tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94719592012-02-13T10:36:48.829-05:00Denim..denim..denim..Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.comBlogger3781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-30142479484665448492011-07-10T12:14:00.002-05:002011-07-10T12:17:35.960-05:00

Started a ginger pear wine with a bunch of canned pears and a few fresh ones last night. I don't know what variety the canned ones were, but Aradia got me four pounds of golden pears for the fresh ones. So, here's the recipe. 8 lbs canned pears. 4 lbs golden pears, cores & stems removed 5.5 lbs sugar ~1 lb chopped raisins 2.4 oz ground ginger ~3 gal water, including water the pears were canned

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-50317969228982544772011-07-10T11:48:00.000-05:002011-07-10T11:48:01.597-05:00

We back-sweetened the wine with a cup of sugar and a quart of carrot juice last night. (Little tip, btw. Strain the carrot juice before you use it!) Then we added two Campden tablets, sorbate and a shellfish finig agent. You'd be amazed at how much orange crud settled out over night. Anywho, we bottled it this morning, and got seven and a part bottles out of it. We put the part in a

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-53090520304309525762011-05-07T22:28:00.000-05:002011-05-07T22:28:49.808-05:00

It's been too cold the last few days to ferment properly. I was afraid to crank the heat in the house in case it got too hot during the day. But it's finally back up into the 70s I here, so we added an extra 1/2 teaspoon of yeast nutrient and an extra cup of sugar. Hopefully, it will stay warm overnight and we'll be making gas again in the morning.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-5206240521069667922011-05-06T00:23:00.000-05:002011-05-06T00:23:02.106-05:00

Part of me hopes this is true, and part of me is horrified, and part of me is fascinated, and part of me is.... Oh, the hell with it, just go read it yourself. I think dogs just trumped cats in the awesome department for the next century. Sorry, Pandora.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-5686728224125453872011-05-03T22:57:00.000-05:002011-05-03T22:57:47.703-05:00

Talked to Aradia's brother today. He seemed to think it was time tomtit the airlock on the primary fermentor. I was going to let it continue doing primary fermentation until Friday, taking the must out on Thursday. I figured I'd transfer to a carboy either Friday or Saturday and then fit the airlock. But Bub has done this more than me, so I'll trust his judgement. We'll just have to wait and

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-56688349935516451102011-05-02T23:59:00.001-05:002011-05-02T23:59:46.667-05:00

Okay, so I checked the wine this morning, and there was no more froth. I figured that it had gotten too cold last night and suppressed the fermentation. So I bumped the thermostat a bit, and Aradia called me at work later to tell me that it was hissing like Alka Seltzer. It was still doing that when I got home. Don't know if that's normal, especially for a vegetable wine. We'll see. Oh, btw

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-39158028921994521972011-05-02T00:25:00.000-05:002011-05-02T00:25:49.704-05:00

I went to visit my parents today. It was the second time I've seen Dad since he got out of the hospital. It was the second time he didn't string two sentences together in my presence. The last time I saw him, Mom had to make him speak to me. She didn't even bother this time. He did tap me on the shoulder as he walked by me just before we left. It was the first time he felt like my Dad again

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-70963145167176242392011-05-01T22:09:00.001-05:002011-05-03T00:00:03.827-05:00

Okay, added the yeast today. Also added the nutrient. The brand I am using called for a teaspoon per gallon, instead of a 1/2 teaspoon. It's frothing away nicely. I am worried that I put too much orange zest in though. The stuff is starting to smell like sour orange juice.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-27488462532776391332011-04-30T19:50:00.001-05:002011-04-30T20:00:10.796-05:00

Just put the filter bag full of carrots, raisins & orange zest in the fermenter. Should have carrot wine in about, oh, a year or so. :) Here's the recipe: 4 pounds carrots 1 pound golden raisins 5 cups granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon yeast nutrient 6 oranges, zest and juice 1/4 teaspoon tannin 1 campden tablet 1 package wine yeast 1 imperial gallon water Boil the carrots in 12 cups of water

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-63407389076937092712011-01-09T18:57:00.001-05:002011-01-09T18:58:06.093-05:00

