Well issue 14 of the Gatehouse Gazette is out. If you like Steampunk, or Diesel punk at all, you should go check it out here.
News
The New Gatehouse Gazette
Firefly Paper Props
Firefly is one of my all-time favourite shows. I still don’t understand why it was ever cancelled. Anyway, this flickr set was made up for Dropzone 2010. It includes thinks like liquor labels, certificates, even some newspaper pages. Very cool.
No book deal
I just got a call from an editor with O’Reilly. I suggested a book idea. Unfortunately, they don’t think that there is a big enough market to make the cost of a production run worth it. And I have to agree with them. But I still think that this is an idea that is needed. So this is what I’m proposing. I’m going to start writing up the chapters and posting them here. After that, I think I’ll just go ahead and publish it myself through Lulu.com. We’ll see if people actually find it and get any use out of these postings.
Sam Harris on TED
I just saw Sam Harris’ latest TED talk where he spoke about whether science could speak on morality. The more I hear from him, the more I agree with him. He laid out his line of reasoning, and I agreed with every step. He didn’t go so far as to say that we have the answers, but that this was a sphere of knowledge that is open to this kind of investigation. In this way, we can move towards finding right answers, as opposed to just accepting what some religious power mongers tell us. Check it out on YouTube.
P.S. I know I’m late with my two new columns. Just be patient. I’m hoping to get them started this Friday.
Two new columns
Well, I’ve had several ideas mulling around in my head, and I think they’ve reached the point where I’m ready to start actually working on them. I’ve had two ideas for regular articles: a “What if?” column, and a column of “Maple for Mythbusters”. The first column will be articles where I look at different ideas and say “What if this idea were real? What would it mean?” The first one is going to look at homeopathy, and make the assumption that it is real. Starting there, what else do we have to accept, by logic, due to accepting that homeopathy is real. I’m going to look at a different idea for each article. The second column is going to look at different experiments that the Mythbusters have done and see how we can use Maple to do some scientific computations around those experiments. I really like Maple, and I think more people should be supporting a Canadian made product.
These two columns are going to run on alternate weeks, starting with “What if?” this Friday. If you have any ideas for either column, things you’d like to see covered, please let me know.
Sending Talking Bibles to Haiti?
OK. Just how stupid are Christians? Haiti has been completely devastated. They desperately need food and water, and medical aid. So instead of sending food and water and medical aid, what is being sent? Talking Bibles! This is not the time to be wasting what little capacity there is to get real aid into the country. After we’ve actually rebuilt homes, and gotten people fed and treated their wounds, then sure, go ahead and try to brainwash them. But now, when they are at their most beaten, is not the time to go down and shove this type of garbage down their throats. Unless, deep down somewhere, they know that the only way to get a convert is to pounce on people when they are at their weakest. Bunch of parasites. Can you tell this pisses me off a bit?
New Year’s Resolutions
I just changed the sub-title for this blog. This is because of one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2010. This blog doesn’t really focus on Druidry, it is more of a record of my view on the world around me and what is happening out there. Hence, the change. One of my resolutions is to actually post more often, and with more interesting content, here. I seem to be doing fairly well, at least so far. Anyway, drop by again to see if I can actually stick with it this year 
YouTube Fails!
Well, YouTube fails yet again. The problems with religious zealots of all stripes using alleged copyright infringement and DMCA takedown notices to silence any criticism has been known for a while. Well, YouTube has shown just how mindless they are in regards to these types of issues. A video posted on the channel FactVsReligion called “What Islam Fears: Laughter” got that channel suspended. Then, the same video on the channel AgeOfAtheism got an offer from YouTube for revenue sharing. What is happening at YouTube? Are there any actual human beings there? It really doesn’t seem like it.
Blue Moon
Well, here we are at the end of another year and another decade. December 31, 2009. Here’s hoping the next year / decade are as good. And for you folks out there who aren’t werewolves and compulsively watching the moon , tonight is also a blue moon. Enjoy the bubbly.
Shawn Graham is an idiot!
Well, it’s official. Shawn Graham, our esteemed Premier, is a first-class, grade A, idiot. The current Liberal government is all set to sell off all of the most valuable parts of NBPower to HydroQuebec. And basically at a fire-sale rate. HydroQuebec is simply going to pay off the debts owing on these assets, and promise not to gouge us for the next 5 years. After that, the rates will be tied to the rate of inflation, and to “new developments”. What the hell are new developments? Also, Shawn Graham has alluded to the fact that there is a formula in this deal to calculate what future rates will be. What is this formula? I have degrees in physics and computer science. I’m pretty sure I won’ t be stumped by the math. So common Mr. Graham, show us the money. Also, I have not heard any mention about guaranteeing power supplies, or guaranteeing infrastructure. If it becomes more profitable for HydroQuebec to sell power generated here to the US, what will stop them? As far as I can see, we would be left quite literally in the dark. And as for transmission lines, what is to stop HydroQuebec from saying that it is too expensive to repair transmissions lines to smaller communities? I have not heard any talk around these subjects. If anyone else has, please let me know. I would really like to know.