The Llama Butchers unearthed a fun game at Impenetrable Prose and Poesy.

1. Take the lyrics to a favorite song.
2. Go to Babelfish, translate the lyrics into German, then from German to French, and finally from French back into English.
3. Post the results verbatim.
4. Invite friends to guess the song based on the interesting new lyrics.

Here goes:

There is unrest in the forest,
There is disorder with the trees,
For the maples want more sunlight lamp
And the oaks is unaware of to their pleas.

The disturbs with the maples,
(And they' Re quite convinced they' Re right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light.
Drank the oaks can' T help to their feelings
If they like the way they' Re made.
And they wonder why the maples
Can' T Be happy in their shade.

There is disorder in the forest,
And the creatures all cuts fled,
Have the maples scream "Oppression!"
And the oaks just shake to their heads
So the maples formed has union
And demanded equal rights.

"The oaks are just too greedy;
Give We will make them custom light."
Now there' S No more oak oppression,
For they passed has noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axis, and saw.

Answer (and original lyrics) below the fold:
more...

Posted by: JohnL at 11:35 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Well, we've finished our BBQ brisket and pork rib lunch.

I'm sure a lot of people are eating similarly, enjoying some time outdoors in the late Spring weather, and spending time with family.

While we enjoy the freedom to do these things, let's remember the reason for this holiday.

Happy Memorial Day.

Posted by: JohnL at 02:02 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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I apologize for the approximately month-long hiatus in this feature. Let's kick it off again with a bit of an odd duck suggested by Alan Brain.

We start with the conventional, versatile cargo/transport airplane, the De Havilland DHC5 Buffalo. Here is a typical shot of the aircraft:

(Image from http://www.xdh.ca/DHC_Aircraft/DHC-5/dhc-5.html).

In the 1970s, NASA contracted with Boeing to modify the DHC5 to investigate new technologies for STOL aircraft.

Boeing rebuilt the plane with new avionics, new wings and tail, and a quartet of jet engines mounted above the wing to generate "upper surface blowing" in order to increase lift. The plane made its maiden flight at Boeing's Seattle plant in 1978, then flew to Ames for continued flight tests. The short takeoffs and quiet operations of the aircraft yielded much information for application in both civil and military design. One intriguing series of tests led to a successful landing and takeoff from an aircraft carrier-- the first four-engine jet plane to accomplish this feat.

Source.

The result was quite interesting:

C8A Buffalo Augmentor
Close-up of top-mounted jets
Takeoff

Full-sized, restricted, and watermarked photos available here.

Posted by: JohnL at 02:19 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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If not, you will be after reading what Helen has to say.

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Pete at A Perfectly Cromulent Blog has been going through the movies on Bravo's list of The 100 Scariest Movie Moments. He posted comments on many (but not all) of the 100 today.

But that's not really what my post is about. Go read Pete's post, if the 100 movies are what you're interested in. Instead, I wanted to talk about something that's always bothered me about #59 on the list, Fatal Attraction. One thing necessary to make a good story is a willing suspension of disbelief. And I never could suspend my disbelief in Fatal Attraction, for the reason so eloquently stated by Pete in his post:

Then again, Adrian Lyne's AIDS allegory makes you think twice about something you shouldn't be doing in the first place. Namely, fooling around on the toothsome Anne Archer with the mannish Glenn Close.

That fatal flaw undermined my ability to get into this movie at all. I just simply couldn't believe that any man would be stupid enough to cheat on:

with:

Gimme a break.

Posted by: JohnL at 10:56 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I've been doing a lot of these lately, just to keep some sort of writing flowing here. Rhianna tagged me with this one:

1) Total number of films I own on DVD/video:

We currently own 55 DVD titles (give or take). I am counting multiple-DVD sets as a single title (so the Special Edition of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King counts as only 1 "title" rather than 4, for example). I won't count our aging VHS collection, which would add quite a bit more. We subscribe to Netflix, so I usually only buy titles that I want to watch more than once.

2) The last film I bought:

The original Battlestar Galactica series.

3) The last film I watched:

The last "film" I watched was Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. The last "movie" I watched -- on DVD -- was Racing Stripes, tonight.

4) Five films that I watch a lot or that mean a lot to me (in no particular order):

When Harry Met Sally (sappy and silly, but very similar to the story of my wife and me: old friends who became lovers and got married)

It's A Wonderful Life (we watch it every Christmas season, along with the original Miracle on 34th Street and the George C. Scott Christmas Carol)

Star Wars (I would love to watch the untainted original version, but even the "special" edition that Lucas monkeyed with in the late 90s retains a fair amount of the original's charm)

Silverado (one of my favorite Westerns of all time, and one of the best ensemble comedy-dramas I can think of)

Toy Story (Pixar at its innocent best; a movie that takes me right back to my eldest child's toddlerhood)

5) Tag 5 people and have them put this in their journal:

I'll take volunteers instead of conscripts this time.

