April 14, 2007

Sandy Belle wants the troops home

A song about bringing the soldiers home from Iraq. Defies commentary. YouTubers don't seem to get the joke. The Garance has background details.
posted by commander_cool at 11:43 PM PST - 41 comments

6. No animal shall kill any other animal.

OMG!! Chicken cops break up bunny brawl!
posted by orthogonality at 10:01 PM PST - 54 comments

The most peaceful time in history

In sixteenth-century Paris, a popular form of entertainment was cat-burning, in which a cat was hoisted in a sling on a stage and slowly lowered into a fire. According to historian Norman Davies, "[T]he spectators, including kings and queens, shrieked with laughter as the animals, howling with pain, were singed, roasted, and finally carbonized." Today, such sadism would be unthinkable in most of the world. This change in sensibilities is just one example of perhaps the most important and most underappreciated trend in the human saga: Violence has been in decline over long stretches of history, and today we are probably living in the most peaceful moment of our species' time on earth. [pdf] via NPR
posted by bigmusic at 9:02 PM PST - 148 comments

The best 100 books written since 1982.

British bookseller Waterstones asked its 5,000 staff to name their favourite five books written since 1982, the date Waterstone’s opened its first store. These are the results.
posted by unSane at 8:55 PM PST - 53 comments

Design like you give a damn.

The Open Architecture Network "is an online, open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design." {via Cameron Sinclair's Ted Talk}
posted by dobbs at 8:10 PM PST - 6 comments

Iran: the hidden power

The war in Iran has already begun. "Iran's leadership proclaims its confidence and ambition but it draws power from a western threat that enables it to target and crush grassroots protest." Opinion and analysis from the authors of Iran on the Brink.
posted by Abiezer at 7:35 PM PST - 26 comments

You don't know Dickens

There are many ways to learn about the life and times of Charles Dickens. There are numerous web pages, biographies and movies. But can any of them compare to the immersion experience of Dickens World. Don't miss the many attractions. The kids will love playing in Fagin's Den while you visit the Haunted House of Ebenezer Scrooge. And don't leave too early or you'll miss the evening's entertainment. "A series of 'burlesque' evening dinner shows are being especially created to provide a nightly menu of 'naughty delights' in the 'Free and Easy' Victorian Music Hall."
posted by saffry at 5:50 PM PST - 10 comments

Aloha, Don

Don Ho passes away. Legendary Hawaiian entertainer Don Ho passed away this morning. Aloha, Don.
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:45 PM PST - 52 comments

Tabula Rosa

Researchers are exploring the idea of scrapping the Internet and starting over with a Clean Slate. Stanford researchers say the 'Net could be a whole lot better, if it were rebuilt from the ground-up. They say that their research complements that of the National Science Foundation's Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) effort to build a better network research platform, as well as the Future Internet Network Design (FIND) program for developing new Internet architectures.
posted by ericb at 5:02 PM PST - 68 comments

Lu Lu Lu I got some apples

Fruit Crate Label Art from the 1910s Thru 1950s (via)
posted by Kwantsar at 3:01 PM PST - 34 comments

The Man Who TRULY Overthinks His Plates of Beans

The Baked Bean Museum of Excellence was created by a Welshman who has legally changed his name to Captain Beany from Planet Beanus. That I know of, he is not a Mefite. He does, however, look like Bono after eating too many carrots. Just sayin'.
posted by miss lynnster at 1:46 PM PST - 28 comments

"Born like stars"

A surprisingly beautiful video of a squid giving birth. The editing is a little over done, and the adult squid doesn't actually show up until 2:50.
posted by delmoi at 11:15 AM PST - 25 comments

Glenn Fischer

Glenn Fischer : Creates beautiful mixed media works contrasting the rectangular form of the canvas with ovals of various elements. [via]
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:43 AM PST - 3 comments

"I need to get my drink on!"

Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Pearl star in The Landlord.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 10:19 AM PST - 52 comments

Thank god you're not using Internet Explorer

Welcome to Larry Brash's Microsoft and Bill Gates Joke Page.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:14 AM PST - 23 comments

So, anyone "Think Doom" yet?

Remember this? While randomly reading some assorted Digg posts, I saw someone mention the old Toshiba Liberato laptop. On doing a GIS search, up came a link to the "Apple Doomsday Clock". It just floors me that this anonymous anti-Apple blog (which even predates the word "blog"), is still online. It dates from the period when Jobs retook the CEO chair, and started turning the failing company around--the last posting was in June, 1999. Perhaps it should be treated as a historical site, and preserved for the future amusement of Mac users?
posted by metasonix at 10:06 AM PST - 28 comments

That's got to be a joke... right?

On Sunday, April 1, ThinkGeek.com jokingly introduced the 8-bit Tie, and due to customer demand, claims that now it'll be a real product. On Friday, April 13, apparently due to customer demand, hard drive manufacturer WiebeTech has now introduced the MouseJiggler, and claims it's not a joke.
posted by Fofer at 10:00 AM PST - 28 comments

Sperm Precursor Cells Created From Stem Cells

Scientists say they have successfully made immature sperm cells from human bone marrow samples.
posted by jason's_planet at 8:55 AM PST - 42 comments

Inked Pork

Wim Delvoye makes art out of skin, filming it in extreme close-up, or, at his Art Farm in China, by tattooing pigs which are later stuffed or skinned. More images: 1, 2, 3, 4.
posted by jack_mo at 7:15 AM PST - 25 comments

Don Lancaster: energy and small business

Don Lancaster: energy and small business Lancaster wrote in 'Nuts and Volts', wrote 'The Incredible Secret Money Machine', and has a website that ranges from small business to hydrogen economy to ebay to magic sinewaves. This is the link to his current blog, but take a look at his archived works. His writings on avoiding filing for patents are particularly thought-provoking and perhaps inspirational.
posted by dragonsi55 at 6:15 AM PST - 7 comments

The Objective Orbiting Eye in the Sky

Live, From Outer Space: rural fires [1, 2], The Haze in China [1 ,2, 3] and its movement, aerosols, and the brothers carbon monoxide [a photochemical smog agent] and carbon dioxide.
posted by trinarian at 2:59 AM PST - 10 comments

Domo Arigato, Maestro Roboto

Oskar, Ernest and Anatole are Les Music-Robots, a four ton punchcard controlled trio currently playing at the Berlin Museum for Communication. [More inside]
posted by zamboni at 2:29 AM PST - 5 comments

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