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Thursday, June 30, 2005Swallowing A Camera
The ‘Nine-metre web object’ is a component of ‘Host – Guest Plus Host Equals Ghost’ – an ongoing project concerned with a fantastic voyage undertaken by an ingested camera during capsule endoscopy. The web object is a composite, combining numerous images produced during the seven and a half hour, nine-metre journey of a peristalsis controlled, auto-documenting camera.
(via WFMU's Beware of the Blog)Swallowing A Camera
The ‘Nine-metre web object’ is a component of ‘Host – Guest Plus Host Equals Ghost’ – an ongoing project concerned with a fantastic voyage undertaken by an ingested camera during capsule endoscopy. The web object is a composite, combining numerous images produced during the seven and a half hour, nine-metre journey of a peristalsis controlled, auto-documenting camera.
(via WFMU's Beware of the Blog)Safari Gallery I am not against hunting but these people just seem like assholes to me. (via del.icio.us/ethanb) Safari GalleryI am not against hunting but these people just seem like assholes to me. (via del.icio.us/ethanb) Things Republican Believe
The United States should get out of the United
Nations, and our highest
national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions
against Iraq.
Etc. etc.A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton. Things Republican Believe
The United States should get out of the United
Nations, and our highest
national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions
against Iraq.
Etc. etc.A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton. Capitalism and CowsOld joke but still very funny.
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM -- You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the
income.
Etc. etc. From The Phineas T. Manbottle Library of Arcane Knowledge and Questionable HumorAN AMERICAN CORPORATION -- You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when the cow drops dead. FRENCH CORPORATION -- You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows. A JAPANESE CORPORATION -- You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create clever cow cartoon images called Cowkimon(tm) and market them world-wide. Capitalism and CowsOld joke but still very funny.
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM -- You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the
income.
Etc. etc. From The Phineas T. Manbottle Library of Arcane Knowledge and Questionable HumorAN AMERICAN CORPORATION -- You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when the cow drops dead. FRENCH CORPORATION -- You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows. A JAPANESE CORPORATION -- You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create clever cow cartoon images called Cowkimon(tm) and market them world-wide. Anti-Japanese Propaganda War Posters
The following posters were garnished from a number of sources. Most of these posters were taken off of private or public pages on the internet. All of these posters can be found through government databases on the internet.
(via Boing Boing)Anti-Japanese Propaganda War Posters
The following posters were garnished from a number of sources. Most of these posters were taken off of private or public pages on the internet. All of these posters can be found through government databases on the internet.
(via Boing Boing)Wednesday, June 29, 2005The Scoville Scale
A scale developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912, to measure the heat level in chillies. It was first a subjective taste test, but since, it has been refined by the use of HPLC, the unit is named in honour of its inventor.
The Scoville Scale
A scale developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912, to measure the heat level in chillies. It was first a subjective taste test, but since, it has been refined by the use of HPLC, the unit is named in honour of its inventor.
The Jivaro HeadsExplorer F.W. Up de Graff's account of a Jivaro head hunting raid in 1897.
The enemy having left their dead and dying behind them in their flight, the victors dashed forward to seize the most highly treasured of the spoils of battle -- the heads of the enemy slain. With stone-axes and split bamboo knives, sharpened clam-shells (rubbed to a keen edge on sand-stone), and chonta-wood machetes, they went from corpse to corpse, gathering and stringing their gruesome emblems of victory.
Excerpt from Head Hunters of the Amazon: Seven Years of Exploration and Adventure, available for download for free here.
Indeed I myself happened to watch the fate of a Huambiza woman who had fallen in the fight wounded by three spears. Little did we imagine what the ultimate issue might prove to be, when we attacked that morning. The woman lay where she had been borne down by the spear-thrusts. The Aguarunas, eager to collect her head, went to work while she was still alive, though powerless to protect herself. While one wrenched at her head another held her to the ground, and yet another hacked at her neck with his stone-axe. Finally I was called upon to lend my machete, a far better implement for the work in hand. This was truly an act of mercy, to put the poor creature out of her misery as soon as possible. It was a truly hideous spectacle. But it must be remembered that had we attempted interference, we were but five in a horde of fiends, crazed by blood and lust. When at last the head was severed, it was strung with the one other which had fallen to the lot of our party. This stringing of the heads is in itself an art, the object of which is to facilitate their transportation. They are strung on thin lengths of pliable bark stripped from some nearby sapling, which make a first-rate substitute for the hempen cord of civilization. These bark-ropes are passed through the mouth and out at the neck. The Jivaro HeadsExplorer F.W. Up de Graff's account of a Jivaro head hunting raid in 1897.
