January 2005 Archives
January 31
Brian Lockett's various museums
The Goleta Air & Space Museum/ Goleta Natural History Museum While looking for hot spring photos, I found this virtual museum. It is loaded with amazing shots of warbirds in flight
and the latest in space travel On the other hand some very well done nature photography.
Including desert panoramas This is all the work of one man.
poppin in the rain
I for one welcome our self aware spam bot overlords.
breaking CAPTCHAs. In this case the programmers were able to use software they had already designed to analyze images of people.
At least they'll know what to serve it with
China's Latest Innovation: Fish Wine
The French used grapes, Russians fermented potatoes, Koreans put ginseng in their drink and Mexicans distilled cactus plants to make fiery tequila.
Now China has made wine out of fish.
The French used grapes, Russians fermented potatoes, Koreans put ginseng in their drink and Mexicans distilled cactus plants to make fiery tequila.
Now China has made wine out of fish.
We've even got broadband, but we use rope instead of string for that.
Web design guru versus the telemarketers: designer Andy Clarke has posted his experiences with vendors of telephone services, windows, kitchens and advertising, as well as selected lines from other encounters; if the web-design thing doesn't pan out he may have a future in comedy...
Relief takes wing
You can give airline miles for tsunami relief. Link goes to a Goggle tsunami info page. Full airline links are inside.
hahah!! history repeats itself.
United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in [insert country]'s presidential election despite a [insert terror group] terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting. According to reports from [insert besieged capital city], 83 per cent of the 5.85 million registered voters cast their ballots yesterday. Many of them risked reprisals threatened by the [insert terror group].
....A successful election has long been seen as the keystone in President [insert idiotic Texas Republican]'s policy of encouraging the growth of constitutional processes in [insert besieged country]. The election was the culmination of a constitutional development that began in [insert date], to which President [insert idiotic Texas Republican] gave his personal commitment when he met [foreign puppet politician], the chief of state, in Honolulu in February.
Dateline? Sept. 4th, 1967.
Fact-Checked with archived NYT links at Daily KOS.
....A successful election has long been seen as the keystone in President [insert idiotic Texas Republican]'s policy of encouraging the growth of constitutional processes in [insert besieged country]. The election was the culmination of a constitutional development that began in [insert date], to which President [insert idiotic Texas Republican] gave his personal commitment when he met [foreign puppet politician], the chief of state, in Honolulu in February.
Dateline? Sept. 4th, 1967.
Fact-Checked with archived NYT links at Daily KOS.
Failures of vision corrective surgery.
Surgical Eyes - source of info about complications and their treatment from Lasik and other vision correction surgeries.
Hypothesis as thought-crime
Hypothesis as thought-crime ...Now, however, a new brouhaha has erupted [at Harvard]and it seems impossible that Summers [the president]will emerge from this one without serious erosion of his moral authority. The trigger was a statement he made at a conference, suggesting that the reason there are more men than women in the mathematical sciences at top-flight institutions has to do with a small statistical difference in inate ability, which becomes a pretty large disparity when one looks at the 'high end' of the respective distribution curves...
The fatal words did not set forth his main theme, but merely constituted a brief aside, thoroughly hedged and qualified. Nonetheless, they touched off a firestorm of indignation, the most striking aspect of which was the intemperate response of a number of feminist scientists, who offered no counter-arguments, but simply declared the whole idea misogynistic and therefore forbidden intellectual territory.
Tickets, please.
TV Tickets! A great gallery of tickets to TV show tapings, some going back to the 1950s. Includes some fascinating commentary by Mark Evanier.
Yet more travel photography.
Plan your escape route. [flash]
Pokemon causes cancer
Pokemon causes cancer. Looks like they're not just limited to epileptic seizures anymore.
(via Gamespot)
Link Spammers
Interview with a Link Spammer. [via] Get to know one of the scummy linkpimping bottomfeeders who abuse our referrer logs and weblog comments, then take measures to protect yourself. AnnElisabeth.com has much more (just keep scrolling), and of course, check your own weblog software for rel="nofollow" updates.
Build a fort! Build A THOUSAND FORTS!
Remote control helicopter videos
Almost there
Quicktime virtual reality panoramas of thousands of picturesque places in the Western United States and Canada. Feast your eyes on The Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite, Mossbrae Falls, Monument Valley, a Ghost Town, the Cascades, Palm Canyon, Joshua Tree, Las Vegas, Redwood Forests, poppy fields, palm groves, and Bumpass Hell. (via Highways West) (previous Mefi appearance)
Handling Porcupines, Trolls, and Other Online Vermin
New new thing or more of the same?
10 most important ideas of 2004: blogs and the Internet highlights some interesting views on the relationship of blogs to mainstream journalism. In light of the recent discussion relating to that topic, it is interesting to see some new views emerge.
BecauseYoureLazy
M & M Sorter Because you're Lazy
Tracy Boulian
Tracy Boulian's sports photography is dramatic, humane, sometimes eerie, and sometimes simply beautiful.
World's Smallest PacMan Game
World's Smallest PacMan Game [Flash, sound]
barhopping to the nth degree
NYC man pledges to visit 1000 bars in 2005. That's an average of about three per day, and as of yesterday he was already up to 135. Pray for his liver.
Judge backs Guantanamo challenge
Judge backs Guantanamo challenge A US judge has ruled that special military tribunals being used to try hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba are illegal.
Vision without Sight
Esref Armagan is an accomplished painter, and has been blind since infancy. Brain scans show he uses his visual cortex while drawing, but not while imagining an image (as a sighted person does.)
Amazing mind-reading (?) web site
Pretty slick mind-reading trick... Perhaps wizened MetaFilter readers will see through its inner workings, but to me, this site just looked like magic. The page vanishes after a minute of disuse, so you may need to link more than once.
(My first post on MF.)
Good type feels good
Thinking with Type The online companion to the book of the same name offers a nice little online primer on the finer points of typography, including my favourite new online game: Dumb Quotes. Remember kids: only you can prevent poor kerning.
Bastard Nation
"Why is my birth certificate a state secret?" asks Bastard Nation. The group's fight for unconditional access to non-falsified birth records - start with The Basic Bastard, including a history of sealed adoption records in the USA - has enemies, which of course include Fox's "Who's Your Daddy?"
World Social Forum open source software gathering
Pushing the open source agenda to the international stage. Brazilian Pop superstar / Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil, Grateful dead lyricist John Barlow and others participated yesterday in a World Social Forum gathering in Alegre, Brazil to urge a free open source software policy in the developing world. An open source constitutional discussed previously on metafilter here.
We got Tom Brokaw at ABC and we can get you.
"You have the audacity to call me intelligent.” We covered Spongebob promotes the gay here. Now comes an amusing coda: a catfight between the Dobson forces, who started an anti-media email campaign, and Keith Olbermann, who printed and ridiculed said email. Dobson's people claim victory because Olbermann spent so much time on them, and Olbermann, a trifle defensive about the secular media, makes more fun.
SBC to Acquire AT&T for $16 Billion
SBC to Acquire AT&T for $16 Billion or Death to the Deathstar "Luke, I am your father![pdf] " -Noooooo... oh wait, now I own you.
stems cells-->neurons
Make Poverty History
MakePovertyHistory. "The gap between the worlds’s rich and poor has never been wider. Malnutrition, AIDS, conflict and illiteracy are a daily reality for millions."
This seems like an interesting endeavour, with people like Nelson Mandela involved, as well. I'm a bit of a cynic about this because one of the biggest endorsements has come from Gordon Brown. He's a known quantity, and I wonder if this is another P.R. run to bolster his international credentials.
Oh, and there's a possibility it could be blocked before it gathers enough steam -- so much for Soft Power.
37 degrees of separation
Mapping couplings at a high school Sociologists graphed the romantic and sexual relationships of 80% of an entire high school (832 out of ~1000 students). The research indicates that high schoolers lack sexual alpha-persons resulting in partner maps that are mostly long lines rather than the more hub and spoke like maps common in adult maps.
January 30
Swearing Jesus
Swearing Jesus - Is that what you got, pendejo?
The Future of time
The Future of time "Designers from more than 72 countries explored and visualized personal and portable timekeeping 150 years into the future" (via Gravity Lens)
canada does it again
these must be the First Variety
Movie-haulic?
filmaffinity.com looks like another useful tool to get recommendations for your viewing pleasure-once more of us start rating! It's in English and Spanish now (with more languages yet to come). Movielens seems promising as well. IMDb Pro looks cool too, though I haven't gone that far. However, this guy says beware!!
Why Rebels Must Be Middle Class
Israeli Pro-Palestinian activist Tali Fahima to remain in custody. Tali Fahima grew up in a conservative desert town in Israel and voted Likud for years. As the second intifada erupted she read about the brutality of the occupation on the Internet and eventually travelled to Jenin refugee camp where she met Zakariyeh Zbeideh, a local leader of the terrorist organization and Fatah offshoot, Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade. She was arrested and jailed in Israel, accused of translating a document for Zbeideh into Arabic. that allowed him to warn fighters marked for Israeli assassination.
Fahima has been under arrest nearly six months. Her case has gained prominence not just because she is an Israeli Jew supporting Palestinian resistance but because she is a Mizrahi, a Sephardic or "Arab" Jew. This group has historically formed a solid bloc of support for aggressive policies against the Palestinians. [MI]
Fahima has been under arrest nearly six months. Her case has gained prominence not just because she is an Israeli Jew supporting Palestinian resistance but because she is a Mizrahi, a Sephardic or "Arab" Jew. This group has historically formed a solid bloc of support for aggressive policies against the Palestinians. [MI]
Getting inside Movie Fan's heads
"Unsatisfactory movie viewing can only be attributed to human error." The Denver Post examines the way technology can help viewers find their next favorite movie.
Unemployment Benefits & Brothels
“If you don't take a job as a prostitute, we can stop your benefits”
Prostitution was legalized in Germany just over two years ago, and brothel owners, who must pay tax and employee health insurance, have been granted access to official government databases of jobseekers and have equal status with any other employer. As a result, job centres must treat employers looking for a prostitute in the same way as those looking for a dental nurse. Under Germany's welfare reforms, any woman under 55 who has been out of work for more than a year can be forced to take an available job or lose her unemployment benefit.
“There is now nothing in the law to stop women from being sent into the sex industry. The new regulations say that working in the sex industry is not immoral any more, and so jobs cannot be turned down without a risk to benefits.”
Prostitution was legalized in Germany just over two years ago, and brothel owners, who must pay tax and employee health insurance, have been granted access to official government databases of jobseekers and have equal status with any other employer. As a result, job centres must treat employers looking for a prostitute in the same way as those looking for a dental nurse. Under Germany's welfare reforms, any woman under 55 who has been out of work for more than a year can be forced to take an available job or lose her unemployment benefit.
“There is now nothing in the law to stop women from being sent into the sex industry. The new regulations say that working in the sex industry is not immoral any more, and so jobs cannot be turned down without a risk to benefits.”
armchair excursion to the Alps
I came upon an enchanting gallery of Lac Léman ice storm photos via presurfer today, which then led me to some rather beautiful scenes of the the Alps. There was also an amazing shot from space, and a link to another site where I followed hikers to les Massif de Bauges and le Massif de la Grande Chartreuse. OK, I didn't get my work done today, but I had a marvelous trip to the Alps.
WE WANT YOUR HEART!
Everybody At the Beach! (.mov, slightly NSFW) - Need New Body's music has been described as psychedelic, unnerving, and all-out spastic. But really, what's not to love about a band with lyrics like "Pen pen pen! Where's my pen?!"
Star Wars fun
What Star Wars SHOULD be. Because parody is GOOD.
Alex Grey
Alex Grey's Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. Grey has been around for a long time but hasn't been linked here before. He has a new DVD out called World Spirit, which you can watch clips from online. [Via Future Hi.]
Quebec plans to butt out...
It's only a matter of time before Canada's last bastion of smoke-filled cafes frequented by tortured artists succumbs to the trend sweeping the nation, and the world. The real question is: do they care about our health, or are they trying to stop a conspiracy?
As long as they don't ban poutine, I think we'll be okay.
Bosnia's horrific war memories
Bosnia's horrific war memories There were countless horrors in the wars which led to the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. A Serbian army general has now surrendered to the authorities and will go to the United Nations tribunal in The Hague to answer war crimes charges dating back to 1999. But what happens once camp guards have served their sentences?
Dragan Kolundzija (Kole) stood trial in The Hague in Holland in 1999
Dragan Kolundzija, Kole to his friends, is sitting at the bar of the Hotel Prijedor when we enter....
Squared Circle
Flickr-related projects like this depend on licensed photos. The red bands on this image show unlicensed photos, and how much the project could grow. Also of interest is Color Fields, and the Squared Circle Color Picker.
Trapped by the Three Dustbins of History
Fred Halliday sets out an alternative thesis on the forces behind our historical era. Are we trapped by ‘Three Dustbins’ left over from the Cold War: Deep-frozen dictatorships and ethic conflicts, an arrogant and unreflective West and finally a disorganised and sometimes ill informed opposition to all this? I don’t know – but it’s an interesting idea.
Iraq Votes
Shame on you all
Blackface
Blackface : From mainstream entertainment to (nearly?) being considered a hate crime. Do we still have 21st century minstrel shows? Can one "plainly see similarities between the insulting stereotypes acted out by blackface minstrels like Al Jolson in the 19th and early 20th century and today's actors who play exaggerated, cutesy roles of gay people in the 21st century" ?
Here is a larger question: Is humor and ridicule a necessary first step down the path to eventual acceptance? Is that what Spike Lee is saying in Bamboozled or is he saying we haven't progressed as far as we think?
And I thought a few hours of jet lag was bad.
For 170 years, crossing the Channel from the UK to France would have brought you 11 days forward in time, and crossing back would have brought you 11 days earlier. Why? Because the Church of England wasn't about to adopt a new Calendar instituted by a Catholic pope. After all, if the old style was good enough for Caesar.... In fact, it took over 300 years for the new Gregorian Calendar to come into use throughout Europe, causing, no doubt, more than a few missed lunch dates as people forgot to convert between them as they traveled.
There are, of course, many other calendars in use around the world, and no shortage of people suggesting that let's do the time warp again.
Make sure it's clean!
Beyond boxers or briefs: Undergarments vary much more than the current styles we find in the nearest haberdashery department or at Victoria's Secret. Mormons have the temple garment. Suffragettes invented bloomers, the next bold step after pantaloons. But throughout modern Western history, women tended to wear dress-like undergarments, (with or without accompanying drawers) though both 19th century men and women wore the union suit, an earlier type of long-johns.
Of course, there's always the earliest of them all, the loincloth, worn by the ancient Egyptians and Tarzan. Similar is the malo worn by some Pacific Islanders, the Japanese fundoshi (warning: excess of manflesh), and the more elaborate Indian dhoti, the male companion to the sari.
And we mustn't forget the bra! Though not a lower-body garment, it has had a long--if tumultuous--history worthy of quick mention.
Of course, there's always the earliest of them all, the loincloth, worn by the ancient Egyptians and Tarzan. Similar is the malo worn by some Pacific Islanders, the Japanese fundoshi (warning: excess of manflesh), and the more elaborate Indian dhoti, the male companion to the sari.
And we mustn't forget the bra! Though not a lower-body garment, it has had a long--if tumultuous--history worthy of quick mention.
Lehitraot, Ephraim.
Estonian soviet-era TV-ads
January 29
in all thy sons command? What about the babes?
Bryan Boyce's animation
If at first you don't secede...
Those OLD states are totally 2004.
I should wait until Thursday, but: If you're fed up with the idea of living in America OR Canada, consider moving to The State of Jefferson, a county on the Cali/Oregon border with big dreams and a kickass flag.
Of course, they haven't seceded yet, but when they do, it's only going to be a matter of time before we can all live in the utopian Republic of Cascadia, where, as Jefferson residents, we'll run on Metric Time and help strengthen Cascadia's southern border against Californian incursions.
And hey! Public radio!
And hey! Public radio!
More than 2,000 psychedelic experiences
Dr. Ecstasy. (NYT) A peek inside Sasha Shulgin's infamous lab.
Xerox stains on yr fingers
Flipside No. 1. Before MTV and Vans got ahold of it, this is what punk rock looked like: Tiny, grimy, Xeroxed and rad. Tip o' the hat to the Boingstaz and our own Mr. Bali Hai
I shake my little tush on the catwalk
What can a giant rhyming cat teach kids about conveyance safety? Safe-T Rider kicks it old-skool for the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation.
Momblogging
Momblogging. The NY Times (reg. required) looks at some blogging mamas. As someone who's regularly losing friends to the new-parent netherworld of suburbia and early nights, I had previously had little interest in reading about childrearing. I checked out Bad Mother because I'm a fan of the author's husband - the novelist Michael Chabon - and realised it was a hoot. I also like the Pessoptimist. So what other good bringing-up-baby blogs are out there?
Drinking Will Crack You Up
Hello to you, my name is Liquor Control Bee (wav). Meet L.C. Bee -- his songs are sure to keep your kids uncrunked. Part of an elite cabal of juvenile moralizers, L.C. Bee is currently collaborating on an album with Daren the D.A.R.E lion (WAV). These kids today, you know.
Nothing that is beautiful will harm the workers
"Greek art will never keep the workers from claiming their world; in fact, it will help them to realise what a stunted life they have hitherto led." wrote one of the supporters of the Workers Educational Association. The WEA was started to provide a college level education to workers. It's rival, the Pleb League, accused them of selling out to capitalists. The classics have inspired people, and continue to do so today.
The Continuing Adventures of a Total Wank Stain
Trashbat.co.ck. From the twin serpents of Charlie Brooker and Chris Morris - both men linked and discussed here before - comes their latest experiment. It's a series on one Mr. Nathan Barley, and while it's hard to tell precisely what it shall be, the pedigree screams quality.
Ed Emberly's Big Blue Metafilter Thread
Of the few memories I still have of childhood, Ed Emberley is tops among them. Though I am to this day a miserable artist, his drawing books were staples of my young life. And I always thought he was my little secret. [via BoingBoing]
McD's dumb sex ad
Double Cheeseburger? I'd hit it. Oh man, the buns on that quarter pounder are totally hott.
Jim Capaldi dies at 60.
Jim Capaldi, legendary rock & roll drummer and Hall of Fame inductee, died Friday at the age of 60 after a brief fight with stomach cancer.
Errol Morris != Morris the Cat
Errol Morris :
respected filmmaker,
editorialist,
grump,
and creator of some great commercials [QT]. The
Sharp series
is noteworthy for him straying from his usual non-fiction work. His site
is chock full of interesting stuff for a Saturday surf.
USAF playing cat and mouse game over Iran
USAF playing cat and mouse game over Iran and yes: there is no hard evidence that this is taking place. But we do recall what Bush had earlier said about the axis of evil and his warnings to Iran about nuke capability. "The U.S. Air Force is playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Iran's ayatollahs, flying American combat aircraft into Iranian airspace in an attempt to lure Tehran into turning on air defense radars, thus allowing U.S. pilots to grid the system for use in future targeting data, administration officials said.
"We have to know which targets to attack and how to attack them," said one, speaking on condition of anonymity.
ytcracker - hardcore nerd rap
ytcracker - "if this is your first time to ytcracker.com, allow me to thank you for coming here. i am the self-proclaimed king of true computer nerd rap. i represent the dirty nerdy south and digital gangsters worldwide. after conquering chess clubs across the globe, my mission has been to provide my fellow hackers, spammers, carders, and phreaks something to get down to."
I suggest f*ck antis about fighting the anti-spammers, drink more, post more about message board hijinks, and the instrumental techno tune, baby be my twisted pair.
I suggest f*ck antis about fighting the anti-spammers, drink more, post more about message board hijinks, and the instrumental techno tune, baby be my twisted pair.
Six Feet Under
Want to get buried in a fish, an airplane, or car? A visit with Ghana's fantasy coffin manufacturers just might help you achieve your dreams for death. Check out the pictures.
nsfw http://tinyurl.com/5aqry nsfw
NNDB is an intelligence aggregator that tracks the activities of people we have determined to be noteworthy, both living and dead.
Great Googly Moogly
Forget about P&G and Gilette, how 'bout Google & Firefox? Is Google developing their own browser? They appear to be hiring Firefox developers. Can Googzilla be far behind?
His Royal Master of Images: Alan Aldridge
Alan Aldridge was called "His Royal Master of Images to Their Majesties The Beatles" by John Lennon, and is probably best known for his Beatles Illustrated Lyrics, but I was looking for his delightful illustrations for "The Butterfly Ball", and found some here and here click through for larger images), and then was lucky enough to also find another web collection of his work grouped under the heading "Animal Spirits". Don't miss the wonderful self portrait from his gallery pages.
January 28
Thanks for the memories
Thanks for the memories ..."I know it’s a fallacy * That grown men never cry
Baby, that’s a lie * We had our bed of roses
But forgot that roses die * And thank you so much..."
Thwip!
Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can... (NSFW)
FridayGossipFilter, Part infinity
Hey kids! Guess who's first cousins with our new Secretary of State? why, it's Vaginal Creme Davis! Juicy tidbits from the multitalented first cousin Ms. Rice would rather you not know about, and who wishes that Ms. Davis wouldn't mention to anyone. Very juicy, and NSFW probably. : >
Best Radio Station Ever
Revolution Radio is a concept that died in Minneapolis years ago. It never had a chance to take off before being assimilated by the RadioBorg -- the idea that you play good songs, regardless of whether or not they fit under some canned "format." The Suburbs. The Beatles. G-Love and Special Sauce. X. Tori Amos. Adam and the Ants. Loretta Lynn. Trip Shakespeare.Their playlist definitely leans more toward the "alternative" side of the dial than anything else, but now, thanks to Minnesota Public Radio's brand-new station, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the musical variety. Submit a request online. Not fortunate enough to live in Minnesota? You can still listen along to commercial-free radio a couple of different formats. Viva la revolution!
vote and/or die
National Lampoon appears to be less than optimistic about the election in Iraq. Nevertheless, Bush seems to expect much of what's depicted in that satire, he manages to maintain higher hopes in the end. I'm sure Jim Henry would love to give a pre-election pep talk.
Make it so, for fuck's sake.
Profit!
- Glom onto wannabe Hollywood scene
- ???
- Profit!
Cut With The Kitchen Knife
Hannah Höch was one of the great queer female artists of the 20th century and one of the brilliant minds behind the Berlin DaDa Movement. One of the pioneers of photomontage, Höch's work is still among the best in the medium even today.
Etch-a-Sketch
Etch-a-Sketch options: if you don't want to buy one of several off-the-shelf choices, you can modify a classic Etch-a-Sketch so that it uses a serial mouse. Or play online (Shockwave required). And for the less active, why not order one showing your portrait for $5,000 to $8,000? (See the gallery here for a dozen examples of the artist's work, and the artist's website for full information. )
[Preventive strike against double-post monitors: some MetaFilterite comments about Etch-a-Sketch can be found at this June 2000 post.]
Best use of beer ever.
Wikipes
Wikipes is another application of wiki. Everybody go in, put in some of your favorite recipes, and cook dinner for your sweety. Thank me later.
Oversight
International Ombudsmen: There's one for Europe, several in the United Kingdom. Ireland has one, as does Northern Ireland. Australia has a really great one. In Canada and the USA, Ombudsmen oversee individual provinces and states. Neither has a federal ombudsman with government-wide jurisdiction.
wax on, wax off
gorgeous women getting waxed for the first time (sfw) "There's hardly a square centimeter of nudity in this video for a catchy pop tune by Markus Nikolai, but we're certain there's a bunch of gently sadistic Brazilian wax fetishists out there getting off on the facial expressions of all those cute twentysomething girls with Australian British accents experiencing the skin-wrenching thrill of the wooden spatula for the first time."
Jonathan Katz
Dr. Katz has multiple sclerosis. A great profile of comedian Jonathan Katz, who is now battling the horrible disease.
Have you seen this girl?
Carol Hersee playing tic tac toe with a clown is one of the most widely-seen images on television. The demi-famous Test Card F, its history and purpose.
Lessing, Bollier, Boyle, and McLeod
Fair Use and "Digital Environmentalism" - NYU journalism head Robert Boynton reviews four recent books (the 4th) about intellectual property and the public domain.
Useful critique or pointless nitpicking?
Dick Cheney, Dressing Down I can't decide if this is interesting cultural criticism or ridiculous nitpicking about something that isn't very important. Maybe it's both. Side note: It's a nice change to read about a male politician's appearance and wardrobe for once.
Finding diamonds, eating pizza, getting attacked...
Hell Yes... It's time for some Friday Flash Fun! (Well sort of, since even though this video was probably created in Flash, it's delivered in crap-tacular streaming format) Anyway, everyone's favorite white-boy (or "guero") hip-hop superstar is back in action with a new video [rm] [asx] for his forthcoming album. The video was created by Flash maestro Mumbleboy, and for those that found Beck's last outing a little vanilla for their tastes, it signals a welcome return to the man's Chunky Monkey roots. Enjoy!
Tough Day at work?
Things you'd like to say at work. Having a tough day at work? Dreading a particular meeting?
Come prepared, and arm yourself.
Levitated
Levitated: the Exploration of Computation Digital flash art ranging from generated poetry to evolution. I could waste hours on this page.
Class action suit fun time !
Got certain DVD ? Join class action, get replacement ! Apparently MGM mislabeled (or simply sold ?) from 1998 to 2003 a few hundred DVD titles as Widescreen format while they were not really Widescreen. As one must respect MPAA they must respect our looking in this list to see if our dvd titles are in the list and our joining class action. Let's not be on the receiving end for a change ! (via HardOcp (SFW))
Spongebob joins an all-star cast
Spongebob is pointed at as causing moral decay today. But the idea of blaming animated characters for societal ills is nothing new. The 1934 Production Code changed the scantily-clad Betty Boop into a wholesome girl. Racial stereotyping dominated cartoons of the 1940s. The Flintstones even shilled for Winston cigarettes. Should cartoon characters reflect the morals of cartoon watchers?
Worst. Video Games. Ever.
You can drive an 18-wheeler up a cliff, but it still sucks. Scathing and amusing, Gamespot rips a new one in this title from Gamemill. Yet Eric Schomberg would tell you that Backyard Wrestling holds the title of suck. Either way, no matter how evil the reviews get, someone's gotta get granular with a full frontal assault on the worst movies to disgrace video games. And if you still can't figure out what to avoid, there's always Seanbaby to guide you.
A Grammar Test -
A Grammar Test - How is your grammar? Are you proficient with the English language? Here is a little test of 34 questions to help you check yourself. Or, perhaps grammar doesn't trip your trigger. You may want to try the Punctuation and Capitalization test.
Easy ways to improve Men's Magazines.
Easy ways to improve Men's Magazines. Ever notice that the content in men's magazines such as GQ and Men's Health seems a bit vapid? Perhaps they could learn a thing or two from this list of suggested additions. More sharks, less cologne ads. Sounds better already, doesn't it? Now if only they could have Stallone personally deliver the copies to my door. Looks like he could use the work anyway.
Self-defence with a Walking-stick
Self-defence with a Walking-stick : The Different Methods of Defending Oneself with a Walking-Stick or Umbrella when Attacked under Unequal Conditions (Part I) (with pictures!) :: via The Journal of Non-Lethal combatives ::
Eventually You'll Get Pretend Cancer
Sculptures from famous paintings
Artists from Parastone Studios bring famous paintings to life by creating sculptures from the characters in them: Hieronymus Bosch, Dali, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and more.
Stop Bitching, Start a Revolution!
"Stop Bitching, Start a Revolution!" • In the same comic deadpan spirit as his other video, Evan Maloney from Brain-Terminal.com consoles protesters on Inauguration Day with softball questions and Hero Builders toys.
On Pluto Spit Matters
It gets worse before it gets better
Iraq - Pulitzer prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh shares his thoughts on the path of america. (streaming video and audio, transcript included. Video is long, 20 minutes 49 seconds. Worth watching) Seymour Hersh works for the newyorker. He is best known for breaking the My Lai massacre story from Vietnam.
Blame Canada.
Same-sex marriages in Canada may be coming soon, but that's nothing. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that it's OK to masturbate in front of your windows! (Full ruling here, previous mefi discussion here.) The Conservatives in Canada worry that all this moral decadence may lead to polygamy, but Canada's had a polygamist community for some time now. Still, the government does seem to be examining the issue. Meanwhile, parents in Atlantic Canada are outraged their children are learning about mutual masturbation and oral sex. What's next -- adults-only barbershops? Oh, wait....
January 27
More Cowbell^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Sax!
Ever notice a little too much sax in 80's music? (Warning: Slow loading page---lots of embedded Quicktime.)
We're all to blame.
We're all to blame. In January 2002, Scott Ritter called Iraq a "phantom threat" and warned us of Ahmed Chalabi's "dubious motivations" for fomenting a war based on phony intel. Now Ritter is saying that we're all responsible for Iraq, because we, as a public, bought into the unproven argument that Iraq had WMDs. In that light, how should we view the Iranian situation? Is it fair for the US to use its power to insist upon arguably hypocritical terms for a fellow signatary to the Non Proliferation Treaty? Doesn't Iran have legitimate rights for nuclear development? Shouldn't we demand proof of a nuclear weapons program before we even consider starting a conflict our military believes would most certainly escalate?
The Bush administration says that "there's NO DOUBT that Iran continues a nuclear program"... an obvious lie. There is no proof of an Iranian nuclear weapons program. Period.
And They're Off!
Get to votin'. In Sydney, the first votes were cast in the Iraqi elections, 48 hours before it starts in Iraq itself. I went down to the nearest polling booth to get a feel for the turnout. It's being organised by the best in the business, but will it make a difference if nobody comes to the party?
