whispers in the wind

Xbox 360 - 120GB Hard Drive

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:26:08 GMT

My Xbox 360's 120Gb hard drive just came... I managed to get it, somewhat more cheaply, from Gateway's online store. The data is transferring over from the older, 20Gb drive now. Woo!

This means I'll be able to drop some CDs on the drive, and provide my own soundtrack for my games. It means I'll be able to store some digigal photos for display at my whim. And it means I can download more games or movies (feature films) from Xbox Live to play, if I so desire.

I'm excited. =)

Today's Challenge

Tue, 27 May 2008 15:53:43 GMT

Grits and Chai, breakfast of champions.

Today, Pipes and I are going through our clothes. Her intent is to make space, removing the ones we don't wear enough. She also wants to get rid of [most of] the ones I still have around from when I was in high school.

And then, we have a new dresser from Ikea to put together. I'm slightly excited about that part. (Funny how, once you reach adulthood, obtaining a blender or vacum cleaner is reason to rejoice)

I'm a natural pack-rat. I don't give some things up easily.

TY!

Sat, 24 May 2008 15:12:19 GMT

Thank you all for your suggestions... We're mulling over the options. I'll make more personalized replies when I'm not nearly comatose.

And, even if we don't use one idea now, we may use it later.

Man... Tahiti seems awesome.

Indiiiiiiieee!!!

Thu, 22 May 2008 12:41:42 GMT

I'm excited, but slightly nervous, about the new Indiana Jones movie. Many reporters are sharing their worries that all of the secrecy around the new movie is intended to cover up its, well, suckiness. And that would be a horrific way to end the series, after a run of three absolutely wonderful Indiana Jones movies. (Well, #2, Temple of Doom, was a little cheesy, but it got a pass)

Star Wars ROCKED... until Lucas came out with the first three episodes, bajillions of years later. Okay.. Episode III was cool, if you built up a tolerance for the angsty interpersonal stuff between Anakin and, well, everybody. (The presentation almost made you relieved when Anakin finally became Vader) A new animated film is coming out about the Clone Wars, but I'm not expecting it to blow my skirt up much. (That's a metaphor, guys)

Star Trek had awesome episodes in II, III, and IV... which meant the other three or four movies were really not all that worth writing home about. And only Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan remains as the Great Tribute to Roddenberry... They have a new Trek movie coming out in awhile, with a new "original" crew to replace Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scottie and others. (Since half of the old crew are now buried, their katras committed to celluloid) I'm somewhat anxious to see if they do a decent job with this movie, too. Because, if they don't, that could be the end of Trek in all but the most devoted Trekkers. (We're not "Trekkies", dangit!!!)

Aliens... don't even take me there. Alien (the first) and Aliens (the second) were amazing achievements for both their directors. (Ridley Scott and James Cameron) Both movies have flavored countless video-games, books and movies in our culture. But Aliens³ and Alien Resurrection (YOU WISH!) weren't even laughable; they hurt to watch. Most of us geeks pretend they never existed... like the children our six-fingered cousins had, and kept under the stairs.

(::: Suddenly looks around::: "What!? You never had weird relatives before???")

Okay, Aliens vs. Predator (AvP1) was decent. But I hear Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (AvP2) is just, well... maybe we ought to pretend it doesn't exist either?

My point? Most of the series which we geeks lavish such acclaim upon -- which some of us cosplay for, go to conventions for, and fawn upon the hands, autographs and former props, and lookalike toys of our beloved, role-locked (I forget the term for that right now) actors -- Most of these series, are hit and miss at best.

I wonder why Indiana Jones doesn't have as devoted a following as Star Trek and Star Wars?

Consumer Rights: FUBAR'ed by GameStop

Thu, 22 May 2008 11:41:50 GMT

How many of you acquired the game, Army of Two?

Well, last January, GameStop.com was offering a special deal: buy Army of Two from their website, and you would get, as a special bonus, a code to unlock two extra weapons which had been decided upon by the Army of Two fan community.

Wow! That sounds like a pretty cool deal. Why buy the game from Circuit City or Wal-Mart, when you can get TWO EXTRA WEAPONS from GameStop?