My friend said something last night that I just thought was way out of line about the military. He was very derogatory toward silicate in general and soldiers who have joined since the Iraq war started in particular. For some reason, probably because of my fondness for Robert Heinlein and the Baen stable of pro-military writer/lunatics, I flew a little hot. Okay, I flew a lot hot. But I

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-67929531238305421612010-09-25T10:07:00.002-05:002010-09-25T10:09:17.011-05:00

I'm not sure this would work with us. We're pretty cold-hearted bastards.But we do give points for originality, so it might. It would be cool if someone tried it, though.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-66582810739640691862010-01-31T08:24:00.001-05:002010-01-31T08:26:14.870-05:00

You can come up with lines like this:"... Obama’s real problem is that in Congress, his allies are incompetent cowards and his adversaries are smug dicks."Scalzi's my hero.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-53951487620412634372010-01-29T10:19:00.000-05:002010-01-29T10:20:19.037-05:00

xkcd strikes again.SpiritAnthropomorphizing can be a bitch.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-6784261981541301912009-11-17T11:13:00.003-05:002009-11-17T11:20:27.861-05:00

This NY Times article is mostly solid. It doesn't go into very deep detail on some of the author's assertions, but I know where he's coming from with most of what he says. But I do have a small quibble.This statement is at best misleading:For atheists, it is not a particularly welcome thought that religion evolved because it conferred essential benefits on early human societies and their

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-77632014231343174182009-11-08T00:02:00.000-05:002009-11-08T00:03:11.193-05:00

.... someone's been watching Eddie Izzard.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-90564008871639074052009-11-07T23:17:00.002-05:002009-11-07T23:38:26.029-05:00

You know that tingling feeling you get when you're reading a Discworld novel and it all starts to fall in place? I love that feeling. I got it last night. Several times, in fact. I was reading Unseen Academicals, and once again, Pratchett is his usual amazing self. It makes me mourn his illness even more. Not to mention everyone else who suffers from Alzheimer's.That's the curse of being a

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-80773370727957073792009-11-03T10:43:00.002-05:002009-11-03T10:48:44.128-05:00

I love it when I see casual atheism. By casual atheism, I mean someone just mentions it in the course of a discussion, not making a big deal out of it, and goes on to make their point.Here's a fantastic case in point.Like other atheists, I can see some of the rookie mistakes in the "world building" God has done, by which I mean Jehovah, with his cryptozoological fascinations, underutilized

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-55378858951470677962009-11-02T22:16:00.002-05:002009-11-02T22:17:13.060-05:00

Don't you hate it when people you're close to get all snarky for some reason, and you can't figure out why?I know I do.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-19440073197417558002009-09-05T09:00:00.002-05:002009-09-05T09:03:27.925-05:00

I present without commentary, these links:Neil Gaiman's BookshelvesShelfari Neil Gaiman Article

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-83737893039943213662009-08-29T06:53:00.000-05:002009-08-29T06:55:07.152-05:00

Now THIS is what I call country. And in the best possible way.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-91089172428720308762009-08-26T23:52:00.004-05:002009-08-27T00:29:06.384-05:00

Wanna know what the worst part of having a mood disorder is, for me?If not, read no further, because I'm about to whine a bit. If so, read on.*****It's the paranoia. The big P is a cast-iron bitch. Because, while you can beat it into submission with the proper meds and a decent "Happy Place", you never know what's going to trigger it.Take this fer'instance:Your wife buys a new watch. For

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-64505203786710537282009-08-25T23:48:00.002-05:002009-08-25T23:49:50.838-05:00

Proof that you just get cooler as you get older:Fred's Distilled Writing Wisdom, Part 1

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-37978041173410635492009-07-03T13:59:00.002-05:002009-07-03T14:03:50.067-05:00

Apropos of nothing, Aradia just found this little poem, and I just had to share it with everyone.The Turkey Shot Out Of The OvenThe turkey shot out of the ovenAnd rocketed into the air.It knocked every plate off the tableAnd partly demolished a chair.It ricocheted into a cornerAnd burst with a deafening boom!Then splattered all over the kitchen,Completely obscuring the room.It stuck to the walls

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-40387625683797789962009-06-22T15:48:00.003-05:002009-06-22T15:52:23.664-05:00

Get Your Cyborg NameAnd the (split up) blog name:Get Your Cyborg NameGet Your Cyborg NameI especially like my pseudoynm's cyborgization. It fits quite well, I think.Hat tip to Ranson for this one.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-82763559758440280452009-06-13T05:17:00.003-05:002009-06-13T05:19:08.044-05:00

