December 2001 Archives
December 31
Yahoo IMvironments
Yahoo IMvironments are the latest fad that the company's come up with. It makes your chatting easier, prettier and more fun - and a lot more bulky and resource hungry. I don't know how many people here actually use Y!, but my guess is this wont take long to disappear.
Ha! Suckers!
Ha! Suckers! The first post of 2002 belongs to me. EST. Screw you Pacific Coast types.
You can't make this stuff up.
You can't make this stuff up. How much you wanna bet this results in an interesting ad campaign or at the very least a related product name change.
The town of Gander
The town of Gander in Newfoundland, Canada is a town of 10,000 where 6600 airline passengers were diverted after the attacks of September. While hearing a radio story about it on NPR, I was moved to flubbery tears by the outpouring of camaraderie and cooperation by the townspeople and passengers. Happy New Year, Canadians, and everyone else too, after quite a tumultuous year.
Euro the new European currency is now official in 12 European countries. In Crete the ancient home of Europa who was a Kings daughter abducted by Zeus, Europa gave Zeus 3 sons and he in turn promised to name a continent after her. Now Europa has a currency as well. In Italy it may not mean love but it does mean cheaper sex. Tonight the ATMs are restocked and even Monopoly money is reprinted.
Wishing you all a happy new year from the GMT zone, specifically, Dublin, Ireland, where it's now appproximately 10 minutes past the hour!
coming to the stark realization that i will probably be sitting in front of a terminal when the new year arrives i was wondering how any other socially maladjusted people will be spending new year's eve. of course, you can always watch everyone else have a good time over at earthcam but if there's something more exciting i can point my browser and beer at, please enlighten the group.
This year's Oscar race is shaping up to be populated entirely by dark horses. In the absence of any clear shoo-in nominees, the disputes among Oscar voters (as well as the marketing campaigns mounted by the studios) are growing increasingly heated.
Is The Economy Broken?
Is The Economy Broken? It was one thing when it was the tech/Internet sector - the bubble burst, but now the wave continues with the 2002 recovery seeming like wishful thinking. If it's not layoffs, companies are cutting their 401k plans. Argentina's crisis seems like it will have ripple effects as well. Then you have numbers saying people are confident, so are we getting tanked by jittery Wall Street-ers? Oh, there's also a war on.
Is it almost 2002....or 1802?
Is it almost 2002....or 1802? Regardless, it's a good time for a book burning. And this isn't the first time a congregation has taken offence to Harry Potter, nor will it be the last, I'm sure. I don't even know what to say, other than....sigh.
By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA.
By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA. From the website at the Library of Congress, the posters consist of 908 boldly colored and graphically diverse original posters produced from 1936 to 1943 as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal. Of the 2,000 WPA posters known to exist, the Library of Congress's collection of more than 900 is the largest. These striking silkscreen, lithograph, and woodcut posters were designed to publicize health and safety programs; cultural programs including art exhibitions, theatrical, and musical performances; travel and tourism; educational programs; and community activities in seventeen states and the District of Columbia. For examples, see a poster on the health dangers of Syphilis and one for the play Alison's House: A Poetic Romance.
Mean Greenies
Mean Greenies I realize MeFi sometimes seems like PetaFilter these days, but this new ad campaign [pdf] from the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals struck me as sufficently odd to merit discussion. Long story short: it's a big, expensive ad urging you not to donate money. [more]
Tonight is Silvesterabend,
Tonight is Silvesterabend, the last night of the year. While some feel that champagne and huge, rollicking parties are in order, others feel that quieter times with family and friends are the way to go. Of course, you must also have your pork and sauerkraut for good luck (my mother always asks to make sure I have) and a little Bleigiessen, or fortune telling by pouring molten lead into a liquid, for entertainment. Personally I think champagne tastes like ass so I'll be drinking bottled Gluhwein from my friend's winery.
Notre Dame expected to hire Stanford's Willingham
Notre Dame expected to hire Stanford's Willingham Can't help but to cheer for this opportunity for Willingham. Can't help but to weep that my beloved Cardinal is losing the best coach they have had in years.
No high school diploma or GED required for new aiport security screeners.
No high school diploma or GED required for new aiport security screeners. The author of the bill, Senator Kay Bailey-Hutchison of Texas, "said Sunday she would prefer airport security screeners have at least a high school education, but it is a "judgment call." The DOT requirements page requires a h.s. diploma, ged, or "one year of any type of work experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position." In a rush to overhaul the system, are we setting our standards too low?
The Universe in One Year
The Universe in One Year Every year on December 31 since I was in 7th grade I think of something I saw in an episode of Carl Sagan's Cosmos. I found this: Imagine that the history of the universe is compressed into one year—with the Big Bang occurring in the first seconds of New Year’s Day, and all our known history occurring in the final seconds before midnight on December 31. Using this scale of time, each month would equal a little over a billion years. Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for almost two hundred million years - from December 25 to December 30 on this time line. Most of our entire written history fits into the last 10 seconds of the year. It's something to think about while watching the ball drop tonight.
The Night They Invented Champagne...
The Night They Invented Champagne... Tonight's the night for Champagne. Meaning French. No other is as appropriate or necessary. If you know nothing - or a lot - about this most pleasant and aphrodisiac of all wines, you should still get more serious about it. The Champagne Growers' Association has an excellent website where you can learn how to chill, open, serve and properly taste Champagne. They'll even send you four free, attractive little notebooks to keep in your cocktail cabinet. The green roll-down menus are all enlightening and to the point.
But don't think the French have all the experts. There's this amazing American website, called IntoWine, put up by the M2 Communications Wine Education Center, which is just as wise and, typically, more complete and snobbish.
Their Champagne section is faultless. Compare cultures by noting how they serve Champagne. Check out their full list of Champagne houses and related movies.
Happy New Year, MetaFilter!
A Plea For Realism
A Plea For Realism This is the first time I have seen an on-line or paper eminating from the Arab states and serving the Arab/Muslim community suggest a new approach that is peaceful for bringing about a resolution the the chaos that has marked this past year in that area of the world.
Sacred Commerce?
Sacred Commerce? Funny, I walked daily to work past the World Trade Center, and have been in the Middle East more than once, but it never occured to me to connect the WTC with Islamic architecture until I read this.
Two in a week!
Two in a week! That must be a record or something. Nobody knows where is Argentina going, and the rioters keep making damages in the capital. Nice way to spend the New Year's eve.
Prophets of doom
Prophets of doom In June 2000, Lynne Palmer, a 69-year-old Las Vegas resident, published her Astrological Almanac for 2001... On page 95 of the book, buried among advice on the best days to go to the movies and worst days to lend people money, Palmer had written, in an odd combination of the obvious and the prophetic: "Avoid terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001."
Before you drink
Before you drink and think of driving, you should know exactly how drunk you are allowed to be, depending on which US state you're in. The Blood Alcohol Educator (shockwave) will set you straight for a safe new year. Just put in some info about yourself, head off to the virtual bar to pick your drinks and how fast you'd like to slam them. You'll get stats on how legally drunk you are, tips on how to keep your BAC down, and nuggets of info about your current state. Here's to a safe new year.
Greek Mythology
Greek Mythology told in a much different manner than when I was in school. Check out Achilles' page, where you can play the Iliad game. Test your knowledge of the epic story. The illustrated Cupid and Psyche story is...interesting.
December 30
Attention hipsters: Afghans for Afghans is a grassroots project inspired by "the Red Cross Knitting Tradition" which is soliciting hand made afghans to send with the American Friends Service Committee to refugee camps. So if you've recently taken up knitting to be trendy or to deal with these troubling times, make yourself useful -- knit or crochet an afghan for an afghan refugee. (And hurry, the deadlines are fast approaching.)
"Bart to the Future", Simpsons Season 11 Episode 13
"Bart to the Future", Simpsons Season 11 Episode 13 (airdate 2000-03-19), featured the following quote from a wheelchair-bound Krusty 30-years in the future: "Let's start off with a joke. I got one: What's the difference between Pakistan and a pancake? I don't know any pancakes that were nuked by India! Ha-ha! What? Too soon?"
India brags that "We will win a nuclear war"
"Acts of bastardry" are still going around Sydney.
"Acts of bastardry" are still going around Sydney.
Bad conditions help along the Christmas bushfires started by lightning and mad, wicked behaviour. (I certainly know what it's like.) But why did the fires spread so quickly? Didn't something like this happen in 1997? Is it very dry in southern Australia, or is it El Nino?!
Bad conditions help along the Christmas bushfires started by lightning and mad, wicked behaviour. (I certainly know what it's like.) But why did the fires spread so quickly? Didn't something like this happen in 1997? Is it very dry in southern Australia, or is it El Nino?!
Um...
Um... can someone explain to me how a parent could do this to their child? Check out some accompanying links and tell me how this isn't child porn and why these parents aren't in prison right now.
Is it buyer beware or Ebay's responsability
Is it buyer beware or Ebay's responsability when 75 winners of Playstation 2 systems receive nothing but a picture of the unit that cost them $300.00
Taj Mahal camouflaged
Taj Mahal camouflaged The Taj Mahal is to be covered with a '400 metres of khaki, black and green cloth' to protect it from possible Pakistan attacks. Bizarre and sad that it's nescessary, though. Before posting, I noted a link shown on the same page, offering
another solution... Sorry, couldn't resist to post it.
The Tora-Bora Manuscripts
The Tora-Bora Manuscripts As soon as I published this journal at Blogger.com its servers were hacked. I believe it is a conspiracy perpetrated by the enemies of the TRUTH, trying to stop me. A lame but amusing hoax? Or dangerous and ancient secrets that will blow things wide open?
An ancient 3,200-year-old papyrus map has led to the discovery of pharoanic gold mines in Egypt's eastern desert that will give Egypt one of the top 10 gold reserves in the world. The original pharaonic map, which is the world’s earliest surviving geological survey, was discovered in Luxor in 1820 and has since been on display in a Turin museum.
Band names
Band names are out; blog names are in. All of us musical inepts who spent more time thinking up band names than actually learning to play an instrument now have a purpose for our great list of names that rock your world, dude! Here's a really brief list of blog names grabbed from Linkwatcher, any one of which could have been a band name:
Virulent Memes, Grouse, The Dome of the Sky, Underduck, Sixth Dev, Ten Reasons Why, Industrial Technology and Witchcraft, Phester, Hopeless Romantics, Next Generation Degeneration, Being Terran, Hit or Miss, Entropy, Wee David, Kitty Kitty, Inexplicable Fancy Trash, etc etc.
On the flip side, you could use random band name generators to come up with blog names, too.
Some people compile lists of band names. Of course, some sites take band names seriously.
What's your best band/blog name ever?
50 things we'll be glad to see the back of in 2002
50 things we'll be glad to see the back of in 2002 Yes, its another whimsical list from 'The Guardian', this more vitriolic than most. Personally I'd like to see the back of 2001. What a crappy year.
Himalayan Art Project
Himalayan Art Project Take a look when you next have a quiet moment. "There’s too much beauty upon this earth for lonely men to bear" (R. Le Gallienne).
Sexchart Degrees of Separation
Sexchart Degrees of Separation (from this Wired story). Picture a connect-the-dot puzzle in which the dots represent people, mostly computer geeks and their ilk, who have hooked up romantically with others. And, whew, there are a lot of connected dots.
Are College Students Stupider and Less Informed Than 30 Years Ago?
Are College Students Stupider and Less Informed Than 30 Years Ago? Professor Anders Henriksson says they ain't necessarily so. He's been collecting students' bloopers for 30 years and suggests they aren't getting worse at all. That's assuming they could, of course. Is he right or just pulling our leg? (from today's Los Angeles Times)
So Forsberg is coming back
So Forsberg is coming back and it means the Avalance could once again be a force to be reckoned with. Can anyone beat Detroit? And in the East, the Bruins are looking good. I care, but do my fellow nerds? It seems there's a serious dearth of computer geeks that follow hockey. Is the gap between ESPN and ICQ that big? Do any of you other nerds watch hockey, or is it dead?
December 29
No shopping, no presents, no guilt!
No shopping, no presents, no guilt! End compulsory consumption by resisting xmas. It's never too early to start campaigning for next year.
Pollution Linked to Birth Defects in Recent Study.
Pollution Linked to Birth Defects in Recent Study. There is no better example of "terrorism" than maiming children simply to further bloat the wallets of the rich. Of course, our fearless right-wing leaders are right on top of the problem.
African fantasy coffins
African fantasy coffins are produced by the Ga and other tribes of the Ghana coast to confer the status of travel and luxury goods upon the deceased. The coffins themselves are incredibly detailed works of art that range from miniature Mercedes automobiles and cellphones to giant fish and Coke cans. What would you like to be buried in?
Help build an embassy for Aliens!
Help build an embassy for Aliens! It's good to know that even in the 21st century humanity hasn't lost it's taste for bizarre causes and mindless superstition.
Learning propper english gramar ain't gotta suck no longer. Someones made it fun and enjoyable for everybody!
And when you meat someone who can't write good, you'll know why.
This could even be the dearth of the MeFi grammar flames even! (nahhh)
The ultimate ride.
The ultimate ride. Don't move for 70 hours...
Image and reality: The role of the US in the Middle East
Image and reality: The role of the US in the Middle East The leading spokesperson for the Palestinian cause chastises Israel and the U.S. No attempt here to see that there may be some shortcomings due to excessses or intransigence on the Arab side. Another binary view of reality or a useful assessment?
John Derbyshire calls for the murder of Chelsea Clinton. [More inside]
Link via Andrew Sullivan's blog.
Link via Andrew Sullivan's blog.
Maryland Rescuers Find a Kitten and Look for Justice
Maryland Rescuers Find a Kitten and Look for Justice "In an act of cruelty that recalls last year's road-rage death of a California pooch named Leo, a driver in Poolesville dropped a 10-week-old kitten into the middle of busy Route 107 on Christmas and then took off. Somehow, the animal was not hit by traffic. But in its fright, it darted toward the curb and into a storm drain. And there it likely would have died if not for the lengthy effort of several do-gooders -- one of whom crawled 30 feet through a storm pipe to grab the two-pound bundle of fur. That's an unquestionably happy ending. For chief rescuer Ellie Truman[e], though, the ending won't be complete until the man who abandoned the kitten so egregiously is identified and charged." (Even the Washington Post loves kitten stories!)
EU to independent farmers: Drop dead.
Oscars Smoshcars, here's the Felix awards....
Oscars Smoshcars, here's the Felix awards.... Michael Musto at his bitchy best, handing out dishonorable mentions to a variety of media and showbiz faux pas. Any other year end articles worth a read out there?
December 28
A week before filing for bankruptcy protection, energy giant Enron Corp. donated $100,000 to the Democratic Party committee that helps Senate candidates, campaign finance reports show. Enron has been talked about before, so do people think this is an important sum of money, if not why is CNN covering it?
The Solution?...Fly Naked
The Solution?...Fly Naked
So you can sneak a bomb in your shoe. The only solution is to fly naked. You can't bring anything on board; it all has to be shipped separately on cargo jet. There has to be an air marshall on every flight -- no in plain clothes (because nobody's in clothes) but sitting in front of the cockpit, heavily armed and ready. It's getting that ridiculous. What can we do?
So you can sneak a bomb in your shoe. The only solution is to fly naked. You can't bring anything on board; it all has to be shipped separately on cargo jet. There has to be an air marshall on every flight -- no in plain clothes (because nobody's in clothes) but sitting in front of the cockpit, heavily armed and ready. It's getting that ridiculous. What can we do?
Commentary on the state of morning TV?
Commentary on the state of morning TV? A New York TV station ran a two hour video of a burning piece of wood on Christmas day and it beat Good Morning America, etc. in the Nielsens.
Vanishing America.
Vanishing America. While doing some research on the "neon graveyard" in Las Vegas, I ran into this site which seeks to "discover, procure, document and preserve through photographic media the architecture and cultural landscapes situated along the highways of the U.S." While I wish that the gallery had more entries, the links
section is a real gem. How else would you find out about stuckonstuckeys.com or The grotto of the redemption?
Jorge Colombo
Jorge Colombo has been creating daily portraits of New Yorkers for almost three years straight. While in the past they've tended towards the whimsical, after September 11th, they took on a different tone. [via media nugget]
Survivor 4 Completes Filming in the Marquesas
Survivor 4 Completes Filming in the Marquesas
Supposedly this was a big secret, but if you live in Tahiti and the Marquesas, it was public knowledge that the next Survivor series will be set in Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas Islands (Map: French Polynesia).
Of note, people have been trading gossip about the show's many secrets. This site release regular reports on what's afoot on Nuku Hiva, and speculates on the content of next season's show. Unlike the last settings for Survivor, Nuku Hiva is convenient for tourists (Map: Nuku Hiva Amenities), and is densely populated by Marquesans and Tahitians. This must have been the leakiest Survivor ever.
It may be worth watching next year, just for the scenery! (Scroll down for pics.)
Supposedly this was a big secret, but if you live in Tahiti and the Marquesas, it was public knowledge that the next Survivor series will be set in Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas Islands (Map: French Polynesia).
Of note, people have been trading gossip about the show's many secrets. This site release regular reports on what's afoot on Nuku Hiva, and speculates on the content of next season's show. Unlike the last settings for Survivor, Nuku Hiva is convenient for tourists (Map: Nuku Hiva Amenities), and is densely populated by Marquesans and Tahitians. This must have been the leakiest Survivor ever.
It may be worth watching next year, just for the scenery! (Scroll down for pics.)
Pakistan Tells US It May Move Troops:
Pakistan Tells US It May Move Troops: So what happens to the alliance against terrorism, and recalling 4,000 troops, do they seriously think in a war that number would make a difference, or is all of this a ploy to get the US to back Pakistan in the war against India.
Damn! That is alot of snow
Damn! That is alot of snow Buffalo has gotten over five feet of snow. I hope everyone is ok. This is just amazing.
"From northern Alberta in the days of his cub-hood, a bear went astray and experienced the evils of alcohol and drugs and found it un-"bear"-able."
Now you too can become a mascot costumed character! (In this case, Sober Bear.)
NAKED MOLE RATS!!!
NAKED MOLE RATS!!! Aren't they cute?
ePimps tell your tales!
ePimps tell your tales! Uber and So New Media have a special request for all the "eLovas" of the world.
Have you got an eLove story to share? And is this funny, or a commentary on the lengths to which people will reach for love?
CD prices to drop
CD prices to drop due to competition from the net? "(We) believe music software CD prices may soon permanently decline to $9.99 given weak sell-through of new artists and continued Internet piracy that appears unstoppable."
Is there an economic model for competition from piracy pushing prices down? This seems to contradict the rhetoric about the rest of us paying more because of pirates.
Is there an economic model for competition from piracy pushing prices down? This seems to contradict the rhetoric about the rest of us paying more because of pirates.
With the impending release of Episode 2
With the impending release of Episode 2 this summer, be prepared for an onslaught of new toys, including some that will bring back memories of Return of the Jedi, as well as resurrect old flaps over the not-so-subtle cultural stereotypes in the movie series. On a side note, I like what they've done to Obi-Wan's hair these days.
Reid (shoe bomber) used Web top buy explosives
Reid (shoe bomber) used Web top buy explosives Or so he has claimed. Who said the Web does not have its important uses? Should such purchases be allowed" Is there now a need for disallowing some items on the Net?
New Year's Resolutions
New Year's Resolutions 4 days to go, can't start the year without it, so here goes - yet another one which will make me feel good but I will inevitably break: learn something new by taking all the free seminars at Fathom, the best learning site I could find. And you?
December 27
Two new baseball stadiums for New York!
Two new baseball stadiums for New York! At a time when NYC seems to be barreling towards huge debts, public workers aren't getting raises and the city needs to be rebuilt, the Yankees and the Mets -- two of the richest teams with the highest attendence -- are getting brand new stadiums courtesy of the city budget. Giuliani wants the deal finished as he leaves office.
A New Year's Idea: Pay For Some
A New Year's Idea: Pay For Some
So, slashdot says A Great New Year's Idea is to Pay For Some Freedom, eg. BSD, EFF or MozillaZine to name just a few, but what else can we do?
Metafilter, OddTodd, IMDB [Aren't they already owned by Amazon?], lots of good places to spread the holiday cheer. Seems like there is no shortage of Folks who are looking for something.
I like the idea of Getting Something In Return, not sure if that makes me greedy, or scroogey.
Seems like the web has really given us a new list of worthy causes...
So, slashdot says A Great New Year's Idea is to Pay For Some Freedom, eg. BSD, EFF or MozillaZine to name just a few, but what else can we do?
Metafilter, OddTodd, IMDB [Aren't they already owned by Amazon?], lots of good places to spread the holiday cheer. Seems like there is no shortage of Folks who are looking for something.
I like the idea of Getting Something In Return, not sure if that makes me greedy, or scroogey.
Seems like the web has really given us a new list of worthy causes...
This might be really untimely investigative reporting or a very slick piece of disinformation to rework a very crude and obvious earlier attempt to spread more of the same.
Whatever the reason, FoxNews published the story on their website (in 4 parts), and then they mysteriously took it down. Without any explanation.
Meanwhile, none of the other news outlets are going near the story. Except for www.cryptome.org. So, info or disinfo, you make the call...
Meanwhile, none of the other news outlets are going near the story. Except for www.cryptome.org. So, info or disinfo, you make the call...
The Seven Wonders of the Web
The Seven Wonders of the Web according to The Guardian. Something missing surely?
Iceland moves to become the first country to replace fossil fuels with hydrogen for all its energy needs.
Iceland moves to become the first country to replace fossil fuels with hydrogen for all its energy needs. I find it fitting that a society descended from Vikings will become the world's first hydrogen society.
It's That Pesky Skin Color Thing Again.
It's That Pesky Skin Color Thing Again. An Arab-American member of President Bush's security detail was denied passage on an American Airlines flight from Baltimore to Dallas Tuesday evening... "They didn't see an American, they didn't see a law enforcement professional. All they saw was a racial and ethnic profile that they didn't want on their flight." -- NY Times site.
