March 2001 Archives

March 31

This is quite possibly the single best deal ever offered on the web. And remember, at this price, the shipping is free!
posted by aaron at 11:54 PM PST - 13 comments

Worried that the ICANN might take away your personal .org site address? Join the fight at handsoffmy.org.
posted by hit-or-miss at 8:48 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

William Gibson

William Gibson talks about the Japanese as the Ultimate Early Adaptors, mobile phones and schoolgirls. As usual he is obsessed with wrist watches.
posted by laukf at 5:39 PM PST - 18 comments

What more evidence could one ask for?

What more evidence could one ask for? Sorry to continue with the 123cheaphosting incident, but I found their site back up and their images folder un-indexed (if you know what I mean). There's also a stolen image from Corbis in there somewhere.
posted by cheesebot at 3:46 PM PST - 17 comments

Marijuana is illegal,

Marijuana is illegal, and you can get into serious trouble if caught with it. You can even go to jail for it longer than if you were to kill your own wife. So, just ignore the study in this link.
posted by SexyParapalegic at 1:42 PM PST - 12 comments

Screw nature - It's baseball that we have to save!

Screw nature - It's baseball that we have to save! He gets to be President and manage a baseball team. Truly, America is the land of dreams.
posted by gsh at 10:38 AM PST - 23 comments

A prophet speaks online...

A prophet speaks online... A link for the religiously inclined: General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). I'll give a little background in the thread.
posted by silusGROK at 9:35 AM PST - 30 comments

View this ad or we shoot this dog:

View this ad or we shoot this dog: Forget CNET's poster-size adverts. The latest trend is a user agreement that requires visitors to view your banners.

What other websites will attempt to adopt this trend? And what will the backlash be? I for one won't go to sites that "require" me to view advertising.

Story towards bottom of the page
posted by da5id at 8:09 AM PST - 6 comments

"Maybe Dats Your Pwoblem Too" (real audio)

"Maybe Dats Your Pwoblem Too" (real audio) I just had to share this three and a half minute bonus track from the superpowers episode of this american life. it made my day.
p.s: this episode features chris ware
posted by palegirl at 7:01 AM PST - 5 comments

Just two months after the Sydney teenager Jessica Michalik was crushed to death in the mosh pit at a Limp Bizkit concert, the American rock/rap band is promoting an Internet game in which concert-goers try to avoid a violent death. More
posted by murray_kester at 5:04 AM PST - 6 comments

Bush laughs at himself

Bush laughs at himself A new approach: join the others in laughing at you and maybe they will come to think of you as "just plain good folks." My problem is not what he says or how it is said but what his policies portend. But I could be wrong.
posted by Postroad at 4:42 AM PST - 9 comments

March 30

Fight Club fans and Mayhem Lovers alike,

Fight Club fans and Mayhem Lovers alike, be sure to check out the Fight Club Flight Medical Card (200 K JPEG)
posted by SilentSalamander at 11:47 PM PST - 7 comments

Aurora Borealis... in Santa Fe, NM

Aurora Borealis... in Santa Fe, NM i'm up late writing a paper and chanced to look out the window, only to see red gaseous-looking clouds in the sky... I know it seems absurd to see the northern lights in the southwest, but this map almost makes it appear possible, probably because of the altitude... if i see four horsemen though, i'm running like hell.
posted by clockwork at 10:59 PM PST - 12 comments

Dolphin boy speaks

Dolphin boy speaks Anyone remember the Peter Singer review of a book about bestiality linked here a month or so ago? The book is also reviewed at amazon by none other than the Dolphin Boy whose dolphin zoophilia or whatever site was discussed yesterday.
posted by raysmj at 8:26 PM PST - 14 comments

I can't believe this!

I can't believe this! they actually have the nerve to associate themselves with http://www.godhatesdfags.com.... The Human Beings ability for incessant bigotry and ignorance is astonishing! I know this was posted back a few years ago, but it just had to be shown again..... ugh.
posted by SexyParapalegic at 8:07 PM PST - 18 comments

Northpoint shutdown halted... for now.

Northpoint shutdown halted... for now. Looks like they'll still be dead in 30 days, though. I wonder how they're going to keep running their network without any employees. [CNN link, deal.]
posted by darukaru at 7:20 PM PST - 2 comments

Toast to forecast weather.

Toast to forecast weather. The future of Internet appliances?
posted by normy at 4:45 PM PST - 4 comments

The web is people.

The web is people. Or some such thing. Silly little movies people shot and posted online...
posted by owillis at 4:15 PM PST - 11 comments

Monsanto wins case against Canadian farmer. Percy Schmeiser, who has attained folk-hero status, was held liable for growing genetically modified canola without paying the royalty. The decision in a federal court in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was a significant setback for farmers who fear they will be held liable if pollen from neighboring farms blows onto their fields, transmitting patented genes to their crops without their knowledge or consent.
posted by gimli at 3:19 PM PST - 6 comments

cumbria tourist board

cumbria tourist board say the lake district is "completely open". oh no it's not
posted by quarsan at 2:44 PM PST - 2 comments

Bush's bumbling last press conference

Bush's bumbling last press conference You'll have to scroll down, but when asked by "Major" (I don't know who he reports for) what the president's thoughts were on the division within Bush's own party about oil exploration and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Bush rambled around with his typical ignorance and "just-so" explanations. Also head on over to Cspan and watch it for yourself (The portion starts about 16:50). Thing that got me was his skirting of actually calling it The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, instead choosing numerous times to call it the benign and popularly meaningless "ANWR".
posted by crasspastor at 2:13 PM PST - 25 comments

Why did the guru refuse Novacaine when he went to his dentist?

Why did the guru refuse Novacaine when he went to his dentist? [very large page!] Every single doctor-type joke you can imagine, all in one place. (He wanted to transcend dental medication.)
posted by hijinx at 12:47 PM PST - 1 comment

Look!

Look! This guy will create "trick banners" for you, no silly graphic designer needed...
posted by owillis at 11:50 AM PST - 14 comments

I-jacking!

I-jacking!
Sippey encourages you 'to inject chaos and anarchy into the post button by hijacking the identities and namesakes of your favorite web "icons."'
Who do you want to be today?
posted by peterme at 11:44 AM PST - 50 comments

Flying Windmills and Whirlygigs. As the windy month comes to a close, these two stories seem appropriate. Two men on opposite sides of the globe, each a bit of a cross between Edison and Quixote.
posted by gimli at 11:20 AM PST - 2 comments

Honkies no longer in the majority

Honkies no longer in the majority in California, according to recent census. How long until the government makeup and laws reflect that? (would something like prop 187 ever pass again?)
posted by mathowie at 11:03 AM PST - 21 comments

The death of hockey in Canada?

The death of hockey in Canada? Ask a Canadian, and they'll tell you it's the death of Hockey [with a capital H], period. "We may still call it our national game, but like nearly everything else in this country we have sold it to the Americans."

An interesting article about a national pastime flying south, and becoming merely another example of "American show business."
posted by legibility at 10:56 AM PST - 9 comments

I'd quickly scoff a beer, too.

I'd quickly scoff a beer, too. [But then, I rarely need an excuse like this to justify such a thing.]
posted by legibility at 10:42 AM PST - 4 comments

Dot-Com Deaths = Black Plague?

Dot-Com Deaths = Black Plague?

Toronto Star Internet columnist K.K. Campbell takes a look at the startling simularities of the dot-com deaths and the black plague.

"The Dot-Com Death resulted primarily from a little parasite (Internet hypesters, Bombasticus bullroaricus) carried on the body of another parasite (Wall Street IPO underwriters, Securitus scammus maximus) on corporate stocks moving along business capital routes."
posted by bkdelong at 8:10 AM PST - 4 comments

Sheriff defies order to return medical marijuana

Sheriff defies order to return medical marijuana Is it any wonder this is the game guy tied to dabbing eyeballs with pepper spray?
posted by fleener at 7:44 AM PST - 3 comments

Psycho ex-girlfriend is a hoax!

Psycho ex-girlfriend is a hoax! Looking at the code, I could see that it would sleep for a while, then start popping ad windows. Because of the delay, people would not associate the advertising with PsychoEx - the countdown starts only when you leave the page. and registered at anystreet, Dallas TX phone number 214.555.1212
posted by igloo at 7:39 AM PST - 14 comments

Critical review of the U.S. military.

Critical review of the U.S. military. As someone with an interest in the military (my brother is a fire-controlman on the guided missile cruiser Vella Gulf), I like to see someone taking a serious look at what the future will bring on the warfare front. Maybe it'll help us avoid things like this(1) and this(1).

(1): Mogadishu, Somalia
(2): Sinking of H.M.S. Prince of Wales and Repulse

posted by CRS at 7:18 AM PST - 2 comments

A sad story about Tim McVeigh's dad.

A sad story about Tim McVeigh's dad. I read this hoping to find some mistake the mass murder's dad made in raising him. Instead, I came away feeling profoundly sad for this man who can't understand why his son grew up to become such a hate-filled devil.
posted by darren at 6:29 AM PST - 2 comments

I stole this link from Slate, which ran the news under the headline L A Times circulation drops
posted by u.n. owen at 6:13 AM PST - 2 comments

Emo.

Emo. ...Metal. Grunge. Alt. Rock. Pop. Folk. Rap. Blues. Rhythm & Blues. Country & Western. Gaze & Veg. Goth. Trance. Edge. Old School. New School. East Coast. West Coast. Pre-Punk. Post-Punk. Punk. Indie. Core. Emocore. Hardcore Emo. Post-Emo Indie Rock. Post-Emocore Pre-Punk Apocolyptic Pop Jizz Softcore Jesusfreak Liquid Splatter Metal. Guitar-Driven Jazz-Infused Lite-Oasis Serial Death Addictive Jump Swing Rap Twang-Blues... [Insert a very long blood curdling scream here.]
posted by ZachsMind at 5:43 AM PST - 28 comments

The Scholars and the Godess

The Scholars and the Godess In "The scholars and the Godess" Charlotte Allen writes of the now debunked history of Wicca.

"Diotima Mantineia," age forty-eight, is the associate editor of The Witches' Voice summed up her feelings on the debunking of the official Wiccan narrative this way: "It doesn't matter to me how old Wicca is, because when I connect with Deity as Lady and Lord, I know that I am connecting with something much larger and vaster than I can fully comprehend. The Creator of this universe has been manifesting to us for all time, in the forms of gods and goddesses that we can relate to. This personal connection with Deity is what is meaningful. For me, Wicca works to facilitate that connection, and that is what really matters."

I agree. Simply that it works for the individual is all that matters. What works for you?
posted by revbrian at 5:32 AM PST - 38 comments

Born with a low birth weight?

Born with a low birth weight? Then it could be the excuse you are looking for
posted by twistedonion at 1:58 AM PST - 3 comments

Roofle!

Roofle! The SomethingAwful goons are on a GWB photoshopping spree. Oh man, I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.
posted by Potsy at 1:47 AM PST - 8 comments

March 29

F u cn rd ths, u rnt vry kreatv.

F u cn rd ths, u rnt vry kreatv. The Guardian launches what may be the world's first text messaging poetry competition. Can you stir another's soul in 160 characters or less? Top prize is £1000. You don't have to be a UK citizen to enter. Why not post your entries here before your send them out?
posted by aaron at 10:36 PM PST - 2 comments

This is the Land of the Beaver? The Canadian government, determined to spare its citizens the horror of having to think for themselves, decides hard-core porn channels are no-nos for their satellite systems.
posted by aaron at 10:11 PM PST - 12 comments

Only one navel left to gaze at?

Only one navel left to gaze at? Rumors are flying—Brill's Content and Powerful Media may just be announcing a merger soon ...
posted by maura at 8:30 PM PST - 13 comments

Confidentiality.

Confidentiality. A lot of people would probably expect such a conversation to be confidential, although that is neither promised by the web site nor apparently required of their operators.

The TV news here in Melbourne covered the story this morning and skirted the subject of confidentiality, but Wired has an interesting piece. The New Zealand Herald has an edited transcript in the first of it's articles.

There's an uproar if a doctor or a priest breaks a confidence, even if it leads to a murder being solved. Why so little fuss here?
posted by southisup at 7:15 PM PST - 6 comments


Dave Barry caught by the long arm of the law.

Dave Barry caught by the long arm of the law. The Pulitzer-winning humorist, who every year around this time puts out a column bemoaning income taxes, just found out he's being audited. Coincidence?
posted by OneBallJay at 7:08 PM PST - 9 comments

Bird 'explodes' after flying in path of fastball

Bird 'explodes' after flying in path of fastball FOOOMF! Don't miss the video (avi looks best) which is pretty amazing. Poor wittle birdie.
posted by amanda at 6:34 PM PST - 21 comments

"Stop AT&T!"

"Stop AT&T!" As expected, former Northpoint customers are losing or have already lost their DSL services, due to AT&T's decision to simply interrupt service. If you are one of the over 121,000 customers affected, sign this petition to let them know how how many people this has angered.
posted by valerie at 3:27 PM PST - 8 comments

Cuz you never know, when you might find yourself wanting to bone a dolphin. Found on Losers.org.
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 2:50 PM PST - 18 comments

Anti-abortion site wins appeal.

Anti-abortion site wins appeal. In a ringing defense of the First Amendment, Judge Alex Kozinski wrote that "political speech may not be punished just because it makes it more likely that someone will be harmed at some unknown time in the future by an unrelated third party.

Courtney Love can sue when her cell phone # is released on a website, and yet doctors have their personal information posted online specifically so they can be tracked and killed. Scary.
posted by jragon at 2:33 PM PST - 35 comments

Spare the rod? Heck no! God says beat and pimp your child!

Spare the rod? Heck no! God says beat and pimp your child! "House of Prayer" cult encourages group beatings of children in church. "Reverend" encourages marriages of 14-year-olds to "prevent potential whores." He also discusses genitalia and hikes up skirts during services. He's not the unaspanker, he's much worse.
posted by darren at 1:48 PM PST - 13 comments

Memo to Jeff, Howard and Bill

Memo to Jeff, Howard and Bill from a Seattle local rag. Just to add a little fuel to the fire. If you're reading after Wednesday of next week, you'll need to find the article in the archives.
posted by donkeysuck at 12:58 PM PST - 12 comments

MetaFilter is a hosting company now?

MetaFilter is a hosting company now?
posted by mathowie at 12:18 PM PST - 261 comments

The unkindest cut.

The unkindest cut. "Standard medical practice dictates that intersex births like Carl's are emergencies that must be 'assigned' male or female and 'corrected' immediately to spare the parents the anguish of uncertainty, with no thought as to what the children would want." Er, wouldn't it be better to wait and see to which sex the child is attracted before slicing him/her to pieces?
posted by frykitty at 10:01 AM PST - 34 comments

James Charles Kopp, a fugitive on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list, indicted in the killing of an abortion doctor in western New York, has been arrested in France.
posted by quirked at 9:25 AM PST - 9 comments

DC Police email scandal.

DC Police email scandal. The District of Columbia put computers in patrol cars and encouraged email use to help keep lengthy communication off the radio waves. Instead, a recent audit of department emails showed that many officers used it to send "racist, vulgar and homophobic messages" to each other. Further complicating matters, it appears this might create legal problems for the police -- defense lawyers can undermine officer credibility, convictions may be reviewed for civil rights violations, and the department may be subject to "hostile work environment" lawsuits. Is this a privacy violation, or just another case of employees being too dense to realize that email sent on their employer's system should never be considered private?
posted by monkey-mind at 6:59 AM PST - 15 comments

1337 h4X0r or idiot savant?

1337 h4X0r or idiot savant? USA Today quotes noted animal behaviorist Temple Grandin observing that uber-hacker Kevin Mitnick exhibits many of the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autisim from which Grandin herself suffers. Mitnick doesn't seem to disagree, in fact he noticed it himself. Grandin, Mitnick and others speculate as to whether many "hackers" are, in fact, autistic.
posted by briank at 6:16 AM PST - 11 comments

P.

P. Diddy
posted by tamim at 6:14 AM PST - 17 comments

Monkey Versus Robot

Monkey Versus Robot will set you free! How can you deny the power of the internet when it brings you riches such as this? M-O-N-K-E-Y R-O-B-O-T
posted by cornbread at 5:56 AM PST - 35 comments

FOOT-AND-MOUTH Believed to be First Virus Unable to Spread through Microsoft Outlook

FOOT-AND-MOUTH Believed to be First Virus Unable to Spread through Microsoft Outlook "Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Symantec's AntiVirus Research Center today confirmed that foot-and-mouth disease cannot be spread by Microsoft's Outlook email application, believed to be the first time the program has ever failed to propagate a major virus." ;)
posted by Outlawyr at 5:34 AM PST - 7 comments

Kyoto: Where's that?

Kyoto: Where's that? Tut tut. That man's sure got a cactus up his ass.
posted by leafy at 4:53 AM PST - 3 comments

Jesse's Mistress Writing A Tell-All.

Jesse's Mistress Writing A Tell-All. The mother of Jesse Jackson's love child is penning a tell-all book alleging she received a secret payoff of $450,000 from the civil-rights leader, that to prove Jackson was the father of her 22-month-old daughter, she froze a condom containing his sperm, that before giving birth to their child, Karin was pregnant by Jesse a previous time, but had an abortion at his request, and that after learning of the affair, Jackson's wife, Jackie, was so angry that she pointed a gun at him in their Chicago home and had to be restrained by a guest.
posted by frednorman at 12:49 AM PST - 10 comments

March 28

yourgoingtohell.com

yourgoingtohell.com -- three cheers for ungrammatical religious intolerance! (check out the links on the sidebars)
posted by lia at 11:54 PM PST - 24 comments

Starbucks lays claim to 20% of all American cafes.

Starbucks lays claim to 20% of all American cafes. Does anybody in this lately conservatized land of ours care on who's backs our wealth rests upon? Virtually every vegetable, piece of fruit, bottled soda, cup of coffee we ingest is produced at rock bottom prices for the corporations that exploit our neighbors to the south. Our way of life in the States is directly tied to how miserable the living/working conditions of laborers in "developing" countries are. Developing countries--what a misnomer. The only thing developing are profits for select Americans and/or fear that the threat of recession will negate the purchase of that little luxury car I've had my eye on.
posted by crasspastor at 9:20 PM PST - 59 comments

Bush will apparently stop holding formal press conferences

Bush will apparently stop holding formal press conferences , instead opting for "informal conversations" with reporters. He promises to be "accessible," but I for one wouldn't be surprised if "informal" began to translate as "ceases to tell the country what he's up to"...
posted by logovisual at 9:16 PM PST - 27 comments

Your phone is you

Your phone is you Before we let cellphones handle everything from opening our medical records to buying a house, we'll need to make sure people can't steal our identities.
posted by semmi at 8:07 PM PST - 5 comments

What Would This Do To the 'Net?

What Would This Do To the 'Net? Would such legislation be Constitutional?
posted by ParisParamus at 7:15 PM PST - 13 comments

Up Yours!

Up Yours! Accused of one of the most bizarre charges in the history of Rugby League, or sport in general, a player has been found guilty of poking his fingers up the anuses of three North Queensland players.
posted by aki at 5:42 PM PST - 8 comments

WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, COULD YOU REPEAL THE GENEVA CONVENTION?

WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, COULD YOU REPEAL THE GENEVA CONVENTION? Bush's EPA Administrator Christie Todd Whitman said yesterday that the Kyoto treaty on climate change was dead. She said, "No, we have no interest in implementing that treaty." Under the treaty, the U.S. would have to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. Earlier this month, Whitman signed a formal declaration with environmental ministers from other industrialized nations pledging to move forward on the treaty.
posted by semmi at 4:17 PM PST - 14 comments

Cool eyeball science

Cool eyeball science Quick summary of interesting research on the output of the eyeball. 3 really cool things: 1, we know much more about the output of the eyeball now than a few years ago; 2, they've got a neural network doing visual processing like the eye; 3, most of what you see your brain makes up!
posted by daver at 3:37 PM PST - 8 comments

Certain things like this

Certain things like this irk me just as much as the next guy, but it always makes me wonder how it can bother someone so much to create an organization against it.
posted by JFunk2800 at 2:52 PM PST - 24 comments

The Winux virus

The Winux virus is reported to affect both Windows and Linux boxes/applications. The article says it's "written in a primitive computer language called 'assembly language'." On a side note, who do they get to write these articles? Certainly they are uncomfortable with technology...
posted by fooljay at 2:41 PM PST - 5 comments

Can you buy pot online legally?

Can you buy pot online legally? That is the claim of this company. According to their site, it's against US law for customs to open any box marked as being human remains. They say they'll ship doobage from the Netherlands with a prominent "euthanized human remains" sticker on it and deliver the goods to your door. Also, if you sign up by April 20, they'll toss in a free joint.
posted by norm at 2:10 PM PST - 12 comments

Best RIAA-vs-mp3 quote so far? Here's my candidate. I think it'll take five aces to beat it but don't hesitate to try!

As Eben Moglen, professor of law and legal history at Columbia University, puts it, "Is the RIAA and its friends doing some kind of technology surveillance? Yes. Is it going to work? No. It's really dumb. It's another serious mistake by an industry going out of business in the stupidest way, bumping its head on the steps on the way down, because the record industry was always a bunch of thugs and that's what they still are."
posted by jfuller at 1:44 PM PST - 23 comments

The Planet of the Apes

The Planet of the Apes remake is slated for Summer 2001, and they now have a site with a teaser trailer. At first I was disappointed that there even was a remake in the works, since the original is a great classic, but when I heard that Tim Burton is directing (with a score by Danny Elfman) I thought maybe it's worth a second look.
posted by Sal Amander at 1:41 PM PST - 16 comments

Israel Defense Forces attempt to take out Arafat

Israel Defense Forces attempt to take out Arafat One target in Ramallah, in the West Bank, and four in Gaza were hit, all belonging to Arafat's elite personal bodyguard unit, Force 17.
posted by Neb at 1:15 PM PST - 30 comments

This copywriter enjoys going to work in the morning.

