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Are cell phones the next sexual revolution? The Nippit 3000 chip — although barely a micron in diameter — projects a high-intensity ultra-sonic electromagnetic "sound cone" that is inaudible to the human ear but fatal to any sperm cell within a range of six meters, or about 18 feet. Can this be real? When can I get one? (via SND)
posted by statisticalpurposes at 7:56 PM PST - 10 comments

The people at goopymart lead a better, more fulfilling life than mine.
posted by crunchburger at 7:48 PM PST - 27 comments

Every gay and lesbian federal employee has just lost their protection from discrimination. Gay and lesbians in the entire federal workforce have had their job protections officially removed by the office of Special Counsel. The new Special Counsel, Scott Bloch, says his interpretation of a 1978 law intended to protect employees and job applicants from adverse personnel actions is that gay and lesbian workers are not covered. Bloch said that the while a gay employee would have no recourse for being fired or demoted for being gay, that same worker could not be fired for attending a gay Pride event.
posted by amberglow at 7:25 PM PST - 21 comments

The Apology Line was an art project by Allan Bridge. For 15 years, anonymous confessions were collected by an answering machine. Covered by This American Life, and an early Wired Magazine article, The Apology Line predated online confessionals like grouphug.us by over 20 years.

The resulting messages were compiled into tapes. The long out-of-print cassette The Apology Line: Uncut Gems From Year Zero (1980-1981) is available in mp3 form: Side A. Side B. Fascinating, funny, and disturbing, all at once. [via Fluxblog]

posted by bluno at 11:48 AM PST - 10 comments

Creative Commons: now for movies.
posted by Vidiot at 11:32 AM PST - 7 comments

"We need to keep them out of here," said Commissioner J.C. Fugate, who introduced the motion.

Rhea County, Tennessee commissioners have voted 8-0 to ask state lawmakers to introduce legislation amending Tennessee's criminal code so the county can charge homosexuals with crimes against nature. If Rhea County sounds familiar, it may be because it was the setting for the Scopes Monkey Trial.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:06 AM PST - 49 comments

The 213 things Skippy is no longer allowed to do in the US Army are outlined here for all the world to enjoy... I just wish that I understood all the lingo. Still funny as hell, though. [Via Airbag]
posted by silusGROK at 10:51 AM PST - 17 comments

Ahh, the Flat Tax. The utopian vision of Steve Forbes, Dick Armey, and anybody swimming in 1099-INT forms is now a reality in Iraq (Wash. Post link). It sounds ideal in a lot of ways; everybody pays a similar amount, people save lots of time, and IRS workers are put out of a job. But the downsides are plenty; higher deficit, no write-offs for charitable donations, and more chances that people that earn their money through labor rather than stock trading will be left holding the bag.
posted by destro at 10:38 AM PST - 25 comments

Blunkett charges miscarriage of justice victims ‘food and lodgings’ We locked you up in jail for 25 years and you were innocent all along? That’ll be £80,000 please.
posted by thomcatspike at 8:38 AM PST - 38 comments

African AIDS Drug Plan Faces Collapse. The World Health Organization's Three by Five programme seeks to supply 3 million Africans with anti-HIV drugs by 2005. But it's in danger, due to lack of cash... and opposition from special interests who seem to be exerting influence over the U.S. government. According to Stephen Lewis, U.N. Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, 'If Three by Five fails, as it surely will without the dollars, then there are no excuses left, no rationalisations to hide behind. There will only be the mass graves of the betrayed.'
posted by stonerose at 8:00 AM PST - 20 comments

GUIdebook: Graphical User Interface gallery. Welcome to guidebook, a website dedicated to preserving and showcasing as many Graphical User Interfaces as possible.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 6:47 AM PST - 11 comments

Ted L. Nancy (or is it really Jerry Seinfeld?) has a lock on the "send a seemingly serious letter to someone and see if they write back" genre, but this ploy to get unwitting United States Senators to send in their favorite jokes is amusing too. Even Santorum chimed in.
posted by emelenjr at 6:32 AM PST - 24 comments

Vehicle to autonomous biped robot conversion for the Mini Cooper r50. I have no idea what this is all about but that doesn't bother me in the least. Amazing.
posted by coudal at 4:51 AM PST - 23 comments

Scientific proof that guiness bubbles really do fall, and it doesn't violate the laws of physics.
posted by Slightlynorth at 4:00 AM PST - 18 comments

Tired of Iraq? Pick your own alternative history - or future, for that matter. Just be careful, okay?
posted by Nyx at 2:30 AM PST - 1 comments