If I were a henchman...

One of the best renditions of Gustav Holst's Mars: Bringer of War that I've heard/seen to date. Is there anything the Venture Bros can't do?

Dadadada da da-da-da! dadadada da da-da-da DADADADA DA DA-DA-DA!




If I were a costumed villain, I'd totally sing that while suiting up. Of course I wouldn't live with my mom...and I have my own car. But other than that spot on. Oh if you want context here you go.

Here are the crime rates for the US over time. You can see that the early 80s saw a drop in crime (due to economic prosperity with the trials and tribulations of the 70's, oil embargo, etc coming to a close) until the rise of the crack epidemic. And then, something miraculous happens. Video games come out and crime rates drop! Holy crap on a stick batman, correlation equals causation!

Good enough for the MSM right?

Okay, not really good enough for me either. Again, the mid 90s saw the US come out of a recession, economy booms (leading to beautification, increased social spending, etc) and the crime rates fall. However, it is a nice graph to fling about internets arguments whenever people yammer on and on about video games making children beat gerbils to death with hammers, or whatever is the story of the day.

Happy Birthday

So NASA turned 50 the other day. I wonder how one would classify their life? Early peakers? We've not really come that far from JFK's decree to put a man on the moon by the time the decade was out. Now, well, we're not on the moon anymore. Hubble just blew up. And our space shuttle is about to be retired without any replacement to be seen.

So I'm thinking NASA is that high school football player who won State, married his cheerleader girlfriend, and now is doing...well not so much "doing" as "existing." Al Bundy.

Hooray! Well here's to you NASA. How 'bout living up to some of that early promise; fixing Hubble, getting some more telescopes up there and getting back on track for Mars.

*Oh Spirit and Opportunity. I can't forget those. They're tremendous successes, one of which is getting ready to leave it's crater home and set out across the Martian wilderness. I guess they're the motorcycle NASA bought to try to get past their midlife crisis.