Posted by: JohnL at 09:41 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 My version is up.

Posted by: owlish at May 29, 2005 10:15 AM (sBj9U)

2 I won't need a cattle prod to get a version up; just let me get rid of, er, out of my office after paying retainer, some clients

Posted by: Lysander at May 31, 2005 10:12 AM (ShW/G)

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Rob the Llama Butcher recounts a cute "from the mouths of babes" story about his 5-year-old's desire to be a rock star someday.

My second son also would like to be a rock star someday, and I've got pictures to prove it (one below the fold).

Don't worry, Rob, he's only eight, so he probably won't be interested in your daughter and her van full of guitars for another 10 years or so. [This is where I would insert a smiley-wink if Rob believed in emoticons, but he doesn't, so I won't, enjoying the fact that he will now lie awake at night worrying about the designs of 18-year-old rock musicians on his 15 year old daughter] more...

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Teal is your Lightsaber's color.

The color Teal signifies trustworthiness, devotion and healing. It is also the indication of a spiritual guide and natural teacher.

What Colored Lightsaber Would You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla

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I recently discovered Music thing (thanks, BoingBoing!) Lots of very-cool vintage gear and odd bits of music technology on parade at this site. A random sampling:

Build your own analog synth for around $100.

A psychedelic French modular synthesizer for kids. (Really).

Some first-rate pR0n for synthesists. (Mmm. Electronic cheesecake...)

And lots of other really super-neat stuff.

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One of my favorite bloggers is hanging up his spurs.

Timothy Sandefur was one of the first bloggers to link to me, so there is a sentimental side to seeing him quit now.

As a lawyer for a public-interest libertarian foundation, he works to increase liberty in our country; he doesn't just talk about it. But when he does talk about liberty, he does so lucidly and persuasively. Check back through his archives for some of the most clear and concise explanations you can find online of the moral and philosophical foundations of our legal system, of classical liberalism, and of objectivism.

Though Timothy may no longer be blogging on his personal website, keep your eyes peeled for his name. He'll continue to write for Liberty, and I bet his name will crop up from time to time in other areas, as his writing is too good to escape recognition over the long term.

Best wishes, Timothy.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Lawren at Martinis, Persistence, and a Smile points us to yet another top-100 list of movies (this one in Time magazine).

On a related note, Jeff Goldstein has been assembling the compleat canon of essential 70s movies over the past week or so, too.

The Time list is below the fold, and I have bolded the ones I've seen (italicizing the ones I plan to see):
more...

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The Crack Young Staff at The Hatemonger's Quarterly really hit it out of the park with their critique of country music. Excerpt:

As far as weÂ’re concerned, itÂ’s complete rubbish.

All the songs strike us as sub-par nursery rhymes sung with an irksome twang.

There's plenty more where that came from so read the whole thing.

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Is there anything any of you have wanted to ask me? Anything you were really curious about, but just never got the chance to bring up politely?

Well now's your chance to get some answers. Jennifer Larson has kindly offered to subject me to one of her famous interviews, and she needs some questions to ask. Please submit them to jenlarson -at- gmail -dot- com no later than 6:00 PM CDT Saturday, May 28.

Unless you identify yourself in the question, I will have no way of identifying you, so feel free to ask anything. I'll do my best to answer any reasonable query.

Thanks!

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I saw Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith tonight with my second son. He's eight years old, and wore his Darth Vader mask/voice changer to the theater. There's a clue to how to enjoy this movie. Check your cynical, thirty-forty-something a$$ at the door.

We had a great time. After one viewing of ROTS, here's how I would order the Star Wars movies, in order of preference:

1. Star Wars
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. Revenge of the Sith (Wookies instead of Ewoks, thank the Maker!)
4. Return of the Jedi (die Ewoks, die!)
[tie] 6. Attack of the Clones (spaceships with laser cannon all over the place, but no initial air support for the Jedi assault on the droids in the arena?)
[tie] 6. The Phantom Menace (die Jar Jar, die!)

I'm working on a more descriptive review, together with some "final thoughts" on the whole series of movies, and will post that at GNXP Science Fiction when ready, hopefully later this week.

In the meantime, go see the movie, and don't take any politics into the theater with you; they're just not there. Instead, take an eight-year old and have fun watching the cool spaceships and lightsaber battles. Start your birthday and Christmas lists with all the LEGO sets you want to get. Lighten up...

P.S. The movie previews have me looking forward to the summer lineup: Serenity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Batman Begins all look promising. And The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe looks like a sure hit next Christmas.

