This Is Not A Joke

A new ball game - with tasers.



Hat-tip : The Volokh Conspiracy

According to The Daily Caller, Eric Prum, one of the founders of Ultimate Tak Ball, said, “It’s not technically a police grade Taser. That being said, the first thing the (players) will tell you is that they hate getting tased. Those things really do hurt.” Apparently, players aren’t concerned about the danger associated with being shocked since the Tasers used in Ultimate Tak Ball only produce a 300,000-volt stun, which is significantly less than what would be required to kill. The shocking apparatus used in Ultimate Tak Ball do not fire probes like the Taser models popular with law enforcement and the self-defense community.

"I'm A Lonely Widow"

Sometimes politics seems to be full of vitriol and anger. And sometimes politicians speak calmly and bare their soul.

This is a quietly moving speech by Maureen Walsh, one of the two Republicans who voted for marriage equality in the Washington House of Representatives this week.



Hat-tip: Andrew Sullivan

The One On The Right...

I happened to hear this song by Johnny Cash on Radio 2's "Sounds of The Sixties" yesterday, and I'm afraid I couldn't help thinking what a gift it could be for some satirists...

There once was a musical troupe
A pickin' singin' folk group
They sang the mountain ballads
And the folk songs of our land

They were long on musical ability
Folks thought they would go far
But political incompatibility led to their downfall

Well, the one on the right was on the left
And the one in the middle was on the right
And the one on the left was in the middle
And the guy in the rear was a Methodist

This musical aggregation toured the entire nation
Singing the traditional ballads
And the folk songs of our land
They performed with great virtuosity
And soon they were the rage
But political animosity prevailed upon the stage...

Anyway, here's a shortened live version:



and the complete song, in Lego:

A 19-Year-Old Speaks Up For His 2 Moms

Zach Walls testifies before the Iowa House of Representatives.

Hat-Tip: Andrew Sullivan

Politics Doesn't Have To Be Bad Tempered.

From The Ticket:

Jefferson Smith loves a good political joke.

Early last year, the then-freshman Oregon House member from Portland was getting ready for bed when he and his wife, Katy, began bantering back and forth about what might be the ultimate political prank, something that could lighten the increasingly divisive political mood among his colleagues.

As Smith recalls, the idea came almost instantly. "What if we were to Rick Roll the legislature without anybody noticing?" he wondered.

The lines had to be delivered on the House floor during a lawmaker's regular floor speech--which is, under Oregon law, videotaped for public records purposes. And the lines of the lyrics had to be spread out, so as not to tip off the state House clerk or other observers to what lawmakers were up to.

"It was way harder taking words and spreading them out than simply manipulating them (on video)," Smith says. "There are some easy lines in there to say without getting noticed. 'You're never gonna' is easy. 'I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling' is easy. But an 'ooh?' That's tricky." ..

Hat-Tip : Andrew Sullivan

Merry Christmas!

If you've just enjoyed watching the (excellent) Dr Who episode entitled A Christmas Carol here's the 1910 film version of A Christmas Carol

Future States

I was rather excited when I found the website for Future States - which explains itself as follows:

What will become of America in five, 25, or even 50 years from today? This series of 11 short films explores possible future scenarios through the prism of today’s global realities. Immerse yourself in the visions of these independent prognosticators as they inhabit a future of their own imagining.

The films aren't the best SF that I've seen - but certainly not the worst either. But have a look for yourself.

I've only watched two films so far - "Pia", about the interaction between a widow and an android, , and "Rise", about a change in the housing market.

Another one,  "Silver Sling", about surrogate mothers looks a bit too depressing for me at the moment.

You can watch "Rise" by clicking below:

Possibly The Coolest Cat Video EVER

Changing the Borders

A slightly sardonic video from the Economist changes Europe's borders.... not to mention coastlines!



Hat-Tip: Hit and Run

The Tide Is Turning

By the way, if you haven't heard it... this is "The Tide is Turning".



A sublime song about Live Aid.

We Don't Need No Thought Control

Pink Floyd were one of my favourite groups when I was younger. I thought "Dark Side Of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" were wonderful. And the Tide is Turning" is sublime. But I never liked "Another Brick In the Wall", especially the title track. Not even for one second.

"We don't need no education!"? Of course you do, you pillocks. If that track discouraged even one person from getting a good education and career , well that's one person too many. And teachers and schools seemed such an easy target. Writing a song that encouraged kids to study would have been a bit trickier, eh?

But as explained on Harry's Place , this version - with Roger Waters blessing - is rather more appropriate. It's fronted by two brothers of Iranian origin living in Canada.....

Sometimes Anger Is the Right Emotion To Display

Sometimes the best thing to do in a poltical arena is to show your anger and contempt.... this is Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner.

The Guardian tries to explain here.

Bathtub IV

3 minutes 33 seconds of animation good enough so that you can almost sniff the salt air...

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

And there's more here, including my favourite short film of all time:

World Builder from BranitVFX on Vimeo.

It's Cat versus Bear !

Never underestimate a cat.....

Hat-tip : Andrew Sullivan