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Once upon a time in the postwar, before the advent of EPA and OSHA and the Consumer Products Safety Commission and weenies in bike helmets and multilingual warning stickers on stepladders, crazy people walked this earth. Good, fun-loving Americans who knew that "instructions" were something you threw in the trash along with the empty Falstaff bottles. A halcyon era filled with manly men who savored the wholesome virtues of a rugged game of un-seatbelted automotive chicken. One of these men was Gene Middlebrooks, who founded
Turbonique.
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 5:43 AM on April 23, 2008
(50 comments)
Hey, Mum, look at the hairless monkeys!
A group of hairless monkeys are the latest exhibit at Adelaide Zoo. Some background information on the project is available
here (you may wonder, as I did, why it took a news site to provide the background to the project) and a live stream from the enclosure
here. [more inside]
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 7:06 PM on January 2, 2007
(22 comments)
OutsideIn Korea
- brought to the world by our own
stavrosthewonderchicken. He asked what you would like to see on the site
here. Now sit back while he brings it to you. Or not. Probably not, now I think about it.
In any case, the man writes like a demon on crack (except twice as interesting) and, whether or not you have the slightest interest in Korea, you will be entertained by the stories. If you follow his personal
site, you know what to expect. If you have never read his writings before, strap in, you're in for a bumpy ride.
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 4:38 AM on August 14, 2006
(19 comments)
at
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 3:18 PM on May 29, 2006
(68 comments)
The ultimate renewable energy resource - kids. Unlike
Monsters inc, who harness the energy of screams, the
Playpump (also discussed
here) harnesses kids having fun to provide clean water.
If they have to cart water, the
Q-drum (also discussed
here) is a very simple way to make this chore easier. In this complicated world, the best ideas are still the simple ones.
via A Whole Lotta Nothing
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 5:07 PM on May 27, 2004
(7 comments)
After all the hoopla about increasing security, it seems that the requirement for biometric data to be included in passports of those entering the US from visa waiver countries will need to be
extended for two years to allow other countries to
catch up with the technology, as it seems most countries are
unable to meet the deadline. Some countries have put
on hold the new technology, while others seem committed to
going ahead with it, despite
doubts about the readiness of the technology. Of course, if civil liberties groups
get their way, the biometric passports may never see the
light of day. Specific religious issues
complicate the matter to some extent, also.
Given that, if the technology to produce biometric passports is available, will it really be that hard for forged passports to be created? Unless a massive world-wide database containing the biometric details of every person was used for data-matching, it is hard to see how these new measures will really make much difference to anyone apart from the companies selling the technology.
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 6:05 PM on April 26, 2004
(4 comments)
This
company has released a device which claims to provide water "anytime, anywhere"
(No Goodies jokes,please) - from the humidity in the air. With two other companies selling these machines in Australia and prices ranging from AUD1,000 to AUD2,300, is this a viable
solution to the massive water
shortages around the world, or just something else to talk about around the water cooler?
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 1:30 AM on March 19, 2004
(18 comments)
Psst! Wanna download some mp3s? Now you can do so without looking over your shoulder to see who is watching.
Creative Commons has compiled a
selection of tracks utilising their licensing system for free download. The ability to create derivative works and share them around has resulting in some interesting
remixes of one of the original tracks, also.
via A Whole Lotta Nothing
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 8:44 PM on October 22, 2003
(10 comments)
While the tragedy of the bombing in Bali was bad enough,
evidence has surfaced that the bomb was incorrectly assembled, resulting in less than 1/3 of the device exploding (bare-bones
link). Experts using computer modelling have worked out the net explosive quantity of the vehicle bomb outside the Sari Club was between 150kg and 300kg – as opposed to a potential 1150kg and that the toll could have been in the thousands had the bomb exploded as planned.
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 4:00 PM on October 1, 2003
(12 comments)
Did the
earth move for you as well? The biggest earthquake to hit the "Shaky Isles" since 1968 rocked the southern South Island of New Zealand earlier today, with the tremor being felt as far away as
Sydney. Did you realise that recorded earthquakes are an almost
daily occurrence around the world? In fact, earthquakes with a magnitude of 1 or over happen at an alarming
rate.