Payola: it's not just for radio anymore
And then there were 3 --(salon, watch ad or use bugmenot) One day after President Bush ordered his Cabinet secretaries to stop hiring commentators to help promote administration initiatives, and one day after the second high-profile conservative pundit was found to be on the federal payroll, a third embarrassing hire has emerged. Meet Michael McManus. Who's next in PayolaGate?
And in the Senate, they're going to be introducing a 'Stop Government Propaganda Act.'
Even Jonah Goldberg (on the right) is actually calling for a real investigation .
but what is solid information?
Liquid Information. Does it change anything? Or is it just like the Trillian wikipedia lookup function, only not as good?
Major Soccer/Football Prospect
Sports Illustrated explains seven or eight professional soccer/football teams, including highly regarded Manchester United and FC Porto, are interested in "a phenomenon, probably the best player to come out of Brazil" : Jean Carlos Chera, nine years old and 4' 6". A video (additional source) [wmv format, 8MB] demonstrates Jean's abilities.
Richard Price
Who can invent for us a cartography of autonomy, who can draw a map that includes our desires? - Hakim Bey
Cartography is a skill pretty much taken for granted now, but it wasn't always so. Accurate maps were once prized state secrets, laborious efforts that cost a fortune and took years (or even decades) to complete.
How things have changed. (Yours now, $110) It took almost 500 years to map North America, but it's only taken one tenth of that to map just everything else. In the last 50 years, we've been able to create acurate atlases of two planets and one moon (with a second in the works). Actually, we've done a lot more than that. We're actually running out of things to map.
Maybe Not.
How things have changed. (Yours now, $110) It took almost 500 years to map North America, but it's only taken one tenth of that to map just everything else. In the last 50 years, we've been able to create acurate atlases of two planets and one moon (with a second in the works). Actually, we've done a lot more than that. We're actually running out of things to map.
Maybe Not.
Hallelujah
"Precious Lord" sung by Mahalia Jackson (mp3)
No artist brought more acclaim to gospel music than Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972). Beginning in 1950, her divine (.wav) talents were featured weekly on Studs Turkel's radio program, and through her music and gentle personality she became so beloved worldwide that her funeral rivaled that of royalty. Mahalia sang "Precious Lord" at Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral -- at Mahalia's funeral, Aretha Franklin did the honors. Mahalia was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame posthumously in 1997. Word has it she also made a mean okra gumbo.
No artist brought more acclaim to gospel music than Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972). Beginning in 1950, her divine (.wav) talents were featured weekly on Studs Turkel's radio program, and through her music and gentle personality she became so beloved worldwide that her funeral rivaled that of royalty. Mahalia sang "Precious Lord" at Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral -- at Mahalia's funeral, Aretha Franklin did the honors. Mahalia was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame posthumously in 1997. Word has it she also made a mean okra gumbo.
Little-Known U.S. Document Signed by President Adams Proclaims America's Government Is Secular
Little-Known U.S. Document Signed by President Adams Proclaims America's Government Is Secular Some people today assert that the United States government came from Christian foundations. They argue that our political system represents a Christian ideal form of government and that Jefferson, Madison, et al, had simply expressed Christian values while framing the Constitution. If this proved true, then we should have a wealth of evidence to support it, yet just the opposite proves the case.
Although, indeed, many of America's colonial statesmen practiced Christianity, our most influential Founding Fathers broke away from traditional religious thinking. The ideas of the Great Enlightenment that began in Europe had begun to sever the chains of monarchical theocracy. These heretical European ideas spread throughout early America. Instead of relying on faith, people began to use reason and science as their guide. The humanistic philosophical writers of the Enlightenment, such as Locke, Rousseau, and Voltaire, had greatly influenced our Founding Fathers and Isaac Newton's mechanical and mathematical foundations served as a grounding post for their scientific reasoning.
Have you made any redundancies?
When Good Things Go American. Fans of The Office on the BBC may feel a redundacy after watching the NBC pilot.
404's 4 U
404 Research Lab . Not that I'm sorry for the double post, but I was inspired by this 404 and went searching for some more. Some of them are funny, some let you play games, some are just creepy.
What's everyone else's favorites?
Ngage self-destruct mechanism!
Introducing the Gizmondo handheld games console from Tiger Telematics. It's like the PSP, only DOOMED.
Earmarked
Visitors to the US tagged with RFID chips? They already use them on goods and livestock, but soon also foreign visitors will be earmarked. Will it make the US a safer country?
Red Devil Games TVC
This is, quite possibly, the funniest TV spot for an independent videogame retailer I've ever seen. Not that there are many out there (funny ones, I mean). There's more here and here. (via Joystiq, requires QT)
Hacker or Lynx user?
Boing Boing says he's a Lynx user , but British Telecom declared him a hacker and that's what the BBC is carrying. There's no way to tell who's right yet, but I'd say the Bloggers are betting on Lynx user. Anyone got an update?
Scifi hoax and print on demand
PublishAmerica is having a rough month.
After being sued by 150 authors who felt they were deceived by the company, and taking a beating a couple of days ago at the hands of the Washington Post, PublishAmerica has become the object of an elaborate hoax perpetrated by a group of science fiction writers, a novel called Atlanta Nights, by one Travis Tea. [more inside]
Tree Climbers International
This week's Time for Kids magazine, [fifth-grade reading level req.] includes an interesting feature on Tree Climbers International an organization that teaches people how to climb nearly any tree... Not just a sport for kids anymore. These days, large trees that were once considered too big to climb can now be scaled with ease and safety. Even by grown-ups.
Multilingual Swearing
Malu cachu (that's Welsh, I'll leave the interpreting to you) - a comprehensive guide to swearing in 165 languages. This probably offers the most appeal to the younger crowd, subverting classroom etiquette undetected--but it's not without its draw for the inebriated.
It may also be a good idea to cross check your business name before going global. A representative of AmaCorp visiting Japan is likely to catch a few odd looks.
It's Crispin Glover
Nekkid Czech Nerds
Da Vinci's workshop
Happy Scrappy
Welcome to Scrappyland. A site devoted to a long-lost cartoon character from the 1930s.
Choke on this, dad.
Family ties unraveling. Henry Heimlich, the inventor of the Heimlich Maneuver for choking, has been hounded for more than two years by a persistent critic, who who has used multiple aliases to gather information on Henry Heimlich and his associates. He's used a web site to attack Henry Heimlich's research theories. He's called for investigations by the Ohio Medical Board and the Ohio Attorney General's office.
The critic is Peter Heimlich, the doctor's son.
The critic is Peter Heimlich, the doctor's son.
A pronounced deficiency in IQ
Redneck ebonics triumphs. Merriam-Webster online now gives "nu-kyu-lar" as an alternative pronunication of "nuclear." While dictionaries have become more descriptive and less prescriptive over the years, shouldn't they at least list it as [idiotic variant]?
Bad Guys
"Can a bad man be a good poet?" Some well-written thoughts on morality, matters of taste, and art by David Orr.
Oh MY GOD!!! How cool is this?
A9 yellow pages features PHOTOS!!! So A9 starts doing yellow pages, and I'm thinking, big deal, right? But then, I think, ok I'll check out some Italian restaurants near my work, cause it's close to lunch. And that's, well, ok, but what's the big deal?
But then, I click on one of the little numbers in the map, AND THERE'S A PHOTO of the restaurant, right there! And little arrows, so I can WALK UP AND DOWN THE STREET!!!
And here's how they did it! (via kottke)
Mojo's Top 100 Soundtracks of All Time.
Mojo's top 100 soundtracks -- well thought out, with some rediscovered classics, and a few obscure gems.
[via largeheartedboy]
How to manipulate groupthink
How to manipulate groupthink: Create a group participation technique that looks and sounds equitable and solicits feedback. Use the feedback to isolate leaders, loudmouths, pushovers and those who agree or disagree with your hidden agenda. Set these groups against each other until your hidden agenda moves from a subject for debate to a principle accepted as true that frames the debate. Start a cable channel! Hope America doesn't learn how to fight back.
ET, Moan Home!
Moan Home!
Jenna Jameson, further pushing into the mainstream and "coming" to a cellphone near you, is now going to sell her "moan tones" for $2.50 a pop.
Best bit of the article? "If you can get her to say my name then I would buy it. I need that kind of personal attention," said New Yorker Julian McCullough.
Jenna Jameson, further pushing into the mainstream and "coming" to a cellphone near you, is now going to sell her "moan tones" for $2.50 a pop.
Best bit of the article? "If you can get her to say my name then I would buy it. I need that kind of personal attention," said New Yorker Julian McCullough.
Use of AbsorbShun natural powder in any quantity may cause temporary tenderness and micro abrasions to the genital area.
A Natural Solution for a Tighter Vagina Dry sex is extremely popular in Africa due to the sensation of tightness and additional friction it provides, despite the fact that it is associated with higher rates of HIV transmission. But if you don't have access to mutendo wegudo (soil with baboon urine), Scott and Cynthia Koss have the product for you.
Naked Washington
Naked Washington. The Boy Scout Memorial statues in Washington, DC always struck me as a bit odd. Why is this kid leading a naked man? Or maybe, better, why is a naked man
pursuing this kid? Maybe if the guy from Naked Washington gets his book sold, we will all know. Meanwhile, it's available on CD.
The table that cooks ~ A train that can calculate ~ The alarm clock that physically drags you out of bed
We Make Money Not Art :: art meets science and technology in the near near future and begets some cool and scary toys.
spinning wheels
An Iowa law outlawing spinning rims? I admit that spinning rims are goofy and have no redeeming social value but outlawing them? When Spinning Rims Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Spinning Rims
Artomatic!
Got a Secret? (Discussed briefly previouslyhere)
The idea behind Frank Warren Artomatic exhibit was simple: distribute 3,000 post cards asking the public to share a secret with him anonymously by reply mail, and sit back and wait for the replies. Some of the post cards are now on display at the Anne C. Fisher gallery, but if you can't make it to the Georgetown show don't worry, Warren has created a "Postsecret" blog where you can see some of the most interesting replies. (via DCist)
BJ don't cry no more.
Who keeps Steve Gutenburg a star?
Philadelphia's Masonic Temple looms enigmatically near city hall. Visit, and marvel at the Corinthian Hall, the Renaissance Hall, the Egyptian Hall, the Oriental Hall, the Norman Hall, the Gothic Hall, and the Ionic Hall. Untangle the inscrutable symbology of George Washington's Masonic Apron. Browse the extensive library (if you're a mason). Even bring home a spoon.
Get out your stethoscopes!
Learn to Safecrack! [pdf] Last year, computer scientist and cryptologist Matt Blaze drew ire from the locksmithing community for publically revealing information on how to create the master key to a lock (previous MetaFilter discussion). He's back with a paper on cracking safes. Once again, locksmiths are up in arms over Blaze's disregard of trade secrets. Apparently, safes adhere to the principle of security through obscurity rather than Kerckhoff's Law. [via]
Ivan Noble's Tumour Diary
Ivan Noble's Tumour Diary The BBC's Ivan Noble has been keeping an online diary of his fight against a malignant brain tumour. Alas, his illness is now getting the better of him, and this will be his final column.
He has been, at times, an inspiration, incredibly brave and totally honest about his illness. As a former colleague, he shall also be remembered fondly.
Start from the beginning, it's a must read.
Suicide ain't so painless when it brings so many changes
When is suicide selfish? Yesterday in Los Angeles a suicidal local man stabbed himself in the chest, slit his wrists, and drove his car up onto train tracks, lost his nerve and hopped out at the last minute, to watch in anguish as not one but two trains collided with his car and with each other, killing 11 people (so far) and injuring almost 200 others. [more inside]
ShareWare...
Where does he get those wonderful toys? The paper toys of Chris Ware.
January 26
Coming soon in 70mm Imax.
The One Second Film. Your name could be listed above Christina Ricci for only $5.51.
Misty Keasler: photographic essays
Misty Keasler's photographic essays range from quirky views of her east Texas extended family and Japanese love hotels to unsettling essays on orphanages and the Guatemala City dump. flash. via gordon.coale.
Trailer Trash Turleen
Etiquette Hell
Etiquette Hell For those who throw good manners, common decency, and proper etiquette to the wind, here is a website collecting stories about social gaffes that are often hilarious.
faces of meth
Faces of Meth : a visual study of the physical effects of drug abuse.
George Orwell was a blogger.
Blogs are a phenomenon. Technorati, a blog search engine, tracks 6,406,667 blogs. Two years ago, it tracked 100,000. About 27% of adults now read blogs, up from 2% in 2003. But really they're nothing new, says Kevin Maney in USA Today.
OutOfIraqIntoTsunami
Pioneer of Modern Criminology
Unexplained death in a nutshell. In the 1930’s International Harvester heiress Frances Glessner Lee built one-inch-to-one foot scale models of violent crimes.
The Democratic Ideal
While Abu Musab al-Zarqawi declares a "bitter war" against democracy, Josh Muravchik suggests that Realists—"those who are skeptical of injecting issues of freedom, democracy and human rights into the conduct of foreign policy"—have historically been less in-step than pro-democracy Idealists. Responding to Bush's Inauguration Day comments about confronting tyranny in the coming years, many Iranians cheered.
Eyes on the Screen
Eyes on the Screen : As was noted here previously, due to issues over clearance rights, 1987's ground-breaking Civil Rights Movement documentary Eyes on the Prize hasn't been available for ten years. Downhill Battle is doing something about it: "On February 8th help us bring this film back to a nationwide audience. Download the film today and organize a screening in your city or town."
doooooomed, we're all doooooomed!
climateprediction.net is the largest experiment ever to try and produce a forecast of the climate in the 21st century. it's a collaborative project a la seti@home, and they have come up with some interesting results.
we've heard about climate change before, but this study indicates that things might be significantly worse than initially thought (double the temperature increase as previously predicted).
maybe this is all okay though, even good for you. if you'd like to see that idea nicely debunked, i suggest you check out trust us, we're experts. a lovely little book about how much we can trust all of these studies.
makes you wonder if we should have signed this.
September 11, 2001
September 11, 2001 is an online documentary from the Library of Congress with "nearly 170 audio and video interviews, totaling 40 hours, with photos, drawings, written narratives and poems." (About the collection.) [via Salon]
An Appraisal of Technologies of Political Control
Long ago, in 1998, the EU looked at the future "... The implications of vertical and horizontal proliferation of this technology and the need for an adequate political response by the EU, to ensure it neither threatens civil liberties in Europe, nor reaches the hands of tyrants."
Shock Value!
"To me, bad taste is what entertainment is all about..." - John Waters
Gotta give him credit... he never loses the ability to shake people up, this time on NPR.
Listen for yourself to the "offending" piece here. (Safe bet he's giggling about it all...)
Gotta give him credit... he never loses the ability to shake people up, this time on NPR.
Listen for yourself to the "offending" piece here. (Safe bet he's giggling about it all...)
Where the Hell is Matt?
Man dances his way around the world [wmv - 36MB] getting jiggy on a mountaintop, busting moves in an impenetrable forest, dodging Hanoi motorcyclists with his finely tuned moves, and, well, I wouldn't want to give anymore away. It's the feel good movie of the season.
ez a jóska, ez a gyurka, ez meg itt a véres hurka
Jó szórakozást! A collection of 101 of the strangest commercials I've ever seen. Blame it on 1980's Hungary. Or just the 80's. Or Hungary. [via memepool]
Get Your Torture On!
Who thinks this stuff up? Further to concerns discussed here regarding the torture of Guantanamo detainees, some interesting stories are emerging from those released about the creativity of gonzo military interrogation. Eww.
Too tame to be fun
Budweiser is pulling their "wardrobe malfunction" ad from the Super Bowl because they think someone might be offended by it. But, you can see the ad here: -- after going through their tough "age filter" and then clicking to the commercial. When you can't even make fun of stuff begging to made fun of anymore, that will be a sad day.
Pimped-out Nintendo DS
How do you donate to charity, play videogames and prove just how freakin' money you are in one fell swoop? If you're Jay Mohr, this is how.
babies hate clowns
Coulrophobia (fear of clowns) has been around for eons, but there are also people who just plain hate clowns. Perhaps the hatred is a reaction
against the rise of clowns in popular culture. Not only have the clowns branched out from their comedy roots, but they have helped to inspire music styles as well as dance movements. Or perhaps this hatred is just an extension
of the phobia and a means of coping. Many clowns have embraced their negative image, which has led to a relatively new species of clown - the Evil
Clown. Not to be confused with actual clown criminals or the whole clown pr0n phenomena (SFW except text), but rather the clowns who entertain as villains,
monsters, and of course the evil
clown musicians. Where did the
love go?
Celebrating 100 years of Einstein's influence on Physics
This year has been declared the World Year of Physics. Why 2005? To celebrate 100 years since Einstein published three papers that revolutionized physics. In the U.K. and Ireland it is being called Einstein Year, but there are many events planned around the globe.
Fetish Photography
Lithium Picnic is one of the multitude of fetish/goth photography sites, but with a low key, only slightly snobbish attitude and many great photos. Apnea, Anyssa, Domiana. (Main link is possibly NSFW, all the photos I linked to are SFW, but others on-site probably are not.)
It's not winter everywhere, you know
Bossa Nova, Balanco and Samba of the 1960s Get past the Girl from Ipanema and cocktail clichés and check out the music, musicians and cover art of classic Brazilian records. There are hundreds here for looking and listening.
Philip Johnson dead at 98
Architect Philip Johnson -- first winner of the first Pritzker Prize, and builder of glass houses, is dead at 98. He outlived his rival Frank Lloyd Wright by 47 years. He helped bring modernism to America but would later leave it behind.
Sucked into the void
Is it gone now? The Suck archive seems to have disappeared. For me Suck.com was and still is best of the web, nothing else comes close. Co-founder Carl Steadman’s site, with depressed, cryptic, brilliant and Plastic-hating notes, seems to be fading away as well (Google cache). Well, at least we’ve still got his suicide note.
Cancer, Chemicals and History
Cancer, Chemicals and History. Some of the biggest chemical companies in the US have launched a campaign to discredit two historians who have written a book about the industry's efforts to conceal links between their products and cancer. Some of the internal documents referenced in the book can be found at the Chemical Industry Archives, a site dedicated to exposing the industry's attempts to conceal the dangers of their products. [Via Disinformation.]
Iraq-raq-on!
Free the Lesbian Bunnies!
"The nation's new education secretary denounced PBS on Tuesday for spending public money on a cartoon with lesbian [BUNNY] characters, saying many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles."
The "Postcards from Buster" series features a peripatetic bunny, Buster, who travels the country learning about diversity.
The new head of the Department of Ed has requested that PBS return the money it used to develop the show featuring the sapphic rabbits. PBS has decided not to distribute the episode to its affiliates, but WGBH has promised to make the show available to stations who want to air it.
Chastity Belts
In vogue during the Middle Ages, chastity belts are making a come back in Pennsylvania. Get yours today from the Pennsylvania State Legislature in time to celebrate their annual Chastity Awareness Week. But of course, what's good for the goose is good for the gander (NSFW) so I expect all (unmarried) Pennsylvanian legislators to be similarly outfitted. Your tax dollars at work to the tune of a quarter billion dollars.
White Guys CAN jump
Let us re-introduce you to Henry Bekkering. "...Most have seen the original...but if you don't know, now you know."
(video with sound. sound not necessary to appreciate 40 inch vertical leaps and a two-footed leap from the foul line)
[first post]
Journalistic Ethics
"If a scholar or expert gets paid to do some work for the government, should he or she disclose that if he writes a paper, essay or op-ed on the same or similar subject? If this is the ethical standard, it is an entirely new standard." So says syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher, defending against revelations and accusations by Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post (warning: reg required) that she neglected to disclose that she was paid by the Administration for Children and Families Home Page (part of the Department of Health and Human Services) for consulting work inteded to promote the Administration's "pro-marriage" policies in 2002. Gallagher took a pro-Administration stance repeatedly in her column that same year. Gallagher ultimately cops out with, "I should have disclosed a government contract when I later wrote about the Bush marriage initiative. I would have, if I had remembered it." After Armstrong Willaims got caught with his pants down, is "honesty" old and busted, and "I don't remember" the new hotness? (via tp)
Iraq hawks who drive Priuses
Dream Job
Dream Job. "It's Linklater's faithful adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel A Scanner Darkly, which is being brought to full paranoid life via Bob Sabiston's gloriously surreal software abilities, which, as in the team's previous Waking Life, utilizes hi-def filmmaking overlayed with a rich, rotoscope-inspired animation. Thirty-plus animators, and, here's the catch, so pay attention: They need more." [via]
Disneyfilter
InspEARations - As part of their 75th anniversary celebration of Mickey Mouse in 2003, Disney collaborated with celebrities and designers to create new takes on the classic pose. The statues include work by Dick Vitale, Jerry Bruckheimer, and James Gandolfini, among others. In case you missed it the first time, they're bringing these statues on tour to parks around the country this spring and summer.
The Best Writer You Don't Know
Have you heard of Will Christopher Baer? He writes twisty, noir fiction. His trilogy of Phineas Poe books (Kiss Me, Judas, Penny Dreadful, and Hell's Half Acre) have just been re-released, and Kiss Me, Judas was optioned for a movie. (more inside)
False Advertising: A Gallery of Parody
Photoshop Battle Saga
Boozer vs. monk: the epic. Graphic Forums' Battle Grid is a showcase of "Photoshop tennis"-style showdowns wherein the first player presents an image, and the second player posts a response that incorporates at least some portion of the previous image... and so on. This particular battle began began July 26, 2003 and the latest entry was mid-December, 2004; presumably the battle will continue. This post from September shows a thumbnail synopsis of the action after 26 rounds. A nice (though time-consuming!) thread to follow if you are a fan of collaborative improvisation.
jews in afghanistan
And then there was one. Following the death of his neighbour Ishaq Levin, Zebulon Simentov has become the last Jew in Afghanistan. There have been Jews here since at least the eighth century, but now Simentov is on his own.
But the saddest fact of all is the fact that up until his death the two men hated each other.
But the saddest fact of all is the fact that up until his death the two men hated each other.
Paternalism gone mad?
US ISP Verizon decided late last year to block any email sent from outside the US. I thought the bounces I was getting from my Verizon contacts were glitches until I googled and found this.
The arrogance of Verizon is astonishing: "If it's really important you might want to make a phone call".
The arrogance of Verizon is astonishing: "If it's really important you might want to make a phone call".
January 25
A Snowy Tribute to Calvin and Hobbes
Move along media... nothing to see here...
Seems the media's STILL scared of looking too closely into BUSH's history... and WHO helps him cover up on the way...
Photo Treks
like a redheaded stepchild
Bring it trombONe! After watching this I am now wondering how fine a line there is between confidence and just being crazy.
quicktime movie, some laughter may be required
We don't need no thought control
As we saw last spring, Toronto's York University has limited the student's right to protest, here noted by Excalibur, York's largest student newspaper. The Toronto Star's article on last Thursday's peaceful anti-Bush protest complete with police intervention (video here, try this if that doesn't work) sparked a reaction by the York University Faculty Association. YUFA also remarked on the restriction of freedom of expression by York's administration. The administration has released two press releases so far, the first on the day of the protest, and the second to emphasize the students' responsibilities and limits. The protest has sparked plans of further protests and reports that the protest was misrepresented in the press. CUPE 3903 wrote an open letter to the administration criticizing their actions (PDF, p.11), and compared the situation to Berkeley's Free Speech Movement in the 60s.
Da Deficit
How much? (sun times link) So the story is we're going to have an estimated $427 billion shortfall. So what does that mean?
According to this guy the deficit is more of a metaphor than something real. According to newhouse news service the deficit gets added to the national debt (and is terrifying).
According to this guy the deficit is not a well defined concept
Will it stimulate the economy?
Increase taxes?
It's too complex for me even though it's in the news a lot.
$7.9 trillion in debt doesn't sound good though...
I think I'll just keep blaming this guy.
Shop 'til you drop
The sexual doldrums caused by the likes of Zoloft can apparently be counteracted by drugs like Wellbutrin. If by "counteract," you mean "cause a two-hour orgasm while shopping."
After School
After School A documentary is being made about the rise of sexual molestation in schools by teachers. As someone who is trained as a teacher, I find this extremely shocking and disturbing.
Cut
Not another top 50 ! Movie deaths.
End of endless September
The end of the endless September. "America Online on Tuesday confirmed that it will stop supporting access to newsgroups." Thus ends what many labeled the greatest plague upon the Internet, the (triple posting) barbarian horde that descended upon Usenet when AOL added Usenet access for its members.
This is when Usenet returns to utility, readability and civility. Right?
This is when Usenet returns to utility, readability and civility. Right?
We Are The Members Of The Master Race, Got No Style And We Got No Grace...
The Dictators. Even in this age of crate-digger archaeology, especially when it comes to the roots of punk rock, this band of Bronx miscreants is little known except to cognoscenti. The stream of punk most identified with The Ramones (unapologetically crude three-minute pop singles, pop culture obsessed, based around fun, what Tom Carson called "deadly serious kidding") began with these guys first three albums and lives on in the work of The Muffs, Nashville Pussy, The Supersuckers and countless others. A rock and roll treasure often overlooked.
Shhh, it's a secret
Post Secret is a group confessional, where the site admin solicits deep, dark secrets from anyone that sends theirs in via postcard, then scans them in, and hijinks/hilarity/psychosis ensues. Kinda like grouphug, but more visual and has a bit of a barrier to entry.
Fired for smoking
Four employees fired for refusing smoking test. This month, Weyco Inc., a Michigan based company in the health care industry, has gone forward with its plan to fire any employees that smokes cigarettes, even if it's done in their own homes. This is being done primarily to save money on health care. Weyco defends its position.
Blood, sweat, and fear
Meatpacking is the most dangerous factory job in America says Human Rights Watch. According to the New York Times, this is the first time HRW has issued a report criticizing a single industry.
Heyyyyy, a black man!!!
Two Johnny Carson Clips You Won't See on CNN This Week I remember seeing this (the first one) when it happened. But I must confess I missed the phrase "hang him." (via google video search Radosh.net)
Church of England
Brrrrr
Which will freeze faster, a liter of water at 60° F or a liter of water at 80° F? Meet the Mpemba effect.
The Costco Fine Art Gallery?
Are you in the market for fine art? Have you considered looking at Costco [Philly Enquirer link]? Last week, an original, authenticated Pablo Picasso sketch sold from their website for about $35,000. Currently you can purchase Mourlot edition lithographs by Modigliani and Chagall, as well as prints from the Picasso Estate Collection with a click of your mouse. Would you trust Costco for your fine art purchases?
Laying the groundwork early, eh?
Matt Cooper (no, not this Matt Cooper) is a 21-year-old political science student at the University of California at Davis. He's also running for President. In 2020.
Photographs of London Underground Stations
Photographs of London Underground Stations Taken on black and white film, then coloured in photoshop. A nice example.
Planetary Consciousness.
The Human Connection Institute. With a friend, gaze at a painting. Point out what one of you perceives until the other can see it too. Take turns doing this, exploring if you begin to feel greater empathy or even the beginnings of telepathy. Are you more heartfelt and insightful together than you are alone? The art gallery of the Human Connection Project.
Petrified Nanoparticulate Musclebot
Message Forum Spam
Not only is pop star Ashlee Simpson lip syncing and manufactured, but so are some of her fans:
"I just read about Ashlee in us weekly. Those guys at the football game were total jerks." -- mandyc19
Welcome to the world of message forum viral marketing, "street team" advertising, and corporate shills. That "fan" posting in forums about Court TV, The Smoking Gun, or shows on Fox isn't a fan at all -- just another type of spammer -- only this time employed by giant media corporations.
"I just read about Ashlee in us weekly. Those guys at the football game were total jerks." -- mandyc19
Welcome to the world of message forum viral marketing, "street team" advertising, and corporate shills. That "fan" posting in forums about Court TV, The Smoking Gun, or shows on Fox isn't a fan at all -- just another type of spammer -- only this time employed by giant media corporations.
a true labor of love
A fantastic example of old meets new, a man spends weeks crafting the perfect Christmas gift for his wife, with spectacular results. I give you the typewriter-keyboard conversion: a true labor of love.
Makes me want to dig up my grandpa's old Underwood and give it a go.
Surrational Images
Surrational Images - A More Perfect World - The hallmark of Mutter's remarkable imagery is the distinct sense that the elements of each picture belong together, even though the combination may violate the laws of physics. Click pictures for descriptions.
Look at waltzing matilda; Its about a bloke trying to get a nice bit of lamb into his tucker bag not spicy chicken wings
It's Australia Day! Some of the highlights this year include someone not a sportsperson being chosen as Australian of the Year and of course the Sam Kekovich lamb advertisments with such classic lines as "you long haired dole bludging types are indulging their pierced taste buds" and "the soap avoiding pot smoking hippie vegetarians may disagree with me but they can get stuffed".
CASTLE ZZT
human rights in Iraq
More of our successes in spreading freedom and liberty around the world.
It seems that access to broader information about the conditions existing for civilians within our proactive foreign policies endeavors lies with NGOs, who's focal points are human rights.
Spurning Giamatti
Nominations for 77th Annual Academy Awards: OK, so Sideways gets nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Adapted), Best Supporting Actor aaaand Best Supporting Actress, but Paul Giamatti--arguably the linchpin of the whole flick--gets stiffed. (Jamie Foxx, on the other hand, gets nominated twice...not that there's anything wrong with that!)
Travesty, or just an indication of an incredibly rich "Best Actor" field?
Travesty, or just an indication of an incredibly rich "Best Actor" field?