Update: Owlish reminds me in comments of The Fantastic Four, which also looks to be quite entertaining (they showed the trailer, I just didn't retain it).

Update 2: Despite my general dislike of Tom Cruise, I have to say that the trailer convinced me to see Spielberg's version of War of the Worlds, too.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:51 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Not The Fantastic Four?

Posted by: owlish at May 24, 2005 08:12 AM (sBj9U)

2 Meme love!

Posted by: Rhianna at May 24, 2005 09:27 AM (JS0AK)

3 You got to see the trailer for Serenity in the theater?! You lucky, lucky..... I do think The Lion, The Witch, etc looks kinda cool though.

Posted by: JP at May 24, 2005 04:35 PM (Atvm8)

4 Sorry, but I don't see how a remake of War of the Worlds can be anything but $#@%!. After "Independence Day," anything less than the wholesale nuking of the planet or legions of human-eating arachnids spilling out of spaceships is going to lack menace. However, with Spielberg at the helm, it will be better acted and directed. Also Tom Cruise is getting less and less mileage out of his smirk as he ages. His last halfway decent acting turn was in "Collateral." In WOTW, it looks like he's playing Tom Cruise again. Sigh. Why are we getting yet another remake of an H.G. Wells novel from 100 years ago? Would someone please go throw obscene amounts of money at Lois McMaster Bujold or David Weber to have ANY of their books made into movies? Is Angelina Jolie the only veteran actress hot and tough enough to play Honor Harrington convincingly? Somebody please offer me a substitute, I'm having trouble getting the picture of her in the eyepatch from "Sky Captain" out of my head. Ishy

Posted by: Ishy at May 25, 2005 12:38 PM (WIFkt)

5 Sorry, got off on a rant. RotS rocked. It even made up for Episodes I & II.

Posted by: Ishy at May 25, 2005 12:40 PM (WIFkt)

6 There were extremely excellent and the best scenes in the movie "Revenge of the Sith". Good originality and great imagination, great story in this movie! Here's Photo gallery for Hayden Christensen(Anakin) of this movie. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0159789/photogallery-ss-0 I love Star Wars series the most!

Posted by: Creford at July 10, 2005 05:45 AM (Y5I00)

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JKrank, proprietor of Sofia Sideshow, is back and blogging after a 3-month hiatus. He has returned to Bulgaria (where he works in film). He's a great writer, and I love his "day-in-the-life" stories from a former Soviet satellite. I may never travel there, but get to vicariously experience it from the comfort of my computer terminal. Go check him out.

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Rob tagged me with a book meme that is very similar to one I did a couple of months ago. Some of the answers have changed over time, so here are the questions:

1. Total Number of Books I've Owned. Hundreds; likely more than a thousand.

2. Last Book I Bought: An unabridged (and heavily annotated but untranslated) version of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

3. Last Book I Read: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I started reading it out loud to my second son (first son listens in more than half the time, too), but got to a really good part and read it straight through to the end. J.K. Rowling could really use some vigorous editing, but she knows how to tell a compelling story despite the florid prose. I've also been enjoying quite a bit of short-form SF while plowing my way through a several-month backlog of Analog magazines. Does the Victoria's Secret catalog count? I just leafed through the latest one while taking out the recycling...

4. Five Books That Mean A lot to Me: I won't cheat on this one. Five books that made a remarkable imprint on my thinking - five key mileposts in my intellectual and moral development, if you will (in order of first reading):

1. The Bible
(It makes its way onto a lot of these kinds of lists; it is usually one of the first great works of literature that kids in the West are introduced to - even if it's not usually taught as literature).

2. Cosmos by Carl Sagan (which first began to loosen my mind from the shackles of fundamentalism)
   
3. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (could just as easily be Anthem or Atlas Shrugged, since I read all three in the same two-month period during the summer after ninth grade)


4. Job: A Comedy of Justice by Heinlein. (I had read many other of his books, but this one really matched my personal spiritual journey - a major part of my coming-of-age)


5. Goedel Escher Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter (difficult to describe, but made me look at music, math, logic, and language in an entirely new way; as I did in the earlier meme I heartily encourage Rob to add this to his "short list" of books to read.)

5. Tag five people and have them do this on their blog. I usually don't tag others, but I would be interested in seeing the answers of:

Eric
Gunner
Lysander (this should help him get a new post up for the month of May)
Owlish
Timothy Sandefur

Enjoy!

Posted by: JohnL at 10:55 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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So Gunner tagged me with a meme thing. Here's the deal:

List five things that people in your circle of friends or peer group are wild about, but you canÂ’t really understand the fuss over.

