My Favorite Things
sciencepunk | December 1, 2010Live out your superhero fantasies with this grappling hook gun from Battelle. It shoots 100 feet up and 60 feet across, easily enough to scale ten storeys to your enemy's hideout. They say:
The Tactical Air Initiated Launch (TAIL) system is used to propel a titanium grappling hook towing a Kevlar line for use in Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations. It also can be used for fire rescue operations, life vest deployment, or other activities.Besides enhanced performance at reduced cost, the TAIL system's simple, rugged design boosts safety and reliability with the advantage of low…
stcynic | August 27, 2004From his new column answering email feedback:
Q: I was watching "Seinfeld" the other night and wondered: How many dates do you think it took to sleep with Elaine? I say third date and you're in. I think she would go all the way on the second date, but she probably would think that's a little slutty, especially for a woman of her educational background.
--Heath, Hoboken, N.J.
SG: I'm going with two dates ... one if she had enough to drink. She was the best. You know how women watch chick flicks because they want guys to be like Jerry Maguire or the guy Richard Gere played in Pretty Woman --…
stcynic | July 11, 2004In the latest entry of his ongoing Libertarian Bookworm series, Timothy Sandefur writes about H.L. Mencken, in my opinion the finest essayist in American history and probably my single favorite writer, period. He mentions a new biography of Mencken written by Terry Teachout, which I had not heard about and would like to read. Teachout edited A Second Mencken Chrestomathy, the sequel to the original that Mencken himself edited as a sort of greatest hits book of his own writing. My copy of A Mencken Chrestomathy is quite something to behold, dogeared and worn from so many readings and re-…
stcynic | June 4, 2004His name is Scott Thomas and he apparently is another right wing radio host. He wrote this obnoxious piece of falsely patriotic bullshit, which includes this statement:Patriotism in the United States is loving God and country -- in that order -- and appreciating the blessing it is to live in freedom. Patriotism is acknowledging and showing our appreciation to God for the blessing of freedom by taking care of this country, participating fully in that freedom, and wholeheartedly, without reservation, supporting those who are willing to fight and die to protect those freedoms.
Let me be clear on…
stcynic | May 26, 2004I just had a conversation with one of my loan officers about Frank Sinatra. In my experience, you either get Sinatra or you don't. I've talked to people who just don't understand his appeal, and if they don't get it, you really can't explain it to them. Sinatra was simply the coolest man on the planet.
I've long believed that I was born in the wrong era. I was supposed to be at the Sands in '64, hanging out with Frank and Dean and Sammy and Joey, drinking a martini and snapping my fingers as the orchestra locked in on a groove. And I love the word "dame". A dame, the way Sinatra used the…
stcynic | May 10, 2004"To me, the comic is the guy who says 'Wait a minute' as the consensus forms. He's the antithesis of the mob mentality. The comic is a flame – like Shiva the Destroyer, toppling idols no matter what they are."
Bill Hicks
After writing yesterday's list of the greatest comedians, it has occured to me that a lot of people just don't know who Bill Hicks was. To those of you who don't, let me assure you that it is worth your time to seek out his work and I'd like to start you off in the right direction. This will be a more complete introduction to Hicks and his comedy, along with links to the…
stcynic | May 9, 2004Inspired by a conversation this afternoon, prompted by the death of Alan King, I'd like to lay out my list of the greatest comedians of all time. If anyone bothers to read it, I'm sure there will be lots of debate over who is on the list that shouldn't be, or who was left off the list that should be, and that's fine. This is my list and it will probably reflect my own rather dark sense of humor. First, a couple notes about this list. I'm sticking, with one exception, to well known names. Having spent 4 years as a comic myself, I know of a couple dozen comics I consider geniuses that few…
stcynic | April 13, 2004The third entry on my "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things" list is my favorite sportswriter. That honor goes to the legendary Sports Guy, Bill Simmons. The Sports Guy writes for espn.com, as well as for the Jimmy Kimmel show, and he's the funniest sportswriter this side of Bill Scheft. But whereas Scheft writes great one liners about sports, The Sports Guy writes great columns about sports, about his obsession with sports (especially his beloved Boston teams), and about his life. If you've been a longtime reader of his columns, you know all the telltale elements that he uses so skillfully…
stcynic | March 29, 2004I posted on who I thought was the funniest comedian a few days ago, now it's time for who I think is the funniest writer of our day. The award goes to Joe Queenan. Queenan is a freelance writer who has written in dozens and dozens of magazines as diverse as Spy and Forbes. He has also authored several books, including Balsamic Dreams: A Short but Self-Important History of the Baby Boomer Generation, My Goodness: A Cynic's Short-Lived Search for Sainthood, and the funniest of them all: Red Lobster, White Trash and the Blue Lagoon. This last book is simply one of the funniest books ever written…
stcynic | March 26, 2004As a former stand up comic, I get asked a lot who my favorite comedians are. I tend to like dark, edgy humor more than anything else, and if it's got a real identifiable view of the world attached to it, so much the better. I think the best comic working today is Doug Stanhope. Whether you agree with his views or not, he has them, and he's not afraid to give them to you in the most pointed way imaginable.
Back in the late 80s/early 90s, there was a huge comedy boom. Every network and cable channel seemingly had their own stand up show - Evening at the Improv, Comedy on the Road, the Half…