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For anyone in "the know," it's no secret that Jack + Meg White are not brother and sister but actually are a divorced couple posing as siblings. Glorious Noise has posted a copy of their marriage certificate.

But aren't we all brothers and sisters in rock n' roll?
comment posted at 2:36 PM on May-26-02

Turner Classic Movies programs Harold Lloyd tribute. I've seen stills from "Safety Last" for years, but have never been able to track down the movie. Is it as good as all the critics say? I'm looking forward to finding out. What other old movies have you been wanting to see for years? (I keep meaning to get around to renting "The Bank Dick.") Along the same lines, what do you wish would be available on VHS/DVD?
comment posted at 3:27 PM on May-25-02
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comment posted at 3:58 PM on May-25-02

Hiding in the bathroom at work? Well, surprisingly, it looks like you're in the minority.
comment posted at 3:37 PM on May-25-02

Did Fight Club influence Lucas John Helder? "... in connecting the dots between the places where Helder planted his pipe bombs, one ends up with something resembling a smiley face—an image etched by anarchists in Fight Club on a building they had set fire to... If there were an instruction manual for the angst-ridden young people searching for meaning, Fight Club might be it... [It] might very well be the Catcher in the Rye for those belonging to Generation Y..." (via Dead Yet Living)
comment posted at 12:14 PM on May-24-02

Buddhist mandalas? Abstract doodles? Alien snow crystals? Nope. Just some amazing scientific art from Art Forms in Nature, published between 1899 and 1904 by zoologist Ernst Haeckel. Lots more early biological art at this scientist's public domain archive. Unfortunately, Haeckel also helped provide the philosophical foundation for Nazism. Hey, no one's perfect.
comment posted at 11:43 AM on May-24-02
comment posted at 1:30 PM on May-24-02

Lyudmila Putina and Laura Bush apparently forgetting there are cameras around. Switching gears now, for the smokers out there: just drink water, and you'll be able to satisfy that nicotine craving and quench your thirst with a single hand motion.
comment posted at 8:29 AM on May-24-02

Even if it works, using the detah penalty as deterrent is morally flawed The mere fact that an orthodontist in Cleveland feels more anxious about crime shouldn't make the state more "right" to take a life. And, if you are in favor of the death penalty, the mere fact that the same orthodontist feels comfortable leaving his door unlocked shouldn't mean that a murderer should pay less of a price for killing a child.
comment posted at 6:47 AM on May-24-02
comment posted at 8:02 AM on May-24-02

Can dropping out of school be a good career move? According to Fabula magazine some teenagers can thrive if they leave state education and endeavor to teach themselves at home. This is 'unschooling' and the writer seems to think it's becoming an increasingly popular way to go: "Unschoolers can read what they want, volunteer, do internships, or become an apprentice. The can also write a novel, tackle advanced math problems, go on hikes, or even audit classes in college (which are very different from high school classes). The point is to do whatever they’re excited about." Which sounds fine in theory, however how are they going to survive in the job market? I'm having enough issues and I've a degree and six years experience in a number of positions. Sooner or later surely things will come home to roost for them eventually. Won't they?
comment posted at 12:55 PM on May-23-02

Very cool artwork made out of pieces of toast of various done-ness. "The toaster toasts and when it does this it reproduces itself." If I had a nickel for every time I made that observation. (via Bifurcated Rivets)
comment posted at 10:53 AM on May-23-02

Coming soon to a supermarket checkout lane near you -- E Ink Corporation's "Ink in Motion" displays will look like a piece of cardboard (like the back of a chewing gum display box), but will flash a graphic at you. To follow: larger indoor and outdoor signage, screens on PDA devices, etc. Better angle visibility, brightness, contrast, than electronic screens; runs forever on a small battery. Comprehensive and informative site about technology that has gotten little attention but could revolutionize display technology, the sign business, point-of-purchase marketing, and publishing. (Previous 2001 MeFi mention in a comment but much new info.)
comment posted at 9:56 AM on May-23-02

Assistant's Revenge So she got fired! But she did get to tell her boss off in the New York Post!
comment posted at 8:22 AM on May-23-02
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comment posted at 1:10 PM on May-23-02

