Links for January 12, 2013

Submitted by phoenix on 1/14/13 5:57pm

For readers in the US who were born before 1971, there is an online calculator available from the National Cancer Institute to assess your radioactive iodine (I-131) exposure (thyroid dose equivalent) from nuclear tests in Nevada. ex-skf.blogspot.com

Cracks have been found in spent fuel rods at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant near Omaezaki city, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Japan's east coast. enformable.com

Feeble elderly patients who were evacuated from Fukushima hospitals after the nuclear disaster died as a result of the evacuation. youtube.com

Forbes magazine says that a new UN reports claims that low level radiation is not harmful. forbes.com

2012 Pitching Leaderboards -- K Percentage

Submitted by Spectator on 1/14/13 2:55pm
Strikeout artists

More leaderboards in the pitching categories.

Once again, we note: Unlike hitters, I do not put an age cap on pitchers.  So some older guys will be mixed in.  The minimum number of batters faced is 100.

***

Stat: Strikeout Rate, which is simply K/PA or BF [same thing] (expressed as percent)

Rule of thumb:  Any pitcher striking out more than 20% of batters faced is doing very well.

***

Starters:

  1. Tyler Pike (18)  28.1%
  2. Jordan Pries (22) 26.0%
  3. Rusty Shellhorn (22) 25.8%
  4. Danny Hultzen (22) 25.7%
  5. James Paxton (23) 24.3%
  6. Charles Kaalekahi (20) 23.0%
  7. Taijuan Walker (19) 21.5%
  8. Roenis Elias (23) 21.4%
  9. James Gilheeney (24) 21.4%
  10. Stephen Landazuri (20) 21.1%

***

Relievers:

[Technical non-qualifier: Matt Brazis (96 batters faced) -- 52.1%]

  1. Carter Capps (21) 36.2%
  2. Stephen Pryor (22) 31.1%
  3. Brian Moran (23) 30.4%
  4. Oliver Perez (30) 29.8%
  5. Tyler Burgoon (23) 29.2%
  6. Dominic Leone (20) 28.6%
  7. Carson Smith (22) 28.4%
  8. Stephen Kolscheen (23) 28.3%
  9. Bobby LaFromboise (26) 26.9%
  10. Blake Hauser (21) 25.1%

***

Below age-arc (young for level) pitchers:

  1. Pike (18) 28.1%
  2. Walker (19) 21.5%
  3. Brandon Maurer (21) 20.3%
  4. Victor Sanchez (17) 19.7%
  5. Erasmo Ramirez (22) 17.1%

 

The Sims 3 "70s, 80s, 90s Stuff Pack"

Submitted by erika on 1/14/13 1:08pm
Really looking forward to this one!

This stuff pack is coming on January 25th, and it may be the first time I have been genuinely excited for a stuff pack. Don't get me wrong, I end up buying about half of them. But it's a routine purchase when I'm feeling like the game is a little stale. I don't ever get excited about their release…until now.

In the past, I have tried to put together my own 70s, 80s, and even 90s style. There are enough outfits and objects that will kind of do the trick, especially if you are loose with your definitions. My favorite so far may be the 90s house I built, which looked just like something that could have been a set on Friends. Pair that with a Sim in some ultra high-waisted pants or overalls, and you had yourself a real 90s nostalgia fest! (Accented with tangerine and Bondi Blue, of course.)
 
But now we will be able to use objects and clothing specifically from those eras, and I am just thrilled. 
 
70s Era
Bellbottoms, halter top catsuits, platform shoes, minimalist pop art furniture, a disco ball, and a stereo system so your Sims can groove.
 
80s Era
This was previewed in the special item they released a while ago, a classic 80s workout outfit with leotards and a body suit. The 80s stuff will include leg warmers, head bands, Hammer pants, structured suits with big shoulder pads, arcade games, and sleek "high tech" electronics.
 
90s Era
Expect a lot of grunge items, including flannel shirts and ripped jeans. I'm intrigued at their description of "an asymmetrical handkerchief hemline skirt." I didn't know what that was… had to look it up. 
 
Best of all, this stuff pack includes new hairstyles (70s feathers! 80s teased!) and FACIAL HAIR. This may be the first time we have gotten new facial hair since the mustache system debuted. I'm really looking forward to having some new beard options, like a soul patch, a proper goatee, and what looks in the previews like a nice bushy 70s porn mustache.
 
Most of the stuff packs and sets in the store have been built around the idea of playing with fantasy, whether it's pirates or fairytales or NASCAR racing. But this is the first one (not counting co-branded stuff packs like Diesel Stuff) that brings the real world into the game. I can't wait to see it!

"A Test Before Trying"

Submitted by erika on 1/14/13 12:21pm
The story wasn't the greatest, but I laughed a lot.

This was a middle-of-the-road episode that was livened up by having a steady stream of ancillary funny bits. The perfect sort of thing to round out the middle of a season, in other words. It didn't try too hard, but it also didn't seem to lose interest in itself the way many episodes have done recently.