Mostly good riddance
Goodbye and good riddance to William Safire. Though, yes, admittedly not good form to post a link to an Op-Ed piece, let alone several, Safire's retirement from the Times' Op-Ed pages is something of a landmark event, even to those of us who grew up reading his On Language pieces (which will continue) and did not yet know of his past as a speechwriter for Richard M. Nixon. His opinions were sometimes aggravating, and other times, infuriating, but they were always well-written. [many NY Times links]
They call me Thumper!
Bambi with love.
January 24
someone dared me to post this
I knew we were right!
The sequel to a sequel -
“Ain’t the Lord good?” You can finally watch Part 3, “The Son of the Robert Tilton” in all his glory. And usually, like third generation rendering, the director relies on larger explosions, bigger special effects and more dead bodies… “God, I don’t have a thousand dollars! But you do!” (Interestingly, according to the website, the original VHS/DVD of “Pastor Gas” is only 4 minutes long…) “In other words, you’ll be ahead instead of behind! Hello?” Send your donations to or call 214-620-6200, PO Box 819000, Dallas, TX 75381.
Stinking heathens!
Google - Now searching about 40 episodes of Pat Croce: Moving In
AntiyoungAmericansdyingfilter?
Draftfreedom --a new group applying their marketing and communication expertise to help prevent the draft. Take a look--maybe this new approach can get thru?
Lake Karakul
Jorg Schniedmayer and Armin Scrinzi's road trip photos of China These images are part of a large photo essay.I think the
Lake Karakal, the best nature photography I have seen, lately.
Carlos Cortez was the real deal.
Carlos Cortez, Rest in Peace. Carlos Cortez-- poet, woodcut artist, veteran wobbly, WWII conscientious objector, longtime contributor to The Industrial Worker newspaper, longtime board president of working-class publishing house Charles Kerr Publishers, passed away last week. In a time of dime-silly protests, we lost a great man (Chicago Tribune) who leaves behind a simple, powerful example of sustained resistance.
Oh Bwunhilda, you're so wovewy...
Art History
The Aztecs at the Guggenheim. The hypercivilized, unimaginably savage Aztecs perceived the stability and very survival of the world in the view of their religion. The key belief was that certain gods, having sacrificed themselves to make human existence possible, demanded incessant repayment in kind. It seems that one of the reasons they could not resist Cortes was that they could not think outside the terms of a faith that they believed to account for all eventualities.
When they met, it was Murderball
Anyone up for a quick game of Murderball?
BBC Radio Player Relaunch
Auntie re-launches her Internet Radio Player, which should be fully operational tomorrow. It looks as though it will feature some truly user-friendly facilities. The numbers: it will feature 500 extra hours of programming and over 80 more programmes,and they've read over 30,000 e-mails to find out what people want.
Countdown to global catastrophe
Global warming approaching point of no return...
Climate change: report warns point of no return may be reached in 10 years, leading to droughts, agricultural failure and water shortages. The possibilities include reaching climatic tipping points leading, for example, to the loss of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets (which, between them, could raise sea level more than 10 metres over the space of a few centuries), the shutdown of the thermohaline ocean circulation (and, with it, the Gulf Stream), and the transformation of the planet's forests and soils from a net sink of carbon to a net source of carbon. Countdown to global catastrophe
Climate change: report warns point of no return may be reached in 10 years, leading to droughts, agricultural failure and water shortages. The possibilities include reaching climatic tipping points leading, for example, to the loss of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets (which, between them, could raise sea level more than 10 metres over the space of a few centuries), the shutdown of the thermohaline ocean circulation (and, with it, the Gulf Stream), and the transformation of the planet's forests and soils from a net sink of carbon to a net source of carbon. Countdown to global catastrophe
Mmm, church and state, mmmmmmm.
Uhoh. Tony Blair's new Education Secretary Ruth Kelly is almost certainly a member of masochistic Catholic cult Opus Dei, as featured in The Da Vinci Code.
Let there be light
Glass and Light Very cool gallery of glass and plasma sculptures by Ed Kirshner, of Aurora Sculpture. Found via Mona – the Museum of Neon Art, in LA. The Mona site includes an eclectic gallery section, too. I especially enjoyed Eric Ehlenberger’s floating jellyfish (more of his work here), Brian Ferrin’s “Blind Faith,” Vince Koloski’s neon crop circle, and David Wilson’s amazing hand-blown neon lifeforms.
Poopy Flags
Best. Protest. Ever. If you read the story last week about an artist in Bayreuth, Germany who's been sticking little American flags into piles of dog crap, here [via jwz via bb] is what looks like that artist's official site.
Rose Mary Woods, 1917-2005: Nixon's private secretary
"Rose . . . is as close to us as family". Rose Mary Woods, who died Saturday at 87, was Richard Nixon's private secretary. In 1973 Woods was transcribing secretly recorded audiotapes of Oval Office conversations , working on a June 20, 1972, tape of a conversation between President Nixon and his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, that might have shed light on whether Nixon knew about the Watergate break-in three days earlier. While she was performing her duties (.rtf file), she said, the phone rang. As she reached for it, she said she inadvertently struck the erase key on the tape recorder and kept her foot on the machine's pedal, forwarding the tape. More inside.
Blogging prostitute TV show
British TV Channel 4 is to dramatize Belle De Jour. The - possibly fake - blog of a London prostitute has already been adapted into a book. I say bring on 'Rebecca's Pocket the movie' and 'Doc Searls the musical'.
Big Al
Stephen Colbert quotes the Bible?
A great interview with Stephen Colbert from today's Fresh Air on NPR. (Windows Media)
Alternative power sources
It's not the other white meat, but it seems cows have yet another use.
"That's some good shit, man (in my very best Tommy Chong!)."
"That's some good shit, man (in my very best Tommy Chong!)."
Israeli researchers discover gene for altruism
Israeli researchers discover gene for altruism Why are some people more prone to give charity or put themselves in danger in order to help others?
A team of Israeli psychologists claim they have the answer - they've located the first gene linked to altruistic behavior.
Of Stem Cells and Neanderthals
Come out, experts from the woodworks! Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc are sugars found on cells present in nearly every mammal, from chimps to pigs. When scientists altered the genes of mice so that they couldn't produce them, the mice died. However, unlike our closest relatives, humans lack a gene that makes Neu5Gc. The gene is not gone, but rendered silent by a fatal mutation, one that occured approximately 500,000 ago. Now, note that it is illegal to produce any new embryonic stem cell lines. Any scientist will tell you that extant and legal human stem cell lines have been existing in calf serum and often on layers of mouse "feeder" cells for growth. As such, they are immersed in a bath of antigen and if re-introdcued would elicit a strong immune response. I.e. although of human origin, they would be treated as foreign cells if injected. It is likely they would be rejected if injected with today's techniques anyway, but this may represent another significant hurdle for research, one that could be sidestepped with more progressive policy. (Via The Regular)
The Centaur
The Centaur Three years after its Human Transporter was supposed to change the world, Dean Kamen's innovation factory unveils a successor that just wants to have fun.
They shoot. She scores.
Basket balls. (.swf) (SFW)
These bad things just blow in...
Tailed apprentices don't drink beer
Old Wood Working Machines. Covering only North American manufactures, the OWWM website (referred to as the mothership) has 1160 scans of manuals, flyers, catalogs, and sales literature dating back over 100 years. The FAQ is extensive and has exploded spinning off many pertinent articles. OWWM also has almost 2200 user submitted, machinery profiles showing machines as found and/or restored. One of the highlights is a write up on what appears to be the very first (PDF) Delta Unisaw which was built before WWII and aside from mostly cosmetic changes is still built today.
26th Annual Mooning of Amtrak
Advance Warning The 26th Annual Mooning of Amtrak will take place all day Saturday, July 9, 2005, Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California, U.S.A. "Attending this event may be hazardous due to the large concentration of silly people." Front page includes non-explicit pictures of people mooning, and pictures of trains.
The touchy-feely web
Thingster is an open-source weblogging service for locative media. It's also the backend for BooksWeLike, which describes itself as "activist e-commerce" and is sponsored (partially) by AlterNet. It's part of a movement for social sharing services, which seems to be an extension of what was previously discussed here.
The Chopper Show
The Chopper Show commercials are awesome! They're 30 minute (or longer) commercials for a dealership in Las Vegas. They're obnoxious, over the top, and mesmerizingly amusing. It boggles my mind that there are people who purchase cars based on these commercials, but I can understand why The Chopper is so popular in Las Vegas. If you can't speak spanish, I recommend El Chopper en Espanol - it's even funnier if you can't understand the sales pitch.
Nothing is new
Not funny
The Tsunami Song. Hot 97, the most popular hiphop station in the NYC area, has been airing this song [mp3] for the last week, poking fun at tsunami victims, replete with racist and otherwise offensive lyrics.
Just Like Mom Used To Make
Food preparation is important.
1984 was not like 1984
Buy your mac a drink, she's 21 years old today. On january 24th 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh, and thanks to a bunch of German mac-geeks the public TV broadcast from that day with Steve Jobs is available on the web.
But what if I lose my keys?
Even Tinier Trees! I've always been interested in the tiny trees my father so carefully pruned, but now I can trump him in the size department with even tinier trees, and these are portable. (non-english site, but clearly marked english available)
January 23
baby grand
Post-Abortion Grandparents' Kit. Your heart still aches for the grandchild you'll only hold in heaven. This kit will help you to identify and overcome post-abortion syndrome in your daughter and in your family.
Who likes pearls?
Online Vulva Museum Possibly NSFW.
Why don't Christians live what they preach?
The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience This is the question this article from Christianity Today asks. It shows some scary stats for anyone involved in the Protestant church, that the lifestyles of Evangelical Christians is not really all that different from the rest of society.
Perverted, God-Hating Frenchies vs. Inbred, Sex-Obsessed Yokels
Perverted, God-Hating Frenchies vs. Inbred, Sex-Obsessed Yokels
Truth About Liberals #1: They're Just As Moral As Conservatives
Truth About Conservatives #1: They're Just As Smart As Liberals
An interesting article on the role of faith by Steven Waldman that exposes 'moral values' as not being the sole domain of either side while pointing out that the media continues to polarize by playing tempest. Via Speaking of Faith on NPR.
Truth About Liberals #1: They're Just As Moral As Conservatives
Truth About Conservatives #1: They're Just As Smart As Liberals
An interesting article on the role of faith by Steven Waldman that exposes 'moral values' as not being the sole domain of either side while pointing out that the media continues to polarize by playing tempest. Via Speaking of Faith on NPR.
FEEL THE BURN!!!
.
Looking for the perfect painting to compliment your living room?
Serial Killer Art Review Tired of the Gustav Klimpt posters you bought when you were a freshman? Grown tired of the faux antique absinthe poster you bought at Ikea? How about spicing up your decor with a splash of bona fide serial killer art? This site showcases the best of the worst.... reviews and grades of serial killer artwork. Enjoy!
This is my first (and probably creepiest) post.
This is my first (and probably creepiest) post.
by the time you read this, I'll be gone
The Dead Letter Office, where you can leave your parting shot to the world. The letters are sad, funny, touching, angry, and insightful. [more]
With Venezuela harbouring and aiding Columbian rebels
With Venezuela harbouring and aiding Colombian rebels; namely the leftist FARC is the US administration looking to intervene in Latin America? Possibility discussed here
Auto Occular Defense (Goggles)
Psychology
How does a man enter the realm of the monstrous? How broad or thin is the border between the normal and that realm? The Making of a Molester (NYT Mag.).
All Our Yesterdays
The Death of Yesterday Twenty years ago, an everyday virus destroyed Clive Wearing's brain. Now, all he can remember is music -- and his wife. Here, Deborah Wearing tells how their enduring love has become the one constant in a marriage without memory.
McDonalds Outsourcing Drive Through Order Takers
Would You Like Fries With That? Fourteen McDonalds in Oregon and southeastern Washington have been linked to the call center operated by SEI-CCS Inc.,(link works in IE only...) a Fargo, N.D.-based company that works closely with McDonald's. The call taker in Grand Forks enters your order into a computer and relays it back to the home restaurant, where it pops up on a screen in the kitchen. Meanwhile, a digital camera photographs your car as you drive through. The photo pops up on a separate screen next to the order at the drive-through cashier's window to match the order with the car. A total of 50 McDonald's are expected to be on line within a few months, including seven more of Adams' restaurants and five in the Portland area, he said.
King of Late Night passes.
Anti-Porn Law Is Unconstitutional
Anti-Porn Law Is Unconstitutional A federal court in U.S. v. Extreme Associates has struck down the federal anti-obscenity law. In this case, the government argued that "entertaining lewd and lustful thoughts stimulated by viewing material that appeals to one's purient interests . . . . is immoral conduct even when done by consenting adults in private." The court, however, wanted no part of this moralizing, as it declared "upholding the public sense of morality is not even a legitimate state interest."
HYPNOBASSET ENGAGING OCULAR DEFENSE SYSTEM
Dogblog - Jon Sung takes us on a magical journey through San Francisco, and its many fluffy dogs.
The Pricelessware List
Windows users: are you on the lookout for good free software? Worried about spyware, adware, malware, hijackers, or just plain lousy code that likes to play havoc with your system? Look no further. It's pricelessware to the rescue!
Doot-doot-doodle-oodle-doot-doo-doo-doot
It's Carnival Time! In 2002, Silflay Hraka launched the internet's first carnival: The Carnival of the Vanities. Carnivals are showcases of the best that blogs have to offer; bloggers send in posts they have made that they are especially pleased with, and a rotating editor collates them into a weekly edition with editorial comments. Think of carnivals as best-of-the-blogosphere magazines. The Carnival of the Vanities (current edition here) doesn't have any particular focus, but a number of offshoots dedicated to specific fields have popped up. Stay up to date on blog postings about philosophy, science, history, the early modern period, sex, Canada, and (if desperately bored) cats. A new carnival about atheism, The Carnival of the Godless, will be coming out at the end of the month.
Hmmmmm. Minty
Do not eat MintyMP3. Cool DIY mp3 player.
hacking coke machines
January 22
Turn any old image into a 19th century woodcut.
Fantastic Photoshop Engraving Technique! A bit of work, with astonishing results.
Do not sneeze!
A house of cards. Trapped by the blizzard, our elaborate system of creature comforts seems like nothing more than a house of cards that Mother Nature so easily knocks down. Bryan Berg knows how to make a real house of cards.
The yellow ones taste like burning!
Pansies! Think you've got it bad? Bad like this?
Bad like this? Perhaps you think you've beat this one? Visit the Digital Snow Museum to put things in perspective.
Did the Interim Iraqi Defense Minister have these two Americans murdered for $300 million?
Did the Interim Iraqi Defense Minister have these two Americans murdered for $300 million? In the middle of a election that will decide who controls Iraq, Interim Iraqi Defense Minister Hazim Shaalan has announced that Ahmad Chalabi -- a rival candidate -- will be arrested on 13-year-old charges. But why now? Shaalan says Chalabi "wanted to malign the reputation of the defense ministry". How?
1> Shaalan claims Chalabi released documents accusing Shaalan of being a former member of the Mokhaberat, Saddam's intelligence service. (Shaalan claims political fraud, with the intent of silencing his claims against the Iranians.)
2> Chalabi claims that Shaalan flew $300 million in U.S. currency to a shady businessman in Lebanon, bypassing financial controls, the public bidding process, and Iraqi government oversight.
So, how does this tie in with Stoffel and Wemple? Stoffel recently alerted senior U.S. officials that the Iraqi Defense Ministry was involved in a kickback scheme involving a shady businessman in Lebanon and a multimillion-dollar arms deal. Late last year, Stoffel, a prominent Republican donor and arms dealer, met with aides to Sen. Santorum, R-Pa. Santorum wrote Donald Rumsfeld on Stoffel's behalf, asking him to raise the issue with Shaalan. Stoffel was later invited by the Coalition to arbitrate a solution with the Lebanese businessman. After several days, the arbitrator told the businessman to pay Stoffel -- a debt which is still unpaid. Upon leaving the base, Stoffel and Wemple were attacked and killed nearby. A video from a previously unknown terrorist group claimed responsibility, but one expert suggests that the video may be "manufactured". A reporter recently granted an interview with an Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman was forbidden to ask "dangerous" questions about the contract. Stoffel and Wemple are survived by their wives and five children.
1> Shaalan claims Chalabi released documents accusing Shaalan of being a former member of the Mokhaberat, Saddam's intelligence service. (Shaalan claims political fraud, with the intent of silencing his claims against the Iranians.)
2> Chalabi claims that Shaalan flew $300 million in U.S. currency to a shady businessman in Lebanon, bypassing financial controls, the public bidding process, and Iraqi government oversight.
So, how does this tie in with Stoffel and Wemple? Stoffel recently alerted senior U.S. officials that the Iraqi Defense Ministry was involved in a kickback scheme involving a shady businessman in Lebanon and a multimillion-dollar arms deal. Late last year, Stoffel, a prominent Republican donor and arms dealer, met with aides to Sen. Santorum, R-Pa. Santorum wrote Donald Rumsfeld on Stoffel's behalf, asking him to raise the issue with Shaalan. Stoffel was later invited by the Coalition to arbitrate a solution with the Lebanese businessman. After several days, the arbitrator told the businessman to pay Stoffel -- a debt which is still unpaid. Upon leaving the base, Stoffel and Wemple were attacked and killed nearby. A video from a previously unknown terrorist group claimed responsibility, but one expert suggests that the video may be "manufactured". A reporter recently granted an interview with an Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman was forbidden to ask "dangerous" questions about the contract. Stoffel and Wemple are survived by their wives and five children.
the idler
AH, IS THIS NOT HAPPINESS "Chin Shengt’an was a 17th century playwright who once found himself stranded with a friend in a temple for ten days because of a rainstorm. While thus secluded, the pair compiled a list of the truly happy moments in life. The wonderful thing about Chin’s Happy Moments is their lack of piety. Material pleasures are not rejected in favour of loftier ones." Lovely elegant idea. If you need an antidote be sure to also look at Crap Jobs and Crap Holidays.
Politics
North Korea is the most secretive country in the world today, with its main railway lined with walls so high that its foreign passengers can't see the countryside.
Hypocrites?
USA Today and others are reporting that Doubleday will be publishing "[t]he original thoughts of Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders" in a book to be sold in the U.S. (and presumably abroad). From the CNN article, Doubleday plans on donating proceeds from the sale to charity, and openly describes plans to flaunt U.S. law by NOT paying royalties for the use of source materials.
What are the ramifications for a publishing company (which relies on royalty payments and preservation of copyright for self-survival) to ignore their own rules (and U.S. law) when it suits them? Should we expect anyone in the U.S. to care about the royalty payments to these two individuals? Furthermore, could Doubleday's stance affect any of the other copyright infringement actions currently being taken by U.S. organizations?
What are the ramifications for a publishing company (which relies on royalty payments and preservation of copyright for self-survival) to ignore their own rules (and U.S. law) when it suits them? Should we expect anyone in the U.S. to care about the royalty payments to these two individuals? Furthermore, could Doubleday's stance affect any of the other copyright infringement actions currently being taken by U.S. organizations?
Architecture of Density
Architecture of Density, by Michael Wolf • Dizzying photos of Hong Kong high-rise buildings. Think of bamboo stalks, Lego pieces, spinal columns, circuit boards...
Warblers and Wahabis
A National Guard soldier in Iraq blogs about the birds and the local ecology. Here's an audio interview with "John" from today's Weekend Edition. Follow along with this Middle East Birding Guide (Arabic language .pdf in 10 separate chapters, lots of pretty pictures).
[Note: Iraq is home to many threatened and endangered species].
[Note: Iraq is home to many threatened and endangered species].
Lee Miller: The Real Surrealist
From muse to master Lee Miller started out as a Vogue model, but by 1930 she had moved behind the lens to take piercing photographs -- culminating in her rage-fuelled portraits of Nazi kitsch. The "Lee Miller: Portraits" exhibit is at the National Portrait Gallery, London, from February 3 until May 30. More inside.
Elephants search for tsunami victims
Lending a trunk , Sumatran elephants have been enlisted to search through the tsunami debris in Banda Aceh. Sure-footed, with a keen sense of smell, they can find bodies still buried in rubble; Medang, who can lift 3 tons, pulled a tree off a Toyota.
Here are some Sumatran elephant photos and a bunch of elephant links, Sumatran and otherwise.
New greeting card idea: Life Begins at 30
Why haven't you settled down yet? (impermanent no-login link) Time has discovered that people are no longer graduated, married, and parenting by 22.
Twixtersare using their 20s to jump between jobs, apartments and cities instead of becoming adults. The reasons? Colleges
seriously out of step with the real world,the ubiquity of choice, declining wages and plenty more. Personally, I blame the Toys-R-Us ad song for conditioning a generation to not
wanna grow up.
Tall or Not
I'm taller than Al Roker (.swf) and Alfred Hitchcock but shorter than Czar Peter the Great. Compare your height to hundreds of celebrities with Tall or Not.
The German Joke of the day
The German Joke of the day . "In Germany, We have ways to make you laugh."
So sad to see you go
The Great Dying. 250 million years ago, mass extinction was not brought about by a cataclysm of rock, but by global warming.
270 Miles From Graceland
Music for the Kind : A half-completed tentative lineup for the fourth annual Bonnaroo Music Festival has been announced. With no advertising budget, the festival draws 90,000 fans to the pastures of Manchester, Tennessee for some of the best that live music has to offer. Smaller local festivals, like Langerado and Wanee Festival in Florida, have popped up featuring many of the same artists. Phish may be phried, but the music jams on and there could be a brighter future for selling music than more MTV.
Hubble in Trouble
Hubble doomed again (more inside)
Iraqi GOTV
"Because We Have a Duty to Build Iraq, I Will Participate in the Elections." MEMRI translates Iraqi election videos (clips here.)
January 21
Exeem, From Suprnova
The Greatest of Ease...
"Being on the tightrope is living; everything else is waiting."
Karl Wallenda, January 21, 1905 – March 22, 1978
After 43 years of waiting, Karl's adopted son Mario Wallenda, now 64, rejoins his family dynasty and returns to the high wire. (more inside...)
Karl Wallenda, January 21, 1905 – March 22, 1978
After 43 years of waiting, Karl's adopted son Mario Wallenda, now 64, rejoins his family dynasty and returns to the high wire. (more inside...)
Voices from Iraq
BBC TV's Newsnight programme listed some Iraq-related blogs, including a tragic US soldier's blog [previously discussed here] . Interesting to me were the first-hand Iraqi views of the occupation. In one, a local girl blogs her responses to the WMDs that were never found and to the controversial Marine execution in Fallujah [discussed here], and describes the use of Valium in wartime.
For those of us who wish to hear the views of Iraqis, there's Words from Iraq, which collects posts from a spectrum of English-speaking Iraqi blogs, such as this description of the banality of kidnappings.
For those of us who wish to hear the views of Iraqis, there's Words from Iraq, which collects posts from a spectrum of English-speaking Iraqi blogs, such as this description of the banality of kidnappings.
It's the place where content is free
Sony says
Sony fesses up and admits that they've screwed up in the past. But they say they're sorry, and they promise that they'll stop hitting consumers with ATRAC, half-baked PSX units and flawed PlayStation Portables.
WrongEyedJesus
Searching For the Wrong Eyed Jesus. An oddball alt-country road trip romp through the South. [warning Flash and Music]
Mold A Rama!
Mold A Rama! Remember those plastic lions, tigers and gorillas? How about an Abraham Lincoln bust or locomotive? You remember those machines where you stuck a quarter in and watched as 250 degree plastic was pumped into a mold and then automotive antifreeze was hosed in to supposedly cool the mold before the animal was pushed into the compartment below for your waiting hands. Remember the burnt plastic smell? Those really hot to-the-touch animals that you wore down your parents until they gave you a quarter animals are not just simply things from your fading memory. Uh uh, new molds are being made even today. Not good enough you say? Then buy your very own vintage Mold A Rama for a mere $9,500!
The Temple of Hayah
The Temple of Hayah: a religion that renders its followers immune to the any laws other than the Ten Commandments. Followers need not pay taxes. But TOH is mad at Wikipedia because Wikipedia hate-crimed TOH. So TOH suggests that you tip off the FBI.
a wee-jot-web for you to see
Do you dig the Mad Ape Den? It is a fun and new dot com to jot wee lit. I beg you, cop the Mad Ape Den gig if you jot in our web gab box.
No Monday jokes, please...
[W+(D-d)]xTQ MxNA = Monday, January 24, 2005 will suck.
Spare a thought?
Simon Hoegsberg's latest project involved stopping passersby and asking what they were thinking at exactly that moment. These are their thoughts and portraits.
Bunny Suicides
Duuuuude..... I'm trippin!!
Flashback This has got to be one of the strangest and most beautiful things I've ever seen. (Flash, requires audio, has lots of pretty colors and runs almost 10 minutes.) I have no idea who the artist is but he obviously spent a lot of time putting this thing together.
Does this give anyone else the feeling that they are trippin?
European Space Agency
Instead of liquid water, Titan has liquid methane. Instead of silicate rocks, Titan has frozen water ice. Instead of dirt, Titan has hydrocarbon particles settling out of the atmosphere, and instead of lava, Titanian volcanoes spew very cold ice.
$2.6M for 440 people. That's some expensive sunshine.
As a sufferer of Seasonal Affective Disorder, I was interested to discover this village's proposed solution. Were they inspired by Gustav Graves, d'you think?
Ragtime, Cakewalks, Coon Songs and Vaudeville, Barbershop Quartets & etc.
While culling my clippings file for the big move, I came across Ragtime: No Longer a Novelty in Sepia, which led me to the The Rag-Time Ephemeralist, a labor of love by one Chris Ware , whose 'The Acme Novelty Library' and Jimmy Corrigan, Smartest Boy In The World I had long admired. The Ragtime Ephemeralist's mention of Out of Sight - The Rise of African American Popular Music, 1889-1895---here's a review from Musical Traditions--and, its very own links page, as a consequence, led to this post about Ragtime, Cakewalks, Coon Songs and Vaudeville, with a slight nod to Barbershop Quartets. There's more, of course...
What wine goes with Slyders?
Made your Valentine's Day plans yet? Do you have the guts to suprise your SO with something like this?
Cheney's puppet, huh? Cheney can kiss my wooden ass.
All About George. He's curious, he's clever, he's cool, he makes millions without words. Just one of many online exhibitions at PhotoArts. (via Everlasting Blort.)
reality check
A candid exchange on Fox New about yesterday's inauguration's pomp and splendor between Judy Bachrach from Vanity Fair and Brigitte Quinn from Fox. (apologies for the link, it was the only one I could find)
Joseph Cornell : Master of the Diorama
Art In A Box! : Modern artist Joseph Cornell made a name for himself by creating minature collaged works in boxes back in the 1930s when collage was still a relatively new art form. While his works and life story are often romanticized, the fact remains that he was both incredibly creative and incredibly strange. Certainly one of American Art's finest. (see old mefi post from 9/02)
Pop Lockin
Pop Lockin is a great way to waste some time today. And maybe learn a new step or two to show the little Mrs. this weekend [Flash required]...
Mona Kuhn: Photographs
Mona Kuhn: (NSFW) Photographs. An interview with the artist is here, other images are here. Kuhn is among the photographers whose work is on display now at the Photo L.A. art exposition (Santa Monica Civic Auditorium). Again, her images (nudes, non-graphic) and most of this post's links are generally not safe for work. This one, instead, is SFW
Civil Rights
Forty years ago, three civil rights workers, Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman were murdered in Mississippi by KKK members. Edgar Killen, who allegedly engineered the killings, pleads innocent.
Going, going ...
He's going but apparently not fast enough for some. The long and storied career of Dan Rather began in Texas, catapulted after his reporting on the Kennedy assassination and is marked over the decades by on-air outbursts, tantrums and what some might call just plain weirdness. Among yesterday's inauguration coverage TV highlights was Dan getting choked up at a marching band playing a patriotic song. Meanwhile, the scandal that brought him down continues. Should Rather resign now? What does he owe to the producers who have been fired? What does he owe viewers? What is his legacy? And who (or what) should replace him?
I'm a catnip toker.
SpongeBob Gaypants
SpongeBob Gaypants? conservative christian groups warn that the fictional cartoon character SpongeBob Squarepants "is being exploited to promote the acceptance of homosexuality."
White Matter and Gray Matter a Matter of the Sexes
She may not have the grey matter, but what's that matter anymore, anyway?
A recent study shows that men have more gray matter, women have more white matter and in the end these differences seem to be no matter. Apparently men have more raw computing power, while women have a more efficient infrastructure -- resulting in similar general intelligence.
January 20
Inaugural protest pics
Inaugural protest pics (series begins at that photo): Kevin Smith attended the inaugural protests and took some (IMHO) really good photographs that you weren't likely to see on any of the mainstream media outlets. Outside of the subject matter itself, I enjoy his photos and wanted to share these given this sets timeliness. In particular, I like this one and love this one. Non protest pics can be find by using the first link and then navigating back through his archives.
The City (1939)
The City [Parts I & II, each a 15:00+ minute realPlayer video].
An urban planning film from 1939 that takes a nostalgic look at country life, compares it to the hustle and bustle of 1930s big city life, and presents a utopian alternative. Reviews of The City, Parts I & II, can be found at the Prelinger Archives if you want to read about them before you commit to watching the 30 minute movie. I tripped across this while surfing around on the forums at Cyburbia: The urban planning portal. Also notable: Music by Aaron Copland.
An urban planning film from 1939 that takes a nostalgic look at country life, compares it to the hustle and bustle of 1930s big city life, and presents a utopian alternative. Reviews of The City, Parts I & II, can be found at the Prelinger Archives if you want to read about them before you commit to watching the 30 minute movie. I tripped across this while surfing around on the forums at Cyburbia: The urban planning portal. Also notable: Music by Aaron Copland.