Well, it turned out too good to be true. When hundreds or thousands of us got the game, opened the packaging (thus violating GameStop's return policy), put the disc into our Xbox 360s and entered the code? We got one weapon.

::: Holds up some fingers in GameStop's direction:::
Not two weapons... ONE WEAPON.

Well, that was weird... , I thought. So I called up GameStop.

Oh, don't worry about it, they told me, We know all about this problem. We've had TONS of calls about this. Give us your e-mail address and we'll update you as soon as we get this straightened out.

Weeks go by. Nothing happens. I call GameStop back. Suddenly, it isn't their problem at all. They get very friendly with me. You know... I am in exactly the same boat you are. I was REALLY PISSED that EA GAMES did this to BOTH OF US, so I called them up and gave them a piece of my mind. Man, do I feel your pain.

Uh-huh. Well, GameStop, you guys sold me the defective merchandise. You made this special offer. I want a refund.

They absolutely refused. Especially, because I opened the packaging on my game. Wait a minute... I had to open the frakking packaging in order to find out the product was defective!!!

Because GameStop hasn't been helpful, I have taken the matter to the Better Business Bureau of Fort Worth... where GameStop/EBgames HQ is, and where the GameStop.com and EBgames.com websites are run.

Thus far, they are refusing to take responsibility on the matter.

In fact, they have altered the details of my order so that it now only says "Army of Two", instead of "Army of Two with Bonus!" on it. Sneaky. But I have e-mails and other evidence to prove it wasn't always so. I've submitted this to the BBB, and I can use it as evidence otherwise.

But here's the thing. My father is an attorney, and told me a neat little fact: because GameStop/EBgames is conducting business over the Internet, they are essentially doing business in each of our home-states. Which means, each one of us could file in small-claims court, in our home states, and GameStop would either have to have someone come to represent them in the local court, or allow the action to default against them. I assure you.. it would cost far too much for GameStop to hire an attorney to represent them over a game that costs $60. (plus shipping & handling)

But now I'm wondering something.... Just how many customers got shystered by GameStop/EBgames? Hundreds? Thousands? Would this be worth filing a class-action suit over?

How many of you bought Army of Two from GameStop, based upon this special offer?

(cross-posted to multiple locations)

Star Wars : Episode I

Sun, 18 May 2008 16:57:13 GMT

Except for Darth Maul, this movie is completely without redeeming qualities for me. What was George thinking?

Gandhi

Sat, 17 May 2008 18:51:14 GMT

I'm awake in between naps, and in between night shifts. I'm doing laundry, so I'll have scrubs and socks for tonight. I'm eating leftover roast and watching Gandhi.

I am amazed... this movie never gets old, and it never fails to move me. To tears, even.

Ben Kingsley and Richard Attenborough did me (and others) a service when they made Gandhi such an easily accessible hero. But I still struggle to reconcile some of Gandhi's concepts with my belief that force can be used for good and just means. And that there are times when it is, in fact, necessary. I am, after all, a [former] soldier.

I once saw Edward James Olmos (best known today as "Admiral Adama" on Battlestar Galactica) become exceptionally inflamed on Bill Maher's show, Politically Incorrect, nearly screaming that Gandhi could have found a way to through any of the world's most violent conflicts. While shocked at the vituperation in his response, I was also impressed with his certainty. It was Olmos' response which persuaded me to acquire a DVD of the movie, Gandhi, when I hadn't seen it in so many years. And, to read some accounts of Gandhi's life.

I have searched my thinking in the past ten years or so, since then, and I haven't been able to agree with Olmos. I really wish I could agree, and reconcile Gandhi against numerous scenarios with the great butchers of history. Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao Tse Tung... I think Gandhi succeeded, most of all, because he was very fortunate in who his enemies were. Because his actions and arguments appealed to the conscience of the British overlords and people. And also, because he appealed to the conscience of the Indian (and Pakistani) people. This does not diminish his greatness or his successes; it only frames history in reality, I think. Probably one of the more important steps on the way to learning from history, so that we shall not repeat it.

"Sweetie"

Thu, 15 May 2008 23:57:28 GMT

I think it was probably fairly innocent... but Obama is about to get the crap kicked out of him by the hyper-feminists.

