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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by Tim F|  May 10, 20098:26 pm| 97 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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Today’s do-it-yourself tip: take a screenshot of the blue screen of death (BSoD; you can find it online) and use it as a screensaver. This is especially fun when you own a Mac, and/or give presentations a lot.

Chat about whatever.

***Update***

For cripes sake people, google it.

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Reader Interactions

97Comments

  1. 1.

    Krista

    May 10, 2009 at 8:31 pm

    first?

  2. 2.

    Krista

    May 10, 2009 at 8:33 pm

    Yay — I’ve been commenting here for 5 years, and I think that’s the only time I’ve ever gotten in first on a thread.

    That is a good tip, though, Tim. Evil but funny, especially if you know your coworker’s computer password…heh.

  3. 3.

    robertdsc

    May 10, 2009 at 8:38 pm

    MacOS 9.x and its predecessors were particularly resourceful in generating spoof setups like that.

    Sometimes I miss OS 9.x, but OS X in the many iterations I’ve used it in is fine by me.

  4. 4.

    Mr. Stuck

    May 10, 2009 at 8:38 pm

    No thanks. My first computer was a pentium 3 with Windows Millenium OS. I saw about as much BSoD as living computer stuff. I would as soon have the poison symbol as a screensaver/

  5. 5.

    Ked

    May 10, 2009 at 8:39 pm

    Uh.

    …is that actually possible? I mean, a BSoD means that the computer has crashed really good, and usually ends up being rebooted a second later. So you can hardly save a screenshot…

    Or is this one of those asinine hidden features in Windows that’s absolutely undocumented and never discussed online? I do this shit for a living – if you really can, you have no idea how much grief it would save.

    (OTOH, I could probably *fake* a BSoD screen graphic given thirty to sixty minutes.)

  6. 6.

    AhabTRuler

    May 10, 2009 at 8:41 pm

    Sometimes I miss OS 9.x

    Are you kidding? I am still bitter about the transition to System 7.

  7. 7.

    Mr. Stuck

    May 10, 2009 at 8:43 pm

    @Ked:

    If memory serves, Mine used to say “Push any key to restart”, so it wasn’t automatic/

  8. 8.

    Ked

    May 10, 2009 at 8:44 pm

    Oooooh, wait, I know, I know. You could deliberately crash a virtual Windows environment (I’ve seen this done (deliberately as well as not-deliberately (and boy was that a crappy afternoon cleaning up after)) using the Windows Virtual Server; VMWare, qemu, kvm all ought to be capable as well) and then take a screenshot of *that*. Though that might be a little more hassle than your typical end user wants to go through.

  9. 9.

    Ked

    May 10, 2009 at 8:46 pm

    @Mr. Stuck:

    If memory serves, Mine used to say “Push any key to restart”, so it wasn’t automatic/

    Riddle me this: if any key you press restarts the computer, how do you take a screen shot?

  10. 10.

    Dennis-SGMM

    May 10, 2009 at 8:48 pm

    Just Google “Blue Screen of Death” and click Images.
    Here’s what the Google returned:

    Results 1 – 20 of about 1,640,000 (0.25 seconds)

  11. 11.

    Brachiator

    May 10, 2009 at 8:50 pm

    I loved the new Star Trek movie. But I wish it had been better. Without spoiling anything, it succeeds on a fair amount of humor and generally engaging performances from its young cast. You like these characters and want to see them succeed even if you are not a fan of the old show.

    I didn’t need to have decades of Trek lore and back story preserved in a jar or shrine, but some of Abrams changes seemed willfully perverse. They didn’t serve the stories purposes as much as he believed they did and in a couple of places actually cheated. That is, you reacted to something that resulted in a character’s fate not because it was the dramatic outcome of the new plot, but precisely because it was a change from the Old Trek. I am being purposefully vague for the sake of those who have not seen the movie, but I am referring here to a lot of the Vulcan plot line.

    And although I know that the fanboys and girls really, really needed to see all of the characters come back as their younger selves and relate to each other exactly as they did in the TV show, I would not have minded had the introduction of some of the characters been held off until later in the — inevitable– new series. That said, I enjoyed the way that they were portrayed.

    But my biggest reservation, and one that I have not seen enough of the mainstream critics remark on, is that JJ Abrams has the sensibility and the visual imagination of a TV guy, not a movie director, and this really detracts from the good parts of Star Trek. There are too many close-ups when you need to see a character in a physical context, the editing is at times just strange, and much more could have been done with various action sequences. And for a big summer movie there are too few starships shown. What’s the point of a big screen if you don’t use it?

    Before the movie, there were a ton of trailers for upcoming movies, including Terminator, Transformers, Year One (Jack Black goes primieval), G.I. Joe and a couple of others. They all looked pretty dismal. Lots of explosions and conventional CGI effects). And I’m not sure which is more creatively bankrupt: movies based on stale 70s TV shows or movies based on children’s toys. I mean, come on. Transformers? G.I. Joe?

    The only comedy trailer which elicited laughs from the audience was that for an upcoming Mike Judge film called “Extract.”

    It’s going to be a long summer.