The enemy having left their dead and dying behind them in their flight, the victors dashed forward to seize the most highly treasured of the spoils of battle -- the heads of the enemy slain. With stone-axes and split bamboo knives, sharpened clam-shells (rubbed to a keen edge on sand-stone), and chonta-wood machetes, they went from corpse to corpse, gathering and stringing their gruesome emblems of victory.
Excerpt from Head Hunters of the Amazon: Seven Years of Exploration and Adventure, available for download for free here.
Indeed I myself happened to watch the fate of a Huambiza woman who had fallen in the fight wounded by three spears. Little did we imagine what the ultimate issue might prove to be, when we attacked that morning. The woman lay where she had been borne down by the spear-thrusts. The Aguarunas, eager to collect her head, went to work while she was still alive, though powerless to protect herself. While one wrenched at her head another held her to the ground, and yet another hacked at her neck with his stone-axe. Finally I was called upon to lend my machete, a far better implement for the work in hand. This was truly an act of mercy, to put the poor creature out of her misery as soon as possible. It was a truly hideous spectacle. But it must be remembered that had we attempted interference, we were but five in a horde of fiends, crazed by blood and lust. When at last the head was severed, it was strung with the one other which had fallen to the lot of our party. This stringing of the heads is in itself an art, the object of which is to facilitate their transportation. They are strung on thin lengths of pliable bark stripped from some nearby sapling, which make a first-rate substitute for the hempen cord of civilization. These bark-ropes are passed through the mouth and out at the neck. History of the Shuar
Although there were many headhunting cultures throughout the world, only one group was known for ancient practice of shrinking human heads (tsantsa). They were called the Jivaro clan who lived deep in the Ecuadorian, and neighboring Peruvian Amazon. The Jivaros are one of the most primitive societies that have caught the attention of the Western world because of their unusual customs.
History of the Shuar
Although there were many headhunting cultures throughout the world, only one group was known for ancient practice of shrinking human heads (tsantsa). They were called the Jivaro clan who lived deep in the Ecuadorian, and neighboring Peruvian Amazon. The Jivaros are one of the most primitive societies that have caught the attention of the Western world because of their unusual customs.
The 365 Days Project
One MP3 a day... for one year. Archived bi-weekly.
And what mp3s they are!(via del.icio.us/huffa) The 365 Days Project
One MP3 a day... for one year. Archived bi-weekly.
And what mp3s they are!(via del.icio.us/huffa) Canada Lawmakers Approve Gay Marriage BillThose damn neighbors to the north with their funny colored money, the way they tack 'eh' to the end of every sentence and their government with some common sense.
TORONTO - Canada would become only the third country in the world to legalize gay marriage under landmark legislation passed in the House of Commons in spite of fierce opposition from Conservatives and religious leaders.
The bill would grant same-sex couples legal rights equal to those in traditional unions between a man and a woman, something already legal in a majority of Canadian provinces. The legislation drafted by Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority Liberal Party government was also expected to easily pass the Senate and become federal law by the end of July. Canada Lawmakers Approve Gay Marriage BillThose damn neighbors to the north with their funny colored money, the way they tack 'eh' to the end of every sentence and their government with some common sense.
TORONTO - Canada would become only the third country in the world to legalize gay marriage under landmark legislation passed in the House of Commons in spite of fierce opposition from Conservatives and religious leaders.
The bill would grant same-sex couples legal rights equal to those in traditional unions between a man and a woman, something already legal in a majority of Canadian provinces. The legislation drafted by Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority Liberal Party government was also expected to easily pass the Senate and become federal law by the end of July. President Bush's Speech
And the larger purpose of our involvement has always been to help the nations of The Middle East become independent and stand alone, self-sustaining, as members of a great world community - at peace with themselves, and at peace with all others.
Ok, I lied. Actually the above speech is from Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam Renunciation Speech on March 31, 1968. I put in bold the words I changed. Just replace Vietnam where you see Iraq and Asia where you see The Middle East. The names change but the rhetoric stays the same. With such an Iraq, our country-and the world will be far more secure than it is tonight. I believe that a peaceful Middle East is far nearer to reality because of what America has done in Iraq. l believe that the men who endure the dangers of battle fighting there for us tonight - are helping the entire world avoid far greater conflicts, far wider wars, far more destruction, than this one. The peace that will bring them home someday will come. Here is another speech by LBJ:
And throughout this entire long period I have been sustained by a single principle: that what we are doing now in Vietnam is vital not only to the security of Southeast Asia but it is vital to the security of every American....