Move On

Thu, 15 May 2008 14:11:44 GMT

Hillary Clinton's refusal to give up the fight might have been admirable under other circumstances. But in this cirucmstance, it is taking on the same, bitter smell of ungracious desperation which characterized Gore in 2000. (and which hasn't left him since)

It's time to move on. Unless the leadership of the Democractic Party wants a general revolt on their hands -- the likes of which happened in the New Democrat coup of 1968 -- they had better select Obama and be done with it.

Murder Close to Home II

Thu, 15 May 2008 13:57:05 GMT

A couple of nights ago, there was a commotion outside our duplex around 0100. First Police, and then relatives, came to see some of our neighbors. And during the next few days, our shared parking-area has become Grand Central Station for relatives, newspeople and well-wishers.

Our neighbors' granddaughter has been a victim in a murder-suicide which has dominated the community's attention for the last few days. Yesterday, a Channel-5 News truck spent the day parked out front, so they could interview the family. (I don't watch television, but it has been the prime item on the local news sites)

How does one even deal with the death of a child that small? Apparently, her mother may get $25,000 from a victim's relief fund, and I'm sure that'll be much appreciated, but that would seem an incomparable drop in the bucket, next to the loss of a child.

Yesterday, my neighbor and I discussed how it may be a comfort of sorts to not have to sit through the entire criminal justice process... to sit through hearing after hearing, and through the grotesque details which a Prosecutor must feed to a Jury in order to clinch a guilty-verdict. And then, to sit through every excuse and challenge and objection, and attempt to suppress evidence, and last of all, every appeal, on the way to some sense of justice. In the end, the murderer took his own life. But it probably wasn't intended to spare anyone but himself.

This hasn't been the first murder that has violated my thinking recently. It seems to be a year for long thoughts.

Pipes and I are going to go and take a hike in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Just... Wow. Human flight.

Thu, 15 May 2008 07:18:23 GMT

Kind of funny that I get home from watching Iron Man with Pipes at the theater, and find this video article at CNN.com.

Mater, Uncut

Sun, 11 May 2008 16:52:36 GMT

A Happy Mother's Day to all of you fine Mothers out there. Birth-Mothers; Adoptive Mothers; Single-Fathers who must also be Mothers; Godmothers; Grandmothers; Great Grandmothers; Aunts and Girlfriends who take that role.

I must express my gratitude and joy that I am able to have a fairly civil relationship with my exes, the birth-mothers of my two, very beautiful daughters. I thank them, even though they will never read this. Because we could reach an accord, collectively, I am able to be a true father to my girls, every week, and in every way.

I also need to recognize that, in the last fifteen months that Pipes and I have been together, she really stepped-up... she started out just dating me, and then her natural maternal talents quickly came to the fore, when around my daughters. She kept me from being outnumbered and overwhelmed at times. They respond to her teachings in ways which they respond to no one else. Not even their birth-mothers. Not even me. I love her.

Mothers sacrifice for us. They feed us. They tend to all of our needs, tirelessly and often thanklessly. I feel like I need to thank my Mother today.

My Mom is, among other things, an amateur stargazer, a reader of good books, an authority on antiques and quilting, a Liberated Woman AND a gourmet cook. She has acquired or created several secret recipes for dishes, which I know she could sell off to a restaurant somewhere. Ours was a home where meatloaf or mac 'n cheese seemed like they were a rare treat. And, we discussed science, politics and current events over the dinner-table. Mom taught me to open doors, to give flowers, and other, gentlemanly conduct.

Mom was the one who gave me my love of music. When I was a child, she played Iron Butterfly, she played Simon & Garfunkel, and then she played Mozart. She shared her love of the piano with me. (And now I feel guilty that I haven't developed my own musical talents better) Music is a part of my daily life, no matter where I go.

Sometimes my Mother would care for us kids, for weeks or months at a time, while my father was away on his most recent assignment. Sometimes, we weren't even allowed to know where Dad was, and this made things only harder on Mom. It made things harder on us kids, too. And maybe we acted a bit more immature during some of those times. It couldn't have been easy on Mom.