This copywriter enjoys going to work in the morning. "Despite its grand size, the Bemis Paramont is designed to fit snugly on standard or elongated toilet bowls--and accommodate all sizes of users, from little lads to dainty ladies to large linebackers."
posted by machaus at 1:04 PM PST - 2 comments

Every*

Every* day, lately, I see more news showing a tightening grasp** on the peoples of the world by agents of power and knowledge. Domestic affairs are more about foreignness than ever, it seems.
* Story about an expedition by Brazilian anthropologists to collect information on the size and number of uncontacted indigenous groups in the Amazon (without actually contacting them).
** Story about tensions between indigenes and commercial fisheries in the Torres Straits Islands. Australia gives broad protection of indigenous rights to land, but courts have not yet ruled on rights to the sea.

posted by rschram at 12:59 PM PST - 2 comments

Two words: Bad Taste

Two words: Bad Taste The Washington Post today is running an article on Alcatels new pitchman, Martin Luther King, Jr! Yes! MLK joins the likes of John Wayne and Alfred Hitchcock as undead spokespeople.
posted by cornbread at 8:51 AM PST - 46 comments

"Companies could run into roadblocks if

"Companies could run into roadblocks if they have to treat data from European customers differently from those in the United States"
I have an idea! Don't! We need EU-level privacy here in the U.S. Why can't we have it? Can anyone tell me why our laws are better?
posted by fooljay at 8:48 AM PST - 2 comments

In the end, it's the Kool Aid that kills you.

In the end, it's the Kool Aid that kills you.
Interesting article about the kool-aid effect in technology. The only difference between a genius and a fool is whether or not the consumer drinks the same brew.
posted by fooljay at 8:42 AM PST - 8 comments

"If a Chinese cannot understand why Swiss people get so upset that they are eating St. Bernards, I would ask that same question: If Swiss people eat China's panda, how would Chinese feel?"

"If a Chinese cannot understand why Swiss people get so upset that they are eating St. Bernards, I would ask that same question: If Swiss people eat China's panda, how would Chinese feel?"

I expect they'd ask for a bite of the penis.
posted by dfowler at 8:21 AM PST - 16 comments

Estonia set for online elections.

Estonia set for online elections.
posted by normy at 8:00 AM PST - 7 comments

You got 'guilty'.

You got 'guilty'. "Well, I know you're innocent, but our pop3 server is down"
posted by tiaka at 7:03 AM PST - 2 comments

And the circle is complete. Turn a fridge into a compter case? Been there, done that. Turn a computer case into a fridge? Ahh, now there you go. [via /usr/bin/girl]
posted by plinth at 6:32 AM PST - 2 comments

Head of National Forest Service resigns.

Head of National Forest Service resigns. Mike Dombeck was actually "protected" from replacement by the Bush administration but chose to step down and retire when it was obvious Dubya aims to open thousands of acres of national forest to logging as well as new oil, gas and mining operations. What's next? Will Bush lift regulations on how toxic and nuclear waste are disposed of? His new policy appears to be an environmental nightmare.
posted by bkdelong at 6:28 AM PST - 39 comments

Separated at birth: The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and The United States Army Aviation Museum. Air and Space being the original.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 6:20 AM PST - 7 comments

Headline Interruptus...

Headline Interruptus...
posted by quonsar at 5:35 AM PST - 9 comments

"An American Tragedy"

"An American Tragedy" The University of Michigan Law School's use of race in the admission process is declared unconstitutional. In making his decision, Judge Friedman found that the law school relied on an unwritten policy to maintain a "critical mass" of minority students of between 11 percent and 17 percent -- in essence, a quota. His 90-page opinion also said the policy was too vague and "places a very heavy emphasis on an applicant's race in deciding whether to accept or reject."
posted by JFunk2800 at 2:04 AM PST - 35 comments

Napster proof CDs?

Napster proof CDs? (Salon link, so shoot me) A new scheme for copy-protected CDs that uses errors and false data to confuse your CD-ROM drive. (more inside)
posted by smeat at 12:00 AM PST - 21 comments

March 27

Tupperware type parties promote e-shopping

Tupperware type parties promote e-shopping
Does this method make it easier for newbies to get comfortable with e-commerice? Will the dot.coms go for this method along with other advertising methods?
posted by shackbar at 11:58 PM PST - 2 comments

San Francisco couple has been charged with murder and manslaughter from the January 26 fatal mauling of a neighbor by two dogs they were caring for.
posted by crushed at 10:18 PM PST - 16 comments

When Headlines Go (Nearly) Right

When Headlines Go (Nearly) Right The world's most unfortunately named cleric makes a cameo appearance in a row over sex scenes in a film. Can someone persuade me that the Pope didn't make Bishop Sin a cardinal just for these moments?
posted by holgate at 5:38 PM PST - 7 comments

Farewell to another free lunch...

Farewell to another free lunch... Streamed baseball radio is an interesting microcosm of the web's development. It started with a few forward-looking local stations taking the initiative and unilaterally offering a live stream; then it went under the auspices of Broadcast.com; now RealNetworks and MLB Inc. have tied up the subscription deal. A touchstone for other online content?
posted by holgate at 4:50 PM PST - 14 comments

Survivor: Monster Island

Survivor: Monster Island Destroy All Monsters takes on Survivor with a cast of monsters from Japanese films. This looks much more exciting than CBS's show, and the quotes are better to:
    Ghidorah has aspirations beyond mindless destruction. "You know what I always wanted to do? Musicals. West Side Story. This 'harass the human race' stuff gets old after a while, ya know?"

posted by DragonBoy at 3:13 PM PST - 10 comments

Pizzicato Five break up

Pizzicato Five break up after seventeen years of innovative Japanese art-pop and all-around good music. Read their biography at AMG, or watch them perform live.
posted by waxpancake at 2:10 PM PST - 28 comments

Sending Texans a message

Sending Texans a message -- more than one million Texans can look forward to receiving a "video version of the New Testament account of Luke" in their mailboxes. The group's goal is to send the video to every Texas home -- eight million. The video was made 22 years ago and is 83-minutes long.

Will the message fall on deaf ears? Isn't there a better way?
posted by 7sharp11 at 1:59 PM PST - 50 comments


A giant loophole in McCain-Feingold will give oil companies a total exemption from all its propsed spending restrictions. This is levelling the playing field?
posted by aaron at 1:51 PM PST - 19 comments

"Thanks for the honour. Oh, and for the Oscar too..."

"Thanks for the honour. Oh, and for the Oscar too..." Is that an MBE on Russell Crowe's chest? A quick google suggests his grandad received one: dunno the protocol of wearing someone else's medal, but is that the first time an Oscar winner's gone on stage with a British gong?
posted by holgate at 1:07 PM PST - 14 comments

Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast was quite a strange place to work for in the early days. A gamer paradise of freebies, fun, and sex. A game or Truth of Swill changes everything. Now WOTC is owned by Hasbro and the February closing of the Seattle Gamecenter is the final nail in the coffin of gamer paradise.
posted by john at 12:56 PM PST - 8 comments

Free Market Failure?

Free Market Failure?
The pharmaceutical companies profits have been rising faster than the S&P Industrials as a whole, mainly due to huge profits from drug patents. Not only are the drug companies milking American consumers, but their stranglehold on IP rights to new drugs prevents much-needed medicines from being affordable in many third-world countries. But, we can't take away patent rights or investors would flee the drug scene and new drugs wouldn't be developed at all. How do we solve this problem? The only institutions with the financial resources to do the same research as drug companies are national governments. And they have the obligation to protect the social welfare. Should we turn over pharmaceutical research and development to government?
posted by daveadams at 12:33 PM PST - 17 comments

Voters voting their concience rather than their pocketbooks (via IHT).

Voters voting their concience rather than their pocketbooks (via IHT). Now, this is a good development IMHO. More inside.
posted by CRS at 11:54 AM PST - 10 comments

A new kind of child porn?

A new kind of child porn? Teenage girls set up webcams, ostensibly to extend their social network through interactive technology. Sick bastard male voyeurs create Web site so they can spy on all their "hotties" simultaneously. Thank heavens for little girls? Some of these girls are only 14, and look nothing like what a 14 year old should look like!
posted by johnnydark at 10:27 AM PST - 104 comments

Bush seeks support from Silicon Valley leaders for tax plan.

Bush seeks support from Silicon Valley leaders for tax plan. "I haven't seen the list of attendees yet, but it's for the purpose of building support for the President's budget and tax plan, for the vital group of the economy that's kept our economy strong. If there's any group that has its finger on the pulse of the economy, it's the high tech community, and the President wants to hear their thoughts about the strength of the economy and to share with them his ideas for how to improve it."

Yeah, but what about the PEOPLE? Shouldn't WE be asked about the tax plan?
posted by bkdelong at 9:11 AM PST - 10 comments

Scientists say there was a 96.3 percent chance

Scientists say there was a 96.3 percent chance that there was a second shooter on the grassy knoll. Wired reports that a new scientific analysis of the audio recordings of the Kennedy assassination disproves the lone gunman theory.
posted by borgle at 8:38 AM PST - 10 comments

Nike full of hot air.

Nike full of hot air. So you thought that those sneakers were going to make you jump higher. All you needed was the new Nike Airs. Ok, we were smart enough to know they don't help, but how come we didn't know that they actually caused injuries.
posted by dancu at 8:32 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Will he be cured and shrinkwrapped?

Will he be cured and shrinkwrapped? Will Macho Man Randy Savage administer the eulogy?
posted by thc at 7:34 AM PST - 3 comments

You Are The Weakest Link, Goodbye!

You Are The Weakest Link, Goodbye! Yes, the "Rudest Person on Television" is about to hit American airwaves as NBC desperately tries to catch up to "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" and "Survivor". This little BBC profile of Anne Robinson explains it all for us unsuspecting Yanks. Is "YATWLG" about to be the next hot meme?
posted by briank at 6:46 AM PST - 38 comments

made by monica

made by monica
lewisnky, that is...
posted by bwg at 6:09 AM PST - 6 comments

Bush Tries to Change Advisor's Mind

Bush Tries to Change Advisor's Mind on pollution policy. That does not work. President Bush does what he wants. EPA leaks Witman's Private Memo.
posted by vanderwal at 4:52 AM PST - 19 comments

Screen your thoughts for $35

Screen your thoughts for $35
"About 8 thought screens were made in early 1999 using a metalized plastic which is used in static shielding bags. Six users reported success but two users were overcome by telepathic commands, removed the helmets and were taken.
"In late 1999 and early 2000, nine new thought screens were made using Velostat shielding. All abductees wearing this helmet have not been taken while they were wearing it."
posted by lagado at 3:58 AM PST - 14 comments

Compulsory reading for the 'American Civil War was fought over states' rights' crowd.
posted by Mocata at 1:41 AM PST - 2 comments

A brand new way to harass misfits at school.

A brand new way to harass misfits at school. First, accuse them of being terrorists. Then hide behind a proposed California law (see last paragraph of article) that protects you from being sued by the accused for defamation. What happened to the Tapia family, whose daughter Kristina made just such an accusation (apparently in good faith) and who have since run up $40,000 in legal bills defending her from a suit from the family of the kid she reported (who was arrested and expelled), is of course a travesty, but is a "shield" law the right solution when it's all too easy to imagine it just making the whole "zero tolerance" environment of U.S. public schools even more sick and twisted?
posted by kindall at 1:16 AM PST - 13 comments

March 26

Herbal remedies

Herbal remedies can work wonders. But against AIDS? Hard to believe. (from Feed)
posted by dfowler at 9:31 PM PST - 4 comments

Marriage of 15-year-old to 48-year-old to be reviewed by Nevada Supreme Court.

Marriage of 15-year-old to 48-year-old to be reviewed by Nevada Supreme Court.
posted by crushed at 9:26 PM PST - 31 comments

Microsoft Patents Everything!

Microsoft Patents Everything! Oh dear lord, what will we do now? Has Mr. Gates finally found a way to take over the world?
posted by stew560 at 9:09 PM PST - 12 comments

The Ship of Fools.

The Ship of Fools. What an odd tale... and a well-researched bag of symbolic plates to accompany it. Laid out very much like a book (hover in a bottom corner to 'turn' a page) and plenty of side notes to go with the illustrations.
posted by salsamander at 8:44 PM PST - 1 comment

The "Other" Kennedy Conspiracy:

The "Other" Kennedy Conspiracy: there was someone on that knoll. (but we did go to the moon)
posted by owillis at 4:44 PM PST - 9 comments

Well, congratulations; you won your TiVo. So, now, are you wondering what they're doing to you with it?
posted by baylink at 4:37 PM PST - 43 comments

Warning: useless Flash, animated GIFs, slow loading, annoying, buzzing, warped up piece of work.

Warning: useless Flash, animated GIFs, slow loading, annoying, buzzing, warped up piece of work. [Requires Flash and Pepto Bismol to view.] Even though this is a site for a radio station, I figured something was amiss when I was scared to click past the splash page...
posted by hijinx at 4:29 PM PST - 11 comments

Pull up an Oasis and sit a spell

Pull up an Oasis and sit a spell La-z-boy is introducing the Oasis, an armchair complete with built-in refrigerator and massager. This even beats out the Explorer for sheer passivity accommodation.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 4:15 PM PST - 5 comments

The Anti-Chagnon: Tobias Schneebaum reminisces

The Anti-Chagnon: Tobias Schneebaum reminisces
Schneebaum falls squarely into the romantic camp. "I'm not an anthropologist, and I didn't go to Peru to gather information," he says with mild distaste. "I wanted to meet people and have a good time. I never thought about if I was exploiting anybody. I was doing something that thrilled me, and that was the only thing on my mind." Ugh, I can't tell which is worse...
posted by rschram at 3:18 PM PST - 4 comments

Virgin to offer Internet access from every seat

Virgin to offer Internet access from every seat Is anyone else blown away by the possibility of this? For sheer entertainment value, or for work purposes, this would be incredible. Even just to let someone know you're running late, etc., this would completely alter my perception of air-travel ...
posted by pupper at 2:08 PM PST - 18 comments

Second hand smoke doesn't cause cancer

Second hand smoke doesn't cause cancer I am shocked that an organization would withhold information that is damaging to their cause.
posted by jonny rook at 1:24 PM PST - 31 comments

California's Energy Crisis,

California's Energy Crisis, minute by minute. Interesting to watch, even when you feel that we're all over-reacting a bit.
posted by gazould at 1:14 PM PST - 18 comments

adobe has a new product

adobe has a new product it looks like they're trying to do a 3d environment cause you have to download a browser, too. (or a browser extension). anyway, it's a free beta download.
posted by bliss322 at 12:38 PM PST - 10 comments

Want to avoid sweatshop shoes? Buy Nike.

Want to avoid sweatshop shoes? Buy Nike. So says Peter Singer. Same applies to the other favourite targets of the "No Logo" activists. Which raises a curious irony: what happens when a corporation you've habitually demonised starts listening to to its critics? Is it possible to rehabilitate a Big Bad Brand?
posted by holgate at 11:05 AM PST - 22 comments

Is this the Face of Christ?

Is this the Face of Christ? 'The BBC used a combination of 2,000-year-old Jewish skulls and ancient religious images to generate what it claims is the first "true-to-life" picture of Jesus Christ.'
posted by LMG at 10:52 AM PST - 28 comments

Book burning?

Book burning? Are we doomed to stay in the dark ages forever?
posted by gdavis at 10:32 AM PST - 24 comments

one, two, three. considering this is the same bunch that put our current resident in the whitehouse, why do i have a bad feeling about this?
posted by bliss322 at 10:19 AM PST - 35 comments

Still looking to mouthwash from last night's Hollywood love fest?

Still looking to mouthwash from last night's Hollywood love fest? How about the appetizing possibility of a strike?
posted by lowblow at 9:37 AM PST - 13 comments

"Ah, the vibrant interaction of electronic conversation. Isn't it beautiful? In a word: No."

"Ah, the vibrant interaction of electronic conversation. Isn't it beautiful? In a word: No." A pessimistic take on "community."
posted by maura at 8:57 AM PST - 26 comments

U.S. Supreme Court to review death penalty for retarded.

U.S. Supreme Court to review death penalty for retarded. Regardless of what you think of the death penalty for people of normal(?) mental capacity, can you believe that they are just starting to reconsider this now?
posted by jasonshellen at 8:47 AM PST - 1 comment

CATS...IN....SPAAAAAAAACE!

CATS...IN....SPAAAAAAAACE! [via 50 Cups]
posted by plinth at 8:38 AM PST - 12 comments

I guess the DotCom days really are over.

I guess the DotCom days really are over. Now i just have to try and remember how to actually do something productive. I think i'll be a professional introvert, what about you?
posted by th3ph17 at 8:05 AM PST - 33 comments

Nokia Takes a Step Towards Web Standards

Nokia Takes a Step Towards Web Standards I was incredibly impressed this morning to have someone send me this link. It looks like Nokia phones of the future will use XHTML (My guess is XHTML Basic) + CSS. I hope it supports media typing as well.
posted by bkdelong at 7:56 AM PST - 1 comment

when do web-cams stop being fun?

when do web-cams stop being fun? So when is a web-cam inappropriate? I mean, we've all seen the coffee-pot cam, the jenni-cam, etc. But when do you cross the line with web-cams? Is it reasonable for your work to setup a web-cam? How about a school? A funeral home?

Basically, when does the web-cam stop being fun? I think I have a candidate. crime.com is the first site on the net to have a web-cam in a working jail. Please discuss.
posted by cornbread at 7:52 AM PST - 24 comments

Making art out of a Microsoft mouse.

Making art out of a Microsoft mouse. Tails of the City is a rather cool project that entails using a Microsoft mouse as the canvas. You can bid on the works if you so desire - but just check out the fine details! [k10k]
posted by hijinx at 7:39 AM PST - 2 comments

Kids' bad habits blamed on movies

Kids' bad habits blamed on movies I too sneered and thought this was going to be another attack on media as the root cause of all problems. But the stats suggest a correlation that should be given some serious thought. Not talking about guns and school shootings but rather smoking and drinking. But then what of dope?
posted by Postroad at 7:24 AM PST - 16 comments

The Euro.

The Euro. I have a question for all of the Euro-zone mefi members. Do regular folks in Europe think the varied governments will come together for the economic benefit of the whole or will regional differences doom the new currency?
posted by CRS at 7:21 AM PST - 9 comments

Saudi Arabia bans Pokemon

Saudi Arabia bans Pokemon. La ilaha illalah, Muhammad-ur-rasul-illah, you betcha!
posted by jfuller at 6:54 AM PST - 6 comments

Conspiracy or not?

Conspiracy or not? Convinced to sit and watch FOX's show on whether we landed on the moon, I found myself wondering why there was no evidence against the hoax presented. Is this is clearly another feed on the conspiracy theories surrounding JFK's administration? Or was it just another "When cars attack?" (If so, I didn't find this as funny)
posted by samsara at 6:39 AM PST - 23 comments

Washington DC Metro Popularity is Possible Problem

Washington DC Metro Popularity is Possible Problem as physical limitations may hinder expansion and usability in future years.
posted by vanderwal at 4:41 AM PST - 7 comments

Foot and Mouth in Lake District National Park

the arrival of foot and mouth in the centre of the lake district national park is horrific. One thing is clear; the Lake District will never be the same again.
posted by quarsan at 4:29 AM PST - 11 comments

Slow day at the office? Recreate those great Star Wars moments with your own origami Tie Fighter (amongst many other things).
posted by Markb at 4:01 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Slow Dance.

Slow Dance. Saw this "Poem to the Editor" in the paper version of this community rag. Supposed to be written by "a terminally ill young girl in a New York Hospital."
posted by kcchip at 2:14 AM PST - 5 comments

Naked photos website gives angry boyfriends revenge

Naked photos website gives angry boyfriends revenge
this is not exactly a new idea, but it makes you think twice about letting your significant other take pics of you in your birthday suit.
posted by bwg at 1:43 AM PST - 3 comments

March 25

Ladies and gentlemen, your moment of Oscar zen.

Ladies and gentlemen, your moment of Oscar zen.
posted by solistrato at 9:23 PM PST - 22 comments

"Suspected thief hides in mall overnight to steal cellphones."

He took drugs to stay awake the whole night, and would've gotten away with the loot had he taken his time and not rushed out immediately after the mall opened. Mom was right -- patience really is a virtue!
posted by lia at 8:56 PM PST - 1 comment

Up to 20% of the internet vulnerable

Up to 20% of the internet vulnerable to a virus. There is a new Linux worm virus. Apparently, it steals passwords, installs and hides other hacking tools on infected systems, and then uses those systems to seek other servers to attack. Sys admins are advised to run a check on their servers and upgrade their BIND version.
posted by borgle at 5:27 PM PST - 3 comments

Mr. Showbiz is doing live coverage of the Oscars.