1. Reality TV. I've never watched it. The ads alone depress my IQ by about 20 points.

2. Opera. I'm classically-trained, and am well-educated in all kinds of music. But I've never gotten opera. The overtures are fine, but as soon as they start singing, I feel my hackles rise just like with Country and Western or Rap. The only opera I can stand is Bugs Bunny (What's Opera Doc, found here) or Queen's A Night at the Opera.

3. Blackberries. Most lawyers I know have now decided to put an electronic collar around their necks so that their owners (er, clients) can yank their leash and reach them anywhere and anytime. I loathe these things. The connected world is really groovy, but I like clear boundaries, and I set them. I end up making less than high-powered law-firm partners, but I have a life.

4. Disney. Apart from Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland, and anything Pixar, I just can't get the charm of Disney. It's like a creepy cult or something.

5. Golf. I'm OK at the game, but just don't get the big deal.

I won't tag anyone, but please trackback if you choose to play along.

Posted by: JohnL at 09:54 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Do you know anyone who really enjoys opera? And I agree on golf, I knew people in med school who would enjoy watching golf on TV.

Posted by: owlish at May 22, 2005 10:04 PM (sBj9U)

2 I work in TV, and broadcast far too much reality TV. At night I pray for the sweet release of death... Opera is aestetically vile, and ranks in my mind as one of Western Culture's greatest failings. Blackberries. Don't really know what they are. Disney gave us the Tommorowland episodes of Man in Space, On The Moon, and Mars and beyond. These episodes were piloted by Von Braun and Ward Kimball, and are works of art. I concur with Fantasia and Pixar. Modern Disney has co-opted and ruined everything it touches. The corpses of Pooh, Roger Rabbit, the Muppets, and Simba lie strewn in its wake. Golf. Just plain stupid.

Posted by: Jeff at May 23, 2005 06:29 AM (Gn4oO)

3 Could not be more with you regarding reality TV. Same goes for Opera. Love the music, but the singing reminds me of how we were taught NOT to sing when I was in choir. (sigh) The Dark Side of the Blackberry is calling. I'd go to Disneyworld, if it weren't for all the &*^% Kids... Man, I love golf. Wish I had time to play. I hate to say it, but I don't get NASCAR- though many of my friends are fans.

Posted by: Jack Grey at May 23, 2005 03:56 PM (Jq8H8)

4 I dont watch reality tv either, inane waste of time. I have no idea what blackberries are. dont they grow in forest? Disney is for kiddies and golf is for big kiddies - (furthermore, golf is just one part of a whole group of activities called "sport" which I really dont get at all.) But I really love operas, not all of course, I cant stand Puccini for example, but I do love Wagner. Yeah, thats how vile I am.

Posted by: Lemuel Kolkava at May 23, 2005 04:55 PM (aOCIX)

5 I left a link to the Blackberry website for a reason. They're a wireless PDA with a little thumb-keyboard for sending and receiving emails. They are all the rage among the legal set right now.

Posted by: JohnL at May 23, 2005 09:59 PM (gplif)

6 By the way, I have to disagree, at least partially, on reality tv. The original Real World's concept was a soap opera without a script, and the first Survivor is the best illustration I've seen of "Evil succeeds if good men do nothiing." And given how evil it is to wear a pager 24/7, I would think it would be worse to wear a Blackberry.

Posted by: owlish at May 24, 2005 01:09 PM (sBj9U)

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Please indulge me as I wax Lileksian tonight.

I took Friday off last week, to celebrate the kids' last day of school and to get some more work done on the house. We have now listed it, and our realtor will (we hope!) start showing people through on Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed, and make whatever imprecations(*) entreaties to a higher power (as you feel appropriate) that we be successful in selling and buying in the right order and at the right time.

Boring domestic stuff below the fold.
more...

Posted by: JohnL at 09:38 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It has been awhile since the STG network has had a new microcharity to highlight. In honor of the first anniversary of the network, STG is promoting the original charity, Susan Tom and the Tom Family Education Trust.

Read more about it here.

Posted by: JohnL at 09:14 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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You may have noticed a lack of regular posting around here recently. Or not.

The reason?

We are listing our house for sale tomorrow. We have our eyes on another house in the neighborhood with more space for the family and are currently negotiating the purchase contract. The larger house has been on the market for about 6 months, and we have been making some final updates to our house during the same period of time and praying that the other one will come down in price. (It has finally come down to the range of price-per-square-foot that is appropriate for our area).

The work around here has really peaked, with me replacing our deck and staining it this past weekend, landscaping during lunch hours, re-sheetrocking the hole in our garage wall where the previous owners had driven their car, and generally making the house sale-ready. (We need to sell to afford the larger house).

So I'm not making any promises about posting regularly anytime soon.

I do promise to update if anything exciting happens regarding the buying/selling.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:17 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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