February 19, 2002
Waste a couple of hours at Mrs. Neugast's Fan Worship Page and reminisce about the celebrities you worshipped in your wasted, pasty youth. Be sure to spend some time browsing in the Gallery of Fine Art and Graven Images. (via scrubbles)
Tale of the Radioactive Boy Scout.
Tale of the Radioactive Boy Scout. As the article says, nobody really needs an unsafe homemade nuclear reactor, especially one made of duct tape an aluminum foil. That didn't stop one teenager from trying....
Mickey Mouse draws "get out of jail" card.
Mickey Mouse draws "get out of jail" card. US Supremes agree to hear challenge to the 1998 "Sonny Bono" retroactive copyright extension.
High school drinking game
High school drinking game becomes corporate-sponsored tournament. What's next? Bizz Buzz Bang in the Olympics?
First Monday
First Monday has not been mentioned since September 16, 1999 (no comments), but it's still timely and intellectual. In this issue, "Technological and Social Drivers of Change in the Online Music Industry".
Tariq Ramadan: The Muslim Martin Luther?
Tariq Ramadan: The Muslim Martin Luther? Tariq Ramadan is not a household name in the United States, but the Swiss professor could be one of the most important intellectuals in the world. Ramadan's thinking, his methods and his personal history are all connected to the same question: Islam's encounter with the modern world. Can the youngest of the world's three great monotheisms co-exist harmoniously with the Western world and its Enlightenment legacy? Or is it fated to be reactionary, closed off from the world, an excuse for terrorism and failure? (From alt.muslim, Salon Premium required to read full text)
Musharraf berates the Muslim world
Musharraf berates the Muslim world - "Today we are the poorest, the most illiterate, the most backward, the most unhealthy, the most un-enlightened, the most deprived, and the weakest of all the human race"
Slumber, my catkins, my get, my make -
Slumber, my catkins, my get, my make - Holding you close, I'll be here when you wake -
Softly sleep, softly dream, mother is nigh -
Sleep tightly and dream to my purr lullaby. - Paul Gallico.
Multiethnic Barbie.
Multiethnic Barbie. (picture) ""It would be really boring if there were all white people," says the fourth-grader, who also likes her dolls to portray people she knows - from her half-Asian cousins to classmates of all races." Of course, nobody she knows probably has Barbie's proportions...
"This war would never have happened had I been president."
"This war would never have happened had I been president." Ralph Nader being interviewed by the Chicago Tribune yesterday. [reg. req'd] Nader says, "because for 30 years we have had an aviation safety group, and we have been urging the airlines to toughen cockpit doors and improve the strength of the locks, and they have been resisting for 30 years." [via Matt Welch.com]
Man, I need to go back to college!
Man, I need to go back to college! Berkeley students go to strip clubs and play "The Match Game" in a male sexuality class.
It seems like the Flight 587 conspiracy theorists had it wrong after all.
It seems like the Flight 587 conspiracy theorists had it wrong after all. Recently, the NTSB released preliminary findings on the crash of the American Airlines Airbus A-300 at Queens, NY and the evidence increasingly points to mechanical failure. Just in case you want to doubt them (as I did), the NTSB has posted photographs of the failed parts on their site. Intrestingly, a new alternative theory, puts the blame on grey market parts.
Finally, no more Miss Cleo commercials
Finally, no more Miss Cleo commercials as the Federal Trade Commission steps into to prosecute late-night TV's most popular psychic peddler. At first I thought if you dumb enough to call a psychic line, the gov't shouldn't be stepping in to block the charges, as the article notes the average call was $60, but they also note misleading "free reading" claims and crooked billing procedures. If you're making that kind of money, why resort to underhanded business practices? Even more obvious: why didn't she see this coming and change their ways?
Cow escapes slaughterhouse
Cow escapes slaughterhouse by scaling 6' fence and remains "at large" here in Cincinnati - this is too silly to make up. The good news is the cow doens't go back when it's found, dozens of people have put thier names in to take the fugitive cow in.
One hit wonders
One hit wonders was in my e-mail this morning. What others can you add to the list? about.com link, watch the pop-under.