Buy milk on the way home
Ta-Da List is 37 Signals' latest offering is free sharable to-do lists. You can keep them to yourself, share them with only specific people, or share them with the world. So now you have no excuse for forgetting to buy milk on the way home.
Terrorist Spoof
Terrorist Video Bloopers Chicago comedy troupe Teatro Bastardo spoofs the hostage video: Three warnings:
1. Windows Media Player required
2. Funny AND offensive
3. Might be low-bandwidth
Protest Warriors
Protest Warriors Clash • Gil Kobrin of the Protest Warriors went down "under a hail of black boots" belonging to anti-Bush peace activists. "It wasn't much of a contest. ProtestWarrior's contingent numbered 13, the other side in the hundreds. If they won any hearts and minds, no one said so." Meanwhile, DC activist group Anarchist Resistance issued their call to action: "There's nothing left to salvage in this empire that is the U.S. government. It's time to bring it down." AR is listed as a resouce by the Internet Liberation Front who Kos reported "hacked and defaced six Republican websites" yesterday. Some commentary on civil disobedience by Thoreau & ActUp.
File under 'magnificent obsessions.'
Knight's Tour Notes. More than you ever wanted to know about knight's tours on a chessboard.
*Can we get drunk?*
Idiotarod. The Iditarod is the famous long-distance race in which yelping dogs tow a sled across Alaska. Our Idiotarod is pretty much the same thing, except that instead of dogs, it's people, instead of sleds, it's shopping carts, and instead of Alaska it's New York City.
Back to school
Avatar High - you are back in school. Better study for that test. Hey, what are you doing Friday night? Flash fun for Friday. (best for those younger than you, but still interesting)
Dialecty goodness
Do you speak American? The companion website to a PBS series, full of interactive language and dialect tools. You can map your attitudes about regional correctness, guess the speaker's home, learn about American varieties, track the history of certain words, hear samples of regional dialects, and more.
Further reading: Dialect Map of American English [image], Slanguage's local terms, and this collection of local phrases.
Previously on MetaFilter: The Dialect Survey (and results), The Speech Accent Archive, Pop vs. Soda.
Further reading: Dialect Map of American English [image], Slanguage's local terms, and this collection of local phrases.
Previously on MetaFilter: The Dialect Survey (and results), The Speech Accent Archive, Pop vs. Soda.
The 50 Most Loathsome People of 2004
The 50 Most Loathsome People of 2004 Funnier than The NYP 50 Most Loathsome New Yorkers. And you're in it, to boot.
To sleep, perchance to be terrorized by muppets
Bollywood Record Covers
Bollywood Record Covers Crazy Bollywood soundtrack LP covers. My likes? This one and this one. No, I have no idea what they say either.
suck squeeze bang blow
suck squeeze bang blow (SFW)
Through the Looking Chords
Oh when the saints go marching around the French Quarter
While the rest of the country seemed focused on the $40 million dollar block party in Washington, D. C., those of us down in the Big Easy were having a protest the best way we knew how, with a jazz funeral, or more specifically, a jazz funeral for democracy. What else would you expect from a party city that voted 77% for Kerry.
Good friends we have had, oh good friends we've lost along the way
Bob Marley's works enter the Grammy Hall Of Fame - including No Woman No Cry, Marley's tale of his time in the ghetto of Trench Town, Jamaica (photos)...Marley gave his friend Vincent Tata Ford writing credits, in part, to keep Ford's soup kitchen running...
pimpin(the third world) ain't easy
U.N. Oil for Food Program. Former Bob Dole running mate, Jack Kemp was recently "quizzed" by the FBI about his involvement in the scandal.
suicide is painless
Shot In Our Name. Seattle's arts weekly The Stranger graphically expresses popular sentiment this day in urban America.
TLE
TLE, possibly one of the most common diseases, believed to affect 600,000 to a million Americans, remains obscure. It is what afflicted Julius Ceasar, Alexander the Great, and Dostoyevsky. Known through the work of Bear and Geshwind, it is virtually impossible to diagnose except in a severe cases where a seizure can be witnessed by an MRI or EEG, also because of the controversial theories on personality. While a neurological disorder, it is treated by psychiatrists, and when medicated, artists have often felt that the muse has left them.
Form of Yanghtze River! Shape of Russian Bear!
With all the talk about the emergence of Europe as an economic rival to the US, is there a more likely rival emerging? A real strategic partnership between Russia and China could be exactly the combination of nuclear power, boots on the ground, and economic momentum to truly create a new bipolarity. Apparently, there has been serious collaboration in military philosophy between the two powers at least since the USSR broke up, and flash gamers have known about it for at least a couple years, but now it is becoming very real. Conventional wisdom says that there are longstanding disputes over trade and territory, but things generally seem to be warming up. You want to know what the world will look like in 20 years? Look to Siberia.
Defensive are we?
Dell dismisses "one-product wonder" iPod as a "fad". Also says cheerleader who rebuffed him in high school "not that pretty, had a big butt and I think she was gay anyway."
Geek Cruise.
Nothing like spending time on the beach... with your laptop. (.mov trailer)
Geeks On Board is a documentary about a unique phenomenon, a one-week cruise designed for people who have an extraordinary relationship with their computers.
Geeks On Board is a documentary about a unique phenomenon, a one-week cruise designed for people who have an extraordinary relationship with their computers.
How could Bush NOT make Condi his Secretary of State?
The Condi Conflict: Finally, here is a compelling list of reasons why Bush was forced to give Condoleezza Rice the position of Secretary of State. This makes it absolutely clear:
On the left...
On the right...
The Force is One with this One
The One Man Star Wars Trilogy is a one-hour, high energy, nonstop blast through the first three Star Wars films. The catch is, there's only one cast member.
Charles Ross, the writer and solo performer, spent too much of his childhood in a galaxy far, far away- adulthood has been similar. Ross plays all the characters, recreates the effects, sings the music, flies the ships, and fights both sides of the battles.
I'm not so sure I want to see him playing Carrie Fisher, especially in E6
I'm not so sure I want to see him playing Carrie Fisher, especially in E6
1.21 Jiggawatts!
Researchers Report Bubble Fusion Results Replicated. Bring on the Mr. Fusion, please.
Attack of the Giant Squid
Uh Oh! Giant Squids, not to be confused with your regular, everyday squids, are washing up by the hundreds on the beaches of Southern California. This may be because Giant Squids are taking over the world!
Lookout below!
Tiger Woods in Dubai shagging drivers off the top of the Burj Al-Arab.
Yeeeeeehaw!
"Yes, I'm comin' back to serve a second term..." JibJab strikes again (flash).
Blackout
Blackout Some sites have gone black today in protest of black box voting and/or four more years of Bush. But, actually, I haven't seen many. Are people tired of fighting or is this just a poorly-organized effort no one knows about?
Ah, science.
New research takes steps towards finding the "gay genes." A study conducted on gay brothers in more than 100 families found several genetic regions of similarity with linkage to sexual orientation. This is kind of dense (scroll to the bottom of the page for the FAQ), but that's because it hasn't been written up in the press so there are only journal doc's and scientific summaries available.
This is the press release, which is clearer (Microsoft Word).
This is the article on the study, as published in the journal Human Genetics (PDF).
This is the press release, which is clearer (Microsoft Word).
This is the article on the study, as published in the journal Human Genetics (PDF).
Dreaming Arnold Schwarzenegger
Dreaming Arnold Schwarzenegger An Exploration into the Structure of Web Presentations. If there’s a funner Schwarzenegger site, tell me about it.
CIA Predicts European Union Will Break Up Within 15 Years.
CIA Predicts European Union Will Break Up Within 15 Years. With all the attention focused on Iraq, this new CIA report seems to have slipped under the radar. Europe's dismal economic prospects and the continent's unfavorable demographics could have dire consequences for the EU, result in the dissolution of NATO and generally @#$?! up every post World War II/Cold War alliance that has been formed over the last half-century. Not that the CIA has ever been wrong...
Internal Amazon.com Conference - Liveblogged
Internal Amazon.com Conference - Liveblogged Interesting approach to sharing the wealth - Amazon.com has rounded up an interesting roster of tech speakers for a private conference - and decided to allow an internal blogging team to liveblog the speeches. Links to their talks (from yesterday and today) are here. (Speakers include Rick Dalzell, Joel Spolsky, George Dyson, James Gosling, Eric Neustadter, Rael Dornfest, Gregor Kiczales, Craig McClanahan, Brian Aker, Gavin King, Bela Ban, Michael Tiemann, Margo Seltzer and Arlene Capismalis, Chris Hofmann, Bjorn Freeman-Benson and Guido van Rossum)
World fears new Bush era
Guess what? Another poll (since MeFites enjoy them sooooo much)! This one is a take on how much the world trusts and loves Bush.
BeastlyLove
We Are Not Alone
Oh, the Humanity! "I'm a professional musician & I would like to share with you a song that I have just completed, I consider to be one of my most important and controversial pieces of work to date..." [via]
I'm looking forward to the next versions of, "Sirhan Sirhan, who are you?" and "Oswald was a patsy."
"We sometimes employ religious language to talk about the historic influence of faith on our country."
Creating Bush's God Talk by Michael Gerson, Bush's chief speechwriter. According to University of Washington professor David Domke, author of "God Willing? Political Fundamentalism in the White House, the War on Terror", here's how Bush's God-Talk Is Different ("When Bush speaks of God, he positions himself as a prophetic spokesperson rather than a petitioning supplicant".)
Bonus: "On What Did They Solemnly Swear?
Which president opened his inaugural Bible at random in haste? Which didn't swear at all?". Test your knowledge of presidential inaugural Bible use with this quiz.
And: Prayers of the Presidents -- From George Washington to George W. Bush, a sampling of personal and public prayers of America's presidents.
Now targetting: Lisbon
One of those geography quizzes that we all know and love. This one involves throwing darts at a map of Europe.
Trademarked Nukes
Tomahawk® Brand Cruise Missiles Because not all Block II Nuclear Variant cruise missles are alike... Look for the name you can trust!
Whois the next president of World Bank?
...and your Tinky Winky too
A child's brain is like a sponge. (NYT reg) Thank God Focus on the Family is here to save us from gay sponge brainwashing and the left's obvious agenda to get us all to Think Pink.
January 19
Pardon hyperbole
A multiplayer text editor . Free and realtime. I think this is my new favorite thing.
cat-snorting.com
kontraband.com is one of the strangest sites I've seen in some time. I have no idea how these people got their cats wedged into their noses, or why.
Interviews with Vladimir Nabokov
Lib.ru maintains a delectable archive of interviews, conducted in English, with Vladimir Nabokov. Scroll down for the English.
Life Goes On
Life Goes On: Just as curbing rampant capitalism in post-9/11 America is letting the terrorists win, I guess canceling vacations to Indonesia would be to let the tsunami win... [via Geisha asobi blog]
But can if post an FPP?
"The implant is designed to allow signals from the motor cortex to be collected, processed and analyzed, eventually producing an interface with a personal computer." It seems to work. Watch the video.
Zappa in nature
Natural phenomena named after Frank Zappa "This series of articles describes a variety of Natural Phenomena - marine, terrestrial and extra-terrestrial - which have been named in honour of Frank Zappa, the smallest being a gene belonging to a bacterium, the largest being an entire planet."
I simply had to post this link
Now getting it out of your head.
"Glorious Beer!" as sung by Mister Dan W. Quinn, for the Columbia Phonograph Company of New York and Paris. (Recording circa 1899 - Realplayer)
Queen Of The Beatniks
Judy Henske. One of The Great Lost Artists of the early 60's folk/blues revival. An original among hacks and pretenders. Forgotten by most beloved by many, including crime novelist Andrew Vachss. A torch singer worthy of the name.
In Soviet Russia, lake circumvents you!
A golden buckle on the steel girdle of Russia : Completed in 1905 and considered to be among the major masterpieces of Russian engineering, the Circum-Baikal Railway offers Trans-Siberian Rail passengers breathtaking views of the world's oldest lake and its rugged surroundings. Over only 72 kilometers, the railway's designers had to construct 200 bridges and viaducts and 33 tunnels to navigate the terrain.
A Nation of Faith and Religious Illiterates
A Nation of Faith and Religious Illiterates The sociologist Peter Berger once remarked that if India is the most religious country in the world and Sweden the least, then the United States is a nation of Indians ruled by Swedes. Not anymore. With a Jesus lover in the Oval Office and a faith-based party in control of both houses of Congress, the United States is undeniably a nation of believers ruled by the same.
book
book. For thirty-six weeks, a sketchbook was sent in random order between four artists: two in Brooklyn, two in Belfast... [Flash]
Strindberg and Helium
Lenin's Tomb: What is to be done?
...for sale or rent
A year ago, NYT reporter Nicholas Kristof purchased two Cambodian prostitutes (discussed here).
Today, he's published an update, along with a multimedia presentation about the girls' lives.
shooting in tal afar, iraq
Numbers vary when available but are only going down
.... Numbers vary but are only going down. Belgium has none left. Neither does New Zealand . Australia losts its last decorated member, and the remainder are a handful only. Likewise Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom (notably Mr Anderson) and France. Germany has a few, one of which whom share with France.
And let us not forget there were women present.
As recently as two years ago, some countries could count the numbers in four figures. Today- generally in the low twos. Spare a moment sometime this week to reflect on them now. A lot of them are not going to make it to November 11 2005.
(Astonishingly, many countries do not keep tabs on this sort of thing, but anyone who finds this more moving than ghoulish can find updated information here. )
FBI: SEARCH FOR 'DIRTY BOMB' IN BOSTON
FBI: SEARCH FOR 'DIRTY BOMB' IN BOSTON The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Placed On Standby Status...Developing...
The Force is weak with this one
Star Wars bloopers and outtakes. [70 mb .mov]
Britain's Abu Ghraib. (NSFW, but soon to be seen everywhere.)
Britain's Abu Ghraib. (NSFW, but soon to be seen everywhere.) With Iraqi elections just days away and the next British elections scheduled tenatively for May, pictures have been released of British soldiers torturing and abusing prisoners in a style shockingly similar to Abu Ghraib. Soldiers are already being charged. Their defense? "I was just following orders..."
Yes, but can it see through bears?
Troy Hurtubise can see through walls. Remember Troy? He is the inventor of the Ursus Mark VII bear-protection suit. The National Film Board of Canada has even documented his first invention in film called Project Grizzly. He claims his new invention, the Angel Light, can see through walls and detect stealth technology.
20K Leagues Under the Sea
OH MY GOOD GOD THERE’S A GIANT SQUID ATTACKING THAT SUBMARINE! A tribute to the greatest Disney World ride that ever existed. R.I.P. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Dollar Bill Origami
Origami is a endeavor that is undertaken by many, using what's available. Often, that is money. Sometimes simple, and sometimes complicated the result is often spiffy and incorporates the bill's features into the design.
Politics
The shift from Colin Powell to Condoleeza Rice at the State Department could have important implications for the future of American foreign policy. Some of the commonalities and differences between them are revealed in Powell's essay, and Rice's essay. (via Foreign Affairs)
Toys
For the neighbor kid who keyed your car, for the paperboy who rode his bike through your daisies, for the pack of urchins who were throwing snowballs at your car last week, you now have a wide selection of ideal gifts.
Roll to taste.
NutritionData.com
NutritionData.com is a free and very useful website for detailed nutrition information, including the in-vogue Glycemic Index; their own Fullness Factor, a measure of how filling foods are per calorie; and others. Their Better Choices Diet makes use of the Fullness Factor to make consuming less energy than you use easier to do without going hungry.
Previously mentioned in response to this AskMe question.
Get rid of all those Gmail invites
Get rid of all those Gmail invites "Welcome to isnoop.net's gmail invite spooler. This page offers a place for people with Gmail invites and those who want them to come together with minimal effort and fuss."
neet
filetype:doc For those of you who don't know, Google allows you to limit your searches to files of a certain type. It reminds me of the world wide web of '93 in a lot of ways, before the web become so commercialized and vapid. Little bits of randomness.
Napoleonic Literature
Napoleonic Literature : A good repository of information and e-books on Napoleonic warfare. I found the article on rockets to be very interesting. Enjoy!
Seti Farming
Seti farming for those who just can't "crunch" enough. Including photos of his farm, past and present and resources for building your own.
Operators are standing by?
Hitman.us is certainly a parody, offering, for a reasonable $20,000 fee, to remove the unwanted from your life. One of the rotating ads on the site, however, points to bustoutdealer.com (registered under the same name), which, with a fee under $4,000, looks like it may be serious.
Reach out and Bush someone
TellBush.org Call 1.800.734.1463 To Leave A Voice Message For Bush. Your Voice Message Will Appear On TellBush.org And Get Itself Emailed To Bush At The Whitehouse. As messages are recorded, a flag gradually builds on the website.
Grammy Mirk
The Legacy of Grammy Mirk , by her descendants.
Seasame Street Photo Project
There aren't very many there yet, and the signs are illegible for all but the 3rd set of photos, but I still really like the idea behind These are the People in my Neighborhood. You walk around your neighborhood and take pictures of people holding signs with the lyrics from Sesame Street. Very interesting and probably a good way to actually meet your neighbors. via
It's Mordor. With a
Pixel-art Life
Eros, Schmeros!
Athens chief fumes at US lewdness claims because, out of 3.9 billion people (and about 56 million of them in the United States alone), 9 people in the United States complained of nudity in the opening ceremonies. It's one thing to have our very moral, rather infintesimal minority running what we all see, but what happens when that morality clashes cross-country? (The complaints are old news; the Grecian response is not.)
Don't follow that link!
Google, others announce attempt to fight comment spam. Take away the PageRank bonus and they'll stop, right? Right?
Today's Music Tomorrow
Today's Music Tomorrow. "For the Finest "Cutting Edge" of Sound Transcendence Technology with Deluxe Dynamic Psychedelic Engineering for full phase Alpha States of Ultra Conscious Realization Imagery, in practical down to earth realistic simplistic easy to percptualize [sic] musical terms." And of course: "...born with a genius level I.Q., Vegetarian Vegan..., Astrologer, Artist, Writer, Health Expert, Hetero..." In particular check out the mp3s of the drum tracks. (Though maybe that U2 song does sound a little better.)
so you can stop now
Ludite pilam!
Roman ball games and Roman board games. Complete with literary references, ancient artwork, and instructions for playing the games yourself. So let's all sing: Aufer me ad arenam (to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame").
January 18
EA locks down candidacy for New Evil Empire
EA Plays Hardball Just in case locking up the NFL license wasn't enough...
Hydrostatics, Pneumatics and Hydraulics, oh my!
An Industrial Art Gallery Is it just me, or do you find hand-drawn mechanical diagrams capturing concepts of physics strangely soothing?
The Jihadmobile, Small but Tough
Is this any way to sell Volkswagens? [note: QT link] This "viral ad" for the VW Polo has been making the rounds, leaving a trail of exasperated disgust, outrage, and guilty snickering in its wake. VW's ad agency, Doyle Dane Bernbach, however, claims that it's bogus. (I asked them). Paging Snopes.
At 8 levels deep, I saw David Hasselhoff
Fractal Maze, one of the most evil puzzles I have ever encountered. It's documented briefly at mathpuzzle.com (scroll down a bit), which also features a smaller fractal maze.
Nine, nine, nine...
From MathNet to that silly song about the number nine, Square One was one of my all-time favourite programs as a kid. It hasn't been released on video or DVD, but luckily there are plenty of fansites with video clips, pics, and other media to take you on a trip down mathematical memory lane.
My god, it burns! It burns!
THE HASSELHOFFIAN RECURSION is just about the best thing I've seen in a while. (warning: haunting image ahead)
Spaghetti Rambo
"Thunder Warrior." In the 1980s, the Italian movie industry -- better-known for "spaghetti" reimaginings of Westerns, crime movies , and "After the Bomb" flicks -- also gave us the Rambo rip-offs "Thunder Warrior" and "Thunder Warrior 2." Only instead of a Vietnam veteran, the hero was a Navajo warrior battling anti-Indian prejudice. (Windows Media File; possibly NSFW) Via.
His almost chosen people?
Americanism—and Its Enemies
Puritanism did not drop out of history. It transformed itself into Americanism.
David Gelernter is a contributing editor of The Weekly Standard and professor of computer science at Yale. This essay helps to explain American religiosity..to the rest of us.
Puritanism did not drop out of history. It transformed itself into Americanism.
David Gelernter is a contributing editor of The Weekly Standard and professor of computer science at Yale. This essay helps to explain American religiosity..to the rest of us.
Leaving the Islands
Springdale Arkansas is now home to the largest population of Marshallese outside of the Marshall islands. ...They all spoke so highly of Springdale and how great it is to work the overnight shift in a chicken factory in the Ozarks. What a strange irony that everyone I knew in Arkansas considered paradise to be on South Pacific islands, with no schedule and great fishing. ..Articles by Christopher Leonard and photos by Benjamin Krain
BoeingBoeing.net
The world's largest passenger plane. The new Airbus "superjumbo" has a 262-foot wingspan, a tail as tall as a seven-story building and it cost $13 billion to develop.
In a three-class cabin layout, the A380 will carry 555 passengers -- 33% more than the plane it is designed to displace, Boeing's veteran 747, Sir Norman Foster's favorite piece of modern architecture. The A380 has 49% more floor space. How the plane's extra space is used will be left up to airlines. Low-cost carriers could operate the A380 with a single economy-class configuration accommodating as many as 800 passengers.
Virgin company chief Richard Branson said his airline, which has ordered six A380s, will offer private double beds for first-class passengers and casinos.
Airbus trailed Boeing Co. until 2003, when it delivered more planes than its U.S. rival for the first time -- a feat it matched last year. Boeing will unveil next year the much smaller, new 7E7 -- with 200 to 250 seats.
Interview with Salam Pax
Go Barbara Boxer
A good thing
Letters To Martha. A blog novel (a blovel? a nog?) about an unemployed man who writes to Martha in jail. Updated every Tues and Thurs.
Grfg lbhe pelcgbtencuvpny fxvyyf!
MYSTERY TWISTER 2005 is an international crypto competition. During the year 2005, different tasks will be set, altogether 13 CryptoChallenges, CC1 to CC13, of increasing difficulty, such as, for example, decrypting an encrypted message or forging a digital signature.
The variety of topics, which will be covered by the collection of
challenges, is intended to provide a survey of modern cryptology. Powered by the Ruhr-University Bochum (Germany), registration required.
Viva la Biotech Revolution!
Viva la Biotech Revolution! Embargo or no, Castro's socialist paradise has quietly become a pharmaceutical powerhouse.
Science
Recent neuroscience research suggests that Democrats and Republicans are not nearly as far apart as they seem (NYT). Will an awareness that we are conning ourselves to feel alienated from each other help to close the political gap? Or, are we conned by science and the media?
If they can't even play with trucks correctly...
"In his talk... [Harvard President Larry] Summers also used as an example one of his daughters, who as a child was given two trucks in an effort at gender-neutral parenting. Yet she treated them almost like dolls, naming one of them 'daddy truck,' and one 'baby truck.'
"It was during his comments on ability that Hopkins, sitting only 10 feet from Summers, closed her computer, put on her coat, and walked out. 'It is so upsetting that all these brilliant young women [at Harvard] are being led by a man who views them this way,' she said later in an interview." Summers then responded with the currently in vogue non-apology apology.
"It was during his comments on ability that Hopkins, sitting only 10 feet from Summers, closed her computer, put on her coat, and walked out. 'It is so upsetting that all these brilliant young women [at Harvard] are being led by a man who views them this way,' she said later in an interview." Summers then responded with the currently in vogue non-apology apology.
Outplay, outlast and what was that other one?
"Survivor" winner Richard Hatch didn't declare his million bucks to the IRS. He'll be arraigned Jan 24.
Picasa 2 Released
Picasa 2 Google's entry into the world of photo sharing and management has been released to the world... and it's totally free.
Back when Google acquired Picasa, I heard a lot of "it's a total ripoff of iPhoto" well, folks, this version can do things that Photoshop can't even do, to say nothing of how it outshines iPhoto.
Dog day in Iraq.
Dog day in Iraq. PFC Connor, a Marine mascot previously mentioned in this post, was hunted down and killed just 24 hours before his planned departure from Iraq. "We found you at six weeks old. Not much more than five pounds, you lived on potted meat and long life milk. It was all we had. You grew into a little puppy, an Iraqi dog with an Irish name from Boon Dock Saints. For all the times you ran away . . . you ran to me as fast as you could when I whistled for you. It was those times that I loved you the most."
"I'm wondering why they created this policy. Were dogs barking and attracting insurgents? Were they playing fetch and accidentally bringing home IEDs instead of their stick? Does Rumsfeld just hate puppies?
"No, no, and possibly."
"I'm wondering why they created this policy. Were dogs barking and attracting insurgents? Were they playing fetch and accidentally bringing home IEDs instead of their stick? Does Rumsfeld just hate puppies?
"No, no, and possibly."
... but will the World even notice?
Back from the dead? The first mainstream review of the new Amiga hits the 'web.
It's taken several years (discussed here at the back-end of 2000) but finally there is new hardware and software available.
Will it set the world alight (again)? Who will replace Debbie Harry and Andy Warhol at the launch party? Will it need to (or be able to) compete with the new Macmini? And - perhaps more importantly - where are Amiga, Inc., and who are KMOS?
Will it set the world alight (again)? Who will replace Debbie Harry and Andy Warhol at the launch party? Will it need to (or be able to) compete with the new Macmini? And - perhaps more importantly - where are Amiga, Inc., and who are KMOS?
Is copyright killing culture?
Million Dollar Baby Short Story
Everyone is talking about Clint Eastwood's new movie, Million Dollar Baby (trailer). What you may not know however is that the movie was based on a short story in a book by the name of Rope Burns: Stories From The Corner by the late F.X. Toole (aka Jerry Boyd). The book by the way was called, "...the best boxing short fiction ever written," by James Ellroy of L.A. Confidential fame. Back in 2000 Toole gave an amazing interview on Fresh Air about spending the last 20 years of his life as a cut man and the last 40 years of writing while trying to overcome his fear of rejection before getting his first book published at age 70.
January 17
Everybody hustle.
Learn Disco! They say it drives the chicks wild... maybe you'll finally get a date!
(The end of the video is the grooviest part. Courtesy NewToday.)
(The end of the video is the grooviest part. Courtesy NewToday.)
GUTS
Following up on our discussion of a classic Salinger short story, I find myself surprised - nay, shocked - that nobody has posted a link to the classic short story "Guts" by Chuck Palahniuk.
this music is meant to be played LOUD.
If you have heard of the bands Lightning Bolt,
Arab on Radar or Forcefield,
chances are you've heard of the legendary space known as Fort
Thunder - an artists collective in
an otherwise neglected part of Providence known as Olneyville
-where roughly 100 artists and musicians lived, worked, and held
underground music shows. After the demolition
of Fort Thunder in 2001,
a number of those artists began again in a different space known simply as Oak
& Troy. One year ago this month, on one of the coldest days on record, the residents
of that fertile creative
space were also evicted,
this time with just two weeks' notice. But where there is innovative music there
are dedicated audiophiles, and last week one of the former residents of Oak
& Troy released a 10-CD compilation
of some of the best music to happen in those amazing spaces. See if you can
pick out the extracurricular projects of members (or former members) of AoR,
ff, Dropdead, thee
Hydrogen Terrors and Olneyville
Sound Station.
Fat Truckers and Other Stuff
Fat Truckers Union is just one of 35 sites hosted by Alkem foundation. While at F.T.U. don't miss The Golden Age by scrolling right and set aside 8 hours to play the flash game.
Bridgeport seems to be a band that plays in livingrooms.
I'm not sure what GPI is other than it has a lot of small print.
(contains flash, shockwave, sound and a few other things i don't know what they are.)
Transgenic art
The Cactus Project is a "transgenic artwork involving the fusion of human genetic material into the cactus genome resulting in the cactus expressing human hair." See also the Artist links link for more transgenic art.
A Plea for Better Manners
A Plea for Better Manners or- How to be an Ugly American from the comfort of your own home.
On the plus side, these two are now broadcasting from a New York station that is collecting for tsunami relief.
seen yr video
Before they were nobodies. There are a few bands who never quite made it huge but influenced everyone who ever saw or heard them (the Velvet Underground, Capt Beefheart, Sonic Youth).
The best were The Replacements. And recently from their defunct website comes a complete early show of theirs, broken up in bite sized chunks, via quicktime. (more inside)
Olllllllld movies
The nuggets may be packed full of beaks, the burgers may be, mostly, squashed intestine and the chips may be soaked in beef flavouring, but there are rare, if no, cases of food poisoning.
Ten Reasons --from going to McDonald's (Did you know that Happy Meals are a loss leader?) to becoming a miser (It's a weightloss plan that really works) and more. From AK13, a great little brit web mag.
Unforgiveable Dumbness
Weatherman fired for on-air MLK day racial slur. I hope someone has video because I wouldn't mind seeing this dood go out like a sucka.
Don't be un-Australian
The message is clear - don't get busted eating anything but Lamb this Australia Day. (Possibly NSF vegans/vegetarians/etc. links are .wmv)
They read books so you don't have to
The Digested Read at The Guardian reduces popular books to 400 words and a conclusion. Recent notables include Belle du Jour ("Sometimes I lie about my age to clients. Sometimes I even lie to my friends. I guess you must be wondering whether I'm lying now.") Crichton's State of Fear ("Author's note: I'm very, very clever and have read a lot and you're all stupid wishy-washy liberals.") and Tom Wolfe's I am Charlotte Simmons ("At least it covered her breasts, whatever they were. Charlotte knew men might want to touch them, but she didn't know why as she had never read Cosmopolitan.") Possibly NSFW if you have an employer with no sense of humor. On preview: Individual Digested Reads have been linked in previous discussions on Henry James and Camille Paglia.