  12. 12.

    Mr. Stuck

    May 10, 2009 at 8:53 pm

    @Ked:

    I have no idea. Just the mention of BSoD fills me terror and shuts down my synapses. So I guess Tim was offering just such a conundrum as you are proposing.. But if you have a digital camera nearby, then it is a screen shot of sorts.

  13. 13.

    Krista

    May 10, 2009 at 8:53 pm

    Just Google “Blue Screen of Death” and click Images.

    Beat me to it. :)

  14. 14.

    Ked

    May 10, 2009 at 8:53 pm

    @Dennis-SGMM:

    Fakes. Fakes and photographs, all.

  15. 15.

    kommrade reproductive vigor

    May 10, 2009 at 9:00 pm

    @Mr. Stuck: Push a key? When I were a lad we had to crank ’em!

    Sorry.

  16. 16.

    Navigator

    May 10, 2009 at 9:01 pm

    Simple trick:

    Take a screenshot of the victim’s desktop, then set that as their desktop picture or background.

    A caution from experience, though:
    alert IT before they waste any time trying to figure it out.

  17. 17.

    Rosali

    May 10, 2009 at 9:02 pm

    I’m not going to google BSOD. I just recently got over my nightmare with WordPress Error.

  18. 18.

    demimondian

    May 10, 2009 at 9:03 pm

    There are ways to do it. The easiest is to do as someone suggested upthread, and generate a crash in a virtual environment. (Easier than you think — create a bogus virtual device driver which will segfault, load it into the virtual image, and, hey presto, instant BSoD. Maybe it isn’t that easy, now that you mention it.)

    An even easier way to experience a system crash, of course, is to own a MacBook and use it for anything other than the most trivial of fluff work. Simulations? Yeah, not so much.

  19. 19.

    KidA

    May 10, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    Real fans hate the new film. From The Onion

    http://www.theonion.com/content/video/trekkies_bash_new_star_trek_film

  20. 20.

    John Cole

    May 10, 2009 at 9:06 pm

    Grades are done, 2/3 of the house has had the carpet cleaned, the walls cleaned, and everything dusted and wiped down, I have fans and a Hepa running in each room, Tunch if furminated and fed, an I just showered, shaved, trimmed my nose hairs, brushed my fangs, flossed, used the sonic brush and the water pick, and washed down a Benadryl.

    I’m tired.

  21. 21.

    Mwangangi

    May 10, 2009 at 9:09 pm

    I still say my favorite euphemism for the BSoD is “The Unholy Smurf Village of Armageddon”.

  22. 22.

    Mwangangi

    May 10, 2009 at 9:10 pm

    @John Cole: Yeah, but did you tweeze?

  23. 23.

    Ninerdave

    May 10, 2009 at 9:12 pm

    Red State reviews the new Star Trek Movie.

    For those of you who have watched the various television and movie versions of Star Trek, and have been wondering when are we going to see a real Star Trek Captain, finally we have one.

    James Tiberius Kirk is back.

    For those who like to give the middle finger to the world of the politically correct, buy two tickets, and settle in for a great show.

    Parents who want to teach their children examples of leadership and courage — and sacrifice, take the whole family.

    James Tiberius Kirk has always been a leadership role model, a character of great courage and vision and purpose.

    There are far too few examples in today’s world of you-can’t-shake-hands-at-graduation because you might get a mild flu.

    To those looking for an antedote to the wimpy, lets live in a risk free world, hang-wringing whiners — this movie is it.

    It will be the biggest Star Trek ever, and finally brings some flaws, humor and humanity back to Star Trek, instead of the oh so morally superior, preachy Captain Picard.

    The great thing about the movie is that the crew, not just Kirk, rocks.

    There is great texture, depth, pain, suffering, defeat, triumph and grayness in each of them — and the movie brings them out to create a highly effective and personally appealing crew.

    This is the control-alt-delete Star Trek, rebooting the entire story and time line.

    The director J.J. Abrams has given Star Trek another two decades of life — hats off to the entire team.

  24. 24.

    kommrade reproductive vigor

    May 10, 2009 at 9:13 pm

    @John Cole: All of this activity and you don’t have a date or somethin’?

    Man, I hate to break it to you. You’re not tired, you’re old.

  25. 25.

    Ninerdave

    May 10, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    Red State reviews the new Star Trek Movie

    For those who like to give the middle finger to the world of the politically correct, buy two tickets, and settle in for a great show.

    Parents who want to teach their children examples of leadership and courage — and sacrifice, take the whole family.

    James Tiberius Kirk has always been a leadership role model, a character of great courage and vision and purpose.

  26. 26.

    Ninerdave

    May 10, 2009 at 9:17 pm

    Red State reviews the Star Trek Movie:

    For those who like to give the middle finger to the world of the politically correct, buy two tickets, and settle in for a great show.

    Parents who want to teach their children examples of leadership and courage — and sacrifice, take the whole family.

    James Tiberius Kirk has always been a leadership role model, a character of great courage and vision and purpose.

  27. 27.

    Ninerdave

    May 10, 2009 at 9:18 pm

    Red State reviews the new Star Trek Movie.