The folks over at Penny Arcade are doing up three comics that are outside their usual style for the site, and leaving it up to us, the readers, to decide which of the three they continue to pursue. They haven't put out number three yet, but I already know which one I want them to develop.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-29392457756542177552009-06-13T04:57:00.002-05:002009-06-13T05:07:55.944-05:00

For years now, I've been afraid I was the only person who had weird dreams about chasing werewolves through starships with Elven space marines as backup. Yeah, I wish I was making that up, but I'm not. I've been having these really vivid, extremely strange dreams ever since I started taking my happy pills. And honestly, I don't mind. Someday, I WILL write that book, and you will all read it.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-41948844717697438372009-06-04T23:58:00.003-05:002009-06-05T00:02:55.598-05:00

This Skepchick article makes me, in a quite ironic way, very sad. In my late teens/early twenties, my mother was diagnosed with a mood disorder, and I discovered years later that I suffered from one, as well. Over time, it's become clear that mom and I aren't the only ones in the family who could (or do, in my case) benefit from happy pills. But considering the (relatively) strong genetic

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-68535318534089294252009-06-04T09:19:00.002-05:002009-06-04T09:23:07.424-05:00

My wife is what my friends and I call a One Percenter. If there's a one percent chance that some subgroup in the population has some rare thing, she's in it. But I think that not even SHE has this: Photic Sneezing.Hat tip to that photic sneezer, Frederick Pohl.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-31780018622831515402009-05-30T09:58:00.001-05:002009-05-30T10:00:08.027-05:00

John Scalzi is an EVIL MAN!For the record my entries were:Serious: By Cathedral Bound Funny: I’m Tired Of These M*****-F****** Chains On This M*****-F****** Slave!

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-56364738479981721942009-05-29T22:50:00.002-05:002009-05-29T22:54:49.672-05:00

Her name's Karen Gillan. She looks a little young, but then, so does the new Doctor. I guess we'll just wait and see, I suppose. She's cute, though. And she's been on the show once already, as a Seer in "The Fires of Pompeii". Click the pic for the BBC article.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-60988476202746444072009-05-19T19:27:00.001-05:002009-05-19T19:27:45.944-05:00

Truly I do. This man may be a genius.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-71055819110692369082009-05-14T09:59:00.000-05:002009-05-14T10:00:15.525-05:00

Kim Hannula is just awesome.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-35360057390512932532009-05-09T07:15:00.002-05:002009-05-09T07:17:09.589-05:00

They have lived long enough to meet EVERYONE, and work with most of them. In reading that article, I'm struck by one thing. Isaac Asimov looked cooler the older he got. Weird.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-38782326315590087702009-05-09T07:05:00.003-05:002009-05-09T07:17:26.947-05:00

At least, in my head it doesn't. You never know when you're going to run across something really awesome that will be useful for that next scare-the-bejeezus-out-of-the-neighbors project you've got cooking in the back of your head.Here's an awesome example:How To Make EntrailsMary Robinette Kowal is (unfortunately, apparently) not an author I've read much of, but anyone with a short story named

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-14280274067291723012009-05-06T17:35:00.001-05:002009-05-06T17:36:34.049-05:00

Seriously, ROFL.Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'Hat tip to Phil Plait (of course).

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-11063991122526050832009-05-01T10:13:00.001-05:002009-05-01T10:14:57.404-05:00

I thought I was the only person who had conversations like this with my friends.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-68642830012264942452009-04-30T11:10:00.001-05:002009-04-30T11:11:15.600-05:00

Yup, folks. It's official. Bioware is evil.See? Evil.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-46327764975276866352009-04-18T08:43:00.002-05:002009-04-18T08:49:28.730-05:00

Okay, not really. In fact, this result has come about for the same reason Obama took North Carolina in the last election. A slim majority of sensible people is still a majority.My least favorite quote from the article? It has to be this one:"The abstinence-until-marriage program's objective is to reduce sexual activity in the adolescent population," said Rep. Mark Hilton, R-Catawba. "The

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-73735414775060229152009-04-18T08:34:00.002-05:002009-04-18T08:37:45.390-05:00