Can I borrow your phone book?
I’m coming over to New York from England next month for a few days and wondered if you could recommend any restaurants/bars for me and me chums to visit? We’re staying on the Upper West Side. Any help would be much appreciated!
We hope the League of Nations will rule the Tetrahedron well.
What the World May Come To. "THE school books tell us that the earth is a round globe, or, to be more exact, an oblate spheroid - a ball with the ends slightly flattened, as in an orange. This is, of course, true of the general appearance of the earth as it might be viewed from the moon or from Mars, and we may see it proved more or less by watching the earth's shadow on the lunar surface during an eclipse of the moon. But the earth is slowly but surely changing its shape, and already it is in process of becoming a tetraedron, or a pyramid." (Via Incoming Signals, which quite properly calls the author "sort of the Time Cube guy of the World War One era.")
"For my part I don't need Japanese pictures here, for I am always telling myself that here I am in Japan"
I envy the Japanese for the enormous clarity that pervades their work. It is never dull and never seems to have been made in haste. Their work is as simple as breathing and they draw a figure with a few well chosen lines with the same ease, as effortless as buttoning up one's waistcoat.....
--Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, 24 September, 1888
The term "Japonisme" came up in France in the seventies of the 19th century to describe the craze for Japanese culture and art. Van Gogh, like so many other Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists, was one of the admirers (and collectors) of Japanese art. He defined himself as “a simple worshipper of the eternal Buddha”, and the most peculiar among his many self-portraits is "Self-Portrait as Buddhist Monk" (see a comparison here and here), painted in 1888 and dedicated to Paul Gauguin. More inside.
Nice Package, You Future Quadrillionaire You
Cheating detected, we're at Defcon 1
Some of you (and clearly the bad guys are among them) don’t always remember that this game, and all accounts and derivative products, are the property of the United States Army. America's Army is the Official US Army Game. Funded by the military, the game is free to download and play online. As of this posting, the game has 1741 servers and 8318 players online. In a post to the game's official forums (the post itself required registration to view and now seems to be gone), a developer warns cheaters "The Army is angry, and we’re coming for you."
Remote Control Shark.
Remote control shark. No mention of attaching lasers. Yet.
Make money on the web in your part time!
Who says you can't make money on the web? A group of college kids had revenue of over $405,000 from their humor site in December, and now have a story in The New Yorker. I'm in the wrong business.
Titan-ic pictures
NASA has released some pictures from another moon The article has some pictures - almost actual and computer-enhanced of Titan. There are also links to the radar signals Huygens received in its descent to Titan and Cassini sent back to NASA. (They sound a bit like a Vespa buzzing past a window.)
Mary Worth Crystal Meth Nude Spree
Media
To set the record straight: While the country was busy with CBS and Rather's mistake, the story of Bush going AWOL was lost.
Espionage and the Orange Revolution
Espionage and the Orange Revolution -or- How Ukranian spies prevented a crackdown on protestors in Kiev. (NY Times)
Why is Red Peters not famous
Why is Red Peters not famous like George Carlin, for example? When you hear his famous songs "Ballad of a Dog Named Stains" or "Blow Me (You Hardly Even Know Me)", you know he’s an unrecognized genius. More on "I Laughed, I Cried, I Fudged My Undies”. Short Amazon introductory clips here
Tag me as
Rebirth of the Semantic Web. On the heels of the Technorati taggregator, the Oddiophile bookmarklet, the tag search (new today!) and much ensuing buzz, Jeff Jarvis brings up people tagging. This concept drove Friendster and FOAF, both of which petered out. But with Technorati's elegant synthesis of photo, link, and post tagging, the web may once again tap into networked individualism.
Does this FPP make you want to be a hooker?
Ultimate Recycling Rug hooking must be one of the simplest and cost-effective of crafts (basically, cut old clothes into strips, use burlap, insert hook, pull up loop of fabric), and so it’s all the more amazing that it can be used to achieve such cool, painterly and stunning results. If you click on just one link in this FPP, make it this one, made by a Japanese woman out of her grandmother’s old silk kimonos. I’ve selected just one excellent, comprehensive rug hooking web site, but there’s a lot of resources and information available on the web for this craft if you’re interested.
Stand By Your Statue
Stand By Your Statue - like all the best ideas, this one is simplicity itself: you find a statue, you stand by it and imitate it while one of your mates takes a photograph. What could be easier? What could be more entertaining? It's the kind of thing the Internet was invented for!
Authentic Gop
Authentic GOP.com Healing a divided America.
The Monkey Represents Sharing
Jeffrey Rowland, creator of Wigu, author of I Was a Teenage Billionaire Psychopath, and owner of a brilliant illustrated blog, has unveiled his newest project - the TV Network Channel.
Ow, My Brain
Boohbah Zone. Monday Flash Fun. On acid. With teddy-bear-seal-things.
January 16
Free and Legal MP3's
3 Hive This is a great source for free, legal and cool mp3's. The folks at 3hive have put together a great collection of links to bands and the free mp3's they have available, including a short description/bio of each artist. New posts appear almost every day making this an excellent source for new music. Radio who needs it!
Circadian Arhythm
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sleep (But Were Too Afraid To Ask). Circadiana is a new specialty blog dedicated to chronobiology. As a night owl (I'm posting this link at 2:45 AM), I look forward to many late nights reading this site.
shades of Viet...
The next step? And so on... Seymour Hersh, the fellow that broke the Abu Ghraib story (more) is now saying in the New Yorker that the US has been operating covertly in Iran (and possibly as many as 9 other mid-east and S. Asian countries).
As this BBC article says
"Mr Hersh could be wrong. But he has a series of scoops to his name, including the details of the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal last year. His track record suggests that he should be taken seriously."
Salinger on the web
Read J.D. Salinger's "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" if you're bored at work this week (or stuck in a Mexican hotel). And when you're done with that dig into the rest (with a couple of exceptions) of Salinger's published work.
Free Legal Music Online
With all of the talk and posts about itunes, the RIAA, P2P, etc. I thought that I would take this opportunity to point out that there are hundreds of great, free music files online that are legal to download. Sites like Soundloads which posts links to new music every day, Garageband which features up and coming bands, and CNet's music site that lets anyone and everyone upload their files to share with the masses, all feature some great music. And the creators of the music are asking you to download the files for free and add them to your playlists.
I've also downloaded some good music from epitonic.com, purevolume.com, audiostreet, even blogs can be a good source of new, free, legal music downloads. While you're not gonna find the latest big media pop diva or boy band, you can find good music if you take the time to look a little.
I've also downloaded some good music from epitonic.com, purevolume.com, audiostreet, even blogs can be a good source of new, free, legal music downloads. While you're not gonna find the latest big media pop diva or boy band, you can find good music if you take the time to look a little.
Naïve in Thailand
Naïve in Thailand: The misadventures of an unprepared 43-year-old Brit who drops everything to try and help with tsunami rebuilding. Pet peeve? "The only real irritation has been the American Christian volunteers."
Prohibited Items at the Presidential Inauguration
Empty your pockets before attending the Presidential Inauguration. Among items forbidden are pocket tools, explosives, animals -- and in case they forgot to mention something, "any other items at the discretion of the security screeners that may pose a potential safety hazard"
Chika Honda in her own words
Chika Honda, falsely imprisoned for ten years by Australian authorities for heroin smuggling, and never pardoned, tells her story in her own words [Real Audio] in this Walkley Award-nominated documentary. This is a wrenching story of incompetence by the federal police, legal aid services, media-influenced juries and the problem of translation in legal investigations. Listen to her story and decide on her innocence for yourself.
Blogs help reform in Iran
Blogs contribute to political reform in Iran (New York Times): Former vice-president of Iran, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, said that he learned through the Internet about the huge gap between government officials and the younger generation.
"We do not understand each other and cannot have a dialogue," he said. "As government officials, we receive a lot of confidential reports about what goes on in society. But I have felt that I learned a lot more about people and the younger generation by reading their Web logs and receiving about 40 to 50 e-mails every day. This is so different than reading about society in those bulletins from behind our desks."
Links and pictures oh my
A fun time waster for anyone stuck in a Mexican hotel room, like me, or bored sitting at home. A joining of del.icio.us and flickr. Related to this askme
Goodbye Carnivore?
Carnivore, the gold standard for conspiracy theory, has apparently been mothballed. An interesting element of this is that Carnivore has been removed from service not because it is invasive of civil liberties, but rather because it has failed to perform against commercially-available monitoring technologies. Of course, since we do not know what those technologies *are*, it may be that they have built into them considerations of individual rights to privacy that Carnivore could not be altered to respect. However, given the drift of the US on matters of data privacy, this seems unlikely...
So, what are the programmes that do it better than Carnivore? What do they have to offer that Carniviore doesn't, or is it just the ISPs are now offering information straight to the government? And does this mean that it is no longer fashionable to append long strings of exciting-sounding nouns to emails?
(Apologies if this is old news to the more plugged-in - this report has only just been released under FOI)
X-Treme Dads
An in-depth profile of Generation X dads. As one myself, I think it gets most things right. However, if you want to take paternity leaves and go home early and spend more time w/family, it helps to have money to actually do that!
Boing Ping Boom Tschak!
The real Kraftwerk pocket calculator! With a sound sample of it playing 'Computerwelt'. I never knew this existed!
sundials: marrying science & art
There are many different types of sundials, from the very large to the small and portable. Some of the more unusual specimens include the spectacular new Sundial Bridge in Redding, CA, topiary and garden sundials in Britain, and, perhaps most lovely, stained glass sundials, rare now, but more common from the 16th through the 19th centuries.
Stone Age art rocks!
Northumberland Rock Art. An archive of Neolithic and early Bronze Age rock carvings from north east England. I'm browsing by motif, but you can make your own!
fatrsy art for your sunday jazz brunch
Extra Oomph . A bit like Ralph Stedman in style, Linda Zachs gives us her beautiful, her bizarre, her funny, and her inspirational. and sometimes her commercial.
January 15
This Quantitative Information, it vibrates?
A chapter from Edward Tufte's upcoming book is online. [link contains roughly 2.2 MB of scanned images] Tufte, discussed here previously and author of what could be called the Strunk and White for scientists, statisticians, producers and consumers of visual information, takes a stab at a few issues right up the average MeFite's alley: the 9/11 commission report, fraudulent medical studies, and the rather dubious quantitative work of this unfortunate economist/art historian. For the ShillFilter suspicious, check out some of the great threads that haunt his site.
Metahistory
Metahistory. A system of demystification of histories, historians, journalism, and journalists who claim to present things "as they are", while providing some brilliant methods for determining in what ways a given account lacks "complete objectivity" and how it can be seen as ultimately ideological.
hearts and minds
Physically and sexually mistreating detainees at Abu Ghraib under orders... 10 years.
Abusing prisoners, raping a young Iraqi boy, and lying under oath(allegedly) because you're a "go-getter"... $164 million, $16 to $85 million.
Knowing the President and members of congress on both sides of the aisle have your back so long as you're not enlisted(wouldn't have covered corporate types, but what the hey, thought I'd toss it in)... Priceless!
Abusing prisoners, raping a young Iraqi boy, and lying under oath(allegedly) because you're a "go-getter"... $164 million, $16 to $85 million.
Knowing the President and members of congress on both sides of the aisle have your back so long as you're not enlisted(wouldn't have covered corporate types, but what the hey, thought I'd toss it in)... Priceless!
Journalism's vacation from the truth
Journalism's vacation from the truth One day after Tucker Carlson, the co-host of CNN's "Crossfire," made his farewell appearance and two days after the network's new president made the admirable announcement that he would soon kill the program altogether, a television news miracle occurred: even as it staggered through its last steps to the network guillotine, "Crossfire" came up with the worst show in its 23-year history
Reading Rainbow Story Winners
Taking care of the children
Taking care of the children, present, past, America and elsewhere... (following on from XQUZYPHYR's Thursday post, with all NYT links reg-free)
Monsanto vs. US Farmers
Farmer Homer McFarland is being sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars by the Monsanto corporation. His crime? Replanting his crops' own seed, as farmers have done for millennia, which violates the biotech giant's intellectual property rights, the company claims. Quietly, Monsanto's aggressive "seed police" have been suing farmers in 25 states for years, often settling out of court for huge sums, according to the Center for Food Safety's new report, Monsanto vs. US farmers [PDF link]. For more information, also see a new documentary called The Future of Food.
Mantlepies
iPod World [QuickTime]
Sooner or later, friend, you've got to fall
Do you remember Hüsker Dü? No, not that Husker Du, this one. This site contains one of the most complete collections of guitar tabs I have ever seen for any band. It might even exceed my previous favorite band site, Swervedriver.com, if not in flash, then in content. The owner of the site seems to be more of a Grant Hart fan than a Bob Mould fan, as there are tabs for most of Hart's solo stuff and for Nova Mob, but only a smattering of Mould tunes and none for Sugar. There is also, suprisingly, a tab of the Posies' excellent song (and loving tribute to the Huskers) "Grant Hart".
Dooced!
TCF bank dooces The Star Tribune , pulling all their ads from the paper after A Star Tribune columnist posts a negative column about a TCF exec's blog .
rube
spontaneous non-human creativity?
The gallery of random art: computer generated random images posted daily, with voting enabled. To see the most popular images since the project began, check out the best-of gallery.
The Brampton Bugle: News that really matters
The Brampton Bugle News, Culture, Health, Fashion, Jobs and much, much more. The charming English village of Brampton in Derbyshire goes on-line. Brampton’s Website offers a “behind the scenes” view of British village life written by the people themselves (and most of them seem to contribute). Click also on the banner/display adverts which provide deeper insights. Some pages have sound….when you least expect it! Other than that, SFW.
Rubberboy
Rubberboy [flash & music]
Fathom
The biology of B-movie monsters ; ancient Greek curse and love magic; the correspondence of Elizabeth I and James VI; Egil Skallagrimsson, poet and killer; the mythology of Harry Potter; Pinocchio's cultural heirs; Tiananmen's legacy; experimental art in China; the question of Hatshepshut's character. Articles courtesy of the Fathom Archive, 2000-2003.
The General Dennis J. Reimer Training and Doctrine Digital Library
The General Dennis J. Reimer Training and Doctrine Digital Library. Infantry Platoon Defense. Combat in Built-Up Areas. Land Navigation. Field Fortifications. Land-Mine Warfare (Part I). Ground Surveillance Assets. Electronic Warfare. Introduction to Tactical Radio Communications. Basic Baton Techniques.
Starring Kermit as Dr. Frank N. Frogger
Alas Babylon
The damage wrought by the construction of an American military base in the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon must rank as one of the most reckless acts of cultural vandalism in recent memory. And all the more so because it was unnecessary and avoidable... but given that it was, the US authorities were very aware of the warnings of archaeologists of the historic importance of the site. Yet, as a report by Dr John Curtis of the British Museum makes clear, they seem to have ignored the warnings. Dr Curtis claimed that in the early days after the war a military presence served a valuable purpose in preventing the site from being looted. But that, he said, did not stop "substantial" damage being done to the site afterwards not just to individual buildings such as the Ishtar Gate, "one of the most famous monuments from antiquity", but also on an estimated 300,000 square metres which had been flattened and covered in gravel, mostly imported from elsewhere. This was done to provide helicopter landing places and parking lots for heavy vehicles that should not have been allowed there in the first place...
Cultural vandalism. Months of war that ruined centuries of history. American graffiti.
Cultural vandalism. Months of war that ruined centuries of history. American graffiti.
January 14
stripping as a career
Speaker Touts Stripping to 8th Graders as a lucrative career, causing a collective freakout in our sex obsessed culture. If your considering stripping as possible career path here are some things that you should know.
Understanding Abu Ghraib
the stanford prison experiment ,first posted in Feb 2001, can now be compared to the actions of soldiers who have served in Abu Ghraib. It's an illustration of how one can get carried away with a role and not act as one would normally. No, not an excuse. Thank you Plep!
Spreading democracy with death squads?
The Salvador Option --sending Special Forces teams to advise, support and possibly train Iraqi squads, to target Sunni insurgents and their sympathizers, even across the border into Syria, in imitation of our actions in El Salvador. It remains unclear, however, whether this would be a policy of assassination or so-called "snatch" operations, in which the targets are sent to secret facilities for interrogation. More here, including this: In Iraq, in fact, as in many other places where the United States has tried to train ethical armies to fight dirty wars, the Iraqi troops are tacitly expected to do what American troops won’t. A fundamental purpose of the upcoming elections on January 30 is to create democratic legitimacy for whatever extreme measures the newly organized military decides to take.
Global dimming is the new global threat
Global dimming. It's official. Particulate pollution in the air has decreased the amount of sunlight reaching the earth. How much? A fraction of a percent? Try 10% globally over the past 50 years. Worse yet, global dimming is thought to be counteracting CO2 and its greenhouse effect, lessening the worldwide temperature increase called global warming. Why's that bad? Because, in the coming decades, particulate pollution is expected to level off, while CO2 emissions are expected to rise strongly, multiplying the effects of global warming as we know it. "That means a temperature rise of 10 degrees Celsius by 2100 could be on the cards, giving the UK a climate like that of North Africa, and rendering many parts of the world uninhabitable." Holy fucking shit! [via kottke]
Popularized by Kid Rock and the WWF
Rent-a-Midget. "Think about the best party you've ever been to, wouldn't it have been better if there was a midget there? Another boring day at the office, why not have one of our little people go down and bring some life in there!"
The gayest post title ever
Planes, Trains, and Plantains, or the Greatest Essay Ever Written.
where is the cow hidden right now?
Everybody loves Magical Trevor. (flash)
Gone, but not forgotten!
In 1995, Microprose released Master of Magic, a game best described as Magic: the Gathering meets Civilization. Despite a daunting list of bugs, the game developed a strong following.
It's one of the top 150 games of all time (nevermind the date!), and easily one of the best turn based strategy games ever. Lots of people would love to see this franchise revived, and the good people at Stardock [makers of Galactic Civilizations] are trying to do just that. Godspeed!
Ball? What Ball?
Concentration Test NSFW! Nekkidness Inside!
Friday fun, not work safe in any way and contains nudity mostly directed at the male population or anyone who likes boobs.
A new take on the old "Follow the Ball" game. Also in German and Danish.
Friday fun, not work safe in any way and contains nudity mostly directed at the male population or anyone who likes boobs.
A new take on the old "Follow the Ball" game. Also in German and Danish.
Jordan the nobody?
Whatever happened to Jordan? This is perhaps the most thought-out dissent regarding Michael Jordan as sports god I've ever read. I have to say I agree, even though I was a Bulls fan growing up. What did he ever really stand for?
Lick that monitor!
Kitty the screen cleaner: FridayFlashFilter fluff. Works better than a lint-free cloth. [via the hotlinks]
FutureFilter
Mapping the Global Future: Report of the National Intelligence Council's 2020 Project. Explore alternative futures, by creating own scenarios for global changes within the next 15 years.
Origins of the Beatnik
Do you consider yourself a latter-day "beatnik"? Even young fans of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg proudly christen themselves with the tag beatnik these days, apparently unaware that word was originally coined as a term of ridicule by San Francisco columnist Herb Caen. "Beat" was indeed used by Kerouac to denote both "beaten down" and "beatitude" -- a state of revelation. He first heard the word spoken by a Times Square hustler and writer named Herbert Huncke; then another writer, John Clellon Holmes, popularized the term "Beat" in a New York Times article headlined "This is the Beat Generation." But the original Beats did not approve of the term "beatnik" -- combining "beat" with the Russian "Sputnik," as if to suggest that the Beat writers were both "out there" and vaguely Communist -- as this hilarious dialogue [note: MP3 link] between a very young Ginsberg, anthropologist Margaret Mead, and an excruciatingly square talk-radio host makes plain.
Bradifer
Jennifer Aniston explains everything in her blog. Well...um...probably not. But the interesting thing about this blog is how many of the people in the comments section assume it's really her. Odd.
Who is killing off the microbiologists?
Yet another dead microbiologist. Why was Joeng Im of the University of Missouri, a 72 year old protein chemist, stabbed to death, stuffed in the trunk of his car, and burned? Was it a random act of violence? Was it a former student bent on revenge? Or is this biologist merely following in the footsteps of 40 other microbiologists and other scientists who have mysteriously died in the past 4 years? Scientists like David Kelly, Steven Mostow, Ian Langford, , Don C. Wiley, David Wynn-Williams, Michael Perich, Gene Mallove, and dozens of other scientists?
Is it too presumptuous, too "tinfoil hat" to suppose that someone is killing off the microbiologists of the world, for some nefarious purpose?
See the United States
Ship shape? Welcome aboard the SS United States. Her maiden voyage was July 7, 1952, where she set a trans-Atlantic record which still stands.
Her passenger list included such luminaries as Marlon Brando, Salvador Dali and Harry Truman. Several sites document the effort to save her from being sold for scrap or sunk.
Far from her former glory, she now lies at anchor in the Delaware River in Philadelphia, a sad counterpart to her
former self.
Huygens Makes it!
It worked! Huygens has successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan and the Cassini orbiter is sending good data back to Earth as I type. Isn't it amazing how we can take a probe the size of a compact car, send it on a 7 year journey in the most inhospitable environment imaginable, deploy a sub-probe that has been dormant for that entire time and land it where we had planned on another solar body so far away that it takes 67 minutes to get a signal back and forth. Exploration and research has never been so cool.
Spencer Dryden dies at age 66
Jorma Kaukonen shares his thoughts on his former bandmate's recent death Drummer Spencer Dryden of Airplane dies. Dryden recorded on a number of the Airplane's most famous albums, "Surrealistic Pillow"; "After Bathing At Baxter's"; the live "Bless Its Pointed Little Head"; "Crown Of Creation"; and "Volunteers."
Read the CNN article.
A Wounded Apparition
Into the realm of Henry Darger When Henry Darger died in Chicago on April 13, 1973, he was a destitute man whose final days were spent at a home for the elderly. Now, 30 years later, Darger ranks among the greatest outsider artists America has ever seen.
Found in the astounding clutter of Darger's one-room apartment was a 15,000-page fantasy epic, bound by hand in 15 volumes, titled "The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What Is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion." Along with this were three separate volumes filled with 300 drawings, including 87 multi-sheet horizontal panels, some 12 feet long with drawings on both sides.
The discovery of Darger's NSFW work spawned numerous books, a play, a British rock band (the Vivian Girls), and an excellent y2karl MetaFilter post. And now there's also Jessica Yu's documentary "In the Realms of the Unreal: The Mystery of Henry Darger," a portrait of the reclusive artist that has been shortlisted for the upcoming Academy Award nominations. Again, Darger's art can be disturbing and must be considered not safe for work (more inside)
The Mac Mini as the beginning of the end?
Why the Mac Mini may signal the end of Apple as a traditional computer company. Jobs might well be looking beyond Apple's role as a niche computer maker with this new product.
Ripley's IQ Game
Friday flash frustration. Along the same lines as the Hi Q game I used to play as a kid, and equally addictive. I'm not sure what speaks more about my IQ: that I can only get 3 balls left, or that I can't stop playing. Ripley's has several other games as well. There goes Friday.
the People's Palaces - a beautiful ride
Fabulous images of the Moscow Metro underground, also known as "the people's palaces". Click "M"s on the entry map to view gorgeous (often architecturally surreal) panoramic images, and visit the picture gallery for sweet details. Via Jorgen at Viewropa.
Sign on the X
Testing the limits of credit card receipt signatures. Are there any?
Throw paper in the bin
Throw paper in the bin game. - Satisfying.
all entheogen, all the time.
The Trip Receptacleswas a series of three 3-hour shows consisting of all-psychedelic, all-entheogen radio, featuring names like Leary, Grof, Capra, McKenna and more. Nearly four hours of shows on mp3. [via FutureHi].
January 13
Obligatory NASA Post
European Space Agency's Huygens Probe Ready for Spectacular Mission to Titan
Mission managers for the European Space Agency's Huygens probe said the spacecraft is on course for its descent to Saturn's mysterious moon Titan on Friday, Jan. 14. The probe, which detached from NASA's Cassini orbiter last month, will be the first object to explore on-site the unique environment of Titan, whose chemistry is thought to be very similar to that of early Earth, before life formed. The data gathered during the probe's 2 1/2 hour descent through Titan's atmosphere will be transmitted from the probe to the Cassini orbiter and then back to Earth.
Make sure to stay tuned in this morning for updates.
Mission managers for the European Space Agency's Huygens probe said the spacecraft is on course for its descent to Saturn's mysterious moon Titan on Friday, Jan. 14. The probe, which detached from NASA's Cassini orbiter last month, will be the first object to explore on-site the unique environment of Titan, whose chemistry is thought to be very similar to that of early Earth, before life formed. The data gathered during the probe's 2 1/2 hour descent through Titan's atmosphere will be transmitted from the probe to the Cassini orbiter and then back to Earth.
Make sure to stay tuned in this morning for updates.
On the internet, no one knows you're not a lawyer
Pentagon's bizarre sex bomb
Pentagon's bizarre sex bomb. Cue the Pat Benatar.
Live Ween
CC Mattster
Creative Commons and Wired have launched CC Mixter; a commons pool for music samples and remixes. Mix artists can now browse, download, remix, other artist's samples and tracks, then upload their own work for the same purpose. To celebrate, a bunch artists have donated music, and a couple of competitions have sprung up. Listen here.
Yes, Badonkadonk.
Considering buying a tank from Amazon? Meet the JL421 Badonkadonk, a "a completely unique, extremely rare land vehicle and battle tank" from NAO Design that sells for $20,000. Yes, its real (and comes with a free T-shirt). Of course, its not on sale, unlike the mysterious $23,000 Gulbransen Bottle Organ - now 21% off!
The man who thinks about thinking without thinking.
Blinked is Malcom Gladwell's latest short, concept driven book about how instant judgements are often correct, but equally often dangerous. Two reviews on S****.com and S****.com [ad thingie to watch] make for great reading themselves. Gladwell's long been a favorite of mine, and I don't think I'm alone here. Previously cited works include one of the best essays I've ever read, about the ultimate pitchman.
PSP = Projectile Shooting Playstation
Thinking of buying a PSP anytime soon? Before spending up to $400 for an imported unit, check this out: Engadget, among others, reports that the new PlayStation Portable will eject the currently-playing disc if the device is twisted a certain way. And if you don't believe it, see it for yourself (avi & mpeg, last link NSFNintendoDS).
Bam! Kapow! Splat!
Philosophical Powers! The greatest minds of all time now have great bodies to match! Philosophy's (and theology's) greatest superheroes now in action figure form! Thrill to Arrogant Aristotle, Angry Anselm, Dangerous Descartes, Nefarious Nietzsche and more!
Am I hip-hop or not?
Dr. Jay's Street Style is a site where the hip-hop fashion-minded critique each other's outfits. It's supremely entertaining because these guys pose tough — and then "holla" catty comments about mismatched colors and outdated brands. Be sure to check out the Hall of Style for the best and worst of the site. [via]
Birdman to Scooby to Batman to Snapper
Six Degrees of Snapper Carr. Addictive if you've read lots of comics; nonsensical if you haven't. As a special bonus, read up on Snapper's shocking origin.
OMG! Collaborative shirts!
The folks at Threadless have launched a new collaborative contest type way to make shirts at OMG Clothing. You sign up, submit a slogan, and everyone votes on them, with the best scores getting made into shirts. Threadless has always done graphical submissions, but I suspect more people can come up with a funny phrase than a crazy cool vector art graphic.
Got hay?
Once Upon A Time
Sony explains the PlayStationPortable's launch delay. The bestselling PDF, now available on Amazon for $750.
Play with her
Play with her Curiously clever.
Air Florida Flight 90
"Larry, we're going down, Larry," "I know it." This day twenty-two years ago, Air Florida Flight 90 took off from DC National Airport, in heavy snow, with insufficiently de-iced wings. A minute after takeoff, the plane crashed into the packed 14th Street Bridge, crushing several cars before falling into the Potomac River and sinking into the icy water. [More inside.]
Long Lost Leo
"Researchers have discovered the hidden laboratory used by Leonardo da Vinci for studies of flight and other pioneering scientific work in previously sealed rooms at a monastery next to the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata, in the heart of Florence."
City pics rule!
While looking for photos of Sacramento, CA I came across The World City Photo Archive. Find your favorite city from around the world (organized by country) or check out photos of landmarks.
Big up to you
Borat strikes again. Sacha Baron Cohen, star of HBO's Ali G Show, hits another unsuspecting American audience, this time as Borat Sagdiyev, Kazakhstan's sixth most famous man. "And may George W. Bush drink the blood of every man, woman and child in Iraq." Kazahkstanians say the darndest things!
The Food Pyramid Topples
The US Government pronounces the Food Pyramid dead. More information from the USDA.
Hail the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005! The guidelines won't be released for a couple months yet, but some graphics on Food Groups, being On The Go and Physical Activity are being circulated as teasers.
I wanna rock-a-bye baby all night, and potty every day!
Nippaz with Attitude! The Sex Pistols, Ramones, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Nirvana, and AC/DC ...for babies.
Stickers Unstuck
Evolutionary Stickers Struck-down. (login req'd)
"In a ruling issued today, U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper said the stickers, which call evolution 'a theory, not a fact,' violate the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution."
(A pseudo-follow-up to a post from November 2004)
"In a ruling issued today, U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper said the stickers, which call evolution 'a theory, not a fact,' violate the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution."
(A pseudo-follow-up to a post from November 2004)
Oh you're absolutely fine ...
