So I wanted to mess about with the Google+ api for Hangouts. I wrote a little dice rolling app  perfect for those D&D games people play using Google+ Hangout!

That’s what everybody is using Google+ Hangout for, right?

Right now it’s stilll a little convoluted to make it work. When the Hangout loads you’ll get a screen asking permission for the app to run. Then it’ll most likely reload the Hangout. Then you’ll get a little drop down message by the address bar asking for permission again due to ‘insecure content’ (that’d be the images). Once you agree to all that then… possibly another reload of the screen… then click on the Apps button and then Recent  tab within the Google+ Hangout to see and use said custom app.

A bit of a pain in the ass to get there, but they’re still working out the kinks.

After 30 years, NASA has closed the door on another era of spaceflight. The STS program was not without its faults and shortcomings. It cost way more per mission than estimated. It only achieved to get us into orbit, not to other planets, not even to the moon. Some saw it as a huge step backwards from Apollo.

There was still a great return on our investment, despite it not being the best investment.

The payloads it delivered to space: the Hubble, the ISS, and numerous other satellites and science experiments have greatly improved our understanding of the universe and how we can interact with it. Every launch I watched felt magical, like we could achieve more than the daily bullshit and grind on this planet.

Here’s a collection of all the missions in one glorious video.

I have little doubt that something this stupid would happen to me.

I agree with this message.

The Westboro lunatics visited Maryland this week.

Maryland came out and counter-protested. It’s heartening to see people push back against hatred.

Photo: Joshua McKerrow — The Capita

Things I liked

The counter protestors, including a number of men dressed as Jesus, carried signs relaying the Christian icon’s message of love and waving American flags.

The crowd cheered as members of the Freedom Riders motorcycle club passed the dueling protests at the intersection of Disney and Annapolis roads, revving their engines to drown out the shouts from church.

And of course the lunatic side does everything they can to maintain their reps as nutjobs:

“What the heck’s wrong with these people?” said Shirley Phelps-Roper, a spokesman for the church and daughter of Pastor Fred Phelps.

“This is their never-dying soul … There isn’t any middle ground, you understand? You’re either going to obey or you’re not going to obey. If you don’t obey, you’re going to hell and you’re going to be cursed in this life, just like what you see happening in this country right now.”

What a horrible god they worship. Kneel in fealty and obey or burn for eternity.

Really, who wants to put up with either of that shit?

Hurray for sanity, and all those that came out to show Westboro’s ideas are fail.

They didn’t have these cool things around when I was a kid.