  28. 28.

    bago

    May 10, 2009 at 9:19 pm

    Open up a console window and use ANSI codes to writeout an 80×25 blue background white text kernel stop message?

  29. 29.

    Ninerdave

    May 10, 2009 at 9:20 pm

    Try this one last time. The Red State review of the new Star Trek Movie.

    For those of you who have watched the various television and movie versions of Star Trek, and have been wondering when are we going to see a real Star Trek Captain, finally we have one.

    James Tiberius Kirk is back.

    For those who like to give the middle finger to the world of the politically correct, buy two tickets, and settle in for a great show.

    Parents who want to teach their children examples of leadership and courage — and sacrifice, take the whole family.

    James Tiberius Kirk has always been a leadership role model, a character of great courage and vision and purpose.

    There are far too few examples in today’s world of you-can’t-shake-hands-at-graduation because you might get a mild flu.

    To those looking for an antedote to the wimpy, lets live in a risk free world, hang-wringing whiners — this movie is it.

    It will be the biggest Star Trek ever, and finally brings some flaws, humor and humanity back to Star Trek, instead of the oh so morally superior, preachy Captain Picard.

    The great thing about the movie is that the crew, not just Kirk, rocks.

    There is great texture, depth, pain, suffering, defeat, triumph and grayness in each of them — and the movie brings them out to create a highly effective and personally appealing crew.

    This is the control-alt-delete Star Trek, rebooting the entire story and time line.

    The director J.J. Abrams has given Star Trek another two decades of life — hats off to the entire team.

  30. 30.

    Anne Laurie

    May 10, 2009 at 9:20 pm

    I’m tired.

    Yeah, but did you remember to call your mom?

  31. 31.

    John Cole

    May 10, 2009 at 9:21 pm

    @kommrade reproductive vigor: I like to go to bed clean. I shower every morning and again every night. I also just like how my teeth feel when I brush, floss, use the sonic brush, and then finish with the water pick. They just feel so smooth and good.

  32. 32.

    Ninerdave

    May 10, 2009 at 9:21 pm

    Yaaa!! Made it through, apparently linking to RedState will land you in the spam bucket. haha

  33. 33.

    Brachiator

    May 10, 2009 at 9:22 pm

    @KidA:

    Real fans hate the new film. From The Onion

    Hah! Spot on!

    The Red State review of Star Trek probably makes the baby Jebus cry.

  34. 34.

    Josh Hueco

    May 10, 2009 at 9:24 pm

    OT, but while at DFW on Friday waiting for the last leg of my flight back to Waco (I’ve just finished Challenge training for the VA), I look up at the gate and (no shit) I see Karl Rove chatting up the people at the counter. I was within 15 feet of the Prince of Darkness himself. No, I didn’t say or do anything that could have gotten me arrested. Loss of nerve or shrewd decision to remain employed by the federal gov’t? Not sure.

    PS – Of course, after reading that Nate Silver post from earlier today, I don’t feel so bad.

  35. 35.

    John Cole

    May 10, 2009 at 9:24 pm

    @Anne Laurie: Of course. I talk to her 3-5 times every day anyway.

  36. 36.

    demimondian

    May 10, 2009 at 9:26 pm

    And now for the good news: Housing bubble? That’s nothing.

  37. 37.

    Mr. Stuck

    May 10, 2009 at 9:28 pm

    Yesterday, I received in the mail some green tea called Japanese Macha. It’s like a green powder that you just stir directly into a hot cup of water and drink it. Well, it didn’t come with instructions, so I plopped in a heaping tablespoon and wow is it strong. Now I have an overwhelming urge to do some pole vaulting.

  38. 38.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    May 10, 2009 at 9:32 pm

    @John Cole:

    Damn John you really are your father’s son are you not? You are cleaning not only the carpets but THE WALLS…. good FSM John it is late spring, it is time to be outside doing, well anything, if only sitting on a chair outside and reading a good book.

  39. 39.

    El Cid

    May 10, 2009 at 9:34 pm

    Wait — the new Star Trek is conservative and anti-PC? I guess they don’t mind that torture is done by the bad guys in the movie, and is portrayed fairly negatively as carried out by militarists seeking vengeance after a horrible tragedy.

  40. 40.

    wasabi gasp

    May 10, 2009 at 9:38 pm

    So far we have BSoD desktops, Star Trek, and talk to your mom 3-5 times a day. Ninety eight more and you can publish Balloon Juice’s 101 Ways to Never Touch Boobies.

  41. 41.

    kommrade reproductive vigor

    May 10, 2009 at 9:41 pm

    @Ninerdave: I tried to read the review but I kept getting distracted this frantic fapping noise.

    For those who like to give the middle finger to the world of the politically correct, buy two tickets, and settle in for a great show.

    What? What?? Seriously, what the fuck is this dumb fuck talking about?

    Sorry, I forgot for a moment that the Red State Stroke Force wouldn’t be caught dead enjoying anything that is P.C., ergo the need to assure people that it is totally not PC. Really, liberals will HATE it.

