April 6, 2002

Nudist World Domination!

Nudist World Domination! Yes, you read that correctly. They're naked and they're taking over the world. They claim to have weapons of "mass declothesification". I, for one, surrender. (no pr0n, very mild nudity)
posted by jonmc at 8:03 PM PST - 32 comments

FDA has ruled that implantable microchips dont need to be regulated.

FDA has ruled that implantable microchips dont need to be regulated. It looks like, the Jacobs family can now have their VeriChips. Does anyone else think that some kind of regulations of these devices is called needed? (via GMSV).
posted by justlooking at 6:47 PM PST - 19 comments

Remote controlled rock 'em sock 'em Transformers from Japan.

Remote controlled rock 'em sock 'em Transformers from Japan. Check out the quicktime movies, and read the safety disclaimer:

Please be aware that DF01 will make sudden abrupt movements that may frighten children and pets. It also has capabilities to shoot ammunition such as rubber pellets and therefore should be aimed in a responsible manner. Finally, numerous parts of the DF01 can and will fly off during combat.

Do not taunt happy-fun ball. Link via core77.
posted by machaus at 3:33 PM PST - 11 comments

The behavioral elements

The behavioral elements character classification system from the Axios corporation at ourcharacter.com offers a Periodic Table of the Elements for everything ranging from Ambition to Vanity. Friends acting dumb? Send them a link to stupidity. Feeling all alone in the world? Blog to loneliness. Wanting to express your feelings about Donald Rumsfeld's attitude? Check out Narrow-Mindedness, Ruthlessness or even Fanaticism. Each element is accompanied by quote by famous figures relating to it, as well as a description and related / contrasting elements. If this is a double post, please show me Forgiveness.
posted by Hammerikaner at 2:43 PM PST - 8 comments

According to Amazon,

According to Amazon, Photoshop 7 is shipping on April 20. The list price is $149 (same as direct from Adobe), and they've got a $20 mail-in rebate on Photoshop (and a bunch of other programs) until April 25. Plus, you can get free shipping if you select Super Saver Shipping. Can't wait...I just need this and Flash MX and I'll be all OS X, all the time.
posted by kirkaracha at 2:36 PM PST - 34 comments

Rights Group Accuses Israel Of Torturing Palestinians

Rights Group Accuses Israel Of Torturing Palestinians
The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem charged today that Israel has tortured Palestinians who have been detained for interrogation during the current military offensive. The group said in a statement that the interrogation methods included breaking the toes of prisoners. The detainees have also been prohibited from meeting with lawyers, the group said...Israel has long used torture against Palestinian prisoners, but an Israeli Supreme Court ruling in September 1999 specifically outlawed most methods being used.

From torture to assassinations (that result in killing of innocent civilians); from attacking Red Cross vehicles and buildings to preventing wounded and ill from receiving medical attention; from firing in the direction of journalists to house-to-house searches that have resulted in looting - it is clear that Israel is not interested in peace at all, but rather is taking this opportunity to institute a complete clampdown on all Palestinians, to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, and to break the will of what is, at its core, a liberation movement. And to Powell's call for a withdraw "without delay," Israel gives the finger and ratchets up its onslaught. Utterly disgusting. And what's more, the repercussions from this brutal military action will be felt for months to come.
posted by mapalm at 11:51 AM PST - 74 comments

2 Hollywood Titans Brawl Over A Gang Epic

2 Hollywood Titans Brawl Over A Gang Epic -- (NYTimes link, I apologize but am unsure of the etiquette on that issue). Martin Scorcese's project Gangs Of New York (about pre-Civil War NYC immigrant gangs) is quickly turning into something akin to Titanic, and not just 'cuz it's got Leo in it. The budget's out of control (maybe someone cheaper than U2 should do the score), the release date's on a backwards spiral (yes, it was supposed to come out last Christmas), some of the content rankles after 9/11, and now Harvey Weinstein wants a new ending. The cherry on top? Its current release date has it pitted against Tom Hanks and Sam "American Beauty" Mendes' The Road To Perdition, another gangster piece. For a relatively complete diary of the film's woes, try the film's page at the always-useful Corona. Think Miramax has its most spectacular dud on the way, or do you trust Scorcese to pull it off?
posted by logovisual at 11:39 AM PST - 17 comments

RIP Kenny McCormack

RIP Kenny McCormack So, is our favorite foul-mouthed, parka-wearin' cartoon character really dead? Or do, as usual, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have something up their collective sleeves? Me, I'm thinking that Kenny will return to torment little Butters (who's a fine replacement, really), similar to the character arc this lady once had on another show that became a pop culture icon. (via Fark)
posted by WolfDaddy at 11:39 AM PST - 19 comments

Who started the crusades?

Who started the crusades? Catholic historian Thomas Madden argues that the crusades "were not the brainchild of an ambitious pope or rapacious knights but a response to more than four centuries of conquests in which Muslims had already captured two-thirds of the old Christian world." Given all the talk about the crusades in the wake of 9-11, an accurate understanding of the history seems important. But is this accurate or just Catholic revisionism?
posted by boltman at 11:19 AM PST - 21 comments

Granta 77: What We Think of America. 24 answers, which the literary magazine commissioned from writers across the globe. Audio overview from Public Radio International. A visitor from Zimbabwe's opinion.
posted by sheauga at 11:10 AM PST - 2 comments

Tips down at Starbucks

Tips down at Starbucks For a while it seemed like tipping was proliferating out of control, including a tip jar in my local Subway, but now it's on the decline in Starbucks due to their new debit card. To get more money out of the customers, employees are holding strategy sessions to come up with "psychology tricks" and managers are reporting back to the mothership.
posted by NortonDC at 10:20 AM PST - 76 comments

Overture sues Google over ad "technology,"

Overture sues Google over ad "technology," saying Overture invented and has patented pay-for-placement on search engines, and Google's AdWords infringes on that. That strikes me as totally nuts -- how are Google ads paid search engine placement in anything but the very broadest terms? Are MeFi's TextAds next? PyRads?
posted by brookish at 9:40 AM PST - 7 comments

The Periodic Table of Comic Books scans comic book pages that have mentioned any of the elements, and they're always looking for a comic that mentions samarium, praseodymium, or seaborgium, to name but a few. Periodic Table affecionados might also want to take The Periodic Table Challenge - dastardly hard.
posted by iconomy at 8:43 AM PST - 8 comments

Behold Oddpost!

Behold Oddpost! Like they say, it really is "indubitably the most astounding web-based email application on earth." I was skeptical, but their drag-and-drop interface is so clean and functional that comparing it to Microsoft Hotmail or Yahoo! Mail is like comparing a Frank Lloyd Wright house to a birdcage made of Tinkertoys. All DHTML, so it requires IE 5+ on Windows. Netscape, Opera, Mac, and Linux users are out of luck. (Welcome to the effects of market share.)
posted by monkey-mind at 4:46 AM PST - 45 comments

Britishness at its absolute bloody best

Britishness at its absolute bloody best I watched the whole Queen Mum procession thing yesterday, complete with "frantically filling BBC commentators", and this Brains Trust article was the perfect antidote. My favourite though is Die Sissons Die
posted by Summer at 4:31 AM PST - 5 comments

He needed it to cut an onion.

He needed it to cut an onion. Under normal circumstances I would have shook my head and said, "Oh, those silly americans". This story, however, is about my 12-year old brother who's facing a 1 year expulsion after bringing a (small) kitchen knife to school for a science assignment. Zero tolerance - or zero interest in what's best for the kid?
posted by mschmidt at 12:55 AM PST - 80 comments

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