Jackie Chan is showing his old man pants a bit. He's (metaphorically) whining about how those young whippersnappers won't stay off his lawn. Or rather, how Chinese youth aren't ready for true democracy, and all Chinese "need to be controlled". It's really discouraging to here someone so admired by so many say something this irresponsible.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-88742782926601250852009-04-17T11:00:00.002-05:002009-04-17T11:02:54.311-05:00

Holy freakin' cow!Or perhaps, holy freakin' pig?Hat tip to John Scalzi, or rather, one of his minions

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-23958246357120516932009-04-13T10:19:00.001-05:002009-04-13T10:21:04.309-05:00

is always necessary when blogging.Check out All Of My Faults Are Stress Related for a perfect example. Plus, cookies!

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-60489079874879268242009-04-09T07:35:00.003-05:002009-04-09T07:37:47.547-05:00

Some Belgian company has stolen my name!And what's worse, it's a consultant's firm. Ack!I'm tellin' ya', this is a weird old world out there. I made this name up out of whole cloth years ago as an AD&D character and later used it for my internet pseudonym. Since then, I've found out it means currier (as in one who curries animals) in latin and now this whole Belgian firm thing. What's next, I

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-56585896890751483292009-04-07T12:30:00.002-05:002009-04-07T12:35:00.311-05:00

For those of you keeping track at home, I imported three posts from another blog I started a few months back that I have now deleted. It was originally intended to be a shared blog with a couple of coworkers, but neither of them actually seemed all that interested in blogging after the initial rush of "Cool Idea!" wore off. So, anywho, here are links to the three posts I wrote for my (now

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-71804611814384180612009-04-01T14:52:00.004-05:002009-04-01T15:54:23.461-05:00

When I was a teenager, I asked a married woman to go to the prom with me.Of course, I didn't know she was married. She was a fellow student, one that I'd had a rather large crush on for over a year, and she knew I was working my way up to asking. We were ... more than friends, less than boyfriend/girlfriend. This was entirely her choice, although I didn't know it at the time.You see, I met her

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-74554976411994868432009-03-20T00:05:00.002-05:002009-03-20T00:08:00.246-05:00

Well, it took me a year to do it, pretty much to the day, but I finally finished the 2nd draft of my first novel, At What Cost.Yay.Now I get it out to some more readers, get some more feedback and put the final polish on it, and then I am calling this thing done.Of course, selling it will be well-nigh impossible in the current economy, but I guess I should probably try it anyway.Right?

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-80752113784488421782009-03-11T09:40:00.003-05:002009-03-11T09:42:50.352-05:00

I just have to post this one in my WTF file!NarwhalsIf you think it seems suspiciously like the Badger Song, then I agree with you. I'm pretty sure there's a link there, considering the producer is listed as "TheWeebl".

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-72419535799225235672009-03-09T09:42:00.003-05:002009-04-01T15:33:36.934-05:00

This was just too funny and sadly accurate not to link to:50 Reasons I Don't Believe In EvolutionEveryone who's ever had an argument with a creationist should read it and relax, because now you know you're not alone.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-47036710198796922132009-03-03T18:02:00.001-05:002009-03-03T18:03:53.803-05:00

I truly wish I had both the ingenuity and the talent to come up with something like this.Amazing.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-28994355324552218212009-02-28T19:37:00.000-05:002009-02-28T19:39:31.345-05:00

How long until this is a reality? Hmmm?I mean, this is faked up. It says it is right there at the end, and you can pick out most of the movies he's picking scenes from. But really, how long until someone tries it for real?

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-44179883120893687042009-02-25T03:30:00.002-05:002009-02-28T19:39:44.485-05:00

Seriously, I'm more nerdy than this!What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Social Nerd You're interested in things such as politics, psychology, child care, and peace. I wouldn't go so far as to call you a hippie, but some of you may be tree-huggers. You're the type of people who are interested in bettering the world. You're possible the least nerdy of them all; unless you participate in other

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-28552422012292601692009-01-12T11:01:00.002-05:002009-04-06T07:48:14.279-05:00

I was cruising the Thinkeek website the other day at work, mostly because I wanted to check on the price of Miracle Fruit Berry Tablets (look it up!) and ran across one of their t-shirts that simply said "98% Chimp" across the front.One of my work partners was sitting beside me and when she saw it, she immediately said "That's so wrong!"I'm sure my head whipped around because she seemed to lean