Mr. Showbiz is doing live coverage of the Oscars. I'm breaking a handful of MF rules by posting this, I realize, but I think it's really cool, and it hasn't gotten nearly enough press. (The Big D decided to put all its press behind Oscars.com, whose live coverage isn't nearly as fun.)
posted by dan_of_brainlog at 4:29 PM PST - 15 comments

Lisl will spend the rest of her life in prison for a crime she didn't commit

Lisl will spend the rest of her life in prison for a crime she didn't commit This site outlines Lisl Auman's case. Her case is being supported by Hunter S Thompson. She will be appealing the ruling this spring. There are links to Thompson's articles on espn.com, as well as Lisl's site.
posted by oracle_femme at 3:37 PM PST - 25 comments

"Wait - what - huh?? THAT was your marriage proposal???"
posted by ookamaka at 2:47 PM PST - 14 comments

the wit and wisom of Imelda Marcos

the wit and wisom of Imelda Marcos Often regarded as merely a woman with enough wealth to own a huge collection of shoes, Imelda, it seems, has the wit of a Gore Vidal, the incisevness of a Paglia, and the ability to refer to essentials that can be found in Pascal. Click on her nose to find the path to her brain...a trip worth the taking.
posted by Postroad at 2:43 PM PST - 1 comment

Seattle private school to make laptop purchase and use mandatory

Seattle private school to make laptop purchase and use mandatory . Lakeside School -- well known as the alma mater of Bill Gates -- is making laptop ownership a precursor to grades 7-12 beginning next year. Some parents are up in arms despite a glowing pilot program assessment and a somewhat cloying letter from Lakeside's head of school, who also assures families on financial aid that help will be available. Is this just one school getting a jump on the future of education, or a corporation-driven attempt to lock in younger and younger consumers?
posted by jessamyn at 12:40 PM PST - 15 comments

Fark tells us that Taleban web site still under Russian control

Fark tells us that Taleban web site still under Russian control I clicked on link Fark provided to find out whether the Russians still controlled Taleban site. Surprise!!
posted by Postroad at 10:29 AM PST - 6 comments

Bozo to hang up his nose.

Bozo to hang up his nose. After 40 years on the air in Chicago, the final episode of The Bozo Show will air in August. One of the personalities ingrained into the head of every Chicago kid is going away.
posted by hijinx at 8:07 AM PST - 14 comments

Third-grader suspended for drawing soldier, kniufe, gun

Third-grader suspended for drawing soldier, kniufe, gun The teacher said that the students were scared of the drawings....perhaps they should read the article in the current issue of the Guardian which goes into specifics of our new military budget and suggests that the total cost of our military budget is 1/3 of that spent by all of the nations in the world combined.
posted by Postroad at 7:30 AM PST - 35 comments

"The marbles belong to the British Museum ...

"The marbles belong to the British Museum ... which does not intend to return any part of the collection to its country of origin," PM Tony Blair ruling out the return to Greece of the so-called "Elgin" marbles, the stone carvings that were unceremoniously hacked off the Parthenon by the Earl of Elgin and carted back to Britain. Nearly 200 years later and despite years of Greek protest, the British Museum is not budging and has maintained thoughout that it has been protecting these antiquities from almost certain destruction (although their own record in this regard has not been great). Should museums today be returning treasures that have were obtained though such looting?
posted by lagado at 4:32 AM PST - 29 comments

March 24

I'm sick of the Cunningham rumors.

I'm sick of the Cunningham rumors. I no longer believe the Neuromancer movie will ever happen. Music by Aphex, in my dreams. Console yourself by listening to William Gibson read the whole freakin' thing.
posted by lbergstr at 11:25 PM PST - 22 comments

Is there a perfect weblogging software? Here's my wish list: a database back-end, static pages, searching, HTML, easy templating, syndication through RSS, and, most of all, the ability to back-date my entries. PHP-Nuke is amazing, but isn't quite right for what I want to do. I like Blogger, but I worry about its future; will new features ever be added? The talented Noah Grey isn't updating his elegant Greymatter except for bug fixes, so asking him for features wouldn't be cool. One possibility is a Perl script called Newspro: very, very flexible, with interesting add-ons.
posted by tranquileye at 7:23 PM PST - 29 comments

No Logo slash site.

No Logo slash site. Naomi Klein's book has it's own site based on slashcode. New media for the anti-corporate masses :)
posted by kliuless at 11:38 AM PST - 29 comments

When I was a kid I built treeforts. One had 17 different platforms, in a giant willow tree. Another one was only reachable by boat. Only one actually had a roof. But now I want a real treehouse. And I guess I'm not the only one.
posted by rodii at 9:03 AM PST - 27 comments

March 23

Oldest recording you can find on Napster

Oldest recording you can find on Napster ?...or online anyplace? I was looking for poetry and turned up a wax cylinder recording of Walt Whitman [they're pretty sure] recorded sometime before the turn of the [last] century. How neat is that?
posted by jessamyn at 10:33 PM PST - 11 comments

If you're lucky, it's not too late to sign up with a Community Supported Agriculture (?) program in your area. Imagine getting more fresh, often organic, locally-grown produce (of sorts familiar and un-) each week from late spring through fall than you probably eat in a month! Some friends did this in college and I was thrilled to find a farm near me this year. Is there one near you?
posted by sudama at 9:49 PM PST - 15 comments

Whoa. Does this guy ever answer his cell?

Whoa. Does this guy ever answer his cell? I guess this is a lesson for everyone to be careful what kind of voice mail messages you leave.
posted by JFunk2800 at 12:16 PM PST - 33 comments

Hello, My name is Nate. I am the Loop Monkey.

Hello, My name is Nate. I am the Loop Monkey. I ride the Penn State Loop with my stuffed monkey named Qwan. We ride the Loop on the weekends and play with drunk people!
posted by Hankins at 12:01 PM PST - 3 comments

Sighting of the day,

Sighting of the day, note the one for March 22.
posted by bjgeiger at 10:21 AM PST - 10 comments

If you are downloading from Napster or some other service, the RIAA is tracking you.

If you are downloading from Napster or some other service, the RIAA is tracking you. Here's a screenshot of the Recording Industry's secret weapon.
posted by andre_111 at 9:50 AM PST - 17 comments

Learn how to dance, part II.

Learn how to dance, part II. A fine tutorial, with helpful descriptions:
Smackin That Ass: "... the dancer imagines a huge behind and begins to smack it, at first playfully, then perhaps even fearfully."
posted by Dirjy at 9:46 AM PST - 13 comments

Did you sneeze before breakfast this morning? Well, expect some exciting news... this according to a page of sneezing folklore. (I might add that sneezing feels mighty nice.)
posted by hijinx at 9:22 AM PST - 7 comments

A taste of Nostalgia...

A taste of Nostalgia... while it's not really an informative MeFi posted link, the list of commercials brings back memories. It's too bad there aren't any clips. Are any of these familiar to you?
posted by Cavatica at 9:08 AM PST - 11 comments

As stock prices plummet,

As stock prices plummet, Salon.com continues to think of imaginative new ways to make a profit. This article, is of course, a joke. But not too far from the future, I'm sure. Are there any other ways to make money on the web besides porn and ebay?
posted by hidely at 8:23 AM PST - 5 comments

Following "The Rules"?

Following "The Rules"? One of the co-authors of "The Rules" is getting divorced, even as the third book in the series -- Rules III: Time-Tested Secrets for Making Your Marriage Work-- goes to press.
posted by darren at 8:12 AM PST - 16 comments

LET IT BE RESOLVED that we should *totally* Import the entire Island nation of Japan.

LET IT BE RESOLVED that we should *totally* Import the entire Island nation of Japan.
My question is, where the heck are we going to put it?
posted by darukaru at 8:06 AM PST - 17 comments

MIR debris for sale on eBay.

MIR debris for sale on eBay. Who'd have thought it?
posted by normy at 7:45 AM PST - 5 comments

Mir falls to earth

Mir falls to earth in a blaze of fireworks and sickle-hammered glory following its "triumphant mission". And damn, it looks like I'm going to have to pay for my lunch. Thanks to Taco Bell for "capturing the imagination of people around the globe".
posted by sixfoot6 at 6:18 AM PST - 6 comments

Be careful what you say online.

Be careful what you say online. At least if you're in the UK, where an anonymous poster to 2 message boards now faces charges of defamation after the courts ordered the disclosure of their identity. ISP Totalise used existing law to force Motley Fool to disclose the details of an anonymous poster to their message boards alleged to have made defamatory comments. Landmark case or storm in a teacup?
posted by Markb at 4:43 AM PST - 3 comments

Great news! Channel 4 to re-screen Brass Eye - with restored footage.
posted by Mocata at 3:42 AM PST - 6 comments

Covergent irony,

Covergent irony, perhaps, maybe intentional commentary. So the New York Times writes an article about the relationship between globalization and commercial messages, particularly the insertion of globalization itself into the commercials and advertisements. The headline: "Globalization on Film: Message in a Coca-Cola Can." Guess what was in the advertisement to the right of the story. Right: a Diet Coke advert. The ad rotates on re-load, so here's a screenshot, 36k.
posted by Mo Nickels at 3:22 AM PST - 2 comments

Mp3.com to charge artists to get paid.

Mp3.com to charge artists to get paid. Though only a handful of artists have made a lot of money from this exposure, it was a good place to start out and the model was intriguing. But this smells like record company tactics, and probably spells the end of an era.

Some kind of file-sharing forum for new artists will spring up I guess. Where the money/remuneration fits in , I don't know.
posted by aflakete at 1:40 AM PST - 3 comments

March 22

A $21 Trillion Tax Cut

A $21 Trillion Tax Cut
And you thought the Democrats hated President Bush's tiny $1.6 trillion tax cut. James Ostrowski offers a $21 trillion tax cut and thinks the government could be fund through voluntary donations. I'm a small-government guy, but even I don't think you can fund the government via PayPal or Amazon.
posted by shackbar at 11:02 PM PST - 9 comments

A era comes, as they like to say, to a end.

A era comes, as they like to say, to a end. The final burn of the Progress cargo ship attached to MIR is underway; she's a comin' down. Obvious CNN link attached; NASA likely swamped; other good links welcome...
posted by baylink at 9:25 PM PST - 18 comments

April 3rd is "Take Back the Net" day.

April 3rd is "Take Back the Net" day. Only 12 days until they ask you to buy something from your favorite online store, or buy stock in the company to send a message to the world that the Internet Economy will survive. Does anyone smell a cute marketing scare tactic? "I gotta buy TiVo, or Amazon will die and I need my books and movies $3 cheaper!"
posted by Mark at 8:41 PM PST - 3 comments

Northpoint assets have been sold to AT&T.

Northpoint assets have been sold to AT&T. AT&T plans to keep only the hardware assets. Guess what? Thousands of DSL consumers whose ISPs purchase DSL from Northpoint, could be without service very soon.
posted by andre_111 at 6:02 PM PST - 14 comments

SF Gate article

SF Gate article states, "with a wireless ethernet card, a laptop and some basic software savvy," people walking around downtown San Francisco could just point their antenna at a building and be privy to private, unprotected coporate networks.
posted by paladin at 5:19 PM PST - 9 comments

Capitalism wins!

Capitalism wins! Does anyone need more proof than seeing sponsors in Russia's mission control room?
posted by jdiaz at 4:04 PM PST - 9 comments

Salacious Selebrity [sic] Sleazesheet's Server Solicitations.

Salacious Selebrity [sic] Sleazesheet's Server Solicitations. Popbitch is great. It's the outlet for all the stuff that tabloid hacks can't get past their legal teams. Madonna likes it. It's a victim of its success. It needs a dedicated server. Déjà vu all over again, but heh, it's a worthy cause.
posted by holgate at 3:43 PM PST - 6 comments

can standing up for your 1st amendment rights go too far?

can standing up for your 1st amendment rights go too far? the independent florida alligator, the independently owned and run student newspaper of the university of florida, where i go to school, has entered into a lawsuit with the orlando sentinel trying to gain access to and copy the autopsy photos of dale earnhardt... saying that the injunction issued at widow teresa earnhardt's request by the state to block the public from access to these photos is a violation of the sunshine laws and their first amendment rights, they have thrown compassion to the wind in a self-righteous publicity stunt, and it's funny that their only supporters are other editors, writers, etc. is this going too far? i know writers live by their reputations, and this will certainly make them known, but how low is low? what do you guys think?
posted by zerotype at 3:07 PM PST - 9 comments

"Sitting on a shelf for years and years"

"Sitting on a shelf for years and years" — While what happened may sound unsettling...funeral directors say WV legislators have not passed any laws that tell funeral homes what to do with unclaimed remains like the ones found here in Charleston. Think I'll stay out of the basement.
posted by netbros at 1:52 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Another School Shooting

Another School Shooting This time, it's in the same school district as the last one. Is this some new, sick trend?
posted by bgluckman at 1:41 PM PST - 94 comments

Is this the future of web?

Is this the future of web? Is it me or are many Internet sites starting to mimmick newspapers? Large banner ads, aken to the full page spreads of newspapers and magazines. Oversized headlines. What next? Have major sites abandoned the internet as a separate medium?
posted by igloo at 1:12 PM PST - 9 comments

reboot?

reboot? is MetaFilter or are any metafilterians taking part in this? I think it sounds kinda fun. But I don't know what I'd do on a week without MetaFilter....work?
posted by darkpony at 11:03 AM PST - 30 comments

Vulnerabiity in OpenPGP

Vulnerabiity in OpenPGP You don't even need to crack the key, just get hold of it, modify a few bytes, and presto, sign away from other persona. The issue here is signing, not encrypting. The implications are evident when you think of internet voting, tax filing, etc., but it is still a victory for open cryptography, where peer review can find serious flaws.
posted by pecus at 10:43 AM PST - 2 comments

It's going to get ugly

It's going to get ugly a few years from now. Mad Cow Disease has an incubation period of between 10 and 16 years (or even as much as 30 years). Significant exposure predates 1985. Oh joy.
posted by fleener at 9:47 AM PST - 44 comments

"The paper gun posed no immediate threat

"The paper gun posed no immediate threat to the students in the class." Is this a prudent reading the warning signs or knee-jerk reaction to a media frenzy?
posted by fooljay at 9:07 AM PST - 20 comments

It's happening again:

It's happening again: "Do you believe you were descended from a monkey?" Rep. Denny Altes shot back. "If we teach kids they were descended from monkeys, don't you think they'll act like monkeys?"
posted by aladfar at 8:33 AM PST - 64 comments

So if the homeless

So if the homeless are now going to be attending university, will it be politcally incorrect to call it "homework?"

Cardboard-boxwork
just doesn't have the same ring to it. ;P
posted by hidely at 8:09 AM PST - 1 comment

A Chicago Trib reporter logged all of the ads she saw in one day. It makes for an interesting and kind of scary read. [via obscurestore]
posted by hijinx at 8:05 AM PST - 32 comments

yo d00dz! hav u seen tihs?

yo d00dz! hav u seen tihs? "Two-thirds of the 18-24 year olds questioned do not worry about punctuation, grammar or style when writing messages. About 16% sign every e-mail with love and kisses, even when addressing their boss."
l8s, love wrighty XX
posted by gi_wrighty at 8:00 AM PST - 30 comments

Sweden overtakes the US

Sweden overtakes the US on the Information Superhighway (I didn't realise anyone still used that phrase), according to The World Paper.
posted by normy at 7:48 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

"The Most Dangerous Piece of Software in the World."

"The Most Dangerous Piece of Software in the World." With his usual hyperbole, Calcanis of SAD calls WebWasher a scary product. We all know that net advertising is not profitable (i.e. Salon going to subscriptions) and as products like WebWasher proliferate, we can be truly assured that none of these net business models are worth anything. Of course software to kill ads on the web has been around for years but is this the one that will break into the mainstream?
Better sell your DoubleClick stock (like it was worth anything to begin with ;)
posted by gen at 7:29 AM PST - 35 comments

50 Russian diplomats expelled from the US on suspicion of being spies.

50 Russian diplomats expelled from the US on suspicion of being spies. Discuss...
posted by Caffa at 4:27 AM PST - 23 comments

March 21

Salon's new strategy: make the banner ads AS ANNOYING AS HUMANLY FUCKING POSSIBLE.

Salon's new strategy: make the banner ads AS ANNOYING AS HUMANLY FUCKING POSSIBLE. Now it's either the subscription model or horrifying Flash ads that take up more column inches than the articles. Are they on crack, or merely dumb?
posted by solistrato at 10:29 PM PST - 42 comments

Transformers Archive.

Transformers Archive.
posted by holloway at 9:57 PM PST - 15 comments

Proposal to make ecstasy sentencing harsher than heroin

Proposal to make ecstasy sentencing harsher than heroin passed despite opposition from the Federation of American Scientists (Acrobat req'd). One of these opponents from the Federation served as Nixon's drug czar. Why is the government so hard on ecstasy? What effect will this have on the drug war in general? And is this anything but an empty (but harmful) political move?
posted by pikachulolita at 9:37 PM PST - 25 comments

Iraq improves its oil reserves

Iraq improves its oil reserves This piece belongs with the other post I recently posted on oil and world political and military strategies. I guess that since filling my gas tank this evening I have narrowed my focus a bit, for which, apologies.
posted by Postroad at 8:50 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Blood for oil

Blood for oil All these nations scrambling to gain control over oil, and I had thought american interests were in spreading democracy to those who lack it but have and/or need oil.
posted by Postroad at 8:33 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Ocean Floating Residence.

Ocean Floating Residence. "For The World is no ordinary cruise ship. Instead of carrying thousands of passengers for a week or two at a time, it will be home to around 200 residents who have paid between $2m and $7m apiece for one of its 110 apartments."
posted by Zool at 7:28 PM PST - 5 comments

Exploring the Black Sea with robotic submersibles.

Exploring the Black Sea with robotic submersibles. The Black Sea is the largest body of anoxic water in the world. A remarkable thing happens in such waters: wood, cloth, food, and other organic materials do not decay and disappear — ships that went to the bottom hundreds or thousands of years ago still rest on the seafloor in almost the same condition as when they sailed the surface. The trick is getting down into the depths to find them.
posted by lagado at 7:06 PM PST - 11 comments

Missing man found, then found dead.

Missing man found, then found dead.
posted by crunchland at 6:58 PM PST - 4 comments

VBS Worm Generator Software.

VBS Worm Generator Software. I read in a foreign techi. publication about this Argentin kid who supposedly offers this virus generating software on his homepage. Being a layperson I don't know what to make of it. Is this possible?
posted by semmi at 5:47 PM PST - 5 comments

Bangalore tech support

Bangalore tech support (NY Times, free reg. req.) try to convince callers that they're actually nearby in the US, like one who "conjured up a fictional American life, with parents Bob and Ann, brother Mark and a made-up business degree from the University of Illinois."
posted by paladin at 4:05 PM PST - 3 comments

3Com kills Audrey.

3Com kills Audrey. Although the little guy (gal?) was released just this past October, it's a goner. Is anyone willing to pay $499 for a net terminal? Was this just too far ahead of its time?
posted by hijinx at 1:49 PM PST - 17 comments

Bill Gates' dad in NY Times Mag Q&A

Bill Gates' dad in NY Times Mag Q&A on bequests, estates, philanthropy and work ethic. (He's involved in administering his son's charity activities.) NY Times link, so free registration or your own personal backdoor required.
posted by jhiggy at 1:20 PM PST - 1 comment

While I'm not a huge Hole fan, Courtney Love's letter to other recording artists makes me look at her a bit differently. The letter is a pretty strong plea for them to organize a union representing their interests. With all of the press that has been genereated over the RIAA/Napster battle, do you think the timing is right?

Garage Bands of the world, Unite! Move over Rick Trumka (link via SVN).
posted by trox at 1:14 PM PST - 30 comments

Mad cow disease (possibly) strikes "diary sheep"

Mad cow disease (possibly) strikes "diary sheep" Read the first paragraph carefully...
posted by tippiedog at 9:58 AM PST - 28 comments

JunkBusters voices concerns of Amazon's new honor pay system...

JunkBusters voices concerns of Amazon's new honor pay system... an interesting link for all of us here, as we've noticed a proliferation of blogs/personal sites (including MeFi) using the system. Do you want Amazon to know you're a MetaFillistine? Comments?
posted by silusGROK at 9:25 AM PST - 3 comments

VA governor changes Confederate celebration

VA governor changes Confederate celebration stating that "anyone who needs to be honored can recognize honor in this proclamation." Did he buckle to the NAACP? Or is it time to change our views of the Civil War and the Confederacy?
posted by jennaratrix at 9:17 AM PST - 4 comments

ever wish those new laptops were a little cheaper?

ever wish those new laptops were a little cheaper? hackers have found a simple way of changing the prices on e-commerce sites and then submitting a purchase order with the new price...all in the "edit page" feature of your browser... suddenly network security is not the only thing to be aware of with online transactions.
posted by zerotype at 9:14 AM PST - 29 comments

a white man speaking black truths

a white man speaking black truths After the California school shooting, ther had been a number of discussions and some links to the idea that blacks don't do school shootings. The article dealing with this issue elicited a huge response on-line by blacks to the piece, written by a whiteman. Here is how many blacks responded.
posted by Postroad at 8:18 AM PST - 35 comments

PETA tries to ride yet another publicity bandwagon.

PETA tries to ride yet another publicity bandwagon. Man, could they be more pathetic in trying to milk the news for desperately-needed attention?
posted by darren at 6:17 AM PST - 47 comments

Gah!

Gah! So, was Deepleap the HailStorm Without Sufficient Funding and Corporate Leverage?
posted by holgate at 6:10 AM PST - 21 comments

The Onion joins the AYBABTU bandwagon with this article:

Congress Adds 'All Your Base Are Belong To Us' Amendment To Bankruptcy Bill
WASHINGTON, DC-- Seeking to increase fiscal accountability among citizens who have no chance to survive make their time, the House of Representatives added an "All Your Base Are Belong To Us" amendment Monday to H.R. 333, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2001. "What you say!!!" shouted the bill's sponsor, Rep. George Gekas (R-PA), following the amendment's approval. "This bill will not only make debt-ridden Americans more accountable, but it has the added benefit of taking off every 'zig' for great justice." Opponents of the amendment protested that it would potentially set up U.S. the bomb.
posted by Maxor at 6:05 AM PST - 10 comments

"Tired of praying and waiting for His second coming, a group of scientists aims to clone Jesus Christ and fulfill the much awaited biblical prophecy." [via the PDI]
posted by lia at 1:19 AM PST - 34 comments

March 20

Say farewell to the geeky white guys. The new generation of Internet users looks a lot like the folks who cruise Wal-Mart-and then some. How the hell did that happen?
posted by thirteen at 10:42 PM PST - 54 comments

Learn how to dance! Not as funny as Tunak, but still damn good, hehe. [kudos to mschmidt@k10k]
posted by hobbes at 10:19 PM PST - 6 comments

About as creepy as an old copy of Creepy,

About as creepy as an old copy of Creepy, but much funnier and much more crude. Flash stuff in the old Mad magazine vein. And best of all, no banner ads and largely non-commercial.