This is ODD.
This is ODD. I was reading a flash/videogame forum and clicked this one looking for more video game information. Any info?
Recidivism being what it is among terrorists, we should kill 'em all, sez George Will in today's Washington Post. Does America have the stomach to do what its adorable chipmunk-cheeked pundits advise be done? Is he actually suggesting we line up the enemy against a wall and start shooting? Again?
WebVerbix
WebVerbix can conjugate verbs for you sixty-four languages, ranging from French and Spanish to Dutch and a variety of creoles. The best part is that it'll do it for free (though you can buy the software and conjugate in 100 languages.) It's sites like these that remind me why I love the Internet.
northern-lights
northern-lights is a site dedicated to the Aurora Borealis- the science behind it, lights-spotting, forecasts and historical interpretations. If you live in North America and don't want to miss it, take advantage of the Aurora Alarm, thanks to Mark Haun and his skywatching friends.
An Original approach to armed robbery.
An Original approach to armed robbery. And they say countries like Bangladesh are more repressed than the USA. Of course, this must have been an interesting day for the sketch artist down at the police station.
December 26
Court TV Seeks to Broadcast Moussaoui Trial.
Court TV Seeks to Broadcast Moussaoui Trial. The Senate has passed a bill allowing for the closed circuit televising (similar to that used in the case against McVeigh and Nichols) of the trial in this case to a number of locations for victims of the crimes associated with the terrorist acts of September 11th, who have an interest in attending, but can not do so because of inconvenience and expense. Federal rules prohibit TV cameras in the courtroom, but Court TV argues that the prohibition is unconstitutional. Television coverage has come a long way from the first case involving the impact of radio and television broadcasting before the U.S. Supreme Court, which resulted in an overturned conviction. Should cameras be allowed in the courtroom, and if they are, will they shape the outcome of the trial?
Crazy talk from the State Department!
Crazy talk from the State Department! “Any conflict between the two countries can have no good result for either country. They need to resolve their differences through dialogue.”
The BBC are testing out Ogg Vorbis
The BBC are testing out Ogg Vorbis for audio streaming. Ogg is a completely Free and open audio codec. This is great news for Ogg Vorbis, as you don't get a much better endorsement than one of the most respected media services trialling your system.
Hot air balloons!
Hot air balloons! Great site out of Belgium with a database of 850 balloons from all over the world, from panda bears (Japan) to yellow submarines (Russia), and including multiple versions of such shapes as Humpty Dumpty, Tony theTiger, and (especially) liqour bottles. And check out the album. Any balloonists out there?
FCC Wants To Revoke Kevin Mitnick's Ham Radio License.
FCC Wants To Revoke Kevin Mitnick's Ham Radio License. Don't they have better things to be worrying about right now? (from Politech)
The Zen of Dumpster Diving:
The Zen of Dumpster Diving: The strangely moving tale of one frustrated man, and how he reinvented his life with trash. You can also listen to author Dirk Jamison read an abbreviated version of this story.
Memories from a vanished life
Memories from a vanished life Paul Battaglia died in the World Trade Center attacks. His Web page, however, lives on, complete with photos of his now-crumbled office and the view he once had. He also had a Blogger-powered Weblog on the front of his site, the last post of which is on Aug. 23.
Cambodians Lead Social Evolution Through Tactical Weapons.
Cambodians Lead Social Evolution Through Tactical Weapons.
Phnom Penh, a shining city on the hill of cultural evolution.
Phnom Penh, a shining city on the hill of cultural evolution.
the grinch that hacked Blogger
the grinch that hacked Blogger with all of its users and weekly issues, what would be the glory in hacking into a system that breaks on its own?
Sometimes, often even, life imitates art. Rarely is it as spot-on as this example.
Recall if you will, actor Robert Downey's character in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers. Compare Downey's character to this photo.
Now, try not to laugh.
No, really. Be serious, because this picture pretty much sums up everything thats gone wrong with modern journalism (and does so without even so much as a caption).
Now, try not to laugh.
No, really. Be serious, because this picture pretty much sums up everything thats gone wrong with modern journalism (and does so without even so much as a caption).
Sir Nigel Hawthorne dies.
Sir Nigel Hawthorne dies. Goodnight Sir Humphrey.
December 25
"But at some point along the path to discovery, the reader confronts his or her reading mortality. There's only so much time. And there are so many great books." I must come to grips with this myself, even as I anxiously await the inaugural book club discussion. I must admit, though, that people like this [NYT link] make me feel my own "reading mortality" more acutely. (I wish I could read that much so quickly...)
All You Need To Know About Aphrodisiacs.
All You Need To Know About Aphrodisiacs. Forget mistletoe this holiday season, try onions instead, or better yet, brush up on your mathematics.
India, Pakistan enjoy theatrical proxy war
India, Pakistan enjoy theatrical proxy war A ceremony to lower the flags of the two perennially hostile neighbours at Wagah, their only rail and road crossing point, has been transformed into a show of highly stylised aggression, and one which draws huge and noisy crowds to taunt each other.
Better than the real thing, I suppose.
Arthur Miller, playwright, fears for American Civil Liberties
Arthur Miller, playwright, fears for American Civil Liberties Here is a distinguised writing Lefty who sure does not give up and hits away at what he perceives as enemies as he did so many years ago. Usually, with age, lefties grow up and move Rightward.
How about another gadget to carry around?
How about another gadget to carry around? A laptop, an mp3 player, a cell phone, a PDA, a digital camera, and now, i-glasses?
What is AWCA?
What is AWCA? "It’s an illness that can strike at any time, that can affect even the most sensible and rational blogger. It strikes slowly at first — a glance at The Nation or Village Voice, a quick peek at what the Berkeley City Council is up to this week — but can develop into a full-bore obsession. Minutes trolling on Indymedia turn into hours, ridiculed websites make their way to the Windows Favorites list, until finally one cannot bear to turn off the computer before seeing the words quagmire, proportionality, Arab street, root causes, and “terrorists” (in quotation marks only)."
My name is Steve, and I suffer from AWCA.
Like cranberry sauce on turkey.... if the cranberry sauce had been sitting open on the counter for a week...
Like cranberry sauce on turkey.... if the cranberry sauce had been sitting open on the counter for a week... Already had a snootful of cloying, pre-fab Christmas Cheer? Some good old black humor is what you need! Neil Swaab, creator of the anti-Pooh, Mr. Wiggles, has posted an excerpt from his tome "I Got Pregnant Off A Pity F*** And Now My Kid Looks Like Jerry Springer: A Book About Kids"
December 24
Bush Admin contemplating the quarantine of super computers made in the US.
Perry Farrell helps free sudanese slaves.
Perry Farrell helps free sudanese slaves. Yes, the same Perry Farrell from Jane's Addiction. apparently he risked getting shot down by militia forces to rescue 2,300 women and children from slavery. wow.
Joyeux Noël
Joyeux Noël from Paris ! I hope everyone around here is having a great time with their friends, families and/or relatives, wether you celebrate X-mas or not. Besides being a commercial outrage nowadays, it's a time for giving/sharing, spending time with the loved ones and feeling like a child again. So : "yay !"
Feliiiiiiz Navidad... en SANTO DOMINGO!
Feliiiiiiz Navidad... en SANTO DOMINGO!
Just a reminder, Jared the Butcher of Songs is still ready to torture and aggravate your friends and family this holiday season. Jared is available for both Windows and Macintosh, as well as for weddings, birthdays and Bar Mitzvahs. Make sure to read Jared’s liner notes as well.
[Warning: heavy link-rot.]
Just a reminder, Jared the Butcher of Songs is still ready to torture and aggravate your friends and family this holiday season. Jared is available for both Windows and Macintosh, as well as for weddings, birthdays and Bar Mitzvahs. Make sure to read Jared’s liner notes as well.
[Warning: heavy link-rot.]
"Jingle Bells" is the first Christmas song we learn.
"Jingle Bells" is the first Christmas song we learn. It's the Christmas song no one ever forgets. But when "Jingle Bells" was written in the 1850s by Boston native James Lord Pierpont, it was not a Christmas song. It had nothing to do with the holidays. "Jingle Bells" was what you might call pre-Civil War rock 'n' roll. In its seldom-heard original form, it's about having a flashy vehicle, driving it too fast and using it to pick up girls. (by Larry Katz, Boston Herald--via Fark.com)
S-11 Redux: (Channel) Surfing the Apocalypse
S-11 Redux: (Channel) Surfing the Apocalypse So, in the face of our media's shameless propaganda campaign, we have taken it upon ourselves to intuit what the intentions and goals of this war truly are. In what is surely a departure from our traditional NewsVideo format, GNN presents S-11 Redux: (Channel) Surfing the Apocalypse. Culled from over 20 hours of television footage recorded over a one month period and across 13 networks, S-11 Redux is a sound-bite blitzkrieg that challenges the messages we have been fed from our mainstream media and the government it serves. Be warned - this video moves quickly and will require at least two viewings to digest its full impact. You may never be able to look at the coverage of S-11 and its post-impact coverage the same way, ever again
Google Year-End Zeitgeist.
Google Year-End Zeitgeist. "From 'Harry Potter' to 'Osama Bin Laden' and 'Florida Supreme Court' to 'Napster,' the Google Year-End Zeitgeist reveals the collective focus of the online mind, highlighting the main events that drew the attention of a global audience"
Why is American architecture so bad?
Why is American architecture so bad? "American architecture is, as a rule, conventional, bland, and dull. This is true almost across the board: from public buildings sponsored by federal or state governments to commercial buildings; from privately sponsored civic institutions, such as museums and concert halls, to local community centers and religious sanctuaries; from public-housing projects to private housing."
Singing the holiday blues? Its quite a common affliction. Nothing like a collective brush with death however, to put stuff all back into the proper perspective.
English
English It's the language of Metafilter, Internet, eveything. Everybody happy? I'm a native speaker but I don't live in an English speaking country. Apart from the it's inevitable/ I couldn't give a crap, it's my language stuff, is anybody out there ambiguous? (More inside)
Notable
Notable Deaths of 2001. I knew Ken Kesey, Eudora Welty, and Dale Evans had died this year, but had missed some death notices - R.I.P Gregory Corso, Joey Ramone, Poul Anderson, Sir Fred Hoyle.
Was Christmas TV really ever all that special?
Was Christmas TV really ever all that special? 'Off The Telly' reviews three decades of Christmas Day television in Britain. "It's funny...that Christmas time is actually an excuse for some of the worst TV atrocities of the year to be inflicted upon us. Christmas telly does not equate with quality. And yet, never does TV become a more integral part of our own family or personal routines and traditions. And never are we so receptive to a gathering of disparate middle-of-the-road celebrities and their stale party pieces." And for the ultra-cynic, TV-Go-Home's Charlie Booker presents an alternative schedule.
Restroom Ratings
Restroom Ratings is a site where you can scope out the possible nastiness of a bathroom before you need to go use it. Most of the rated bathrooms seem to be centered around the Minneapolis, MN area. You can even send a restroom e-card to your friends (or enemies).
The most popular board game in Argentina now
The most popular board game in Argentina now is called "Deuda Eterna", Eternal Debt. It's been flying off the shelves. It has the players trying to operate South American countries which are rich in natural resources while trying to outfox the IMF. (The name is a play on "Deuda Externa", Foreign Debt, on which Argentina just stopped paying interest.)
December 23
Ironic Spam article
Ironic Spam article Does anyone find it ironic that a NY Times article on the horrors of spam is accompanied by one of those ads that automatically plays annoying music and requires you to find and then click on the off switch every time the page loads?
I got this today. Does it mean the terrorists won if I dont get a .USA account?
When do the war powers expire? (LA Times)
When do the war powers expire? (LA Times) With a state of War being used to justify increased security measures, spending bills, unlimited detention and international military action is anybody else uncomfortable with the vagueness of the 'current situation'? How and when can we say we have won and declare it peacetime again?
State government run amuck --
State government run amuck -- I'm usually proud to be from Jersey, but what's been going on in Trenton recently with lawsuits to stop acting governors from signing spending bills that the budget can't handle is nothing compared to what's going to happen in January. . . A couple of 2-day governors (one from each party) are going to have their way with the state house, governor's mansions, stationery, and POLITICAL APPOINTEES. . . . A POX ON BOTH THEIR HOUSES!
Digital Beauties
Digital Beauties is a book full of beauties...er computer animated beauties that is. Courtesy of the german online magazine (in english) Taschen.
Santa cleared for interstate flight.
Santa cleared for interstate flight. The DOT has approved Santa's request for Christmas Eve air travel in the U.S. I find it interesting that, this year, "Santa also says that he has a sky marshal of sorts aboard."
Pedestrian Killer
Pedestrian Killer Pointless bloody fun. Zoom around a patch of roadway, squishing people as they try to make it across.
Super-Typhoon Faxai Glances Guam and Saipan
Super-Typhoon Faxai Glances Guam and Saipan
A typhoon with winds of >160mph at the eye moves into the Marianas Islands. Major cities will not be severly impacted, but the storm will move incredibly close to islands with two dozen people on them. I would not like to be on an island with a only few dozen other people, storm or no storm! (NWS, News, SuperTyphoon, Tiny Places)
A typhoon with winds of >160mph at the eye moves into the Marianas Islands. Major cities will not be severly impacted, but the storm will move incredibly close to islands with two dozen people on them. I would not like to be on an island with a only few dozen other people, storm or no storm! (NWS, News, SuperTyphoon, Tiny Places)
Do you support the WTO?
Do you support the WTO? No one protested the WTO 2001 Summit. Perhaps because you were too busy going to the bathroom 10 times a day. Don't miss the thousand names contest.
The meaning of Stuart Adamson
The meaning of Stuart Adamson Glenn McDonald: “Supernatural is death music to me now, in a year when the last thing I need is more contemplation of death. The gift the end of a record gives us, and so too the end of a career or a life, is the opportunity to go back to the beginning again... All my grandparents are dead. The leader of my favorite band is dead. Two of my favorite writers are dead, and one of the others hasn't published a book since 1963. We too will vanish, whether in flames or our sleep or capitulation.... Mean what you are. Do nothing that can be undone, and live or die with the consequences. Live in such a way that if you tell people to stay alive, and then die nevertheless, they will know that what you and they believed together was stronger and truer than anything that merely happened”
Kuro5hin's xmas gift to the EFF.
Kuro5hin's xmas gift to the EFF. Rusty and the gang over at k5 have decided to donate all their site's income to the Electronic Frontier Foundation from now until midnight, December 25th. The EFF fights for high profile cases like Dmitry, but also to protect the rights of everyday citizens.
Giuliani is Time's Man of the Year.
Giuliani is Time's Man of the Year. For a year when the choice would have been hard before 9/11, this seemed like one of the most obvious choices. It's feel-good and he really did do a lot to rally the city. Were you expecting it? Should they have chosen Osama bin Laden or the firefighters?
Is it me or does this animated beer ad owe a not inconsiderable debt to this internet 'classic' (their phrase)? WARNING! WMV and Flash links respectively, also whilst I'm at it, WARNING! Ladies Beer and Language/Dismemberment respectively.
Well what did you expect?
Well what did you expect? After years of forcing taxpayers to pay for stuff they hate, the National Endowment for the Arts "has been transformed from a lightning rod and punching bag into a benign institution, averse to controversy and with a significantly different mission than it had a decade ago."
December 22
Xmas Fifties Fun For Shameless Kitsch-Loving Bachelors:
Xmas Fifties Fun For Shameless Kitsch-Loving Bachelors: Weren't girlie magazines awful? Coarse they were. But where else can you get a jolly seasonal story like The Xmas Present ("Charlotte had his gift all ready when Robert got home from the office party...")or real quality fiction such as On Vickson("With a snootful of booze, Santa delivered his goodies to the wrong apartment...")? If you are an unmarried male chauvinist pig(remember those?)Java's Bachelor Pad is definitely the place for all your tackiest and most questionable requirements. There's an Essays section for you more thoughtful types, where you can bone up on How Sex Lead Me To Communism or solve the mystery of The Mislaid Brassiere. Non-intellectuals are well catered for in the Femmes Fatales gallery, where the same elegant sophistication reigns.
Here's what American Muslims think.
Here's what American Muslims think. What do you think? They come off modestly better than they did in a poll conducted in England a month back. But then, no embarrassing questions were asked this time.
"They can throw the tapes or DVDs in there and they don't even know their kids are there." Before the rise of back seat DVD theaters and gameboys, more kids used to play various (non-video) games while stuck in the back seat. On long car trips, would you rather have your kids watching Shrek for the 10th time or have them playing games like Punch Buggy?
Sexual apartheid
Sexual apartheid suported by American companies such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and other U.S. firms operating in Suadi Arabia. Sun City anyone?
Lord of the Rings stars get tattooed.
Lord of the Rings stars get tattooed. "The nine stars who made up the fellowship in the blockbuster movie trilogy were tattooed with the same symbol by Wellington tattooist Roger Ingerton at his Roger's Tatooart studio. Sunday News can reveal the symbol is a number nine in Elvish - a language spoken in the films."
And no, that isn't a spelling mistake. They got inked by at a tattoo parlour that seems to be missing a 't' in the name.
And no, that isn't a spelling mistake. They got inked by at a tattoo parlour that seems to be missing a 't' in the name.
It's not on any of the websites yet, but apparently a man with a fake passport, and fuse-activated bombs for shoes, was on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami.
They stopped the man before the bomb went off, as they smelled the match and saw the fuse being lit.
The plane is now down just nearby me, in Logan airport in Boston.
Is this a random incident, or an example of things to come? I need to baord a plane sometime after Christmas, and I'm beginning to get concerned.
They stopped the man before the bomb went off, as they smelled the match and saw the fuse being lit.
The plane is now down just nearby me, in Logan airport in Boston.
Is this a random incident, or an example of things to come? I need to baord a plane sometime after Christmas, and I'm beginning to get concerned.
Interesting claim -
Interesting claim - the military's investigators say that the Red Cross buildings which were bombed on October 25th were not marked and that the military had not been given their coordinates as claimed. Has anyone found more information about this?
Should this country
Should this country be our next target in the war on terrorism? hmmmmm...
FBI warns Microsoft XP users
FBI warns Microsoft XP users "The FBI is urging computer users to unplug and don't play when it comes to addressing serious security flaws found in Microsoft's new Windows XP program."
"Microsoft admitted this week that there are several serious glitches in the new software. "
Really?
Model health law empowers states.
Model health law empowers states. "Patients could be forced to take medicines or receive vaccines for contagious diseases that pose a public health threat, such as smallpox, under the model law." (originally published in Boston Globe, but that link is now gone)
The dying wish of terminally ill 15-year-old has sparked debate
The dying wish of terminally ill 15-year-old has sparked debate over whether it was appropriate that it be granted. His wish: to lose his virginity before he died. His friends arranged for a prostitute to grant his wish outside of hospital grounds earlier this month without the knowledge or consent of his parents. He died last week.
Enron and India: is there more dirt hiding here?
Enron and India: is there more dirt hiding here?
Enron's monstrous failure sure seems to have been triggered --or at least propelled-- by the fallout between them and India over the $3B Dabhol Power Plant near Mumbai that Enron backed out of earlier this year. Maybe it's just a coincidence...but does anyone else think there's more here than just bad business between Enron and India?
Enron's monstrous failure sure seems to have been triggered --or at least propelled-- by the fallout between them and India over the $3B Dabhol Power Plant near Mumbai that Enron backed out of earlier this year. Maybe it's just a coincidence...but does anyone else think there's more here than just bad business between Enron and India?
Taliban Defeat Revives Talk of Trans-Afghan Oil Pipeline.
Taliban Defeat Revives Talk of Trans-Afghan Oil Pipeline.
What are the real objectives of the war in Afghanistan? Could they include a Trans-Afghan Oil Pipeline? The new U.S. envoy to Kabul (and broker of the new Afghan government accord), Zalmay Khalilzad, was a former consultant to Unocal (and liaison to the Taliban, among others) when they wanted to build a pipeline through Afghanistan in the 1990s.
Could the U.S. be taming wild territory for the construction of "the new Silk Road," as the multi-billion-dollar pipeline is allegedly called?
What are the real objectives of the war in Afghanistan? Could they include a Trans-Afghan Oil Pipeline? The new U.S. envoy to Kabul (and broker of the new Afghan government accord), Zalmay Khalilzad, was a former consultant to Unocal (and liaison to the Taliban, among others) when they wanted to build a pipeline through Afghanistan in the 1990s.
Could the U.S. be taming wild territory for the construction of "the new Silk Road," as the multi-billion-dollar pipeline is allegedly called?
The Big Ten infographics
The Big Ten infographics that accompany The Nation's latest issue on big media conglomerates lays out just how big they are (maximize your browser for the viacom and AOLTW ones, there's a lot of small type in there).
The journal Nature reports the discovery of how red wine protects against heart disease. Its long been known red wine helps but now we know why. Cabernet Sauvignon had the highest impact.
December 21
Winter Olympics budget nearly $2 billion!
Winter Olympics budget nearly $2 billion! Sydney's 2000 Summer Games cost $1.97 billion, The Atlanta Games in 1996 cost $605 million, while the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 1984 cost $75 million. Congress got a wakeup call today for just how expensive it is to host the Olympics.A new government analysis shows the federal tab for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City will cost taxpayers about $1.4 billion. “How many important public safety projects and other programs in other cities were postponed or canceled so that these cities could put on an Olympics?” asked Senator John McCain.
Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt spoke of the games as a chance to bring the world together.
"The world needs events like this," he said. "Good has always been the target of evil, but this is an event of such importance that we can transcend the events of September 11th."