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-72055114650639921662009-01-07T09:12:00.003-05:002009-01-07T09:16:25.528-05:00

Have you ever found yourself in the path of a massive clusterfuck situation, and instead of wanting to get out of the way like a normal human being would, you instead find yourself wishing you or your superiors could find a way for you to be of some use in fixing/alleviating the problem? Even if that means you WILL most DEFINITELY get splashed by the shit tsunami bearing down on you?This

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-8454286720066389802008-12-27T02:59:00.002-05:002008-12-27T03:24:43.158-05:00

Okay, so I'm bored to tears with nothing to do, but I need to stay up late to switch to night shift for tomorrow night. What do I do?Well, first I rate about a thousand things on Amazon.com. Bored, remember? That kills a couple of hours, especially after I look through the Alliance-Union books by C. J. Cherryh, and realize how many of them I already own. And how many more of them I WANT. Ahem,

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-40830574018663734492008-12-19T10:41:00.002-05:002009-04-06T07:48:27.785-05:00

This phrase came out in a discussion the other day, and I just like they phrasing. It's not an original idea, of course."The human mind is better at finding patterns than the world is at giving them to us."See, nothing new here. Move along.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-54743187851930435642008-12-15T11:02:00.003-05:002009-04-06T07:48:53.842-05:00

One of my lab partners asked me this question the other day:"Assume we could travel through time, and not change the past in doing so. So, if I could do that and go back to see a lost loved one, where does that leave death?"Now, he's just suffered a serious personal loss, although not necessarily an earth-shattering one, so this question didn't exactly surprise me. But being the monist,

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-51526079898839327012008-12-03T01:18:00.002-05:002008-12-03T01:21:55.440-05:00

w00t!I know, it's not the best video I've ever seen, but it's his first full-length video ever. And considering he's put out several albums already, that's actually kind of strange. And being the multi-talented Renaissance man that Voltaire is, he directed it himself, thus the simplicity. I really hope this puts him more in the mainstream spotlight, though. He really deserves it.Plus, all the

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-43515394991333921932008-11-29T01:21:00.003-05:002008-11-29T01:22:13.346-05:00

If you're good enough at it, you don't need props.Take that however you like.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-2219053469954159012008-11-04T01:34:00.004-05:002008-11-04T01:40:52.116-05:00

Sylvia Browne doesn't even come close to deserving the respect she deserves. And now she has evil minions doing her intartubes dirty work for her. Check out what you can do over at Skeptools.(Note: It's always possible that the person who did this is not related to her in any way. I don't know. Nor do I care. He's a douche any way you slice it, which means he fits in quite nicely with the

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-74047946833971065432008-10-07T19:40:00.003-05:002008-10-07T20:07:09.028-05:00

Here's a perfect example of how a disagreement can go quickly off the rails. A friend of mine from college put up a rather disturbing statement on one of the online networking sites. I sent him the message below. Identifying information has been removed, but otherwise, the text is unedited.My first message:Hey, man. I just noticed your status line: "I love Sarah Palin, she is a woman worth

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-4514884211357200762008-09-26T18:36:00.003-05:002008-09-26T18:46:24.384-05:00

Okay, so Aradia and I talk about renewing our vows from time to time. We're coming up on ten years as a married couple, so you know, it could be fun. And any time we come across and interesting and unique wedding ceremony, we talk about it, at least in passing. I don't know that we'll ever do it in truth, but it's just fun to talk about.So, since they've been playing Pirates of the Caribbean:

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-39171397437720459452008-09-26T11:51:00.004-05:002008-09-26T12:14:51.130-05:00

The first Terry Brooks novel I ever read was The Elfstones of Shannara. It was one of the first fantasy novels I'd ever read, and I fell instantly in love with it. I know, I know. His critics claim that his work, especially the early stuff, is warmed over Tolkien. I don't care. I could actually read and comprehend Elfstones in a way that I could never have gotten into Tolkien. I wasn't

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-55785788799855174452008-09-26T08:48:00.004-05:002008-09-26T08:59:23.521-05:00