I LOVE YOU I WANNA LOVE YOU TENDER . You could be my only sweet surrender. I would never bring you any kind of sorrow. (38 Mb QT)
The films stink more than the greasy audience
"Do you like this, the greedy scrabbling in greasy boxes, the whole herd determinedly chomping and chewing and slurping . . . don't you feel even a little bit as if you're in the pig barn, at exactly the moment the big trough full of ground intestines slops over for all to rush towards and snuffle in?"
Why movie going sucks by Russell Smith of the Globe and Mail.
Why movie going sucks by Russell Smith of the Globe and Mail.
Invisibilia
A World of Invisibilia. "The pictures are simple enough: the people in the photos have been digitally removed and replaced with drawings. Yeah, I know... anyone can trace a drawing. But so what? I am doing it, and you're not. You're sitting at home doing nothing."
I like the effect, and I'm sure it's been done before but I can't place it.
The reel end of analog?
Tip and Shout: 2'' Tape: "But last Friday, [Jeff] Tweedy hit a snag as he prepared for a session in Wilco's Chicago studio space: Nobody could find any of the professional-grade audio tape the band is accustomed to using."
The journal of an American soldier.
The journal of an American soldier. Although it's typically my policy not to reveal the identity of people I know in Iraq, I am making an exception in this case. The journal above belongs to Michael Smith, a LiveJournal friend of mine who died in Iraq on Tuesday when an RPG hit his Humvee. Mike was 24 years old and leaves behind family, friends, and a newlywed wife, who he married in Korea shortly before he deployed to Iraq. As is tradition on LiveJournal, his last journal entry has become a memorial of sorts.
Blue Anus
Blue Anus A small, mysterious neon sign in a window on the fourth floor.
Macroverse Microverse
Mysterious, high-energy celestial particles slam into Earth.
Zooming past our galaxy’s stellar graveyard? Information sent via teleportation as aging stars turn to Martini bar.
Zooming past our galaxy’s stellar graveyard? Information sent via teleportation as aging stars turn to Martini bar.
The 5th Dentist :: A Photoblog
The 5th Dentist :: a photoblog
Rebel Taunts
Iraqi Rebels Taunt
Departing from fiery Islamic slogans, Iraqi guerrillas have launched a propaganda campaign with an English-language video urging U.S. troops to lay down their weapons and seek refuge in mosques and homes. The video, narrated in fluent English by what sounded like an Iraqi educated in the United States or Britain, also mocked the U.S. president's challenge to rebels in the early days of the insurgency to 'bring it on'. "George W. Bush; you have asked us to 'bring it on'. And so help me, (we will) like you never expected. Do you have another challenge?," asked the narrator before the video showed explosions around a U.S. military Humvee vehicle.
I do wish I could find a link to the video and "bring it on."
Departing from fiery Islamic slogans, Iraqi guerrillas have launched a propaganda campaign with an English-language video urging U.S. troops to lay down their weapons and seek refuge in mosques and homes. The video, narrated in fluent English by what sounded like an Iraqi educated in the United States or Britain, also mocked the U.S. president's challenge to rebels in the early days of the insurgency to 'bring it on'. "George W. Bush; you have asked us to 'bring it on'. And so help me, (we will) like you never expected. Do you have another challenge?," asked the narrator before the video showed explosions around a U.S. military Humvee vehicle.
I do wish I could find a link to the video and "bring it on."
And then you die
Beware, Hiccups. (CGI, .mov)
bog leech
January 12
packaw!
Someone's funding Spyware
Everyone hates spyware (even MS is getting into the anti-spyware game) for a whole host of obvious reasons, but someone out there must like it, right? One person tracked down the people that love it so much they've given millions of dollars in funding for spyware companies. That's over $100 million to make more spyware. If you check out the portfolio of some of these investment firms (1, 2, 3, 4 and even the dude in charge of The WELL is in on it?!) there are quite a lot of everyday brands funded by the same group that fuels such great software as the uber evil Gator.
Retro...um...food?
Scary recipes from the past! Included: Jello molds with meat inside, weird dinners made with hot dogs (including Circle Dogs, which would be the name of my band if I had one), and tuna spaghetti. Actually, I'd like to try some of the desserts...
Ice cubes for everyone!
Big Crash! An iceberg the size of Long Island is about to impact a land-bound ice mass in Anarctica. Stand back!
The NHL? Fix it for forget it
rather neat little animation thingie
Maps, All Interactive Like
Maps
Looking for Maps? Please click on the country of interest.
• Australia
• Canada
• France
• Ireland
• New Zealand
• United Kingdom
• United States
Found while searching for this thread.
Looking for Maps? Please click on the country of interest.
• Australia
• Canada
• France
• Ireland
• New Zealand
• United Kingdom
• United States
Found while searching for this thread.
Teat Time
Platonic Ideal? Or banality? Some chums and I were having the classic argument over 3d package superiority when we discovered, overjoyed, that they all had one thing in common, the Utah Teapot. I didn't realize this oddball shape had a history, or that is was real . . . but if the virtual (actual scan!) isn't your gig, whip out yer foldin' fingers.
What's that smell?
Some films are great, others bomb, but only one truly stank. Twenty-five years ago today, "Scent of Mystery" opened in New York and became the only movie released in Smell-O-Vision.
Movie Magazines
THE SITE OF MOVIE MAGAZINES has it all... Whether you like Continental Film Review, Trash Times, or Sleazioid Express, if it's low-budget, they probably have it.
ATTN: Magazines mostly NSFW, unless your tastes run more towards the Christian Filmworks oeuvre....
ATTN: Magazines mostly NSFW, unless your tastes run more towards the Christian Filmworks oeuvre....
Yet more amazing secret new stuff from Apple already in store.
Amazon rain forest home to complex societies?
Map it. Map it good.
Mappr demonstrates the potential of open web APIs by plotting recently uploaded Flickr photos onto their locations using an interactive map of the US. Map24 mixes Mapquest and Keyhole (previously discussed here) by doing realtime zooming on your driving directions; good for not losing context on those tricky merges. The National Map lets you see overlaid info from the US government's geologic surveys. What are some of the best designed interactive map sites?
Africa Unite
Bob Marley goes home? Looks like Bob Marley will get what he wished for here and return to Africa. Well, his bones will anyway. I always thought exhumed was an interesting word, see also disinter.
The DNA of Literature
The DNA of Literature. The Paris Review, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, makes available free .pdfs of fifty years of interviews with leading writers.
Ethics Videos on the Web
The University of San Diego maintains an archive of Ethics Videos on the Web, with RealMedia streams of thinkers such as Martha Nussbaum [Wikipedia] (on "Shame, Stigma, and Punishment"), Richard Rorty, and many others. Check out the full catalogue or browse by topics such as End of Life Decisions or Bioethics. [RealPlayer required to watch videos.]
Then again, he was great in Hawaii 5-0
"I don't see how you can be president at least from my perspective, how you can be president, without a relationship with the Lord," said George W. Bush yesterday. (Really? I do.) While giant crosses are banned from next Thursday's inauguration, Jesus likely won't be, despite Michael Newdow's protestations. By the way, the benediction is scheduled to be delivered by The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, who also got the honor in 2001. Back then, he said to millions of bowed heads gathered to mark the beginning of the Bush presidency: "We respectfully submit this humble prayer in the name that's above all other names, Jesus, the Christ. Let all who agree say, 'Amen.'" After gay rights, is discrimination against atheists the next great civil rights battle of our time? Or should we just shut up and move to France?
Compelling a man to plan to shenanigans
Roots Manuva's "Ventriloshiznit Machine" Recombine rhymes as you please and hear them spit back via Mr. Manuva with this flash toy/promotional item for his new single "Colossal Insight." Helpful for the flow-impaired or those who would like those magnetic poetry things more if they were recited to them by a bobble-head MC. [Flash + Audio]
Favorite Words of 2004
Linguists Gone Wild Linguists from The American Dialect Society and the Linguistic Society of America recently met to vote for the Words of the Year, in various categories—Most Useful, Creative, Unnecessary, Outrageous, and Euphemistic; Most and Least Likely To Succeed; and an overall Word of the Year... no one really cares unless we pretend that These Are Important Words That Define Us as Americans. Still, that's marginally better than the alternate interpretation: This Is How Scholars Waste Their Time When They Could Be Doing Real Work.
Irv Spence's cartoon diary
MGM animator Irv Spence's cartoon diary for 1944. A cartoon of the day's happenings for every day in 1944 -- reprinted daily thoughout 2005. "These images are scanned from xeroxes an incalculable number of generations removed from the originals. Apparently, no amount of shoddy reproduction can suck the life out of these drawings..."
US gives up search for Iraq WMD
It's official: US gives up search for Iraq WMD.
Roaches Can Survive Anything
Woman Blows Up Home, Roaches Survive ... A 20-something woman in Jersey City, NJ, had a roach infestation, so she bought a few roach foggers and set them off in her kitchen. She then walked out of the house just before the pilot light on her stove ignited the fog. The resulting blast blew out a window, messed up the kitchen, and -- in a lucky break that saved her from injury -- slammed the door shut behind her. The truly sad part is that the roaches survived both the fogging and the explosion, according to firefighters who put out the blaze.
B of the Bang
B of the Bang. Manchester's commemoration of the Commonwealth Games "unveiled" tonight. This is far from the first Thomas Heatherwick design to grace urban areas: other sculptures of note include Paddington's roll-up bridge, Newcastle's Blue Carpet, some roundabouts in Essex and this, er, thing. Shame his website design doesn't match the beauty of his other creations.
The work of Charles and Ray Eames
Charles Eames (1907-78) and Ray Eames (1912-88) gave shape to America's twentieth century. Their lives and work represented the nation's defining social movements: the West Coast's coming-of-age, the economy's shift from making goods to the producing information, and the global expansion of American culture. This Library of Congress exhibit outlines major themes of the Eames' life and voluminous works, including architecture, furniture, and the film Powers of Ten. It is wonderfully illustrated with artifacts, photos of their life and work, and examples from the Eames' collection of 350,000 slides.
Will Life Be Worth Living in 2,000 AD?
Life in the future. In the year 2,000 "everything will be so easy that people will probably die from sheer boredom." Workweeks will be 24 hours and the home computer will be the new status symbol.
State of the Art 1876
Knight's American Mechanical Dictionary Containing over 3000 pages the Knight's American Mechanical Dictionary was billed as
A description of tools, instruments, machines, processes and engineering; history of inventions; general technological vocabulary. Published in 1876 it is a great resource for those trying to figure out how things were done in the time of our great (great?) grand parents. Ilustrations, upwards of 5000 engravings, include a ride inside monocycle, trestle bridges, compound microscope, clod crushers, washing machines, spoke driver, hydraulic wagon-tipper, and a farmers tool-house. Warning: the book has been scanned in and all the item links are to 100-150K images.
Political Comicry
Ann Telneas is an editorial cartoonist. She started out working for Disney Imagineering as a designer. She has also been an animator for various studios in London, Los Angeles, New York and Taiwan. She now holds many awards for her cartoons and is in several prestige publications. Her works are an impressive array of political caricatures, feminism, and cultural issues
Dry Pain-Free Freak Dance
Upon this desiccating planet, will I employ religion to increase pain threshold. Why? So I may get my freak on.
yippie ai oh chai ay...
Texan MeFites, finally there's a candidate you can believe in. Singer/Songwriter, novelist and now statesman. God bless america...
From the profane to the sacred
sacred science The scientific method is a tool for determining objective truth about the world around us, right? But not everybody thinks so. From being a proof of God's existance to a mere socio-pilotical construct, scientific humanism is under attack.
not one damn dime
Boycott Bush's inauguration by not spending any money on inauguration day
Apple just keeps on amazing us
More incredible stuff from MacWorld!!! Extra little bonus item announced!! Weeeee! I'm sure you all can't WAIT!!!
Never the twain shall meet
Another working blogger bites the dust - "This was moaning about not getting your birthday off or not getting on with your boss. I wasn't libelling anyone or giving away trade secrets."
The company he worked for, Waterstones, saw differently. More on the subject here.
The company he worked for, Waterstones, saw differently. More on the subject here.
January 11
Animal
The Wild Geese Fly Again?
Red, White and Blue Dogs of War Just found this story in The Nation about a decision by the Bush administration to hire Aegis Defense Services to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq. The trouble is, its boss, ex-British Lt. Col. Tim Spicer, who is responsible for actually starting a coup in Papua New Guinea in 1996, among other things. Perhaps Bush, the free market disciple, is beginning to think that he needs to hire some mercs to make up for all the reserve and Guard guys quitting. If the Army needs more help and advice, they could hire this or that homegrown "consulting firm."
The Museum Of Sounds
Did you know there's a department of the Smithsonian dedicated to saving the sounds of the past? Old phone rings, coffee percolators, home movie projectors, and much more.
ResumeWiki: Pad your resume with strangers on the Internet
ResumeWiki is a community edited resume centre. You post your profile (goals, etc) and assume the community of peers will give you comments and possible edits. Their ResumeWriting section has some interesting links, and could be the place to stay up caught up on HR snobbery.
Autism & Animal Behavior
In her new book written with Catherine Johnson, Animals in Translation (NYTimes), Dr Temple Grandin, an animal behavior expert and inventor of the squeeze machine, uses her experiences with autism to explore the intricacies of animal behavior. She argues that animals do have consciousness, that language is not a prerequisite and other theories that bring insight into both animal and human behavior. (More)
Oishii!
Yet another del.icio.us ? "One of the main purposes of social bookmarking systems is allowing people to see what other people are bookmarking. I frequently find things that people are linking to very interesting, and thought it would be nice to slap together a system that could tell me, automatically, what lots of other people have just bookmarked. Thus, oishii was born".
Al Gore, Oblivion Incarnate?
A vote for Al Gore is a vote for the complete annihilation of all possible worlds. Definitely old, but also funny... especially if you like philosophy.
Burning the Cube
Dear Dan,
I am writing this memo to explain what happened to the case our NeXTCube Computer, Serial Number AA001032....
a long line
Some stories are longer than others.
In the early 1900s, Burro Schmidt spent 32 years (or 38, depending on your source) digging a 1/2-mile tunnel through a Mojave mountain. Why? Because it was easier than hauling his gold and his burros down the back road.
"Solely, he labored long days.... The tunnel was solid granite, which needed no shoring, except at the entrance to the tunnel. Being at 4200 foot elevation there was a shortage of oxygen, making his labor even more difficult. He was trapped many times by falling rock and injured as many times."
(But the story doesn't end with him. More >> )
Bush Picks New Homeland Protector
Bush Picks New Homeland Protector Bush has chosen Judge Michael Chertoff to be the next Secretary of Homeland Security. The liberal Alliance For Justice concedes that Chertoff is "a talented attorney and an intelligent, committed public servant," but cites his role as counsel in the Whitewater investigation as a reason for caution. Other government watchers are somewhat chilled by the fact that Chertoff is the second Bush cabinet nominee to be connected to the torture scandal.
Feral Cities
Feral Cities. Imagine a great metropolis covering hundreds of square miles. Once a vital component in a national economy, this sprawling urban environment is now a vast collection of blighted buildings, an immense petri dish of both ancient and new diseases, a territory where the rule of law has long been replaced by near anarchy in which the only security available is that which is attained through brute power. It would possess at least a modicum of commercial linkages, and some of its inhabitants would have access to the world's most modern communication and computing technologies. It would, in effect, be a feral city.
Guilt, Love, Death, Redemption, Banjos and Pet Frog Soup.
Meet The Lucky Ones. (more...)
Call girl messageboard
Abandoned call girl messageboard circa 1998 The unprotected internal board of a call girl service. Wow. [via]
get one, name it, profit!
FRANK MUST DIE The profit of positive thinking.
Schnappi Schnappi SCHNAPP!
Schnappi! Contrary to popular belief in the rest of the world, the German pop charts are not dominated by over-the-hill American TV stars. In fact, the current #1 single, outselling even the usual imported subjects is a silly little ditty about a baby crocodile. (Think of it as the German version of SpongeBob Squarepants, kindasorta.)
I'm passing on the earworm to all of you via the four versions listed here. You're quite welcome.
I'm passing on the earworm to all of you via the four versions listed here. You're quite welcome.
Civil War Maps
Civil War Maps The Library of Congress just published an online collection of approximately 2,240 Civil War maps, with information about the collection and a History of Mapping the Civil War.
The DJ is dead. Long live the DJ.
John Peel's Successors Named. Begining on February 1st, John Peel's week night show will be succeeded by OneMusic, three shows hosted by three DJs. The three chosen to fill those gigantic boots? Huw Stephens, Ras Kwame, and Rob da Bank. Good luck gents.
It's 1984 All Over Again
Apple has announced the following:iPod shuffle, Mac mini, iWork. MacMerc has a play by play of Job's keynote address at Macworld. I suspect 2005 is the year Apple takes over the world.
doggies....all sorts....
buy and print your art cheaply
Artocracy is aiming to use the net to democratize yet another expensive thing in the world: the sale and distribution of art works. While the first works offered aren't that impressive and having to use your own inkjet is a limiting factor, I like the direction this is going in. From their Gallery, you can purchase prints from a dozen or so artists, in the range of $20-50, and then print as many as you wish at home. The Seattle PI has a full story. Perhaps this will spark a "long tail" of small change art sales from folks used to getting several thousand per canvas sold, while at the same time allowing any Tom, Dick, or Harry to have some nice looking apartment walls at home.
The first one's free...
IBM to give away 500 patents. Curiouser and curiouser. Why now? And, what patents? IBM makes a great deal of money licensing their patent portfolio - is this meant to stimulate additional licensing? How does this fit in with the open source movement?
In other news, IBM just received the go-ahead to sell off their PC unit to a firm that just won a rather large contract to provide PCs in China.
The Portsmouth Sinfonia to return?
The Portsmouth Sinfonia to return? In 1974, Gavin Bryars rounded up a group of novices and enthusiastic amateurs, called them the Portsmouth Sinfonia and let them loose in a recording studio. The result: some of the most disturbing classical music ever committed to tape. Intrigued by the concept, the legendary Brian Eno signed up and played clarinet for the orchestra, adding a certain star cachet to the cacophony.
On the back of sympathetic TV coverage, there followed a now-legendary concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. Thirty years later, there are plans to release Portsmouth Sinfonia's output on compact disc by way of celebration.
A brazen attempt for quck laughs and publicity, a serious exploration of entropy in the musical medium, or simply an early entry in the torture tape experiment?
false selves, real selves, and other selves
Once, i had a secret lovelife.... The urge to act out an entirely different persona is widely shared across cultures as well, social scientists say, and may be motivated by curiosity, mischief or earnest soul-searching. Certainly, it is a familiar tug in the breast of almost anyone who has stepped out of his or her daily life for a time, whether for vacation, for business or to live in another country. On secret lives, for good and bad. We're in this too: "I think what people are doing on the Internet now," she said, "has deep psychological meaning in terms of how they're using identities to express problems and potentially solve them in what is a relatively consequence-free zone."
Yet out in the world, a consequence-rich zone, studies find that most people find it mentally exhausting to hold onto inflammatory secrets - much less lives - for long. (NYT, reg.req.)
Free Running
He flies through the air with the greatest of ease,
the only difference being he has no trapeze.
Past MeFi. QT plugin required for first link.
the only difference being he has no trapeze.
Past MeFi. QT plugin required for first link.
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee damn it crashed.
CoasterSims.com. Just because nature is full of icy death outside doesn't mean you can't sit in your computer chair and scream like a damn fool on a roller coaster.
January 10
loyd's cyclopedia
Sam Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles, Tricks, and Conundrums (With Answers) I hereby put this version of Sam Loyd's 1914 work into the public domain. (Ed Pegg Jr, 2005) Who is Sam Loyd? Remember the Donkey Puzzle? The 15 Puzzle? These and 4,998 more...
24 hours of online poker
Poker player plays for 24 hours in a row? Yawn. Online poker player plays eight tables simultaneously for 24 hours in a row? Interesting.
Nathalia Edenmont!
At first glance it would seem to be something one would find in some photoshop gallery. But then one finds out that she has been forced to justify her work, for they are pictures of freshly killed animals. Much to the dislike of some craigslistians. With the growing uproar, there is even a petition going around (though petitions like that are hardly rare.) Is this a work of someone seeking attention through offending people? Or someone unable to use photoshop? Whatever the case, I’m sure PETA will join in. . . .
Wait, it has.
chair fashions
PSST! Wanna get rich? Make a cardboard chair and sell it!
No, I'm serious. Based on a design by architect Frank Gehry that is now in the Guggenheim, these chairs apparently sell for some good cash. Engineers and design students have been doing the cardboard chair project for years, but I think it's time for the common folk to get in on the action. Need inspiration? Check out some more stuff . . .
No, I'm serious. Based on a design by architect Frank Gehry that is now in the Guggenheim, these chairs apparently sell for some good cash. Engineers and design students have been doing the cardboard chair project for years, but I think it's time for the common folk to get in on the action. Need inspiration? Check out some more stuff . . .
The end of an era.
RIP commercial jingles. Looks like the era of "I'd like to teach the world to sing" and "Oh I wish I were an Oscar Mayer weiner" is going away, thanks to the use of pop and rock songs.
Victorian Robots and other Mechanical Men
A history of robots in the Victorian era, featuring Boilerplate, the mechanical marvel of the 19th century.
... to die by your side...
Son of Bees or Bees Knees?
Son of Bees or Bees Knees? Looks like the Halo crowd may have uncovered another I Love Bees or maybe just the Bees Knees?
This Highway Adoped By the Ku Klux Klan
This Highway Adopted By The Ku Klux Klan The US Supreme Court has declined an appeal by the state of Missouri seeking to reverse an 8th Circuit opinion which allows the Ku Klux Klan to adopt a highway. Under the controlling ruling of the 8th Circuit, "desire to exclude controversial organizations in order to prevent 'road rage' or public backlash on the highways against the adopters' unpopular beliefs is simply not a legitimate governmental interest that would support the enactment of speech-abridging regulations."
Dewey Decimal Dance Break
Library Musical. "Sometimes, you are moved by such a strong emotion that you can only express it through song. As we learn from musical theatre that emotion can swell up anytime: in a corner deli, on a playground, in an open field--and even at the library."
Take this job and shove it.
I Got Your Sydney Opera House Right Here
Forget screwing in lightbulbs...
How many lawmakers does it take to declare war? Used to be 218 of the 435. Now, in a time of crisis, it's potentially less than 12. This is something that has been looked at before. Is this the best possible solution?
Let's try this again
Food, Food, Food!
The city of Austria was saved from invasion by pretzel-making monks. The first pickles may have been pickled in India, circa 3000 BC. The hush puppy may have originally been made with deep-fried lizard. Learn all manner of food lore with the Food Timeline!
Pre-20C Optical Toys and Illusionary Devices
Pre-20C Optical Toys and Illusionary Devices - The Laura Hayes and John Howard Wileman Exhibit of Optical Toys, at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Includes animations and short videos of kinoras, thaumatropes, phenakistoscopes, zoetropes, and praxinoscopes.
Shove It
Shove It is a maniacal logic game. [Flash]
Still in COLOR!
A'vast and be swabbed, me matey.
Back in Decemeber of 2002 Christa Worthington was murdered in the small Cape Cod tourist (and home of the 'livliest' nude beach on the Cape) of Truro, MA. Despite an active investigation and a $25,000 reward there has little progress in the search for the killer. This has led to a police request for voluntary DNA samples from 790 men. Civil libertarians (ACLU press release in .doc format) are concerned that, though voluntary, police have stated that, "that those who refuse could face some scrutiny." The Dept. of Justice, on the other hand, feels that DNA is a means to prevent crime.
Though more common in the UK and Europe, mass DNA testing has been used several times in the United States, most notably in Lousiana where more than 1,000 men were tested in the search for a serial killer.
Cue snort and chortle
Those Who Fail To Learn History. . . something or the other.
The Rapanui (of Easter Island), the Mayans, and the Norse colonists of Greenland all share one similarity: each culture was brought down by preventable, human-cause environmental catastrophe. Sure, Michael Crichton says it's all bunk, but Jared Diamond (the author of the infinitely discussable, Pulitzer prize winning Guns, Germs and Steel) recently came out with a new book that suggests that maybe we ought to be worried after all. Hear him discuss it on NPR's morning edition.
Imagining the Internet
Imagining the Internet. What will become of the internet? And how far off have prognosticators been about it thus far? Submit your own predictions, if you dare.
Dillard's How-To
Do you want to be a writer? "Write as if you were dying. At the same time, assume you write for an audience consisting solely of terminal patients. That is, after all, the case. What would you begin writing if you knew you would die soon?... Every book has an intrinsic impossibility, which its writer discovers as soon as his first excitement dwindles. The problem is structural; it is insoluble; it is why no one can ever write this book. Complex stories, essays and poems have this problem, too -- the prohibitive structural defect the writer wishes he had never noticed. He writes it in spite of that." Luminous and wise writing advice from Annie Dillard, author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, one of the most beautiful books written in the last hundred years (published when Dillard was 29). As a writer myself, I am often asked by younger folk how to become one. Dillard says best what I would tell them.
There, you happy now?
Happy Happy (both pdf) The burgeoning field of happiness studies is unearthing all sorts of interesting findings, many of them summarized in these two articles by University of British Columbia economist & "Professor of Happiness" John Helliwell. Rich countries are not happier than poor countries; people tend to revert to the mean after a happy event; money has only a modest effect on happiness; and, hey, good news! you get happier as you get older.
January 9
Torture Tapes
The Torture Tape Experiment Create for combat purposes a tape so wretched and foul that anyone who listens to it for 24 hours will never be able to think straight again. Warning: dangerous MP3 files contained within.
If SEPTA is still around in six months...
"Like New York City's MTA, SEPTA has a tourist-friendly pass that for $5.50 allows for 24 hours of riding across the entire system. On Saturday, the 4th of December 2004, I tried to fit as much into one day as I could. . . get your pass ready, we're boarding."
We Don't Need No Stinking Drummer!
Drummer Wanted: Must have reliable gear, play in the pocket and have good chops. Humans need not apply.
music
Al Hartley
The 50-year career of Al Hartley. Part of Stan Lee's early stable of writers at Timely-Atlas, Hartley's perhaps best remembered as the creator of Spire Christian Comics. The series, which included comic book adaptations of popular Christian narratives such as God's Smuggler [pdf], and original stories like The Gospel Blimp [pdf], and Hansi: The Girl Who Loved The Swastika [pdf], also included 19 titles starring Archie [pdf], Jughead and the gang.
Pop-up Architecture
Famous works of architecture that you can fold up and put in your pocket.
Mininum wage or more?
How much does Oprah make every second? Find out that and more at The Salary Clock! Enter a famous person's salary (or your own) and find out your real-time earnings.
Rats Perception Elvis
If rats can distinguish between Japanese and Dutch , why would Elvis have looked like this at age 70?
Bubbles!
Nick Cave
Nick Cave -- Babe I'm On Fire -- The greatest music video of all time. The RealVideo file has better audio. Lyrics (useful)
Ten Years After
A Picture of the Future, You're not in It An address to the John F. Kennedy School of Government...September 11th, 2011
Those were the days
Thanks to Yahoo's video search, I've spent the morning thrilling to movies from Nasa's earlier space programs.
Ed White does the first american spacewalk, the crew of apollo 8 sends out a christmas message (wonder how that would play these days), Neil Armstrong goes for a walk, Buzz Aldrin gives a science lesson, John Young goes muddin', Apollo 17 lifts off from the moon. Galileo gets his due via Apollo 15, as does Kubrick, via Skylab.
all this makes the Challenger explosion just incredibly sad.
Though I still don't know why searching for apollo 8 turned up gay porn and I don't wanna know.
What is really interesting though, is watching this Apollo 17 astronaut work on the moon. His body is moving in all sorts of subtle ways that highlight how odd it must be to work in lower gravity.
Though I still don't know why searching for apollo 8 turned up gay porn and I don't wanna know.
What is really interesting though, is watching this Apollo 17 astronaut work on the moon. His body is moving in all sorts of subtle ways that highlight how odd it must be to work in lower gravity.
Circumcision
Is circumcision an AIDS weapon? To cut or not to cut? Does circumcision prevent the transmission of HIV? It was deemed "An acceptable strategy for HIV prevention" in Bostwana and a study looking at the magnitude of females who get infected with HIV/AIDS/STDs through circumcision
The mystery of Stefan Mart
The mystery of Stefan Mart and the 'Tales of the Nations'. "The Tales of Nations" was not an ordinary book that you could buy in a book store, and it's mysterious narrator/illustrator disappeared into the darkness of Hitler's Germany, seemingly without a trace. Learn the background, read the stories, and view all 150 fabulous colour illustrations — "small in size, but strong in expression, each a microcosm packed with action, each a feast for the eyes like a beautifully set jewel".
ugh
The Salvador Option. As a retired four star general conducts an open ended review (to be fair the DoD paints this as"just not accurate") of the military's entire Iraq policy, serious consideration is being given to this legacy of the Reagan administration (see John Negropante, ambassador to Iraq) in an effort to put the insurgents on the offensive. Involving cross border "snatch and grab" operations and possibly assassination teams it's a policy that was and is to this day controversial. The controversial part? The 70,000 or more left dead in the wake of a campaign of terror led by death squads. This gross human rights violation eventually led to the formation of an international truth commission.
January 8
Do you be havin' cards?
Organizing the Hipster PDA has become even greater. Following up on his initial post on the matter, Merlin Mann has produced an extension of the Hipster PDA based on the knowledge he's gained in the past year. (via bOING bOING)
Swarming
Swarming is a guerilla tactic that goes back to the days of Alexander the Great fighting the Scythians (more here and here). It was used by the anti-WTO protestors in the late 90s and is being used against US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. New equipment being developed by the military will attempt to use swarming behaviours.