FBI Declines to Release Hijack Flight Cockpit Tape
FBI Declines to Release Hijack Flight Cockpit Tape "While we empathize with the grieving families, we do not believe that the horror captured on the cockpit voice recording will console them in any way,'' [an FBI spokesman] said. While the FBI claims they need to keep the information secret due to a criminal investigation, partial transcripts of the tape have shown up in Newsweek. If the FBI can leak to Newsweek, surely they could get the family members to sign a confidentiality agreement and let them in on the secret too, no?
Léopold Sedar Senghor, poet and first president of Senegal, dies at 95
Léopold Sedar Senghor, poet and first president of Senegal, dies at 95
He was the founder the négritude movement in French poetry, and a leader of African socialism. This "This Day" article discusses the political side, crediting him with Senegal's relative peace and success. This Libération article gives some biographical details. Like his friend and colleague, Senghor's negritude poems used images and symbolism of African folk cultures in French modernist verse to create a liberated identity for Africans.
He was the founder the négritude movement in French poetry, and a leader of African socialism. This "This Day" article discusses the political side, crediting him with Senegal's relative peace and success. This Libération article gives some biographical details. Like his friend and colleague, Senghor's negritude poems used images and symbolism of African folk cultures in French modernist verse to create a liberated identity for Africans.
"Why do so many young Americans end their own lives?"
"Why do so many young Americans end their own lives?" With so much attention focused on understanding why Islamic youths are so driven to suicide, this article I ran across about U.S teenagers really hit me hard: "The suicide rate for Americans aged between 15 and 24 tripled between 1950 and 1994.....but when it comes to working out why young people end their lives, much of the clarity of the research disappears."
Cast your vote for "Kenny of the Year"!
Cast your vote for "Kenny of the Year"! This site first hit MeFi back in March, but now it's time to vote for the best Man Who Looks Like Kenny Rogers. I'm in favor of Kenny #1.
Amazon spamming search engines?
Amazon spamming search engines? Looking around for reviews on Cooper tires, I came across 2 links in the top 20 search results on Google for sites that look legitimate, but are actually redirect pages to Amazon.com (which doesn't even sell auto tires!). What's going on here? Since when is it legitimate for large corporations to spam search engines!??
The real hero of "It's A Wonderful Life"
The real hero of "It's A Wonderful Life" as viewed through neo-conservative goggles.
I think the recording industry has finally gotten it right.
I think the recording industry has finally gotten it right. Let the post-post-Napster era commence!
ECMA ratifies C# as standard.
ECMA ratifies C# as standard. In other news, Microsoft eats Sun's lunch. As Robert Cringely puts it: "Now Java begins its slow decline as C# becomes dominant. I don't want it to be this way, but it deserves to be this way." Does it?
Victims' families of Sept. 11 attack to get average of $1.5 million.
Victims' families of Sept. 11 attack to get average of $1.5 million. Will this include the families of those who are still listed as missing instead of dead? Is the compensation structure fair? Should the families have to give up most of their rights to sue (and who would they be able to sue)?
Making plans for 2008
Making plans for 2008
It's the feel good story of the day. A 12 year-old German school girl gets her place in the Guinness Book of Records for her tounge.
"I'm just proud that now people everywhere can read about me and my tongue." [via BoingBoing]
It's the feel good story of the day. A 12 year-old German school girl gets her place in the Guinness Book of Records for her tounge.
"I'm just proud that now people everywhere can read about me and my tongue." [via BoingBoing]
The Rocklopedia Fakebandica
The Rocklopedia Fakebandica is an exhaustive compendium of non-existent musical acts from television and film. Need to know the complete lineup of Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-Wailers? It's here (via Grouse!).
Two boozy British Airways staff face disciplinary action for drunken and abusive antics in first class on a flight to London
Is the Bush Administration complicit in hiding the source of the anthrax? An interesting theory with intriguing, albeit rather weak, evidence is presented. What do you guys think?
So you think the expansion of the universe is accelerating? Think again! (Contains links to full paper in .pdf etc.)
Black Top Street Hockey ... it's ON!
Black Top Street Hockey ... it's ON! A new trend for urban sports, Black Top Street Hockey requires "...very little skill, but a lot of pent up aggression and hatred." Well, not really, but the Voice thinks it's kewl and among the best leisure sites of 2001. Reminisce about your own experiences, get some phat accessories, sticks and goals, and you'll be all set. If you're still looking for Xmas gifts, you might be too late, but you can read about the hockey experience.
The Queen's latest portrait was bound to cause controversy, what with the artist being Lucien Freud. Today a photograph of it was plastered over the front pages of nearly every major newspaper. The tabloid press are, as ever, 'up in arms' about it. I rather like it, but the palace isn't commenting as yet.
Wooden Stakes? Deductible!
Wooden Stakes? Deductible! What's the best way to make financial planning an accessible topic to young adults? Get a handful of CPAs together to examine the Vampire Slayer's cash flow problem, of course! (Via The Usual Suspects)
The Holiday Season Without Vintage Port? Unthinkable, Dear Fellow!...
The Holiday Season Without Vintage Port? Unthinkable, Dear Fellow!... But what vintage? I suggest the year you were born. Find out what your Vintage Port was like; how it's drinking now and what it says about your particular harvest (More inside)
How would you sell America to the Muslim World? Three Top U.S. Agency Executives Weigh In.
How would you sell America to the Muslim World? Three Top U.S. Agency Executives Weigh In. Their responses really are inspired. Jim Ferguson (creator of 'Brand Bush') tops the bill with, ‘a lot of it is like selling soap.’ In another Ad Age special the important question of ‘Should American values be marketed to Muslim Nations?’ is discussed. Their answer is yes, I scream, NO! God, it can’t be long before we here calls for a marketing crusade. Please, can someone stop the advertising industry getting involved. This isn't Coke.
There is growing evidence that Somalia may be the next target in the "war on terrorism". Let's hope that the military doesn't repeat the same mistakes it made in the last intervention in Somalia chronicled in the book Black Hawk Down. All of this is great news for the upcoming movie based on said book. And you can't buy marketing like that. Or can you?
December 20
Bizarre new species of deep sea squid
Bizarre new species of deep sea squid - Yes, you may have read about it earlier, but this link is a photo of one of the strangest new species to be discovered in a long time. Seventeen feet of weirdness 10,000 feet below the surface. It's cool that we can still find new alien life forms without yet venturing into space.
BlogBack
BlogBack RIP, November 16th. SnorComments: RIP, about a week later, due to a massive migration of BlogBack's deserting rats. With the blogging community reaching critical mass, is it possible for a remotely-hosted comments service to survive the bandwidth bludgeoning?
Singapore bans divorce via SMS.
Singapore bans divorce via SMS. I think what weirds me out most about this is that apparently it's still legal in Dubai... and not infrequent.
Small World Research Project
Small World Research Project After all the work we've done training newbies not to use the Internet for their chain letters (via this New York Times article)
Covering for our "oil buddies"
Covering for our "oil buddies" It seems there were some choice statements about Saudi support for Osama's terrorism that were removed from last week's "party tape". Wouldn't want to mess with Bush/Cheney's oil pals, now would we?
Goodbye Trust (Hello Shyster?)
Goodbye Trust (Hello Shyster?) After 60+ years of Yawkey ownership and a year's worth of politicking, the Red Sox have been sold to a group headed by the current Florida Marlins owner and the man who presided over a fire sale as owner of the Padres (and is pals with Satan). The local heroes dropped out of the group today after a spat. The new owners' remaining local talent consists of former senator George Mitchell and Les Otten, a man who had trouble making money in the ski business. And staying out of trouble.
Guitar Geek
Guitar Geek diagrams, in loving detail, the (probable) effects and speaker setups of an incredible number of guitarists and bassists. Examples range from super-stripped down to staggerly huge to downright bizarre. It's pretty cool (and, admittedly geeky) in a sick, fanboy kinda way.
Famous Name Changes
Famous Name Changes What a turn off when you find out Paul David Hewson, Vincent Damon Furnier, William Michael Albert Broad are your favorite rockers (inside)
Mars and The Red Cross now offer red, white, and blue M&M's
Mars and The Red Cross now offer red, white, and blue M&M's with proceeds going to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. I'm forced to wonder what would happen if you went into a candy store and asked for "any kind but the red, white, and blue ones."
eek!
eek! at+t broadband cable units to be bought by comcast. this means chicago cable service will shift to its third owner in two years (at+t broadband having purchased prime cable just last year, and having just gotten cable modems back online from the excite@home failure two weeks ago). anyone have any clues about the ramifications of this purchase?
According to witnesses, the US Army invaded a small nation in the Indian Ocean yesterday. Sources say the firefight is still raging, but it's becoming clear that it wasn't the US Army at all. At the nation's official website, you can see the flyer the soldiers passed out, written in French.
ADHD/ADD and Drug Abuse
ADHD/ADD and Drug Abuse They found a link between children with common 'behavioral' disorders and drug abuse later in life. Well what do you expect when we teach kids that the best way to deal with a problem is to turn to drugs (ritalin).
Muslims blast CNN polling techniques.
Muslims blast CNN polling techniques. CNN apologizes and offers up an excuse to justify act. But is poll (1) out of place, (2) unjustified, (3) a fair assignment to get some interesting and/or useful information? (4) an overreaction on the part of those who would control what their children should and should not know and see.
McDonald's will replace Ronald McDonald with Asterix in France.
McDonald's will replace Ronald McDonald with Asterix in France. Hoping to appease anti-American anti-junk food sentiments in France, they're giving Ronald the boot.
The Worst Committee Charge Ever
The Worst Committee Charge Ever
A rather interesting Story from Normal, Indiana, where after an "animated" 1 1/2-hour meeting Wednesday, the Normal library board voted 5-1 to form a committee to develop suggestions in the wake of a dispute over a board member breast-feeding her toddler at the library during story time. They say about two dozen people were in the audience, some passionately explaining the importance of breast-feeding, including in public, and it gets waaay funnier. And, no, I am not making this up.
A rather interesting Story from Normal, Indiana, where after an "animated" 1 1/2-hour meeting Wednesday, the Normal library board voted 5-1 to form a committee to develop suggestions in the wake of a dispute over a board member breast-feeding her toddler at the library during story time. They say about two dozen people were in the audience, some passionately explaining the importance of breast-feeding, including in public, and it gets waaay funnier. And, no, I am not making this up.
Microsoft's newest version of Windows....
Microsoft's newest version of Windows.... billed as the most secure ever, contains several serious flaws that allow hackers to steal or destroy a victim's data files across the Internet or implant rogue computer software. The company released a free fix Thursday.
A Microsoft official acknowledged that the risk to consumers was unprecedented because the glitches allow hackers to seize control of all Windows XP operating system software without requiring a computer user to do anything except connect to the Internet.
A Microsoft official acknowledged that the risk to consumers was unprecedented because the glitches allow hackers to seize control of all Windows XP operating system software without requiring a computer user to do anything except connect to the Internet.
Banker withdraws a £100,000 pledge to his old college at Oxford University after his son was turned down for a place
Banker withdraws a £100,000 pledge to his old college at Oxford University after his son was turned down for a place - a newsworthy event in the UK not because the man's son was refused, but because he presumed that his donations would have bought his son's entrance. An interesting comparison with family privilege and US private colleges, perhaps?
An in-depth journalistic look at what happened at the home base during NaNoWriMo. Once mention of NaNoWriMo hit MetaFilter.com, an online clearinghouse for issues being discussed by "bloggers" ... it spread like a literary Ebola.
The Life of an Indian-American Teenage Girl.
The Life of an Indian-American Teenage Girl. A friend sent me this link and I felt quite sad reading it. Agreed, the teen years are cruel to everybody. But, it seems like the unique constraints that are placed on member of a minority community(especially with first-generation parents) can uniquely exacerbate the angst. I was particularly taken by one statement- "Although you have the ideals and values of an American, you look like an Indian". What advice would you give this sixteen-year-old?
The Dark Side
The Dark Side of the Washington National Cathedral. Is this real? If so, why would they put an icon of evil on the outside of this place, "intended for national purposes, such as public prayer, thanksgiving, funeral orations, etc.,and assigned to the special use of no particular Sect of denomination, but equally open to all."
French Diplomacy in action.
French Diplomacy in action. Is this guy insane, or is he just trying to make Prince Philip look like a good ambassador?
There's no escaping Britney
There's no escaping Britney I take this to be a sign that she is in the 14th minute of her warholian fame.
Reuters reports this is the funniest joke in the world.
Reuters reports this is the funniest joke in the world. This is the result of Laugh Lab, a British experiment. They had a survey and this is the announced winner. There's no accounting for taste, but surely we can do better.
You thought Notre Dame had a tough season.
You thought Notre Dame had a tough season. Now they have to play against their toughest opponent, the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Jackson urges the university to hire a black coach.
Israel proposes gradual withdrawal from Area A.
Israel proposes gradual withdrawal from Area A. here's the next step in Israeli policy, and just to show we're not all talk, IDF troops begin withdrawal from positions in Ramallah area. This has been tried several times before, yet Arafat has never been proven successful in stopping terror.
Will things turn out any different this time?
So who saw LOTR?
So who saw LOTR? What did you think of it? Were you thrilled like Harry Knowles? Or did you feel closer to Roger Ebert's 3 stars out of 4 review? I just saw it and was more disappointed than I thought I'd be...
Argentina Declares State of Siege.
Argentina Declares State of Siege. After a prolonged national strike (the 8th in two years), protests due to social tensions, violence, and looting have broken out, and in response a state of siege allows for "authorities the right to suspend constitutional guarantees such as the right to assemble and travel freely, while giving police greater powers to make arrests." What effect will this have on South American stability? On worldwide financial markets?
December 19
Boring or explicit?
Boring or explicit? Do you want actual specific directions, or just gentle guidance when you cook? As a poor and nervous cook, I want everything spelled out as much as possible, but Laura Calder wants flavor. (salon link.)
The New McCarthyism
The New McCarthyism This is so scary. It doesn't seem like anything more than intimidation, but, that's now. What will happen next?
Walking Around In Women's Underwear & Alt.Xmas.Music.Lyrics
Alt.Xmas.Music.Lyrics. I've never been accused in the past of only posting serious news item type links - so just to prove that i'm no stick-in-the-mud here is a fun link. It apparently requires no shockwave plugins..... ladies and gentlemen--and especially you cosmopolite European members--I give you, after a wee scroll down and download.... Walking Round In Women's Underwear!! please enjoy this during work hours.
The CONET Project.
The CONET Project. A 4-CD documentary of Shortwave Number Stations, which consist of nothing but an unidentified human voice reciting a long list of seemingly random numbers. Some speculate that these signals are used for espionage by the likes of MOSSAD, the CIA and the former KGB.
There's also a great NPR feature on Number Stations (html page w/links to real audio broadcast)
There's also a great NPR feature on Number Stations (html page w/links to real audio broadcast)
"It seems that for success
"It seems that for success in science and art, a dash of autism is essential."
But now the techies in Silicon Valley who prospered with that dash are having children with far more pronounced problems. Is having too many shy programmers in one spot the equivalent to pissing in the gene pool?
Why grammar is the first casualty of war...
Why grammar is the first casualty of war... "It's hard for abstract nouns to surrender. In fact it's very hard for abstract nouns to do anything at all of their own volition - even trained philologists can't negotiate with them."
Saudi princess arrested in Orlando for beating her maid.
Saudi princess arrested in Orlando for beating her maid. Should she have diplomatic immunity, as the Saudi Embassy claims, or should she face the consequences of American law because the Saudi Embassy did not follow proper procedure by notifying the INS about her status?
Noam Chomsky's Jihad against America
"Jackass: the Motion Picture"
"Jackass: the Motion Picture" has been greenlit. Dude.
Got a "Dot-mil Buddy"?
Got a "Dot-mil Buddy"? George plus two other webloggers have new readers from the .mil domain. What about you?
Slate.com moves to a blog mentality with On Other Web Sites. Some will certainly question the popup framing technique. (More inside.)
Say goodbye to Bleem.
Say goodbye to Bleem. If you don't know, Bleem made emulator software that allowed you to play Playstation games on another console system or your PC. Their 'farewell' is kind of funny in a sad way.
American (re)construction of Afghanistan government should require secularism,
American (re)construction of Afghanistan government should require secularism, according to this op-ed piece by Robert Scheer in the LA Times. I've been advocating this from the beginning, but this is the first media piece I've seen that argues the point.
Proof that there are some brilliant teenage girls out there.
Proof that there are some brilliant teenage girls out there. This robotic rescue device was created by a couple of teenaged twin sisters, no less. Just imagine what these two will accomplish by the time they reach adulthood. The Craig sisters make excellent alternative role models to the likes of Britney and Christina. You go, girls.
That new car smell can make you sick
That new car smell can make you sick Sure, it might have lost twelve thousand the moment I drove it out of the show room, but you just can't beat that the smell of a new car.
Sightless dining.
Sightless dining. The world of the sightless is a world I don't often explore. In high school, I had two classmates who were brothers and both sightless. I was amazed at the "tricks" they used to cope in day-to-day tasks we take for granted. Dining at Blindekuh (Swiss German for blind man's bluff), where you eat in complete darkness, would be quite an 'eye-popping' experience. There's a four month waiting list for a table.
Job hunting?
Job hunting? Ample positions open in the adult industry...
Cards of the 50's and 60's
Cards of the 50's and 60's I'll trade you Derek Jeter for Uncle Fester anyday.
Stickers.
Stickers. Dozens of them, along with posters and "mallen," are archived on this dutch page. (The site uses frames, so you might want to click on the english version of the news there on the site; otherwise. Found via alt.sense.)
Arafat: We are all martyrs
Arafat: We are all martyrs Three days ago, Arafat declared that violence and terror mujst stop. Then Saudi Arabia called him a turn-coat. Now Arafat calls for massive martydom for Palestinians.
Oooooh! Look! Bones!!!!
Oooooh! Look! Bones!!!! Ladies and Gentlemen, in conjunction with George Stetton I am able to bring you, for your amusement and delight, the hand held Sonic Flashlight. You should visit his homepage. He does poetry and music too.
I don't know what you want this christmas but this has just gone into my top ten.
This will be my last post for a while as I'm off on holiday so have a good christmas y'all.
jingle jingle etc.....
I don't know what you want this christmas but this has just gone into my top ten.
This will be my last post for a while as I'm off on holiday so have a good christmas y'all.
jingle jingle etc.....
A feel-good story for the holidays, involving a pro football player. Warrick Dunn of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers makes the down payment and furnishes homes for single mothers and their children in Tampa Bay and his native Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This program has now been copied by NY Giants' Jason Sehorn. (more inside)
UK government pushing sale of air defense system to Tanzania, one of world's poorest countries and proud owner of a grand total of 8 (eight) military aircraft
UK government pushing sale of air defense system to Tanzania, one of world's poorest countries and proud owner of a grand total of 8 (eight) military aircraft This just reeks of Western hypocrisy: despite Labour's commitment to development goals and an ethical foreign policy, despite the World Bank's highly critical stance, despite a per capita income of £170 a year, despite a system that could be used for civilian air control at one fourth of the cost, despite all this and more, the jobs of 250 Brits must take precedence.
pressplay
pressplay launches today. The service will charge people a monthly subscription fee to download and stream digital music, launched through its Web distribution partnerships with Yahoo, MSN Music and Roxio. A free 14 day trial is available.
Contribute to the BBC's E-cyclopedia Glossary of 2001
Contribute to the BBC's E-cyclopedia Glossary of 2001 . "Impeachment nostalgia" - phrase coined by novelist Douglas Coupland to characterise depression following 11 September and a hankering for the era in which details of stains on Gap dresses were the main obsession of media and politics.
Homebody/Kabul
Homebody/Kabul Kushner play opens in New York, has controversial subject matter.
"It's a mixed blessing to have written a play about a country with which one's own country has gone to war at the moment it opens"
Russia is gunning to arm the world.
Russia is gunning to arm the world. "Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov highlighted Russia's eagerness to crank out weapons on a recent whirlwind tour of Latin America in a trip that showed the country is aggressively expanding its focus from longtime buyers such as China and India to whole continents like South America and Africa."
I know all countries, my own included, deal arms but the upbeat tone of this article gives me the creeps...
Farm Subsidy Web Site Sows Discord:
Farm Subsidy Web Site Sows Discord: "Suppose you could go to a Web site, type in the names of co-workers--or maybe your boss--and find out how much money they make. Be honest--you would. And farmers, it seems, are no less curious than the rest of us. Since its public debut on Nov. 6, a new Internet-accessible database that ranks farmers by name according to the amount of federal subsidies they receive has recorded 10.1 million searches. The payments often constitute the bulk of farmers' income, and many of the hits have been by farmers eager to know how they compare with the guy growing corn or soybeans down the road." (Washington Post story, which C-SPAN pointed me to.)
Maine man hits moose
Maine man hits moose at high speed on I-95, three other people die. Once again, the Wheel of Fate is a steering wheel, and the story a warning to all Good Samaritans out there.
What is the future of online news.
What is the future of online news. Will subscription eventually win through? Is there a viable business model that will allow independent publishers (such as Salon) to survive, or will we see further media consolidation? Where does blogging fit into this spectrum?
Think that file-sharing is just for dungeon porn and Britney Spears singles?
Think that file-sharing is just for dungeon porn and Britney Spears singles? Well think again, maybe. There is some new file-share software out that is designed for sharing of legal concert bootlegs. Phish fans unite!
December 18
SANTAS GONE MAD!!! First: Santa Shoots Woman! Then: Child Santa Booted From Mall! And then:Harrods' Santa Bares Botto in the Grotto! Finally: Santa Falls Foul of Anti-Terrorism Laws! Happy Holidays everyone! Jeesh.
Your tax dollars at work?
Your tax dollars at work? Apparently the FAA is paying $50 a click to make sure that Americans are well informed passengers. What ever happened to Public Service Announcements? Anyone want to buy a $200 screwdriver?
What would Abraham Lincoln Want to Say To Us Today?
The Smithsonian takes a look at Paint by Number kits and asks for submissions of your own memories.
"DO NOT USE wire stories which lead with civilian casualties from the U.S. war on Afghanistan.