Mom kept her head, and cracked jokes, as we rode out earthquakes; avoided tornadoes in the tight confines of our basement, and dealt with other stressful situations. I get my quirky sense of humor from Mom, and it has enabled me to weather some pretty difficult circumstances with wry amusement.

I only learned when I was twenty-five that my own Mother can't stand the sight of blood. Every time she would deal with the most recent catastrophe -- and we had some spectacular incidents in my accident-prone family! -- Mom would wade into the fray, giving tender aid and comfort to us children, and then retreat off into a corner to shake when it was all over. Three years ago, when Sunshine cut her foot badly, and was bleeding all over the place? Mom was right there, by my side, helping as I removed the shards of glass and dressed my little girl's foot. I was so proud.

Mom also can't endure violence very well. The one time we watched Braveheart together, she covered her face with a pillow through every battle scene. I remember when I was thirteen, she ran out our front door and bellowed in her most powerful voice, to stop a fight I was in. I had squared-off against three larger kids. I was either going to punish them savagely, or I would go down fighting. Mom's barked orders managed to break it up, before one of us got a single punch off. The other boys retreated as quickly as they could, and my mother asked me what would possess me to place myself in that kind of situation. I told her, indignantly: they had cruelly called her a fat turd to my face. I wasn't about to let that pass. The entire spectrum of emotions crossed her face in the instants after that.

And in regards to battle: it has been stated that the vast majority of young men who die in war, do so with the name of "Mother" upon their lips. That says something. To me, it means that almost every man in the world is a Mama's boy.

Must we be witnesses to insanity when help is refused? Or are we required to act?

Sat, 10 May 2008 20:29:57 GMT

Citing the fact that the Myanmar regime is, in active and stubborn negligence, allowing its citizens to starve, contract diseases and fall into lawlessness, Time magazine has come up with a radical proposal: It is time to invade Burma.

I have some very mixed feelings on the matter. Many people from both the Right and Left argue that we already spend too much time playing the world's police officer. Are we ready to to become its social worker too? And if we begin to take responsibility for the rest of the world, what happens when we do not seem to comparably take responsibility for people here at home? Some critics state that we allowed the victims of Hurricane Katrina to suffer for far too long before acting as concertedly as we did. Others would argue that this provides us a special and experienced perspective to argue that, ultimately, something must be done.

Logistically, can we sustain this sort of a commitment, on top of Iraq and Afghanistan? I believe we can, but not without expense. And not without risking the ire of both locals and some parts of the world. I also believe we could receive support and approbation from some corners of the world, for this kind of a forced humanitarian action. However, the chief ally of the Myanmar junta is the People's Republic of China. An invasion could risk inflaming relations, and perhaps creating additional (potentially violent?) conflict, where things have already been heating up in the last decade. And I also have to ask: what kind of international, and US, precedent could taking this course of action create?

As a nurse, who has protected and cared for children, and for elderly persons who can no longer fully make decisions for themselves, I have ended up intervening in some difficult situations where neglect or some other form of abuse is present. It has not happened without some risk, either to my physical person, or in the form of legal liability, if someone perceives me as overstepping my mandate to protect victim from abuser. There have been times when I have had to physically subdue a violent individual, but not without the worry that my actions could be potentially interpreted as "too extreme".

Given the circumstances in Myanmar, and the way in which aid is only trickling in, at best; the way in which, what aid is allowed through is being used as a means of propaganda for their suffering people; the way in which the Myanmar Government has refused to allow disaster experts and disaster relief shipments in, simply because they're pissed we have criticized their government in the past (and would rather let their people die than accept aid from us); my answer is that time is short.

If Myanmar will not begin showing some sanity and benevolence for their people, I believe that too much time has been lost already, when we could have been helping these people. I believe that, if these people (and not their government) will allow us to help them, we ought to. By any means necessary.

Dialectic, Cultural and Phenotypical transposition...

Thu, 08 May 2008 21:09:51 GMT

Why is it that in many American films, we use British accents for the most good and selfless of protagonists, or the most evil villains? This doesn't just apply to sci-fi and fantasy films, but to historical dramas, like 300. (Okay, they took some license with the historical account, but it is about Greek warriors! Why didn't they choose a Greek accent instead? Does this bother anyone with Greek heritage?)

