The Cancer of Democracy

Bread and Circuses is the cancer of democracy, the fatal disease for which there is no cure. Democracy often works beautifully at first. But once a state extends the franchise to every warm body, be he producer or parasite, that day marks the beginning of the end of the state. For when the plebs discover that they can vote themselves bread and circuses without limit and that the productive members of the body politic cannot stop them, they will do so, until the state bleeds to death, or in its weakened condition the state succumbs to an invader--the barbarians enter Rome.

— Lazarus Long, in Robert Heinlein's To Sail Beyond the Sunset

(Note: To anyone who wants to nitpick - yes, I know that's from the cover of a paperback edition of Time Enough For Love, but it IS a depiction of Lazarus Long, so just stow it before you whine, all right?)

Whoosh Bottle

Do a search for these on YouTube and you'll find several more, but I thought this was the coolest looking one. 

DISCLAIMER:  DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

Actually, go ahead if you want, I was just covering my ass.  If you DO try it at home, please record it and post it to YouTube, esp. if it blows up.

For some detailed instructions, view this video: Extreme Whoosh Bottle Trio

I'm thinking that if you're thinking of doing this, you might want to watch it to find out the proper and safest procedure.

Inkblot Test

This Inkblot Test Will Reveal If You Think Like A Child

My results:

Based on your visual associations, we found that your style of thinking is much like that of a rebellious teenager. You tend to be quite strong-minded and inquisitive and tend to question the world around you. Your decision making process is mostly based on instant gratification rather than rational reasoning as you prefer to live in the moment. You can come across as quite cynical at times, but that's only because you don't accept things as they are and try to understand the real meaning behind them. You don't play by the rules and make your own destiny as you go along.

Sounds 'bout right.

Inkblot Test

Moon Phase Widget

From a great website: Midnight Kite. They also have nice selection of star charts in PDF available for download.

Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul

R.I.P. Billy Paul

Ancient Words For These Times

A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly.

But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.

 For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men.

 He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.

 ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero
Roman Statesman, philosopher and orator (42 B.C)