"DO NOT USE wire stories which lead with civilian casualties from the U.S. war on Afghanistan. They should be mentioned further down in the story. If the story needs rewriting to play down the civilian casualties, DO IT. The only exception is if the U.S. hits an orphanage, school or similar facility and kills scores or hundreds of children...Failure to follow any of these or other standing rules could put your job in jeopardy."
from a memo re war coverage by Ray Glenn the chief copy editor of the Panama City News Herald in Florida.
Good to see that the media is doing its bit for the war effort.
from a memo re war coverage by Ray Glenn the chief copy editor of the Panama City News Herald in Florida.
Good to see that the media is doing its bit for the war effort.
Intelligent Design - Natural Selection guided by God?
Intelligent Design - Natural Selection guided by God? Is every facet of evolution guided by God then? What about fashion or politics?
This man
This man and this man will be working together next year. Think this man is feeling better about his decision to quit?
This explains everything!
This explains everything! It's not Bill's fault that Windows is such a POS. It was Al Queda all along.
Casualty of the new "War on Terrorism"
Casualty of the new "War on Terrorism" FBI visits man who exercises his free speech rights (again).
The Press vs. Al Gore
The Press vs. Al Gore How lazy reporting, pack journalism and GOP spin cost him the election (If you don't believe that the 5 Justices hijacked the election) Still not over it, BTW.
Mumia Abu-Jamal's death sentence thrown out
Mumia Abu-Jamal's death sentence thrown out Surprised I haven't seen this one up, even the story's just now hitting the news sites. Wonder what this portends. Um, maybe the American justice system works OK after all, even if justice comes slowly? Or did all the pressure (and time too, maybe) help advocates build a good case? What?
Omniglot
Omniglot is a guide to writing systems, and it's flat-out awesome. It covers alphabetic writing systems (usual alphabets as well as abjads), syllabic alphabets and syllabaries, logograms, ideograms, semantic-phonetic compounds ... a milliard things I didn't know about. Plus there are big lists of examples from dozens of languages, from Abkhaz to Zhuyin fuhao. My favorite so far is Tai Lue - it's just so pretty.
(link from Fimoculous)
KUNG POW!: Enter the Fist
The No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act is probably the most sweeping educational reform to pass in a long time and it seems to be pretty bipartisan in its content, it passed the Senate today and Bush will be signing it into law. Holy cow, have the politicians done something right for a change?
Have a favorite vehicle?
Have a favorite vehicle? Looking for a late night, post-office party romp, well keep an eye out for the Spanish or Italian gent in his Porsche Boxter, or the Chesire lady in her Volkswagen Beetle. Be sure to stay clear of stick shifts and men from Southeast England.
FBI gets its own worm virus
FBI gets its own worm virus The BadTrans.B worm dumps username, password and keystrokes to an email address that happens to reside on rotten.com's servers. The FBI decide they want it. Rotten.com smells a rat, disagrees, and posts a portion of data for everyone to see. They're going to be pissed...
Geraldo caught lying
Geraldo caught lying about his exploits in Afghanistan. Rivera reported in a Dec. 6 piece that he (was) standing on the "hallowed ground" in Afghanistan where "friendly fire took so many of our, our men and the mujahedeen yesterday." (later) admitted that he was several hundred miles from the site.
It seemed awfully strange how Geraldo was always where "the action" was in a country that large. What do you think Fox will do about this? Should he be fired?
It seemed awfully strange how Geraldo was always where "the action" was in a country that large. What do you think Fox will do about this? Should he be fired?
Quality link.
Quality link. Ladies and Gentlemen, May I present to you some FLASH based Kung Fu Fun. Tune up your one inch punch (Surely a great name for a christmas drink...) I thank you.
Christmas movies:
Christmas movies: I have noticed that Christmas movies, especially made-for-TV Christmas movies, come in two flavors: someone discovering the "true meaning of Christmas", or somebody saving Christmas. Sometimes the two are combined. Are there Christmas movies out there without these plots?
Cure for the cold?
Cure for the cold? Is this really worth it? If all it does is "make a runny nose completely clear up a day sooner than usual," it hardly seems worth burdening your system with another drug. Seems like a ridiculous waste or research effort to me. But I guess there is money to be made, even from inefficacious drugs.
What should be dropped at Times Square for New Year's Eve?
What should be dropped at Times Square for New Year's Eve? Perhaps a change is needed this year. Which item listed would you vote for? Or do you have one not given here?
Jack Valenti predicts that Congress will require copy-protection controls in nearly all consumer electronic devices and PCs.
Jack Valenti predicts that Congress will require copy-protection controls in nearly all consumer electronic devices and PCs. ... Almost laughable if it weren't for the Security Systems Standards and Certification Act (SSSCA). On hold until Congress is done with spending measures and work related to Sept. 11, it creates new federal felonies, punishable by five years in prison and fines of up to $500,000. Anyone who distributes copyrighted material with "security measures" disabled or has a network-attached computer that disables copy protection would be covered.
This
This unsettled me more than this. Or maybe it's a case that she has flushed any true happiness down the toilet by being so devoted to work, that it's a good thing. The jury is out for me, but not for some rapscallion who has bid a quarter of a million.
A flood of homeless at city shelters. '"I think that there must be a greater segment of our population that has tenuous connections to family and friends, and therefore has fewer resources to fall back on when something very bad happens like when they lose their job," he said.' How can there be so many people, who have no one to count on? Are we getting some serious payback from the nuclear family society?
Alter Ego.
Alter Ego. This is a nifty little game that allows you to examine how you came about being the person you turned out to be. You begin the game at birth, progressing through numerous choices until death. Your success at the game depends on the choices you make. How close to reality does this game life come?
(It's not actually a little game, but it does allow you to come back to where you left off if need be.)
December 17
Rufus Thomas 1917-2001
Rufus Thomas 1917-2001 Since the 11th of September, I've left the radio off a great deal of the time, so it was only today, while listening to Terry Gross's Fresh Air, that I heard Rufus Thomas had died. A performer since he was child comedian and tap dancer with the Rabbit's Foot Minstrels, he also was a famous dj on WDIA in Memphis, the first all-black radio station format in the country, recorded Bear Cat, an answer song to Big Mama Thornton's Hound Dog that was an early hit for Sam Phillips' Sun Records and enjoyed a brief second career as the World's Oldest Teenager--singing Walkin' The Dog and Funky Chicken and many duets with daughter Carla--for Stax Records. From minstrel show to medicine show to dj to elder statesman of Memphis soul, his life and career spanned history. I, for one, will miss him.
If Pascal Smet has his way you will be fingerprinted and registered in a world wide database of every human alive.
If Pascal Smet has his way you will be fingerprinted and registered in a world wide database of every human alive. [Via DR]
Tom Green prooves he's a freak yet again
Tom Green prooves he's a freak yet again by divorsing Drew Barrymore. I'm not saying that Drew's a goddess, but anyone who flashes David Letterman on TV is okay in my book. Perhaps this crushing blow to his psyche will keep Tom from writing/staring in another movie like "Freddy Got Fingered."
Cooking Your Placenta!
Cooking Your Placenta! "The practice of eating placentas was also fashionable in the 1970s ... but its popularity has since declined."
Plus, some yummy reciepes! Not hungry? Make some art with your placenta.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced, Lynyrd Skynyrd denied entrance for the 4th straight year.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced, Lynyrd Skynyrd denied entrance for the 4th straight year. Now, I realize Skynyrd has become every critics mullet-rock whipping boy, but how they can be kept out when not only Aerosmith, but Billy Joel have been inducted is beyond me. Along with the Allman Brothers they invented the genre of southern rock, they introduced the twin-lead-guitar configuration to rock, and penned some undeniably classic songs. Chalk it up to some critics anti-southern bias is all I can guess
I wonder if
I wonder if I'm suppost to think that Falun Gong is a bad thing. The english version of The People's Daily like a train wreak between the truth and The Truth.
Plastics! A new revolution in packaging,
Plastics! A new revolution in packaging, "By some measures, films made of metallocene-based polyethylenes can have two to three times the tensile strength, five times the impact strength, and twice the tear strength of a traditional polymer. That allows users to make much thinner films and parts, saving on everything from plastic resin to transport costs."
Fifty-two things they do better in America,
Fifty-two things they do better in America, to which I'd also like to add community weblogs, road movies and cheesy christmas singles [from The Guardian].
Steaks for Roky. King, the drummer for the Butthole Surfers hasn't eaten a steak since 1981. He's ready to eat one (with anyone who wants to come along) and video tape it if he gets enough money. All proceeds go to the Roky Erickson Trust. (For those who don't recognize the name, Roky, as the leader of the 13th Floor Elevators, is one of the progenitors of Texas psychedelia and has had a hard time of it since then.)
Anoto - wireless handwriting.
Anoto - wireless handwriting. it might turn out to be not that popular this christmas, but the anonto pen has the potential to become a big hit in 2002. just imagine you would never have to use your palm again. or imagine you lose your palm... and you really don't take. because the magic is in the pen!
Looks like Samsung is having some interesting problems with translation. I especially like "This elegant phone can check women's Pink Schedule & Calorie that it helps you to be a woman of sense. It has Voice Dialing funtion.(sic)" What is a Pink schedule?
NRC totally unprepared for attack.
He does return favors,
He does return favors, but how does it affect the workers? Eugene Scalia is President Bush's nominee for Labor Department solicitor. Scalia is one of nine children of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who was a driving force behind the court ruling that stopped the counting of disputed presidential votes in Florida last year.
Big Country singer/guitarist Stuart Adamson found dead in hotel room in Hawaii.
Big Country singer/guitarist Stuart Adamson found dead in hotel room in Hawaii. The Big Country singer had been missing for over a month. Big Country was one of my favorite bands in the 80s, though they continued making music together until just a few years ago. Adamson was a big influence on U2's Edge, among others. R.I.P. Stuart.
"The Finns don't even know what prosciutto is."
"The Finns don't even know what prosciutto is." Pork barreling in the European Union courtesy of Berlusconi, Chirac and Schroeder.
Commencement speech about civil liberties
Commencement speech about civil liberties drowned out by hecklers. When the publisher of the Sacremento Bee's speech moved to topics regarding racial profiling, liberty, and the war on terrorism's effect on each, the friends and family of the students started stomping and clapping and making a nuisance, so much so that she couldn't continue. The speech, in its entirety, will be posted soon. via Drudge
Here is New York...
Here is New York... A great collection of images relaetd to 9/11 and taken by ordinary people.
Would you like some lemon juice with that?
Would you like some lemon juice with that? I have often been accused in the past of going on holiday and not posting a link for a while. This should remedy that. Jammed packed full of useful information :- Male nipples, Why? , How dogs eat - all this and more... Good for kids...
"It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't World War III"
"It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't World War III" Watch the Browns/Jaguars game? Maybe it was a bad call, but throwing plastic bottles full of beer? Anybody who knows me knows I speak out loudly and firmly against the ridiculous sports culture we have in this country. This incident makes me ashamed to be a Clevelander, even a transplanted one. What is it that gets people this riled up and stupid?
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice -- concert pianist, figure skater, Stanford University Provost, speaker of 4 languages -- should be the poster child for Black achievement in the 21st Century. So why is she largely ignored, if not outright scorned, by the Black community? Could it be because she's a Republican?
Who's stirring up this pot? Some conservative like O'Reilly, Limbaugh, North? Nope, just a liberal Black female newspaper columnist.
Who's stirring up this pot? Some conservative like O'Reilly, Limbaugh, North? Nope, just a liberal Black female newspaper columnist.
White Rap Revisited:
White Rap Revisited: Following up on last month's discussion, here's the reader blowback from "N. Bedford Crouch's" article, featuring confirmation of the put-on and a tip of the pen to Metafilter.
A Good Online Literary Journal That Needs - And Pays For! - Unsolicited Material? No!...
A Good Online Literary Journal That Needs - And Pays For! - Unsolicited Material? No!... Yes! Pif magazine, edited by Camille Renshaw, not only welcomes unsolicited texts but actually pays for the stuff it accepts. It's strictly electronic - no snail mail accepted - and has plenty of ads from other zines soliciting submissions. It also gives writers a chance to offer their services.
Although the subscription to the full contents is $25 a year, there's a lot of interesting free material on its website, e.g. an interview with Rick Moody.
They've raised $10000 so far and there's a pleasing, against-the-grain spirit to the whole thing! Can things perhaps not be as bad as we think?
(From browsing Metafilter, thanks to a very helpful comment by Muckster in this thread.)
Did Al Qaeda mastermind the Heisel stadium disaster?...
Inspired by the last paragraph of this article and a past thread regarding the deployment of Gurkha troops in Afghanistan, I began to consider the merits of sending ninjas to invade Afghanistan. Preparing to add my services to the "war," I've been studying attack techniques and even got myself a hood. Extremely stealthy, successful at kidnapping the president in the past, and material for some of the craziest action movies EVER, ninjas would be extremely adept at unleashing the tiger in whatever mountains Usama's hiding in now. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time ninjas have fought in Afghanistan. When one further factors in their proficiency at delivering burgers and how much they have contributed to our legal system, it's no wonder they're universally regarded as totally awesome. I would, however, keep such national treasures as ninja cheerleaders and kittens home.
Two more weeks and it's Euro time
Two more weeks and it's Euro time Have you got your euro coins already ? You can have them now. Are you worried by Euro, what will be the advantages of euro ? Your comments are welcome
blogdex social network explorer
December 16
Oh golly, set down your fresh issue of Trailer Trash and take a gander at the new bb shooting catapult watch. Just in time for Christmas too!
When Amazon said it was going to diversify, who knew that they meant vibrators!
When Amazon said it was going to diversify, who knew that they meant vibrators! They've done so well establishing themselves as THE place to go when looking for books online. Why is it that they think that they have to sell XXX stuff to finally turn a profit?
Is it really impossible to make money on an eCommerce site without delving into the world of Adult accessories? I'm not judging, I'm just asking.
Tilda Swinton: Action Heroine
Tilda Swinton: Action Heroine Who’s next among alabaster-complected redhead action heroines – Julianne Moore? “In the end, what ensures our fixation on the screen is Tilda, Tilda, Tilda. Has she been pumping iron or what? Previously known for her glacial composure, here she’s virtually an action hero”
Former President Suharto is ill.
Former President Suharto is ill. This story is being carried on CNN and the BBC, but good luck trying to find any references to genocide or 200'000 dead. MSNBC buries this fact in a flash animation. Remember, according to Western media, not all genocide is bad.
It would be all too anticlimactic to have gotten him yet.
It would be all too anticlimactic to have gotten him yet. Now it appears (or is being reported) that OBL was "spirited" away into Iran during a lull in battle when al-Qaeda forces strategically offered to surrender. The bombing momentarily ceases. Wily bin Laden gets away.
O.J. Simpson being investigated for theft
O.J. Simpson being investigated for theft If at first you don't suceed etc. One day they will get this guy but this crime is not likely to cost him much, if in fact he gets found guilty
Can she really become the next hot, kickass, action heroine?
Can she really become the next hot, kickass, action heroine? Will she be able to be kept away from the keggers long enough to wrap filming? Okay, who do you want for her leading man? Her arch villain adversary?
The Godfather Mystery Goof
The Godfather Mystery Goof is now solved. Thanks to Roger Ebert, Francis Ford Coopola, and Mike Spearns from Newfoundland.
What if London got hit, not us?
What if London got hit, not us? Just wondering what would be different if London was the primary target.
gorg.org
gorg.org Go RG ? G or G ? G Org.Org ?
The Daily Grail
The Daily Grail has evolved into the memepool for anyone interested in Fortean phenomena.
It also has a useful penchant for weird but true science - I check it a lot simply for these odd links.
The obsession with Rennes-le-Chateau goes with the territory.
The other one with ananova is less easy to explain.
December 15
Danger!
Danger! Sex! Romance! From the early 1900s and seemingly hitting their height of popularity in the '40s (during WWII) pulp novels had heroes doing "manly", heroic things like "smashing the Axis" and evading the charms of villainous vixens. Witness: Doc Savage, Man of Bronze or The Shadow (Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Not Alec Baldwin.) Pulps also explored more subversive elements, like lesbianism. The tradition seems to live on in modern times with Remo Williams (The Destroyer).
Mickey Kaus
Mickey Kaus gives both the New York Times and Opinion Journal a good dressing down in respect to their claims that the Bin Laden Video (transcript) did not mention the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. He points out 'But what's this reference to the 9/11 Bin Laden "operation against America" being "in revenge for the children of Al Aqsa"? That wouldn't be a reference to the Al Aqsa mosque, would it? And, gee, where is that mosque again? Oh, it's on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem...' Poor reporting or media manipulation? Regardless, from what he says about the NYT journalist, she has certainly got a lot of explaining to do.
Barry and Levon.
Barry and Levon. Aw yeah!
17th Floor:
17th Floor: Does anyone remember when Patrick shut down his picture archive? Does anyone remember the picture archive? Oh, the topless porn. ....but Iuma is still around from that era. Lets reminisce.
"Next week, MPP is suing the government in federal court,
"Next week, MPP is suing the government in federal court, arguing that it is our constitutional right to run a medical marijuana ballot initiative in the District of Columbia. If our lawsuit is successful, MPP will be permitted to circulate petitions on the streets of D.C. this spring, for the purpose of placing our medical marijuana measure on the November 2002 ballot."
"I felt no spark of creativity...only guilt that I survived to tell the tale." We're all newshounds here, so how about a thought on for the eight journalists that have died bringing us news in Afghanistan?
Throwing Yourself Down a Flight of Stairs:
Throwing Yourself Down a Flight of Stairs: How to do it, and why - "taking a dive down a flight of stairs is a conscious decision to engage yourself with with your surroundings by slamming your body against it. it's funny looking, it's painful, but for 5 brief seconds you see nothing but pure moment."
Is it just me or does AdCritic.com suck now? I remember a year or two ago it was a great place to check out the latest, funniest commercials. It's been months now since I've even been able to successfully view a commercial there, and their Top 10 Lists never change -- and usually only feature ads that contain allusions to women's underwear. Did "new management" take over?
Bin Laden 'heard' in Tora Bora
Bin Laden 'heard' in Tora Bora Ah, yes, but were his lips moving in sync?
Lick the light.
Lick the light. While the professionals seem to have moved on, the political and social consequences of 9.11 are still being explored by at least one web-based political cartoonist (a few favorites). Know any others?
Mystery Solved?! "Big Band" leader Glen Miller was most likely killed by friendly fire says documentary.
Mystery Solved?! "Big Band" leader Glen Miller was most likely killed by friendly fire says documentary. "Documentary-makers believe that a fleet of 139 Lancaster bombers returning on the fateful night from an abortive mission over Nazi Germany dumped their payload into the English Channel -- and right onto Miller's plane."
Project SANTA
Project SANTA This game wasted a good two hours at work yesterday. It's a flash game, but with 70's gaming appeal.
I played it so much I finally found the easter egg, supposedly the site of its "creator." It's on level three, click the moon. A Christmas game with an Easter egg, I dunno.
Beginning January 1 of 2002, if the satellite companies choose to run one local station, they must run all by law.
Beginning January 1 of 2002, if the satellite companies choose to run one local station, they must run all by law. A Federal Appeals Court in Richmond, Virginia upheld an earlier decision that requires satellite television providers to carry all local public television stations if they choose to air any in a particular market. Among other programs, I'm thrilled to have Buffy and Enterprise DirecTiVo-able.
Redubbing 'Shrek'.
Redubbing 'Shrek'. The DVD will feature a new technology that lets you overdub 12 scenes featuring Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona and other characters from the hit summer movie. The Shrek's ReVoice technology will even sync your voice so that it matches the lip movements of the characters as they speak in the film.
But can you make them swear at each other?
But can you make them swear at each other?
Those looking for a new writing challenge post NaNoWriMo, can sign up to write an "original Indian movie idea," and try to win $4,000 for five pages of work. Based on the last two Indian movies I have seen, here is a collection of online resources for ideas and inspirations for the next aspiring Bollywood screen-writers.
All sorts of delicious ethical issues here: Slate's guide to buying a term paper online. One of Slate's recommendations: "a smart but horribly lazy student could choose to put his effort into editing instead of researching and writing: Buy a mediocre paper that's done the legwork, then whip it into shape by improving the writing and adding some carefully chosen details." (Perhaps most revealing and disturbing aspect of the article is how the judges explain how they grade horrible papers -- an "utterly meaningless" essay earns a C- and another paper which deserves an F would earn the phrase "please come see me" because they don't dispense Fs at Columbia.)
The US dedication to blocking peace.
The US dedication to blocking peace. “It was the second time in less than a year that the United States had used its veto power to effectively kill a resolution that would create a monitoring mechanism for the protection of Palestinian civilians.”
December 14
"The Christmas truce was the last twitch of the 19th Century. By that, I mean it was the last public moment in which it was assumed that people were nice, and that the Dickens view of the world was a credible view." -- Paul Fussell
The Christmas Truce of 1914 is an interesting footnote in history where German and British soldiers stopped fighting and fraternized in the middle of the battlefield. Some witnesses have claimed that enemy soldiers played a friendly game of soccer.
The events have since been chronicled in print, song, and on film.
The Christmas Truce of 1914 is an interesting footnote in history where German and British soldiers stopped fighting and fraternized in the middle of the battlefield. Some witnesses have claimed that enemy soldiers played a friendly game of soccer.
The events have since been chronicled in print, song, and on film.
"Eau de Antrax does not contain anthrax."
as if we didn't have enough tacky post-911 merchandising (nytimes), now we gotta look at this. but on the upside, it verges on being outsider art...
I thought only movie industry people were allowed to be this full of crap. Apparently the privilege extends to TV people as well.
Thanks Boing Boing.
Thanks Boing Boing.
"MS releases mother of all IE security patches"
"MS releases mother of all IE security patches" Per the article:
Microsoft has released a cumulative patch for Internet Explorer which the firm says is a "critical" security precaution against crackers which should be applied "immediately".