So why aren't their more original, non-arty, non-techno-ey, non-animal-abusing, non-commercial Flash things like this?
posted by foist at 8:52 PM PST - 2 comments

Tiki Trouble

Tiki Trouble My kids have been logging major time with this lately, so I thought I'd share it. For our collector of Tikiana. (Flash)
posted by rodii at 7:07 PM PST - 3 comments

The cyborg manifesto

The cyborg manifesto scares me. I first read it in this month's adbusters magazine, then online. It paints a provocative picture of our future. Will we look back on this as the just the beginning or is it vapor-futurism?
flash 4 required
posted by will at 4:07 PM PST - 23 comments

Thinking Outside the Box.

Thinking Outside the Box. A washington post article on technology and its incompatibility with humans.
"Instead of hunting down people who smoke pot, they'd be hunting down people who sell business software that crashes. They'd owe people a buck or go to jail. That's what Washington should be doing." Via Slashdot
posted by bytecode at 3:17 PM PST - 10 comments

W. Post: Follow the Money

W. Post: Follow the Money Or, rather, are TV stations gouging political advertisers -- and is this, the price of advertising, the quandary rather than reforming the financing of said campaign or issue advertising? Quite intriguing.
posted by raysmj at 3:12 PM PST - 5 comments

Income Tax Return for Recently Laid-Off Dotcom Employees With No Job Prospects

Income Tax Return for Recently Laid-Off Dotcom Employees With No Job Prospects Feel like donating $3 to feed, clothe, and shelter a laid-off Pets.com employee? Notice that they won't accept options in place of cash!
posted by igloo at 2:26 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Salon admits banner ads don't work and asks for subscriptions,

Salon admits banner ads don't work and asks for subscriptions, with the alternative being bigger, new (probably flash-enhanced) banners. I wish more companies did this, allowing users to pay to get rid of ads. I've paid for Eudora 5, and I'll be paying Salon for the same luxury. Will Salon be the first of many or the last? (via rc3)
posted by mathowie at 2:18 PM PST - 57 comments

What is with the word 'Survivor' lately?

What is with the word 'Survivor' lately? First there was the book by Chuck Palahniuk, then came along the "reality" television show (Don't forget the Survivor Soundtrack) and now there is Destiny's Child new album and single called, yep, "Survivor". Oh, and don't forget the "Survivor" movie based on the book coming out later this year. Last, but not least is the owner of Survivor.com, Survivor Software.
My question is, how come there are not hundreds of lawsuits being thrown around for rights to this name?
posted by Mark at 10:09 AM PST - 15 comments

Amazoning the news

Amazoning the news It seems weird at first, but maybe I would want to see the news this way... Anyone want to do it? (via nublog)
posted by owillis at 9:55 AM PST - 5 comments

Wincent Colaiuta has seen and reviewed the new Mac OS

Wincent Colaiuta has seen and reviewed the new Mac OS but you can't read the review. He's encrypted the whole thing using PGP and he's not releasing the key until the OS is released. He says he's done this to avoid law suits from Apple.
I say he's begging for hits.
If he wanted to avoid lawsuits, he could just wait to publish the review...
posted by Jako at 9:10 AM PST - 6 comments

Priests and missionaries sexually abusing nuns.

Priests and missionaries sexually abusing nuns. I'm thinking it's long past time the Catholic church re-thought the whole "celibacy" thing.
posted by dnash at 8:52 AM PST - 22 comments

Miracle baby

Miracle baby crawls out of her house in the middle of the night into the snow in Canada, and when she's found her body temp is 60°F. Looks like she'll be fine.
posted by JParker at 8:34 AM PST - 2 comments

All Your Basis

All Your Basis Given all the special interest in what Greenspan may or may not do, this meme mutation was inevitable.
posted by bclark at 8:24 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Haughey in hospital after collapse

Haughey in hospital after collapse
Former Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Haughey, and sharer of the surname of this sites founder, collapsed at his home yesterday. Haughey is now infamous for his dishonest dealings while in power in the 1970's and 1980's and the various tribunals instigated as a result have taken their toll.
posted by tomcosgrave at 8:07 AM PST - 14 comments

Busboy makes good!

Busboy makes good! Sometimes when your pay is not enough to live on you have to take action to correct things. This guy did. With a computer he didn't even own.
posted by Postroad at 8:05 AM PST - 12 comments

Yo quiero tacos libres.

Yo quiero tacos libres. Free tacos for everyone if the Mir lands on target. I really want to have something pithy and meaningful to say about this, and the over-marketing of everything, but I'm just too appalled.
posted by dnash at 7:58 AM PST - 11 comments

Germany prepares for Mir crash

Germany prepares for Mir crash Even though Mir is slated to fall into the Pacific Ocean somewhere in between New Zealand and South America, never let it be said that the Germans aren't prepared for any eventuality. Maybe they read that CNN story about India and got freaked out by the "criminally irresponsible journalism." :-)
posted by briank at 7:16 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Millionaire space tourist rebuffed by NASA. Russian cosmonauts walk away in protest. I find the NASA decision disappointing. I wonder how the rest of the World will react? NASA's approval ratings could be better.
posted by quirked at 7:04 AM PST - 5 comments

Here's your reparations money, now shut up!

Here's your reparations money, now shut up! Another POV in the slavery reparations debate: From the conservative National Review, an argument that paying off black Americans would be worth it "if they could no longer play the race card."
posted by darren at 6:23 AM PST - 24 comments

Strathclyde Police, Scotland,

Strathclyde Police, Scotland, given the right to take DNA samples from anyone arrested. Previously DNA samples were taken only from those suspected of murders, sex attacks or serious assaults.

Sir John Orr, Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police, denied that compulsory testing would infringe people's human rights. He said: "The tests are not invasive, not intrusive and not against civil liberties. The vast majority of people will be asked only to give a simple mouth swab, which can be done in seconds. This is a magnificent tool which will help detect crime and the public should be very pleased."

Read: you have nothing to fear if you're innocent...
posted by methylsalicylate at 4:02 AM PST - 22 comments


March 19

Boston area school divided

Boston area school divided by its namesake... Students and principal call for Agassiz Elementry to change its name, due to the racist evolutionary theory spun by the 19th century naturalist. "Reading about Agassiz was so painful I had to step back for a while." [says the student heralding the renaming effort]. A sample of Louis Agassiz's mindset "I experienced pity at the sight of this degraded and degenerate race, and their lot inspired compassion in me in thinking that they were really men." A new namesake has already been found-- Maria Baldwin, first black principal of the school [and first to preside over an all-white school in the Northeast in 1889].

Should namesakes of public institutions have a "clean" record? Why did it take 126 years to mobilize a renaming effort?
posted by noom at 9:20 PM PST - 17 comments


Rip Mix Burn?

Rip Mix Burn? The issue here isn't the usual, "Did they sell out?" It's more a case of, Is this stellar groups saying Napster is OK (in a roundabout way), or did they just need the cash?
posted by raysmj at 8:57 PM PST - 28 comments

Girl excluded from school for not playing football.

Girl excluded from school for not playing football. She claims that football is "thuggish" and "a boy's game" and so refused to participate. The family intend to take legal action. Should kids be allowed to opt out of sports they disagree with?
 
If it were boxing (as one British school decided to try) I'm sure most people would say yes. But is football such a sin?
posted by wackybrit at 5:59 PM PST - 37 comments

Right before you hit

Right before you hit you were doing... Looks like we're all getting black boxes in our cars. As a high speed crash survivor I have to admit a certain curiosity as to the forces involved my accident happened. But I'm not sure I want to know this badly...
posted by daver at 5:25 PM PST - 10 comments

Hailstorm!

Hailstorm! "Web Services" like Ebay on your im app, email, phone, whatever. Is the era of the "universal login" finally here? (Microsoft or not).
posted by owillis at 3:40 PM PST - 18 comments

The Earthquake as Artist

The Earthquake as Artist
"A shop in Port Townsend, Washington had a sand pendulum going when last week's earthquake struck. One usually thinks of earthquakes as resulting in a net increase in entropy, but in this instance the outcome was something akin to fine art". via TBTF
posted by lagado at 2:22 PM PST - 3 comments

Fucked Company goes commercial.

Fucked Company goes commercial. The free web site continues as is, but as "pud" points out, he's received over 40,000 "tips" and only posted 1,400 of them. Want to see them all? You can see all Comments for $25/mo and Comments + Rumors, unfiltered, for $75/mo. This kid is a genius. Get enough free, contributed content and collect enough archival info to be useful, THEN start charging for full access. Hey, wait a minute, you guys-n-gals running MeFi aren't thinking about....?
posted by JParker at 1:49 PM PST - 18 comments

Salon is not known for their satire, but this "Bushonics"article gives the Onion a run for its money. Or at least, I hope it's satirical: "Among the military's top brass, the dialect is considered to be the unofficial language of the Pentagon."
posted by bison at 11:37 AM PST - 27 comments

Is this

Is this what it takes to convince me not to hold my bridge toll in my mouth while i roll down the window? i mean, i guess we all know that money is dirty, but i used to enjoy my blissful ignorance.
posted by donkeysuck at 11:22 AM PST - 12 comments

Lincoln a dysfunctional, racist, manic-depressive?

Lincoln a dysfunctional, racist, manic-depressive? This is the latest proposed Hollywood revision of history. So what's been the most egregious example of movie distorting or ignoring historical fact? JFK? Amistad? Gladiator?
posted by darren at 9:28 AM PST - 37 comments

PNGDF soliders take arms, hold Port Moresby barracks

PNGDF soliders take arms, hold Port Moresby barracks
PM Morauta in hiding
The Defence Force is protesting pay and planned downsizing of the military. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that the takeover was sparked by rumors of an Australian seizure of the Moresby barracks. As of yesterday, more troops have joined the takeover
There are unconfirmed reports that the soldiers would stage a protest march on the Parliament building. The Parliament is not currently in session.
posted by rschram at 9:08 AM PST - 5 comments

No Constitutional Right to Wear Marilyn Manson Shirts to School

No Constitutional Right to Wear Marilyn Manson Shirts to School The Supreme Court has upheld the right of a public school to send a student home for wearing what they deemed to be an "offensive" Marilyn Manson t-shirt. The student, according to the court, had no First Amendment right to wear the shirt in an educational setting. And the debate over what rights kids have and do not have in the schoolhouse rages on. . .
posted by Dreama at 9:01 AM PST - 97 comments

What started out as a joke

What started out as a joke in the late eighties, has transformed into a multi-billion dollar industry (of course, I'm exaggerating). Upgrade that aging Macintosh that's just collecting dust...or take a drive to your local dealer for the custom-built macquarium of your dreams. (And for those who hate the smell of fish food, there is always the macterrarium)
posted by samsara at 8:11 AM PST - 12 comments

Alternative broadband delivery systems

Alternative broadband delivery systems So now that all the DSL providers are going bankrupt, and the cable modem providers can't meet the demand, scheming entrepeneurs are looking for other ways to bring broadband to you. The guy with the plan for the hi-altitude airplanes sounds like he escaped from some lame-brained dot-com.
posted by briank at 8:03 AM PST - 5 comments

Biodiversity maps of Arctic Refuge pulled from Net, gov't scientist fired.

Biodiversity maps of Arctic Refuge pulled from Net, gov't scientist fired. To be expected, with the big to-do over Arctic drilling in Washington, but creepy nonetheless. A map of "caribou calving areas" is too hot for comfort? There were errors of course, but to wipe the site and fire the guy? Also a good argument for archiving. (from Cryptome)
posted by aflakete at 7:46 AM PST - 5 comments

A Real Momma's Boy...

A Real Momma's Boy... Sometimes, it's just hard to let go...
posted by bradth27 at 7:26 AM PST - 2 comments

Campaign finance reform gets 2 weeks of debate in the Senate starting today. It has become a battle between the McCain-Feingold bill and the Dubya-D-40 backed Hagel-Landrieu bill. Will anything meaningful get passed? Will it matter if it does?
posted by quirked at 6:24 AM PST - 18 comments

"Brown Students Steal Univ. Paper"

"Brown Students Steal Univ. Paper" File Under: When headlines get into this weird intentional?/unintentional? pun thing.
posted by Outlawyr at 6:16 AM PST - 19 comments

Coca-Cola on tap at home?

Coca-Cola on tap at home? New recipies that include "2 cups of Coca-Cola"? Taking this a step further makes it interesting, with all manner of juices being available on-call.
posted by pnevares at 6:01 AM PST - 36 comments

Geeks (like me), welcome the new Palm m505 -- all the style of the V series, with an improved color lcd screen and an expansion slot! Yum.
posted by lia at 4:18 AM PST - 45 comments

March 18

I celebrate with links! Rock versus Suck by C-Monster. Life's a bitch, then you play International Rugby Challenge by Stuart Campbell (and Apocalypse, Dangerous Streets). And, oh, Terror of Doctor X Returns Back by Ming and Clive. Phew!
posted by holloway at 11:23 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Welcome back!

Welcome back! Welcome back, Matt! :)
posted by metrocake at 10:59 PM PST - 22 comments

March 16

You think American teevee is bad? You ain't seen nothing yet, boy. Japanese teevee, in additional to being obsessed with human degradation and suffering, is also blatantly and inappropriately racist at times. Now the crap they show on Fox doesn't seem so bad in comparison, does it?
posted by jia at 9:28 PM PST - 14 comments

Online Art

Online Art - strange delights.
posted by paladin at 6:00 PM PST - 1 comment

Park Wars Released

Park Wars Released See the kids of South Park fight like Jedi Knights. Quicktime required and big downloads but there is a streaming link. Sweeeet.
posted by jordanbrock at 4:41 PM PST - 2 comments

Ready To Go DoCoMo?

Ready To Go DoCoMo? Big in Japan (holding 60% of the wireless audience), NTT's hugely successful i-Mode phones bring the Internet to millions in Asia. They bought a chunk of AT&T Wireless to hit North American shores in time for Christmas. Will it be a dream, or a dud? And are you ready to start building the wireless web?
posted by honkzilla at 4:24 PM PST - 7 comments

Sex Diseases Increasing in People 50+

Sex Diseases Increasing in People 50+ The incidence of AIDS in people 50 and older is growing at a rate twice as fast as for people younger than 50, according to statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But that's largely been ignored by the health-care profession, say longtime health educators.
posted by jhiggy at 3:22 PM PST - 3 comments

Last Minute Book Reports:

Last Minute Book Reports: Cliff's notes on speed...
posted by owillis at 3:06 PM PST - 3 comments

My Buddy - A Four Act Passion Play.

My Buddy - A Four Act Passion Play. You're a young musician, just out of school and thrilled to get a gig with one of the greatest drummers who ever lived. Little do you realize you've just stepped into Sideman Hell.
posted by cfj at 2:11 PM PST - 8 comments

Scientology Strikes Again

Scientology Strikes Again Last Saturday a comment was posted on Slashdot by an anonymous reader that contained text that was copyrighted by the Church of Scientology. They have since followed the DMCA and demanded that Slashdot remove the comment. After consulting with their lawyers, that's exactly what Slashdot did, but posted the above page with oodles of links to anti-Scientology resources. Will Scientology stop at nothing to silence its opponents?
posted by yarf at 12:43 PM PST - 21 comments

second teen sentenced to life

second teen sentenced to life including the election, this is obviously florida's year.
posted by bliss322 at 12:27 PM PST - 7 comments

Gymnast vaults into gender-equity flap.

Gymnast vaults into gender-equity flap. "For more than two decades in Massachusetts, boys have been allowed to compete on girls' teams (and vice versa) if their school doesn't have a team for their gender. But everywhere else in the region, they're still banned."
posted by idiolect at 11:40 AM PST - 1 comment

John Gilmore on the implications of copy protection

John Gilmore on the implications of copy protection "If by 2030 we have invented a matter duplicator that's as cheap as copying a CD today, will we outlaw it and drive it underground? So that farmers can make a living keeping food expensive, so that furniture makers can make a living preventing people from having beds and chairs that would cost a dollar to duplicate, so that builders won't be reduced to poverty because a comfortable house can be duplicated for a few hundred dollars? Yes, such developments would cause economic dislocations for sure. But should we drive them underground and keep the world impoverished to save these peoples' jobs? And would they really stay underground, or would the natural advantages of the technology cause the "underground" to rapidly overtake the rest of society? -- I think we should embrace the era of plenty and work out how to mutually live in it."
posted by aurelian at 11:04 AM PST - 10 comments

By testing the limits

By testing the limits of what the USPS will actually deliver, scientists at the Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) have answered an age-old question: "How patient is the US Postal Service when it comes to unwrapped packages?" (via Useless Pages)
posted by samsara at 9:36 AM PST - 11 comments

Digital Divide or Dividend?

Digital Divide or Dividend? Is the Internet killing unique local cultures or strengthening them?
posted by andrewraff at 9:31 AM PST - 3 comments

The Mir Reentry Observation Expedition

The Mir Reentry Observation Expedition hopes to set a new webcast viewing record in six days, March 22 at 1:30am EST. They are sending up three planes to fly about 200 miles from splashdown and record in HDTV for immediate rebroadcast on the group's Website, MirReentry.com. Article on Business2.0.
posted by JParker at 9:23 AM PST - 2 comments

gun-toting schoolkids to get dead bodies punishment

gun-toting schoolkids to get dead bodies punishment
and the motion was passed unanimously.
posted by bwg at 6:49 AM PST - 27 comments

California Blackouts Inevitable

California Blackouts Inevitable says the U.S. Govt Energy Secretary. He is against price caps. It seems there is a lack of understanding on his part to grasp a *public good* that benefits all. Having a few producers control a market with a high cost for competitors to enter the market to form true competition screams for some control. Particularly for a commodity that business and people a like use to drive the overall economy. Since the economy is in such great shape maybe we don't need these controls [sic].
posted by vanderwal at 6:25 AM PST - 9 comments

RIAA reverses its position when it is beneficial to them.

RIAA reverses its position when it is beneficial to them. Not like this is surprising or anything, but its just so blatant. The irony is getting pretty thick around here.
posted by goto11 at 6:05 AM PST - 3 comments

Inaugural Protesters Abused

Inaugural Protesters Abused "'Agents provocateurs' . . . allegedly punched a protester and more than one allegedly fired pepper spray at close range in the faces of peaceful demonstrators." Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a long and painful 4 years? The economy, bankruptcy laws, limits on abortion rights, failure to regulate carbon dioxide; we're only a few months into this administration and already things look bad. [and yes, I've included links to Salon stories; uh oh!]
posted by Outlawyr at 5:52 AM PST - 17 comments

Comic Relief

Comic Relief hits the UK yet again. This is a fundraising event based around comedy and comedians that attempts to take the worthiness out of charity by making the day entertaining. Generally it fails. However, highlights of the event this year (both on and off the web) include: A celebrity version of Big Brother. The pairing of Graham Norton and Sarah Ferguson. Hot Naked Robbie Williams doing The Fast Show's Ted and Ralph. And finally: Mo Morgan will donate £1 for every page impression he gets. Let's bankrupt the bastard.
posted by barbelith at 4:16 AM PST - 11 comments

Disney's Michael Eisner on what to do about all those kids who use Napster: Arrest and prosecute the little SOBs. I know I'd sleep better at night knowing that those devious conspiratorial 11-year-olds were behind bars. [second item]
posted by aaron at 1:16 AM PST - 14 comments

March 15

Boy, 13, sues teacher after receiving "Fag" candy heart

Boy, 13, sues teacher after receiving "Fag" candy heart The lawsuit says the teacher rubbed an inoffensive valentine message off the candy heart and wrote "Fag" on it before giving it to the boy in front of his fellow students. Donald E. Miller, a veteran teacher, also had a habit of pretending that a television remote control was a "fagometer" that he pointed at students. He's being probed by the school.
posted by Brilliantcrank at 8:44 PM PST - 22 comments

Guardian weblog has assembled

Guardian weblog has assembled a special page with foot-and-mouth disease links, mostly (tho not completely) Eurocentric. The links include one to an elaborate backgrounder (with a few graphic photos) from thepigsite.com.
posted by jhiggy at 2:29 PM PST - 2 comments

Mathematician Bums Out Entire Scientific Community

Mathematician Bums Out Entire Scientific Community His "Omega" number--infinite and incalculable--guts hopes for pure mathematics, physicists' hopes for a Theory of Everything, and is just in general kind of bafflingly cool. Builds on the whole Godel/Turing foundation of hopelessness!
posted by Skot at 12:40 PM PST - 35 comments

Back the Net?

Back the Net? Or Take Back the Net? It's hard to tell the players without a scorecard, especially when their graphic design is purposefully indistinguishable. The Backers want you to shop til you drop [online only please] April 3rd. The Take Backers want you to do something non-commerce oriented [online, if you can] on April 1st. Do netizens have any responsibility to "...prop up the faltering behemoths of the internet economy"?
posted by jessamyn at 11:41 AM PST - 16 comments

Fasting for Dubya.

Fasting for Dubya. And y'all thought the bit about the Britney Spears novel was scarifying? Whoa.
posted by raysmj at 11:19 AM PST - 40 comments

Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation ?
TRANSLATION: This extension of the pagination the great energy of the translation of the confusion of Alta Vista.
ORIGINAL TEXT: This page demonstrates the great translating power of altavista's babel.
(via CasaFidel)
posted by howa2396 at 10:56 AM PST - 45 comments

Sick of hearing about Clinton?

