April 15, 2002

Can you stump the Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences?

Can you stump the Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences? Every identifiable sequence known to man, including:

Name: Busy Beaver problem: maximal number of steps that an n-state Turing machine can make on an initially blank tape before eventually halting.
Comment: The sequence grows faster than any computable function of n, and so is non-computable.
Keywords: hard,huge,nice,nonn,bref


If your sequence does not appear there, you might want to try the Super Seeker.
posted by vacapinta at 11:16 PM PST - 9 comments

I just finished e-filing my taxes and I want to tell you about it!

I just finished e-filing my taxes and I want to tell you about it! It has been, without qualification, the worst Internet experience I've ever had. The Quicken/Intuit software was confusing, my ISP and/or the Quicken server timed out and I had to re-log on about 20 times and the software requires far more intrusive answers (like email address & phone number) than any paper forms I've ever used. Anyone have a good experience e-filing or one more like mine?
posted by Lynsey at 10:39 PM PST - 49 comments

An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of the 13th Century.

An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of the 13th Century. Because you never know when you'll need to make Marrow Without Marrow (Which No One Will Suspect), forget how to grease your Chicken Called Madhûna, or need to rustle up something for the in-laws (A Dish Praised in Springtime for Those with Fulness and Those with Burning Blood).
posted by obiwanwasabi at 9:53 PM PST - 16 comments

Hacked Palestinian Sites Play Long Flash Movie of Pro-Israel Images

Hacked Palestinian Sites Play Long Flash Movie of Pro-Israel Images
Alnakba.com, a political site, is here. It and alquds.com, a newspaper's site, are hosted by Intertech, a PA ISP. I've also found at least one other Intertech site that has been defaced (1, 2). The Flash file includes a list of names of Israeli citizens killed by Palestinians. At the end, the author has placed a link to his e-mail, "dannyzion@matavtv.net." In the source, the hacker identifies as "Hacked By shmaya / Israeli Operation Force. email- shmaya@shmaya.org.il."
    The movie is displayed though a single frame whose source is here. That site points to a message board. A mirror of Alquds is here.
posted by rschram at 8:33 PM PST - 4 comments

Isreal! Palestine! Humour!

Isreal! Palestine! Humour! Rumproast.com gives you the real solution to these war weary people! My favorite is the "Freaky Friday Peace Plan". I believe it addresses mideast violence the best. Dear mideast violence. How are you? I am fine.
posted by Settle at 7:46 PM PST - 7 comments

Moccu And Friends: Ever-So-Slightly Baffling Flash Fun...

Moccu And Friends: Ever-So-Slightly Baffling Flash Fun... There's a smorgasbord of tasty Flash tidbits at Yenz.com. Moccu, mein host, is best but the X-Fish and the Secret Garden are also amusing. Now if only I could understand what it all means and what it's all in aid of...[Definitely requires Flash, btw]
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:45 PM PST - 1 comments

EuroAnts

EuroAnts Recognizing that free trade and globalization are inevitable, ants in Europe have formed a super-colony. Does their currency have pictures of generic anthills so no colony feels left out?
posted by srboisvert at 6:00 PM PST - 22 comments

Who's that in the red suit?

Who's that in the red suit? This is the American Cancer Society's campaign on colon cancer - you can even "download the Desktop Polyp" (Windows only, so I couldn't try it out). I realize this is a very serious subject, but....eeww.
posted by cakeman at 5:04 PM PST - 8 comments

The golden section

The golden section (math, graphics) is an important relation used by artists and mathematicians, among others. I'm curious if any of you have good examples of recent use.
posted by lbergstr at 5:00 PM PST - 45 comments

Nathan Lane's Successor in "The Producers" Is Fired.

Nathan Lane's Successor in "The Producers" Is Fired. (NYT Link). Replacing the hottest Broadway actor in the hottest Broadway musical and getting fired 4 weeks later's gotta suck a lot.
posted by adrober at 2:30 PM PST - 13 comments

Why it's a Good Thing (tm).

Why it's a Good Thing (tm). I can't resist. I just got my copy of the new "tell-all" on Martha Stewart, and it's a great book. Being a fan of hers, I keep hearing people call her a bitch for dominating her sphere of the business world, and making what appear to be some sound business decisions, even if she makes the mistake of neglecting some of the social niceties. Is that a double standard? Probably so. I say more power to her - my MSO stock goes up, and I always enjoy reading "behind-the-scenes" business books. Anyone else reading this?
posted by ebarker at 1:50 PM PST - 17 comments

Nearly everyone is familiar with the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Now Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber wants us to think about the new seven wonders - the wonders of the modern world. His website, new7wonders.org, allows you to peruse a list of around two dozen "modern wonders" ("modern" being a relative term - most date back hundreds or thousands of years) and vote on your seven favorites. Even if you don't vote, this is a great way to learn about astonishing places (like the old city of Sana'a in Yemen or Machu Picchu in Peru) that you might not have otherwise heard of.
Note: I found this site via a recent New York Times article about the efforts to rebuild and restore Taliban-destroyed cultural artifacts in Afghanistan. Apparently Mr Weber is also backing a plan to rebuild the Bamiyan Buddhas.
posted by anastasiav at 1:11 PM PST - 20 comments

My Dad and I Visit a Porn Set.