Time to update/upgrade boys and girls. :)
Mmm Mmm Good.
Mmm Mmm Good. It should not be surprising kids like the stuff. Dried nasal discharge is largely composed of complex sugars, sodium and water -- the same ingredients as most junk foods. Except it is healthier!
Those Osama bin Laden proof tapes in full: latest translations
Those Osama bin Laden proof tapes in full: latest translations
UBL: "And the fat runs out into a little tray, you say? And it grills on both sides?"
UBL: "And the fat runs out into a little tray, you say? And it grills on both sides?"
Metafilter Absurdified
Metafilter Absurdified via Spanish.
Want to redesign the Senate Web site?
Want to redesign the Senate Web site? The Senate is soliciting proposals for a new CMS and complete overhaul of the current site, which hasn't changed much (or added many features) lately. It does not include individual senators' or committees' sites.
Bush: Drug users=terrorist lackeys
Bush: Drug users=terrorist lackeys George W. Bush says if you just quit drugs, terrorism will go away.
Free: Arthur Lee!
Free: Arthur Lee! Legendary frontman for LA psych pioneers Love is out from behind bars ... for now.
Watch where you link.
Watch where you link. The recent court findings in the DeCSS case apparently included the ruling that linking to a site containing illegal material -- even if it's just to report that fact to others -- is not protected as free speech (and possibly illegal). [NYTimes link; login: metafi/metafi]
What do Greenspan, Enron and the number 11 all have in common?
Economist and NYT colimnist Paul Krugman notes with not too much irony that "Just one month ago the James A. Baker III Institute presented Alan Greenspan with its Enron Prize." (a big wince over regretable timing, and the emphasis is mine)
No big conspiracy here, but the general thrust of Krugman's column (NYT link) is that somethings got to give if things are to again get real (good). Lots of interesting under-reported economic factoids in the article make for enlightening reading.
Coincidence Design
Coincidence Design - "You can't stalk her... but we can." For around $80,000, you can hire a team of investigators to arrange a chance meeting between you and the girl of your dreams. They will find out everything there is to know about her before you meet, and they claim she'll never know that it wasn't just fate (unless YOU tell her). Are they serious?!? (via saranwarp)
Colorgenics
Colorgenics forms a profile based on your choice of colors from a given color spectrum. Accurate? I thought so. So how much does mood affect how you respond to colors, and how much do colors affect your mood?
NBC to begin broadcasting hard liquor ads
NBC to begin broadcasting hard liquor ads - so it seems that in a depressed advertising environment, priorities begin to shift. Smirnoff vodka is set to go first. The rules: Ads are to be broadcast only after 9 pm, only after the advertiser spends four months broadcasting a "responsible drinking" campaign, and "no consumption of alcohol can be depicted in the ads and that no active professional athletes may used in the ads either". Also "85% of the audience for any show must be at least 21-years old and the actors in the ads must be at least 30 years old."
Sprawl is Good Defense
Sprawl is Good Defense "It's a pretty good rule of military thumb that the greater the concentration of value, the more attractive the target... To keep things safe, you need to spread things out." The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian should begin moving their collections out of NYC and Washington,D.C. Now. Talented, intelligent people and people with irreplaceable skills should go next. Re-locate to the Great Plains.
Can things at Notre Dame football get any worse?
Can things at Notre Dame football get any worse? '"Due to a selfish and thoughtless act many years ago, I have personally embarrassed Notre Dame, its alumni and fans," O'Leary said in a statement released by the school Friday.' Oops.
The four noble truths of blogging
The four noble truths of blogging
1. Painful Mediocrity (Kutaifishi)
2. Cause of Painfully Mediocre Blogging (Jittaifishi)
3. Cessation of Mediocre Blogging (Zeitgeistidiota)
4. The Path (drole la voie d'acces)
1. Painful Mediocrity (Kutaifishi)
2. Cause of Painfully Mediocre Blogging (Jittaifishi)
3. Cessation of Mediocre Blogging (Zeitgeistidiota)
4. The Path (drole la voie d'acces)
Google Catalog Search
Google Catalog Search uses Google technology to search thousands of scanned mail-order catalogs, from industrial adhesives to designer clothing and gourmet food.
Merry Xmas!
Merry Xmas! MPG/Video w/sound. Safe for Work!
They Shot Blitzen! Donner unharmed.
They Shot Blitzen! Donner unharmed. Donner and Blitzen escaped from a Christmas display, right in the middle of deer season in Pennsylvania, and Blitzen was mistakenly killed.
Meet his Royal Majesty King Bush the Shameless
Where are the Women?
Where are the Women? The western media has seen an uncharacteristic deficiency of women's voices in the wake of September's events. Can this be attributed to a "war time" atmosphere? It's certainly not due to a lack of women whose lives have been effected.
LaydOff
LaydOff is from former employees of Enron, saying that they "would like to be the forum to expose financial and cultural abuses of corporate power by providing apparel to express our distaste for apparent unethical and unwanted behavior." Right now they're just selling t-shirts. Ted's Turnovers was another (more vitriolic) site started by laid off workers.
Queen to issue spam.
Queen to issue spam. Since 1932 the UK monarchy has broadcast a christmas message (on TV since 1957). From next year, it may also be sent in "shortened form", by SMS. Meanwhile SMS usage has increased more than double in the last year, and British companies are considering banning unsolicited text messages to mobile phones. I've never received an SMS spam, but I'm not looking forward to it.
THE DISAPPEARING RICH PEOPLE:
THE DISAPPEARING RICH PEOPLE: A Seattle writer explores the deserted confines of "Seattle's newest four star hotel". Empty and sad, even though it is just the rich people's stuff.
Kofi Annan mediates between muppet rivals
Kofi Annan mediates between muppet rivals and says that "diplomats could learn a thing or two from its
characters." Muppets in politics seem to be emblematic of the current conflicts these days...
December 13
US Surgeon General: Lose some weight, already
US Surgeon General: Lose some weight, already Overweight and obesity may not be infectious diseases, but they have reached epidemic proportions in the United States. . . Approximately 300,000 deaths a year in this country are currently associated with overweight and obesity . Left unabated, overweight and obesity may soon cause as much preventable disease and death as cigarette smoking.
The Web Standards Project calls it quits,
Rabbits with big pointy teeth
Rabbits with big pointy teeth are on my list of gifts for friends this holiday season. What other cool gifts are there that you can get for under $50?
Actress Winona Ryder Arrested for Shoplifting in LA
Actress Winona Ryder Arrested for Shoplifting in LA Margot Kidder, Anne Heche and Winona Ryder?
Do you dream of living on a secluded island surrounded by all of the ice cream you could eat? Here is your chance! And have you ever heard of anyone actually winning one of these essay contests?
"What is your name? Do you have a claim against me? Does anyone have a claim against me? I demand, or request, that the order of the court be released to me immediately."
"What is your name? Do you have a claim against me? Does anyone have a claim against me? I demand, or request, that the order of the court be released to me immediately." (NYT link) 12 Michigan (natch) nutcases shout the same four questions over and over during their fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion trial. Seems they believe the four questions shield them from government authority. They also believe the U.S. Constitution was invalidated when FDR took us off the gold standard, and the federal government has no power over them. I wonder if they'll come to feel differently after a few years in the federal penitentiary?
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring opens in six days. You've read the book, seen the trailers, watched the commercials, bought your Burger King Goblet. What's left? How about some rave reviews from Newsweek, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, Moriarty, and more. I've got my tickets; do you?
"New York City/Home, Sweet Home":
"New York City/Home, Sweet Home": The New York Observer brings out a terrific, jam-packed issue. (Articles by Tom Wolfe, Janet Malcolm, Cynthia Ozick, Bruce McCall, Clay Felker, Stephen Jay Gould and many others. Christy Turlington and Michael Bloomberg even!)
Is it blasphemy? Or is it an acceptable way for Christians to go after a new generation of potential converts?
What will the American religious right think of this?
How would people feel if Allah was on these boxcutters instead of anime Jesus?
(Thanks Mister Pants!)
What will the American religious right think of this?
How would people feel if Allah was on these boxcutters instead of anime Jesus?
(Thanks Mister Pants!)
Promises
Promises "What is it really like to live in Jerusalem? PROMISES offers touching and fresh insight into the Middle East conflict when filmmakers Shaprio, Goldberg and Bolado travel to this complex and charged city to see what seven children — Palestinian and Israeli — think about war, peace and just growing up." airs tonite (check your local listings) i've seen a few POV documentaries before and they were pretty good.
Quest for Evil?
Quest for Evil? A classic case of judging a story by its title. (Hmm, something we are often guilty of here). It seems that the NBA and Lord of the Rings--the movie have partnered together to market their respective product. The NBA is using the idea of the"lord of the rings" to promote the quest for an NBA championship. Um, does anyone else see a problem here?
Bin laden tape released.
Bin laden tape released. I'm watching it on CNN now....
Detailed 'How-To' on increasing your computers power...
Detailed 'How-To' on increasing your computers power... I'm working on mine now but just ran out of some supplies amd HAVE TO run to the store... my ol computer is gonna be awesome!!!
"Riff Randell" On The Death Of Joey Ramone.
"Riff Randell" On The Death Of Joey Ramone. Actress P. J. Soles (Halloween, Rock N Roll High School, Stripes) reminisces.
Prince Charles attacks soaring egos of skyscraper architects
Prince Charles attacks soaring egos of skyscraper architects "Prince Charles also called for the squares beneath skyscrapers to contain real public amenities such as restaurants and shops instead of incomprehensible pieces of art."..."what [the American novelist] Tom Wolfe entertainingly described as 'a turd in every plaza'."
Does plaza art provide anything for you but direction landmarks? Are there any that you like/hate-d (now) ? I enjoy seeing large works here, but also enjoy coming across a nice city piece by surprise.
Does plaza art provide anything for you but direction landmarks? Are there any that you like/hate-d (now) ? I enjoy seeing large works here, but also enjoy coming across a nice city piece by surprise.
At Least 10 Dead in Attack on Indian Parliament
At Least 10 Dead in Attack on Indian Parliament Just heard the news break. Apparently 5 terrorists broke into the building and opened fire. 4 of them were killed. CNN doesn't have anything yet (2:30am Central).
December 12
The Nash equilibrium
The Nash equilibrium
So at the present time I seem to be thinking rationally again in the style that is characteristic of scientists. However this is not entirely a matter of joy as if someone returned from physical disability to good physical health. One aspect of this is that rationality of thought imposes a limit on a person's concept of his relation to the cosmos....from John F. Nash Jr.'s autobiography for the 1994 Nobel Prize for Economics.
So at the present time I seem to be thinking rationally again in the style that is characteristic of scientists. However this is not entirely a matter of joy as if someone returned from physical disability to good physical health. One aspect of this is that rationality of thought imposes a limit on a person's concept of his relation to the cosmos....from John F. Nash Jr.'s autobiography for the 1994 Nobel Prize for Economics.
McCarthyism Watch:
McCarthyism Watch: "The fact that they asked for anything but flag stamps did raise a question for the clerk." At which point do the anecdotes about irrational patriotism and paranoia add up to a genuine cultural shift? I mean, stamps?
Hey, it's a clever flash game ... umm ... something's off here.
Hey, it's a clever flash game ... umm ... something's off here. Never a sucker for banner ads, I click on an ad from Yahoo for some type of "advertising trivia" game. Cool enough, but it seems all of the questions are about laundry products, P&G laundry products. The capper came when the started streaming a Tide ad as part of the "game." So naturally, the whois is some entity in Cincinnati.
Jeez, do I feel like a simp.
Jeez, do I feel like a simp.
Babs knew!
Babs knew! Look out Miss Cleo, here comes Miss (insert appropriate Barbara Streissand insult here).
Cloning is not monkey business.
Cloning is not monkey business. According to this article there is something fundamentally amiss in the cloning of primates. Do I sense some hot air going out of the balloons of the guys who predicted they'd be cloning humans in the near future?
As the September 11 Fund gets ready to release another 75 million dollars in aid money to the victims of the World Trade Center attacks, the House O.K.'s an 11.3 billion dollar aid program for New York City, and the scholarship fund for Trade Center families gets under way, Governor Pataki hands a memo to the struggling State University of New York school system demanding zero budget growth for this fiscal year and a continued tuition freeze. Oh yeah, and he doesn't want anyone to get laid off, either. Of course New York City took the brunt of the attack, but isn't it about time to remember that an entire state took a serious financial blow?
New travel package
New travel package minimizes the amount of time it takes for you to get from the airport to the beach. Now you can get off the plane, and start swimming and sunbathing in no time! Isn't this amazing?
What a great TV night!
What a great TV night! The Wild Bunch on Encore followed by The Searchers on AMC. I have a sixer of Guiness and a sixer of PBR in the fridge, so before tonight is out, I'm sure I'll have an urge to put on a cowboy hat, mount up and shoot me some varmints.
All kidding aside, some nights the TV gods just seem to smiling down on me.
100 years ago today, Marconi received the first transatlantic
wireless signal. It was
reported in Nature on Dec 19, 1901. How's that for an old link?
The first repurcussion of this achievement: legal notice to remove his equipment from Newfoundland because ATC had 2 years left in their 50 year telegraphic monopoly. Plus ça change...
Listen to a real spark gap transmission at 0200 UTC Dec 13 on 3550 KHz to relive history.
The first repurcussion of this achievement: legal notice to remove his equipment from Newfoundland because ATC had 2 years left in their 50 year telegraphic monopoly. Plus ça change...
Listen to a real spark gap transmission at 0200 UTC Dec 13 on 3550 KHz to relive history.
This seems like a great idea.
This seems like a great idea. Bobupndown.com started this project that is aimed at little, local charities that may have suffered cash drain because of the unprecedented [and important] WTC giving.
Shel's concept is to donate your penny jar, which is just sitting there, anyway, to a little charity in your town. It's a chance to plug your favorite little charity, too, cuz he lists them all on his site.
Shel is going to match 5% of the pledges, plus throw in his own penny jar. ... Anyway, check it out. It seems like a really great way to spread a little holiday jingle around.
NASA creates the most detailed topographic map of the Earth ever produced. The new map is a result of data gathered on shuttle mission STS-99 in February 2000.
The catch? DOD doesnt want most of it released. (link via Wired)
The catch? DOD doesnt want most of it released. (link via Wired)
Santarchy!
eToys is back online.
eToys is back online. Wall Street Journal: "Before it shut down, eToys lost hundreds of millions of dollars. But much of that cash had been spent to build a brand that made eToys one of the best-known names in online retailing. KB Toys recognized the value of the brand, and this summer acquired the defunct company's assets for $14 million," and has since relaunched the site as a skin for their own store, but with the look and feel of the original etoys.com.
Nude Britney to Champion PETA
Nude Britney to Champion PETA - Will Britney bare it all for animal rights? Are CNN and the Post spreading rumors?
[re]distributions
[re]distributions is a collection of art software and essays centering on PDAs and information appliances. Glad I cleaned out my Jornada at work today. Most of the artists have various other projects at their own sites, if you follow their links.
In an effort to keep CitizenX alive, Halcyon Styn is selling himself for 24 hours. He'll fly to your city and do anything you want, if you've got the cash. Bid now, as it closes in just a couple hours. Like Hunter S said, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Testing, one two three. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipscing elit, diam nonnumyeiusmod tempor incidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquam eratvolupat. (Someone shouldn't post test code on the live server - tipped-off by Molly)
The "Face of Terror"?
The "Face of Terror"? W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G. I haven't seen propaganda like this before. An interesting take on Arafat. Take a closer look.
Osama bin Gone to Pakistan 10 days now
Osama bin Gone to Pakistan 10 days now according to the Christian Science Monitor, and left his boy Salah to protect the Laden ranch at Tora Bora.
Roboflies. Microbugs. Mesicopters.
Roboflies. Microbugs. Mesicopters. No need for a missile defense shield after all. The future of military defese technology lies with MIT, Berkeley, Stanford, and the US Defense Department. Gives new meaning to the word entomophobia.
The Catch with Wells Fargo's Share Builder
The Catch with Wells Fargo's Share Builder Some of you may have seen Wells Fargo's ads touting $4 per transaction and unlimited transactions for $12. The main catch is that you cannot trade every day. From their FAQ- "ShareBuilder trades can be made the first, second, third or fourth Tuesday of each month. You select which day you would like your trade to take place when setting up your ShareBuilder Plan. In the event of a month with five Tuesdays, no ShareBuilder trades will take place on the fifth Tuesday."
When the rest of the world is going to real-time trading, why do you think Wells Fargo is pushing this? Do you think it is deceptive that this is not mentioned up-front?
B1 Bomber goes down at sea
B1 Bomber goes down at sea Looks like the crew may have survived.
The PBS show "Nobel:Visions of our Century"
The PBS show "Nobel:Visions of our Century" interviews past Nobel Prize winners on their views of social responsibility. Which got me thinking, is the Nobel Prize the top award society can give? Is it a Grammy? A Pulitzer? Or is it something completely different altogether?
Granted I will never win any of them, I was wondering what the planet Earth's top honor was.
"There are 4 different Worlds on Earth. Yours is 1 of them. You're ignorant of 3 of them. Such ignorance is damnable." Gene Ray's "Time Cube" has been joked about and marginalized for years, but now it looks like he'll finally get his wish to lecture on the subject and debate with MIT and Harvard "representitives."
Today on KottkeFilter: the much-anticipated 'WHAT' project from 0sil8 Heavy Industries, code-named 'Danza,' has finally been released. And let me tell you, does it ever live up to the hype!
familiesofseptember11.org
familiesofseptember11.org is the website for the advocacy/political action groups being formed by the families of 9.11 victims. WTC United Family Group is another. Do these families have too much influence on post-9.11 policy or is it their right as someone directly affected?
December 11
CBS Plans Military Reality Show
CBS Plans Military Reality Show Feel the need for speed? Can you be a wingman? Is this what Karl Rove was talking about?
The Oracle of Bacon
The Oracle of Bacon is prehaps the greatest waste of time ever. Go from Akira Kurasowa to Kevin Bacon in just three degrees of seperation.
Where-o-where can bin Laden be?
Where-o-where can bin Laden be? The general belief among U.S. officials appears to be that al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, probably is still somewhere in Afghanistan... But, conceded a defense official, the United States has very little solid information on the whereabouts of bin Laden. "If we had a real clue, we would have already got him," he said.
A pyramid scheme for web traffic?
A pyramid scheme for web traffic? ExitBlaze apparently sends traffic from one member's site to another's (or, no doubt, to other sites they must sell hits to): Bob doesn't know it but a pop-underwindow displaying an ExitBlaze member's site has just shown up underneath the main browser window. And Bob owes it all to you!
"Opening a file type previously considered safe, e.g. plain text or HTML file isn't safe with IE".
"Opening a file type previously considered safe, e.g. plain text or HTML file isn't safe with IE". (via email, you wouldn't know him)
As Seoul Prepares for Soccer World Cup, a Debate Is Unleashed Over Dog Meat. Cultures collide as FIFA warns and Brigitte Bardot threatens to organize boycotts of Korea over their Canine Cuisine. Koreans are offended. (more)...
Guards at Area 51 protest low wages.
Guards at Area 51 protest low wages. Maybe the greys from Zeta Reticuli are behind on their rent?
Science may be left totally unable to explain mass.
Science may be left totally unable to explain mass. "The most saught after oject particle in physics, the Higgs boson, may not even exist." As devistating as it sounds to science, I just couldn't help but laugh.
Why Johnny Knoxville gets all the ladies....
Why Johnny Knoxville gets all the ladies.... What have you done, while trying to 'get some'?
NASA Tentatively OKs Second Space Tourist
NASA Tentatively OKs Second Space Tourist "NASA and its partners in the International Space Station have agreed in principle to let a 28-year-old South African become the second paying tourist on the orbiting outpost, the U.S. space agency said on Tuesday."
Mark Shuttleworth you lucky bastard!
The US strikes a blow against the forces of evil.
The US strikes a blow against the forces of evil. Seriously, does this mean I'm gonna have to start paying for my software soon?
Bush to Withdraw From ABM Treaty.
Bush to Withdraw From ABM Treaty. "Last week we conducted another promising test of our missile defense technology. For the good of peace, we're moving forward with an active program to determine what works and what does not work. In order to do so, we must move beyond the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, a treaty that was written in a different era, for a different enemy," Bush said.
Turkish Despair.
Turkish Despair. Aslan, please help us! Narnia is being overtaken by people in monochromatic outfits. Oh well, I suppose it was bound to happen. $$$ (I'm sure it's all Edmund's fault.)
Fighting the CDA
Fighting the CDA : The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is working with one of nations most interesting erotic photographers to overturn the portion of the CDA that ties all internet obscenity to the most restrictive definition of the most restrictive community in the nation.
Is E-Commerce dead, past its prime, or just resting?
Is E-Commerce dead, past its prime, or just resting? This journal special issue has some interesting thoughts about the future of E-Commerce. I especially liked the paper by Peffers. The conventional wisdom at this point is that B2C E-Commerce is viable only for certain types of products or contexts. Others (e.g. Andy Grove, Michael Porter) seem to think that in the future, all commerce will be E-Commerce and will be integrated with physical companies. Then there is the M-Commerce angle- e.g. DoCoMo. What do you make of all of this? How will we be shopping and communicating in the future?
Are the Webby Awards spamming their voters?
Are the Webby Awards spamming their voters? Doesn't this violate their privacy policy? It sure looks like it does...
Microsoft considering anti-virus support
Microsoft considering anti-virus support and why we should care.
A funny college tradition?
A funny college tradition? sure. But Time magazine's Person of the Year 2001? That's stretching it. [Note: you have to vote for the online poll]
see a
see a cool game, nice sounds.