Sick of hearing about Clinton? Well, this struck me as kind of funny - it's obviously a joke - but for those of us growing to hate hearing about Clinton every minute (I do and I'm in Canada), this is classic.
posted by hidely at 9:27 AM PST - 6 comments

Another great amazon review hack

Another great amazon review hack is up, arguing about the character of "Indiana" in its state law books. It's not the first time (the story of ping and reviews of a CD rack come to mind), but for me, writing like this never gets old.
posted by mathowie at 9:22 AM PST - 12 comments

The market-model university:

The market-model university: '...by looking at research on the health impact of tobacco, the "science" behind global warming or breast implants, or the effectiveness of a drug, we can see that it is not unusual for sponsored academics to fudge the data, suppress unfavourable evidence, and otherwise "torture the numbers till they confess"...'
posted by talos at 8:57 AM PST - 7 comments

The Second Reincarnation of the Final Grandson of Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged.

The Second Reincarnation of the Final Grandson of Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged. For those of us in constant search of universally meaningful insults, wowbagger delivers. The program is based on a character in Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", a character who, after an incident involving a time traveling machine and a piece of elastic band, became so pissed off at the universe that he sought to insult every creature in it, in alphabetical order.
posted by samsara at 8:51 AM PST - 5 comments

Has the marriage of Palm and cellphone finally happened?

Has the marriage of Palm and cellphone finally happened? I want one! But $500?
posted by darren at 8:04 AM PST - 19 comments

More nasty facts

More nasty facts about what goes into our food. Do a search on the page for 'dead cats'. (My apologies for posting something old. I'm so shocked I couldn't help it).
posted by u.n. owen at 7:41 AM PST - 11 comments

March Madness Picks

March Madness Picks Have you picked your bracket yet? Most are due by 11 am since games start a little past noon. Other sites are running contests: Among them, Maxim, Yahoo, and CNN.
posted by brent at 7:26 AM PST - 11 comments

Coca-Cola stays ahead of the curve.

Coca-Cola stays ahead of the curve. [NY Times, requires free subscription.] Facing increased criticism over commercialism in public schools, Coke vows to change its policies away from blatant advertising and strictly offering sugar-sweetened drinks. Most notable is a potential end to the "Cola Wars" of exclusive contracts with school districts. But with Pepsi following close behind [see end of Post article], is this really a landmark moment, or an attempt to stave off criticism while still branding the available target audience of teenagers?
posted by legibility at 7:22 AM PST - 14 comments

This just in: Headlines So Scary You Can't Read The Article...
posted by m.polo at 6:16 AM PST - 12 comments

Ken, of Barbie and Ken has turned 40.

Ken, of Barbie and Ken has turned 40. To mark the occasion, Mattel is releasing a hot, young, 20 year old secretary, that Ken is having an affair with, and a Porsche 911. (to complete the whole midlife crisis thing you see.)
posted by tiaka at 6:08 AM PST - 3 comments

Steve Martin is a genius......

Steve Martin is a genius...... ....no, he's a desperate hack......well, he's no Bob Hope, that's for sure....or is he?
posted by briank at 6:08 AM PST - 15 comments

"More Americans having gay sex,

"More Americans having gay sex, study shows."
posted by clevernickname at 4:41 AM PST - 40 comments

Leo Laporte

Leo Laporte preannounces some major changes to TechTV. His announcement is mainly about the changes to his own schedule, but he notes that they're about to go MSNBC-live-style for nine hours during the day. Will that finally give us a useful reason to watch a network that up to now has been terminally dull and useless to anyone outside of San Francisco whenever Leo himself wasn't on the air?
posted by aaron at 12:03 AM PST - 5 comments

March 14

Do you have so much sex, that you are going broke buying condoms? Here is your solution.
posted by thirteen at 9:13 PM PST - 10 comments

Feeling short on brainpower? From air conditioning to space travel, Yarchive has enough information to transform you from a mindless idiot to a master of technological know-how.
posted by OneBallJay at 6:16 PM PST - 9 comments

Of the three ways in which the A-Bomb can hurt you, RADIATION IS THE LEAST HARMFUL.

Of the three ways in which the A-Bomb can hurt you, RADIATION IS THE LEAST HARMFUL. An earlier post reminded me of this pamphlet from the Massachusetts Civil Defense Agency. Not as much fun as Duck & Cover, to be sure, but terribly earnest. Remember: Stay down for at least one minute.
posted by idiolect at 5:13 PM PST - 3 comments

GarageGames

GarageGames announces that their Tribes 2 engine can be sub-licensed for $100 and the games made through it will be distributed by them.

So who wants to break into the 1st person/3D game market? I have lots of free time...
posted by john at 3:45 PM PST - 8 comments


The hideous jabbering head of Henry Rollins?

The hideous jabbering head of Henry Rollins? While you're there, check out the banner ad for Avalon High, too. They don't seem to have many sponsors, so it should only take a reload or two to make it come up. Or you could just go directly there with the previous link.
posted by Su at 3:14 PM PST - 3 comments

Big Blue moves into the web services arena,

Big Blue moves into the web services arena, claiming to be the first company to provide such services. Ever hear of .NET? Seems to me that they've been rolling a framework (that's got BETA development tools already) since last summer.

i think the most poignant point in this article isn't the fact that IBM's making false claims, but this quote by Peter O'Kelly:

``It's amazing that these guys are agreeing to work with the same standards. They've finally realized it's a disservice to customers when they try and compete on the basis of proprietary formats and protocols."

Now if the browser wars could end, we'd all be in better shape.
posted by tatochip at 1:42 PM PST - 5 comments

Discovery-Alpha dodge astronaut's space junk.

Discovery-Alpha dodge astronaut's space junk. Do we as a people know how to pollute, or what? A 1999 study estimated there are some 4 million pounds of space junk in low-Earth orbit. I just watched a program on The Learning Channel that also showed how the Cosmonaunts on Mir would simply jettison their waste into space...traveling 18,000 MPH!!! And I thought flipping a cigarette butt out the car window was bad....
posted by Sal Amander at 12:43 PM PST - 11 comments

Gun control in Kennesaw City

Gun control in Kennesaw City The Marrieta Daily Journal has an interesting article about gun control vs. crime control. "In 1982, the Kennesaw City Council unanimously passed a law requiring heads of households to own at least one firearm with ammunition. ...following the law’s passage, the crime rate dropped 89 percent in the city, compared to the modest 10 percent drop statewide." Unfortunately they don't include accident statistics so it's only half the picture.
posted by revbrian at 11:17 AM PST - 17 comments

"Well golly Mr. Hall, I don't know the answers to all these questions!"

"Well golly Mr. Hall, I don't know the answers to all these questions!" (.avi, 40.1MB), but thanks to mental hygiene films, you soon will. Archive.org has 750 films online for downloading, including the eternally creepy social education films from our youth (or the youth of our parents). Learn how to avoid alcohol (40.7 MB), make the most of your leisure time (33.5MB), take care of your hair and nails (30.6 MB), and avoid becoming an outcast (36.9 MB). Quick and easy solutions to all of your problems await!
posted by Avogadro at 8:48 AM PST - 13 comments

MS gets an 'A' for effort.

MS gets an 'A' for effort. Office XP, built with the draconian 'product activation' feature to prevent piracy, has been leaked to USENET. This version does not require an activation key, and the serial number has already been sewn into the installation.
posted by Dirjy at 8:09 AM PST - 14 comments

Pay for play

Pay for play Why does radio suck? Because most stations play only the songs the record companies pay them to. And things are going to get worse.
posted by webcowboy at 7:49 AM PST - 12 comments

Is the Consitution a "living" document?

Is the Consitution a "living" document? Following "Scary" Scalia's arguments, the Dread Scott decision was a wise and appropriate one, right?
posted by darren at 7:35 AM PST - 20 comments

Scientists test hallucinogens for use in treating mental illness:

Scientists test hallucinogens for use in treating mental illness: Hallucinogenic drugs like LSD and peyote — derided as toys of the hippie generation — are increasingly drawing the interest of neurologists and psychiatrists who want to test the idea that they may be valuable tools in treating a range of mental disorders. The researchers involved in the new work are not suggesting that people start medicating themselves with hallucinogens. Still, Dr. David E. Nichols, a professor of pharmacology and medicinal chemistry at Purdue, believes the drugs' potential should be investigated. Nichols, an expert on hallucinogenic drugs, said there were reports that symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder, like washing one's hands dozens of times a day, subside under the influence of psilocybin, a hallucinogen derived from mushrooms. (Note: it's a New York Times link, free registration required.)
posted by jhiggy at 6:37 AM PST - 31 comments

Gun control the smart way.

Gun control the smart way. I abhor the idea of people taking away my right to own guns or impinge on said freedom. However, this approach is much better than a nation-wide movement. We Texans get to keep our guns and you Californians can get rid of yours.
posted by CRS at 6:24 AM PST - 49 comments

In light of the possible spread of foot and mouth disease virtually anywhere--I was wondering how restricted UK citizens are. Is travel in the countryside difficult or impossible? Isn't it interesting how quickly movement is restricted and meat taken off the table?
posted by aflakete at 2:51 AM PST - 18 comments

Courtney Love vs. Buddyhead

Courtney Love vs. Buddyhead This website has a gossip column in which they include the home/cell/work numbers and e-mail addresses of the likes of Fred Durst, Kevin Smith, and the aforementioned Courtney Love. The site bad mouths and harasses bands and celebs they dislike by giving away personal their personal info, while providing interviews and reviews on the bands they approve of. What does everyone make of this kind of unabashed harassment? I for one enjoy it.
posted by JFunk2800 at 1:42 AM PST - 23 comments

March 13

Man gets five years for urinating on policeman

Man gets five years for urinating on policeman
ok so the guy is a scumbag. but five years?? seems a bit excessive don't you think?
posted by bwg at 11:12 PM PST - 10 comments

"Red vs. Blue" gets a whole lot worse

"Red vs. Blue" gets a whole lot worse On Slate.com, Mark Strauss makes a (I hope) sarcastic argument for the secession of the North from the South... or the South from the North, based on perceived intractable divisions between Northern states and Southern states. Basically, his whole thesis is "Those Southern Yahoos like NASCAR and pro wrestling; so we should get rid of them and have an entire society modeled on the way my freelance journalism and fiction-writing friends here in New York think." On this post, my tongue is in my cheek about as far as Strauss' is. Tell me if I'm overreacting on this one.
posted by GriffX at 10:22 PM PST - 22 comments

Great, but will it work in larger states?

Great, but will it work in larger states? "Maine’s Clean Election Law goes into effect for the 2002 governor’s race, establishing public financing for candidates. Political observers are beginning to realize it may cause a revolution. " A green governor? I almost feel ... Canadian.
posted by foist at 8:03 PM PST - 6 comments

Goddess needed:

Goddess needed: "Palatial accommodations, round-the-clock personal service, public adoration guaranteed, school and homework optional. Must be five years old or under and willing to serve until puberty."
posted by todd at 4:35 PM PST - 15 comments

Paper enters the digital era.

Paper enters the digital era. Anoto has developed a platform that allows you to send anything you write on paper or another surface to any computer in the world.
posted by zeoslap at 4:35 PM PST - 17 comments

Cut back on patrols over Iraq.

Cut back on patrols over Iraq. One day we are told by Gen Powell that we will increase pressure on Iraq. Now we are told that patrols in no flight zones to be cut back. Do we have a policy or is it made up weekly?
posted by Postroad at 4:23 PM PST - 4 comments

Surprise, shock and consternation.

Surprise, shock and consternation. Bush decides that, despite his earlier campaign pledge (and overwhelming scientific evidence), he will not regulate carbon dioxide emissions. I know - gee whiz, a politician lied. But I do enjoy the doublespeak of "backing off a campaign promise." Soon, we'll all have that good ol' Texan air - no matter where we are!
posted by solistrato at 4:07 PM PST - 19 comments

Dig the Wig:

Dig the Wig: In the face of the mainstream media's campaign to keep us distracted with the fake news of presidential pardons and the eyewash of budget debates, only independently published mavericks have the courage to cover the story of Samuel Jackson's hair.
posted by jhiggy at 3:29 PM PST - 3 comments

Google's Larry Page

Google's Larry Page sees Horatio Alger surviving on the web: "The way I judge these things is, if you have a product that's really gaining a lot of usage, then it's probably a good idea, and it's probably going to be significant. And that tends to be a metric that investors use as well. Because if it's growing naturally, it'll often continue to grow for a long time. [...] And once you have the product and people are using it, it's very easy to raise investment. " His examples are Google and eGroups. Pyra presumably spent too much money on staple-removers and post-it notes.
posted by bumppo at 1:40 PM PST - 9 comments

It's the Unaspanker!

It's the Unaspanker! Read a good manifesto lately? Meet Robin Whittle, a man who has spent an alarming amount of time on a project called "Fondly and Firmly - The Gentlemanly Art of Spanking the Woman You Love." via cruel.com
posted by gimli at 11:57 AM PST - 15 comments

Mir spotted in skies over India,

Mir spotted in skies over India, millions panic? While the fall of Mir has been getting plenty of press coverage, this is the first blatantly alarmist piece I've seen, and it's from CNN/Reuters. Does this kind of "reporting" border on criminal?
posted by ewagoner at 8:08 AM PST - 26 comments

Be very afraid.

Be very afraid. The only real solution to this is backlash and boycott. Technical solutions to "InTether" are inadequate (especially since every such will be a violation of the DMCA). If content vendors will only sell their material this way, don't buy! (Ultimately, it's going to take an act of Congress to straighten this all out. How about a law making it illegal to prevent "fair use"?)
posted by Steven Den Beste at 7:57 AM PST - 30 comments

SXSW still hasn't posted the winners on the site.

SXSW still hasn't posted the winners on the site. Grrrr. Anyone have any news? Gossip? Throw me a bone? Please?
posted by mimi at 7:52 AM PST - 14 comments

Have you seen spiked?

spiked is a website for those who want to see some change in the real world as well as the virtual one. If you think that the power of the internet could be used for something more than shopping and pseudo-sex, get spiked.

Pretty lofty goals. What do you think? Their take on the European food problem seems sane, at least.
posted by Sean Meade at 7:16 AM PST - 3 comments


I want to bring up a concept for debate here that's been gnawing at me for a while, one that most people probably haven't ever thought much about (though I'd be delighted to discover I am wrong about that). It's taken me a few paragraphs to explain, so I don't think I should just publish the whole thing to the front page. Thus, I ask if you all wouldn't mind please jumping inside this thread for a second and checking it out. If you really hate it, you can back out and move on to something else.

The question I wish to ask, boiled down to one sentence, is this: Should we, as members of a caring, progressive society, have an obligation to be an inclusive society? To see to it that all people are made to feel to be a part of things? A detailed explanation of what I'm getting at is inside. (Yes, yes, I know I've said that I hate the word "progressive" used in any political/sociological sense, but in this case it seems the most appropriate term.)
posted by aaron at 3:30 AM PST - 77 comments


March 12

No less tragic than the Santana shootings.

No less tragic than the Santana shootings. I hope this poor girl's tormentors spend the rest of life asking themselves "What would Jesus have done -- and why didn't I?"
posted by kindall at 11:03 PM PST - 32 comments

There's an article

There's an article in the current issue of Red Herring magazine (p. 58) titled Digital Canals about delivering data through water pipes. Sorry no link to this specific story, it's not up on the site yet. Can anybody shed some light on this technology? More in comments...
posted by JParker at 9:52 PM PST - 15 comments

You can't buy happiness...

You can't buy happiness... but having > 1.5 million dropped on you can cheer you up.
posted by rdr at 7:53 PM PST - 4 comments

It's smut...and I quit!

It's smut...and I quit! If I have to choose between Heather Graham and kids that might see her depiction on a magazine cover, well then kids, take a hike! And besides isn't there a censorship something or other involved in this?
posted by Postroad at 5:52 PM PST - 40 comments

Romp.com goes subscription.

Romp.com goes subscription. "our friends at icebox.com, before it closed, were making $184 dollars per day on banners, not even enough to pay for one episode of one animated series" It seems their rates will be around $3/month...
posted by owillis at 5:11 PM PST - 12 comments

A fight

A fight between the heavyweight champion of the world and a poet - Lennox Lewis and Andrew Motion, now I'd pay to see that.
posted by johnny novak at 3:04 PM PST - 17 comments

Let him stay for a day.

Let him stay for a day. Dutch student and weblogger Ramon Stoppelenburg plans to hitchhike around the world... from one submitted place-to-stay to the next on a no-budget basis. We can vouch for his sanity and wish him safe trip. Why not offer him your sofa for a night?
posted by prolific at 1:25 PM PST - 14 comments

Playstation 3

Playstation 3 chip to be designed by IBM. The three companies (Sony, IBM, and Toshiba) aim to design a "super-computer on a chip" with a wide variety of consumer applications, they said in a joint statement.

"The result will be consumer devices that are more powerful than IBM's Deep Blue super-computer, operate at low power and access the broadband internet at ultra-high speeds," the statement added

Wowzers!
posted by zeoslap at 11:58 AM PST - 20 comments


All you ever wanted to know about Pong, but were afraid to ask.

All you ever wanted to know about Pong, but were afraid to ask. Okay, I had no idea - none - that Pong has such a long, involved history. I'd always seen it encapsulated as a two- or three- generation buildup to the Atari 2600 home machine. David Winter has exhaustively researched the life & times of Pong (Internationally) for those interested.
posted by kokogiak at 11:35 AM PST - 14 comments

More proof CNN layoffs have screwed CNN.com

More proof CNN layoffs have screwed CNN.com "Completely destroyed?" (Paragraph 3) Man, I learned not to use that redundancy in freshman J-school. Geez. Turn out the lights, Ted, the party's over.
posted by darren at 11:32 AM PST - 28 comments

Industry Canada proposes jamming cell phones

Industry Canada proposes jamming cell phones in restaurants, theatres, libraries and other public spaces. They're seeking public comment. Got any? While you're thinking, you can read the press release.
posted by argybarg at 11:25 AM PST - 44 comments

The Layout Reservoir:

The Layout Reservoir: For those reluctant to embrace standards compliant design, the good people at Blue Robot have provided an excellent starting point. The reservoir features three CSS based designs for you to borrow, edit, and learn from. It's a good thing.
posted by aladfar at 9:24 AM PST - 21 comments

I'd like to bid on an OS that crashes my computer, please.

I'd like to bid on an OS that crashes my computer, please. Microsoft, eBay enter alliance to support Internet services.
posted by darren at 7:19 AM PST - 7 comments

This nonsense has to stop:

This nonsense has to stop: " One of the most heavily guarded secrets in the computer business and the closely related consumer electronics industry is how many products are returned by customers because they are defective or the customer cannot figure out how to use them."
posted by jhiggy at 3:06 AM PST - 24 comments

Howard Kurtz gives Henry "Amazon at 400" Blodget the drubbing

Howard Kurtz gives Henry "Amazon at 400" Blodget the drubbing he ought to have received 18 months ago. And as Kurtz explains, Blodget did receive it, in the legacy media (I think it's called the legacy media because they're what will be left standing when the few remaining dotcom content sites finally die). But no, the dead-tree writers were all wrong. They just didn't get it. Except they weren't. And they did. Those that sneered are now largely (and deservedly) gone. And all us print and TV people are left to ask: Why did any of you ever buy into this BS in the first place? We tried to warn you!
posted by aaron at 1:30 AM PST - 17 comments

Russia suspends dismantling weapons:

Russia suspends dismantling weapons: “IF THE NMD (national missile defense) is deployed in the United States, we will have to forget about reductions of strategic offensive weapons,” said Yuri Kapralov, director of Russian Security and Disarmament.
posted by owillis at 12:34 AM PST - 16 comments

March 11

No men:

No men: A night without street crime and domestic abuse! Goodness knows it's about time, but with Australians, Blacks, and Koreans about it's - unfortunately - only a matter of time. Thank you.
posted by holloway at 4:58 PM PST - 28 comments

Polls show Bill Clinton would be elected Mayor of New York City in a landslide.

Polls show Bill Clinton would be elected Mayor of New York City in a landslide. No Democratic or Republican challenger would come within a mile of him. Would solve his little "office budget" problem, too, and get him and Hillary back in public housing in NYC! So long, Chappaqua...
posted by MattD at 3:12 PM PST - 45 comments

Palm Beach Butterfly Ballot Reportedly Cost Gore

Palm Beach Butterfly Ballot Reportedly Cost Gore "The newspaper said the ballot confusion also hurt President George W. Bush; 1,631 people voted for both Bush and Buchanan, whose hole was directly under that of Bush"
posted by owillis at 12:29 PM PST - 34 comments

TV or jail?

TV or jail? Adbusters broke this story this month about a pair of teens sent to jail in Ohio in October for refusing to watch Channel One at school. While there's lots of great reasons to dislike Channel One, one of the anti-media groups cited by Adbusters -- Obligation Inc -- is anti-Channel One because they don't promote abstinence and because they advertise a site that links to Eminem. Strange bedfellows? Does it matter?
posted by jessamyn at 12:13 PM PST - 21 comments

"In some ways these films are mirrors as well as sounding boards,"

"In some ways these films are mirrors as well as sounding boards," reflecting Iranian society to itself and to the world. (more inside...)
posted by Avogadro at 8:48 AM PST - 3 comments

Shareholders are shocked

Shareholders are shocked - shocked, I tell you! - to discover that Larry Ellison has been overstating Oracle's capabilities and earning potentials in public... and personally profiting from the deceit to the tune of $895 million! What will the little Gates-hating, sex-harassing genius think of next?!
posted by m.polo at 7:41 AM PST - 8 comments

BBC to repeat 'racist' remarks.

BBC to repeat 'racist' remarks. On Monday night's Room 101 show, Anne Robinson (currently preparing to launch the US version of her quiz show The Weakest Link) launched into an attack on Welsh people and their language. Despite protests, and the fact that North Wales police are investigating Robinson's remarks, the BBC has rejected requests not to broadcast tonight's repeat of the programme.
posted by ceiriog at 7:10 AM PST - 30 comments

Project 'IT'

Project 'IT' Tons of info about this mysterious device! Does 'IT' stand for Individual Transportation?
posted by stevridie at 5:21 AM PST - 17 comments

Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca citadel perched 8,366 feet high in the Peruvian Andes, might collapse at any time.
posted by lagado at 4:17 AM PST - 5 comments

New adminstration, same old barbarism.