Atlas of Canada
Atlas of Canada including environmental, social, and economic overlays. Similar resources for US and down under.
Lucy in the sky
There's a lot to be said for a town that mourns a goose. While on an early morning walk last month, a newspaper reporter happened upon the body of Lucy the goose, who, up until then, had been holding court on the town's waterfront for more than ten years. Kind of a touching story, from a tiny town in Maryland.
U.S. Govermnet Bribing Journalists
Administration Paid Commentator (WashPost membership rqd) The Education Department paid commentator Armstrong Williams $241,000 to help promote President Bush's No Child Left Behind law on the air, an arrangement that Williams acknowledged yesterday involved "bad judgment" on his part.
I'm sure y'all check the Washington Post regularly, but isn't this simply bribing a journalist?
Know What Your Representatives Are Doing
GovTrack.US ... Using the Technorati API these folks track not only the votes and speeches of members of the US Congress, but also what's being said about them in the blogosphere. You can track them both with e-mail alerts and RSS feeds. There's even a way to embed info from GovTrack on your site if you are focusing on particular legislation.
Dancing
The Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, with Margeaux Mundeyn, Pavel Törd, Ida Nevasayneva, Vladimir Legupski, Sveltlana Lofatkina, Olga Supphozova, Lariska Dumbchenko, Fifi Barkova is reviewed by Joan Acocella, "they pass through the joke and come out the other side, where the subject, having been laughed at, is once again embraced, enthroned." pic 1, and 2 .
Exploding the Self-Esteem Myth
Scientific American: Exploding the Self-Esteem Myth. Four academic psychologists review the data in the latest Scientific American, and conclude: "Boosting people's sense of self-worth has become a national preoccupation. Yet surprisingly, research shows that such efforts are of little value in fostering academic progress or preventing undesirable behavior."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, groups that promote boosting self-esteem haven't shown much interest in this research.
Extra points to the authors for correctly using the word "floccinaucinihilipilification."
There can be no escape. . .
NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory recently detected [reg required] the largest explosion ever detected in the universe: an eruption releasing the energy of hundreds of millions of gamma ray bursts. Just to put it in perspective, a single GRB releases enough radiation to wipe out just about everything human beings would require for survival in a 1000 light year radius. (The Milky Way spans ~100,000 light years, while the United Federation of Planets spans about 8,000). Arthur C. Clarke has gone so far as suggesting that GRBs might be one of the reasons for Extra-Terrestrial silence: Gamma Ray Bursts are so large and inescapable, a single one would wipe out even an enormous galactic empire. Makes killer asteroids seem downright quaint.
My, my shadow
What's a boringcake?
Because "honky" is fun to say, and a lot of us could use some angry, profane, hilarious, and well-intentioned advice.
Is it college yet?
A student asked the Master, "What is the nature of the Unofficial Daria Movie Rumor Page?"
The Master repiled, "The Page is a long, confusing story told backwards. It is lies and half-truths, yet it is the greater truth. It is a mirror, a puppet show, a morality tale, a fiction which is real life, an homage yet the reverse of an homage. It is the future, set in the present, retelling the past. It is the present, set in the present, retelling the present."
The student said, "Huh?"
The Master continued, "If all else fails, look at the very bottom of the Page, past the links and the Web rings."
The student, not understanding, did as the Master told him. It was then that he was enlightened.
Write on!
Everything you need to know about screenwriting. From John August, writer of Go, Big Fish, Titan A.E.,the upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the Charlie's Angels movies (ok, we'll forgive him that last one). Very helpful, very down to earth advice.
Mattingly, shave those sideburns, hippie!
Poofer is not a gay Aussie
Do you feel like you're not quite up-to-date on the subject of polygamy? Not quite sure what a "poofer" is? Well, have no fear. The Office of the Utah Attorney General has produced "The Primer", which you can peruse online in its entirety here [PDF].
Sshhh!
Is this a library or a Borders? A Denver Post writer laments the availability of CDs, DVDs, and not so intellectually stimulating reading material at the Schlessman Family Branch Library (part of the Denver Public Library system), and calls into the question the library's purpose. Should libraries give the people what they want, if what they want is an Ashlee Simpson CD?
January 7
There are rumors on the interstates
There are rumors on the interstates. CoolGov explains why I-90 is I-90. Information scraped from the Department of Transportation.
Remember when everyone on the internet was a 16 year old girl?
I have no idea who this dude is, but some of us are born with karaoke skills, some of us are not.
(Warning: Flash or Quicktime or Something)
ooo-mah-mee.
It used to be that there were four basic tastes- Sour, Sweet, Salty, and Bitter. Now there are five. Umami is the fifth. More commonly thought of as "Savory", the taste is connected to receptors that sense Glutamic acid. In fact, the first taste receptor ever discovered was one that interacts with glutamate.
While Monosodium Glutamate has gotten a bad reputation, most sources agree that it's relatively harmless, and in fact, does add the "more-ish" type of flavor that is ascribed to umami foods. Foods like mushrooms are high in glutamate, and therefore taste more "umami". Pass the Parmesan cheese, please.
A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.
Looking for ohibitutic and purspermal words, but need something a little more rhymmeal? Cromulac might just be the tingulen you're spranning for.
liquid gold
how to use your urine Every day, we urinate nutrients that can fertilize plants that could be used for beautiful landscapes, food, fuel, and fiber. Instead, these nutrients are flushed away, either to be treated at high cost or discharged to waters where they overfertilize and choke off aquatic life.
Liquid Gold: The Lore and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plants tells you how urine—which contains most of the nutrients in domestic wastewater and usually carries no disease risk—can be utilized as a resource.
Harajuku Street Style
Harajuku Street Style. Oh those crazy cool Japanese kids! The streets of Harajuku are as much a fashion playground as they are an exhibit of Why You Should Never Pair White Boots with Gold Chains. This is, of course, in line with the existing weirdness of the brilliant Katamari Damacy, mayonnaise-and-squid pizza, and the "no caption required" homoerotic dating sim "le, Tatemasu!",
Smash a penny!
Ever seen those penny smashing machines? You can join a club, visit a museum, get you own custom penny, or get your very own machine.
Oh, yeah, it is perfectly legal.
You can trade here, or look for machine locations in the U.S. and abroad.
How 'bout a MetaFilter smashed penny?
They really are America's Best souvenir.
I wanna trash hotel rooms when I grow up!!!!
Babies Who Rock! (and here's Part Two)
Somehow I don't think Tommy Lee shows these photos off very often...
Somehow I don't think Tommy Lee shows these photos off very often...
A helping hand
Mexico publishes Migrant/Illegal Immigrant Guide A new comic-book-style guide for migrants produced by the Mexican government is designed to help immigrants cross the border illegally into the United States. (NPR)
This is proving a little controversial.
Deaths are common on the crossing.
Wacky warning labels and the wacko's that need 'em
Wacky Warning Labels: Toilet brush that warns, "Do NOT use for personal hygiene." Have you ever been so desperate to fight plaque and gingivitis?
Noir Exam
Money Art
Money Art. They say it's hard to make money from art, but some people find ways to make art from money. Or at least a few accessories. (via)
That's some voiceless epiglottal fricative you've got there.
Hear the International Phonetic Alphabet. Voiced by one Paul Meier. One of the coolest things ever. [via languagehat]
Non-Sequitur takes another jab at webcomics.
Non-Sequitur takes another jab at webcomics. With Garfield now dropped from the LA Times, once again Wiley Miller has renewed his ongoing battle against Scott Kurtz of Player Vs. Player and his challenge to syndicated strips; offering his own for free.
As usual, the best comments are from the boys @ Penny-Arcade.
As usual, the best comments are from the boys @ Penny-Arcade.
New York City Walk
New York City Walk "Between May 2002 and December 2004, I walked every street on the island of Manhattan.
Every darn street."
Wow.
The before and after tsunami photos have been synced-up and they highlight even more (if that's possible) the power of the sea. Saomeone has geo-aligned the various before and after aerial and satellite photos and adjusted the scale to provide a very accurate then/now comparison.
Map of the Hell Stars
You must be this tall to enter the City of Dis. Need a five-minute web break? Peruse this quick and dirty Interactive Map of Dante's Inferno. Don't forget to play the 'Drag and Drop Monsters Game' in Lower Hell! (Flash 6 or higher required)
Oh balls
So, should he give back the ball or not? Of course, I say "give back" as if the Red Sox owned it in the first place, which they didn't. So is it up to Major League Baseball?
Acno's Energizer
Friday Flash Fun -- This is one of those Sisyphussian games where the point is to push a certain object towards a goal, but once you reach the goal (and advance to the next level), you find you have to do it all over again.
As Camus says,
The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.You be the judge.
Dowsing for love and money.
Dowsing can be used to find water, find caves, find landmines, heal yourself and others, and clear your house of bad energy. There are several studies that purport to prove that dowsing works (one ten year study found a 96% success rate among dowsers in arid regions). There are online lessons for how to dowse, from the Digital Dowsers Society. The Journal of Christian Research thinks it might be a tool of the devil.
But the scientific evidence is at best equivocal (as you might expect.) Scroll down on this page for more experiment debunking. Also always check The Skeptics Dictionary.
Hummer bummer
Lo! I worship Mother Mud.
Rule 11: All competitors must wear footwear, which should be taped to your feet. [RealPlayer video via Reuters] But it appears that pants are optional at the 2005 Maldon Mud Race. A crowd of 7,000 watched 180 brave souls raise money for charity: some ran, some hitched a ride, some crawled and many fell by the wayside, alas.
Is That A Dragon or a Duck?
Adventure - based on the classic text game of the same name - was the first game ever to contain an easter egg.
It seems laughably primitive these days, but when it first hit shelves, Adventure was a programming masterpiece. The text version of Adventure (by Willie Crowther and Don Woods) required hundreds of KB and a mainframe computer to operate, so much that Atari brass told Warren Robinett not to even bother with a 2600 version.
He did anyway, and the results are near legendary. The 2600 version of Adventure went on to sell over a million copies at $25 a pop. For his effort Robinett recieved absolutely nothing beyond his $22,000/year salary.
Play the 2600 Adventure. (Flash) If you're one of those who requires some eye candy, why not download the Quake 3 Adventure Map, instead?
People are buying these cars?
Hybrid cars. Car owners in the north Virginia area are apparently stocking up on hybrid cars - so much so that they are clogging up the carpool lanes they're allowed to use under state law. I can't believe they're doing it just to get a better lane, considering the purchase price on the vehicles.
No soup for you!
Hostage Girl needs our help!
Comic Book Bondage Cover of the Day. From the '30's through modern times, villains really like tying people up.
Goetterdammerung with Capes
Twilight of the Superheroes. After the success of 1987's Watchmen series, Alan Moore approached DC Comics with an idea of epic proportions. Inspired by grand scope of Crisis on Infinite Earths and the dark promise of The Dark Knight Returns, Twilight was pitched as a way to elevate the DC Comics roster from heroes to legends. "What I'd like to do creatively with the series, above and beyond the creative satisfaction to me ... is to create a storyline that lent the whole superhero phenomenon, the whole cosmos and concept a context that [is] intensely mythic ... aiming at coming up with something that cements the link between superheroes and the Gods of legend by attempting something as direct and resonant as the original legends themselves."
The story? Oh, just a little scenario involving the dissolution of society as we know it, a massive conflict resulting in several superhero casualties, a splitting of the surviving superheroes into eight distinct houses, a bubble of lost time called "the fluke" and the unfortunate fate of a BDSM-loving midget in a locked room. Oh, and the hero of the whole thing is John Constantine.
The series was never published. The proposal itself might even be a hoax. But real or not, it is worth finding and reading ... even if DC Comics would prefer you didn't.
The story? Oh, just a little scenario involving the dissolution of society as we know it, a massive conflict resulting in several superhero casualties, a splitting of the surviving superheroes into eight distinct houses, a bubble of lost time called "the fluke" and the unfortunate fate of a BDSM-loving midget in a locked room. Oh, and the hero of the whole thing is John Constantine.
The series was never published. The proposal itself might even be a hoax. But real or not, it is worth finding and reading ... even if DC Comics would prefer you didn't.
Everything Old is Cool Again
Curious George Escapes the Nazis
Curious George Escapes the Nazis. A true story from a neat little exhibit about the life and work of H.A. and Margret Rey, German Jews who fled Paris on bicycle (with the unpublished Curious George manuscript as one of their few possessions) hours before the Nazis arrived. Lots of info, including Curious George's first appearance, Hans' famous book on astronomy, notes on the couple's lesser-known work and more.
Less than five people in the world know where this is.
How far can a video-game champ go? Ask Matt Leto.
little green actors
Hi, I'm Brad Pitt and I'm a carbon-neutral movie star. "Pitt has just given $10,000 to have a forest planted in his name in the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Its trees will absorb carbon dioxide, compensating for the tonnes that the star has been responsible for releasing into the atmosphere: burning aviation fuel as he jets around the world, using up petrol in his limousines and running air-conditioning in hotel rooms."
Baby-tude
These days the kids have all the fashion fun. Pottymouth baby tees, baby tees with bling, and even last years poncho fad is covered. Back in my day the shirts didn't get any funnier than my "made in Germany".
Christian License
When a developer asks 'don't use TYPO3 for NewAge publications, anti-christian messages, sexually explicit material, extreme political propaganda' , would you use the software? Would you respect his wishes?
Yes, officer, violate my privacy.
Miscarry in Virginia? Call the police or go to jail. John Cosgrove, Delegate for the 78th district of Virginia has introduced a bill to criminalize not reporting a miscarriage to the police within 12 hours of the miscarriage. via Chez Miscarriage
Never such innocence again
The Mitchell and Kenyon collection consists of 800 rolls of nitrate film documenting scenes of everyday life in England between 1900 and 1913. This extraordinary archive, now painstakingly restored by the British Film Institute, includes footage of trams, soup kitchens, factory gates, football matches, seaside holidays and much else besides. Here are some sample images and a short clip of workers at a Lancashire colliery, all astonishingly evocative and reminiscent (to me) of Philip Larkin's poem MCMXIV: 'The crowns of hats, the sun / On moustachioed archaic faces / Grinning as if it were all / An August Bank Holiday lark .. Never such innocence, / Never before or since .. Never such innocence again.'
Anti-Facism
Need the antidote to the current administration? 133 years ago, Mikhail Bakunin laid the groundwork for anarchism as a rational political system in his seminal work God and the State.
Strongly critical of the dehumanizing effects of religion, Bakunin famously paraphrased Voltaire when he proclaimed, "if God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish him."
If you can't make hide nor hair of the President's words, perhaps Bakunin's rationalism is what you're looking for.
January 6
A History of Polish Jazz
The torture memoranda
Links to the government memoranda on torture and the Geneva Convention can be found here (sign-up required) or else through the "featured link" on www.c-span.org. While Alberto Gonzales will probably be confirmed as Attorney General, the memoranda were the subject of some stinging testimony by such heavy-hitters as Harold Koh, dean of Yale Law School, at the end of today's confirmation hearing.
Give this guy a hand!
The Hand Collector. I have no idea how these people got their cats hands wedged into their scanners, or why.
Perfect For MetaTalk!
Some computer peripherals are better then others.
when do we finally say
The Reality of Red-State Fascism, by Lew Rockwell. We consistently say "Man, we're on the road to fascism" yet people fall all over themselves to say "We're nowhere near it.". Well, when do we say "Holy shit...we're there"? Everybody's favorite libertarian gives us a timeline of the descent, and lets us know how we are now not just on the brink, but in the midst of Americanized Fascism:
"If you follow hate-filled sites such as Free Republic, you know that the populist right in this country has been advocating nuclear holocaust and mass bloodshed for more than a year now. The militarism and nationalism dwarfs anything I saw at any point during the Cold War. It celebrates the shedding of blood, and exhibits a maniacal love of the state...In 1994, the central state was seen by the bourgeoisie as the main threat to the family; in 2004 it is seen as the main tool for keeping the family together and ensuring its ascendancy. In 1994, the state was seen as the enemy of education; today, the same people view the state as the means of raising standards and purging education of its left-wing influences....it sees the state as the central organizing principle of society, views public institutions as the most essential means by which all these institutions are protected and advanced, and adores the head of state as a godlike figure who knows better than anyone else what the country and world's needs"
"If you follow hate-filled sites such as Free Republic, you know that the populist right in this country has been advocating nuclear holocaust and mass bloodshed for more than a year now. The militarism and nationalism dwarfs anything I saw at any point during the Cold War. It celebrates the shedding of blood, and exhibits a maniacal love of the state...In 1994, the central state was seen by the bourgeoisie as the main threat to the family; in 2004 it is seen as the main tool for keeping the family together and ensuring its ascendancy. In 1994, the state was seen as the enemy of education; today, the same people view the state as the means of raising standards and purging education of its left-wing influences....it sees the state as the central organizing principle of society, views public institutions as the most essential means by which all these institutions are protected and advanced, and adores the head of state as a godlike figure who knows better than anyone else what the country and world's needs"
iTunes users sue Apple
Wanna join a class action suit? Is Fair Play fair? Guess the courts will decide this one. I know my iPod changes my life ;-)
Kiss mahhh grits, Mel!
As I'm sure you all know, today would've been the 74th birthday of actor Vic Tayback, best known as everybody's favorite hairy, sweaty, ill-tempered (yet almost cuddly) diner chef on that wacky piece of 70's tv Americana Alice (Remember when Mel called Vera "dingy"? Sitcom gold!). Kept busy for years as a character actor with constant tv guest spots on everything from "I Dream of Jeannie" to "Gunsmoke," Vic embraced job security when given an opportunity to expand one character in particular, Mel Sharples from Martin Scorcese's drama "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (starring Ellen Burstyn [she won an Oscar], Kris Kristofferson, Diane Ladd, Harvey Keitel and Jodie Foster). Thanks to Vic, the character of Mel smoothly adapted from his dramatic origins into his new home of sit-com hi-larity... one of the rare attempts of that kind to succeed.
RIP Vic. Oh, and kiss my grits.
RIP Vic. Oh, and kiss my grits.
The housewives of 1962 are weeping.
H. David Dalquist, the inventor of the Bundt pan, has died.
Did he even dream of the extensive potential uses of his product? About the logical extension of his invention?
Michael Jackson
The Case Against Michael Jackson. The Smoking Gun plays prosecutor in what will surely be one of history's most disturbing public trials. Not safe for lunch.
Billy Harvey has a funny website.
Most Wanted Paintings
The Most (and Least) Wanted Paintings. Design by committee: Artists Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid (see prior) used a professional market research group to survey aesthetic preferences and art tastes in 14 countries. The results are the theoretically most desired paintings for each nation.
The Bush administration is not looking to strengthen the NPT, but to destroy it
U.S. Plans Tidal Wave of Nuclear Proliferation They want to tell all the non-nuclear states: “Y’all must stay non-nuclear, but we’ll have as many nukes as we want. We’ll make new nukes but keep the old. And if you don’t like it, just take a good look at Iraq, because you could be next.”
The message coming from the Bush administration and the U.S. media is clear. It’s not about the danger of weapons of mass destruction. It’s about using the fear of that danger, along with our own growing nuclear arsenal, as a club to rule the schoolyard roost.
YOUR MOTHER'S GOT A PENIS!
Goldie Lookin' Chain Not useful to Brits or American hipsters, but most of us might remain ignorant of this fantastic act. The GLC are a hiphop collective from Newport, Wales. Playing up their welsh ethnicity and offering selections like Your Mother's Got A Penis, they're definitely a novelty act. But they use great beats and hilarious themes, and most reviews have been positive. The Guardian, citing the anti-chav parody nature of the act, pans them partially for being classist.
But I find it hard to dislike a group that can release a single about a cyborg sent on a mission the corner store to buy ten cigarettes. Some of the material is NSFW. Some videos are available at the main link.
But I find it hard to dislike a group that can release a single about a cyborg sent on a mission the corner store to buy ten cigarettes. Some of the material is NSFW. Some videos are available at the main link.
Oh, the Japanity!
Neither snow, nor rain, nor camera flashes...
Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds, but they will stop and take a picture if you ask nicely. Cameramail shows that the USPS has a sense of humour and are good sports.
MetaMath
+Plus - An internet magazine published five times a year which aims to introduce readers to the beauty and the practical applications of mathematics.
Batman=smart, Superman=superpowerful
Today's weird correction from the NY Times (reg required, of course). More fuel for the old "who would win in a fight, Superman or Batman?" debate.
Ever dreamed of building a boat and sailing away?
Ever dreamed of building a boat and sailing away? Two clearly mad Canadians decide to built a yacht. Clearly mad because they actually do it! It's a bit of a saga but well worth the read for the vicarious pleasure. I'm green with envy!
N.B. the site navigation can be a bit dicky so you may have to change the url to get to the next day sometimes. It goes up to day 222.
Preparing for the Inevitable
Death is not news to Buddhist monks. The minute observation and contemplation of corpses is a standard Buddhist practice to increase awareness of the transitory nature of all things (including you, gentle reader.) This friendly attitude toward what is hidden away in most of the "civilized" world has prepared monks in the tsunami-stricken nations to deal with the task of cremating thousands of dead bodies. Preparing for the inevitable turns out to be a useful tool for facing the unthinkable. [via a fine new site called The Buddhist Channel].
shoujo anime
In response to the emergent faction of female anime fans in the US, Beckett Publications has recently released the first anime magazine targeted specifically for women. Aimed for the 12-20 year old female dynamic, Anime for Girls magazine features articles such as the “Top 5 Hottest Guys of Anime”, and the “Top 5 Anime Girls of Action”. Although this magazine may be a novelty in the US, the phenomenon is venerable in Japan, and is known as shoujo - anime/manga designated for girls.
Exxonsecrets
Exxonsecrets - "How Exxonmobil Funds The Climate Change Skeptics" - a Flash-based tool (there are HTML-based fact-sheets available as well) to track the players, money, and Exxon's influence in various environmental issues. Designed for Greenpeace by Josh On (of Futurefarmers and TheyRule) and artist Amy Balkin...and via Doors of Perception.
Steve Ballmer ate my balls?
Hiroshi Yamaguchi to Steve Ballmer: Suck My Tiny Yellow Balls • Now that he's retired and, er, mellowed, the former Nintendo CEO has a lot to say about Japanese business culture, Western business culture, and the gaming industry.
Avedon's Home
The Interior World of Richard Avedon offers photos of his home, with commentary. (via The Morning News)
Little airplanes and cameras.
Little airplanes and cameras. Photos from RC planes on New Years Day. (via Gizmodo)
Tom Delay
Tom DeLay's thoughts on the tsunami, to the 109th Congressional Prayer Service. Quite unbelievable. No, on second thoughts, all too believable.
Wrestling with your conscience.
Bringing the smackdown to church. Saving souls through simulated violence. Ultimate Christian Wrestling.
January 5
Stay a While, Stay Forever
Stay a While, Stay Forever is the title for The Hospital.
Would you buy a used car from this man?
Hardware stores + lawsuits + scooters + Subaru's = a gull-winged sports car, bankruptcy, and recriminations. Yugo's + electric bikes + a replacement Yugo = a movie and more money! Malcolm Bricklin may not run a business well but oy the chutzpah!
Score one for fake news!
CNN Cans Tucker Carlson of 'Crossfire' - To quote chief executive of CNN Jonathan Klein, "I guess I come down more firmly in the Jon Stewart camp." (via)
Party like it's 1892
Party like it's 1892! "Executive power and patronage have been used to corrupt our legislatures and defeat the will of the people, and plutocracy has thereby been enthroned upon the ruins of democracy."* In the late 1800s, the Populist Party, or People's Party, formed to merge the Farmers Alliance message of economic empowerment for growers with the Knights of Labor's movement to check the growing power and corrupt practices of big business (along with the Greenbacks Party critiques of monetary policy). With a strong base in the midwest and south, the party earned 9% of the 1892 popular vote, won the presidential electoral votes of four states (not to mention electing 10 congressmen, 5 senators, 3 governors, and 1,500 state legislators). However the party's power quickly faded as the Democratic Party co-opted much of the Populist platform while internal disputes culminated in the Populists placing the Dems' 1896 nominee at the head of their own ticket. Nevertheless, the populist movement's influence continued to be felt through various 20th century reforms including direct election of senators, presidential term limits, and abandonment of the gold standard.
potter potter potter
it's not badger badger but it'll do.
ps this is my first post, I used it to share badger love. sorta.
Eye of the Tiger
Eye of the Tiger [flash movie]
Write anything you want in the snow!!
Write anything you want in the snow!! Somewhat NSFW ... more like suggestive than explicit.
Castor and Pollux walking naked, side by side, past Kafka
Guy Davenport is dead. The irrealist writer, translator of Archilochus, friend of modernists, and influential teacher has joined Hugh Kenner in whatever lies beyond this mortal coil. More links at today's wood s lot, where I learned the sad news.
Great gift for the kids!
Teddyport "Its discreet, its funky and now none of your friends will ever know you have a problem." Well, as long as they aren't observant enough to notice that you're ripping the head off of a stuffed bear and trying to drink from its neck...
This will be a good comic... good enough?
ComicsFilter (but bear with me): Frank Miller & Jim Lee will be the writer and artist, respectively, of All-Star Batman and Robin, a new miniseries intended to make the characters simple, interesting, and easy to follow after decades of backstory. Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely were announced to be doing the same thing on All-Star Superman, and any comics fan will tell you that these four guys are some of the best in the entire field. Between these two projects, DC Comics most likely has the top-selling books in the tiny comics industry sewn up for most of 2005, which is reason enough to publish them.
But there's also a question for non-comics readers here at MeFi: DC are really doing this for you. They want new readers (best-selling comics are lucky to top 150,000 copies these days), and they think publishing accessible comic books linked to the release of large movies (The Christopher Nolan film Batman Begins, based in part on Frank Miller's Batman: Year One, will be released roughly alongside All-Star Batman & Robin) is the way to do it. But is there a snowball's chance in hell you'd read something like this? Would your kids, if you have them, be interested, do you think? (Frank Miller, it bears noting, is also the creator and co-director of Sin City, a film you might've seen a preview for recently -- truly insane cast.)
But there's also a question for non-comics readers here at MeFi: DC are really doing this for you. They want new readers (best-selling comics are lucky to top 150,000 copies these days), and they think publishing accessible comic books linked to the release of large movies (The Christopher Nolan film Batman Begins, based in part on Frank Miller's Batman: Year One, will be released roughly alongside All-Star Batman & Robin) is the way to do it. But is there a snowball's chance in hell you'd read something like this? Would your kids, if you have them, be interested, do you think? (Frank Miller, it bears noting, is also the creator and co-director of Sin City, a film you might've seen a preview for recently -- truly insane cast.)
Matrix and Ghost in the Shell comparison
A scene by scene comparison between the Matrix and Ghost in the Shell, a critically acclaimed japanese anime that was released four years before the Matrix.
War in Korea
North Korea Issues Wartime Guidelines SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea has ordered its citizens to be ready for a protracted war against the United States, issuing guidelines on evacuating to underground bunkers with weapons, food and portraits of leader Kim Jong Il.
pimp my compliment
pimp-filter: "What good is law in the United States of America if five or six goddamn bimbos are going to rule against it?"" -- Evel Knievel on the supreme court.
a change from beat dead horses?
No, Paul. Eating an artificial fire log is stupid.
The Great Eastern ran on CBC Radio from '94 until '99. Sublimely funny, the show lives on with complete episode archives, select clips and some detailed backstory. I haven't heard anything as well written in a long, long time. Subtle satire at its best.
Feminine Mystique
Josie Hayes' Great Moments in Film History. "Being a series of pictorial essays on some of the defining moments in cinema...at least the way I see it." [Not unsafe for work, but perhaps unwise]
"If it's good once, it's good three times!"
Same song, different lyrics. Mikey Smith put out an MP3 of two Nickelback hits, one in each channel, showing them to be basically the same song (original thread). This All Things Considered story shows he's been on the project since then, and the problem is more widespread than it seems.
On the Great Atlantic Divide
On the Great Atlantic Divide Published on Sunday, October 26, 2003 by TomDispatch.com. By Susan Sontag.
I came across this piece at dailyKos
"Two weeks ago during the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Association of German Publishers and Booksellers awarded the Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels (the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade) to Susan Sontag. She was cited for standing up for "the dignity of free thinking" and for her role as an "intellectual ambassador" between the United States and Europe. The association's director Dieter Schormann commented, "In a world of false images and distorted truths, she defends the honor of free thought." In its over half-century of existence, the Friedenspreis Prize has been awarded to Chinua Achebe, Max Frisch, Jurgen Habermas, Yehudi Menuhin, and Vaclav Havel among many others.
An excerpt from Susan Sontag's acceptance speech was published today in the Los Angeles Times Book Review section, but I thought the whole speech, which focuses on the increasingly embattled relationship between Europe and the United States, or rather between much of Europe, especially the various peoples of Europe, and the Bush administration, was well worth reproducing as a whole. Near its end is a rare moment in which Sontag considers an aspect of her early life in public. Her most recent book, by the way, is Regarding the Pain of Others. What follows then, with her kind permission, is her full acceptance speech. (The title and subheads are, however, mine.) Tom "
Bad cards...bad!
Gift cards are evil. Or so says Dan Gross at Slate. I love Slate, but too many things in this article are just ridiculous. (more inside)
Gwynne Dyer
Gwynne Dyer.
Canadian journalist,
military historian, and
syndicated columnist
to some 200+ newspapers worldwide, has
recently released a new edition of his seminal work War with 70% new content.