Immigrants should have to swear an oath of allegiance to show their "clear primary loyalty" to Britain
Immigrants should have to swear an oath of allegiance to show their "clear primary loyalty" to Britain This is the conclusion of a report looking into this summer's race riots. From the story:
The report suggests that an oath of national allegiance on the Canadian model might help future race relations.
The report says that a quarter of places in single faith schools, be they state or private, should be given to children of alternative backgrounds as a way of bridging the divide.
What fresh madness is this?
It looks like Google groups is finally out of beta.
It looks like Google groups is finally out of beta. As well as the archive they bought from Deja, they have also added posts dating back to 1981. The timeline here demonstrates this feature, showing the first mentions of MS-DOS, AIDS, and Madonna on Usenet.
It's beginning to look a lot like Dick Armey will not pursue re-election!
It's beginning to look a lot like Dick Armey will not pursue re-election! In a potential shake-up to Texas and national politics, House Majority Leader Dick Armey is telling congressional colleagues that he doubts he will run for re-election, one of the Flower Mound Republican's closest confidants said Monday. Rumor has it he will make his announcement on C-SPAN's Washington Journal.
Electric December Interactive advent calendar.
Electric December Interactive advent calendar. 24 days of unique interactive presents and emailable cards from some of Bristol's finest creative talents. Including Aardman Animations, Insanely Great, Bristol Old Vic, Burrell Durrant Hifle and many more.
[More info below]
Stitch and Bitch.
Stitch and Bitch. Apparently knitting is entering the "underground" culture. Who knew?
(Link courtesy of Kristie)
Ebay just gets weirder and weirder
Ebay just gets weirder and weirder Going cheap, at only a fiver! Bargain, eh?
Troy Hurtubise's grizzly-proof suit
Troy Hurtubise's grizzly-proof suit truly can repel a grizzly. In a matter of speaking.
December 10
If, after careful consideration, like so many others you decide that life isn't worth living anymore, please do the research first, debunk the myths, buy the book, consider more elegant methods, and don't forget to alert your VSG. Or, better yet, stop your morbid self-indulgence and go make some ice cream.
PayPalWarning.com
PayPalWarning.com serves to caution potential customers and those using PayPal for auctions or business of PayPal's faults. From their dicey terms of service to their unhelpful/unavailable tech support, to story after story of PayPal's wrongdoing, to a whole list of links to other people having PayPal problems.
Did the FBI fire first at Branch Davidian complex?
Did the FBI fire first at Branch Davidian complex? At least one person says that science and FLIR can prove that they did. Coming at a time when Janet Reno is trying to put some steam into a political career, will this have any negative impact on it? Will the FBI PR machine go into overdrive trying to disprove Barbara Grant's claims?
Antivirus Firms Say They Won't Create FBI Loophole.
Antivirus Firms Say They Won't Create FBI Loophole. A free knuckle sandwich to the first person to say, "looks like magic lantern has been extinguised!"
Cassiopaea Cult Lead By Cold War Physicist
Cassiopaea Cult Lead By Cold War Physicist This is a Florida cult that talks to aliens on a Quija board. The aliens warn the cult members that the rest of us are possessed by Lizards from another dimension. Anyway, the cult is lead by an old Cold War era high-energy physicist from Poland. Is it me, or should I worry that this kind of a person has a web site with Armageddon in the title bar? Also, the obligatory parody site is at 64.27.67.250.
Women's Bodies or Women's Fashions: What Should Come First?
Women's Bodies or Women's Fashions: What Should Come First? Comfort in Western dress is a relatively modern and liberal concept. In the last few years, though, it seems to have been forgotten by increasingly unforgiving - even sadistic - designers. Or is it just Art? Last Wednesday, the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened a new exhibition called Extreme Beauty: The Body Transformed. Judith Thurman, in the current New Yorker, suggests things have gone too far. The question is: should leading designers be free to be absolutely creative - as they seem to be at the moment - or should they adapt their creations to the actual shape of women's bodies? Has "haute couture" finally become an art in itself, with no pretence of actually clothing real women? Is, in fact, a certain hatred of women involved?
Astroboy!
Astroboy! Get out your red rocket boots and laser shooting behind. Sony is planning to bring the cult superhero/wonderboy to the screen in 2004 in computer-generated glory. Will the film feature Astro's evil brother Atlas, or Astro's slightly unnerving robotic parents?
Pranksters at Yahoo?
Pranksters at Yahoo? Something strikes me about this Yahoo Winter Vacation Deals flash ad that sometimes appears on the right hand side of news story pages like this one. Is there something going on here, or do I need to have my (ahem) head examined? (Flash required)
Who
Wants to be a Cosmonaut?
Contestants on
Ancient Astronaut will battle to win a trip on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and a possible visit to the International Space Station (ISS).
Where do I sign up? I don't care if
Travel Makes you Stupid.
This addictive snowball fight game requires shockwave, but it loads and runs pretty quick. Enjoy!
How many died needlessly?
How many died needlessly? If those who jumped from the WTC had parachutes, they probably would live to tell of it.
televised suicide: the goofiest bin laden rumor yet?
televised suicide: the goofiest bin laden rumor yet? good lord. the story claims bin laden is going to kill himself on tv to trigger attacks on monuments around the world. even the tabloids have been staying away from the attacks, for the most part. but when this story went by on a ticker while i was surfing, i just had to look. what's the strangest post-attack rumor you've heard so far? i want obscure, here, people, not anything about malls on halloween.
Zed's dead. It's a chopper, baby.
Zed's dead. It's a chopper, baby. I remember kids in the neighborhood making custom bikes. The choppers weren't the easiest to handle or most practical but they looked hella cool. Now they're selling for $2500US. Check out the showroom and the photo video gallery.
I've been eagerly anticipating the launch of this site. So...it just went live and.....after 2 minutes of frustration (and it's not fine Lynchian weirdness either), I gave up. Is this thing still under construction or is it really that bad?
Blinken Lights
Blinken Lights the world's biggest interactive computer display, a special 20th anniversary present to itself and the city of Berlin by the Chaos Computer Club. Since Sept 12, 2001, the upper eight floors of the famous "Haus des Lehrers" (house of the teacher) have been transformed in to a huge display by arranging 144 lamps behind each of the windows. A computer controls each of the lamps independently to produce a monochrome matrix of 18 times 8 pixels. The icing on the cake, you can play pong on it via your mobile phone!
Find out which work of art you are most like.
Find out which work of art you are most like. When you're done with that, find out which James Bond villain are you most like. Fun little web personality tests.
Make Free Diploma and other good stuff
Royal Madness
Royal Madness From Domitian of Rome (51-96) "the Emperor who tortured flies" to Maria I of Portugal (1734-1816) "the Queen who thought she was already in hell", from Erzsébet of Transylvania (±1561-1614) "the countess who bit her servants" to "Mad" Ibrahim I of Turkey (1615-1648) " the Sultan who drowned his entire harem." Here's to a saner future for up-and-comers King Zahir Shah in Afghanistan and King Simeon in Bulgaria, and all other reigning monarchs.
Travel Makes You Stupid.
Travel Makes You Stupid. "As we roam wider, we spread ourselves thinner. The greater the geographical extent of our 'known world' the lower the level of resolution at which we can know it. As the volume of information overwhelms the human capacity to make sense of it, people are compelled to adopt ever cruder filters." Does hypermobility make us more shallow? (from openDemocracy)
The biggest web design myth is that screen graphics should be 72dpi.
The biggest web design myth is that screen graphics should be 72dpi. Sorry if this counts as a self-link (it's a long discussion that I sparked on a forum devoted to a vector graphics app called Xara), but I thought it might interest designers & programmers here.
Cancer Research Project
Cancer Research Project Be a part of the search for a cure to cancer: simply download a very small, no cost, non-invasive software program that works like a screensaver: it runs when your computer isn't being used, and processes research until you need your machine.
Santa Claus updates his Christmas policy
Santa Claus updates his Christmas policy and also prepares to release an explicit remix album. Can ol' Saint Nick possibly knock all of the boy bands off the charts?
The life cycle of a list
The life cycle of a list - this isn't new, but i was wondering if anyone agrees with it. From my limited experience, i would have to say it holds true for any lists i have been on.
Martin Creed has won this years Turner Prize in England.
Martin Creed has won this years Turner Prize in England. I can hardly contain my disbelief. Is this worth £20000 of anyones money?
Happy Hanukkah!
Happy Hanukkah! Check out the online menorah.
Don't know what the holiday is? Take a lesson in Judaism 101.
Can anybody tell me what exactly a TalkBox is, how it works, and how
it's different from a vocoder? I've heard that they're dangerous in some
way, but I'm willing to risk bodily harm in order to get my voice to
sound like Roger Troutman.
- "Taliban" John Walker Lindh, 1997
The Weekly Standard dug through Usenet and pulled out 60 postings from everyone's favorite "mixed up kid". This got me thinking, if you went nuts and ended up on front page of every newspaper in America, what would your digital paper trail look like?
- "Taliban" John Walker Lindh, 1997
The Weekly Standard dug through Usenet and pulled out 60 postings from everyone's favorite "mixed up kid". This got me thinking, if you went nuts and ended up on front page of every newspaper in America, what would your digital paper trail look like?
this is very odd indeed
this is very odd indeed chinese news media's flash tribute for the WTC tragedy
rough translation for the song:
elderly american goes to work
was very frightened someone drove a plane into the building and it fell down but he was very fit so he ran down 937 stairs and got away the news people asked him to say a few words that was all he could say he said someone crashed a plane into the building they were terrorists this is bad because it affects ordinary people
was very frightened someone drove a plane into the building and it fell down but he was very fit so he ran down 937 stairs and got away the news people asked him to say a few words that was all he could say he said someone crashed a plane into the building they were terrorists this is bad because it affects ordinary people
December 9
Sperm doner held liable for child support.
Sperm doner held liable for child support. Lawyers run amok in America? Guess again. And, the sperm doner knew the mother. Should that make any difference? Can this happen here?
Cougars:
Cougars: women in their thirties, forties, fifties, maybe even sixties, going after men a decade or three younger. This article says they're a new phenomenon, and a Canadian (in fact, Torontonian) one at that. Surely not?
freeform light:
freeform light: glowing wires, cool to the touch. uses very little power, and usable for...anything you need to light. really beautiful light sculptures waiting to be created.
The 2002 Olympics have some unintended consequences for Salt Lake City:
"Along the Wasatch Front, police say they have seen an influx of 'circuit girls' -- migratory prostitutes who travel from city to city for high-profile events -- and their pimps, typically men who exploit hookers for a healthy cut of the cash"
"Along the Wasatch Front, police say they have seen an influx of 'circuit girls' -- migratory prostitutes who travel from city to city for high-profile events -- and their pimps, typically men who exploit hookers for a healthy cut of the cash"
"There is a deep hunger in America post-Sept. 11 in many people who feel this is their war in their backyard and they would like to be summoned by the president to do something more than go shopping.
"There is a deep hunger in America post-Sept. 11 in many people who feel this is their war in their backyard and they would like to be summoned by the president to do something more than go shopping. If you just look at the amount of money spontaneously donated to victims' families, it's clear that there is a deep reservoir of energy out there that could be channeled to become a real force for American renewal and transformation — and it's not being done." Excellent editorial in today's NY Times (free registration required) by Tom Friedman exhorting Bush to use his currently formidable political capital by calling on Americans to step up and "be the best country, and the best global citizens, we can be."
One idea a day
One idea a day for the rest of time, copyright-free.
Air travel used to be prestigious and considered quite safe,
Air travel used to be prestigious and considered quite safe, but no more. It seems like it's just one thing after another this past year for the industry. How much of a beating can such a cash-flow intensive business take? What's your feeling about flying these days?
(some) British Muslims
(some) British Muslims - an interesting article from Prospect describes how different generations (and classes) of British Muslims view the conflict in Afghanistan (starts as personal history; the political meat of the article is in the second half).
The Cypherpunks email list, an online forum that in many ways defined Internet activism, was booted unceremoniously from its original home, the Toad Hall Web site, earlier this week. Cypherpunks veteran John Gilmore all but dismissed the computer-security and privacy forum he co-founded in the early 1990s. It had, he wrote, "degenerated a long time ago to the point where I have no idea why more than 500 people are still receiving it every day."
Linguistic profiling.
Linguistic profiling. Take the test: can you tell a person's race or ethnicity by their voice? Also, a survey on the relationships one makes between voice and character; a survey on bidialectalism; an NPR feature in RealAudio format on the subject from September 7; and a Brazilian secondary school teacher's simple assessment of the disconnect between students who write well but speak poorly.
Deodorant is meant to be used directly on the body.
Deodorant is meant to be used directly on the body. Handbook for operating undercover in the West.
Kali.net
Kali.net (once one of the world's largest Internet gaming networks) is created. Makes money. BeTech buys Kali to impress investors. BeTech stops paying for upkeep. ISPs get peeved. No more Kali. Or is there? Is this a funeral or a phoenix? And is there anything else on the 'Net about this? I'm coming up with bupkus.
If we begin cutting back on fundamental freedoms,
If we begin cutting back on fundamental freedoms, if we let a bunch of pussy farmers cut the balls off our music, if you don't take advantage of our low, low interest rates by refinancing your home now then the terrorists have already won.
A Very Nice Advent Calendar
House hunting for the rest of us. A 280 sq. m. Parisian apartment: FF20.5m. ‘Lazybones’ on St. Peter: $6m. ‘La Barakat’ on the coast of Portgual: $11.5m. James Island, Vancouver, Canada: $49.9m.
Veteran foreign correspondent Robert Fisk attacked in Afghanistan.
Veteran foreign correspondent Robert Fisk attacked in Afghanistan. Fisk's been my dispassionate-knowledgeable-counterpoint-supplier-of-choice for the events of the last few months, and unfortunately he's been very badly beaten by a mob near Quetta . His reaction: "They had every reason to be angry... If I had been them, I would have attacked me".
A sunken megalithic city, perhaps 6,000 years old, has been sonar-photographed with an underwater sub, off the coast of Cuba, 2100 feet down. Well, at least they didn't describe it as 'cyclopean'. Nor is there any word on whether its architectural angles are non-Euclidean. [More inside]
December 8
Italy privatizes its culture.
Italy privatizes its culture. At least that's what will happen when a bill turning management of all of its museums sails through the Parliament this week. Critics of the Berlesconi-driven measure say that trying to turn culture into a profit center is foolish as there are only a few attractions that make any money now.
Has Osama bin Lying?
Has Osama bin Lying? Sound as though the bearded one's been caught on video being aware of the WTC attack and surprised at the extent of the damage. And what about the London Times story early Saturday morning that Omar the tent maker has been put under house arrest? Go figure!
The future of Builder.com
The future of Builder.com discusses their plan to change their focus from front-end web development to software engineering.
The inimitable Glassdog
The inimitable Glassdog gives us yet another epehemeral prose masterpiece this time about our very own mathowie. I'm not sure how either of the aforementioned would like it if we archived the entire piece here (there's no archive link), so check it out soon (like now).
Does high school haunt you?
Does high school haunt you? Elinor Burkett spent a year in a suburban high school to get everybody's opinion on how this "typical" school was doing. How were your high school days?
Morse Code translator:
Morse Code translator: .... . .-.. .-.. --- ..-. . .-.. .-.. --- .-- -- . ..-. .. -. .. -.- ...
In Depth Sports Instruction
In Depth Sports Instruction Impress the boss and in-laws with keen command of fly-fishing and golf (skimboarding and rock-climbing). Check out comprehensive Gear Consultant videos. Also handy for finally deciding on new sport to plug into the 2002 new year's resolution.
IMDBPro
IMDBPro Just in case you need more information than the Internet Movie Database provides, there's now a subscription version with advanced features like STARmeter and MOVIEmaker (billed as proprietary algorithms). Is Amazon about to take on Variety? Or is IMDB not selling enough videos with the click throughs?
Grandma's pissed 'cause Hallmark's kiss-kiss boy bears won't kiss.
The "Stealth" Issue in e-Business
The "Stealth" Issue in e-Business KMPG is advising pharmaceutical companies to move the e-commerce offshore..
"
With high margins on limited blockbuster products, pharmaceutical companies have long focused on the need to retain those profits through tax planning. Corporate income tax rates in the principal markets of the US, Western Europe and Japan range from 35 percent to 45 percent and higher, thereby posing a risk of draining a substantial portion of the margins from a pharmaceutical company. By structuring operations to focus key activities or assets in low tax jurisdictions such as Ireland, Puerto Rico and Singapore, a company's overall effective tax rate can be reduced. "
This may be related to their billing department practices
KPMG PEAT MARWICK TO PAY THE UNITED STATES OVER $9 MILLION
FOR PREPARING FRAUDULENT MEDICARE & MEDICAID COST REPORTS
Photoshop X
Photoshop X Don't know if this has been posted yet, but for all you OS X users, looks like Photoshop 6.5 is close to going native! Check out the screenshot!
Jumping on the whole 'favorites' bandwagon, I think Cowboy Bebop is the best show on TV. Does anyone else watch it?
What's the best thing on TV these days, in your opinion?
What's the best thing on TV these days, in your opinion?
EU Countries Soften Cannabis Policy.
EU Countries Soften Cannabis Policy. This past week, experts and officials from around the EU met in the central Dutch city of Utrecht to exchange views at the European City Conference on Cannabis policy. (From Radio Nederlands)
I'm Running.
I'm Running. How stupid is this man? Does anyone think Gary Condit could/should win reelection to Congress?
December 7
Somebody get that man a Segway.
Somebody get that man a Segway. Talk about a killer app.
It's a good thing Santa was endorsing Sprint.
It's a good thing Santa was endorsing Sprint. Then the kiddies would have to sit on the lap of that Joe Friday clone they have shilling for them. What I don't get is the outrage of the parents. You mean they hadn't noticed that Xmas has become a tad commercial? Do they really think that five year olds and under really notice the cell phone logo?
The Gettysburg Powerpoint Presentation
The Gettysburg Powerpoint Presentation The best illustration ever of why friends don't let friends use Powerpoint. Some blame a decline in oratory and rhetoric on the television. I blame the temptation to lean on decorative visual crutches.
Slashdot finally admits that Linux is HARD...
Slashdot finally admits that Linux is HARD... obviously, read the comments at +3. Sorry to post a /. link, but this is of historical import.
Many people have not yet experienced Nardwuar the Human Serviette, one of most enthusiastic interviewers around. He's tackled Ian MacKaye, the Degrassi Kids, Olivier Stone, Snoop Dog and a host of others (some the interviews you can also listen to or
watch). Do I dare ask...who is your favorite interviewer?
Probably the most clearheaded editorial on the John walker case.
Probably the most clearheaded editorial on the John walker case. Though it may not be fashionable or politically correct to say it, Dan Kennedy has articulated my feelings on this issue quite well. It may be a few days old but this event still sticks in my craw, and my craw is full at the moment. IMO, this Walker is the creation of a deadly cocktail of affluence, over-indulgent parenting, psuedo-multi-culturalism run amok and a societal unwillingness to make any moral judgements whatsoever. The only good outcome of 9/11 is that maybe, just maybe that day snapped some of us out of that mindset for good.
Typographic Tree.
Typographic Tree. "A small signpost invites users to sing to the mushrooms which sit on top of a 5' tree stump. As soon as a visitor begins a tree begins to grow. Using nothing but the tone and volume of their voice they can control every aspect of the trees growth. It's size, complexity, colour and even the amount of flowers in bloom." I'm not sure why it's 'typographic,' but still very pretty.
The Peace (flag) makers
The Peace (flag) makers is the story of two hippies with an answer to the question "How to show patriotism, without hawkishness ." The article details their idea and troubles trying to get Peace Flags made.
Secrets of the Cold War in Space.
Secrets of the Cold War in Space. Deep Cold is an website with detailed renderings, quicktime movies and information about the ideas and concepts being developed for both U.S. and Soviet presences in space during the cold war.
"Fine! I'll do it!"
"Fine! I'll do it!" Man cuts off the penis. There, I did it. It has been 2 days since the last penis-related post. This is the most recent penis-related post.
Dear Penis-amputating man:
That thing there, in the Bible, it's a metaphor!
Love,
Jesus
Obviously Bud Selig is lying to Congress.
Obviously Bud Selig is lying to Congress. There's no way anyone believes that MLB lost $232 million last year despite attendance being up and quality being high. But the question is, what is the punishment for a man like Selig blatantly perjuring himself to our representatives? Can he go to jail?
Been to a USGS site today?
Been to a USGS site today? What about your favorite national park site? Probably not, since all are part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, whose external network connections have been severed due to electronic security concerns raised by the court in the case Cobell v. Norton (formerly Cobell v. Babbitt).
With no external email or access to the Internet could you do your job? How dependent is your workplace on electronic information access? (Since all their websites are down, I have no direct link to post. A copy of the memo was sent to the members by the admin of a USGS email distribution list.)
With no external email or access to the Internet could you do your job? How dependent is your workplace on electronic information access? (Since all their websites are down, I have no direct link to post. A copy of the memo was sent to the members by the admin of a USGS email distribution list.)
Kissinger strikes again: Documents show US OK'd Indonesian '75 E.Timor Invasion.
Who doesn't need a gas-powered blender?
Who doesn't need a gas-powered blender? Okay, maybe people who need bubblewrap outerwear or a pert double D mouse. Any products you'd like to add to your Metafilter gift list?
Trillian, one of the better chat programs out there, just got better. Version 0.70 is now available and it runs smoothly and looks great.
Four Astronauts and a Kitten
Four Astronauts and a Kitten is the best book about four astronauts (a mother-daughter team and twin teens) and a cat you're likely to read this year. The actual title is much longer, but if you read the book, you'll understand all. And they say vanity press is a bad idea . . .
Rapid Detox
Rapid Detox "In the world of addiction medicine, no technique for treating heroin users has ever been more controversial" According to the article, in the US, 980,000 use heroin, 175,000 are enrolled in government programs receiving daily dose of methadone, and only 1,000 rapid detox procedures are done a year. "Patients want it" Dr. Gevirtz says, "because it gives them a compassionate and comfortable way to get clean." Shouldn't they get it?