So, has Stephen King lost it?
So, has Stephen King lost it? This guy seems to think so. Some would say he never had it. I think that while this guy makes a few valid points, he goes overboard, and brings up many things that just seem petty and silly, like he's trying to over-prove his theory, and increase the word count of the article. What do you think? (Side note: I wouldn't be surprised if "Richard Blow" becomes the name of a victim in a future King novel...).
Take It Easy
Take It Easy An online version of the award-winning board game Take It Easy. The highest possible score is 307 -- what can you get?
Have you called Enron lately?
Have you called Enron lately? Enron's new voice mail greeting. Cute.
Pentagon Readies Efforts to Sway Sentiment Abroad
Pentagon Readies Efforts to Sway Sentiment Abroad The latest in our propaganda war. Why not simply hire such notables as Britney Spears and other worthies to entertain, free, in countries that do not seem to appreciate what democracy and capitalism are able to showcase as why our system is so good?
Has anyone noticed the lack of hip-hop stars from flyover-country? There seem to be thriving scenes in Gary, Indiana, Philly, and other cities. (Oddly, there's a dearth of info on Chicago.)
Aside from a couple of well-known white rappers from the Motor City, the Geography of Hip-Hop remains fixated on NYC and LA and to a lesser extent, Miami and Atlanta.
Now there's plenty of urban life going on between the coasts, and I can't believe it's because there's no talent in the breadbasket country. So is it record company stupidity, bad promotion, what?
Get your Voltron on.
Get your Voltron on. Voltron is cool, and by cool, I mean totally sweet.
This
This might be taking the war on terrorism a little to far. Royal Marines get lost or should I say vamos. (Parden my french).
A Picture is worth a thousand words
A Picture is worth a thousand words
Jonathan Jones says America turns to Rockwell's idyllic images in times of trouble.
Remember This Guy from Tiananmen Square, June 5, 1989? A powerful image that seems to be linked to bravery and freedom in most stories I remember.
Now what about This Guy, A Palestinian boy throwing stones at an Israeli tank.
I'm not sure where the connection is here, but the tank images struck me as somewhat similiar to each other, yet, I imagine the two images will mean different things to different people.
I'm not sure what either tank image has to do with Rockwell, that's just the story that got me thinking.
Jonathan Jones says America turns to Rockwell's idyllic images in times of trouble.
Remember This Guy from Tiananmen Square, June 5, 1989? A powerful image that seems to be linked to bravery and freedom in most stories I remember.
Now what about This Guy, A Palestinian boy throwing stones at an Israeli tank.
I'm not sure where the connection is here, but the tank images struck me as somewhat similiar to each other, yet, I imagine the two images will mean different things to different people.
I'm not sure what either tank image has to do with Rockwell, that's just the story that got me thinking.
Be careful how you sing "My Way"
Be careful how you sing "My Way" After being ridiculed for an off-key version of My Way, the irate singer kills one heckler and wounds another. Philippine karaoke bars have begun to remove the song from their playlists as this was the climax of several violent incidents when this song was played.
One kid's mission to watch every post-apocalyptic movie ever made.
One kid's mission to watch every post-apocalyptic movie ever made. Conveniently, he sorts them by cause of the apocalypse: cyborgs; plague; zombies; nukes; and 'misc'. (The sixth link on the page - 'working' - turns out not to be one of the causes of the apocalypse, at least in Hollywood.) How would you like the world to end?
Want to be the first kid on the block to own a Segway?
Want to be the first kid on the block to own a Segway? Amazon and Dean Kamen are auctioning off three of them. All proceeds go to Dean's non-profit organization, FIRST.
What time was my flight?
What time was my flight? This is a collection of flight timetables through the ages from a large variety of countries - it also serves as a rather nice library of graphic deisgn from around the world. There are some nice links on the front page too.
And You Thought You Knew Your European Flags:
And You Thought You Knew Your European Flags: A depressing little exercise, guaranteed to expose the ignoramus in each and every one of us. Some of the countries themselves were news to me; never mind the friggin' flags![via Bifurcated Rivets]
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