    Or, they really do live in a parallel universe.

    I enjoyed the movie. For a Star Trek movie it was a really good movie. But I didn’t spend it next to some pimply putz sporting major wood over Capt. Kirk so your mileage may vary. Christ, I may have to shut off all external forms of communication when the GI Joe movie comes out.

    To those looking for an antedote to the wimpy, lets live in a risk free world, hang-wringing whiners — this movie is it.

    Bwahahaahaa – Oh fuck, my IronyOmeter is on fire.

  42. 42.

    El Cid

    May 10, 2009 at 9:42 pm

    BTW — another important news article from The Onion: America better go buy Hollywood stuff right now, or else.

    Telling the movie-going public that it had “better start falling in line,” executives at Touchstone Pictures announced Monday that if they do not immediately see a significant increase in box-office receipts they will not hesitate to produce a sequel to the 2000 film Coyote Ugly… “We are dead serious, you assholes,” Zaiff said. “You’re going to like what we tell you to like, end-of-fucking-story. Now fill up those seats, or so help me God, it’s Coyote Ugly II: Get Uglier.”… “For six months you won’t be able to do so much as buy a cup of coffee without having to stare at ads for this pile of puke,” Zaiff said. “We’ll inundate you with so many promotions and cross-promotions, you’ll see the logo in your nightmares. Anytime you look at a screen it will be completely plastered with the faces of whatever MTV rejects we decide to cast in this abortion.” “Get ready to herd your fat asses in to watch it, you fat fucks,” added Zaiff, promising to release the movie after awards season, but before summer blockbusters arrive, so there will be nothing else for moviegoers to see… Additionally, industry insiders have indicated that Coyote Ugly II will have so little respect for its audience’s intelligence that everyone who appears on screen will wear a Pepsi T-shirt at all times.

  43. 43.

    Andre

    May 10, 2009 at 9:43 pm

    @Navigator:

    I used to work in a faults call centre which was pretty heavy on the monitoring. Management had an application (called, of all things, “Nice”) that would show a realtime (or recorded) view of an individual’s screen, just like you were remoting in.

    To get around this frankly stupid overmanagement (we were heavily stats-based and if anyone wasn’t performing it was obvious to their manager within an hour) some of the guys used a screen video capture application of themselves doing something relatively intensive but mundane like creating a new order to have a technician visit a street corner junction box, then converted it and used it as a 15 minute looping screen saver. Then they’d call their girlfriends and let the screensaver do the work for them.

    It worked great as long as the bosses didn’t check the time in the system tray.

  44. 44.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    May 10, 2009 at 9:44 pm

    @John Cole:

    Hate to say it John but that is probably why you are suffering from allergies, you are washing away your natural defenses twice a day. Showering once a day is regarded as normal, and for most people it is. Twice a day is perhaps a little OCD and will just make you more and more likely to suffer from allergies and diseases. You are killing yourself John, one shower at a time. Thirty years ago people bathed once a week, and the amount of allergies that people suffered were minimal compared to today. I read on a letters column once that doctors and nurses, et. al., do not shower every day, in fact they tend to restrict it to two or three times a week ( this does not include the hand washing that is a part of their job mind you), because they know that every time you shower (and particularly with an anti-bacterial whatever soap) you are just killing your natural defenses. Jees one hundred years ago people bathed once a year, and again there were minimal amounts of allergies. Think about it.

  45. 45.

    Tim F.

    May 10, 2009 at 9:46 pm

    My first computer was a pentium 3 with Windows Millenium OS. I saw about as much BSoD as living computer stuff. I would as soon have the poison symbol as a screensaver/

    Not to play topper here, but my first digital microscope ran on Windows ME. It is a testament to self discipline that the entire fucking apparatus, especially the @^%@$(# computer, is not snorkeling in Long Island Sound.

    Are you kidding? I am still bitter about the transition to System 7.

    <3. The fake dialog window maker in older Macs got me in a lot of trouble in high school.

  46. 46.

    Ninerdave

    May 10, 2009 at 9:50 pm

    I read on a letters column once that doctors and nurses, et. al., do not shower every day,

    I can tell you for certain this is most definitely not true. My wife’s a nurse, she’s all about hygiene, as are all her colleagues.

  47. 47.

    jrg

    May 10, 2009 at 9:50 pm

    Cheney turned on Powell, he’s turned on Bush.

    There is no longer a prisoner’s dilemma for the old occupants of the White House. I think we’ll hear some interesting stories soon.

  48. 48.

    KG

    May 10, 2009 at 9:52 pm

    @ 11: As a scifi fan (particularly Star Trek and Star Wars) I’m not really happy with some of the plot twists. My first thought, before “Star Trek” even appeared on screen, was “no, that’s not supposed to happen.”

  49. 49.

    JK

    May 10, 2009 at 9:55 pm

    I haven’t seen the new Star Trek film yet, but I’ve been surprised by the sheer volume of favorable reviews it’s received.

    Tom Snyder interviews DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, and Walter Koenig
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P32wGXbNMbo&feature=PlayList&p=3F8B01CA646E2E20&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=16

  50. 50.

