April 30, 2002

ITV Digital is dead. I woke up this morning to find channel after channel replaced with a blue screen, telling me they can no longer broadcast pay-tv. Mtv UK are marking the occasion with lots of slow contemplative music. I want my Mtv! (and E4, UK Gold and ....)
posted by feelinglistless at 10:28 PM PST - 12 comments

Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About

Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About
posted by holloway at 10:18 PM PST - 34 comments

Hamas accepts Saudi peace plan:

Hamas accepts Saudi peace plan:
"There has been generation after generation (of war). Now there is a generation who needs to live in peace, and not worry about their safety," said [Hamas executive Ismail Abu] Shanab. "So it is a generation that wants to practice living in peace and postpone historical issues. We speak of historical Palestine, and practical reality."
Since their official position is that "Leaving the circle of conflict with Israel is a major act of treason" (Hamas Charter, Article 32), this is a dramatic change in policy indeed. I'm gobsmacked; this is utterly unbelievable, yet apparently real. And genuinely hopeful IMHO. What do you think?
posted by boaz at 9:16 PM PST - 16 comments

Canadians fuzzy on concept of left and right.

Canadians fuzzy on concept of left and right. A new poll suggests that three quarters of Canadians have trouble telling political left from right. Sort of makes me wonder why voter turnout is higher in Canada than the U.S.. Canadians are also hard to pin down politically, as polls suggests they generally want less taxes and more government spending.
posted by bobo123 at 9:07 PM PST - 17 comments

Now we know why French was required in school : échangisme, libertinism, Cléopâtre

Now we know why French was required in school : échangisme, libertinism, Cléopâtre "For the past 18 months Jean-Charles and Sylvie have had a standing date with each other and with a changing cast of instantly made new best friends at a private club in central Paris called Cléopâtre...échangisme, she said, is something more interesting than the movies to do on a Saturday night...nearly 50 restaurants, clubs and saunas in Paris openly cater to heterosexual adventurers. " Time to bring back Plato's Retreat. [NYT reg req]
posted by Voyageman at 8:42 PM PST - 5 comments

VCards

VCards are sort of a viral(or maybe voyeuristic) greeting card. You send one to someone, and they are sent your note with some attachments. The recipient is asked to run one of them(a VB script), that decrypts the other files, which are three images randomly chosen from the hard drive of the person who sent it to them, and so on. Everything is explained up front, and full source is provided at the web page.
posted by Su at 6:53 PM PST - 10 comments

Havening (sic) a lousy day?

Havening (sic) a lousy day? Whenever the IT industry gets me down, I look to this oldy but goody of a link to help me realize that I don't have it all that bad. Have you ever been on any tier of computer support? This is a classic (albeit somewhat cruel) chronicle of working alongside a useless help-desk drone we'll call George.
posted by machaus at 6:26 PM PST - 25 comments

If Yao plays in NBA for 10 years, half of his earnings will be enough to host as many seasons of the CBA league.

If Yao plays in NBA for 10 years, half of his earnings will be enough to host as many seasons of the CBA league. Chinese Basketball Association player in the NBA is required to send big money back home.
posted by Leonard at 4:50 PM PST - 10 comments

Who caused the great flood?

Who caused the great flood?
Yesterday, Ernie posted a notice that Steve from Blue's Clues was leaving to become a rock star. Now Steve's web site seems to be down for bandwidth overages. They might be unrelated; still, it raises important questions about the possibility of accidentally overloading someone else's server. Where do burdens lie in this scenario? Does anyone have a historical perspective on this sort of situation? =]
posted by spaceboy86 at 4:25 PM PST - 22 comments

Why the towers fell.