New adminstration, same old barbarism. Ariel Sharon's government is urging the Israeli parliament to legalise torture by security servies members on Arab detainees. How will denying the basic human rights of Arabs without even a trial help the peace process?
posted by will at 12:44 AM PST - 21 comments

March 10

10000 pages of bestseller fun

10000 pages of bestseller fun
posted by rodii at 7:34 PM PST - 30 comments

Don't make Hunter mad.

Don't make Hunter mad. Hunter S. Thompson doesn't think the production company that optioned The Rum Diaries is doing a very good job. And he tells them. Man, does he tell them.
posted by cfj at 6:11 PM PST - 14 comments

The Quest for Social Currency.

The Quest for Social Currency. The article is a bit old, but the concept is fascinating. For more detailed descriptions, check here and here. With the disintegration of neighborhoods and family units, we social humans must find other ways to connect. We build communities not just to feel good, but for very tangible benefits.
posted by frykitty at 4:30 PM PST - 12 comments

Could next month's Summit of the Americas transform Canadian political culture? Michael Valpy thinks so. He writes: "Canadians have lost deference for their traditional political institutions and leaders. They have become surprisingly ready -- more ready than Americans -- to engage in protests, boycotts and civil disobedience, according to political-science studies... Likely not since the 1919 Winnipeg general strike and the Great Depression marches of the unemployed has an event so galvanized the energies and imaginations of Canadians on the left side of the political spectrum."
posted by tranquileye at 3:14 PM PST - 4 comments

"...the product of scientific planning, government intervention, expert input and, of course, tests."

"...the product of scientific planning, government intervention, expert input and, of course, tests."
posted by tiaka at 11:15 AM PST - 1 comment

Red v. Blue v. . . . Purple?

Red v. Blue v. . . . Purple? Was America really so divided in the 2000 election? A map created as a retort to Salon's "Red v. Blue" map tells the real story. Any and all Prince references/jokes permitted.
posted by raysmj at 9:48 AM PST - 22 comments

"After the J. C. Penney ad ran, they got a letter from a fan wondering how they could be that desperate; did they need the money for an operation or something?" Tomorrow's New York Times Magazine covers the Apples in Stereo and other bands that are jeopardizing their realness by selling songs to advertisers.
posted by rcade at 8:16 AM PST - 22 comments

Scotland Yard raids Saatchi Gallery over complaints of child pornography in Tierney Gearon show

Scotland Yard raids Saatchi Gallery over complaints of child pornography in Tierney Gearon show - Why? Gearon, a former fashion model turned art photographer, has included in the show a couple of pictures of her children naked. "In one the two children are wearing theatrical masks while in the other her son is urinating in the snow." Gearon sees nothing wrong with her pictures, but apparently they make some people a little nervous.
posted by pracowity at 6:19 AM PST - 19 comments

Short people shall inherit the earth.

Short people shall inherit the earth.
posted by stbalbach at 6:09 AM PST - 10 comments

"MOMMAS, LET YUOR BOYS GROW UP TO BE JEFF BEZOS!!!! BY JEFF K,!!!!!"

"MOMMAS, LET YUOR BOYS GROW UP TO BE JEFF BEZOS!!!! BY JEFF K,!!!!!" Suddenly I understand it and it makes sense!!!! I'll go out and sign up for a dozen mailing lists right now!!!! (How does Rich Kyanka come up with so much good material so often with nary a misstep? He's simply amazing.)
posted by Steven Den Beste at 6:05 AM PST - 3 comments

Love Me, Love My Scent

Love Me, Love My Scent eau d'immune baby
posted by stbalbach at 5:51 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

March 9

What Would Buddha Do about road rage?

What Would Buddha Do about road rage?
posted by sudama at 11:41 PM PST - 8 comments

You mean it's not Marylin Manson?

You mean it's not Marylin Manson? I Googled this guy (as a potential date, of course) and apparently this is old speculation. But it's news to me. I wonder if the alleged Beast is considering legal action?
posted by Watcher at 7:40 PM PST - 12 comments

A conservative applauds high taxes and socialized French medicine

A conservative applauds high taxes and socialized French medicine We are often subjected to comparisons (often false one) of medical coverage between the U.S and Canada or the U.S. and Great Britain. Here is a happy Frenchman who loves his medical coverage.
posted by Postroad at 4:26 PM PST - 10 comments

Wouldn't it be awesome

Wouldn't it be awesome if there were a web site where you could see the actual voting records of elected officials?
posted by snakey at 3:57 PM PST - 19 comments

Neil Gaiman's Journal

Neil Gaiman's Journal - powered by Blogger no less. Most well known for his Sandman series, and as screenwriter for the english release of Princess Mononoke, Gaiman is now finishing a novel titled American Gods. It's an interesting, candid look into his daily life. Now I feel the urge to re-read some of those old Sandman books I have tucked away in my closet. via [cold][wet][durham]
posted by kokogiak at 3:04 PM PST - 42 comments

Curiculum Vitae : Former marijuana smuggler.

Curiculum Vitae : Former marijuana smuggler.
From an advertisement in Toronto's Financial Post.
During this time I also co-owned and participated in the executive level management of 120 people worldwide in a successful pot smuggling venture..."
Warning: jpeg, 121kb
posted by skwm at 2:37 PM PST - 16 comments

'I Feel A Great, Personal Loss'

'I Feel A Great, Personal Loss' Conservationist Rakhaldas Sengupta spent nine years restoring the world's tallest Buddha statues...
This has been covered by MeFi before but Sengupta has a perspective on the statues that hasn't come to light yet. To think that the Taleban is destroying these 1700 year old statues breaks my heart. I hope I never understand the reasoning of religious zealots.
posted by gen at 1:51 PM PST - 8 comments

Popularity kills: nosepilot hit (almost) into oblivion

Popularity kills: nosepilot hit (almost) into oblivion Not all Flash sucks: many of us who have dreamed of putting our fists through the screen at yet another stupid corporate Flash intro loved Al Sacui's dreamy little piece. But now Sacui is looking for some way to cover or modify his ISP's $16,000 bill (which he just found out about yesterday -- no warning beforehand that traffic was a problem). He's hoping to sort out the financial problems and has people in contact with his ISP re the debt, but what he really needs is someone to mirror or co-host the 4.8 Mb of files that make up the site. Can you help out?
posted by maudlin at 12:16 PM PST - 33 comments

500 albums essential to a happy life,

500 albums essential to a happy life, says Elvis Costello. And he oughta know. (For extra credit, compare and contrast this with the RIAA top songs of the century list announced earlier this week.)
posted by jhiggy at 11:34 AM PST - 30 comments

The Ornery American

The Ornery American proclaims to publish "the voices of those Ornery Americans -- the common folk who don't pretend to be intellectuals or elite in any other way, but who are just stubborn enough to think that we ordinary folk are the ones to whom this nation was entrusted from the start." It's godfather is sci-fi writer and social critic Orson Scott Card.
posted by jhiggy at 11:19 AM PST - 22 comments

Vaccine Prevents AIDS in Monkeys

Vaccine Prevents AIDS in Monkeys and could lead to human medicine. Exciting huh? Anyway, if that should happen, how much do you think they'll charge for treatment, considering the conspiracy theories and all that?
posted by tiaka at 11:11 AM PST - 11 comments

Boy, 14, gets life in prison.

Boy, 14, gets life in prison.
posted by crushed at 10:56 AM PST - 64 comments

The gambler is everywhere!

The gambler is everywhere! Do these people realize they look like this? And why are there so many in Las Vegas?
posted by Su at 10:54 AM PST - 4 comments

"The police officer should have been paying attention to what his wife was doing on the Internet."

"The police officer should have been paying attention to what his wife was doing on the Internet." So, now police are obligated to spy on their wives? What kind of ninnies live in North Port?
posted by obfusciatrist at 10:20 AM PST - 11 comments

One million credit card numbers stolen! News at 11!

One million credit card numbers stolen! News at 11! The FBI has gone public with a rather dry account of a huge organized attack on ecommerce sites, exploiting security flaws in NT which Microsoft fixed and offered patches for nearly two years ago.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 10:20 AM PST - 5 comments

"There has simply never been a need for metal detectors here... We don't even have a gang problem."

"There has simply never been a need for metal detectors here... We don't even have a gang problem." Great article from the NYT about problems in the "safe" suburbs. What is it with all these parents that just don't get it? When will people start to think, "Wow, it might just happen here?" What's it going to take for people to change?
posted by gramcracker at 9:59 AM PST - 10 comments

Spy vs. Spy

Spy vs. Spy Now that they've learned we bagged FBI mole Robert P. Hanssen, the Russians are frantically searching for the mole that ratted out their mole.
posted by darren at 9:05 AM PST - 5 comments

"I can't talk right now, I need to use my phone to blow my nose"

"I can't talk right now, I need to use my phone to blow my nose" Paper cell phones? New and revolutionary technology that may very well change the way personal electronics are made? I think I've got goosebumps.
posted by christian at 8:37 AM PST - 12 comments

Bush says "Nuh-uh" to Reagan Memorial

Bush says "Nuh-uh" to Reagan Memorial Good googly-moogly, Dubya does something right!!! Oh, gawd and I'm agreeing with his decision. I need to go wash myself.
posted by ratbastard at 8:16 AM PST - 21 comments

Verb for sarcasm:

Verb for sarcasm: It's a good idea. It's missing from the English language. Not anymore.
posted by borgle at 8:06 AM PST - 30 comments

A little humor

A little humor found in the deep recesses of our profile data. Seems Rodii has a sense of humor [caveat: I'm not promising "LOL", but it certainly left me with a ""]
posted by silusGROK at 8:02 AM PST - 14 comments

Whose Christ is this anyway?

Whose Christ is this anyway? While the Mayor of New York may object to what he perceives as an insult to Catholic belief--forgetting that his own adultery is not as yet deemed acceptable behavior in Catholic belief--many Catholics have no problem with a naked, black, woman Jesus.
posted by Postroad at 6:24 AM PST - 30 comments

A word from the future.

A word from the future. "At the turn of the second millennium, humanity seemed set on a steady upward course. How did it all go wrong in just 200 years? This is a memo on the fall of homo sapiens, 2000-2200 CE, written for the crew of the third interstellar colonising mission, 2759 CE, by Anatol Lieven, as a record and a warning." Science-fiction? Dire warning? Anyway this is an enjoyable read.
posted by talos at 4:03 AM PST - 4 comments

What You See May Not Be . . .

What You See May Not Be . . . A memo, telling lobbyists to "dress down" as "real workers" for GOP photo op, provides rare window into a common practice on Capitol Hill. Both Republicans and Democrats go to great lengths to assemble average Americans who can convey the appropriate political message, and when they can't find any, they simply trade in their white collars for hard hats themselves
posted by frednorman at 3:56 AM PST - 6 comments

Not your average mobile home.

Not your average mobile home. For the filthy rich among the MeFi crowd. Truly awe inspiring size... Residents will certainly need city guides. But will competition offer more affordable pricing?
posted by talos at 2:58 AM PST - 10 comments

March 8

Foot-and-mouth disease marches forward in Europe. In order to try to slow down the spread of the virus, UK authorities are urging cancellations of any events that bring people and/or animals together. Which means no horse racing. Which means the Brits are going insane because they have nothing to bet on. (Unlike the US, they don't consider gambling to be an evil on the level of homicide.) What to do? Rodents to the rescue! BlueSQ.com is offering live webcasts of hamster races to satiate your betting jones. Look at 'em go! In other hamster news, some dork blew £3000 on a 6-foot-tall fiberglass hamster left over from the carnage of the Millennium Dome.
posted by aaron at 11:55 PM PST - 10 comments

.... AWAY, AWAY

.... AWAY, AWAY - site for what looks like an interesting film on the Confederate flag debate. Be sure to check out the video clip.
posted by subpixel at 10:35 PM PST - 4 comments

World's oldest author finally gets published

World's oldest author finally gets published
posted by lagado at 7:59 PM PST - 4 comments

EA:WTF?

EA:WTF? I understand if people want to make web apps that only work on Windows based browsers. But you would think that a large games company like EA would treat others a little better than this (Proud Macintosh owners, get ready to squint).

Besides, I really want to play Majestic, and last time I checked, a game that uses email, fax, web and AOL IM technology doesn't require Windows. : p
posted by Brilliantcrank at 7:58 PM PST - 13 comments

"Maybe all this is why I'm so tired of other white folks trying to sell me bullshit like: 'I don't have a racist bone in my body,' or 'I never notice color.' See, MawMaw would have said that too. And she would have meant well. And she would have been wrong."
posted by sudama at 7:51 PM PST - 64 comments

Farewell, e-Toys...

Farewell, e-Toys... Your former hijack victims offer you a moment of silence...
posted by EricBrooksDotCom at 7:03 PM PST - 6 comments

Last week, we got news of new.net, who decided to make a big splash in the alternative Top Level Domain (.com/.net/etc) game, with some moronic, un-coordinated with the other people scheme including some "patented new technology" that amounted to 'set new.net as the search path in your DNS setup'.

Well, apparently they've started a trend, as now there's another player in the market...
posted by baylink at 7:00 PM PST - 1 comment

Fun to be Clueless

Fun to be Clueless Literati in the L.A. area will no doubt like this take on the odd tastes of the Times Book Review section. For the rest of us, there's the fun of watching one paper try and stick it to another. Also, and interesting take on the role books play as a medium in this media-rich age.
posted by jasonsmall at 1:35 PM PST - 5 comments

The Andromeda MIR Strain.

The Andromeda MIR Strain. Russia pushed back the MIR deorbit dates by another two weeks on Tuesday. Meanwhile, questions have surfaced about whether the mutant micoorganisms that inhabit the station will survive the fiery decent. Just another sci-fi story? Or should we be worried both about the ISS and Biosphere One (a.k.a. Earth)?
posted by iceberg273 at 1:17 PM PST - 15 comments

Enquiring

Enquiring minds want to know! sure, the photo is straight from the tabloids, but it does bring up a few questions...... the bushwatch site has more along the same lines(not more photos).
posted by donkeysuck at 12:18 PM PST - 37 comments

When wearing a hat, use your head

When wearing a hat, use your head And you thought it was only Harry S Truman who was in the hat business! Now the current resident in the White House is too.
posted by Postroad at 10:55 AM PST - 32 comments

"Semper Fu?"

"Semper Fu?" - In a bid to hone the "physical and mental discipline" of recruits and better prepare them for the rigors of peacekeeping missions, the Marines adds martial arts to the curriculum.
posted by kevincmurphy at 9:12 AM PST - 7 comments

Lobster Sticks to Magnet!

Lobster Sticks to Magnet! It's the next AYBABTU! Pass it on! Deliciously surreal.
posted by beth at 9:11 AM PST - 33 comments

Harlan Ellison mad as hell, not going to take it any more.

Harlan Ellison mad as hell, not going to take it any more. Starts a fund to Kick Internet Piracy. "WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT IS THE DEATH OF THE PROFESSIONAL WRITER!"
posted by Twang at 8:56 AM PST - 48 comments

Can "blocking software" companies be sued?

Can "blocking software" companies be sued? This is interesting. The Register (a respected if somewhat snide computer industry online rag) has somehow managed to land on Cyber Patrol's block list as a "sex site". Now they're conducting something called an ABCe audit and they're making nasty noises about "restraint of trade". Which makes me wonder if they're thinking "lawsuit".

The blocking-software companies have been using rather broad brushes in making their blocking lists. Although some claim that any site they block is checked by a human first, with thousands of new sites appearing every day there simply isn't any way. Peacefire has documented hundreds of sites which were blocked inappropriately. I am pretty certain that under US law that blockees have no recourse -- but perhaps the law in the EU is different. Anyone over there care to comment? Is it plausible that an "ABCe audit" could result in a lawsuit? (I'd really love to see a few high profile big-bucks lawsuits here.)
posted by Steven Den Beste at 7:53 AM PST - 9 comments

Speak and Win $10k

Speak and Win $10k brought to you by Voxeo using Voxeo Development Tools. Voxeo is awarding $10k to the winner of their Phone Killer Apps Competition.
posted by vanderwal2 at 7:22 AM PST - 2 comments

News about Florida from England

News about Florida from England Information from BBC that the US media never picked up.
posted by semmi at 7:17 AM PST - 11 comments

Bush decides he doesn't want peace.

Bush decides he doesn't want peace. resident bush has made it clear to the president of south korea that he will be reversing the previous administration's policy toward north korea. so the strides of peace that have been made can easily be wiped away now. i especially like the reversal of colin powell's comments from the day before.
posted by bliss322 at 7:07 AM PST - 34 comments

Today is International Women's Day. Amnesty International has a few important stories about the horrors women face abroad. Or, you can send an IWD card to someone you love. Just don't bother visiting iVillage (you know, "the Women's Network"), because they must never have heard of it.
posted by jpoulos at 6:43 AM PST - 38 comments

WSJ/NBC

WSJ/NBC conducted a pretty extensive poll about the state of the country ranging from taxes to energy concerns to the Golden Dollar. I got the phone call to participate in the poll on Saturday and the questions were thought provoking and relevant...here are the results.
posted by Princess Buttercup at 6:21 AM PST - 5 comments

March 7

The Clinton Presidential Center

The Clinton Presidential Center Oh, for the glory days
posted by owillis at 10:24 PM PST - 10 comments

Am I All Your Base Or Not?

Am I All Your Base Or Not? In the vein of Am I Hot Or Not.
posted by hootch at 7:01 PM PST - 16 comments

How to buy cutting-edge home electronics sold only in Asia — and still be able to read the manuals.

How to buy cutting-edge home electronics sold only in Asia — and still be able to read the manuals. have you ever bought electronics [or anything] through specialty websites that was not available locally? god bless the internet.
posted by palegirl at 6:09 PM PST - 9 comments

The NEA and the RIAA (demon spawn) collaborate

The NEA and the RIAA (demon spawn) collaborate on a list of the top songs of 20th century, topped by Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The list was picked by hundreds of "music lovers across the country" from "all walks of life," including the "music industry," according to the press release. The voters picked from 1,100 songs provided by the RIAA and the NEA, though write-in spaces were available on the ballots. The announcement of the list is part of a wider effort to bring the songs to school-age children and adolescents, in a project that involves Scholastic publishing and AOL (the Great Satan). Step right up and take a few whacks at them...
posted by jhiggy at 3:07 PM PST - 41 comments

Nader editorial in the WSJ

Nader editorial in the WSJ (with another guy). They were prolly watered down a lot and given that "two cheers for the president" sub-title, but Nader still seems remarkably sanguine about Bush's plans to rein in corporate welfare.
posted by kliuless at 2:40 PM PST - 4 comments

Descramble DVD encryption in 7 lines of perl code

Descramble DVD encryption in 7 lines of perl code ...created by 2 MIT programmers. Will the MPAA threaten to sue you if you include it in your email signature? Yah for civil disobedience.
posted by deftone at 2:40 PM PST - 9 comments

Shakespeare and the electronic age

Shakespeare and the electronic age For those who studied or read Shakespeare some time ago, this quick test can help determine whether you recall the Bard's work or confuse it with the language of technology and more recent forms of entertainment. Not to sound Onan-like, score yourself.
posted by Postroad at 2:21 PM PST - 6 comments

The last computer you'll ever own.

The last computer you'll ever own. With the entertainment industry pushing electronics manufacturers towards closed, proprietary hardware, how soon will we be limited to strictly "renting" media, serives, etc.?
posted by harmful at 2:18 PM PST - 10 comments

Young people today are not just getting their hands on guns and killing people, but are using any means necessary, including cars. Let's outlaw all dangerous items so that crazy kids can't do anybody any harm!
posted by OneBallJay at 2:02 PM PST - 50 comments

Slate takes note

Slate takes note of last weeks "open source news" scoop in the thread about the Seattle quake. I'll officially begin taking buyout offers now.
posted by mathowie at 1:53 PM PST - 23 comments

Merck to lower prices of HIV drugs for Africa

Merck to lower prices of HIV drugs for Africa It's not perfect and it's not much of a decrease, but it's a start and long overdue.
posted by gsh at 1:22 PM PST - 4 comments

Tasteful web design:

Tasteful web design: Remember how a couple of companies came up with the brilliant idea of putting smell-o-vision on your PC? Now one of them has realized that there's another sense left to exploit.
posted by harmful at 12:17 PM PST - 9 comments

How to get elected without promising a huge tax-cut.

How to get elected without promising a huge tax-cut. In short, don't have an opposition. Gordon Brown gives the "we're going to win anyway" Budget, promising the kind of fiscal policy Gore claimed to offer the US. The language is even the same: "pay off the debt, reward working families". And since we're more or less guaranteed a Labour government till 2005 (barring the intervention of "events"), it'll a good time for the crudest of comparisons. (more inside...)
posted by holgate at 11:21 AM PST - 4 comments

One more school shooting.

One more school shooting. This time it's a Roman Catholic school in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. A girl in 8th grade shot another girl "in the upper body, but the injury was not considered life-threatening."
posted by jason at 11:09 AM PST - 25 comments

Barbecue Wings

Barbecue Wings A £900,000 mirror sculpture destined for a square in Nottingham, UK, will have to be shielded to prevent it focusing the Sun's rays and barbecuing passing birds. Anish Kapoor's highly polished concave steel mirror is six metres in diameter. Direct sunlight hitting the mirror would be focused into a narrow beam of light as hot as the surface of the Sun, says astronomer Michael Merrifield of Nottingham University.
posted by zeoslap at 10:57 AM PST - 15 comments

Selling the Tax Cut

Selling the Tax Cut Time Magazine pokes some holes in Bush's Tax/Budget plan. He wants to increase spending, decrease taxes, pay down the budget, AND set aside a trillion dollars for emergencies. In fuzzy math terms 10-1-1-1-1=10. On top of that he plans to piss on senators who dare to question the plan.
posted by y6y6y6 at 10:53 AM PST - 22 comments

TimeBombY2000

TimeBombY2000 Conspiracy Theory's - hundreds of them, posted daily!
posted by stevridie at 9:58 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

For the CEO who has everything...