And Bush last night:
"It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country."
Let the President Bush's Speech
And the larger purpose of our involvement has always been to help the nations of The Middle East become independent and stand alone, self-sustaining, as members of a great world community - at peace with themselves, and at peace with all others.
Ok, I lied. Actually the above speech is from Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam Renunciation Speech on March 31, 1968. I put in bold the words I changed. Just replace Vietnam where you see Iraq and Asia where you see The Middle East. The names change but the rhetoric stays the same. With such an Iraq, our country-and the world will be far more secure than it is tonight. I believe that a peaceful Middle East is far nearer to reality because of what America has done in Iraq. l believe that the men who endure the dangers of battle fighting there for us tonight - are helping the entire world avoid far greater conflicts, far wider wars, far more destruction, than this one. The peace that will bring them home someday will come. Here is another speech by LBJ:
And throughout this entire long period I have been sustained by a single principle: that what we are doing now in Vietnam is vital not only to the security of Southeast Asia but it is vital to the security of every American....
And Bush last night:
"It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country."
Let the Tuesday, June 28, 2005Developer wants 'Lost Liberty Hotel' built upon property of David SouterHA!
A private developer contacted the local government in Supreme Court Justice David Souter's hometown in New Hampshire yesterday asking that the property of the judge – who voted in favor of a controversial decision allowing a city to take residents' homes for private development – be seized to make room for a new hotel.
(via Waxy)Logan Darrow Clements faxed a request to Chip Meany, the code enforcement officer of the town of Weare, N.H., seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road, the present location of Souter's home. Wrote Clements: "Although this property is owned by an individual, David H. Souter, a recent Supreme Court decision, Kelo v. City of New London, clears the way for this land to be taken by the government of Weare through eminent domain and given to my LLC for the purposes of building a hotel. The justification for such an eminent domain action is that our hotel will better serve the public interest as it will bring in economic development and higher tax revenue to Weare." Developer wants 'Lost Liberty Hotel' built upon property of David SouterHA!
A private developer contacted the local government in Supreme Court Justice David Souter's hometown in New Hampshire yesterday asking that the property of the judge – who voted in favor of a controversial decision allowing a city to take residents' homes for private development – be seized to make room for a new hotel.
(via Waxy)Logan Darrow Clements faxed a request to Chip Meany, the code enforcement officer of the town of Weare, N.H., seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road, the present location of Souter's home. Wrote Clements: "Although this property is owned by an individual, David H. Souter, a recent Supreme Court decision, Kelo v. City of New London, clears the way for this land to be taken by the government of Weare through eminent domain and given to my LLC for the purposes of building a hotel. The justification for such an eminent domain action is that our hotel will better serve the public interest as it will bring in economic development and higher tax revenue to Weare." How To Simulate Life In The NavyIn only 53 steps.
6. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays turn your water temperature up to
200 degrees, then on Tuesday and Thursday turn it down to 10 degrees. On
Saturdays, and Sundays declare to your entire family that they used too
much water during the week, so all showering is secured.
(via del.icio.us/tankgirl72)How To Simulate Life In The NavyIn only 53 steps.
6. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays turn your water temperature up to
200 degrees, then on Tuesday and Thursday turn it down to 10 degrees. On
Saturdays, and Sundays declare to your entire family that they used too
much water during the week, so all showering is secured.
(via del.icio.us/tankgirl72)Pregnant Animal Gallery
I don't want to see the google search queries I get after posting this site.
Welcome to my site! My name is Simon 'Skunky' Morrison, and I very love animals. Probably it looks bizarre, but I very much like to see pregnant animals. I very much love to look at their huge, distended bellys. I have female dog named Marta, and each year she becomes pregnant, and I very like to observe her and touch her inflated belly. It's great!
Now, I want to show you my collection of photos of pregnant animals. Some of them I have found in the Internet, some has scanned from magazines, and some has made myself. There is even one pregnant Marta's photo!
(via Boing Boing)Pregnant Animal Gallery
I don't want to see the google search queries I get after posting this site.
