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cthomas's Comments
Re: Invisible Machine: Electromagnetic Warfare
Oh, and using this would be a war crime.
By: cthomas
Re: Invisible Machine: Electromagnetic Warfare
I think the main problem is that the military of the United States is far more dependent upon electronics than anyone we are fighting, so the potential for it to backfire is huge. Yes, our radios are huge clunky things shielded against EMPs, but a lot of soldiers use cell phones, laptops, and other over-the-counter stuff that is unprotected. Maybe if we wanted to squelch Iran we would pulse out the capital, but this would also blow out all the surveillance equipment we've been painstakingly installing over the recent years.
By: cthomas
Re: 10 yo Won't Say Pledge and Wants Rights for Gays
Interesting! Just this Tuesday, I sat in on a 3rd grade class and happened to be there for the pledge of allegiance. It was a bit weird, because I also have issues with it. My response is to put my hand on my heart, but only say the parts I agree with: "I pledge allegiance to... the United States of America, and to the Republic... one Nation... indivisible... with liberty and justice for all." Personally, I would prefer to pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America (I refuse to swear obedience to a piece of cloth), but this works. I had never considered dropping the "liberty and justice for all" part before, probably because this is an ideal to which I agree, even though its practice is still incomplete.
By: cthomas
Re: Richard Pryor vs Hostile Audience
I've never done stand-up, but I do teach math, so I've got some guesses. I think that a lot of comedians have a routine. If they're heckled, it throws them off their groove, which can be really disturbing. So I figure they have a few options: (1) work out a few jokes to shut up the hecklers (preferably at a higher than usual level of profanity), (2) get angry and have the hecklers removed, (3) switch to a new routine - insulting the hecklers. None of these are guaranteed to work, although being the one with the microphone, the one people paid to see, must play in the comedian's favor.
In this instance, it looks like Pryor was simply a really funny guy with a heap of material, so he took it all in stride... although he does seem to have some quick (and obscene) responses right off the top of his head: "my dick!" for instance.
In this instance, it looks like Pryor was simply a really funny guy with a heap of material, so he took it all in stride... although he does seem to have some quick (and obscene) responses right off the top of his head: "my dick!" for instance.
By: cthomas
Re: Jon Stewart: Hannity Inflating Attendance
Can't look away? Just turn off the TV and practice making this stuff up yourself. Once you realize how easy it is, you might not need to watch.
Here, let me try... umm....
"Black people now hate Obama! We have one in the studio which we'll pull out in just a minute to prove it!"
"Unionized trial lawyers descended upon this honest working-class community and made all of the jobs illegal. Watch this montage of angry, sad, and weather-beaten faces while we voice over more of the day's talking points."
Now you try!
Here, let me try... umm....
"Black people now hate Obama! We have one in the studio which we'll pull out in just a minute to prove it!"
"Unionized trial lawyers descended upon this honest working-class community and made all of the jobs illegal. Watch this montage of angry, sad, and weather-beaten faces while we voice over more of the day's talking points."
Now you try!
By: cthomas
Re: Wingsuit Base Jumping
No. I'm sure all you have to do is show up in Norway. The locals will tell you which cliffs to jump off.
By: cthomas
Re: Kids vs The Marshmallow Test
Wow, this clip misses the entire point. The kids who were subjected to this test were then followed through their school years. The ones who were able to wait for the second marshmallow, for example, on average scored 200 points higher on the SAT.
By: cthomas
Re: Typography
I have the opposite problem. I make up realistic stuff all the time, and the fact that I'm a college professor inclines people to automatically believe me. I've had to add an "I am an unreliable narrator" segment to my first-day speech, and have to introduce many anecdotes with "I'm making this up, but..." Of course, even when I begin by saying "I once dreamed..." people always ask afterward: "was that real?" Fortunately, I teach math, so I can prove everything I ask them to remember.
By: cthomas
Re: Fish With Transparent Head
I found it hard to believe this wasn't all CGI. Good thing National Geographic hasn't ruined their credibility!
By: cthomas
Re: Did Kidnapper Tail a Google Street View Vehicle?
Yes, "dirty old van" and "dirty old man" are only a letter apart. Still, there were no possible turns on the stretch of road followed, and thus if the van just happened to pull out behind the google van, then what results is perfectly understandable. It would have been weirder if the old van pulled a u-turn after following the google van for a while.
By: cthomas
Re: How Did Adam & Eve's Kids Have Kids?
I've heard that if you trace back through all the "begot... begot..." geneologies of the Bible, you get Adam and Eve arriving on the scene roughly 10,000 years ago. This is approximately the time when the last ice age receded, and when agriculture first began (in what is today Syria, just north of Israel/Palestine). The Old Testament of the Bible makes a lot more sense in this context, that it is not the story of "the beginning of the universe" but rather "the beginning of us," namely the civilization that went on to tell these tales and eventually write them down.
How did Adam and Eve's kids have kids? Clearly, they had kids with some of "them," the people who don't count, the people who weren't part of the family, the people who the Bible doesn't talk about.
Those people can (and did) write their own books.
How did Adam and Eve's kids have kids? Clearly, they had kids with some of "them," the people who don't count, the people who weren't part of the family, the people who the Bible doesn't talk about.
Those people can (and did) write their own books.
By: cthomas
Re: 8,800 Pennies!
I'm not saying that the kid didn't have the right to pay in pennies. I'm saying that he wasted a lot of people's time. I'm pretty sure that an organization that has a license to seize your property is obligated to take any sort of legal tender, including pennies. I just wish that the place made the guy count out the pennies for them. No one should be obligated to just believe you that a tub of pennies has a certain amount. Most places require you to put your name on rolled pennies, just in case you only put 49 cents in each. I think the kid was an ass, and anyone behind him in line or in need of police help has any right to say so.
Then again, it really is a joke to have such a worthless coin in circulation.
Then again, it really is a joke to have such a worthless coin in circulation.
By: cthomas
Re: The Next Floor
I voted 1 star because I found the interface really annoying. But then I played again and just made sure to always have as many elevators as floors. That made it fun enough to play to the end.
By: cthomas