What are the critics smoking?
What are the critics smoking? This morning I'm shocked to see that one of the worst films ever created - Moulin Rouge - is being considered as one of the best films of the year.
Is this man Jack the Ripper?
Is this man Jack the Ripper? [via strandmagazine.tvheaven.com] On the same day that forensic doubts about Albert DeSalvo's role as the Boston Strangler threaten to reopen that question, we had an episode of "Primetime Thursday", where crime writer Patricia Cornwell (who spent 4 million dollars in the effort) tells Diane Sawyer she has closed the book on indentifying Jack the Ripper. Although her guess is among the usual gang of suspects, she claimed to have indisputable and decisive new evidence.
In light of the Case Against Henry Kissinger, the National Security Archive published a collection of previously censored papers which show Ford and Kissinger approved the illegal invasion of East Timor, consciously “influence[d]” public opinion on the matter and continue to lie about the entire affair.
December 6
Progressive policing
Progressive policing It's also a great way to avoid a hangover .... never get sober ...
So some tigers in China
So some tigers in China aren't getting any action when they should be. As a last ditch effort, they will be given the miracle drug, Viagra. Just for kicks, who thinks it'll work? (side note: the last paragraph in the article lends a whole new meaning to "Discovery Channel")
Is The Advocate making too much of "the openly gay" Ian McKellen playing Gandalf?
Is The Advocate making too much of "the openly gay" Ian McKellen playing Gandalf? "An openly gay man has been invited to play the lead role in the fantasy lives of the world’s children, for decades to come. What’s more heroic than that?" Or, as Armistead Maupin puts it: "I think the fact that an openly gay actor is going to have his face all over Burger King cups in a matter of months is really quite significant.”
As an interesting contrast, here's McKellen, from his own website, on a certain Kenobi who felt that "It was not appropriate...for gay people to talk publicly about their sexuality nor to campaign openly for law reform."
As an interesting contrast, here's McKellen, from his own website, on a certain Kenobi who felt that "It was not appropriate...for gay people to talk publicly about their sexuality nor to campaign openly for law reform."
client quotes thread
client quotes thread from the now defunct dreamless.org web design forum, hours of crazy client related hilarity. a stellar moment from a sorely missed site.
thanks to Wevah of derailer.org
thanks to Wevah of derailer.org
"Pierre Boulez
"Pierre Boulez was sleeping in his five star Swiss hotel when police dragged him from bed and informed him he was on their national list of terrorist suspects." Inflicting audible harm on people, perhaps? Sheesh, what next?
Ok.
Ok. We know which albums you liked, but what was the single best concert you saw this year, and very importantly, why?
Beetle Buggin'
Beetle Buggin' is a fun game from HP made for it's VW Beetle giveaway. [Flash reqd.]
The Paso Doble
The Paso Doble is an eerie little puzzle game, something like a De Chirico painting come to life.
Oh yeah, a new Mersenne prime was discovered today by a 20-yr old.
Both links courtesy of mathpuzzle.com
(will i ever beat joseph devincentis?!)
Oh yeah, a new Mersenne prime was discovered today by a 20-yr old.
Both links courtesy of mathpuzzle.com
(will i ever beat joseph devincentis?!)
Terrorism is always disgusting, but this is just plain gross.
Terrorism is always disgusting, but this is just plain gross. Wired wonders if terrorists will start carrying explosives inside their bodies. They don't explain whether they'll, uh, "remove" them before detonation. Will Argenbright start issuing rubber gloves? And on a more serious note, does this underscore the fact that planes can never be fully secure, meaning I can get my plastic lunch knife back? (I think so.)
Once upon a time, SPORTSJONES was an up-and-coming website. Major media sources hailed it: "original, offbeat, and thought-provoking," a site "that could shake the world," "cerebral sports journalism," "the thinking fan's sports site." Then one day ESPN/Disney bought it, the site died, and the writers joined the ESPN staff. I've yet to find a replacement. Where can I turn for substantial writing on sports and sports culture?
Science brings the pub home.
Science brings the pub home. Have any Guinness faithful tried it yet? Verdict?
This
This ruined my day. The Yankees are going to buy another World Series. If I ever hear that the Yankees do not buy championship again I am going to poop my pants. They do buy championships. Man, do they suck.
Ashcroft tells Congress that his critics are helping the enemy.
Ashcroft tells Congress that his critics are helping the enemy. "To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists."
DK2
DK2 The Dark Kinight Strikes Again came out yesterday and all I can say is "wow!" The first issue of this three issue limited series alone was worth the 15 year wait. What took The Dark Knight Returns a whole limited series to get to, happens in the last few pages of DKSA. It even has a Flash trailer. Frank Miller and Lynn Varley do it again.
Is Amelie a racist tract?
Is Amelie a racist tract? Yes, it paints a homogenous portrait of Paris, but it's also obviously a fairy tale. Jeunet's other films have had a similar cultural makeup yet were never decried as racist - but they were not this successful. Does the outrageous success of the film mean that it should be more representative of France? Should we demand a retroactive revision of a film's intent as it does more business?
Egreetings lowers the portcullis.
Egreetings lowers the portcullis. No longer can you send that flishy-Flashy virtual birthday card for free. Now you've got to sign up as an Egreetings member to access all the cards ($12 per year). Luckily, many of their cards are still free, including the indispensable farting section. Has anyone, so far, spent money on an internet service that was once free but now costs something?
Talk about not getting it...
Talk about not getting it... "Polaroid Corp., which slashed jobs and retiree benefits before filing for bankruptcy protection in October, wants to reward top executives with up to $19 million in bonuses and incentives as it dismantles the instant camera and film maker to pay off creditors."
Clueless or evil? You make the call...
American Standard 6.0L type R
American Standard 6.0L type R Exploring the dark side of heavily modded porcelain. Check it out!
Hurst plunger
Recaro racing seat
50hp dry methane shot
Carbon fiber flush handle
[...]
Hurst plunger
Recaro racing seat
50hp dry methane shot
Carbon fiber flush handle
[...]
Homo erectus shows he was never a typical teenager.
Homo erectus shows he was never a typical teenager. Is it really the hormones in the chicken we eat that cause teenagers to develop at an early age? Seems like the traditional old paleolithic diet had prehistoric humans skipping the adolescence we cherish so much.
What is it about brothers and film?
What is it about brothers and film? You've got the Hughes Brothers, the Cohen Brothers, the Polish Brothers, the Wachowski Brothers, the Farrelly Brothers, to name the best known. We also have the Weinstein Brothers, and numerous up-and-comers taking the fraternal route. What's behind this phenomenon? And where are the sisters?
NME has picked their top 50 albums of 2001
NME has picked their top 50 albums of 2001 They picked The Stroke's "Is This It." We haven't had a music discussion thread lately, so the opportunity arises to ask the question: What was your favorite album of 2001?
Sir Peter Blake, one of the greatest sailors of recent times, killed by pirates in the Amazon.
Sir Peter Blake, one of the greatest sailors of recent times, killed by pirates in the Amazon. This is shocking news to the sailing community.
What would you do if you had a multi-million dollar trust fund and the knowledge that you would one day inherit a billion dollar empire?
Lots of coke and champagne apparently. Then, of course, you'd build a website to show everyone how much fun being sickeningly rich is.
Lots of coke and champagne apparently. Then, of course, you'd build a website to show everyone how much fun being sickeningly rich is.
Joss Whedon,
Joss Whedon, only a few weeks ago, brought audiences what was arguably the best hour in television history with the musical episode. Then, last week, he brought us a shameful don't-do-drugs piece of drivel. Has the best-written show on television finally gone bad, along with Willow?
I know there was a Buffy thread a couple of months ago, but so much has changed since then...
Got your new Segway and looking for a place to try it out? How about the Nurburgring? 22DM a lap and no speed limit. But before you go, heed this fellow's advice.
We've had plenty of posts about dogs. . .we've had some posts about mercury. . . .but this has not been posted as yet, as far as my searches of the site can deduct. No compelling reason to post this, other than it's in my occupational field and it's interesting.
Strom is 99.
Strom is 99. This guy is supposedly so frail, he has to live at the hospital and be wheeled to the Senate in the morning, but the picture makes him look pretty good. And black.
A Letter From The Frontlines In Afghanistan
A Letter From The Frontlines In Afghanistan - This letter was read on the Sully and Scooter Show on KOGO News Radio in San Diego. Supposedly written by a U.S. Marine. Don't know if it is real or not.
Shedding Writer's Block
Shedding Writer's Block 30 minute hot shower does it, but wide open to other suggestions.
Jerry Falwell kisses the Christian Coalition goodbye!
You've got some nerve- again.
You've got some nerve- again. Optical nerves are regenerated after being severed in mammals for the first time. Can spinal nerve regeneration be far behind?
December 5
"Months have passed. It's the first Friday night in the final month. Much shit has happened. Vodka has a Tec 9, we test fired all of our babies, we have 6 time clocks ready, 39 crickets, 24 pipe bombs, and the napalm is under construction. Right now I'm trying to get fucked and trying to finish off these time bombs."
A look into the twisted mind of Eric Harris, Columbine gunman, through his personal writings, courtesy of Westword.
A look into the twisted mind of Eric Harris, Columbine gunman, through his personal writings, courtesy of Westword.
Real Cinephiles Prefer Reading "Cahiers du Cinema" to Going to the Movies:
Real Cinephiles Prefer Reading "Cahiers du Cinema" to Going to the Movies: I stopped reading Cahiers du Cinema - the famously dogmatic French film journal where Godard, Truffaut, Resnais and Rohmer cut their teeth - a few years ago, when it got too arty-farty for its own good. Well, it's slowly becoming essential again. Their website is trés chic, intelectually challenging and a welcome antidote to the usual online movie-reviewing clowns. Or is it still a load of pretentious rubbish? (In French, but with a lovely intro, lots of cool stills and a Quicktime interview, in English, with underrated director Paul Verhoeven)
The romance versus the reality of man in space.
The romance versus the reality of man in space. According to this article, unless NASA gets an innoculation of a whole bunch of money, we are likely to be limited to maintaining no more than three longterm residents of the space station we are committed to building. How does this bode for our Star Trek vision?
Great 'The Prisoner' site -
Great 'The Prisoner' site - I just recently got into this BBC sci-fi/paranoia classic on my local PBS affiliate, so I was glad to find this lovingly done fan site. Anyone else have a pet obsessive fan site for a favorite TV show? SNPP.com comes to mind, of course, but I'm interested in the less famous and less frequented places.
Man Awarded $6.5 Million After Penis Gets Amputated
Man Awarded $6.5 Million After Penis Gets Amputated This is pretty wacked. At least we have a new millionaire in Cleveland.
Nanoloop
Nanoloop - a synthesizer / sequencer for the Game Boy, which lets you compose and sequence sound loops (samples), entirely on your Game Boy. There's also a soon-to-be-released compilation of songs written entirely with Nanoloop, featuring Merzbow, Hrvatski, Pita and more.
"Aiwa, Aiwa, Aaaaaiwaaaaaaa..."
"Aiwa, Aiwa, Aaaaaiwaaaaaaa..." <-- yes that was a description of a love scene in a book. Check out a passage from the newly crowned winner of Worst Fictional SEX Scene in a Book.
And you thought vampires were effete.
And you thought vampires were effete. Obviously Ann Rice never met the Redneck Vampire, aka Michael Ray Vanmeter. The gasoline huffing undead from Alabama claims to be 211 years old. Don't believe him? Check out those teeth.
A particularly chilling case of road rage
A particularly chilling case of road rage has been the focus of the Chicago biking community for the past couple of years. Yesterday, the jury came down with a first-degree murder verdict for Carnell Fitzpatrick, who, in April of 1999, deliberately drove down and killed bike messenger Tom McBride after an altercation at a stoplight.
The rights of bicyclists in urban areas has always been a contentious issue. Because of this verdict, drivers will no doubtedly show more restraint in taking their anger out on street cyclists, though likely more out of fear than respect. While I'm happy to see a victory for the cyclists, it's that last part that worries me.
The rights of bicyclists in urban areas has always been a contentious issue. Because of this verdict, drivers will no doubtedly show more restraint in taking their anger out on street cyclists, though likely more out of fear than respect. While I'm happy to see a victory for the cyclists, it's that last part that worries me.
Real Networks launches subscription service.
Real Networks launches subscription service. Yes, everyone's favorite purveyor of bloatware is launching RealOne, a subscription service. Think anyone will nibble?
The Declaration of Independence in American
The Declaration of Independence in American by H.L. Mencken, circa 1921. A quote: "When things get so balled up that the people of a country have to cut loose from some other country, and go it on their own hook, without asking no permission from nobody, excepting maybe God Almighty, then they ought to let everybody know why they done it, so that everybody can see they are on the level, and not trying to put nothing over on nobody." Gangbusters!
If you were expecting the Lord of the Rings movie to receive as much if not more scrutiny from Conservative Christians as Harry Potter did you’re in for a surprise. Despite LOTR being filled with violence and intense fantasy imagery few churches or religious watch-god groups will be condemning the fantasy epic like they did the occult heavy, yet kid-friendly Harry Potter flick.
The reason is simple: Tolkien was a devout Christian.
In fact, Tolkien persuaded C.S. Lewis, who himself later wrote several Christian classics, to become a Christian. The two are credited with paving the way for a new genre of devotional literature, influencing authors like Charles Williams, T.S. Eliot, G.K. Chesteron and Dorothy Sayers.
Fortunately for most Tolkien doesn’t let Christian imagery dribble into his stories the way C.S. Lewis did. So expect religous LOTR friendly reviews from all with the possible exception of the ChildCare Action Project. One has to wonder though - if Harry Potter author, J. K. Rowling, was more publicly religious would her books be as controversial?
The reason is simple: Tolkien was a devout Christian.
In fact, Tolkien persuaded C.S. Lewis, who himself later wrote several Christian classics, to become a Christian. The two are credited with paving the way for a new genre of devotional literature, influencing authors like Charles Williams, T.S. Eliot, G.K. Chesteron and Dorothy Sayers.
Fortunately for most Tolkien doesn’t let Christian imagery dribble into his stories the way C.S. Lewis did. So expect religous LOTR friendly reviews from all with the possible exception of the ChildCare Action Project. One has to wonder though - if Harry Potter author, J. K. Rowling, was more publicly religious would her books be as controversial?
Reflections.
Reflections. A Flash game that just wasted some of my work day. Now you can waste some of yours. Align the mirrors to hit the lights, just don't hit the bombs.
Scooby Doo
Scooby Doo stage play debuts in Toronto and former Kids In The Hall alumni are implicated in its production. Deconstructed French farce, post-modernism run amuck, or yet another sign of the impending teevee apocalyse? (via BoingBoing)
Apprehended.
Apprehended. Religious nutjob, escaped convict and FBI Ten Most Wanted List member Clayton Lee Waagner was caught today at a Kinko's store in Cincinnati by US Marshals. Clayton had been on the run since February.
"Just as the War Against Drugs would make some kind of sense if they honestly called it a War Against Some Drugs, I regard Dubya's current Kampf as a War Against Some Terrorists. I may remain wed to that horrid heresy until he bombs CIA headquarters in Langtry." Recent thoughts from Futurist, author, and stand-up comic Robert Anton Wilson.
Have a business? Want its site listed on Yahoo? From this point on, you have to use Yahoo! Express, which means you have to pay $299 for them to just consider your site. Does this diminish the validity of Yahoo's listings, or is this just the inevitable result of the dot-com decline?
Shut The Fuck Up
Shut The Fuck Up is an "open letter to men in the movement" written by activist Dan Spalding about the sexist behavior of men in left-leaning groups. They say "When the left forms a firing squad they form it in a circle," but I think this is nurturing constructive criticism, a far cry from the venom that often accompanies such discourse.
Are the days of speculative domain buying and hoarding over? On the one hand we've got places that still expect to get $40,000 for lame domain names like NY1.info and then there's splorp.com's domain name of the week, which provides some pretty cool names for the taking.
How many domain names do you own? I only own two, not counting suffix variations and my wife's business domain, but I know some people who have lots more. My office mate routinely registers domain names (just the other day we were talking about how rollajoin.com would be a funny name for a database tutorial site and he registered it that night), and I have another friend who owns laid-off.com and wants to give it away. So are domain names still gold or have they been reduced to trinkets?
How many domain names do you own? I only own two, not counting suffix variations and my wife's business domain, but I know some people who have lots more. My office mate routinely registers domain names (just the other day we were talking about how rollajoin.com would be a funny name for a database tutorial site and he registered it that night), and I have another friend who owns laid-off.com and wants to give it away. So are domain names still gold or have they been reduced to trinkets?
A'll be bach – Terminiator 3 is coming!!!
A'll be bach – Terminiator 3 is coming!!! With a budget projected to be more than $170 million, Daily Variety reports that Schwarzenegger is working out the final contract details to star in the third installment, with Jonathan Mostow replacing James Cameron as director.
Shooting on the film is expected to begin in April ...
Cow Belching
Cow Belching and it's effect on the Environment. Not only is it rude, but it also bad for the environment.
Israeli Bus Drivers
Most Dangerous Job.. Israeli bus driver. Not only at risk from normal driveing hazzards but being blown up by terrorists, a favorite target. Is there a memorial for the fallen comrades or do they "take care of their own" in a secret bus driver society. What other low profile low skill jobs go unrecognized for the ultimate sacrifice?
Holy Torgo! When did this come out on DVD??? Manos: the Hands of Fate is the best movie ever made by a fertilizer salesman, which makes it one of the worst movies ever made (and therefore perhaps the best MST3K episode). If, like me, you are tired of waiting for the 30th Anniversary Edition of this "movie," be sure to read this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the world of Torgo, with the movie's cinematographer and stunt coordinator (ha HA!) as your guides. ("ThE MASter wouLD't ap-p-pROVE of iT!")
Testing, 1 2 3.
Testing, 1 2 3. Madness or obsession? The Book of Threes collects things that come in threes. And it's not the only one. What does this stem from?
Former South African first lady de Klerk murdered
Former South African first lady de Klerk murdered
Believed to be the latest victim of the country's crime wave, she was found in her apartment.
Believed to be the latest victim of the country's crime wave, she was found in her apartment.
Fashion & Farm Sex
Fashion & Farm Sex Benneton Group company Sisley is well known for ...well, uhm... different images in advertising campaigns. Right now they're using cute animals and evil girls... What do you think about that?
a silly place...
a silly place... either someone has waaaaay to much time on their hands or this is the coolest thing i've seen for ages.
For those of you who want more explanation think Monty Python but in Lego. it's a movie - so time taken to view this movie is depending on whether your connection to the interweb is butane or coal fired. I've searched the archives and not found this particuar link - but it is a few months old, so apologies to any who have seen it before.
I've not been accused of anything for a while.
Afghan factions agree interim cabinet - democratic elections to follow in six months.
Afghan factions agree interim cabinet - democratic elections to follow in six months. Pashtun tribal leader Hamid Karzai takes the role of Premier; three Northern Alliance take main posts including defence; cabinet also includes two women. The international community seems willing to follow through with massive aid; this appears to be unremittingly good news.
December 4
Proud to be hated by those who hate America
Proud to be hated by those who hate America -- writes Bill Black of the LBJ School of Public Affairs in the Middle East Times. (He's responding to an earlier opinion piece by Roland Khan, Paying the price, which cautioned against US military action.) [more inside]
Don't let science get in the way of war.
Don't let science get in the way of war. A tale of sloppy censorship by a leading medical journal.
map of middle earth
China seeking $1 billion from Israel for aborted aircraft deal
China seeking $1 billion from Israel for aborted aircraft deal How do you say Chutzpah in Chinese? This is just....funny. Do they sue in the People's Republic Court?
Racial stereotypes hurt academic performances
Racial stereotypes hurt academic performances --on standardized tests--for whites.
Support The Economy:
Support The Economy: Capitalism at it's best. While I doubt it will generate much income, I wish I'd thought of it.
Let us now bandy about statistics.
Let us now bandy about statistics. NPR (et al.) has released a poll concerning beliefs about civil liberties in the wake of You Know What and the subsequent military response, as well as another (less in-depth) supplement on Military Tribunals. Also, Talk of the Nation did an excellent program (RealAudio) on the subject. Since we're going to continue discussing it anyway, we may as well be informed.
My brother just purchased "Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd"
My brother just purchased "Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd" and it's isn't. Neither is the best of Jethro Tull, or Add it up - "The Best of the Violent Femmes." Is there any band from the 70's or 80's that has actually put out a"best of" album that isn't at least 30% poop? What's the worst "best of" album you've bought?
With Many Watching, Solomon Islands Holds National Elections
With Many Watching, Solomon Islands Holds National Elections
We called it a "failed state." Polling has begun in the Solomon Islands for a new national Parliament. Many are watching and hoping that a new government will restore a semblance of order to the cities and revive the bankrupt economy. There is practically no law in the cities, since the coup last year. Citizens of Honiara, the capital recently blockaded the home of PM Sogavare in protest of his unwillingness to quell ongoing ethnic militia warfare. The national airline ran out of gasoline yesterday, stranding voters returning to their home provinces. But this is the age of the Internet, and SI Brodcasting Co. and Radio Australia are providing live coverage online.
We called it a "failed state." Polling has begun in the Solomon Islands for a new national Parliament. Many are watching and hoping that a new government will restore a semblance of order to the cities and revive the bankrupt economy. There is practically no law in the cities, since the coup last year. Citizens of Honiara, the capital recently blockaded the home of PM Sogavare in protest of his unwillingness to quell ongoing ethnic militia warfare. The national airline ran out of gasoline yesterday, stranding voters returning to their home provinces. But this is the age of the Internet, and SI Brodcasting Co. and Radio Australia are providing live coverage online.
At $92.60 a Vote, Bloomberg Shatters an Election Record.
