Wrench is finished. Go read the whole thing straight through. Maybe it will make you happy about life!

Now taking suggestions for what happens here every Thursday from here on out.

When it comes to life imitating art imitating life, nothing is more complex than the relationship between NASA and the Star Trek franchise. For example, the first Space Shuttle was named "Enterprise" after ST fans staged a massive write-in contest. In the show "Enterprise" this Enterprise is featured in the opening credits. Furthermore, the second starship commissioned (according to "Enterprise" lore) was named "Challenger" in honor of the real life Space Shuttle Challenger. And let's not forget that ST: IV was dedicated to the crew of the Challenger for "inspiring exploration to the 24th century and beyond" or something like that.

Anyway, this fourth wall-busting circle is now complete. NASA has unveiled their logo for their new spaceship -- the Orion. Orion is also the name of the program to put people back on the moon by 2020. So, what's interesting about this logo? It was designed by Mike Okuda.

Evolutionary biology left off a list of Federal research grants. How fishy.

go here to read a pretty good interview with Grant Morrison about his new run on Batman. He spends a lot of time dogging on Frank Miller, which is always fun. He also makes a Xorn joke.

As for me, I really like it so far, but could live without the super-70s grey and blue costume. I like the art just a little darker, thanks.

The end is nigh.

What will we do every week once wrench is done? I have no idea.

Apparently, putting more troops on the ground in Iraq results in fewer murders and bombings! I'm glad our genius Executive Branch just embraced this heretorfore mysterious tactic.

I was talking to a friend last night and we decided that people who write in marble notebooks in public are usually crazy homeless men, whereas people who write on legal pads in public are probably professional writers.

I think this distinction is important.

Murder factory is go.

This blog entry (via Instapundit) explains why Islamists are not fascists.

The reason it's inappropriate to describe Islamists as fascists is simple: They're not statists. To Muslims, including that subset of Muslims I call Islamists (see below), a state is at best a temporary thing, performing certain administrative, organizational, or ideological tasks. It has no independent significance, as it does in, say, the Christian tradition. ("Render unto Caesar" and all that.) Islamists aren't trying to create a state in which all the parts work as one; their ultimate goal is a stateless world in which everyone worships Allah.

Oh the humanity. This is what happens when people don't vote for Joe Leiberman.

I mentioned in my other blog that I no longer like people dropping "fascist" as an all-purpose descriptive, but I have to say, this comment about Muslims not liking Bush saying "Islamic fascism" is pretty stupid.

Many American Muslims, who say they have felt singled out for discrimination since the Sept. 11 attacks, reject the term and say it unfairly links their faith to notions of dictatorship, oppression and racism.

So I guess Ba'athism wasn't heavily influenced by Nazism, Hizbollah doesn't want to drive Israel into the sea, and Iran doesn't support stoning gays and sexually liberated women! I don't know where I ever got such silly thoughts stuck in my non-believing head.

Oh my, is that blood?

Sorry I missed a week last week. It was completely insane at work and I ended up sleeping at the office Wednesday and Thursday nights, so no time for Wrench. But we're back on track and in the home stretch now. Exciting times.

Asa and I have affection for anyone referred to as the "_____ Paul Bunyan."