Why the towers fell. PBS is airing a special episode of Nova about the science behind while the World Trade Center towers collapse. Nova's reputation for converting esoteric science & engineering into understandable explanations for the layman should make the show something to watch. 7PM EDT/PDT on most PBS stations. Set your Tivos.
posted by Argyle at 3:58 PM PST - 23 comments

Aaah, the joys of PetitionOnline.com. As of right now, 840 people have petitioned Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema to change the name of "The Two Towers," the sequel to The Lord of the Rings, saying that Jackson purposely made the title in reference to the September 11th attacks. Nevermind the fact that the book of the same name was published by Tolkien in 1954. Naturally, there is a petition against the petition. Hooray, democratic process!
posted by littleyellowdifferent at 3:47 PM PST - 39 comments

It looks like that the British network einstein.tv and the FIDE may open negotiations this month for a reunified world chess championship. The championship was split in 1993 when Garry Kasparov left the FIDE to start his own failed league. Kasparov claims the world championship left with him, while the FIDE claims he abdicated by refusing to play nice with others. Kasparov lost the championship last year to Kramnik. Einstein.TV is milking the publicity while the FIDE says we are meeting but no comment. Wood pushers like me are probably better off leaving the politics to the people who can't stand each other and sticking to the internet chessclub, the free chess servers or simply email chess.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 3:27 PM PST - 2 comments

The Ancient Library Of Alexandria:

The Ancient Library Of Alexandria: Its long-awaited re-opening has been postponed, supposedly because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So it seems the age-old dream of historians and poets everywhere(Jorge Luís Borges comes to mind)will have to wait a bit longer... I wonder, though, if Egypt's ever-stricter censorship laws and practices will ever be compatible with a true, universal library such as, by most accounts, the original Alexandria Library was.[Via Nutcote]
posted by MiguelCardoso at 3:21 PM PST - 9 comments

You down with SVG?

You down with SVG? (requires SVG plugin) SVGSpider.com is a proof of concept site contstructed entirely in SVG. [via Webgraphics]
posted by kirkaracha at 3:09 PM PST - 12 comments

Japan’s Gross National Cool

Japan’s Gross National Cool - Foreign Policy has an interesting article on the impact of Japanese culture and how it has replaced "Made in Japan" products as the dominant export from Japan. The author points to director Hayao Miyazaki, director/actor Takeshi Kitano, artist Takashi Murakami, and singer/songwriter Namie Amuro, as well as anime in general and Hello Kitty as examples of the global spread of Japanese culture. Do you recognize these people or their work? [more inside]
posted by gen at 2:37 PM PST - 18 comments

Could the end be near

Could the end be near for cult television cartoon family "The Simpsons?"

"I think we are closer to winding it up," the television show's creator, Matt Groening told the Financial Times in an interview published Tuesday."
posted by jcterminal at 2:28 PM PST - 26 comments

DVD covers that stink!

DVD covers that stink! [Via Kottke]
posted by riffola at 1:53 PM PST - 13 comments

Spanish dogs say "guau guau".

Spanish dogs say "guau guau". Did you ever read comics or something in a language other than your cradle tongue and notice that onomatopoetic words, particularly for animal sounds, are different in different languages? This webpage has animal sounds from loads of languages, organized by language and animal. Indonesian dogs say "gonggong".
posted by jeb at 1:44 PM PST - 46 comments

Five Finger Fillet.

Five Finger Fillet. Pick up that knife and play the game. Shockwave required.
posted by Spoon at 1:33 PM PST - 8 comments

The Tom Waits Streaming Event.

The Tom Waits Streaming Event. Anti Records is streaming both of Waits' new albums in their entirety, each in turn for three days starting today, prior to their release. Is the home listening booth for whole cd's a common marketing tactic now?
posted by liam at 1:04 PM PST - 24 comments

The first images from the Advanced Camera for Surveys

The first images from the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope have been unveiled.
posted by homunculus at 12:06 PM PST - 10 comments

Veganism nearly kills baby?

Veganism nearly kills baby? A New york couple is charged with reckless endangerment after there baby is taken to the hospital underdeveloped and near death. The article doesn't specifically say veganism was the reason for the baby's poor health but strongly impies it. [link via plastic]
posted by drezdn at 10:59 AM PST - 55 comments

The real story behind Krispy Kreme mania

The real story behind Krispy Kreme mania The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has become an object of derision in some journalism circles (scroll down a bit) for sending *four* reporters to cover the opening of a Krispy Kreme. In fact, it was just the latest victim of a carefully orchestrated campaign by KK and its p.r. minions (that first link is a PDF).
posted by agaffin at 10:33 AM PST - 39 comments

Tamim Ansary on Forum in 20 minutes.