Welcome to my site! My name is Simon 'Skunky' Morrison, and I very love animals. Probably it looks bizarre, but I very much like to see pregnant animals. I very much love to look at their huge, distended bellys. I have female dog named Marta, and each year she becomes pregnant, and I very like to observe her and touch her inflated belly. It's great!
Now, I want to show you my collection of photos of pregnant animals. Some of them I have found in the Internet, some has scanned from magazines, and some has made myself. There is even one pregnant Marta's photo!
(via Boing Boing)How To Build Your Own R2D2 I would just end up using this to bring me drinks and food on its head. Kind of like how Jabba used R2 in Return of the Jedi. How To Build Your Own R2D2I would just end up using this to bring me drinks and food on its head. Kind of like how Jabba used R2 in Return of the Jedi. Dark Side of Oz
A detailed look into if Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" matches up to The Wizard of Oz.
I've done this experiment quite a few times, and I'll have to admit that there are a lot of coincidental events and themes. Although Pink Floyd has never admitted to doing such a thing (except Roger, who stays quiet when asked), there are just a few points that should be examined. I guess you'll just have to come to your own conclusion. It's just the way it is with this band. But one thing this experiment does do is bring the theme of The Dark Side to life, whether it was intentional or not. In other words, IT'S WORTH DOING! This page was brought to life to explore a possible theme for this great controversy. Hope you enjoy the show!
(via del.icio.us/hschottm)Dark Side of Oz
A detailed look into if Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" matches up to The Wizard of Oz.
I've done this experiment quite a few times, and I'll have to admit that there are a lot of coincidental events and themes. Although Pink Floyd has never admitted to doing such a thing (except Roger, who stays quiet when asked), there are just a few points that should be examined. I guess you'll just have to come to your own conclusion. It's just the way it is with this band. But one thing this experiment does do is bring the theme of The Dark Side to life, whether it was intentional or not. In other words, IT'S WORTH DOING! This page was brought to life to explore a possible theme for this great controversy. Hope you enjoy the show!
(via del.icio.us/hschottm)Is It Normal?A website where people submit questions and readers will then decide if it is normal or not. Here is an example of one of the questions:
Sometimes when i talk to strangers i get an urge to punch them in the face to watch the aftermath..... Normal?
Sure!(via Linkfilter) Is It Normal?A website where people submit questions and readers will then decide if it is normal or not. Here is an example of one of the questions:
Sometimes when i talk to strangers i get an urge to punch them in the face to watch the aftermath..... Normal?
Sure!(via Linkfilter) Overlawyered's Case Against Bruce WayneOverlawyered takes a close look at Batman Begins and explains why Bruce Wayne would spend more time in court than in the batman suit. (Spoilers ahead)
"The Incredibles" made this point (Dec. 2 and links therein), but, with the critical and box-office success of the comic-book movie "Batman Begins," it's worth exploring how today's litigation culture would make sequels impossible in real life.
(via Linkfilter)The entire movie could be a "spot-the-issues" law school exam. And not just the easy ones, like Bruce Wayne getting prosecuted for arson for allegedly burning down his mansion. Overlawyered's Case Against Bruce WayneOverlawyered takes a close look at Batman Begins and explains why Bruce Wayne would spend more time in court than in the batman suit. (Spoilers ahead)
"The Incredibles" made this point (Dec. 2 and links therein), but, with the critical and box-office success of the comic-book movie "Batman Begins," it's worth exploring how today's litigation culture would make sequels impossible in real life.
(via Linkfilter)The entire movie could be a "spot-the-issues" law school exam. And not just the easy ones, like Bruce Wayne getting prosecuted for arson for allegedly burning down his mansion. The Animaris Rhinoceros Transport Be sure to check out the video of this beast moving.
The Animaris Rhinoceros Transport is a type of animal with a steel skeleton and a polyester skin. It looks as if there is a thick layer of sand coating the animal. It weighes 2. tons, but can be set into motion by one person. It stands 4.70 meters tall. Because of its height it catches enough wind to start moving.
(via Make:Blog)The Animaris Rhinoceros TransportBe sure to check out the video of this beast moving.
The Animaris Rhinoceros Transport is a type of animal with a steel skeleton and a polyester skin. It looks as if there is a thick layer of sand coating the animal. It weighes 2. tons, but can be set into motion by one person. It stands 4.70 meters tall. Because of its height it catches enough wind to start moving.