Why is it that, in Japanese cartoons, their protagonists and antagonists -- and especially the women they are crazy about -- look like caricaturized Americans or Europeans? What is it about the Japanese psyche -- or that of their filmmakers -- which makes them think Japanese persons are unfit for these roles?

I've mused about these things for a long time. I don't get it. Any clues?

COLD!

Thu, 08 May 2008 18:58:36 GMT

Yesterday marked the first day, this year, where it was truly hot. I switched my thermostat over from "Heat" to "Cool" and basked in the life-sustaining breeze flowing from the registers.

This morning, I awoke to 53 degrees of frigid glory. I hadn't switched back.

You've gotta love living in the desert, and the oddities of weather which it can produce.

Video: Water Buffalo vs. Lions

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:17:42 GMT

This item was shamelessly stolen from mananath for viral re-posting to my friends-list.

A herd of water buffalo blunders into a pride of lions, with predictable results (initially)... but then, a battle ensues over the baby calf they have taken. What an amazing video!

___

In other news, I give you 41 Amusing Science Experiments for your perusal. At least, they are encouraging the childrens' creativity?

Restaurant: The Tandoor Indian Grill

Thu, 08 May 2008 05:51:34 GMT

For our weekly date, tonight Pipes and I went to the Tandoor Indian Grill, and then took a long walk 'n talk around the neighborhood, as the sky took on the deepening ochres of nightfall.

We started out with Onion Kulcha (#82) bread, which came with a mint-sauce and a tamarind chutney. We ended up getting two more loafs of this delicious flatbread. Pipes got the Shrimp Saag (#60), and I chose the Lamb Madras Masala (#53), both of which were exquisite, over rice with peas. We also had chai, a sort of milk and spiced tea. And for dessert, I ordered Kheer (#72), a sort of rice-pudding.

The service was excellent. The portions weren't huge, but enough to fill our bellies, and the prices were very, very reasonable. We'll definitely be returning.

The odd feeling of an issue possibly hitting home... (?)

Thu, 08 May 2008 05:12:43 GMT

My part-Japanese family eats a lot of rice. And when I say a lot, I mean that we tend to buy 20lb bags (the size of a small child) on a frequent basis. Lately, we've been relating that we haven't been able to find rice as easily in many supermarkets. And when we have, its price has as much as doubled, at some stores.

I find myself feeling slightly unnerved by the idea that this could relate to the international food shortages, which have been sparking riots across the globe.

When stuff like that comes home, to us here in the USA, it is disturbing. We tend to think of ourselves as safe. Protected from the depredations we see on television. Even relatively low-income Americans can still do better than a lot of people in other parts of the world. There was recently an article in the Wall Street Journal, which warned people to stock up on food, in order to ride a price-hike which will be coming for many foodstuffs, as a result of the coming shortages. I suppose this is one of the hazards of being part of a global economy?

Divided They Fall

Sun, 04 May 2008 17:27:46 GMT

Assertion (I): If the SuperDelegates end up choosing Hillary over Obama, then many Democrats -- Blacks, especially -- will howl in anger at a circumstance where the popular vote didn't decide the day (again!), and may become extremely pissed-off. Blacks will cite racism, after a black man was in the lead, and STILL got put behind a white woman. "Go to the back of the bus," all over again. You know it.

Assertion (II): And yet, it is being argued, with statistical analyses and other means, that Obama cannot beat McCain. Therefore, the closer Clinton follows Obama, before the Convention, the less reason for Obamacrats to call for Hillary's head. (And Dean's head, since he's running this circus) Right?

Assertion (III): And so, I am beginning to wonder if some members of the Democratic party may even begin to see it in the best interests of the Party to clandestinely "help" Hillary and hinder Obama. Because I believe: in the end, some of them are more interested in winning against the Republicans than in pleasing everyone.