For the CEO who has everything... how about a 1985 Toyota MR2 powered by 3 turbojet engines? You start it with a leaf blower. Seller says it is "probably street legal except for this little 'excessive noise' issue". Up for grabs at eBay, currently $7,700 will take this baby home!
posted by JParker at 9:47 AM PST - 4 comments

Court allows KKK to adopt a highway -

Court allows KKK to adopt a highway - when they re-pave, will they use white-top? (via Gleanings)
posted by mimi at 9:38 AM PST - 24 comments

Trading halted on Yahoo's stock...

Trading halted on Yahoo's stock... I realize that financial news is rarely posted here, at MeFi, but Yahoo is a big player... and there's a LOT of speculation going on about what is prompting the halt: a take-over announcement, an acquisition announcement... blah blah blah. Any insight from you folks?
posted by silusGROK at 9:01 AM PST - 15 comments

Is This Ad Racist?

Is This Ad Racist? Conservative writer David Horowitz has stirred up trouble on three college campuses to date with a 10-point ad refuting demands for slavery reparations. First, UC-Berkley's student newspaper actually backed down after running the ad, as did UC-Davis, while the conservative Badger Herald in Wisconsin stood firm. I'm no conservative, but I don't think the article is racist at all. It's a reasoned argument, and one I happen to agree with. Is this a case of the PC student left run amok, or am I missing something? Via Medianews.
posted by darren at 8:26 AM PST - 62 comments

Has anyone been to Megnut recently? Be sure to read the page source.
posted by jpoulos at 6:50 AM PST - 71 comments

Zeldman responds

Zeldman responds to the the many concerns people have expressed over the WaSP's recent Browser Upgrade Campaign. Read it if you love the web.
posted by ericost at 6:47 AM PST - 6 comments

Ergo Rules Not Right for Workplace

Ergo Rules Not Right for Workplace or so the U.S. Senate has voted. Do they think workers don't vote, or won't remember in 2 years?
posted by vanderwal at 5:27 AM PST - 6 comments

Euro-court outlaws criticism of EU,

Euro-court outlaws criticism of EU, and thus demonstrates what inevitably will happen when most European governments have communists(or "former communists") on board. PS: beware that any reply to this tread could be seen upon as additional critisism against the Holy Union...
posted by frednorman at 3:39 AM PST - 11 comments

Is this another lifeline for Napster? Would going offshore with the servers really make any difference?
posted by ecvgi at 12:55 AM PST - 2 comments

March 6

Naked Wife Virus Strips Down Computers.

Naked Wife Virus Strips Down Computers. The virus arrives as an e-mail titled "Fw: Naked Wife" with a message body that reads: "My wife never look like that! ;-) Best Regards, (sender's name here)" and an attachment called "NakedWife.exe."
posted by Firda at 11:48 PM PST - 19 comments

Loggers Said to Wipe Out 22 Million Butterflies

Loggers Said to Wipe Out 22 Million Butterflies It appears that 22 million Monarch butterflies were illegally slaughtered through the use of pesticide in two Mexican butterfly sanctuaries so that loggers can have more forest to tear down. This makes me sick... how can people do stuff like this?
posted by fusinski at 7:22 PM PST - 20 comments

First Star of the Internet to Retire

First Star of the Internet to Retire The webcam made this one hot item. Before the dot-com boom there was the Trojan Room Coffee Machine, a.k.a the Cambridge Coffee Cam.
posted by vanderwal at 6:46 PM PST - 13 comments

Following the earlier post regarding cheap domain names, does anyone know anything about .eu.com domains? I've found one site offering them, but are they actually available yet? What's the story?
posted by Cobbler at 2:13 PM PST - 5 comments

'Debategate' Indictment

'Debategate' Indictment Dirty tricks from Dubya...?
posted by owillis at 1:27 PM PST - 28 comments

life

life imitates art? after reading this, i figured the soprano fans here might want to start snooping into the personal lives of their favorite TV icons.
posted by donkeysuck at 12:28 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Jedi could become official religion

Jedi could become official religion -- An email is circulating in New Zealand seeking 8,000 people to write "Jedi" as their religion on that country's census form. If they do, it's claimed the government will have to recognize the Star Wars discipline as an actual religion.
posted by shauna at 12:24 PM PST - 16 comments

You thought it had gone away..

You thought it had gone away.. but Ginger appears to be back in the news again. This time it's an upcoming Inside magazine article that purports to conclusively reveal that "IT" is a two-wheeled scooter running on a hydrogen-powered engine. After all the hype nearly two months ago, is this the answer? Does anyone even care anymore?
posted by zempf at 12:02 PM PST - 12 comments

Literary Critics: "Charles Dickens, huh? Is he any good?"

Literary Critics: "Charles Dickens, huh? Is he any good?" Slate's "Culturebox" (whatever) polls the lit-crit establishment to find out what they haven't read. Yeah, it's a Slate link, I know. Listen, shouldn't you be reading a book or something anyway?
posted by Skot at 10:47 AM PST - 107 comments

Judge orders Napster to eliminate copyright songs.

Judge orders Napster to eliminate copyright songs. I want to see the lists of songs that the record companies must provide.
posted by hijinx at 10:34 AM PST - 14 comments

KPMG Consultanting's official corporate song -

KPMG Consultanting's official corporate song - playable as Shockwave audio or as an mp3. The lyrics of this suitably wishy-washy and jargon-laden elevator anthem may inspire you: "KPMG, we're strong as can be, a team of power and energy. We go for the gold, together we hold to our vision of global strategy..."
posted by tobyslater at 9:17 AM PST - 24 comments

It seems Metallica has some high class company.

It seems Metallica has some high class company. The Cleveland Orchestra has halted distribution of their concerts to about 250 U.S. radio stations because of concerns about streaming audio. The orchestra's contract with its musicians covers radio broadcasting rights of live performances, but not Internet streaming, said Gary Hanson, the orchestra's associate executive director. Does this strike anyone else as strange?
posted by Aaaugh! at 8:47 AM PST - 11 comments

Baby Think It Over.

Baby Think It Over. Teens care for a lifelike doll programmed to do all the things a baby does--including waking them up in the middle of the night. "It's a seven-pound, computerized contraceptive!"
posted by frykitty at 8:36 AM PST - 15 comments

Happy Elvis Day!

Happy Elvis Day! The Oregon Legislature considers a bill to make January 8 Elvis day. Considering Portland is the home of the 24-Hour Church of Elvis and a beloved (and weird) street performer named Elvis, this is somewhat fitting.
posted by frykitty at 8:10 AM PST - 21 comments

Undercover cop poses as high school student, busts 27.

Undercover cop poses as high school student, busts 27. The 24-year-old officer "attended football games and basketball games. He attended activities after school. He also carried a full course load and did homework. His grades started to suffer. We were kind of disappointed in him,” joked Sheriff Bill Hutson.
posted by darren at 7:49 AM PST - 34 comments

MP3 Translator

MP3 Translator You deserve the right to privately trade music on the Internet. Napster currently has filters set in place that look for certain words in the Artist and/or Song Title. To get around this, all you have to do is:
posted by webcowboy at 7:40 AM PST - 47 comments

A new JD Salinger Book!

A new JD Salinger Book! Just caught this on Amazon the other day. I haven't really heard anything about it, but it's worth a pre-order at the least. Here's some other information I've found. Along with the supposed introduction to the book...

I will write for us both, I believe, as Buddy is engaged elsewhere for an indefinite period of time. Surely sixty to eighty per cent of the time, to my eternal amusement and sorrow, that magnificent, elusive, comical lad is engaged elsewhere! As you must know in your hearts and bowels, we miss you all like sheer hell. Unfortunately, I am far from above hoping the case is vice versa.
posted by igloo at 7:34 AM PST - 6 comments


'Industry pumped in a record 696 million dollars to elect George W. Bush and a GOP Congress. The Mother Jones 400 reveals the nation's top contributors -- and what they expect in return.'

The donors complain in this article about how much they have to shell out. Are their complaints legitimate? Is this simply the cost of doing business? Is this the way campaigns should be funded?
posted by Sean Meade at 7:25 AM PST - 14 comments


Scientific backlash for warming theorists

Scientific backlash for warming theorists -- High clouds over the western tropical Pacific Ocean could significantly reduce the estimates of future global warming now being put forward by IPCC's computer models of the Earth's climate. And, in a newly published interview, MIT's Dr. Richard S. Lindzen describes the Kyoto Treaty on climate change as "absurd". Backlash begun?
posted by frednorman at 5:40 AM PST - 7 comments

Go Daddy Domains

1 Year ($8.95/yr).....$8.95
2 Years ($8.75/yr)...$17.50
3 Years ($8.55/yr)...$25.65
5 Years ($8.05/yr)...$40.25
8 Years ($7.45/yr)...$59.60
10 Years ($6.95/yr)...$69.50

Getting a domain name has never been easier or more affordable!
Yeah, or so they say. So far, I can't seem to find a catch. It just sounds funny to me when they say that you'll be using Go Daddy software to get your domain. Maybe I'm being too cynical? Maybe this is just an honest-to-goodness, good deal?
What about it, MeFiers, what's the bottom line, here?
posted by lizardboy at 3:51 AM PST - 21 comments

BRIDGE BUILDER

BRIDGE BUILDER : It's fun for a girl and a boy! A downloadable demo of a pretty cool but geeky bridge building simulator. Each level, you're given the task of spanning a gap using limited materials. Your goal is to build a bridge not only strong enough to stand under its own weight, but to also support the weight of a train crossing over it.

There is no right way to build a bridge, but there is a lot of wrong ways.

System Requirements: 200 MHz or faster CPU, Windows 95/98/00/NT, Direct X version 6 or later, Keyboard recommended, OpenGL video card and drivers

posted by crunchland at 3:42 AM PST - 22 comments

Inspector Clouseau as Greek Police role-model?

Inspector Clouseau as Greek Police role-model? Wait for the midi file to load... At first I thought the site was hacked but, no, I checked, it's the real "Hellenic police informatics dept" web-site. I'm not sure whether it's self-sarcasm or cluelessness. And I wont even start about the site's imaginative design...
posted by talos at 3:04 AM PST - 3 comments

Ask Putin.

Ask Putin. At 15.00 GMT today, Vladimir Putin will answer questions posed by the public live online. Two Russian journalists and one from the BBC will select the questions, you can submit yours here. Accountability or Publicity on the part of Putin?
posted by Markb at 12:53 AM PST - 1 comment

March 5

Separated at birth? Michael Jackson and Lon Chaney. (Good heavens! Michael, what have you done to yourself?)
posted by Steven Den Beste at 10:03 PM PST - 17 comments

School Violence is Decreasing.

School Violence is Decreasing. After noticing the number of people "glad not to be in high school" due to school violence, I felt the need to point this out. My theory is that people care more because it's *white people* who are being killed, as rural/suburban school massacres seem to be the trend du jour. Apologies for the link source, but this was the first version of the AP wire I could find.
posted by Kevs at 8:37 PM PST - 19 comments

He laid it on the line.

He laid it on the line. He was born in West St. Paul, Minn., on April 13, 1907. He died March 5, 2001. And between, he ran for president 9 times, the first in 1948 and his last attempt in 1992. He said, "You can write or talk about something and it has some meaning, but to be effective, you have to lay it on the line." Now we won't have Harold Stassen to lay it on the line anymore.
posted by Lynsey at 8:05 PM PST - 5 comments

filepile.org

filepile.org - Andre Torrez of powerblogger fame, brings us yet another fun tool. Built on the "take a penny, leave a penny" principle of file sharing, filepile is most definitely addictive. You go see site. You go. You go now.
posted by thacker at 6:21 PM PST - 29 comments

Aimster fights back...

Aimster fights back... Not sure this is legal but it looks like some people have already found a way to bypass the napster filters...
posted by TNLNYC at 3:21 PM PST - 8 comments

Christian Coalition sued for racial bias.

Christian Coalition sued for racial bias. Amen.
posted by darren at 2:06 PM PST - 11 comments

Hamster taxidermy website

Hamster taxidermy website Got sent this enjoyable URL, then realized it was a spoof for Covad's DSL. The flash movie is part of a Covad TV campaign. Keep those PETA cards and letters coming!
posted by darren at 1:08 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Cheney Hospitalized.

Cheney Hospitalized. Heart attack #2? Good grief - VP heart attacks, huge blizzard in the east, a school shooting.....NEXT?
posted by bkdelong at 1:03 PM PST - 40 comments

Rape victims charged for medical exams

Rape victims charged for medical exams "A 22-year-old woman is raped in Cobb County. Nurses and doctors poke and prod her body to collect evidence for police. By the time the $486 bill reaches her new home in Valdosta, the debt has been turned over to a collection agency. She is nine months' pregnant and doesn't know how she will pay."
posted by darren at 12:39 PM PST - 15 comments

Sweet Jesus!

Sweet Jesus! Something wicker this way comes! Does anyone have a flame thrower?
posted by bgluckman at 11:36 AM PST - 12 comments

The 5k has returned!

The 5k has returned! So, is this just of interest to web geeks, or will it cross over to the general masses of curious web surfers? Is it more about functionality in the tiny site, or art? What's the deal with the "Anything Goes" category, is it compromising the idea of the 5k? So many questions...
posted by anildash at 11:30 AM PST - 22 comments

Dart Pigeon!

Dart Pigeon! Beware, this is what happens when you cut funding for the arts in our schools.
posted by bryanboyer at 11:11 AM PST - 25 comments

New.net lauched today,

New.net lauched today, with their attempt to create their own TLD registrar that seems like a bastardization of DNS. Most people will need to download a plugin, is there any chance this could be successful? Is ICANN doing anything to stop them or will they just die on their own?
posted by mathowie at 11:01 AM PST - 8 comments

First, National Airport was renamed for him. Then, the International Trade Center in downtown DC was christened in his honor.

Now the powers that be have named a new naval aircraft carrier the USS Reagan.

I realize people are trying to honor the old bastard. But doesn't this seem inappropriate (even rude) considering he's not quite dead yet? Or is Alzheimer's close enough? *sheesh*
posted by ratbastard at 10:54 AM PST - 38 comments


Forbes Celebrity 100

Forbes Celebrity 100 Why can't people become commodities? Invest in Julia Roberts, because she has future growth potential, sell GWB because his earnings have peaked, rate Clinton neutral until his latest scandal is over...
posted by owillis at 10:40 AM PST - 6 comments

Finally!

Finally! Someone is taking a stand about freedom of speech on the internet. Although it is AOL (who I dislike), it is high time someone other then the ACLU take a stand for freedom of speech on the internet. (And there isn't anything wrong with the ACLU, just that it is nice to see someone else come in and back them.)
posted by da5id at 10:20 AM PST - 8 comments

Shots Fired at Santana High School.

Shots Fired at Santana High School. MSNBC is reporting Shots have been fired at Santana High School in Santee, CA. There have been MULTIPLE kids calling into local TV stations in San Diego and MSNBC, Fox News, CNN Headline News is picking them up. It's odd really...some of these kids are pretty eloquent. Mixed reports are that 9 kids have been hit with a small caliber handgun out in the "quad" at the school. The gunmen was allegedly smiling the whole time. Of course, as these things go, the truth never really comes out until weeks after the fact.
posted by bkdelong at 10:05 AM PST - 98 comments

In what appears to be a suicide mission, Gateway announced it is backing away from lucrative services and software (which accounted for 100 percent of its fourth-quarter earnings) in favor of refocusing on computer sales, an area that recently has not made a dime for the company.
posted by shauna at 9:38 AM PST - 25 comments

Moratorium 2000

Moratorium 2000 is a campaign to obtain an immediate cessation of the death penalty. They have a petition which has garnered 3.2 million votes (via res publica, MeFi's own Avogadro). Why not sign?
posted by Sean Meade at 9:00 AM PST - 7 comments

"People, let me tell you 'bout my best friend.."

"People, let me tell you 'bout my best friend.." Are you too much alone? Does time hang heavy on your head? Do even the cold comforts of Internet chat rooms and community blogging reject you? There's hope. Find the warmth of solid state friendship with the companionship of computerized buddies. It worked for all the greats - Luke Skywalker, Baltar, the Robinson boys (Will and Joel) and even that creepy tree-hugger Freeman Lowell. A servomotor, some fiberglass, and a sturdy car battery is all you need to guarantee that you will never be lonely again.
posted by Perigee at 8:45 AM PST - 1 comment

Let it rest, already!

Let it rest, already! The fifth Star Trek series is going into casting, with filming to begin in May for a release in Autumn 2001. From the character descriptions it looks like it's basically a remake of the original series. I think they've run out of ideas. (Link via GeekPress.)
posted by Steven Den Beste at 6:27 AM PST - 25 comments

E-Bow

E-Bow A nifty electric guitar effect that replaces the pick. Ignore the visuals. Instead, give it a listen.
posted by plinth at 5:49 AM PST - 17 comments

Teresa Earnhart Speaks

Teresa Earnhart Speaks about the attempts by some folks to acquire her husbands, (Dale Earnhart) autopsy photographs.
posted by headlemur at 5:43 AM PST - 8 comments

Dutchman

Dutchman is a movie (originally a play) which "mirrors the difficulties of life for an African American male through the clash between a white woman and a black man sharing a subway car in NYC." And I don't mean to belittle that, but ... has anyone else noticed similarities between Shirley Knight (2)(3), the lead actress in Dutchman, and Heather Graham? Do today's actors and actresses try to achieve success by directly copying actors and actresses from the past? (I know they study them, but this almost borders on plagiarism, if that's possible)
posted by jwells at 5:08 AM PST - 14 comments

Stealing votes and stealing home

Stealing votes and stealing home I had heard from some in the military that there was odd things going on with absentee ballots. This purports to address the issue.
posted by Postroad at 4:58 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Drug Manufacturers to african AIDS patients:die.

Drug Manufacturers to african AIDS patients:die. "Forty big pharmaceutical companies are trying to stop the South African Government from importing cut-price versions of well-known [AIDS] drugs.The multi-nationals say that would threaten their patent rights." The milk of human kindness... And BTW before anyone comments on how the drug companies have to make profits to fund further research and provide new drugs, since when finding ways to provide cheaper drugs stifles innovation?
posted by talos at 2:05 AM PST - 22 comments

March 4

Mini-riots break out over gray Nike shoes while people here discuss marketing items to teenagers. "I'm mad," said one girl "I want my shoes."
posted by gluechunk at 11:48 PM PST - 9 comments

"I've been hit with ultrasonic bullets and ultrasonic lasers that can penetrate the human skull.

"I've been hit with ultrasonic bullets and ultrasonic lasers that can penetrate the human skull. A good name for the ultrasonic bullets and ultrasonic lasers that can penetrate the skull are 'Skull Penetrating Ultrasonic Bullets' and 'Skull Penetrating Ultrasonic Lasers'."

I thought I was up on my conspiracy theories, but a student of mine dug up this long testimonial by a guy who claims to have been targeted by UltraSonics, a "secret police force," after installing a booming sound system in his car. Supposedly the UltraSonics use "extremely advanced surveillance, harassment, and non-lethal weapons technology" to corral neighborhood undesirables into mental hospitals. (As would follow, both pharmaceutical companies and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are identified as co-conspirators.)
posted by jbushnell at 9:45 PM PST - 7 comments


Skydiver to jump from edge of space

Skydiver to jump from edge of space I hope all the inaccuracies in this article are the journalists fault and not this guy trying to make this seem more important and pioneering than it is. It's not like this wasn't done over 40 years ago. What "...emergency procedures for people exploring space" would this create? If he went much higher or came in from outer space he'd vaporize. Less extreme science than just plain old extreme sports, 21st century style.

Millner claims that scientists have helped him on the project, but it is not known if the human body is capable of enduring such a descent. (sigh) Figures.
posted by redleaf at 9:30 PM PST - 10 comments


fLOW

fLOW is a fascinating ambient sound generator for Mac G3 computers. It uses the Mac's built-in DSP to create "sounds that resemble - metaphorically - the timbres of water, fire, earth, and air." If you don't have a Mac, there are Real audio files so you can hear what you're missing.
posted by cfj at 6:48 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Bad ass movie images!

Bad ass movie images! Very cool site. If you like movies this is a must see.
posted by Jeremy at 4:37 PM PST - 2 comments

Woman exposed to radiation dies at 124 years of age

Woman exposed to radiation dies at 124 years of age Just to lighten your day and to avoid being called a troller! Perhaps this is the secret to longivity that science searches for.
posted by Postroad at 4:35 AM PST - 9 comments

Map of world wide seismic activity. [via. The pocket belonging to rebecca. BIG image]

You can also check out Near-real-time Seismic images.

Rethinking that move to Portland . .
posted by alana at 12:40 AM PST - 6 comments

St. Louis Sees Specter of Vote Fraud.

St. Louis Sees Specter of Vote Fraud. Chicago hands over the title of Most Vote-Rigged City in America. Remember the Election Day lawsuit that Democrats filed in St. Louis to illegally extend voting hours (which was successful for 45 minutes)? Turns out the chief plaintiff was dead. And that's only one anecdote from this story. Will meaningful election reform ever be allowed in this country, when it would mean closing all the loopholes that are routinely used to rig the results? (NYTimes link, registration required)
posted by aaron at 12:29 AM PST - 6 comments

March 3

The Secret of W's Success.

The Secret of W's Success. ....Could it really be this simple to stymie the Dems?
posted by BGM at 11:14 PM PST - 28 comments

It was "clearly a big device"

It was "clearly a big device" , which contained high explosives. Set by what appears to be the IRA outside of the BBC headquarters in London. Clues were given via coded messages phoned into a hospital and an "unnamed charitable trust" much in the same way as when the M16 building was attacked with a rocket last year. Forget Osama bin-laden. The Irish can be dangerous as well.
posted by liquidgnome at 10:48 PM PST - 20 comments

Going down?

