Where's your "no god" now, Commies?

Look what happened, Russia! You threw out God and then you were punished.

You replaced the cross with the hammer and sickle, and look at it now.

In ruins, rusting away to nothingness, or lingering on in horror.

Look what happens when you forsake God. Look! And repent.

Of Interest Perhaps Only To Me

Click for big! My discovery, simple minded as it is, was that the Sun moves all over the sky.

Having lived in cities for many years, I never saw the path of the Sun through the seasons. But now, high up in New Gondolin, I see the Sun go from Winter left to Summer Right, booking across the sky. Of course it is we - The Earth - that is moving, not the Sun, but hard to deny the illusion.

So you see above half my year. That is the Winter Sun, 2011. The dates above the other mountains cover the sunsets to come/gone. Spring/Fall is a magical spot there in the hollow of the closest mountain.

 Seeing the rhythms of our planet play out every night, every year, is awesome. Man.

We're Not Doomed (today and for the next few months at least)!

Suck it Teabags. Your attempt to destroy the world and usher in a thousand years of Republican Jesus failed (this time!). Try again in about 6-9 months, if you would, so we can properly remove your sorry asses from the US House of Representatives, and restore a measure of sanity to America, and the World.

Also, have a tree full of baby bears:

Ah, bear picking season. Best part of the Fall. The best part of WINNING!

Triangles

Look! I did a Photoshop! It's terrible! But you get my drift - that's Paula Broadwell seated, and look at that face! Pure love/lust/look at them stars! Patraeus is looking at his wife's ass apparently, or spots thereabout. She's looking at my sidebar and wondering why it's so blank. The bow tie dude in the back's all "wha?"

Love/lust is a hell of a thing, right? Who can deny it when the feelings and circumstances arise? And lo, mighty careers are felled. Didya know Fox News Generalissimo Roger Ailes tried to get Patraeus to run for President in 2012? True story - fair and balanced.

Which makes the Wingnut's fever over Obama even the more amusing, since he's apparently the perfect Husband/Father. Suck it, Wingtards.

After the War

The Sarajevo Winter Olympics awards platform. In 1984 it was the scene of triumph. A few years later, target practice. Such is the way of war, swiftly ripping away hard fought gains in culture.

Like ski jumping. Seriously, think how luxurious it is to live in a time when we build huge structures so people can ski jump off them, and we do so at an intense level of competition.

Now see them as you stumble out of the woods chasing a rabbit for dinner (in the far future), and you come across these two stone "bridges?" to nowhere. What strange magic men of old once practiced!

Aye, magic. Look around! But war can take it all away, and not just bombs and guns and tanks and such, but economic and cultural war can be equally destructive. Once you lose a certain level of civilization, for whatever reason, there's no guarantee it will come back. There's only so much any society can take before it breaks. Such has been the fall of all great empires, all nations, all peoples, sooner or later.

It can be delayed, with wisdom. But all things fade in time.

After the Fall (Lunch Break)

Click for huge - Mt. Rainier in the sunset, a shadow stretching across the heavens. I can relate!

Satan, man.

Not a shop. African weirdness, rather.

Also not a shop, but rather a well timed cloud. Dig it.

Soviet Strong

A few things: As long as there is scarcity of resources, Communism cannot work in the large scale. If there were no scarcity of resources (AKA Star Trek's "replicator" which takes elements then fabricates items on command - take heed of the development of the 3d printer. It's the beginning of the replicator), then pure Communism is a must. Everyone's equal in the scheme of things, there's no money, everyone's happy and their children are nurtured and healthy, education for all, entertainment for all, science for all: The Soviet future, one in which every single person is a sovietnik. Look it up. And enjoy these pictures.

I've got a ton of Soviet propaganda art on the old HD "Cloud" because I find it stunningly beautiful. The style of it. Gorgeous and inspiring and awesome now that the USSR is no longer an immanent threat to end the world.

This might be one of Galactus's heralds. Make no mistake: It was the Cold War that created NASA and got man on the moon in ten freaking years  - which is simply incredible. A staggering accomplishment that shall echo in history for as long as we have it. Since the fall of the USSR records reveal what many suspected of the Soviet space program: more duct tape and spit than fearsome space conqueroring machine. They had some smart folks (also some NAZI's just like the USA) and the power of the state behind them, and the Soviet space program accomplished great things - first satellite in space; first animal in space; first man in space; first woman in space. Remarkable stuff, but as soon as NASA was funded and the space race began in earnest, the Soviets could not keep up. Not enough bucks, you see. The crippling affects of the past 30 years had caught up to them. And so it was the space race that truly began the fall of the USSR and its empire. Yay, space! Because in truth the USSR was mostly awful, though with many positives. But still mostly awful and worth fighting. Yay, also, America!

Also too:

At last! It's time someone actually took the fight to the KKK and any other race based hate organization. In a tolerant society you've got to tolerate almost everyone, be they religious, atheist, man, woman, black, red, yellow, white, gay, straight, lame, hipster, uptight, etc. But the one person we as a society cannot tolerate is the intolerant. Those who would seek to limit the rights of others, for whatever reason. They are the enemies of tolerance and must be opposed wherever they rear their hoary heads, for they are poison upon the body Tolerance and if given enough sway can end it. So, tolerance for all! Except for the intolerant, who must be opposed vociferously and actively.

Ergo, go Black Panther! Fuck the CSA.

Happy Fall (Winter is Coming)

He eats rock and shits coal!

Why have people in a tank when the tank can run itself just fine without people? Also, it's got an attitude.