    Kiril

    May 10, 2009 at 9:55 pm

    Somehow, this didn’t make it into the movie mashup thread last night. ALF remixed in creepy David Lynch style:

    http://videogum.com/archives/parodies/alf-like-youve-never-seen-him_068492.html

    I love videogum sometimes.

  51. 51.

    kommrade reproductive vigor

    May 10, 2009 at 9:58 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt: A bathing frequency/allergy severity correlation is a real stretch. People were just exposed to more allergens and their systems adapted. Or they croaked.

    I will say that bathing twice a day will dry your skin the hell out.

  52. 52.

    Ninerdave

    May 10, 2009 at 9:59 pm

    <3. The fake dialog window maker in older Macs got me in a lot of trouble in high school.

    Yeah unfortunately that doesn’t exist anymore. Was a great time.

    Here are a few pranks I’ve seen around the office lately.

    1) Hook up a wireless/bluetooth mouse to someone’s computer you sit near. Buddy did this to a guy who had the office across from him. He’d randomly move the guy’s mouse, or launch random applications, click out of the front app when he was typing. He had him going for well over a month. The key was not to over do it.

    2) variation on the above: Install VNC on someone’s machine. You then have full screen access to their machine. If you run a Mac, DO NOT use the built in screen sharing it will show an icon in their menu bar when someone’s logged in.

    3) Lastly, login via ssh on someone’s Mac, and use apple script to “talk” to the user.
    sudo osascript -e ‘say “something” using “Zarvox”‘ or another voice.

  53. 53.

    jenniebee

    May 10, 2009 at 10:02 pm

    Technet has an actual BSoD screensaver (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897558.aspx) It’s safe and easy, for the technically challenged.

  54. 54.

    Persia

    May 10, 2009 at 10:06 pm

    @Ninerdave: The only prank that ever happened to me on the Mac was when the ad guy at the college paper put a stripper animation on there.

    I’ve been more amused.

  55. 55.

    Vincent

    May 10, 2009 at 10:06 pm

    Jees one hundred years ago people bathed once a year, and again there were minimal amounts of allergies. Think about it.

    I’m thinking that people died of a lot of other stuff then. But at least they had fewer allergies.

  56. 56.

    Fencedude

    May 10, 2009 at 10:07 pm

    @KG:

    My first thought, before “Star Trek” even appeared on screen, was “no, that’s not supposed to happen.”

    But thats the point.

    Its an entirely new universe (very explicitly so), not the past of the “current” universe.

    Maybe 10 years ago I would have gotten all up in arms about that sort of thing, but I just can’t work up the outrage about such things anymore.

    (also, I thought the gag with Uhura’s Orion roommate was freaking hilarious)

  57. 57.

    El Cid

    May 10, 2009 at 10:07 pm

    Hey, the real way to fight allergies is to infect yourself with parasites.

  58. 58.

    Brachiator

    May 10, 2009 at 10:07 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    I read on a letters column once that doctors and nurses, et. al., do not shower every day, in fact they tend to restrict it to two or three times a week ( this does not include the hand washing that is a part of their job mind you), because they know that every time you shower (and particularly with an anti-bacterial whatever soap) you are just killing your natural defenses.

    Nonsense. Surgeons used to think that washing their hands before opening up a patient or attending to a pregnant mother was unnecessary. And they disdained the input of mere midwives.

    Of course, it didn’t kill them not to wash their hands. Their patients, on the other hand….

    “We’ll inundate you with so many promotions and cross-promotions, you’ll see the logo in your nightmares.

    @wasabi gasp:
    There is a brief, but noxious tie-in to Nokia in the new Star Trek movie. Sigh.

  59. 59.

    JK

    May 10, 2009 at 10:08 pm

    @jrg:

    I’m totally disgusted by Cheney’s flagrant violation of the unwritten protocol for former Vice Presidents and Presidents. He should have had the decency to STFU for at least 6 months.

    On the other hand, I don’t know Cheney like these two guys

    Those who have known him over the years remain astounded by what they describe as his almost autistic indifference to the thoughts and feelings of others.
    “He has the least interest in human beings of anyone I have ever met,” says John Perry Barlow, his former supporter. Cheney’s freshman-year roommate, Steve Billings, agrees: “If I could ask Dick one question, I’d ask him how he could be so unempathetic.”

    h/t http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/6450422/the_curse_of_dick_cheney

  60. 60.

    AhabTRuler

    May 10, 2009 at 10:18 pm

    For cripes sake

    If you are going to curse, just fucking do it and do it fucking naturally. Otherwise why bother?

    Besides which, even if you use a harmless euphemism, it is still your intent to curse, so why waste the sin on milquetoast epithets?

  61. 61.

    mt

    May 10, 2009 at 10:24 pm

    The Salt Lake Tribune:

    In its damning totality, the memorandum is an indictment of Bybee himself, evidence that he is morally, ethically and legally unfit to serve on the federal bench. His continued presence there is an affront to the integrity of the judiciary, to a nation founded on laws and ideals protecting human dignity, and to all Americans who once believed their government would never indulge in the same human rights violations we have long condemned in other countries.
    Bybee, a graduate of Brigham Young University and its law school, should show himself capable of better judgment — and of remorse — by resigning his lifetime appointment.

