Having Leach coach at Miami would be awesome! However, current speculation seems to be that they’re going after Jon Gruden. Which would leave an empty space in the MNF booth.
Obit watch: the late great Leslie Nielsen. (WP. LAT.)
It is somewhat unfortunate that people of my generation mostly remember him for Airplane, the Naked Gun movies, and possibly for Naked Gun‘s precursor, the short-lived and little-watched but screamingly funny Police Squad!
But before all that, he had a serious dramatic career, as the obits note. He knocked around various TV series doing guest shots, played the Captain in the original Poseidon Adventure, and had lead roles in at least two TV series during the late 60’s/early 70’s.
Back when Austin still had an RTN affiliate, I was able to record episodes of The Bold Ones (which really needs to have a DVD release) on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. For those who don’t remember The Bold Ones, it was an early “wheel” show, where each week was devoted to a different profession; doctors, defense attorneys, police and prosecutors, senators…
Leslie Nielsen starred in “The Protectors” portion of the wheel, playing the police chief of a medium-sized California town. You could see where a lot of “Police Squad”/”Naked Gun” came from, just watching Nielsen act. But at the same time, “The Protectors”, like the other parts of The Bold Ones, was a serious and honest attempt to deal with contemporary social problems in a fictional setting. If you still have RTN in your area, see if you can catch “Memo from the Class of ’76” sometime; you’ll see what I’m talking about.
The last time I saw Mr. Nielsen in anything, it was during the short-lived CBS “Gameshow Marathon”. I remember thinking at the time that he didn’t look good, and it seemed like he was just a touch out of it. I’m actually a little surprised he lived this long, and even more so that he was still working (though, granted, the work he was doing didn’t exactly live up to his talent: “Spanish Movie”?)
Rest in peace.
Mangia Pizza, a local chain that specializes in a pretty good version of Chicago stuffed pizza, filed a Chapter 11 petition on Tuesday.
In my capacity as president and chief operating officer of the Society for the Preservation and Restoration of Classic Cocktails, I hearby declare jihad against the Bubblegum Martini.
In the immortal words of a great philospher:
This came up in a previous thread, but I’m promoting it to a post of its own:
Personal friends of the proprietor are always welcome to pimp things here, within reasonable limits.
The proprietor has an expansive definition of “personal friends” and “reasonable limits”. Basically, follow the Wheaton rule and you should be okay. If you have any questions, drop me an email. (The preferred addresses are on the “Contact the proprietor” page.)
Spammers continue to be cordially invited to die in a fire.