December 3, 2001

HTML code patented.

HTML code patented. Thanks to Unicast and your friends in the US patent office. "Unicast's second patent, No. 6,314,451, covers the method of serving Internet ads using HTML code that, when downloaded by a Web browser, can be used to begin downloading dynamically- produced content." It also seems that they are ready to get sue-happy.
posted by owillis at 11:00 PM PST - 4 comments

"Be accurate, be fair, be American"

"Be accurate, be fair, be American" is the Fox News mantra. Apparently, news with a moral slant is not only helping the Fox News ratings but many Americans report wanting their news to be "Pro-American." When did it become unpatriotic to at least want news that attempts objectivity? Are "accuracy" and "fairness" always possible if Fox journalists must also subscribe to News Corporation's prescription as to what it means to "be American?"
posted by karlcleveland at 10:35 PM PST - 21 comments

Provigil (or Modafinil)

Provigil (or Modafinil) is a new drug, announced today. It is currently available for narcoleptics, but it is also available to the general public. It creates a state of wakefulness in users, eliminating the desire to sleep. It does this without the side effects of typical alertness/CNS stimulants (ie amphetimines, or caffeine). Tests have shown that people can stay awake with no loss in cognitive power for up to 96 hours. This is big news -- what would you do with an extra 8 hours in your day? Unlike IT, this really could have an impact on society.
posted by kaefer at 10:07 PM PST - 52 comments

This has got to be a payback for one too many Jerry Lewis flicks.

This has got to be a payback for one too many Jerry Lewis flicks. French school for hackers. Teaching such things as hacking internal files, setting up trojan horses, viral attack theory, and the like. Of course it's only to put to use by the students for purposes of cyber self defense. Riiiiight.
posted by MAYORBOB at 9:19 PM PST - 2 comments

Advice for Maine:

Advice for Maine: Piss poor education technology planning yields piss poor results. Is anyone aware of a large scale "computer per student" education initiative that has worked well? Teachers still need better wages don't they? (more inside)
posted by machaus at 8:23 PM PST - 16 comments

Marie's World Tour

Marie's World Tour : "Marie is going around the world by surface transport. That is, she is taking ships, buses, trains, donkeys, and whatever local transport is available. It's not the most comfortable way of seeing the world, but it is the best way to see the world, up close. She is using cybercafes to post updates, enabling readers to travel along with her on a virtual field trip." A great travel journal with lots of interesting pictures.
posted by Calebos at 5:41 PM PST - 8 comments

The genetically modified cat is out of the proverbial bag.

The genetically modified cat is out of the proverbial bag. New study finds traces of GM corn DNA in wild maize fields, over 60 miles away from the closest possible source. Are GM crops still the great idea that Monsanto thought they were? [via the pocket]
posted by mathowie at 3:38 PM PST - 34 comments

Ridge Announces Security Alert

Ridge Announces Security Alert ...again. President Bush's homeland security chief asked Americans to return to a high state of alert Monday, citing threats of more terrorist attacks, possibly around "important religious observations'' this month.
posted by blissbat at 3:18 PM PST - 40 comments

Welcome to Battle Mountain, Nevada:

Welcome to Battle Mountain, Nevada: the Armpit of America!
posted by gimonca at 2:38 PM PST - 28 comments

A Black Author Hurls That Word As a Challenge

Nigger. A Black Author Hurls That Word as a Challenge. Revulsion began with the staff of his publisher over the new book by Randall Kennedy. Revulsion? Proving the book's point then...
posted by hellinskira at 1:33 PM PST - 26 comments

Captioning Stories

Captioning Stories Real-time captioners worked nonstop during and after the bombing. “What was so challenging about captioning live television coverage of the September 11 terrorist attack was that the emotional impact of the enormity of the horror took its toll on me personally. My sister is a flight attendant for American Airlines, one of my sons is a pilot for United Airlines, and my other son is a firefighter paramedic.... [C]aptioning the coverage of the anguish experienced by the families of the pilots, flight attendants, firefighters... was the first time in my 28-year career that I was not able to distance myself emotionally. After 16 years of work in the Los Angeles Superior Court reporting horrific criminal cases, including death-penalty cases, I thought I had the ability to steel my emotions and do my job. But nothing in my past prepared me for this”
posted by joeclark at 12:28 PM PST - 2 comments

In October 2000, in the mountains of Utah, three-year-old Gage Wayment wandered away from his father's truck and died of exposure. In July 2001, his father, Paul Wayment, was due to begin serving a 30-day jail sentence for negligent homicide. Instead, he killed himself in the area where his son was found.

Now, Paul Wayment's parents have filed two million-dollar claims against the search and rescue teams alleging that had they "conducted an appropriate and proper search," the boy and his father would still be alive.

It appears the search teams are protected by the Utah Good Samaritan Act, unless they can be shown to have been grossly negligent, but this lawsuit may still have a chilling effect on future search-and-rescue operations.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:28 AM PST - 29 comments

What will people auction-off next?