    Hell Yeah.

  62. 62.

    El Cid

    May 10, 2009 at 10:27 pm

    Awesome. The Confederates, I mean, GOPers, have chosen to fully embrace another weird hissy fit to be understood only by those who already have sync’d to their hive mind freakouts. Via Politico, we present you Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-CSA):

    “During the campaign, then-Senator Obama said his criteria for picking a judge were not legal brilliance or a judicious temperament, but ‘empathy’—empathy, that is, for particular parties or groups over others. And the president emphasized that point again last week. This idea of ‘empathy’ sounds appealing at first. After all, judges—especially those on the Supreme Court—hold a lot of power. And they ought to take care to use their power wisely,” McConnell told students. “But you can see the problem with this view if you ever find yourself in front of a court and you’re not arguing for the party or group for whom the judge is empathetic. Suppose you happen to have, objectively, a very good case under the law. What fairness can you expect if the judge was appointed based on the ability to ‘empathize’ with the opposing party?”

    Yup, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Fancy Dijon Mustard Obama was struttin’ around the damn campaign trail always sayin’ how if’n he was elected he wouldn’t put no damn fancy pants legal type on the Supreme Court, he’d just go down to a local cafeteria and set up a contest for the most empathetic person, and then he’d make ’em a Supreme Court justice, even if that person didn’t know nothin’ ’bout the law, or even if she didn’t speak no good English, hell, it might not even be a person, maybe Obama will put his dog up ‘er!

  63. 63.

    kommrade reproductive vigor

    May 10, 2009 at 10:29 pm

    @AhabTRuler: My guess: A swear word in a post sends the Spam filter into overdrive.

  64. 64.

    Martin

    May 10, 2009 at 10:34 pm

    Ninety eight more and you can publish Balloon Juice’s 101 Ways to Never Touch Boobies.

    Totally depends on the boobies.

  65. 65.

    KG

    May 10, 2009 at 10:34 pm

    @ 52: yeah, I suppose. It’s just they’ve done the alternate timelines so much within the Trek universe, it seemed unnecessary. It’s not so much outrage for me, more a response of, “really? I’m mean, fucking, really?”

  66. 66.

    MikeJ

    May 10, 2009 at 10:34 pm

    Sysinternals has a BSOD screensaver. When I was consluting at the Q I left my computer digesting a 2gb xml file when I went to lunch. When I got back I was greeted by panicky people who, thank gopod, hadn’t rebooted my computer as they had contemplated upon seeing my screensaver.

  67. 67.

    AhabTRuler

    May 10, 2009 at 10:35 pm

    @kommrade reproductive vigor: Then one should use some other construction, as inarticulate cursing makes the baby FSM cry strawberry champagne.

  68. 68.

    KG

    May 10, 2009 at 10:39 pm

    @ 58: I’m an attorney, most days, and it is utterly amazing to me how few lawyers understand the concept of “equity.” I had an attorney a while back tell me that no court would do what I told him the law was, so I gave him six published cases where they did, and specifically relied on principles of equity. His response was basically, “fuck you.”

    On the bright side, we’re on the eve of trial, and I think he’s pretty much figured out that he’s fucked. But he represents a very big bank, so I doubt they’re going to actually settle.

  69. 69.

    KG

    May 10, 2009 at 10:41 pm

    my point in 64 is that there’s more to the practice of law than what the law says, there’s the practical application of law to facts. Unfortunately, a shit load of lawyers have forgotten that, and completely screwed up the idea of “zealous representation” of a client.

  70. 70.

    Paul L.

    May 10, 2009 at 10:44 pm

    Just saw a Boston Legal repeat where the James Spade character Alan Shore declared the Iraq war lost, the surge and Gen. Petraeus a failure.
    Must have been a popular show with the Hollywood types and reality based community.
    “Only the Sith deal in absolutes”

  71. 71.

    Library Grape

    May 10, 2009 at 10:48 pm

    random thought, has anyone seen the comparisons out today between the modern GOP and a cult? Apparently, they fit 14 out of the 15 core characteristics of a cult. i don’t think i’ve laughed this hard in a few weeks. Let’s just hope that no one in the GOP starts taking the “Kool-Aid drinker” meme too seriously…

  72. 72.

    demimondian

    May 10, 2009 at 10:52 pm

    @Martin: It’s illegal to harass boobies when mating.

  73. 73.

    wilfred

    May 10, 2009 at 10:52 pm

    Where to begin?

    WASHINGTON — President Obama’s top national security adviser said on Sunday that the United States would likely continue conducting airstrikes against extremists in Afghanistan despite a sharp warning from President Hamid Karzai that civilian casualties were fast turning ordinary Afghans against the United States.

    President Obomba apparently can’t speak for himself anymore, with the economy and everything.

    General Jones said on ABC’s “This Week.”“We can’t fight with one hand tied behind our back,” he said, without flatly ruling out the possibility of a change in approach.