ANTI-BUSH BACKLASH BUILDS Whores, For Once, Outraged At Dubya's Bullying, Scare Tactics Bush Likened to Wizard of Oz Even Paula Zahn Objects! Do you agree the latest warnings have as much to do with diversion as legitimate warnings?
comment posted at 1:38 PM on May-22-02

I had trouble sleeping Saturday night because of a CNN story suggesting that "increased level of chatter and activity" indicated that "another al Qaeda terrorist operation could be in the works." The "warnings" have been coming ever since: Cheney said Sunday that future attacks were "almost a certainty" and FBI director Robert Mueller stated "we will not be able to stop it", with Ridge and Rumsfeld spinning similar tales today. Is there a new threat? Ridge hasn't changed the nation's security alert from "yellow," and AP reported today that "a top White House aide said last week's criticism prompted a two-pronged political response: Bush accused Democrats of playing politics with the issue as his advisers reminded voters that America is still a target."
comment posted at 10:38 AM on May-21-02

Starving Bacteria of Iron Helps Wipe Out Body Odor. Scientists find that blocking bacteria's supply of iron works better at suppressing B.O. than the traditional deodorant method off killing off the bacteria with ethanol.

"expert odor assessors who sniffed the participants' armpits found that the experimental combination worked better than ethanol at reducing odor, with longer-lasting effects."

Just when you think *your* job stinks. Now, when will they come up with a way to suppress the Indian cooking odor in my apartment building?
comment posted at 10:03 AM on May-21-02

A sad day for lovers of good writing. In addition to Stephen Jay Gould, historian Walter Lord has died. (NYT, blah blah) Lord's 1955 book A Night to Remember arguably touched off the modern world's fascination with the Titanic, and his 1957 Day of Infamy is an exciting account of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
comment posted at 6:51 AM on May-21-02
comment posted at 6:52 AM on May-21-02

More from the Textual Analysis Department: Spiderman as class warrior. "This battle of good vs. evil features the alter egos of an orphan raised by financially-strapped working class relatives versus an egotistical corporate executive."
comment posted at 5:39 AM on May-17-02

Getting ready to fast this weekend. We go on vacations from work to relax, recharge, and to gain new perspectives on our life; why not take occasional breaks from food? I do this about every two years and it always seems to "reset" my body and more importantly my mind. Anyone else have fasting experience?
comment posted at 12:30 PM on May-16-02
comment posted at 1:38 PM on May-16-02

Shakey: Neil Young's Biography. . . Any big Neil Young fan, and I have to admit to being one, also spends a lot of time hating a lot of his artistic output (i. e. the cringe-enducing Let's Roll, as well as his all-over-the-map politics. In the LATimes book review Hal Epsen mentions that the reliably perverse Young has been a staunch Reagan supporter and proponent of the death penalty, as well as a devoted husband and a stalwart parent to three kids, two of whom were born with cerebral palsy. He also asserts that Young appeals almost wholly to male listeners. Young has been discussed here before but not, I believe his biography, which, as has been Neil Young's M. O. from the get-go, is a dictionary-perfect example of a "mixed bag."
comment posted at 9:42 AM on May-16-02
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comment posted at 12:48 PM on May-16-02

How to work a room - tips for networking. Also useful for parties! The graphics aren't beautiful, but they make effective use of the web to communicate something which is easily forgotten after a live presentation.
comment posted at 8:43 AM on May-16-02
comment posted at 10:58 AM on May-16-02

New Hope? Cancerous cells isolated by freezing, then killed with drugs. From the Independentco.uk (via New Scientist)
comment posted at 7:17 AM on May-16-02

Born to Run? A group of New Jersey political activists announced a plan to draft Bruce Springsteen to run for the U.S. Senate "as a true representative of the state". But there is a big problem: no one has talked to the Boss about the idea. "Senator Springsteen": how does that sound?
comment posted at 8:44 AM on May-15-02

UnificationChurch Under Siege in Brazil Rev. Moon's massive land purchases lead to major search-and-seizure operation. Money laundering and other no-no activities. This cult, the Avis to Scientology's Hertz, has paid President Bush I handsome money to speak in their behalf when they began operations in Brazil. They also own the Washington Times, Insight Magazine and many many other businesses, including a university, jewelry stores nationwide, and a ballet company. Their found, Rev. Moon, a convicted felon (taxes). Rumored to get money from Japanese mob to do their conservative activities, and now want to open car plant in China. Gone the days of merely selling roses.
comment posted at 12:40 PM on May-14-02