In the main story, Springfield Elementary is at risk of being shut down as the worst school in the state, pending the results of a standardized test. It all comes down to Bart, whose test results could save the school. 
 
I thought this was the least interesting element of the episode. Which is a problem, given that it's the main plot. This kind of story has been done so often, and done better. I was reminded of the King of the Hill episode where Bobby's principal tries to save Tom Landry Middle School by putting Bobby and other students in the Special Ed class. In the end, it all comes down to Bobby's test results. 
 
Comparing these two episodes is an interesting lesson in how to build narrative tension (or not). I would argue that it hinges on two key elements that are missing from this Simpsons episode: Bobby's willingness to enter Special Ed, and the fact that he genuinely tries his hardest in school (but never does very well). Bart's arch demeanor, instead of building narrative tension, just makes you dislike him. The question of the episode becomes, "Is Bart REALLY such a brat that he would blow off this test?" And that's no kind of peg to hang an episode on.
 
Luckily, the rest of the episode was hilarious. Starting with the extended couch gag, which riffed on overly-dramatic action movie trailers. Homer's thing with the parking meter was odd but not interesting enough to serve as a main plot, meaning that it was perfectly deployed in its role as the B plot. 
 
I'm willing to forgive a lot of narrative flaws, because I laughed a lot during this episode. I laughed at the "dying" parking meter dribbling coins, and laughed doubly hard at the "EXPIRED" flag. The film strip, cut short before we could learn more about "Y, The Vowel That Goes Both Ways." The students that Bart had never seen before, and would never see again. Chicken Pete Pie (which showed up later in the background as the lunch room special of the day). And I even laughed at all the various shrimp-related electric kitchen appliances the Simpsons own. (And what is Moe planning to do with those mannequin heads, by the way?)
 

Time to End Commercial Nuclear Power Generation

Submitted by phoenix on 1/14/13 11:42am

               I have covered many topics related to radioactivity in this blog including reactors, bombs, accidents, organizations, heath effects, environmental effects and so on. During my research for these blog articles, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end the use of nuclear reactors to generate electrical power. There are many arguments pro and con for the inclusion of nuclear generation in the mix of sources of commercial electricity. I have mentioned both in previous blog entries. In my estimation, the reasons to stop using nuclear power far outweigh the reasons to keep using it.

               In future blog posts I am going to concentrate on the arguments against nuclear power including profiles of groups that are opposing its use. I have tried to be honest and objective in writing this blog, reporting as accurately as I can the results of my research into matters nuclear. I will continue to be as honest as possible about the nuclear power situation but I will be concentrating on criticisms of this source of power.

               I understand that the world is currently in a desperate position with respect to the increase of CO2 in our atmosphere leading to global warming, the rise of sea level and wild weather with more droughts, hurricanes, record breaking temperatures, etc. It is absolutely critical that we roll back our production of CO2 from power generation and fossil fuel use or we risk the end of our global civilization. Nuclear power has been offered as a way to reduce fossil fuel consumption and CO2 production. Setting aside all the dangers and problems association with nuclear power for the moment, I want to focus on why the CO2 argument is a lot weaker than most people realize.

               The construction of a nuclear power plant is a huge undertaking. A great deal of fossil fuel is utilized in the creation of the materials and equipment required. The transportation of all these things to the site and the preparation of the site consume fossil fuels. The mining and refining of uranium for fuel requires fossil fuels. The enormous amount of concrete that goes into building a nuclear power plant generates a huge amount of CO2 as it cures. If the spent fuel rods are stored on site in dry casks, they are made of steel and concrete which consumes fossil fuels. If the spent fuel rods are transported to some temporary or permanent storage site, more fossil fuels are burned. And the creation of a permanent spent fuel rod facility will require still more fossil fuels to dig. And finally, nuclear power reactors have a limited lifespan after which they have to be decommissions which depend on fossil fuel. All of these activities require the burning of fossil fuels which generate huge amounts of CO2. When the CO2 footprint of nuclear power generation is discussed, there is not enough emphasis on all this CO2. I have heard it said but I cannot quote the research to prove it that it takes about fifteen years of full time operation of a nuclear reactor generating power before it compensates for all the CO2 generated to create a fuel it. And most reactors are licensed for about 30 years initially although many have their licenses extended.

            One of the primary arguments for nuclear power generation, the reduction of CO2 production, is not as beneficial as it has been portrayed. Other arguments such as low cost of such power have been proven false. When nuclear power generation was being sold in the 1950s to civilians, some proponents claimed that the power would be so cheap that it could be given away for free. Well, that has certainly turned out to be false. With the price of alternative sustainable power constantly dropping and the cost of nuclear power stable or rising, it is far past time for the world to begin phasing out nuclear reactors for commercial electric power generation.

"Brian's Play"

Submitted by erika on 1/14/13 11:32am
Family Guy finally lives up to its full potential.

There is literally nothing I didn't like about this episode. The worst thing I could say about it is that "some of the jokes don't hit as strongly as others." 