    Oh, dear – channeling LeMay already?

    But for the truly sublime, who else?

    General David H. Petraeus, who heads the U.S. Central Command, said on Sunday that the United States had real concerns about Pakistan’s survival. But he also said he believed there was “adequate” security around Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.“Certainly the next few weeks will be very important in this effort to roll back, if you will, this existential threat, a true threat to Pakistan’s very existence,” he said

    WHO LOST PAKISTAN!!?? I’ve got the names right here in this folder.

  74. 74.

    El Cid

    May 10, 2009 at 10:52 pm

    @KG: The point of the quote is that the right is throwing another weirdo insider hissy fit where they take the fact that Obama mentioned he’d like a jurist or legal thinker who could do more than simply know the law and precedence but show empathy for those dealing with the issues, and they’re pretending that Obama just said that he doesn’t care if his nominee knows the law or believes in law and precedence but is just going to throw on some unqualified nitwit who prances around to touchy-feely empathy.

    It would be like launching a screaming fit if somebody said they wanted a great doctor but also one who seemed to respect their patients because you think they just said that they don’t care if the doctor’s good or not, they just want respect.

  75. 75.

    stickler

    May 10, 2009 at 11:00 pm

    Brachiator:

    Nonsense. Surgeons used to think that washing their hands before opening up a patient or attending to a pregnant mother was unnecessary. And they disdained the input of mere midwives.

    Google up the name “Semmelweis.” He latched on to the idea of handwashing after autopsies when one of his (doctor) colleagues accidentally cut his finger during an autopsy of a woman who died from childbed fever. Said colleague died from the same symptoms as the women with childbed fever. In the space of days.

  76. 76.

    MNPundit

    May 10, 2009 at 11:15 pm

    @John Cole: Sorry Is this taboo, I’ve always wondered since I started reading you–why a confirmed bachelor?

    Personally I established a good relationship with my mother but it depends on us staying away from each other most of the time and a hell of a lot of a patience on both sides.

  77. 77.

    Mentis Fugit

    May 10, 2009 at 11:16 pm

    @Vincent and MikeJ:

    The SysInternals people were so good that Microsoft assimilated them (in a mutually profitable way – note where that link redirects to.)

    The beauty of the SysInternals BSOD screensaver is that it uses the actual system hooks for bluescreen and reboot, so what you see is guaranteed to be authentic in appearance. Just take a closer look at the “reason” for the reboot…

    I have too touched boobies!!onetyleven!

  78. 78.

    asiangrrlMN

    May 10, 2009 at 11:17 pm

    @Ninerdave: Well, if the Red State likes it, I certainly won’t be seeing it. Just kidding. I wasn’t planning on seeing Star Trek, anyway, but, man, those Red Staters are a bunch of whingy bastards.

    @wasabi gasp:

    So far we have BSoD desktops, Star Trek, and talk to your mom 3-5 times a day. Ninety eight more and you can publish Balloon Juice’s 101 Ways to Never Touch Boobies.

    Hahahaha. Best statement of the thread thus far.

    @Josh Hueco: Good call. Karl Rove will do himself in one of these days. Best to keep your job if you have one.

    @El Cid: Yeah, it’s not like President Obama is a constitutional lawyer or anything like that. Out of curiosity, what kind of law degree does Mitch McConnell have?

    MNPundit, maybe he’s a confirmed bachelor for the same reason I’m a confirmed single person–I need my damn space!

  79. 79.

    The Other Steve

    May 10, 2009 at 11:30 pm

    I’m not sure what the point of the BSOD screensaver is. BSOD’s are so rare these days that it’s unlikely anyone would still recognize it.

  80. 80.

    OriGuy

    May 10, 2009 at 11:30 pm

    A theological debate carried out on church signs. Yes, it’s at Free Republic, but it’s non-political and very funny.

  81. 81.

    demimondian

    May 10, 2009 at 11:40 pm

    @OriGuy: Ironically, sense of humor or no, the Presbyterian is right and the Catholic, wrong. Even more ironically — and here’s where the twist comes — the Catholic is likelier to be anti-choice, precisely because he doesn’t know whether a fetus has a soul or not.

  82. 82.

    The Other Steve

    May 10, 2009 at 11:44 pm

    @Brachiator: There was a couple of things which I felt cheating, or shouldn’t have been there… The brain slug reappearing from Star Trek III appeared to be a shortcut device as an example.

    A lot of the movie was your typical “Hey look, we wanted to remind you of the funny coincidences with the past film and ha ha ain’t that funny” that is forever present in sequels and I would argue is largely what makes sequels suck. (notice that James Bond after however many films has never employed this)

    The good scenes are the ones largely with Kirk.

    I wasn’t impressed with Nero. The opening sequence is outstanding, but the development of the Vulcan/Spock timeline was really contrived.

    As far as JJ Abrams goes… I felt the cinematography was decent. The opening was much better then the rest of the film, but we certainly didn’t need yet another Star Trek film with yet another big wide view of the construction of yet another Enterprise.(again, the ain’t that cute wink wink connection with the sequel)

    Overall though I really thought it was decent, especially the Kirk factor.