"To Serve and Protect" - rich people's assets, of course. Which includes prisoners - the "hip" labor force of the 21st century!

Why have people perform grunt tasks like hauling small Japanese women, when a robot can perform the same task for a fraction of the cost? Also, future Terminators should have cute bear or raccoon faces painted on their indestructible exoskeletons. Just for the lulz.

YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT "THE WAR OF JENKIN'S EAR"? PROCEED.

Substitute robots never get the proper respect.

Note these days well, meatsacks, the robots will take all of our jerbs soon enough. Leaving us countless hours for horseshoes and lemonade. Winter is coming for the species named "Man", and we are lucky enough to be here when it happens. It's going to be interesting to say the least!

They took our jerbs!

Death of the Astronaut

The state of the US of A's manned space program: Dead, by suicide. Prodded on by Repuglicans. Why? It's an easy budget item to ax, all sciency and shit. It also helps humanity in general, rather than the Confederacy directly, so, gotta go!

Granted, robots are better than humans in space in a whole slate of categories. Most, actually. But there is an inspirational effect that man in space achieves that could never be replicated by a robot. The USA - in Cold War Fever - set the bar for this effect, when Neil Armstrong stepped off a ladder with the words "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Alas! It was not true, Neil, despite your noble intentions.

All photos by Neil DaCosta. Brilliant series.

I'm not sure Americans will get back into space in a large way, government backed. Maybe private shuttle services, astro-truckers, essentially. Lets root for the Chinese in their needful pride to send folks back to the Moon and beyond. Go China!

Crash of the Shenandoah

There was an era in our history - the 20's, essentially - when dirigibles were all the modern rage. And why the heck not? They're awesome. But back then, not so safe.

And so with some high publicity crashes, the world gave up on dirigibles, which were relegated to circling football stadiums. Alas.

So is the way of many things - a few bad events and everyone turns course, heading in as far from a direction as possible, whichever way. Cultural evolutionary leaps - Big Events which wash away thousands of days of gentle accumulation. Sometimes for the good, sometimes not. Oftentimes not?

I can fly!

Entitled, "Man jumps from midtown building". Or, "The courage of your convictions". Does this look like a 'shop to you? I'm thinking yes, because of the thumb. It looks off - that's my professional opinion. I'm meta, though, so 'shop or not, if it's funny, it's good.

Also, at age 5, I believed I figured out the secret to flying. You see, I watched the old black and white Superman show very carefully, and could detect no wires or any trickery, so, clearly, Superman was flying. And if he could fly, I could fly, as long as I duplicated the effort. So I made a Superman costume and pinned a towel around my neck for a cape and with a mighty "Up, Up and Away" I jumped down the long flight of stairs at my Grandmother's house.

I somehow didn't break anything, and come to think of it, that might be my superpower, rather than flying, which to this day I am sad to report, I've not yet mastered.

Inappropriate Seasonal Symbols

Too much candy! It's a powerful lesson to learn as a child, since perhaps up to the moment of barfing, there is a belief that there can never be too much candy. Oh, how we learn.

I got 15 inches of snow up at New Gondolin! It was amazing/depressing. I've never seen such a display of colors - the reds and yellows and brown fall leaves with green pines and white, white, white everywhere. It looked like Fruity Pebbles in milk. I'm not a fan of winter, but I have to accept it. Maine, and all.

Still, death to all snowmen!

Fall, Again

Fall's back. Yay. Sure, there's some nice days and all, but I think it's a big bummer. You witness the Sun sinking from the sky, setting earlier and earlier every day. The leaves come out and party for a bit, than shrivel up and die, leaving behind a dull dreary bleakness that is broken only by rushes of blood to the head. Bah! Fall is my 3rd least favorite season, and I challenge anyone to place it higher. Over Spring? Over Summer? Don't think so. Winter need not be discussed.

But it's an Equinox, so it must be celebrated - the seasons are astronomical in origin, both in source and in measurement - Fall is when the Earth is at a precise spot. Here:

You'll note, perhaps ironically, that the Earth is noticeably closer to the Sun in Northern Winter than in Summer, yet Winter is cold as Hell. Why is this?! Axial tilt, dude. It's 23 degrees. Take a look:

You see how in the Winter, Earth's Northern Hemisphere is facing away from the Sun in January (Sun on the left side), whereas it is pointing towards the Sun in July (Sun on the right side) - that is a far more important factor in heating than distance to the Sun. I presume this means that the Southern hemisphere gets hotter Summers, since they are facing the Sun and closer. Thus, perhaps, the Rainforests around the world at that latitude.

Anyways, you should celebrate each Season, since they are very much the markings of the clock on our lives - round and round we go. Holidays are important as breaks in the everyday, a moment where the real world can be left behind a bit. Ceremony is important. Remembering why we're here and where we're going is important. It's all important.

Enjoy!

Indian Fall.

Champagne Toasts

Here's to you, Captain Kirk. Or Evil Kirk, more likely - hey: Who's evil doppelganger wouldn't be cooler than the original? By definition, methinks. So don't take it personally.

Seriously, if anyone you know or meet says they love Voyager, run. Do it fast, do it subtly, do it somewhere inbetween, but just do it. It's an awful show, and highlights the Fall of Trek in obvious fashion - concurrently with the decline of American culture. Co-incidence? Probably not.

Poconos resort premier room. Now defunct and derelict, of course. Another concurrent process with the demise of America.

Also, have I ever told you how much I LOVE hyperbole?