---

Additional Questions (IV): Just how pissed-off could they become? Enough to cross-over and vote McCain? Enough to radically change the internal politics of the Democratic Party? (The most major change since the New Democrats took over in the 1960s?) Enough that some Blacks might leave the Democratic Party permanently? And, could Hillary winning the Presidency only extend the duration of resultant bitterness? (Or, putting it differently, would a win for McCain better allow the Democrats to regain their cohesion against a common enemy?)

---

Discuss.

Heroes: John Glenn - Loyalty

Sat, 03 May 2008 19:03:29 GMT

John Glenn is one of my heroes. Not because he was one of our most famous astronauts. Rather because, when the time came, he was willing to put it all on the line for the woman he loved.

The movie, "The Right Stuff", relates the little-known (and almost apocryphal) story where Vice-President Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) was determined to get a photo-op with Glenn's wife, Annie, for Glenn's launch atop the thus-far unreliable Atlas rocket. The Vice President has traditionally been the official Director of the Space Program, down through history.

Because she had a severe speech-impediment, Annie Glenn didn't want strangers -- even the Vice-President -- to come into her home without John there. Even if it was a natural consequence of being an Astronaut's wife, back in the 50s, to be a national celebrity.

Before long, Glenn's launch is scrubbed for technical reasons, and LBJ sees a golden opportunity to be filmed "consoling" the wife of Astronaut John Glenn. Again, Annie refuses. We see LBJ throwing a fit in his limo, outside the Glenn home, and before long, the Administrator, James Webb, pulls John aside: there's a problem with his wife. Alarmed, John rushes to the phone, and begins asking Annie what's wrong. Annie barely manages to describe the situation, since she is already stressed to the max.

John backs her up. He tells her that, if she doesn't want anyone in their house, then no one is coming in. She can tell the men at the door that John Glenn the Astronaut says so. Webb becomes incensed, threatens to pull Glenn from the launch, and find someone else. The other six Mercury Astronauts rally around John, and pointedly ask the Program Director just who he's going to get to fly that mission. After that, he backed down.

This story underlines the fierce loyalty which John felt for his sweet wife, and the loyalty which the Mercury Astronauts had for each other. I've never heard the story discounted, and it seems in keeping with John's character as a man of conscience, conviction and courage.

Links: The Democratic Race in Seven Minutes

Thu, 01 May 2008 22:38:06 GMT

I found this highly amusing.

(It appears to be by Democrats, by the way)

Gifts

Thu, 01 May 2008 15:15:03 GMT

Y'know the kind of guy who, when Christmas, an important Anniversary or even a birthday comes around, buy power-tools for their wife or girlfriend? And then ask, "Gee Hon... can I borrow that?"

Yeah. Pipes is like that with clothes.

Belated Birthday Entry

Thu, 01 May 2008 15:06:17 GMT

We celebrated Sunshine's 5th birthday on Sunday, with Pipes' family. They have a family dinner every Sunday night, but we only make it out there about once every month or two, owing to our work schedules. We made a special effort this last Sunday, because Pipes' Mom offered to bake a cake for Sunshine.

Pipes' Mom is an old nurse... that curious combination of gruff, no-nonsense and secret, almost hidden caring. But it's amazing how it started affecting her when Sunshine and Shade started spontaneously calling her "Grandma".

Instead of just being dinner and a cake, it turns out that all of Pipes' siblings brought a little something for Sunshine. Nothing real expensive, mind you -- maybe something from the dollar store -- but it's the thought that counts, isn't it? Sunshine, Shade and I had a lot of fun, playing with a new bubble-wand a couple of days ago. The giggle of children, truly enjoying themselves. I'll never get over how wonderful it is.

Pipes and I have been talking about Marriage for a little while now. It seems certain that this is where we're headed. And equally certain, that I would end up marrying into a very good, very loving family.

Memory Foam What???

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:36:22 GMT

So I went to the Fashion Place mall with Pipes last night. We had gone looking for a new vehicle to replace her '88 Oldsmobile POS, we had gone to the Jumbo Buffet, gorging ourselves on Chinese, Japanese and generally Asian food, and we needed someplace to walk it off.