  83. 83.

    Eric U.

    May 10, 2009 at 11:46 pm

    there used to be a BSOD screen saver. It concerned Microsoft so much that they actually changed the way that screen savers worked enough that the BSOD screen saver no longer worked. Now the guy that wrote it works for Microsoft.

  84. 84.

    The Other Steve

    May 10, 2009 at 11:47 pm

    The irony of the RedState review is outstanding.

    I think the original Star Trek had an appeal to those who read Tom Clancy novels, but also to dirty fucking hippies. It was action on a peace keeping mission. The clear goal was to learn more, to improve, not to destroy just for the sake of it.

  85. 85.

    The Other Steve

    May 10, 2009 at 11:51 pm

    @demimondian: LOL! The Presbyterian church is most certainly correct. This is yet another example of how Catholicism has gotten infiltrated by the evangelicals whose desire is to sell rather then teach.

  86. 86.

    The Other Steve

    May 10, 2009 at 11:53 pm

    (notice that James Bond after however many films has never employed this)

    I was thinking… I shouldn’t have said never. I think some of the later Roger Moore flicks, particularly View to a Kill, employed this cheesy sequel binding crap. I’ve blocked Roger Moore from my memory though, as he was by far the worst Bond ever.

  87. 87.

    Wes

    May 10, 2009 at 11:57 pm

    there used to be a BSOD screen saver. It concerned Microsoft so much that they actually changed the way that screen savers worked enough that the BSOD screen saver no longer worked. Now the guy that wrote it works for Microsoft.

    @Eric U.:

    Hey look… Microsoft still offers that screensaver! Don’t know if it works on Vista, though.

  88. 88.

    Xecklothxayyquou Gilchrist

    May 11, 2009 at 12:01 am

    @Brachiator: There is a brief, but noxious tie-in to Nokia in the new Star Trek movie. Sigh.

    TINY SPOILERS

    Yeah, I saw that, and got mighty annoyed – I didn’t care if this movie was “canon” or not, but the Star Trek world is supposed to be post-corporate, IMO. Then I geekily rationalized it away by thinking “well, the Nokia console was in a then-antique car, so maybe it’s also an artifact.” Not sure what to make of Uhura’s ordering a Budweiser, tho.

  89. 89.

    asiangrrlMN

    May 11, 2009 at 12:03 am

    @OriGuy: I love this sign war.

    I don’t understand why the Presbyterians are assumed to be right. Why can’t animals have souls? If my cats can’t go to heaven, then I certainly do not want to go, either.

    Fake-hubby? You out there?

  90. 90.

    Xecklothxayyquou Gilchrist

    May 11, 2009 at 12:09 am

    @The Other Steve: I was thinking… I shouldn’t have said never.

    We’ll let it slide this time, but never say never again.

  91. 91.

    Porlock Junior

    May 11, 2009 at 2:39 am

    In the mid 19th century, when societies were organized for the prevention of cruelty to animals, the Pope forbade the formation of an RSPCA branch in Rome, because animals don’t have souls and therefore did not qualify for protection.

    In the interest of scholarly accuracy I had to Google this business to see if my source, Bertrand Russell, had it right, and to see which Pope. It was Pius IX of course, who else?

    Anyway, Aquinas said “It matters not how man behaves to animals, because God has subjected all things to man’s power … God does not ask of man what he does with oxen or other animals”. So the Presbyterians have it right according to Catholic standards. And yet, who can help liking the Catholics better in the sign war? Gotta re-think my knee-jerk opinions on scholarly accuracy and such.

  92. 92.

    asiangrrlMN

    May 11, 2009 at 3:03 am

    @Porlock Junior: Great. Just more reason for me not to believe in religion–as if I needed any. Now I’m depressed thinking about all the poor, abused animals.

  93. 93.

    grendelkhan

    May 11, 2009 at 9:45 am

    @Wes: They’re just jealous because users of spiffier operating systems have had that for a while. (The hack’s name is “BSOD”, fittingly enough.)

  94. 94.

    Joel

    May 11, 2009 at 3:18 pm

    Brilliant, Tim.

    I’m going to work a slide of BSOD into my thesis defense.

  95. 95.

    Ruemara

    May 11, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    I loved adding BSoD startup screens to the departmental computers for my printshop. It was almost as much fun as the “frozen” desktop picture and the extra special error message screen. And don’t forget customizing a custom set of colours and screens for an absent colleague. Eyeblinding lemon and acid greens were a favourite. As was my patented “black on black crime”. Good times. And then System X killed my fun.

  96. 96.

    guyermo

    May 11, 2009 at 5:50 pm

    Not sure what to make of Uhura’s ordering a Budweiser, tho.

    It was a Budweiser Classic. Considering how crappy that beer is now, I can only imagine how bad ‘New Bud’ must have been.

    and no comment on her ordering the shot of Jack?

  97. 97.

    Xecklothxayyquou Gilchrist

    May 11, 2009 at 8:29 pm

    @guyermo: and no comment on her ordering the shot of Jack?

    Oops, that one snuck past me.

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