(via Make:Blog)Monday, June 27, 2005Weird But Amusing Flash I have given up trying to figure out how to explain this. (via del.icio.us/djwudi) Weird But Amusing FlashI have given up trying to figure out how to explain this. (via del.icio.us/djwudi) How do you kill a T-Rex?It is a question like this that make Ask Metafilter extremely addictive.(via del.icio.us/feaverish) How do you kill a T-Rex?It is a question like this that make Ask Metafilter extremely addictive.(via del.icio.us/feaverish) Chicks Love the Car
Welcome to the most comprehensive premiere 1989 Batmobile site.
The site is dedicated to Keaton Batmobile from the first two Batman Movies.
Here you will find images, games, toys (including the rare Richman's Toys Batmobile),.etc, everything you ever wanted to know about the Keaton Car.
You will also find information on Batman Forever Batmobile, Batman and and Robin Roadster, and Batman Begins Tumbler.
(via del.icio.us/Wysiwyg)Chicks Love the Car
Welcome to the most comprehensive premiere 1989 Batmobile site.
The site is dedicated to Keaton Batmobile from the first two Batman Movies.
Here you will find images, games, toys (including the rare Richman's Toys Batmobile),.etc, everything you ever wanted to know about the Keaton Car.
You will also find information on Batman Forever Batmobile, Batman and and Robin Roadster, and Batman Begins Tumbler.
(via del.icio.us/Wysiwyg)Bush's Speech Writer Very funny, until you realize that this guy is running the country. Oy. (via del.icio.us/evanr) Bush's Speech WriterVery funny, until you realize that this guy is running the country. Oy. (via del.icio.us/evanr) Top 10 Unbreakable Sports RecordsJoe Dimaggio's streak isn't on the list which is kind of surprising. Most records seem unbreakable until the moment when somebody breaks them.(via Drikoland) Top 10 Unbreakable Sports RecordsJoe Dimaggio's streak isn't on the list which is kind of surprising. Most records seem unbreakable until the moment when somebody breaks them.(via Drikoland) FedEx Furniture
FedEx Furniture is furniture put together by empty FedEx Boxes, and held together by fedex packaging supplies. All of the furniture seen here is 100% functional. The couch is standing/sleeping approved, I sleep on the bed every night, I eat at the dining table, and I work at the desk almost 20 hours a day.
(via del.icio.us/jamez)FedEx Furniture
FedEx Furniture is furniture put together by empty FedEx Boxes, and held together by fedex packaging supplies. All of the furniture seen here is 100% functional. The couch is standing/sleeping approved, I sleep on the bed every night, I eat at the dining table, and I work at the desk almost 20 hours a day.
(via del.icio.us/jamez)Propaganda Images From Soviet Magazines
There are about 700 pictures on this site. They come from a Soviet magazine "Radio" and were never published before on the Internet.
(via WFMU's Beware of the Blog)Propaganda Images From Soviet Magazines
There are about 700 pictures on this site. They come from a Soviet magazine "Radio" and were never published before on the Internet.
(via WFMU's Beware of the Blog)How To Build A Mouse Trap Car
The energy for a mouse-trap powered cars is stored in the mouse trap spring and it drives a wheel by some arrangement such as a string connected from the trap's jaws. There was a competition among the mechanical engineers at my University to build a mouse trap car that could travel the furthest.
(via Make:Blog)How To Build A Mouse Trap Car
The energy for a mouse-trap powered cars is stored in the mouse trap spring and it drives a wheel by some arrangement such as a string connected from the trap's jaws. There was a competition among the mechanical engineers at my University to build a mouse trap car that could travel the furthest.
(via Make:Blog)Sunday, June 26, 2005Why I Don't Blog Much On Weekends Reading blogs is an office recreational activity. Above is a graph of this blog's stats for the past month. Can you guess which days fall on the weekends? (Special thanks to Jason Kottke from Kottke.org for the big spike in the beginning of the month) Why I Don't Blog Much On WeekendsReading blogs is an office recreational activity. Above is a graph of this blog's stats for the past month. Can you guess which days fall on the weekends? (Special thanks to Jason Kottke from Kottke.org for the big spike in the beginning of the month) Why is the Violin So Hard to Play?
When you pluck a note on a guitar string, there isn't very much that can go wrong. You may not play the right note at the right time, of course, but a single note will always come out at the expected pitch, and sounding reasonably musical. When a beginner tries to play a violin, things are much more difficult. When a bow is drawn across a string, the result might be a musical note at the desired pitch, but on the other hand it might be an undesirable whistle, screech or graunch. This difference stems from a fundamental distinction between the physics of plucked and bowed strings.
