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Canadians have a reputation for being whiners. I love Rick McGinnis.
posted by acridrabbit at 11:24 PM PST - 3 comments

Transparent Aluminium actually fake, *kinda* according to the update from the site that broke the story for us english speakers.
posted by ejoey at 10:13 PM PST - 7 comments

Personal Testimony of an Israeli Refusenik
"Asaf Oron, a Sergeant Major in the Giv'ati Brigade, is one of the original 53 Israeli soldiers who signed the 'Fighters' Letter' declaring that from now on they will refuse to serve in the Occupied territories. He is signer #8 and one of the first in the list to include a statement explaining his action."

Our parents' generation lets out a sigh: we've embarrassed them yet again. But isn't it all your fault? What did you raise us on? Universal ethics and universal justice, on the one hand, peace, liberty and equality to all. And on the other hand: "the Arabs want to throw us into the sea," "They are all crafty and primitive. You can't trust them."...I was raised on two value systems: one was the ethical code and the other the tribal code, and I naively believed that the two could coexist.
posted by mapalm at 10:05 PM PST - 11 comments

Enron Fraud dot Com. The law firm of Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach cordially invites Enron stockholders to partake in their class action lawsuit against the fallen energy baron. Great domain, great layout, great case. How could they lose?
posted by tankboy at 9:50 PM PST - 6 comments

Some nice origami
posted by rdr at 9:35 PM PST - 9 comments

The NIH is abandoning phase III trials of a possible hiv vaccine due to "technical reasons" the trial will continue in thailand. On a happier note there are currently more than 90 other hiv vaccines in other stages of trials. What do people think are the chances the pharmaceuticals will decide chronic disease management is more profitable, and actually do something to make this a more likely outcome?
posted by rhyax at 6:51 PM PST - 21 comments

We're exporting toxic technologies to third world countries. We all know computer components contain lots of chemical badness, and it seems that as much as 80 percent of US electronics trash is sent to developing countries, where it is becoming a major health hazard.
posted by brookish at 6:21 PM PST - 22 comments

Film noir, Monica Lewinsky style. As of January 22, 2001, Lewinsky was free to talk about the events that led to her immunity agreement with Ken Starr. HBO signed her up for some audience Q & A, and has taken this opportunity to push the envelope by filming it in black and white. It's set to premiere on March 3. Slightly more here. Really though, what's the point? Let's just put her in a zoo and let the patrons throw her peanuts.
posted by mikhail at 5:26 PM PST - 46 comments

Gee, this a good idea (NYT reg req) - The New York Times discusses the growing popularity of .zip whole album downloads on Audiogalaxy. The article is also kind enough to include a step-by-step how-to for idiots like me who want free music but haven't thought of this before. Thanks!
posted by dydecker at 5:23 PM PST - 37 comments

The most detailed map of Mars ever produced. Brought to you by Malin Space Science Systems. The images were captured from The Mars Global Surveyor. They really are incredibly clear. I'm trying find the Mars Face. No luck yet though. (Click image to zoom in)
posted by RobertLoch at 5:23 PM PST - 12 comments

Drug War roundup. The US will end drug-related sanctions against Afghanistan and Haiti. Neither country stopped producing drugs, they need loans sanctions stop them from receiving. A British journalist compares the drug policies of Holland to Britain. Noteworthy: despite heroin being half the price, there are 25% fewer Dutch addicts. The FARC and Columbia are openly warring again. So far, only civilians have been killed. The California Medical Association voted to lobby the state government to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21.
posted by raaka at 2:30 PM PST - 22 comments

John Dewey and the Alexander Technique. Anyone with an interest in either the philosophy of John Dewey or the Alexander Technique will find this interesting. Dewey was a devoted student of the Alexander Technique and acknowledged its influence on some of his ideas. This site includes Dewey's writings on the Alexander Technique and other articles about their relationship.
posted by homunculus at 1:07 PM PST - 8 comments