My Dad and I Visit a Porn Set. Jonathan Ames, an author and columnist for the New York Press, is invited by Vivid Video(NSFW) to guest direct several videos. On the second day of shooting, his father joins him. They both write about the experience.
posted by patrickje at 1:07 PM PST - 12 comments

Huge hydrogen stores found below Earth's crust.

Huge hydrogen stores found below Earth's crust. "Scientists have discovered vast quantities of hydrogen gas, widely regarded as the most promising alternative to today's dwindling stocks of fossil fuels, lying beneath the Earth's crust. The discovery has stunned energy experts, who believe that it could provide virtually limitless supplies of clean fuel for cars, homes and industry." This discovery sounds too good to be true (for us energy-hungry humans that is, bad news for the bacteria.)
posted by homunculus at 11:27 AM PST - 29 comments

"In order to master cinnamon, one must be able to simply die for a moment." Pretty words, coming from a site called Stink Factor. A seemingly normal bunch of men who occasionally go temporarily insane, Stink Factor documents their attempts to beat Herculean challenges like...eating 6 crackers in one minute. Think you could do it?
posted by iconomy at 10:39 AM PST - 19 comments

Abigail Radoszkowicz meets Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, an iconoclastic Italian Moslem scholar who believes the Jewish right to the Land of Israel is inscribed in the Koran

Abigail Radoszkowicz meets Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, an iconoclastic Italian Moslem scholar who believes the Jewish right to the Land of Israel is inscribed in the Koran This piece suggests that in fact key parts of the Koran ignored in order to further a cause. The writer, oddly, Muslim and not Jewish/Israeli.
posted by Postroad at 10:36 AM PST - 12 comments

Debunking Six Common Israeli Myths

Debunking Six Common Israeli Myths
Vital and timely reading.
posted by mapalm at 8:59 AM PST - 53 comments

Memento: File, File, File.

Memento: File, File, File. Tax Day. Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club, Invisible Monsters, Choke) reflects on Memento and the predominant art form of our time: Note Taking. He writes, "My filing system is my fetish."
posted by jacknose at 8:48 AM PST - 23 comments

Oh cripes. Not again.

Oh cripes. Not again. Remember like a year or two ago when M&M/Mars switched the lime flavored Skittle with green apple? And it totally upset that harmonic flavor balance you get when you shove a handful of Skittles into your gaping maw? This time, it's much much worse. The lemon Skittle has been replaced with one of nine white Mystery Flavors! Guess all nine and get a "FREE CHEW THE CLUETM Screensaver."

Jesus Christ. Quit screwing with my candy, people.

Warning: site saturated with #FFFF00. May cause blindness.
posted by andnbsp at 8:45 AM PST - 43 comments

<Jaws theme> Legislating a sin tax on soda </Jaws theme>

<Jaws theme> Legislating a sin tax on soda </Jaws theme> California state Senate Bill 1520 would impose an excise tax on sweetened beverages sold to retail dealers after July 1, 2003. Sen. Deborah V. Ortiz, the bill’s author, anticipates that pop distributors would pass the cost along to consumers. Just let me keep buying Entenmann's crumb cake, ok?
posted by NortonDC at 8:21 AM PST - 34 comments

does anyone else wish these guys would just go away

does anyone else wish these guys would just go away like last seasons "the bob patterson" show?
posted by specialk420 at 8:03 AM PST - 9 comments

The Junos

The Junos were last night in Newfoundland. Nickelback got Best Single, Best Rock Album and Best Group. Daniel Lanois was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
I'm stuck in Ohio, did anyone see it? I would image The Barenaked Ladies made great hosts, am I right?
Full List Of Winners.
posted by Blake at 7:06 AM PST - 13 comments

The Homer Simpson Soundboard

The Homer Simpson Soundboard is fun.
posted by pooldemon at 6:46 AM PST - 15 comments

At least four U.S. servicemen were killed

At least four U.S. servicemen were killed near Kandahar when captured enemy rockets they were trying to destroy accidentally detonated. Other servicemen were injured, and a few are missing.
posted by Kevin Sanders at 5:38 AM PST - 7 comments

Anti-immigration candidate Pim Fortuyn forges ahead in the Netherlands

Anti-immigration candidate Pim Fortuyn forges ahead in the Netherlands This guy is interesting - he's openly gay yet is the figurehead of the new right in the Netherlands. His party came out of nowhere in Rotterdam to take 17 seats and he has ambitions to be Prime Minister. His policy is to halt immigration into the most densely packed country in Europe, while retaining the nation's permissive and multicultural character. Could this be the model for future right-wing parties in Europe? Or is this just media-friendly fascism with a friendly face and a well-cut suit?
posted by hmgovt at 2:47 AM PST - 15 comments

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