October 12, 2007
Plans for simple plywood boats
Hannu's Boatyard is a site by a Finnish guy who offers free plans for two dozen simple plywood boats you can build, along with photos illustrating the build process of each. He also describes basic woodbending technique and some of the design process, in a pleasing writing style that makes me want to get off the internet and make things. My favorites: Portuguese style dinghy; tiny stubby halfpea; round, Welsh-style coracle -- if you click on no other link today, click on the coracle link and scroll down at least to the black and white photo.
The Life and Death of Jesse Jubilee James, Featuring Harlan Ellison
In the grand tradition of Kaycee Nicole, Anthony Godby Johnson, and Kodee Kennings, Jesse James was a studly volunteer firefighter and 9/11 hero who A History of Violence screenwriter Josh Olson's friend Audrey fell in love with over the internet. He turned out to be not what he seemed. None other than Harlan Ellison himself took part in the intervention, and the ensuing confrontation of the perpetrator was recorded for posterity. Via.
Can you explain that again, but this time IN SONG AND DANCE?
nuglah is a really odd kid that uploads some really weird youtube videos. Lots of melodrama and poor chromakey. I love it:
The Unicorn Kingdom Club | Legend of the Unicorn Kingdom | Legend of the Unicorn Kingdom 2 | A Hopscotch to remeber! | Casandro Crumbrow | Twilight Princess Thief!!! and more… GIF
Thompson's Glitch-Folk Debut
"I want those two minutes of my life back." Musique concrète Fred Thompson-style -- a merciless videohack of the candidate's performance at the GOP debate on MSNBC, October 9, 2007. While almost anyone can be made to look foolish edited this way, not everyone was impressed by Thompson's unedited presence at the debate, his TV debut as a presidential contender. Some believe, however, that the former Law and Order D.A. is just the man to "restore the Republican Party to Reagan's default settings."
I Am Emily X
I Am Emily X is "the true-life diary of a frontline Planned Parenthood worker and activist", created in response to the 40 Days for Life Campaign. "*For their safety and protection, Emily X represents a small handful of Planned Parenthood workers and activists, who may or may not be named Emily."
That's it! Back to Winnipeg!
Sweet guinea pig of Winnipeg! 250 stories about Winnipeg! (and Manitoba...)
Images of unknown provenance
*M*I*R*R*O*R* *W*O*R*L*D* Photographs Of Unknown Origin [NSFW]
Inside a combustion engine
There is a dildo in the anus covered with a condom
NewsFilter: "A Montgomery minister found in his home this summer died with his hands and feet bound behind his back and dressed in two rubberized suits, an offical autopsy showed. ... The Rev. Gary Michael Aldridge was found dead June 24. Police ruled the 51-year-old pastor of Thorington Road Baptist Church was alone at the time of his death and that there was no foul play involved."
He's a Liberty University graduate and former Liberty dean. [more inside]
September 2007 polar sea ice anomaly
Video (8MB, MPEG) of arctic sea ice extent, recorded from January to September 2007. [other formats] This summer a dramatic decrease compared to previous years in the extent of the north pole ice cap was observed. Scientists are freaked out [bugmenot]. This summer, the Northwest Passage was open for a few weeks, allowing three ships to traverse it. [more inside]
Gentlemen Ranters
Gentlemen Ranters, a "brilliant compendium of reminiscences of the great days of Fleet Street". Via (check the comments for a more depressing viewpoint).
Lady Jaye P-Orridge has died.
Lady Jaye P-Orridge passed away Tuesday in the arms of her partner, industrial/acid house music pioneer Genesis P-Orridge at their home in New York.
Never mind the Black Helicopters, look out for the Dragonflies.
Reports have been circulating of insects hovering over anti-war rallies recently. Paranoia? Research? It's getting discussion in a lot of mainstream places.
You and I were/weren't meant to fly....
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is proposing new rules regarding passenger pre-screening both domestically and internationally. Interestingly, this includes flights that overfly the continental US without ever touching the ground. [more inside]
Send in the Clowns
He served in law enforcement for over 20 years. He's been a youth counselor, an ordained minister, a Big Brother. He deplores the rampant proliferation of "smut" in America. He bills himself as Klutzo the "Christian" Clown and visits orphanages overseas. Of course he's up on charges.
Hipkiss database of old maps
Do you know the way to San Jose? I found this googling for map images for an animated title sequence I am doing. Wow. A treasure trove of antique maps of every age, description and location.
"Three snags will lead to disqualification"
The World Conker Championships sponsored by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health! Health and Safety gone mad, again? No, they are fighting back against being blamed for taking the fun out of playing conkers. Mine's a fifty-sixer!
Your book is in another castle...
The Library Arcade features one surprisingly entertaining flash game about pleasing library patrons, and one less entertaining, but probably more directly applicable, game about shelving. You can also try to discover the cause of a mysterious disease using your research skills in an arcade-like game [username: Tammy, password: Allgood]. More on the discussion of the role of games in libraries.
You should read Gunnerkrigg Court
Gunnerkrigg Court is a lovely and strange webcomic by Tom Siddell. While its scenario bears a passing resemblance to Harry Potter (magic school, main character with a strange destiny, etc.), there's something quite different going on here. Chapter One, for instance, deals with how to get an anthropomorphic shadow back to its forest home, using only a box of discarded robot parts and a young girl's initiative. And that's just the beginning. Need a more trustworthy endorsement than mine? Neil Gaiman likes it.
Yesterday threatens to devour to-morrow.
I Love It When a Plan Comes Together
Bring Back...The A-Team (parts two, three, four, five, six, and seven). In 2006 Justin Lee Collins tried to reunite the surviving cast members of The A-Team. [more inside]
Pedal Power
Jason Lewis has become the first man to circumnavigate the Earth using human power alone. It only took him 13 years: he set off from London in July, 1994 and ended his expedition in October, 2007, having travelled 46,505 miles (on foot and by pedal boat, roller blades, kayak, and bicycle). [via QI] [more inside]
Something rotten in the state of Han
Corruption Threatens China's Future In a new report for the Carnegie Foundation, Pei Minxin offers an estimate that official corruption in China may cost as much as USD86bln each year - 0.65 percent of GDP and more than the education budget. He calls for economic and political reform; his critics might say no surprise there.
All the news that's fit to print
Censored: The scariest news may be the stuff you haven’t seen yet. David Phinney thought he’d struck journalistic gold. The veteran reporter, who has done freelance work for PBS, ABC, The New York Times, and other news companies, learned from a disgusted American contractor that the Kuwaiti company hired to build the U.S. embassy in Iraq was using forced laborers trafficked in from Asia. [more inside]
Gore wins Nobel prize
Albert A. Gore Jr. shares the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted." Still not running for president.
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