Just in case you didn't ALREADY know that PETA was batshit insane: PETA wants to change the ingredients of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Now, that article's title is a little misleading, because Ben & Jerry's hasn't agreed. At least I haven't been able to find anything saying that they have. However, what scares me is that Ben & Jerry's is ssssoooo "indy-lefty" that they may actually be

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-64109393884446586202008-09-13T09:22:00.000-05:002008-09-13T09:23:22.142-05:00

Nothing kills the mood faster than a large, uncomfortable piece of grit in your eye. Trust me.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-72206402606910541792008-09-10T06:51:00.000-05:002008-09-10T06:52:41.912-05:00

XKCD #474I just wish I'd thought of it first.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-78776449252560595042008-09-10T02:27:00.000-05:002008-09-10T02:28:26.888-05:00

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-56863250697825440492008-09-10T02:08:00.003-05:002008-09-10T02:22:29.214-05:00

First, the confession: I have never, until tonight, read the original Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov.I know. I know. It hurts my geek cred to admit that. I always intended to get around to it, but there was always something else that seemed more accessible, more modern. And the Foundation series is pretty damned big, all told, so I was leery of getting into the thing. But I resolved to

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-62582800008267509432008-09-09T21:59:00.003-05:002008-09-09T22:00:56.513-05:00

When I saw this article, my first thought was that someone had snuck over the border and pulled a job, but alas, Windber is two hours from Morgantown. That's a little deep into PA for a couple of hillbillies in a truck to penetrate, even for this kind of haul.Well, probably too deep. Never discount hillbillies. :)

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-26347807999230964942008-09-09T09:34:00.003-05:002008-09-09T09:50:43.335-05:00

So, how does one convert an aggressive fight-picking in-your-face far-right-wing Republican fundagelical young earth creationist who constantly accuses you of "getting angry" when you've got him backed into a corner he can't weasel out of into an guilt-ridden constantly-apologizing milquetoast who can't quite believe you're not mad at him?Simple. Tell him he's right.Tell him that he's right and

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-83572570114882083442008-09-09T01:26:00.003-05:002008-09-09T01:42:26.705-05:00

So, Aradia and I were watching the premier of True Blood tonight (I love the DVR) and the recording cut off in the middle of the preview of next week's show. Here is a transcript of the conversation from that point.Aradia: Fuck! GodDAMNit!Me: Near Maniacal LaughterAradia: What?Me: For years, you wouldn't use a curse word to save your life. Now it's "Fuck! GodDAMNit!" just because you

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-50265345753020571462008-09-05T01:28:00.003-05:002008-09-05T01:33:29.453-05:00

Recently, I've started dropping by John Scalzi's Whatever blog. He's one of my all-time favorite authors for a plethora of reasons. Anywho, that link up there is a good collection of salient points about Sarah Palin and the GOP in general. What struck me while reading it is that no one, and I mean NO ONE, is actually using the full GOP name anymore and I don't know why not.Think about it. The

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-18284969596246238722008-09-04T00:35:00.002-05:002008-09-04T00:50:36.440-05:00

Just finished up Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin, and I have to say that I can definitely see what all the buzz is about. The man has an absolute passion for his subject, and science in general, that is downright infectious. I will say this, though. The bulk of the book is almost a primer for reading The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins. It covers our connections to other animals great and

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-84844661036407299622008-08-13T07:02:00.001-05:002008-08-13T07:03:14.959-05:00

It's nice to see someone NOT falling for the homeopathic bullshit. Doug Savage reaffirms my belief in his inherent intelligence.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-24997469865615661622008-08-13T06:25:00.004-05:002008-09-04T00:51:23.646-05:00

Okay, so I just finished By Schism Rent Asunder by David Weber. It's the sequel to Off Armageddon Reef, and it's a swords-and-pistols / sci-fi tale. Weber's a great world-builder, and I doubt I can add much to the more mainstream reviews of this book on most counts.I will say this, though. I never realized until this particular effort of Weber's that he falls into the hyper-literate Robert

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-78575126447750621112008-07-27T20:05:00.003-05:002008-07-27T20:17:14.221-05:00

I have yet another trainee/partner at work. This one's my age, has a compatible sense of humor and is from West Virginia. He and I have been having a good ol' time driving our third partner up the wall by being mildly outrageous. At least to us West Virginia boys, it's mild. I'm not sure what her southern sensibilities think of it all.But here's something that's a little odd. I don't know if