At $92.60 a Vote, Bloomberg Shatters an Election Record. Ross Perot spent about $3.59 per vote in his 1992 presidential race. The $68,968,185 price tag was more than Forbes and Corzine spent on their 2000 campaigns. Do candidates that essentially buy their elections gross you out, or do you feel better knowing that their money didn't come from PACs?
Consult The Dead Parrot
Consult The Dead Parrot The dead parrot will provide advice on finance, romance, religion, careers, and miscellaneous concerns, apparently. Sample: (Q) I just checked the best-before date on the pot of cream in the refrigerator and it's due to go off tomorrow morning. What can I do with it at such short notice? I don't own a whisk. (answer inside)
Could you join The Specials?
Could you join The Specials? No, not those Specials, these Specials. If you live in and around London and have 96 hours to spare annually, this might be just the volunteer track for you. However, participation in the Special Constabulary of the Metropolitan Police Force is steadily shrinking despite enthusiastic members and recent attempts at compensation.
So is this kind of community stewardship no longer valid? And with the current re-appreciation of U.S. policemen, could a similar program work here in the states? I mean, the Flash animation almost swayed me...
So is this kind of community stewardship no longer valid? And with the current re-appreciation of U.S. policemen, could a similar program work here in the states? I mean, the Flash animation almost swayed me...
Their learnding.
Their learnding. "American 15-year-olds rank average in reading, math and science skills among their peers in highly industrialized nations, results the U.S. education secretary says are unacceptable." The article does not speculate on the causes of the poor performance. What do you think? Underpaid, under-qualified teachers? Too much TV? Math-Class-Is-Tough Barbie?
Diary of the first Segway owner
Diary of the first Segway owner An obviously fictional account of a Segway owners first day in a busy city. Similar comments were made in last nights report by The Daily Show's Mo Rocca. So it looks like the Smartass vote is in on the Ginger/IT/Segway.
John Grisham Steers away from the law again
John Grisham Steers away from the law again ... As in NOT writing about it, but thank heavens in February, it appears he'll be going back to his Legal Thrillers I don't know though, as much as I wanted not to.. I really liked A Painted House Surely, I'm not the only one...
I say if you're caught creating a virus you should get 25 years.
I say if you're caught creating a virus you should get 25 years. The billions that it costs companies, the inconveniences to every-day people, the fortune that it costs normal folks whose computers are plauged... maybe 35 years should be the mandatory term. But something must be done.
Travis and his package
Travis and his package Ubiquitous Calvin Klein underwear model Travis Fimmel does a meet and greet with his fans. "Secure at the front of the roped-off line, Malia Middler, 28, from San Francisco, was found giggling, blushing and excited. She squealed lustfully, 'I want to ask him if it's real!'"
Something for your holiday entertainment.
Something for your holiday entertainment. Susan has been doing this site every year for 4 or 5 years now, and I still love it. She features her own ornament collection, and sometimes even her own pets, in a holiday themed, Flash-based Advent calendar, that was one of the best Flash sites around in the olden days. Click on each day of the calendar throughout the month of December.
Why Don't People Read Newspapers from Other Countries?
Why Don't People Read Newspapers from Other Countries? The early promise of the Web was that it would create a smaller world. Yet, most individuals read their local newspaper or their favorite national newspaper online. For example, most people I speak to are surprised that there are English newspapers in Pakistan- there are at least two good ones- Dawn and The Friday Times. I see a lot of posts on MeFi from UK papers such as The Guardian and also from Australian papers. How about the English newspapers from the rest of the world? Have we stopped browsing?
Here Comes the Sun
Here Comes the Sun Beware NY Times. Watch your flanks NY liberal establishment. Lord Conrad Black to back Smarter Times Ira Stoll and co in new conservative daily paper. Will they make it? (PS. Apparently are looking for editorial staff "willing to work long hours in an entrepreneurial, start-up environment") Start spreadin' the news, these little town blues are melting away, it's up to you, New York, New York...
Teachers jailed for, well, NOT teaching...
Teachers jailed for, well, NOT teaching... (NYT link)
I live in Middletown, but I think this is interesting for the general crowd. Aren't teachers allowed to strike? Should they be forced to return to work without a contract?
Should they be thrown in jail because the school board won't work with them on a contract?
SpacecraftKits.com
SpacecraftKits.com has an interesting way of keeping their costs low. They do it "through mass production, and by putting the extensive assembly instructions and fact sheets ... online, rather than mailing them to you." I think that's a great idea. That way if they want to revise some part of the instructions, or add schematics or notes or ideas from people who might have experienced problems, they can allow all customers to see the new instructions without having to send recall notices or try to track exactly who owns their product. This gives a company the ability to hyperlink instructions with tons of additional information, as well as definitions and photographs. I really think all toy manufacturers should do this. It would also be great for furniture makers - Sauder and those places that make built-it-yourself desks and bookcases, etc. That way you could order that missing bolt or screw or broken piece of shelving directly from the manufacturer ...
"Found Magazine Celebrates the Mystery of Castoff Notes."
"Found Magazine Celebrates the Mystery of Castoff Notes." The Washington Post calls Found "...an amazing new magazine that prints odd items found in streets, schools, prisons, Kinko's shops and laundromats across America. It's a treasury of trash, a wonderfully weird collection of screeds, snapshots, to-do lists, leaflets, drawings, diaries and love letters. Taken together, they provide a fascinating glimpse into the wackier depths of America's collective subconscious." What wonderfully weird stuff have you found?
Run Juice Run!!!
Run Juice Run!!! O.J. Simpson's house raided by the FBI and DEA! Yeah, I know, a news story, but its O.J.! O.J. suspected in Ecstasy Drug Ring. Along with a few other illegal activities. Is this his third strike???
Want to escape CNN's round-the-clock war coverage? Don't head for the theater.
Faster than Lee Marvin could say "Dirty Dozen," Hollywood is rounding up its good-looking troops, rallying the editing rooms, and launching a war-time celluloid offensive.
Groovy. And just when I'd started getting bored with the real deal...
Teacher fired for...well....teaching.
Teacher fired for...well....teaching.
An Australian teacher was dismissed from her job for telling her class of youngsters that Santa Claus does not exist. Is she an excellent educator, or a grumpy Grinch?
An Australian teacher was dismissed from her job for telling her class of youngsters that Santa Claus does not exist. Is she an excellent educator, or a grumpy Grinch?
"Non-Christians would not be forced to become Christians, but they would have to obey laws that came from the Bible".
"Non-Christians would not be forced to become Christians, but they would have to obey laws that came from the Bible". Bush would like to nominate J. Robert Brame as Chairman of the NLRB. Until recently, Brame was on the board of a religious extremist group with a stated goal of turning the United States into a theocracy.
Is your son a computer hacker?
Is your son a computer hacker? Has your son loaded strange programs like "Flash" on the family computer? Is your son reading dangerous books like "Programming with Perl?" Is your son obsessed with "Lunix?" [sic] Hey, I read it on the web, so it must be true.
December 3
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.
"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?"
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.
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.
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)
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.
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]
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.
Welcome to Battle Mountain, Nevada:
Welcome to Battle Mountain, Nevada: the Armpit of America!
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...
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”
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.
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.
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.
"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.)
"...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]
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.
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.
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."
"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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
December 2
US Bombs Hit Wrong Target for Second Time in Two Days
US Bombs Hit Wrong Target for Second Time in Two Days
Just a reminder, lest anyone forget, that scores of Afghani civilians are still being killed by US bombs. [More inside.]
Just a reminder, lest anyone forget, that scores of Afghani civilians are still being killed by US bombs. [More inside.]
I'm sure the U.S. would have given them money for rooms at the Holiday Inn.
I'm sure the U.S. would have given them money for rooms at the Holiday Inn. Canadian immigration officers say a lack of detention space forced them to release a dozen men into the Toronto area who are suspected of having links to al-Qaida terrorists.
Good friends, those Canadians.
anti-thesaurus
anti-thesaurus
unhappy with web users who are unnecessarily drawn to your site in the pursuit of non-existent content? does it bog down your bandwidth? solution? write a metadata tag that specifically excludes certain terms from search engine hits by the simply defining them as non-words.
unhappy with web users who are unnecessarily drawn to your site in the pursuit of non-existent content? does it bog down your bandwidth? solution? write a metadata tag that specifically excludes certain terms from search engine hits by the simply defining them as non-words.
Now here's a product who's time has come.
Now here's a product who's time has come. I spied a bag of this on the shelf of the local supermarket yesterday and an impulse buy was born. I'm munching some right now and it's quite tasty, grease, cheese, salt, serious heat, all your junk food needs in one package. This and other recent snack products like Wormz in Dirt(gummi worms rolled in Oreo crumbs) lead me to believe the food companies are hiring stoners to work in product development.I'm sure you guys can cite other examples to prove my point.
'It', or 'Ginger' is finally here.
While official announcements will be made tomorrow morning, there are a few first looks around the web.
Officially named Segway, and overhyped for a really long time, it probably be as huge as everyone has said, but looks like it definately could make things interesting.
AOL Time Warner's Marketing Wizardry
AOL Time Warner's Marketing Wizardry : "With its Hollywood studio, Warner Bros., AOL leveraged its promotional and advertising might across its empire of Internet, cable TV, movie, music and magazine outlets to ensure that kids, parents, teens and everyone else knew that "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was debuting in theaters Nov. 16. In the days leading up to the film's release, tracking studies showed an extraordinary 100% awareness among moviegoers that "Harry Potter" was coming."
Switzerland will just keep that military look.
Switzerland will just keep that military look. Swiss voters reject proposal to do away with their Army. Interesting that the defense budget is almost 20% of the total federal budget. They are, of course, officially neutral. That's neutral, not pacifist.
Beyond Amazon.
Beyond Amazon. The latest Holt Uncensored is a review of online book stores from various regions of the U.S., including Boulder Bookstore, with its "invaluable subsites," YogaSight.com and BuddhaSight.com, Square Books where "You'll feel almost set down in the hot and leafy Courthouse Square of Oxford, Mississippi," Amazon Bookstore Cooperative ("not *that* Amazon [but] the oldest independent feminist bookstore in North America" (in Minneapolis) - and a dozen more. Do you have a favorite that was left out?
What George W.'s speech could have been
Your Brain on God.
Your Brain on God. "After restoring everything to its proper working position, the techies exit, and I'm left sitting inside the utterly silent, utterly black vault. A few commands are typed into a computer outside the chamber, and selected electromagnetic fields begin gently thrumming my brain's temporal lobes. The fields are no more intense than what you'd get as by-product from an ordinary blow-dryer, but what's coming is anything but ordinary. My lobes are about to be bathed with precise wavelength patterns that are supposed to affect my mind in a stunning way, artificially inducing the sensation that I am seeing God. "
The WTC death count falls closer to 3,000
The WTC death count falls closer to 3,000 and the New York Times assesses the range of reactions. Some think the drop in the death toll makes a big difference; others consider it inconsequential.
Another major site buried by Vesuvius (but in the Bronze Age 1750BC!) has been discovered. Experts say it could be the world's best preserved early Bronze Age village. Among the items found were the bones of hams, a hat decorated with the teeth of a wild boar and a cage which had been raised six feet off the ground - probably to protect it from dogs - containing the remains of pregnant goats. Before this we had only holes in the ground where stakes had been, to show us what a Bronze Age village had been like.
An American Taliban
An American Taliban Abdul Hamid, age 20, is an American. He is not a naturalized citizen or disaffected Arab-American youth rebelling against Western culture. He is a white, educated-sounding, apparently middle-class American, a convert to Islam who came to Afghanistan six months ago to help the Taliban build a “true Islamic state.” The question is, how long before the movie comes out? Wonder what his parents think...
Kobe Bryant's favorite spread.
Kobe Bryant's favorite spread. *Insert joke here* After a long, exhausting day of running drills in practice and shooting free throws, nothing spells refreshment quite like N-U-T-E-L-L-A. Maybe Cookie Dough Sport wasn't so far off the mark. Plus, the rest of the page is truly frightening.
Happy Holidays--IN HELL!!
Happy Holidays--IN HELL!! I think someone in Scotland has been watching too much "South Park".
More of London's museums are now free to enter. Some museums had already dropped admission charges earlier in the year, but now the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and Imperial War Museum are also free. A good thing? I think so.
Arizona want to pay teachers what they are worth
Arizona want to pay teachers what they are worth A new basis for pay puts aside tradtional contractual salaries in favor of pay according to worth. Second state in nation to try this system. How is worth decided and by whom?
Never has there been a better incentive
Never has there been a better incentive to become a flight attendant. Remeber, you can't spell 'airport security' without T-O-D-A-Y-I-G-O-T-G-R-O-P-E-D-B-Y-A-H-O-R-N-Y-R-E-D-N-E-C-K.
The healthiest states in America
The healthiest states in America "Louisiana finished last, preceded by Mississippi (49), South Carolina (48), West Virginia (47), and Florida (46)... Minnesota captured first place by scoring highest overall in categories measuring access to health care, disability, disease, mortality, and occupational safety." full report here.
Stadium Rock largely passed me by.
Stadium Rock largely passed me by. Bit of Bon Jovi, that's my lot. But I can't help but love the scale of the concerts -- big walled off field with thirty thousand people baying for the blood of a group of men collectively called 'Scorpion'. But even the hardened rockers I suspect (I think) arn't too enamoured with these power ballads. I do have a soft spot for Poison's 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' though.
December 1
Education and prevention are responsibilities of businesses also.
Education and prevention are responsibilities of businesses also. The private sector can help take part in HIV/AIDS education and prevention, and should institute workplace policies. Has your workplace instituted a training program for managers and supervisors, implemented an aids policy, performed education on prevention, and reviewed the requirements that it needs to follow under disabilities acts and leave policies?
HIV Can Persist in Rectum During Drug Treatment
HIV Can Persist in Rectum During Drug Treatment "The lining of the rectum may contain a significant reservoir of HIV even when drugs are holding down blood levels of the virus, results from a small study show. The findings suggest that HIV in the mucosal membrane of the rectum "might constitute a considerable obstacle" to the complete suppression of a patient's infection, according to the report.'' In a related study, women were found to have high levels of HIV in their genital tracts even when they had good control of their serum levels of HIV.
Russian Roulette.
Russian Roulette. AIDS educators and activists justifiably decry this phenomenon as irresponsible and self-destructive, and while "extreme sex" is very much a subculture, habitual unsafe sex is probably much more common than most people would care to admit. Is unsafe sex the dirty little secret of the first post-AIDS generation, some kind of backlash against coming of age in a world where sex can kill? Or is it merely the "It can't happen to me" hubris of those who never saw the initial devistation?
AIDS Timeline:1926-Present
AIDS Timeline:1926-Present with comprehensive links, thanks to Sister Mary Elizabeth of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and AEGIS (AIDS Education Global Information System), "...a service the Centers for Disease Control calls 'the best of its kind'..." (See How Aegis Began) People making a difference.
What is best for AIDS orphans?
What is best for AIDS orphans? For many children around the globe, not only do they face a life without one or more parents because of AIDS/HIV, they also face the stigma of carrying the virus themselves.....
AIDS cases in US Prisons
AIDS cases in US Prisons are being diagnosed at 5 times the rate of the rest of the population. Prisoners with AIDS face discrimination, abuse and are denied access to health care and medication, on top of all the other abuses prisoners in the US face every day.
From HIV+ Magazine:
"African-American women, incarcerated faster than any other group, also have the highest HIV infection rate among women, both in and out of prison. Women make up a greater percentage of the HIV-positive prison population than men do, an overlooked issue. Yet prisons continue to be built at an alarming rate, although not fast enough to alleviate the miserable conditions of prison overcrowding. In California all federal prisons operate at more than 200 percent capacity."
Thanks California Prison Focus and Act UP NY's for links and info.
From HIV+ Magazine:
"African-American women, incarcerated faster than any other group, also have the highest HIV infection rate among women, both in and out of prison. Women make up a greater percentage of the HIV-positive prison population than men do, an overlooked issue. Yet prisons continue to be built at an alarming rate, although not fast enough to alleviate the miserable conditions of prison overcrowding. In California all federal prisons operate at more than 200 percent capacity."
Thanks California Prison Focus and Act UP NY's for links and info.
Psychiatrists Not Against AIDS
Psychiatrists Not Against AIDS In Portugal and other European countries, although the State provides free needles, free medically-assisted clinics where addicts can shoot up in a safe environment, it's the medical establishment's attitudes that are holding up the fight against AIDS. A very recent case: despite free, no-questions-asked methadone(a well-known heroin replacement)most psychiatrists refuse to prescribe it.
Is this just a European problem?
CCR5
CCR5 This gene encodes for a protein on T cells that allows HIV to enter and replicate. It's also another reason why AIDS has less of an effect on European populations - 10-15% of Northern Europeans carry a defect that doesn't allow the attachment, so 1% or so is homozygous for the 'faulty' gene and appears to be completely resistant to HIV/AIDS.
"HIV is a metaphor for a lot of quasi-related phenomena,"
"HIV is a metaphor for a lot of quasi-related phenomena," says Val Turner, an AIDS analyst and senior consultant in emergency medicine at the Royal Perth Hospital in Perth, Australia. "No one has ever proved its existence as a virus."
Does this movement/theory/philosophy have any power behind it? It's scary nonetheless.
Does this movement/theory/philosophy have any power behind it? It's scary nonetheless.
Balm in Gilead
Balm in Gilead is an organization that hopes to mobilize Black churches into becoming community centers and resources for HIV/AIDS in African-American communities. While I applaud their efforts (especially considering how long Black churches remained silent on the impact of AIDS/HIV on our communities), their choice of hymn leaves a bit to be desired.
This is ground zero of the worst epidemic in the history of humanity.
This is ground zero of the worst epidemic in the history of humanity. The Globe and Mail reports on AIDS in Botswana, where 38.5% of the adult population is infected (52% of those between 19 and 29). And yet, even here, there is reason to hope: a mobilized population, a government on-side, and ambitious research programs.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt
The AIDS Memorial Quilt has an official website. Its quilt image database is browsable and searchable by name, and includes images of over 42,960 individual panels, each in honor of a lost loved one.
It's an utterly amazing testament to those claimed by the disease, and to those who have survived them.
It's an utterly amazing testament to those claimed by the disease, and to those who have survived them.
Ever wonder what HIV-1 looks like?
Ever wonder what HIV-1 looks like? (scroll down). All the Virology on the WWW contains reams and reams of information on HIV and AIDS, including the aforementioned pictures and a prodigious list o' links, amongst other info.
Sensing that improved drug treatments were breeding a new recklessness, the AIDS Committee of Toronto launched an ad campaign, aimed at gay males, with an old message: use a condom. Are people today aware of the dangers of unsafe sex, or is this simply one of those messages that can't be repeated enough?
Are HIV and AIDS really linked?
Are HIV and AIDS really linked? There is a large (and growing) movement that questions many of the traditionally accepted notions of HIV/AIDS. Led by respected researchers, groups such as VirusMyth and Aids Reality Check fight what they see as a "misinformation campaign" that has misled the public about the realities of AIDS and HIV. (Even to the point of supporting South African president Thabo Mbeki's refusal to declare AIDS a national emergency, despite the ravaging effects of the disease in that country, regardless of how it's caused.)
michael dowling's medicine wheel
michael dowling's medicine wheel (scroll down) an annual event on world aids day in boston -- md creates a labyrinthe/medicine wheel to honour the dead and help the living remember. what are your cities doing for a day without art?
TheBody.Com
TheBody.Com is one of the most comprehensive sites available on AIDS and HIV. It explains everything you'd want to know including demographics, vaccines and other treatments, testing, and exactly what HIV and AIDS are for those of us without PhDs. Most importantly, it talks about prevention.
The Origins of AIDS
The Origins of AIDS AIDS has become such a commonplace thing, hence the need for days like today. When is the last time you thought of how HIV/AIDS came about? Have you ever? Such interesting tidbits as the fact that it's been documented to 1959 can be found here.
afraid to get tested?
afraid to get tested? don't be. these are stories of all our HIV tests. it's always hard, but it's worth it. keep yourself safe, keep your lover safe.
Injection drug use causes HIV, and we know how to prevent it . . . but it's not happening
Injection drug use causes HIV, and we know how to prevent it . . . but it's not happening In the US, 29% of HIV infections are the result of injection drug use (IDU). Preventing IDU HIV infections can be done, and has been done, through needle exchange programs. Only problem: These programs are typically illegal and can't be funded with Federal AIDS prevention monies. The majority of children with AIDS, who make terribly sympathetic "victims of AIDS"--witness the 1990 Ryan White AIDS CARE Act--are the children of injection drug users. We'll spend money to take care of these sick children, but we won't spend money to prevent then from getting sick (to say nothing of preventing their parents from getting sick and dying). What's wrong here?
Capitalism as a basis for natural selection?
Capitalism as a basis for natural selection? Third world countries are getting pasted because major pharmacutical companies won't cut their profit lines on HIV/AIDS fighting drugs.
With infection rates verging on genocidal levels in Africa (with 62% of the world's infections), at what point does bottom line economics cross bottom line humanity? And does anyone else find it strange that a plague has teamed with profit margins to create a new paradigm for unnatural selection?
BBC News Online 'AIDS around the World" special section
BBC News Online 'AIDS around the World" special section The numbers, displayed by region, and with links to relevant stories. I find it's the numbers that bring so much of the reality home.
"Almost 10,000 people will die today from AIDS,"
"Almost 10,000 people will die today from AIDS," says Eric Sawyer, founding member of ACT UP NY. (AIDs Coalition to Unleash Power is "a diverse, non-partisan group of individuals united in anger and committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis.")
To celebrate World AIDS Day, MetaFilter is going to focus solely on HIV and AIDS related posts for the next 24 hours. Like last year's Day Without Weblogs on MetaFilter, this year's Link and Think project asks everyone to think about the issues surrounding this disease, how it has affected you, others, and the world. Feel free to share information on prevention, research, or anything else related to the topic at hand.