Life On the Wicked Stage: Act 2

R.I.P. Studs Terkel

We lost a great one today. Literary legend and great story teller, Studs Terkel passed away at the age of 96. No one did it better, and I never tired of listening or reading to his work. I had the distinct privilege to meet and talk with the man on several occasions in my Chicago days. He may have been born in New York, but he was all Chicago.

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Home Made Theremin

Larry, please don’t try this with the theatre walkie-talkies. This guy uses the feedback from two walkies to create a sort of, kind of theremin. Careful on the volume here.

P.S. Larry’s Friday dance party is fun.

Technorati Tags: theremin,Larry Dahlke

Via neatorama

Gas Price Gravity is More Treat than Trick

Don’t know how long this will last with the election coming up and everything, but we’re enjoying watching the signs change from day to day. Down to $2.09 this morning. Probably lower by this evening.

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Stephen Colbert Hammers Apple and His iPhone on Prop 8, Or Does He?

Nice satire. When your politics stop at your gadgets.

Via Gizmodo

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Crocker, Bill Gates, and Robert Scoble Will Scare You Silly This Halloween

This has become a recurring feature every Halloween here on Life on the Wicked Stage, ever since TDavid put this little laugh track mix together several years ago. (My God, I’ve been blogging for several years! Gasp!)

Anyway, TDavid mixed up a laugh track featuring myself, Robert Scoble, Bill Gates, and Todd from Geek News Central. Now I know I have an obnoxiously loud laugh, and have indeed scared small children but bursting out with a guffaw now and then. Even so, I find myself in pretty good company.

Anyway, here's the link to download the laugh track.  Here the's the link to TDavid's post on the Helloweeen Trick Mix #5. And here's a link to just my evil laugh.

Have a Happy Halloween! 

Technorati Tags: Halloween,Bill Gates,Robert Scoble,TDavid,spooky laughs,Tablet PC

Dennis Prager: "Equality... Is Not an American Value"

If you’re like me, you’ve always suspected this was the subtext behind many of the right-wing nutballs. Dennis Prager, at a rally for Miss Anti-American Hater, Michelle Bachmann, says that

“Equality, which is the primary value of the left, is a European value, not an American value.”

Yeah. Go back and read that again. I’ll wait.

Now, in case you think I’m off base here, watch the video. I’ll wait again.

I’m not sure Prager is being an idiot, or just saying what he really believes. In my heart, it is the latter. That “all mean are created equal” line in the Declaration of Independence is probably being sluffed off by Prager as one of those Founding Fathers didn’t really mean “all men” thing.

Not only does Prager not know history (hint: The French got there equality ideals after our American Revolution), but I guess he just doesn’t care that he’s now exposed himself as a first class bigot. But then he was speaking on behalf of Bachmann.

They may be wingnuts, but there are folks listening and cheering. I’m just saying.

George Bush Urinal

I get the symbolism, but I’m having weird bodily sensations just thinking about someone actually using this thing.

Via Gizmodo

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Political Cocktails, Joe the Plumber, and Schedule Masters

Long day today and so cocktails are definitely in order. I think the same could be said of the Palin/McCain campaign. If you wonder why folks are beginning to predict an Obama landslide (I’m not one of them-I still think it is too close to call), take a look at two scheduled rallies today.

First up McCain appeared in front of 6000. Problem was 4000 of those were school kids bussed in to fill up the venue. Of course the majority of them can’t vote. Yeah, I know, the event is about the podium shot on TV. Well they got that. Especially when John McCain called for everybody’s favorite future C&W music star, Joe the Plumber to stand up and be recognized. Uh, oh. Someone forget to invite Joe there and left McCain standing at the alter. Joe showed up later at other rallies without his guitar..

And if that wasn’t enough, apparently Sarah Palin didn’t too well today either. She got into her Drill, Baby, Drill thing in front of workers at a Solar Energy Plant.

So, let’s forget the personalities at the top of the ticket. Do we really want the teams who scheduled these two events to be running the country?

Technorati Tags: Politics,John McCain,Sarah Palin,Joe the Plumber,election

Very, Very, Cool: Flying Stick Levitation Toy

I want one of these. Watching the video I just thought how cool is that. It runs on a small battery powered Van der Graaf generator to throw off an electrostatic charge that keep the 3D mylar thingie afloat. The Fly Stick Van de Graaf Levitation Wand is just very cool. Pick one up at ThinkGeek for $27.

Via Gizmodo

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John McCain Gets His Own iPhone App

Obama has had an iPhone app for some time. John McCain finally has one. Well, kinda, sorta, if you like some silly poking fun. And if you’ve jail broken your iPhone.

Via Gizmodo

Technorati Tags: Politics,election,John McCain,Barack Obama,parody,iPhone