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-91334935369072712432008-04-23T02:45:00.002-05:002008-04-23T02:57:36.355-05:00

Wow! I finally found the time to watch the Torchwood season 2 finale, and I gotta say that I'm impressed. It's a rare show that's willing to kill off a main character, and even then it's usually precipitated by the actor wanting to leave (think Tasha Yar here).But not Russell T. Davies! Oh no, that rat bastard killed off not one but two main characters. And did it with style, baby. That's

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-48135187897712468492008-04-22T01:39:00.004-05:002008-04-22T01:42:14.843-05:00

I literally just stumbled across this while looking up something on the Diamond Distributors list. It's awesome.I Was Kidnapped By Lesbian Pirates From Outer Space!It's EXACTLY what you think it is, and its hilarious. Done in a faux 4-color style, it's not my usual cup of tea artistically, but it grows on you after a while. And the writing is just hilarious. The bumbling Male Man antagonist

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-72303480383242559692008-04-17T22:36:00.003-05:002008-04-17T22:39:36.638-05:00

What the hell is wrong witch Comedy Central? Why are they showing commercials for Expelled during Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert? Don't those guys have any say in the matter? I can't believe either of them would support Ben Stein's lunacy, hypocrisy, idiocy and other things ending in -y. And if they do, then that's two shows gone off the DVR list.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-34647281750556435072008-04-17T22:23:00.003-05:002008-04-17T22:30:31.345-05:00

I was perusing the iReports on CNN, and came across this little gem. About twenty seconds in is the most irritating thing I've seen in a while. And that's saying a lot.It appears that some poor sucker came all the way from Ohio to D.C. to attend Pope Benedict XVI's mass. He got one of the highly prized tickets somehow. In fact, he claims it was a miracle that he got the ticket, although he

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-74136453287149371052008-04-15T07:51:00.003-05:002008-04-15T07:52:46.759-05:00

Yes, I have succumb to the madness. I have, indeed, create a LOLcat picture. Part of me feels dirty. But it's just. Too. Funny!Cor's LOLcatI dunno, though. Maybe I'm dating myself a little with that one.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-83496128353357569982008-04-05T01:24:00.002-05:002008-04-05T01:26:42.545-05:00

Just doin' my part, people.Expelledexposed.comI'm mean, really. What IDiots.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-87662260851323130572008-03-20T07:01:00.004-05:002008-03-20T07:24:42.434-05:00

Well, if you haven't noticed, I've been pretty much absent from this blog for a long while now. Part of that was due to the disgust I felt with the world. I was just sick of ranting about stuff that seemed to happen over and over and over again. Part of it was that I'd kept up pretty regularly with RI for over a year, and it had done it's job. Namely, helped me get into a "writing frame of

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-68867755656000680262007-09-06T06:04:00.000-05:002007-09-06T06:05:19.033-05:00

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.comThanks ever so much to Kerri for this one...

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1175468522049239182007-04-01T17:59:00.000-05:002007-04-01T18:02:02.076-05:00

You scored as Existentialism. Your life is guided by the concept of Existentialism: You choose the meaning and purpose of your life.“Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.”“It is up to you to give [life] a meaning.”--Jean-Paul Sartre“It is man's natural sickness to believe that he possesses the Truth.”--Blaise PascalMore info

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1171124183461948162007-02-10T11:15:00.000-05:002007-02-10T11:16:23.496-05:00

Your results:You are The JokerThe Joker 77%Dr. Doom 75%Mr. Freeze 74%Magneto 69%Apocalypse 69%Lex Luthor 62%Riddler 54%Juggernaut 53%Green Goblin 45%Poison Ivy 42%Kingpin 38%Dark Phoenix 37%Venom 34%Two-Face 33%Catwoman 25%Mystique 21%The Clown Prince of Crime. You are a brilliant mastermind but are criminally insane. You love to joke around while accomplishing the task at hand.Click here to

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1165757576413549422006-12-10T08:32:00.000-05:002006-12-10T08:32:56.430-05:00

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1161552210578313482006-10-22T16:21:00.000-05:002006-10-22T16:23:30.596-05:00

HowManyOfMe.comThere are:2,733people with my namein the U.S.A.How many have your name? Care to guess?