You may remember him as the host of
the series War which ran in the early 1980s, one episode of which was nominated for an Academy Award. He has also written
two other recent books, Ignorant Armies and
Future : Tense,
focusing on the conflict in Iraq and the recent changes in
U.S. foreign policy
. His website collects his syndicated articles, and recently posted his traditional year-end comments
(more inside).
Ikea comes to Red Hook
Red Hook is New York's perennial next-year neighborhood, perenially held back by huge housing projects and bad transportation, despite some ambitious proposals. Ikea's proposed store has been the subject of a long battle between "it'll bring jobs" and "it'll destroy the neighborhood". It's finally going to happen, and soon these buildings will be a parking lot.
'Simple grapes, gone horribly wrong.'
Wes Anderson and the Problem with Hipsters
Is N+1's review of the Life Aquatic more than a bit snobbish or dead on? While I agree with much of the review, particularly how Life Aquatic seemed to lack a plot, I can't help but feel icky having read this. (Link via TMFTML)
Custom Creature Taxidermy Arts
Custom Creature Taxidermy Arts • "The artist does not view a dead animal as disgusting or repugnant; she feels that all creatures exhibit their beauty in death as well as in life." My favorites are the Mutant Pickled Piglet, The Cackalope, Boar Heart Under Glass, and the Muskrat Feet Earrings.
Bounder!
Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell was in charge of making sure the election in his state was free and fair. With his recount was still progressing, he revealed his true colours. You remember towards the beginning of Fahrenheit 9/11, where the objectors to the electoral result needed just one senator to come out and support them? Well, it's that time again.
Painted ladies
Can your employer require you to wear makeup and follow the dictates of an image consultant? Yes, according to a panel from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. In Have They Ever Shared a Bathroom with a Woman? Workplace Fairness discusses the recent ruling and the historical background of bartender Darlene Jesperson's challenge to Harrah's "personal best" policy on the basis that it is discriminatory to female employees.
Charm city in ruins ...
Baltimore ghosts: a methodical, obsessive and beautiful (the photos, anyway) addition to the modern ruins genre - the essays on the Lutheran Hospital and the Bay Shore Shuttle are especially interesting.
Here, Kitty kitty...
If you have a cat, you'll recognize many of these immediately. Although some of them are availiable in a book, many of these have only appeared in the comic so far. Luckily, someone with far more spare time than I have has collected them for our enjoyment.
The Long Way
Ellen Macarthur is trying to break the solo round-the-world sailing record. From her website you can see stills and videos while she’s enroute, and track her progress. Meanwhile, the Vendee Globe is underway, with 20 sailors racing a similar course – also nonstop, and with no outside assistance allowed. The first solo nonstop circumnavigation was only 35 years ago, and the record has gone from 313 days to 72. It’s the slow way around, to be sure, and that’s probably why only a few dozen people have done it.
Shut Up
Shut Up! "The EU has requested that member states come to a standstill at noon today to observe a three-minute silence for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. Is this just a shallow, belated gesture - or the best way to show our solidarity?" Blake Morrison of the Guardian asks. There's also an interesting "History of Silences" at the end of the article.
Visual Composer
January 4
A proper gander indeed...
Cool collection of British WWII era propaganda posters (apologies if this has been posted before, search didn't find it). Includes recruitment posters & general morale building posters, among other categories, including some that the U.S. may wish to license for repurpose in the future.
Evolutionary Immunology
The evolution of the antibody-based immune system. And a few predictions about ID and evolutionary immunology for 2005.
Six Apart to Buy LiveJournal
Can you here me now?
Alert Retreival Cache Is a system of collecting, sorting and routing SMS messages for the purposes of alerts and relay communication. I heard about it on NPR today and of it's importance in the wake of the recent Tsunami. I thought it was a pretty neat idea and was especially pleased to hear how fellow geeks are working together to solve real world problems. More here (World Changing) and here (Audio).
Join Google, see the world
Find 753 unsecured webcams in 0.09 seconds. Forum posters use this Google search to find cameras, mostly security cams, unintentionally publically broadcasting. Hurry before the cam's as hard to control as "Just Letters."
Roadtrip
In 2001, Kevin and Aimee set out on a 200-day, 48-state driving tour of the United States. These are their stories.
Before and After
Tsunami destruction: before and after. A bird's-eye view of what was.
Blogging terms going mainstream
BBC warns regarding dangers of being "dooced" Not long after making the Wired Jargon Watch, I finally got to see the term "dooced", in action as the BBC posts an article regarding the growing conflict between employers and employees when it comes to blogging.
I only carry $100's, punk.
I'm thinking safe storage of my laptop in the backseat of my car with the door that doesn't lock
Next up:
The Mormons Got Game!
"Mortality!" Finally, a truly fun, uplifting gospel game!
Mortality is built around gospel principles as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, no LDS background is necessary in order to play, enjoy, or win the game, which makes it a wonderful missionary activity. It's great for parties and mixers. Get a game going with your friends, and you'll find yourselves laughing over the troubles each player meets: Your children come home from school with lice; a hailstorm wipes out your tomato plants; you break your arm on the kids' jungle gym; mice invade your teenage son's stash of Twinkies. If you have enough inner strength, you'll grow from each of these challenges. Otherwise, they may do you in!
"Mortality!" Finally, a truly fun, uplifting gospel game!
Mortality is built around gospel principles as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, no LDS background is necessary in order to play, enjoy, or win the game, which makes it a wonderful missionary activity. It's great for parties and mixers. Get a game going with your friends, and you'll find yourselves laughing over the troubles each player meets: Your children come home from school with lice; a hailstorm wipes out your tomato plants; you break your arm on the kids' jungle gym; mice invade your teenage son's stash of Twinkies. If you have enough inner strength, you'll grow from each of these challenges. Otherwise, they may do you in!
Center for the Study of Political Graphics
The Center for the Study of Political Graphics has some very cool virtual exhibits, including Graphics of the International Labor Movement and Earth, Wind and Solar - International Ecology Posters.
Feel like doing a little spring cleaning?
Feel like doing a little spring cleaning? Remember that horrid olestra stuff that gave you "leakage"? Or didn't, because you stuck to the fatty doritos because of the diarrhea stories? Apparently there's some evidence that it clears a series of toxins, including dioxin, from the bloodstream. Would've come in handy for Yushenko. Via Number One Hit Song.
Kid Rock: Defender of America's Moral Values
Kid Rock To Play Bush Inauguration ... The Bush Twins have invited Kid Rock to play their inauguration bash after their father is sworn in to a second term. Rock also played the Republican National Convention. This is a guy who stuck his head through an American flag at the Superbowl and has lyrics that say all women are whores and extol drug and alcohol abuse. (The link has actual lyrics from Rock, so if you are offended by cursing don't follow it.)
Tsunami Ghouls
Robbery, Rape and Kidnapping: Tsunami Aftermath (Sun.UK link) and
Criminals target tsunami victims (BBC link). After surviving the tsunami, the loss of their homes, their families and pretty much everything they own, now the human predators are getting in on the action.
"In Thailand thieves disguised as police and rescuers looted suitcases and hotel safes around the resort of Khao Lak, where up to 3,000 died."
"One of the most disturbing allegations is that criminal gangs are befriending children orphaned by the tsunami, and selling them to sex traffickers."
""I don't think you could have a more vulnerable child on Earth than a child in this situation," Mr Budd told the BBC News website."
pi10k.
I believe Donald Trump's hair has extraterrestrial origins, but I can't prove it.
"What Do You Believe Is True Even Though You Can't Prove It?" For its 2005 "World Question," Edge.org invited a "who's who of third culture scientists and science-minded thinkers" to respond to the following: "Great minds can sometimes guess the truth before they have either the evidence or arguments for it (Diderot called it having the "esprit de divination"). What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it?" They received 118 responses, some of which are also excerpted here. (See also 2003, 2002 discussions).
Comet Machholz and the Comet Hunters
"Naked Eye" Comet Machholz (binoculars recommended) nears maximum brightness in the coming days ( starchart here and here). How to photograph a comet and other objects.
The story of its discovery (his 10th). Comet hunters are an interesting breed. Now you can discover comets from your 'puter with SOHO imagery.
If stargazing interests you, you may also like the Wunderground astronomy web application (based on U.S. zip codes).
Who's That Girl?
Do you know Joyce Compton? She was the blonde (sometimes a redhead) you remember from tons and tons of movies made between 1937 and 1958, but you never knew her name. A shrine from the guy at Scrubbles.
Timely commentary for the intelligent anarchist
A Theory of Power is the weblog of Jeff Vail, where he posts regular, insightful articles on world events with the same worldview found in his book by the same title. "An exploration of the development and structure of hierarchy and empire through political anthropology, economic theory, evolutionary ontogeny and developmental psychology." Strong influences include Noam Chomsky and John Zerzan.
Barr Art
Glen Barr draws robots, creatures and vixens that live in a seedy yet swinging 1960's universe, drenched in the haze of a post industrial hangover. Flash enabled and ever-so-slightly NSFW
Gecko Feet might hold the key to inventing a self-cleaning adhesive.
Gecko Feet might hold the key to inventing a self-cleaning adhesive. The super-sticky feet of geckos allow them to adhere to almost any surface. But even though geckos never groom their feet, they don't lose their sticking power over time. Why? Turns out they're self-cleaning. . Scientists hope to be able to use this knowledge to create new, better kinds of dry tape and adhesives, like "duct tape that never loses its stick or bandages that come off without sticky residue or an 'ouch.'" Research info is here, along with some gecko pics.
And the food had to be satisfying and taste good too, otherwise, what's the point?
The Challenge: Purchase, prepare and eat healthy, mostly organic meals on a food stamp budget. These are the results.
PARK SERVICE STICKS WITH BIBLICAL EXPLANATION FOR GRAND CANYON
PARK SERVICE STICKS WITH BIBLICAL EXPLANATION FOR GRAND CANYON The Bush Administration has decided that it will stand by its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah’s flood rather than by geologic forces, according to internal documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
R.I.P. Will Eisner
Will Eisner Dies at age 86 The father of the modern Graphic Novel and hugely influential comics figure has died today from heart surgery complications. His concept of Sequential Art helped move comics out of the idea of being solely "kid's stuff" and was seen as a cannon in the comic art world.
He was working on a book called "The Plot" due out later this year. He will be missed. More info and Eisner Bio at Newsarama
It's Life, Jim, but not as we know it
Beyond Life [Java]. Mirek's Cellebration is an beautiful applet for exploring all sorts of cellular automata. Source code and standalone version also available.
Siberian Digital Photo Collection
Buy Buy Buy
They have ways of making you spend A guided tour of the tricks stores use to make you spend more.
Jay and Silent Bob Up North
Jay and Silent Bob go Canadian when Kevin Smith of "Clerks", "Chasing Amy" "Mallrats" fame writes himself into a script to reenact a teenage fantasy: making out with Degrassi High's
"Caitlin", a character in the both the classic series and it's new "Next Generation" version. He nearly roped Ben Affleck into it ("Affleck, honestly, could use the work right now"), but is going with Alanis instead.
January 3
Ancient tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The tribal people of the beautiful Andaman and Nicobar Islands include socially and genetically important ancient 'negrito' groups such as the Jarawa. Fortunately, it looks like many of their tiny communities have survived the earthquake and tsunami.
Loaded
The Lou Reed Guitar Archive "Pre-VU, The Velvet Underground, solos and collaborations"
Death and Taxes
The Figurative Gallery
The Figurative. A gallery of sculpture and mixed media figures that span the whimsical to the unsettling by 35 international artists . Alternate bandwidth-intense view: 160 thumbnails.
Trio close to being cancelled.
Trio close to being cancelled. They are one of the few good cable nets. They showed Pink Lady and Jeff fer goodness sakes. Link to how to complain here. As the poster sez: "Isn't the point of paying for hundreds of different channels to not have them be all the same?"
Caveat: I killed my tv in March and have never been happier.
Infrasound animals
"Infrasonic Symphony" Intrigued by reports of tsunami-avoidance behavior in Sri Lankan wildlife? Science News offers a timely antidote to simplistic mumbo-jumbo about the "mythical power" of animal earthquake detection with a detailed look at the latest research into low-frequency sound. The Elephant Listening Project is particularly interested in elephant rumblings that produce Rayleigh waves. "Mammals, birds, insects, and spiders can detect Rayleigh waves," notes The Explainer. "Most can feel the movement in their bodies, although some, like snakes and salamanders, put their ears to the ground in order to perceive it."
I feel fine
The surprising legacy of Y2K. In the runup to the new millennium, my uncle stocked a bunker full of supplies and ammunition and drove around with more in the trunk of his car. Crazy? Maybe, but this piece by American Public Media might get him off the hook and at the same time give the geeks who staved off armageddon a little credit. [Audio version at NPR's Marketplace]
Comments open; continually revised
The Ethics of Deep Self-Modification. What will happen when machines gain the ability to modify their own psychology? Do we have a responsibility to step in? What happens when we have the ability to modify ourselves? Philosopher Peter Suber has dedicated himself to issues of self-modification... not just in psychology, but also in constitutional law. Small wonder that this is the guy who invented Nomic. His site is littered with great stuff; he now is primarily involved with the open access movement. Check out his open access primer and blog.
Book Review Aggregator
Metacritic Books. Metacritic has been covering reviews for movies, music, and games for years, but now has started aggregating books reviews, with about 150 books so far.
Fighting Tthe Covenant from Baqubah
Gaming in Iraq by US troops. Soon after the battle for Fallujah ended in November, U.S. Marines brought their Xbox consoles, Gameboys and laptops forward and started fighting the Covenant hordes in "Halo," Mario and Luigi's worst enemies and those irksome roommates from "The Sims."
Of course such actives during war are nothing new. Iraqies have also gotten in on the action too.
F1 drivers using cocaine?
must drive fast faster faster The use of cocaine is widespread among Formula One drivers, a former Ferrari team doctor has claimed.
Although random FIA tests have never returned a positive result, Benigno Bartoletti said in Rome that 'as many as one third' of the current field take the drug as a stimulant prior to grands prix.
The Piracy Pyramid
Beaten woman denied divorce to her abuser
A Spokane woman trying to divorce her estranged husband two years after he was jailed for beating her has been told by a judge she can't get out of the marriage while she's pregnant. Is this another example at an attempt at "moral values?"
A worm in the head
Ballad is the story of a nervous and confused little homunculus. It's an unsettling webcomic with moody artwork and fantastic pacing that creeps along slowly, like a severed hand across the floor.
BigHeads
Big Heads of 2004 [via waxy]
To fly is everything ...
"To Fly is Everything" - A museum of early aeroplane history. Includes galleries of movies of aviation pioneers (watch an early flight from Wilbur Wright's point of view), and links to early aviation patents.
10-15% of Metafilter users are so-called "legacy children" all fathered by quonsar
"A growing body of evidence suggests that the meritocratic ideal is in trouble in America. Income inequality is growing to levels not seen since the Gilded Age, around the 1880s. But social mobility is not increasing at anything like the same pace: would-be Horatio Algers are finding it no easier to climb from rags to riches, while the children of the privileged have a greater chance of staying at the top of the social heap. The United States risks calcifying into a European-style class-based society."
It's a dog's life in today's army.
A dog's (or cat's) life. It's very common in Iraq for soldiers to adopt local dogs and cats as mascots, such as "PFC Conner". Unfortunately, there are new policies in place to kill local dogs and cats for health reasons. Often, even mascots are destroyed, damaging morale in the process.
Military Mascots is a small organization that is helping to bring mascots back to the U.S. for safety, but this can cost over $1000 per mascot for shots, boarding, fees, and the plane ride back home. It's their hope to save dozens of mascots before they are killed, but Military Mascots may be running out of time.
Shirley Chisholm: R.I.P.
Shirley Chisholm: R.I.P.. One wonders how much different America might be today had she been elected President in 1972 rather than Tricky Dick. (All 500+ sources from Google News)
The Portable Cellphone Booth
The Portable Cellphone Booth (imbedded .mov)
Psychoanalyzing Strangers in Pictures
Fresh Air Radio
Here in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, we are truly blessed to have a independent radio station that is not run by a big company or college. It's home to many shows including Crap from the Past, (Fridays at 10:30, CST), and the surf twang sounds of Radio Rumpus Room, (Fridays, 9:00 CST) or a big selection of other shows all available in streaming audio off the website. Take a look around, who knows what kind of audio gems will be found??
Old Tokyo
Old Tokyo. Photographs from the early decades of the twentieth century.
Game Theory Resource
smart_women != married_women; smart_men == married_men
A high IQ is a hindrance for women wanting to get married while it is an asset for men, according to a study by four British universities.
The study found the likelihood of marriage increased by 35 per cent for boys for each 16 point increase in IQ. But for girls, there is a 40 per cent drop for each 16-point rise, according to the survey by the universities of Aberdeen, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The study is based on the IQs of 900 men and women between their 10th and 40th birthdays. (via)
The study found the likelihood of marriage increased by 35 per cent for boys for each 16 point increase in IQ. But for girls, there is a 40 per cent drop for each 16-point rise, according to the survey by the universities of Aberdeen, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The study is based on the IQs of 900 men and women between their 10th and 40th birthdays. (via)
January 2
"Great mess, A+"
Messy desks were submitted for a contest at bash.org. Most of them aren't that messy, but a few are unforgettable. If you would like to cut to the chase: here is the winner and here is the Honorable Mention (NSFW). (Many of the comment threads are also NSFW)
Weenie Juke Radio
Weenie Juke Radio: "...and that was Sleepy John Estes singing Drop Down (I Don't Feel Welcome Here) and Bo Carter, North Canton Quartet are coming up."
Automated yet they take requests. For your favorite Yazoo, Document, Biograph or Arhoolie country blues and string band recording artists, here's your Juke.
Automated yet they take requests. For your favorite Yazoo, Document, Biograph or Arhoolie country blues and string band recording artists, here's your Juke.
Sock Puppets Educate, Entertain, and E-somethingelse
Here then is a charming little song and movie [QT] about Things That Don't Exist, presented by a cast of sock puppets. Found on the fan art page of the previously linked Daily Dinosaur Comics.
Follies
Follies and Monuments Devoted to the history of English architecture fantastic, outrageous, and (to borrow from the quotation on the index page) "useless." See also this 3D model of William Beckford's Fonthill Abbey (and the facsimile reprint of A Description of Fonthill Abbey and Demesne); folly gardens, historical and current; and a famous French folly garden, the Désert de Retz.
some AIDS humor from Johns Hopkins
Speedup Firefox
Speed-up Firefox. Wow.
Antidisestablishmentarianism
MetaFilter... can you spell it? An exercise in co-operative play.
Alcohol is the new crack!
“Not only is it illegal, but it's becoming increasingly dangerous,” Leggio said of underage drinking. How dangerous? Well apparently dangerous enough that one affluent Kansas City community has decided that it is best to have police spy on teens during high school basketball games. Oh it gets better, apparently a carload of teens is enough for a Lenexa cop to follow you! So the parents should be up in arms right? Nope, they encourage the police, even calling them ("she told dispatchers that when she called home to check on her son, it sounded like a party was going on"). Yet surprisingly, despite this almost police-state like mentality against drinking, attitudes are slow to change.
The cold war’s darkest secret
The death of Frank Olson on November 28, 1953 was a murder, not a suicide. 2. This is not an LSD drug-experiment story, as it was represented in 1975. This is a biological warfare story. Frank Olson did not die because he was an experimental guinea pig who experienced a “bad trip.” He died because of concern that he would divulge information concerning a highly classified CIA interrogation program called “ARTICHOKE” in the early 1950’s, and concerning the use of biological weapons by the United States in the Korean War.
3. The truth concerning the death of Frank Olson was concealed from the Olson family as well as from the public in 1953. In 1975 a cover story regarding Frank Olson’s death was disseminated. At the same time a renewed coverup of the truth concerning this story was being carried out at the highest levels of government, including the White House. The new coverup involved the participation of persons serving in the current Administration.
This is his son Eric's search for his father.
News of the Weird... NOT!
Though not the web institution of Jim Romenesko's Obscure Store or as overexposed as Dave Barry's Blog, Chuck Shepherd's NEWS of the WEIRD is a fairly good source for news stories that are... well... WEIRD. And Chuck's the only one who has collected a list of stories that "now occur with such frequency" that they are NO LONGER WEIRD. Quite a resource for judging how our society has changed in the last umpteen years.
In semi-related news, Barry is semi-retiring his weekly column, but we still have AutoDave, the automated Dave Barry column generator. Still, I suspect he did it just to upstage Dan Gillmor's farewell column, as he gives up the old-media columnar life in favor of "Grassroots Journalism".
To Dave Berry, 'Grassroots Journalism' is writing about the brown patch in your lawn directly over the septic tank.
In semi-related news, Barry is semi-retiring his weekly column, but we still have AutoDave, the automated Dave Barry column generator. Still, I suspect he did it just to upstage Dan Gillmor's farewell column, as he gives up the old-media columnar life in favor of "Grassroots Journalism".
To Dave Berry, 'Grassroots Journalism' is writing about the brown patch in your lawn directly over the septic tank.
Bluetooth Christmas Tree Redux
Remember the Bluetooth Christmas Tree? Here is what it received:
Modem users or Broadband users - Quicktime
Modem users or Broadband users - Quicktime
Marx Playsets
Procrastination Happens
Animation on Procrastination ... Here's an excellent, fun animation on the procrastinator in most of us. I would have posted it sooner, but ... well, procrastination happens.
101. people in red states vote more than we thought
47. A "jiffy" is 10 milliseconds in computer science terms. and 99 other things 2004 taught us
The Open Manifesto will never close
Bill Dummond has another new project. Previously he had been involved with the KLF, and now seems to run the Penkiln Burn website.
The Open Manifesto is a new offshoot - which admidst some nice design, captures peoples personal art manifestos- there are some true gems on here. There are also some 10 ten 'charts' which seem to have stopped in August 2004 - including judgement by Stewart Home - a fantastic author.
One of Bill Drummonds other projects was previously been mentioned here. More can be found through the fascinating Penkiln Burn.
The Open Manifesto is a new offshoot - which admidst some nice design, captures peoples personal art manifestos- there are some true gems on here. There are also some 10 ten 'charts' which seem to have stopped in August 2004 - including judgement by Stewart Home - a fantastic author.
One of Bill Drummonds other projects was previously been mentioned here. More can be found through the fascinating Penkiln Burn.
Hack yourself
"You can be happy. You can live the life you want to live. You can become the person you want to be. This is what I've figured out so far."
But what I really want to do is direct.
Unproduced Screenplays "The Writers Guild of America registers approximately 30,000 screenplays every year, most of which never make it anywhere near the silver screen. Some of these are by "big name" writers like James Cameron and The Wachowski Brothers." Presented here for your reading pleasure are: "Edward Ford" by Lem Dobbs, "One Saliva Bubble" by David Lynch & Mark Frost, "Red, White, Black, and Blue" by Andrew Kevin Walker, "Carnivore" by The Wachowski Brothers, "Alien 3" by David Twohy, "A Crowded Room" by James Cameron, and "I Am Legend" by Mark Protosevic.
More like Choose Your Own Gruesome Death
"In a text with only six favorable outcomes amid some thirty-eight possible conclusions, indeed the reader seems intensely vulnerable – even doomed perhaps – if he were to travel only a single path. The odds, quite simply, are against him."
Click here to investigate the unforgiving plot of The Third Planet from Altair, by Edward Packard.
Click here for the definitive database of information about Choose Your Own Adventure-style stories
Click here to write your own CYOA story.
Click here to investigate the unforgiving plot of The Third Planet from Altair, by Edward Packard.
Click here for the definitive database of information about Choose Your Own Adventure-style stories
Click here to write your own CYOA story.
Congressman Matsui (D-CA) Dies of Rare Disease
Congressman dies of rare disease Congressman Bob Matsui, who was recently elected to a 14th term in Congress, has died due to a rare stem cell disease. Matsui, who was one of the leading opponents of President Bush's plan to eliminate Social Security, was the ranking Democrat on the Congressional subcommittee on Social Security.
The Future of the Car
Obsession: Mr. Singh’s Search for the Holy Grail American visionaries, cranks and con men have long sought the simple key to boosting the efficiency of the gasoline engine. Now a barefoot tinkerer in India believes he has unlocked the door. Is he for real?
Actuarial Justice
The State of Virginia (nyt) has provided judges with a checklist to determine whether or not nonviolent offenders should go to jail. 40 year old woman with a job and husband = no jail. 21 YO man without job or wife = see you in 3-5. Here are the official guidelines (pdf) for sex offenders with a detailed explanation of the process.
A Most Curious Murder - the Madeleine Smith Story
A Most Curious Murder - the Madeleine Smith Story. 'Thursday, 9th July 1857 - The atmosphere outside the High Court in Edinburgh was charged to fever pitch as the crowd awaited the verdict at the end of the most sensational trial of the century. Hanging in the balance was the life of Madeleine Smith, attractive 22 year old daughter of a prosperous Glasgow architect ... '
The site includes, amongst other things, this 1787 directory of Glasgow manufacturers and traders.
The site includes, amongst other things, this 1787 directory of Glasgow manufacturers and traders.
January 1
Evidence? Who needs that?
Well, now what do we do with them? "The Bush administration is preparing plans for possible lifetime detention of suspected terrorists, including hundreds whom the government does not have enough evidence to charge in courts, The Washington Post reported Sunday.... As part of a solution, the Defense Department, which holds 500 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, plans to ask the U.S. Congress for $25 million to build a 200-bed prison to hold detainees who are unlikely to ever go through a military tribunal for lack of evidence, defense officials told the newspaper."
Pen flipping video
Cool video of ballpoint pen spinning tricks; warning - horrendous heavy metal soundtrack, video is embedded wmv. This is undoubtedly the most useless skill I've ever been jealous of. For more pen trick threads, see here& here.
It takes all kinds....
Educating Wesley: a photo essay.
APHEX TWIN | Analord
What is he up to this time? Richard D. James, aka Aphex Twin has been the impetus and central figure of the electronic music scene from the 90s onwards. You might remember his deranged music videos, his habit of bullshitting the press, his outrageous stunts (such as the DJ set where he dropped the stylus onto a sandpaper disc before "seguing" it into a food blender, driving around in a tank, owning a submarine, and recording in a bank vault) or his utterly inconsistent discography, that ranges from genius to tripe. After much rumor and speculation, his record label, Rephlex, announced Richard will be releasing "Analord 10", a 2 track 12" vinyl-only EP, 13 mins duration in elaborate packaging and selling for an absurd £39.99 (~$77USD). Mike Paradinas (aka µ-Ziq) heard it and claims (see soundmurderer's post) that it is "some of the best music" he's ever heard, "the aphex everyone's been waiting for", but he might be in on what may well be another costly practical joke. Analord pre-orders have shipped and everyone is eager to find out.
ListFilter
Music nerds love nothing better than lists, and the end of the year is an excellent excuse to make one. Here are Rolling Stone's, Pitchfork's, and Boomkat's lists of the best albums of 2004. What albums did you enjoy in 2004?
American Photographs: The Road
American Photographs: The Road "In 1935, the collaborative satirical writers Ilya Ilf (1897-1937) and Evgeny Petrov (1903-1942) traveled to the United States from the Soviet Union on assignment as special correspondents for the newspaper Pravda. Shortly after their arrival in New York aboard the French luxury liner Normandie, they purchased a Ford automobile and embarked upon a ten-week road trip to California and back."
NY Times details torture methods
Is this really the best idea the military can think of? Today's NY Times provides details on some methods used to extract the truth from Iraqi prisoners, including (I'm not making this up) audio tapes played loudly with "songs by Lil' Kim and Rage Against the Machine and rap performances by Eminem played loudly," and "a mix of babies crying and the television commercial for Meow Mix in which the jingle consists of repetition of the word 'meow'." Wouldn't sodium pentathol or some other chemical persuasion be more effective, while providing less fodder for Leno and Letterman?
WHat's in a name?
'Tsunami' born out of disaster A young mother gives birth to one child while losing track of another.
Doctor Steel
Help Dr. Steel take over the world! Doctor Steel is an escaped toymaker with an elaborate, flash-based website wherein you may witness him dancing, leaf through his notebooks and examine his toymaking ideas, and of course, buy his toys. Of particular interest are the recordings.
via the ever-lovin' Cartoonist.
via the ever-lovin' Cartoonist.
Gotta go!
Oh, the fun things a man can build with $10,000! "Some folks like to take their time on the can. Not Paul Stender. When the 43-year-old former pit mechanic feels the need for speed, he straps himself into his jet-engine-equipped toilet and roars off, trailing flame."
Ouch, that stings
What's a good hangover remedy? With all of the drinking many of us did last night, I think it's appropriate to dish out our favorite hangover cures. Mine is the time tested water & asprin before bed.
American Christian Jailed For His Beliefs
Marine Refuses to Use Guns ... Marine Cpl. Joel D. Klimkewicz converted to the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day saints while in the Marines, and now believes that killing is against Jesus' teachings. As such, he refused to train with a gun though he says he would be willing to clear mines and work the front lines. The result is that the military has jailed him for his religious beliefs, convicting him of disobeying a direct order. Anyone think that Bill O'Reilly is going to say the military is trying to destroy Christianity?
Kami no Michi: The Life and Thought of a Shinto Priest
"Auld lang syne" = "old long ago"
Did you sing it last night? If so, do you know what it means? Burns didn't orginally write it, but he certainly made sure we'll never forget it.
72 Hour Comic Madness
72 page comic in 72 hours. Ryan Estrada has decided that for New Year's he is going to spend 72 hours creating a 72 page comic book. His site is complete with hourly updates of page count and his sanity level. And I thought the 24 Hour Comic was tough.