Tamim Ansary on Forum in 20 minutes. Sorry for the late notice, but if you remember Tamim Ansary (the "letter from an Afghan American" guy) - he's on Forum at 10 AM PST.
posted by badstone at 9:44 AM PST - 1 comments

Up in Smoke: Drugs and the End of Music.

Up in Smoke: Drugs and the End of Music. "It's extremely doubtful whether house would have achieved the dominance it has without E fuelling the nation's clubbers. With ecstasy dictating the musical content of many club nights, the demand for seamless, relentless grooves with little change in tempo has grown and grown ... Dance music is no longer a music that touches the head and heart as well as the feet, as it did with Northern Soul. Instead, it has become a soul-less metronome for the E generation to mark time to."
posted by moz at 9:32 AM PST - 57 comments

Kissinger: Wanted for Questioning.

Kissinger: Wanted for Questioning....as his list of possible vacation spots grows smaller,smaller. Christopher Hitchens details the ever more complex legal situation of former U.S. Sec. of State Henry Kissinger, who is now wanted for questioning by courts in Chile, Spain, and France. Writes Hitchens: "Recently, I was informed via the former Spanish ambassador to the United States that Kissinger had approached the embassy asking whether he would be safe if he visited Spain. These days he does not travel without legal advice."
posted by Ty Webb at 9:30 AM PST - 30 comments

World of Awe

World of Awe -- Through a portal on 419 East 6th street in Manhattan, a traveler passes into the Sunset/Sunrise--a desert terrain locked into the mindframe between night and day, in search of a lost treasure. The voyage is documented in a journal found on a laptop evidently built by the traveler in Silicon Canyon, which is a graveyard for old computer components. The journal contains letters to an absent lover, travel logs and descriptions of the unique navigation tools. Following a hi-tech/lo tech, double-sided map (Eep & Moo), the traveler describes a search for a treasure that keeps relocating. The only remains found are crumbs fallen from the body of the treasure that surprisingly resemble candy sprinkles.
posted by boltman at 8:59 AM PST - 6 comments

You deserve a month off!

You deserve a month off! The thirty hour workweek. The shorter workweek. The AFL-CIO on bargaining for alternative work schedules. Is it true that "Almost half of US workers (47%) are responsible for the care of children and/or elderly or disabled adults?" Part time work and women. "We aren't whining. We do work too much."
posted by sheauga at 7:46 AM PST - 37 comments

Prof says pedophilia ain't so bad.

Prof says pedophilia ain't so bad. "I don't think it's something where we should just clamp our heads in horror," he said of pedophilia. "In 1900, everybody assumed that masturbation had grave physical consequences; that didn't make it true." Apologies for yet another NYTimes link.
posted by Samsonov14 at 7:35 AM PST - 102 comments

Do short men get short-changed?

Do short men get short-changed? Any real life experiences to back up or refute this study? I found this very interesting: "If a teenage sense of social exclusion influences future earnings, it may have great implications for youngsters from minority groups."
posted by bittennails at 5:21 AM PST - 65 comments

From a NYT piece

From a NYT piece on the horrifying incompetence of NY mental homes: On a Thursday in June 2000, Mr. Ridges returned from his job and went to his room. He encountered Mr. Chapman and the two apparently argued over rap music, the police said. Mr. Chapman pulled out a brown and gold folding knife. He lunged, stabbing Mr. Ridges more than 20 times in the neck, sternum and arm. "Me and Greg Ridges didn't get along," Mr. Chapman told the detectives who arrested him. When Mrs. Ridges did not receive her customary phone call from her son that day, she called the home. An employee told her everything was fine. Wary, Mrs. Ridges went to the home that night, and no one would let her in. Several hours later, police officers showed up at her apartment and told her what had happened. I get sick of all the NYT pieces on here too, but, damn it, this is just haunting, a long visit in a demented underworld of society that most of us try to ignore. Well worth reading in its (extensive) entirety.
posted by gsteff at 1:03 AM PST - 3 comments

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