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1159769332005765132006-10-02T00:26:00.000-05:002006-10-02T01:08:52.036-05:00

A friend asked me a question the other day about how my relationship with Aradia had changed over the years, and I started to fire off an airy, hand-waving answer that might have approximated the truth. I even opened my mouth to answer, and stopped dead. If a fly had been in the room, I probably would have swallowed it. In that moment, I had an epiphany, of sorts.My relationship with Aradia

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1156111021592748412006-08-20T14:15:00.000-05:002006-08-21T02:04:06.160-05:00

Welcome to the Carnival Of The Godless restaurant. We pride ourselves on being able to satisfy any godless taste, any taste at all. Remember, though, we're a self-service restaurant, so once I go over the menu with you, you'll be on your own.We have both written and audio testimonials, to get us started. The Allen Almanac’s Why I Am No Longer A Christian is probably the best written testimonial

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1156098118930812902006-08-20T13:11:00.000-05:002006-08-20T13:21:58.963-05:00

Say the word faith and what usually comes to mind is God, or something relating to deity. But faith doesn’t just deal with religion in this world of ours. It deals with everything and everybody. I take it on faith that my foot will hit the floor when I get out of bed in the morning. I take it on faith that my bank isn’t robbing me blind. I take it on faith that my wife is, well, faithful. And

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1155188985679655472006-08-10T00:49:00.000-05:002006-08-10T00:49:45.710-05:00

Coralius --[adjective]:Insatiable to the point of crazy'How will you be defined in the sexual dictionary?' at QuizUniverse.com

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1154925422552309602006-08-06T23:33:00.000-05:002006-08-06T23:37:02.570-05:00

Love and Rage has COTG #46 up! Go check it out.And remember that in two weeks, I'm hosting the Carnival Of The Godless for the very first time! Boy oh boy, am I nervous. But I'm excited, too. I look forward to all your submissions. You can submit them on the main COTG page, or submit them at this address: COTG #47 SubmissionsI don't have a particular theme, but I'm very science & philosophy

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1154029258670862772006-07-27T14:39:00.000-05:002006-07-27T14:40:58.706-05:00

Savage Chicken is just too much fun. I can't help but plug it from time to time. This is hilarious!

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1153944297882806492006-07-26T13:40:00.000-05:002006-07-26T15:04:57.923-05:00

Loss is the only human constant. It's the only thing that every person on the planet can say they've experienced, to one degree or another. From the moment of our birth, we start losing time. Through our lives we lose family, friends, opportunities, possessions, positions, reputations, illusions and hair. Eventually, we all lose our lives. Nothing is permanent.This can create a bleak view of the

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1152668885006136872006-07-11T20:43:00.000-05:002006-07-11T20:48:05.026-05:00

This is probably one of the most succinct summing'-up of the Yahweh omnipotence problem that I've ever seen:The Bible clearly indicates that God has foreknowledge, but what that doesto all of this is render it completely incoherent (at least to me). That meansthat God created the world and human beings and gave us the choice to sin ornot, knowing that we would choose to sin and that the world

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1151944749722716422006-07-03T11:37:00.000-05:002006-07-03T11:39:09.783-05:00

This is a great bit of political satire. This may be the funniest I've ever seen Al Gore be.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1151434704293215272006-06-27T13:57:00.000-05:002006-06-27T13:58:24.320-05:00

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1151433409017222272006-06-27T13:36:00.000-05:002006-06-27T13:36:49.036-05:00

You Are 64% CynicalYou're a full blown cynic... and probably even skeptical of these results.You have your optimistic moments, but most likely you keep them to yourself.How Cynical Are You?

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1151241737693115452006-06-25T08:13:00.000-05:002006-06-25T08:22:17.693-05:00

Michael Bains of Silly Humans sends us down the old COTG boardwalk, and gives us some really good food for thought in the process. Go check out Carnival Of the Godless #43.

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1151240852413603452006-06-25T08:06:00.000-05:002006-06-25T08:07:32.430-05:00

Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9471959.post-1151197416920683322006-06-24T20:02:00.000-05:002006-06-24T20:03:36.946-05:00

Most truths are so naked that people feel sorry for them and cover them up, at least a little bit. -- Edward R. Murrow

Coraliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12821654865085375013noreply@blogger.com0