Going down? NPR's Savvy Traveler did a bit on this site; apparently it tells you the odds of a crash on your chosen flight. Question is, do I want to know?
posted by stevis at 9:47 PM PST - 2 comments

Does this mean free lattes for the Cylons?

Does this mean free lattes for the Cylons? Director Bryan Singer to work on a remake of BattleStar Galactica. Or is it going to be "BattleStar Galactica: The Next Generation"? What I'm wondering is: What's Starbucks going to do about it?
posted by brownpau at 8:59 PM PST - 10 comments

But what about the children!

But what about the children! An internet censorship bill before the South Australian Parliament gives police ridiculously broad powers in going after material "unsuitable for children".
posted by frykitty at 7:57 PM PST - 6 comments

This scares me silly

This scares me silly given the general skill level drivers display in my town. I'm imagining some idiot chatting away on a cell phone taking out my condo.
posted by rdr at 6:33 PM PST - 8 comments

Livia Let Die.

Livia Let Die. Learn how The Sopranos brought Livia Soprano (played by actress Nancy Marchand) back to life for one more encounter with Tony Soprano. Warning! Some minor Season3/Episode1 Spoilers. (via Slate)
posted by stew560 at 2:55 PM PST - 5 comments

You thought Amazon's One-Click patent

You thought Amazon's One-Click patent and following legal battle was bad... Have you had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich lately? You did not cut off the crusts and crimp the edges together, now did you? If so, you just have infringed on U.S. Patent 6,004,596 (currently owned by 'surprise' Smucker). From the patent: "The upper and lower fillings are preferably comprised of peanut butter and the center filling is comprised of at least jelly. The center filling is prevented from radiating outwardly into and through the bread portions from the surrounding peanut butter. " Michigan's Albie Foods just sued to have the patent removed. Let's hope they win, or pbjs soon may become an act of civil disobedience...
posted by noom at 2:38 PM PST - 7 comments

Cortes Bank

Cortes Bank is a 17-mile underwater mountain range that comes to a head 3 feet below the surface at a spot called Bishop Rock, about 100 miles off the coast of San Diego. When open ocean waves encounter this seafloor anomaly, they break with stunning speed and size. This is the story of a "tow-in" surfing expedition to Cortes Bank, with jaw-dropping Quicktime movies of surfers riding 30-40 foot waves in the middle of the ocean...
posted by cfj at 1:39 PM PST - 5 comments

Spy problems...not easy work

Spy problems...not easy work We saw before the expressed problems NSA said they had. Here, what they have been up to and the technology currently being used (but not against our citizens?)
posted by Postroad at 12:35 PM PST - 1 comment

Just call us Peoples' Telephone & Telegraph.

Just call us Peoples' Telephone & Telegraph. [NYTimes, reg req] A federal appeals court claims that by restricting AT&T and AOLTW from expanding their cable service areas, First Amendment rights have been violated. Thus: these two companies will continue to be the only games in town.
posted by hijinx at 9:54 AM PST - 4 comments

The Surrendered Wife continues the recidivist trend in best selling "self-help" books by urging wives to "avoid criticising him... and give him lots of oral sex." Can anyone explain why this nonsense sells so well?
posted by Chairman_MaoXian at 8:42 AM PST - 13 comments

Ok... let me get this straight. copyright.net has turned loose a tapeworm, called CopyrightAgent, that crawls around on your computer without your permission, looking for copyrighted MP3 files. If it find them, it reports back your IP address, and they have Napster block you, if you're a Napster user. Otherwise, they contact your ISP, and have *them* block you under the DMCA.

And the first I heard about this was a Knight-Ridder wire story in my local paper?? Why the hell hasn't the Internet reacted by burning these people's offices (or uplink :-) to the ground?
posted by baylink at 8:18 AM PST - 20 comments

New Jersey teen is halfway through his pledge not to speak for a year!

New Jersey teen is halfway through his pledge not to speak for a year! He writes that he came up with the idea because his inability to follow through with his commitments was troubling him. He's getting quite a bit of media attention, too - he's even got a publicist. (via NPR this morning).
posted by beth at 7:28 AM PST - 19 comments

Heavy Petting

Heavy Petting - Peter Singer (bioethics professor, animal rights guru, frequently admired or hated Australian philosopher) discusses bestiality, which is probably much more popular than you imagine: "In the 1940s, Kinsey asked twenty thousand Americans about their sexual behavior, and found that 8 percent of males and 3.5 percent of females stated that they had, at some time, had a sexual encounter with an animal. Among men living in rural areas, the figure shot up to 50 percent. "
posted by pracowity at 6:01 AM PST - 19 comments

"This is a movement keenly aware of the power of words and symbols."

"This is a movement keenly aware of the power of words and symbols." Naomi Klein on the Zapatistas, and their "spokesperson", Subcomandante Marcos. Lots of connections here: the "networked" approach to protest and rebellion that fuels the anti-corporate movement; the use of the internet as an agent of ideology; and most interestingly for me, the submergence of identity within the networked space. Two words: Luther Blissett.
posted by holgate at 4:10 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Oddcast Host Workshop

Oddcast Host Workshop The results are nowhere near as cute or charming as StorTroopers, but making your own virtual host is fun in its own way. Try and see if you can get your host to look like you. [via Cynthia on mockerybird]
posted by lia at 2:18 AM PST - 7 comments

Are teens a reflection of the media or is the media a reflection of teenage culture? According to NYU prof Miller "The MTV machine does listen very carefully to children. In rather the same way--if I can put it controversially--as Dr. Goebbels, [Hitler's] ministry of propaganda, listened to the German people. Propagandists have to listen to their audience very, very closely. When corporate revenues depend on being ahead of the curve, you have to listen, you have to know exactly what they want and exactly what they're thinking so that you can give them what you want them to have." More about the PBS special here
posted by noom at 12:29 AM PST - 75 comments

March 2

Boosting the Blues

Boosting the Blues covered on Marketplace Radio. At the bottom of the page is a short summary and a link to the David Brancaccio interview (12 minutes or so in Real Audio clip) of Taj Mahal's involvement and spreading the word about the Music Maker Relief Foundation.
posted by vanderwal at 7:49 PM PST - 1 comment

The True Story of Licebox.com.

The True Story of Licebox.com. Xeth Feinberg and Mishmash Media reveal the true story behind the decline and fall of Licebox.com. No, they weren't driven out of business by the controversy over Mr. Wongstein. Seems they picked the wrong venture capitalist to fleece...
posted by cfj at 7:17 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Who do you root for when everyone's a villain?

Who do you root for when everyone's a villain? It turns out that everyone involved in the "Internet Twins" fiasco is scum. Sure as hell the biological mother is (she gave the babies up twice and now wants them back; I wouldn't trust her to care for my cat); the woman from the UK is, and now the man in the US is. A plague on all their houses.

Now the biological father, Aaron Wecker, has begun proceedings to gain custody of the babies. I hope he isn't as despicable as everyone else involved. Let's hope this circus doesn't follow the girls around for the rest of their lives. If there's any sort of lesson in this, I wish someone would tell me what it is.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 5:39 PM PST - 4 comments

So the MissUSA delegates are out

So the MissUSA delegates are out and I have to ask, does it feel creepy to anyone else how only their faces are shown? I was surprised there wasn't a 0 through 10 across the top of each bio page so they could be rated "hot" or "not." And what about the site's aesthetic? It looks like they went for glossy glamor magazine, but it looks more like porn mag to me.
posted by mathowie at 4:55 PM PST - 15 comments

Napster to filter out thousands of copyrighted songs

Napster to filter out thousands of copyrighted songs - perhaps even a million tracks will be weeded out of the system by next week in an effort to appease the major labels and prevent shutdown. Expect a lot of l33t track naming from the haX0rz and for the RIAA to say "it's simply not good enough!"
posted by tobyslater at 3:56 PM PST - 21 comments

Gentle, Strong Woman Seeks Doormat

Gentle, Strong Woman Seeks Doormat Read about Mary, who is looking for that special somebody who can fulfill all of her needs and then some. ALL of them. Example of phone etiquette: "I have a personal preference for not being interrupted while I'm talking. So please don't step on my words. Although I appreciate the sincere intentions of listeners who are used to interjecting verbal nods such as "uh huh," "hmm hmm," or "OK" when the speaker pauses briefly between statements, please don't do so with me. I'd rather you listen silently so that I can know that you have the best chance of hearing every word that I say. Don't worry, I won't be longwinded. ;-)" Riiiight.
posted by Skot at 3:18 PM PST - 58 comments

The Silophone - turning abandoned industrial farm equipment into musical instruments.

The Silophone - turning abandoned industrial farm equipment into musical instruments. "Located in Montréal's old port, Silo #5B-1 was built in 1958 and has been cited by Le Corbusier as a masterpiece of modern architecture....These tall parallel cylinders, whose form evokes the structure of an enormous organ, have exceptional acoustic properties: a stunning reverberation time of over 20 seconds. Anything played inside the Silo is euphonized, made beautiful, by the acoustics of the structure. All those who have entered have found it an overwhelming and unforgettable experience."
posted by skwm at 3:09 PM PST - 7 comments

It's a bird, it's a plane....no, it's SPEEDO-MAN

It's a bird, it's a plane....no, it's SPEEDO-MAN Almost an urban myth, SpeedoMan jogs the early morning streets of Annapolis, MD wearing nothing but...you guessed it...a Speedo. Is he CIA, is he FBI? Is he just some weirdo guy?
posted by briank at 1:14 PM PST - 18 comments

12 inches of ho smackin' attitude!

12 inches of ho smackin' attitude! Who's yo daddy? Caution: Link goes to a quicktime movie. On a side note, has anyone ever heard of the movie Blood Dolls? That's one scary looking toy.
posted by Jeremy at 12:48 PM PST - 1 comment

Talk of digital actors a bit premature.

Talk of digital actors a bit premature. For those Hollywood execs who were forecasting the advent of virtual actors and actresses, a look at how hard it is to bring the dead to life, albeit briefly.
posted by darren at 12:00 PM PST - 4 comments

The Future of the Internet is the Web application!

The Future of the Internet is the Web application!
From the USATODAY story:
The Internet will be less about going to big sites like Yahoo and Amazon.com and more about using specialized pieces of software that connect to the Net. Two current examples: Napster and the Miller Lite Beer Pager.
Wow, the future is now!
posted by rschram at 10:25 AM PST - 6 comments

KIMBLE rulez!

KIMBLE rulez! There's nothing like a good old, humble home page. Now I've heard that overuse of the flash plugin is a no-no, but this site makes me say yes-yes! Be sure to view on a good multimedia system on a really PHAT pipe.
posted by muppetboy at 10:19 AM PST - 16 comments

Dutch Offer Winning Formula to Cut Teenage Pregnancies.

Dutch Offer Winning Formula to Cut Teenage Pregnancies. While we tout abstinence and keep our kids ignorant, the Dutch win with the opposite approach. Not a big surprise.
posted by frykitty at 9:57 AM PST - 7 comments

THE Pope will host the European premiere of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

THE Pope will host the European premiere of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I'm guessing my thoughts on 2001 aren't all that different from the pope's, but I'm mostly an atheist. How do you view the monolith? And also, here's a list of pope's favorite films. Andrei Rublev is my overall 4th favorite film, the Sacrifice and Decalogue are in my 20's.
posted by tiaka at 9:52 AM PST - 8 comments

Powell's visit to middle east nearly brought about a war

Powell's visit to middle east nearly brought about a war What is disturbing in this story (for me) is that I heard and read nothing about it in reputable American papers or on tv.
posted by Postroad at 8:56 AM PST - 5 comments

What's wrong with this picture?

What's wrong with this picture? See any people of color that will benefit from the Bush Tax Plan?
posted by darren at 8:29 AM PST - 56 comments

All your spaceship are belong to LEEIF.

All your spaceship are belong to LEEIF. Someone stole the source code to the guidance package for the US space program, including GPS. Tomorrow Never Dies, anyone?
posted by OneBallJay at 8:19 AM PST - 7 comments

The passing of a giant.

The passing of a giant. Claude Shannon has died. He was a man of towering intellect, whose achievements are dwarfed only by the ignorance of the public to the value of those achievements. All our lives have been radically changed by him, but I bet not one person in a hundred has even heard of him.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 8:00 AM PST - 4 comments

Everything

Everything is link, link is everything. The rather fascinating site called "blather" takes hyperlinks and user comments and smushes them together. The end result is a link for nearly every word. Intriguing!
posted by hijinx at 7:19 AM PST - 12 comments

"I want a boy, just like the boy that married dear old Mom..."

"I want a boy, just like the boy that married dear old Mom..."
posted by darren at 7:05 AM PST - 10 comments

Do Gays in powerful positions have obligation to "out" themselves?

Do Gays in powerful positions have obligation to "out" themselves? "It's time for our public figures to stop hiding [in the closet] and for journalists to stop helping them."
posted by darren at 6:54 AM PST - 55 comments

"I get this strange burning sensation when I riot."

"I get this strange burning sensation when I riot." The Pentagon wants to produce a crowd-dispersal weapon that sends electromagnetic waves up to 700 yards, making people in its wake feel like their skin has been stuck in a microwave. Supposedly there are no side effects. (The NY Times' coverage has a photo of the device strapped to a Humvee.) One of these could really come in handy on the morning commute.
posted by werty at 6:38 AM PST - 16 comments

US Census not to be adjusted for undercounts.

US Census not to be adjusted for undercounts. (NY Times, req'd registration)
Many political strategists, Democrats and Republicans alike, say that reliance on unadjusted population figures favors Republicans in the drawing of Congressional districts, since, they say, adjustment through statistical sampling would add to customarily Democratic neighborhoods most of those who have been uncounted.
They visited my home/office four times and never once brought the Long Form. Damnation.
posted by methylsalicylate at 6:02 AM PST - 13 comments

NASA admits "Dreaming isn't our job, anymore."

<sigh> We're never going to get off this planet. Crap.
posted by baylink at 5:32 AM PST - 29 comments

In 2000, 40% of chickens sent to stores from seven plants was contaminated.

In 2000, 40% of chickens sent to stores from seven plants was contaminated. And this is just the one we've heard about. Between stories like this and the animal diseases in Europe, meat is looking less and less appetizing. It looks like what the food industry gets away with may finally be too outrageous to be ignored. Not to mention whether non-meat foods are processed with any more attention to sanitation than meats. Of course if they can get away with cutting costs this way, they will.
posted by aflakete at 2:15 AM PST - 13 comments

Revisionism the Taliban Way

Revisionism the Taliban Way Talibans rub off giant Buddhist statues with mortars. The Mullah says it's all written in the Coran, but the Holy book says to respect other religions and the Afghanistan has been at the crossroads of different cultures for centuries, always juxtaposing Islam with Buddhism.
The Taliban want to remove any reminders of the centuries before Islam when Afghanistan was a center of Buddhist learning and pilgrimage.
More coverage and pictures.
posted by pecus at 1:32 AM PST - 22 comments

Say that 10 times fast

Say that 10 times fast With partners like those, this Peruvian terrorist organization brand new web consultancy makes the NNG dream team look like yesterday's old socks. Wave of the future anyone?
posted by sylloge at 12:12 AM PST - 3 comments

March 1

Was Shakespeare a doper?

Was Shakespeare a doper? It doesn't matter. But it's in the news because it's not often you can dig up (literally) some juicy celebrity gossip involving mood-altering substances.
posted by pracowity at 11:20 PM PST - 9 comments

The House has passed the bankruptcy reform bill

The House has passed the bankruptcy reform bill that Clinton vetoed at the end of the last session. I'm mildly optimistic that it won't pass the Senate, given that the Democratic vote in the House was split. But should we be worried at all? At first glance, it doesn't seem like a bad idea. But so many consumer groups are against it, and it seems to benefit credit card companies while hurting individuals, so I'm inclined to think we should leave things as-is. Especially since personal bankruptcies are down and credit card issuers' profits are up. Anyone know more about this?
posted by aaron at 10:07 PM PST - 7 comments

The Jesus Christ Superstore

The Jesus Christ Superstore (supposedly) sells action figures, modeled after Jesus, the Pope, Buddha, Krishna, and more. "Putting the fun back into fundamentalism and the laughter into sectarian slaughter." (Yeah, it's a novelty link. But it's a good one.)
posted by waxpancake at 8:21 PM PST - 5 comments

"What's Holding Blacks Back?

"What's Holding Blacks Back? It’s black attitudes, not white racism, that’s to blame." (John McWhorter, in City Journal, via Arts & Letters Daily)
posted by m.polo at 7:12 PM PST - 48 comments

Move over DotComGuy,

Move over DotComGuy, looks like you have some competition in the dumb name department. A New Zealand marriage will produce a dotcom couple.
posted by remo at 6:45 PM PST - 6 comments

The Web Page from Hell.

The Web Page from Hell. Be sure to look at the client list.
posted by cfj at 3:12 PM PST - 20 comments

We're glad too, Justice Scalia.

We're glad too, Justice Scalia. A New York State public school has prohibited an evangelical group from offering Bible study and prayer in its classrooms, and the case is now before the US Supreme Court:

"This is divisive in the community?" Justice Scalia exclaimed. "I don't understand. What would the community get upset about? I don't understand." He continued: "You must have a very divisive community down there. I'm glad I don't live in New York anymore."
posted by nicwolff at 2:07 PM PST - 17 comments

Bush budget whacks space station plans, modules

Bush budget whacks space station plans, modules
Apparently the White House feels that the current project will exceed budget by quite a bit, so NASA is 'scaling back' plans for Alpha.
posted by daver at 2:05 PM PST - 10 comments

All your .org's now belong to Verisign...

All your .org's now belong to Verisign... ICANN strikes a deal with Verisign:
"Verisign will retain permanent control of the .com registry (they were supposed to separate the registry and registrar businesses), long-term control of .net (plenty of time to make that permanent too), and .org will actually be spun off. There are also apparently plans to reinstate the old limits on .org domains - if you aren't a non-profit corporation, you won't be permitted to register or keep a .org domain."
posted by Hackworth at 12:07 PM PST - 38 comments

Fiber cut silences SETI@Home.

Fiber cut silences SETI@Home. In case you were wondering why you can't upload a data unit. It's supposed to be fixed today.
posted by Sal Amander at 11:47 AM PST - 3 comments

But tell us how you really feel.

But tell us how you really feel.
James Hetfield in Playboy: "[Metallica fans sided with Napster] Because they're lazy bastards and they want everything for free. I like playing music because it's a good living and I get satisfaction from it. But I can't feed my family with satisfaction.''

Lars Ulrich chimes in: "If you'd stop being a Metallica fan because I won't give you my music for free, then fuck you. I don't want you to be a Metallica fan."

I suppose it's a good thing they're on the verge of a break-up.
posted by honkzilla at 10:50 AM PST - 43 comments

All your cultural treasures are belong to us!

All your cultural treasures are belong to us! At least in China it was the accidental kind of stupidity...
posted by rushmc at 10:39 AM PST - 6 comments

John Cullum to star in off-Broadway musical URINETOWN!

John Cullum to star in off-Broadway musical URINETOWN! No comment, other than I like the fact that none of Cullum's tv credits (Northern Exposure, ER) are mentioned in the article.
posted by bjennings at 10:31 AM PST - 7 comments

NYC latest to threaten ban on Scouts

NYC latest to threaten ban on Scouts NYC Council disagrees with national organization's policy that homosexuality is inconsistant with Scouting's prinicples, and wants time to try and change national organization's views. Free subscription required.
posted by darren at 10:18 AM PST - 26 comments

Were SF attorneys having sex with dogs?

Were SF attorneys having sex with dogs? Robert Noel and/or Marjorie Knoller own the dogs that killed Diane Whipple. Now a search warrent is released that looked in a Pelican Bay prison cell for "any materials or correspondence describing sexual acts by Noel or Knoller that involve dogs." It doesn't sink much lower than this.
posted by bjennings at 9:34 AM PST - 17 comments

Jack's

Jack's back! Woohoo! ...looks like he's decided to pull a "click and mortar" on us: his new site is a supplemental to his zine. Very exciting. Welcome back, Jack!
posted by silusGROK at 9:17 AM PST - 18 comments

King of the Road:

King of the Road: A summary of Oedipus, of course. Who says all that time looking for personalized plates doesn't pay off? Anyone care to find Ulysses?
posted by salsamander at 8:48 AM PST - 13 comments

O Clinton, Where Art Thou?

O Clinton, Where Art Thou? The New York Obsever, a traditionally liberal publication, has savaged the Clintons and pardongate, going so far as to call for Hillary to resign. Sen. Clinton won election in NYC handily, but apparently the bloom is off the rose.
posted by darren at 7:05 AM PST - 22 comments

The NYTimes has an article on installing Linux

The NYTimes has an article on installing Linux for novices. Is Linux really getting mainstream? This article requires a free subscription to be read.
posted by Loudmax at 6:28 AM PST - 13 comments

A small world in most dimensions:

A small world in most dimensions: "University of Washington scientists using gravity measurements to hunt for evidence of dimensions in addition to those already known have found that those dimensions would have to occupy a space smaller than 0.2 millimeter."
posted by talos at 5:02 AM PST - 8 comments

Tulsa Race Riots of 1921: Who pays?

Tulsa Race Riots of 1921: Who pays? I don't think Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating's pledge to fundraise for a memorial/museum will suffice as a remedy -- or cut much mustard with survivors and their families. (Background info here.)
posted by allaboutgeorge at 3:35 AM PST - 26 comments

Has the Turing test fallen?

Has the Turing test fallen? One of the holy grails of computer science is the Turing Test -- and these guys think they're near to passing it.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 12:26 AM PST - 37 comments