What will people auction-off next? And what ever happened to that person who said he would post a link on MeFi for the high-bidder? Did the post ever go up? Was it worth it? Totally slow newsday.
posted by tsarfan at 10:55 AM PST - 14 comments

"It's a good job you have me around to provide continual cultivation."

"It's a good job you have me around to provide continual cultivation." In the early '80s, Stephen Patrick Morrissey wrote a number of letters to a pen-pal, which have been archived on the web, and they provide a look into his life before he formed the Smiths. In his letters Morrissey produces such gems as "Spider and I? Piffle me boy. There Gops Concorde? Sputter-butter. Vienna? Hogwash." and "It's so old-fashioned to work. I'd much rather lounge about the house all day looking fascinating. I'd rather look fascinating than have a permanent income. Am I insane?" (the underline is, apparently, morrissey's.)
posted by moz at 10:43 AM PST - 14 comments

"...either Arafat brings justice to [the suicide bombing victims] and fights terrorism, or we will have to do it ourselves."

"...either Arafat brings justice to [the suicide bombing victims] and fights terrorism, or we will have to do it ourselves." Has the War on Terrorism created a precedent for any state to assult/invade another state which has perpetrated a terrorist attack on them..? [more inside]
posted by Neale at 9:41 AM PST - 48 comments

Pre-Fab George. In a fascinating sidelight, it turns out George Harrison and his brother Pete actually visited the U.S. for a couple of weeks in 1963, visiting George's sister, who lived in a small town in rural southern Illinois. Lots of history was made there: He bought the album containing the original version of "Got My Mind Set On You," which he would cover 25 years later; he bought his first Rickenbacker guitar, the sound of which would change rock music, and little WFRX, West Frankfort, became the first U.S. radio station to play the Beatles, thanks to lobbying by George and his sister. Not to mention he played a nearby VFW dance, sitting in with local rockers the Four Vests. There's a Tom Hanks movie in here somewhere. Not to mention the obligatory "George Slept Here" bed and breakfast.
posted by luser at 9:40 AM PST - 5 comments

I'll trade you two Picassos for three Monets.

I'll trade you two Picassos for three Monets. While Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) may not be worth millions of dollars at auction (yet), the idea is starting to catch on. Participants create 64 by 89 millimeter (hockey card size) works of art using any media they want. Instead of selling the cards, the artists (and others) then trade them at local ATC gatherings. An exhibition of over 5000 cards is currently taking place in my hometown of Medicine Hat, but if Medicine Hat is not your holiday destination of choice, you could always organize a trading session in your own neighborhood.
posted by iceberg273 at 8:37 AM PST - 4 comments

Bobby Fischer, American Chess Grandmaster, is at it again!

Bobby Fischer, American Chess Grandmaster, is at it again! Bobby says: "It is time to finish off the US once and for all."
posted by mfoight at 8:12 AM PST - 37 comments

"They went to Afghanistan to fight Americans, and they ended up fighting their fellow Muslims"

"They went to Afghanistan to fight Americans, and they ended up fighting their fellow Muslims" A backlash is rising against religious leaders in Pakistan who sent youths to their deaths with the fervor of jihad. As the Afghan Taliban supporters defect to the victorious rebels, Pakistani and other foreign Taliban fighters are left to die in the trenches in a war that is not theirs against an enemy different from the one they hate.
posted by mischief at 7:22 AM PST - 13 comments

Jack (Nicholson) wins Kennedy Center Award.

Jack (Nicholson) wins Kennedy Center Award. Arguably the best American actor alive today. Even gets Bush and Cheney to come together for first time (NYT) since 9-11. Neptune, New Jersey should be proud.
posted by Voyageman at 6:57 AM PST - 30 comments

Plastic,

Plastic, the site MeFi'ers love to hate, is temporarily off the air. The site says they're moving to new servers. Given the problems their parent has, any bets on whether it reappears?
posted by tommasz at 6:56 AM PST - 14 comments

World Cup Fever!

World Cup Fever! The draw for the group stages of the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan was made on 1st December. England got an awful draw: Argentina, Sweden and Nigeria. The USA look like they did much better: Portugal, Poland and one of the hosts, South Korea. As an Englishman, I'm pretty down about it at the moment.
posted by salmacis at 5:50 AM PST - 36 comments

Let's make today Link KPMG Day.

Let's make today Link KPMG Day. Why? Because apparently they think that people need their permission to link to them [via plasticbag.org]. This sort of nonsense is completely antithetical to the spirit of the web.
posted by rory at 3:43 AM PST - 54 comments

Now that the holidays are almost upon us, we should remember the ancient and true meaning of Christmas, and not succumb to modern distortions and tawdry commercialization.
posted by signal at 1:31 AM PST - 30 comments

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