While California is often thought of as earthquake central and New Zealand carries the "Shaky Isles" crown with justification (and not a little pride),
Australia is not generally considered to be a country prone to earthquakes. Surprisingly, there have been 15 earthquakes in Australia in the past month alone, ranging from 2 to 6 in intensity.
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 7:13 AM on August 22, 2003
(5 comments)
With the trial of the bali bombers underway, a
bomb has been exploded in the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta's CBD. Deaths have been reported here on Australian TV at 13, with over 120 injured, although these figures are expected to rise. The
BBC is reporting on the experiences of those at the scene.
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 6:03 AM on August 5, 2003
(46 comments)
Little Stalker Boy is tired,
but mostly he's just restless. Little Stalker Boy is outside her house again tonight - hanging in a tree and taking photos as she passes the front window.
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 5:19 PM on July 27, 2003
(30 comments)
Now you see it,
now you don't. The infamous
blink tag, maligned for so long by
almost, but not quite
everyone, can now be supported in IE. Isn't that great news?
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 5:10 PM on July 23, 2003
(27 comments)
In the aisle by the chill cabinets, no-one can hear you scream.
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 3:59 PM on June 11, 2003
(9 comments)
How clean is
your computer?
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 9:15 PM on May 25, 2003
(22 comments)
Milk is bad for you?
Is nothing sacred? When I was growing up, milk was about the purest, cleanest and healthiest thing you could drink (except maybe for the warm carton that we were give at school every day). Now, it seems, we have been killing ourselves slowly by drinking the wrong
kind of milk. The
authorities and some
vested interests are not convinced, but there certainly seems to be quite a bit of evidence to support the theories.
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 7:19 PM on March 31, 2003
(25 comments)
In anti-war protests in
Australia yesterday,
children as young as 12 were shown on TV coverage participating not only in protests, but in the violence that followed when the protesters attacked police. There has, in the past, been condemnation of those who bring their children along to protests, but this is the first time I have seen large numbers of children protesting on their own behalf - most of whom would have been truant from school and, judging by the way many hid from cameras, without the permission of their parents. Should we take them seriously, or are they too young to really understand what it is they are protesting against? [more inside]
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 5:30 PM on March 26, 2003
(28 comments)
Techno-cool cars
include a fingerprint access system that locks out thieves and a heartbeat detector that sniffs out left-behind infants and pets. In the worst case—when a sensor detects a hostile life form, Star-Trek style, hiding in the car—the driver can hit a button that alerts the police. The truly paranoid, with access to a freewheeling aftermarket, might prefer to fit the button to an ejection seat.
[via WebMonkey]
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 3:17 PM on February 25, 2003
(11 comments)
Is this the most non-PC
TV show ever? As we become more and more desensitised to humour that makes fun of those less fortunate than ourselves, where do we draw the line?
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 6:37 PM on February 2, 2003
(18 comments)
Ever wondered
how the smart people create those weird ♥ √ ⊄ ⊗ characters on MeFi and in other places? Wonder no more. Brought to you via MeFi's own
riffola, who has a simplified
version of his own.
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 9:10 PM on January 28, 2003
(62 comments)
You
are the training manager in a large, progressive company.
You get 12 turns and a $200,000 budget, which you can spend in six ways...
[more inside]
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 2:42 AM on December 12, 2002
(10 comments)
Buying on-line?
We're from the Government and we're here to help you. [more inside]
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 10:19 PM on November 24, 2002
(2 comments)
Ever wanted to be an author
but didn't know how to start? Here's your chance - a story already underway and waiting for you to add your contribution. [more inside]
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 6:07 PM on September 18, 2002
(15 comments)
How smart are you?
Are
blondes really as dumb as people say? Does an IQ test administered via television/net/SMS have any validity anyway?
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 4:40 PM on August 6, 2002
(9 comments)
Are these the hardest domains in the world to register,
despite the changes that took effect 1 July 2002? Businesses can now own more than one domain name and the new .id.au domain space provides somewhere for individuals to live, but there are still many restrictions, not the least of which is the
21,322 word exclusion list.
Given the recent instances of domain hijinks discussed here, it is not surprising to see that it has
already started in the .au world.
Are these restrictions good or bad news for the .au domain space?
posted to MetaFilter by dg
at 4:43 PM on July 1, 2002
(6 comments)