I take a lot of flak for, quote, "hating Family Guy." But I don't hate Family Guy. I love Family Guy. I just don't love it unconditionally. I have been a faithful watcher since the first episode premiered way back in 1999. When the show is on its game, nothing can touch it. But more often than not (especially in the last few seasons) the show just hasn't lived up to its potential.
 
"Brian's Play" lives up to the show's potential. 
 
One of my favorite Family Guy tropes is when the show points out what a bombastic, self-aggrandizing jerk Brian really is. (Maybe because I have known so many Brians in real life.) This episode not only did that, but it also managed to pivot at the end and make Brian, if not actually sympathetic, at least understandable.
 
I particularly appreciated the relatively deft approach the show took towards the awfulness of Brian's play. It reminded me of scenes in some of the older episodes where the Griffins made fun of Jillian just by talking to her. The play essentially critiques itself, while the world initially seems to be loving it. It's not until the end of the episode that we (the audience) get that validation, when the New York playwrights savage it. But they savage the play so badly that you can't help but feel bad for Brian, as he stands frozen in horror, listening to his idols destroy his work.
 
"Brian's Play" is real in a way that the last few season's episodes (like that Thanksgiving disaster) wanted to be, but were not. Everyone has had the experience of trying hard and being praised for something, only to see some newcomer whoosh in and leave your work in the dust. The obvious answer is to work to make your own thing better, but it's all too easy to fall into the trap (as Brian does) of trying to destroy the other thing instead. 
 
There is a lot more that could be said about this episode. It has layers that can be unpacked. But instead of that, and instead of the usual thing where I recite all the bits that made me laugh, I'm just going to end this review by saying that the scene where Brian reads Stewie's manuscript for the first time may well be the single best scene Family Guy has ever produced. And that artistically, the scene where Stewie and Brian sit together staring out at Times Square is - for a show that rarely employs visual frills -a close second.

Cat Plays His First Shell Game

Submitted by brodiemanthe1st on 1/14/13 11:00am

Kido might be playing his first shell game in this video, but I hope it isn't his last, because I just booked a flight to Las Vegas and me and Kido are going to be rich. All I have to do is convince the casinos to play shell games, and to use a bell for the shell, and I will never work again.

Jodie Foster’s moving speech

Submitted by sarajean on 1/14/13 10:37am
The amazing actress came out in a very emotional, heartfelt speech last night.

I have been a Jodie Foster fan since I saw The Silence of the Lambs as a young teen, and I have followed the very private actress’s career since. She seems like one of the most genuine people in Hollywood, and I have a feeling that she is a fantastic mother. I remember watching an interview she did when she made Nim’s Island, and how she said she wanted to make something that her kids could watch, and thinking, “I bet she’s a great mom.”

And that’s what I felt when I watched her speech upon winning the Cecile Be. DeMille Award. Much of it sounded a bit defensive about being a child star—her later allusion to Honey Boo Boo made me feel like it might have been denouncing such reality shows that are highly inappropriate for kids—but there was quite a bit about how much she loves her family, and that was the portion of her speech that moved me most and had me in tears.

That said, the media is flying off the handle because Foster officially came out as a lesbian in her speech as well. She hasn’t exactly been living in secret—she had referred to her partner as her love before several years ago—but she is simply a very private person. The fact that she chose to do this on television last night, even with such a winding delivery and a few sarcastic jokes thrown in, shows courage, and I admire her for it.

Those who are criticizing Foster’s delivery, however, ought to think about how it reflects her as a person. It felt genuine and heartfelt, as if it reflected Foster herself rather than a scripted press release that many stars opt for. I’m not criticizing their choices, either—those press conferences have made a big difference in the LGBT community and I applaud their bravery with all my heart—but if this is what felt true to Foster, then isn’t that what we’d rather experience?

There’s also the simple fact that anyone, gay or straight, should not have to feel as if they need to put their sexuality in the spotlight for the world to see. It shouldn’t even be an issue; one’s acting ability should be the only thing that’s important to us. Of course, we don’t live in such a world, and I understand how some folks might find it extremely helpful for people in positions of power and fame to come out to help strengthen the community, awareness, and acceptance across the board. And it really does do that, it does. I just think we should support Ms. Foster as she asked instead of throwing her under the bus for “taking too long” to come out or for how she did it.

Recreating "Toy Story" Live-Action With Toys

Submitted by brodiemanthe1st on 1/14/13 10:00am

For two years or so, Jonason Pauley and Jesse Perrotta have been recreating "Toy Story," shot for shot, frame by frame, using real toys and real humans. This is their completed project. (I hope you have an hour and a half to kill).

Paint Explosions In Super Slow Motion

Submitted by brodiemanthe1st on 1/14/13 9:00am

What is better on a Monday morning than watching something explode at 16000 fps (frames per second)? I say not much. The Slow Mo Guys decided blowing up paint was the way to go this time, and the effect is magical.

Pages