By the way, is it me, or are kiosk salespersons getting much more aggressive these days? I'm going to have to wear a suit of body-armor, a taser and some jogging shoes next time I go to the mall. It could very well be the fact that I only see the inside of a mall about once every three to six months at this stage in my life, but it really annoys me when people are so insistent, and ignorant (or lying) while trying to "help me" spend my money.

So we stopped by Victoria's Secret as part of our circuit around the shops. Naturally, I affected the slightly disinterested persona that most "taken" (read: owned) males (and two or three of us were present) do, when confronted with so much -- or rather, so little -- clothing of this sort. And while Pipes was browsing through their various wares, a saleswoman came up to us and showed us one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in my life: a memory-foam bra.

Okay, it wasn't that amazing. But still.

You know what memory foam is, right? I have a memory-foam topper on my bed's mattress, which turns it from a boat, to a fairly plush and conforming boat. It shapes itself to the contours of your body, fairly quickly, enveloping you in a way that water beds never were able to do. (And better, it was invented by NASA, so it's at least as cool as Tang)

Have you any idea of the odd possibilities which this kind of a product offers? C'mon guys... I know you're wondering.

I say all of this, pretty much tongue-in-cheek.... but you know what using memory foam in a wide range of non-bedding applications could mean. We might never be bored again! I mean toys, mostly. And I'm sorry to offend any of the soberly-serious individuals who feel there might be a valid use for memory foam in undergarments -- why not? we've tried everything else in the last few decades -- and that it's inappropriate to even mention such a thing. But you know exactly what sort of thinking such a thing is going to inspire. Kleenex is on its way out. You know that men's undergarments can't be far away.

On the OSBP

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:42:32 GMT

The last few days have seen a remarkably huge explosion of discussion, debate, demonification, and even potential threats of physical violence. People on my friends list, and on my friends-of-friends list, are posting about it everywhere. People outside of LiveJournal are taking up the matter as well.

No, I'm not talking about the Presidential election. I'm talking about "Boobiegate."

If you don't know what it is, then you may not be missing much. Okay, well, you're missing a lot, but it's not something which should keep you up at night. Most of the material flying back and forth on this issue is bile.

To summarize things, theferrett and friends go to a couple of Cons. (Conventions) One of them has the idea that the normal social boundaries and taboos against the touching of others -- especially their breasts or their butts -- ought not to be quite so thick. So this circle of friends (male and female) gropes one of the females in the group. Hey, they think, this is great. Let's grope some other people. Thusly, the Open Source Boob Project (OSBP) is born.

Amazingly, a lot more people participate in this than one might expect. It didn't envelop and overshadow either of the Cons, but it apparently involved up to 5% of the attending fans. theferrett argues that everything was done on a purely consensual basis... but then proceeds to undermine his position by arguing, further down in the comments, that those who refuse this sort of contact are basically prudes. Or worse, emotionally, mentally and/or sexually unhealthy. In doing so, he pretty much comes off as a spoiled, jealous (that he can't grope YOUR body) sort of immature individual. That very argument seems, to me, to undermine the concepts of consent, and especially mutual respect.

That said, I believe every individual is responsible for him- or herself. Every individual has the capability to consent, or not. (With a few notable exceptions I won't mention here) And so, I take issue with some of the feminists who argue he is magically abusing every woman on the planet. I think the women who participate in any activity at all, (and especially the OSBP) would take issue with other women acting as if they don't have enough gray matter in their own heads to make a decision -- even a bad one -- for themselves. The more we second-guess people, and attempt to override what we perceive as bad judgment, the more we stand on a slippery slope that would put us all at the mercy of a totalitarian but supposedly benevolent society.

I have also seem some useful debate occurring on the topics of personal responsibility, the sovereign (and sacred?) nature of one's body, consent, social norms, and sexuality in general. But in no means does this validate the much greater portion of hate being tossed back and forth by various persons. And by no means does this exonerate theferrett for his participation in creating this e-riot.

I think that much of what can usefully be derived from this morass, like filtering clean, drinkable water from a sludge-choked sewer, has already been derived. Maybe it is just time to move on. And maybe, to talk about these issues in a productive manner, without needing to look back, needing to cast aspersions and insults, and without condemning anyone on the basis of their sex. (Or race, creed, etc.)

Can't we all just get aloooong?