When Skyscrapers and Cities Become One. Tsui has designed the Ultima Tower (a two-mile high, one-mile wide building), and Takenaka the Sky City 1000, in the name of conservation and ecology. William Pedersen, designer of the World Financial Center in Shanghai, believes that "cities within a single building . . . are definitely going to come to pass within the next 25 or 30 years." These sky cities will have "vast open-air wooded parks, giant waterfalls, and automoble-free neighborhoods."
posted by jacknose at 12:37 PM PST - 58 comments

Pay for CNN.com? CNN International President sees subscription fees for online news services likely in the near future. If CNN, MSNBC or any of the major sites start this trend, the Drudge Report may be everyones destination!
posted by Lanternjmk at 11:33 AM PST - 19 comments

The US reserves the right to turn your weak country to glass.
The Bush administration is no longer standing by a 24-year-old U.S. pledge not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states, a senior administration official said yesterday. I fear this news will go unnoticed amidst the terrorism furor.
Why doesn't our nuclear policy get much press these days?
posted by norm at 11:12 AM PST - 63 comments

Dean Kamen does a lecture from his Ginger. Compelling broadband video clip from the recent Harvard Cyberposium (official site), where the man on the two-wheeled scooter talks about physics, Enron, dot-bust and everything - while trundling around on his machine. Paradigm-busting moment of realisation: he looks disabled, like he can't actually walk. Seems like John Hockenberry's dream - "When you think disability, think zeitgeist" - is coming true.
posted by theplayethic at 10:31 AM PST - 18 comments

Why Men Treat Women as Property! Somebody dropped their psychology lecture notes, revealing the embarassing truth ... Are there really connections between Islamic fundamentalism, and the global masculinity crisis? Be it Resolved: According to Google, the struggle against "Women as Chattel" is the essence of feminism! Other links that "+women +chattel" reveals ... (more)
posted by sheauga at 10:27 AM PST - 9 comments

make sure she really means "yes"... consent condoms are an interesting twist on using condoms in a causal sex environment. the man hands a package to his partner containing a condom and a card which takes her fingerprints and lets her tear off the date for which the condom is to be used. one's to wonder if all casual sex will be conducted like this in the future.
posted by boogah at 10:11 AM PST - 33 comments

Transparent aluminum is here. Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home: documentary?
posted by o2b at 9:16 AM PST - 26 comments

human wrongs. With the downfall of the taliban, maybe restoration of human rights should focus closer to home.
posted by johnnyboy at 9:07 AM PST - 18 comments

Hey, it's beautiful here in San Dieg . . . I mean, Boise Also, "this morning," which is actually several weeks from now. You prolly know that many DJs aren't local now. But it's this bad? Clear Channel radio chief to the WSJ: "I don’t think it’s at all wrong or deceptive to put together terrific programs that reflect local communities and sometimes use talent who may physically be somewhere else."
posted by raysmj at 8:56 AM PST - 11 comments

Barclay employees lose job after 44000 pound dinner Mind you: they paid for the meal out of their own pockets. They were fired because of their decadence (while the City was suffering a slow period) and their behaviour when the details of the meal became public. (The story started in July last year, but I couldn't find anything about it in the archive). Next time you order a bottle of '47 Petrus, make sure your boss is not looking.
posted by swordfishtrombones at 7:53 AM PST - 16 comments

Comic books on the web. So Crossgen comics is starting their fee-based webcomics initiative, and for the first few weeks, EVERY comic they've published is online for free. Does this turn those of you who couldn't care less about comics onto something? Would it get you into your local comic book store? Can these replace physical comic books? And is the interface better or worse than on Marvel's dotcomics?(Main link does not seem to support Mac.)
posted by matt8313 at 6:52 AM PST - 10 comments

Need a great prank? Whether it is for your office, your sig O or if you just want to be evil in general, this website is for you. The site has everything from bad pickup lines to strange laws to personality quizzes... My personal favorite to date, in the article section is the Free Baby ad. Just a little something to give you a giggle on a Monday. Enjoy!
posted by gloege at 6:34 AM PST - 22 comments

Erotigo's got the goods for your sexy mobile lifestyle. Now: Which of you's got a subscription? We want details!
posted by Su at 2:29 AM PST - 10 comments