Sopranos Coming Back September 15. Season 4 will be airing only a month after Season 3 comes out on DVD. Finally! More Sopranos news than Robert Iler getting pinched for being stupid.
comment posted at 10:53 AM on May-14-02

Is It Racism If You Admit You're A Racist But Decry Racist Behaviour? Geoffrey Sampson, Professor of Natural Language Computing at the University of Sussex in the UK is likely to be sacked from the Conservative Party for his defense of "racialism" as a legitimate human emotion. In an interview on this morninn's BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme, he said recognising people's racial prejudices is a scientific fact has nothing to do with espousing discriminatory behaviour. The Observer coyly shrank from linking Sampson's offending article but it wasn't difficult to find: here it is. Judge for yourselves.[My two cents and a question for UK Mefis: as a conservative, I'm quite impressed with Ian Duncan-Smith's(the new Tory leader's)efforts to dissociate himself from the Tory Party's reactionary bastions(e.g.The Monday Club) and attitudes. Is it just a pose, electioneering or is there something to it?]
comment posted at 11:14 AM on May-13-02

"The smartest scientist on the planet." [NYT reg req] "Conducting experiments on a computer, where he says he has logged 100 million keystrokes in the last 10 years, Mr. Wolfram wrote simple programs that generated odd and intricate patterns to test his ideas about complexity. He argues that natural phenomena can be explored as if they were, in fact, computer programs." Stephen Wolfram's own company (Wolfram Media Inc.) is now publishing his 1,197-page book - "A New Kind Science " - which was kept secret until now. They claim "..he is proposing a paradigm shift. A new twist on everything.." in explaining how the universe operates. Sounds big. Is it really?
comment posted at 7:30 PM on May-11-02

Bahrain bans Al Jazeera TV Help me out on this one. Al Jazeera is said in the West to be very pro-Arab in all things. Now it is banned in a country that says it is moving toward becoming democratic (even allowing women to vote). Is there a contradiction in banning media as you move toward democarcy, or am I perhaps spoiled by my highschool teachers. NOTE: this is NO troll.
comment posted at 7:34 PM on May-11-02

Lane Splitting 101. Do you ride? Do you commute on your bike? Are you insane enough to split lanes? Or... Do you drive? Do lane-splitting bikes piss you off? Do they give you heart attacks?
comment posted at 10:23 AM on May-10-02
comment posted at 10:41 AM on May-10-02

Cyril Connolly , who once quipped, with himself in mind, Whom the gods wish to destroy they first call promising, wrote The Unquiet Grave, of which Ernest Hemingway wrote, A book which, no matter how many readers it will ever have, will never have enough. For one, I am curious what smilar books you would add to Hemingway’s nascent list, and for another, what you may have regarding Connolly. (More within)
comment posted at 6:15 AM on May-10-02
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comment posted at 12:16 PM on May-10-02

time to park the SUV and ride your bike to work? or turn off the computer for the for the weekend?
comment posted at 12:21 PM on May-10-02

Those free weekly alternative-press newspapers in your city? They suck. On the anniversary of Baltimore's City Paper, a writer celebrates by calling for change. Not just at Baltimore's paper, but at all alt-weeklies. That means you, Austin Chronicle, and Riverfront Times, and...
comment posted at 9:47 AM on May-9-02

I Am a Racially Profiling Doctor "In practicing medicine, I am not colorblind. I always take note of my patient's race. So do many of my colleagues. We do it because certain diseases and treatment responses cluster by ethnicity." (NYTimes link)
comment posted at 12:59 PM on May-8-02
comment posted at 1:52 PM on May-8-02

Those Malignant Musical Tumours Lodging, Growing In Your Brain! I came across this bulletin board while seeking to update two of my favourite 2001 posts: the May 10 and the October 10 threads about earworms - those annoying, infectious songs that get stuck in your brain and slowly destroy it. Here's a working link to the relevant article, since the one on this last post is broken. [My AAARGH! list inside.]
comment posted at 8:42 AM on May-8-02