(via del.icio.us/easternblot)Why is the Violin So Hard to Play?
When you pluck a note on a guitar string, there isn't very much that can go wrong. You may not play the right note at the right time, of course, but a single note will always come out at the expected pitch, and sounding reasonably musical. When a beginner tries to play a violin, things are much more difficult. When a bow is drawn across a string, the result might be a musical note at the desired pitch, but on the other hand it might be an undesirable whistle, screech or graunch. This difference stems from a fundamental distinction between the physics of plucked and bowed strings.
(via del.icio.us/easternblot)Exploring the Apollo Landing Sites
With the aid of a moderate-size telescope and a little imagination, you can revisit the Apollo landing sites, where humans first explored the surface of another world. While you can't see any of the hardware left on the Moon (seeing one of the lunar rovers from Earth would be like trying to see a grain of sand on a beach while flying high overhead in a jet airliner!), you can identify some of the craters, mountains, and other geological features near the landing sites. Most of the images you will see while exploring this page were taken from lunar orbit and are much clearer than Earthbound views, but many of the features you will see are visible in a backyard telescope with good seeing.
(via del.icio.us/stphnwt)Exploring the Apollo Landing Sites
With the aid of a moderate-size telescope and a little imagination, you can revisit the Apollo landing sites, where humans first explored the surface of another world. While you can't see any of the hardware left on the Moon (seeing one of the lunar rovers from Earth would be like trying to see a grain of sand on a beach while flying high overhead in a jet airliner!), you can identify some of the craters, mountains, and other geological features near the landing sites. Most of the images you will see while exploring this page were taken from lunar orbit and are much clearer than Earthbound views, but many of the features you will see are visible in a backyard telescope with good seeing.
(via del.icio.us/stphnwt)Iraq War Fatalities Animation
Iraq War Fatalities is a chart of the US and coalition military fatalities that have occurred in the war in Iraq since hte onset, mapped across the dimensions of time and space. It is an ongoing project that is updated regularly, and will continue to go on as long as the war does.
Iraq War Fatalities Animation
Iraq War Fatalities is a chart of the US and coalition military fatalities that have occurred in the war in Iraq since hte onset, mapped across the dimensions of time and space. It is an ongoing project that is updated regularly, and will continue to go on as long as the war does.
Being Sworn in on The QuranFrom CBS News:
North Carolina judges will be asked this week to decide if witnesses in state courtrooms can be sworn in on the Quran rather than a Bible.
I'm an atheist so if I ever had to testify I would like to be sworn in on The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales because let's face it. There isn't much difference between that and any religious book.The move comes after Guilford County judges rejected the Greensboro Islamic center's offer last week to donate copies of the Muslim holy book. The Administrative Office of the Courts will seek the opinion of the state's judges when they meet this week at judicial conferences in Asheville and Wrightsville Beach, AOC spokesman Dick Ellis said. Being Sworn in on The QuranFrom CBS News:
North Carolina judges will be asked this week to decide if witnesses in state courtrooms can be sworn in on the Quran rather than a Bible.
I'm an atheist so if I ever had to testify I would like to be sworn in on The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales because let's face it. There isn't much difference between that and any religious book.The move comes after Guilford County judges rejected the Greensboro Islamic center's offer last week to donate copies of the Muslim holy book. The Administrative Office of the Courts will seek the opinion of the state's judges when they meet this week at judicial conferences in Asheville and Wrightsville Beach, AOC spokesman Dick Ellis said. QuestionI saw Batman Begins yesterday and it is easily the best Batman movie since Tim Burton left the franchise. Very good except I ended up getting whiplash from the movie grinding to a halt every time Katie Holmes was onscreen. I haven't seen too many things that she has been on so I don't have much of a frame of reference but is she just a bad actress or am I simply sick of seeing her plastered on the news with cult recruiter boyfriend?QuestionI saw Batman Begins yesterday and it is easily the best Batman movie since Tim Burton left the franchise. Very good except I ended up getting whiplash from the movie grinding to a halt every time Katie Holmes was onscreen. I haven't seen too many things that she has been on so I don't have much of a frame of reference but is she just a bad actress or am I simply sick of seeing her plastered on the news with cult recruiter boyfriend?Friday, June 24, 2005Homemade F-16 Flight Simulator Impressive.
It happened some day in December of 1995. I was scanning magazines at a newspaper stand. Looking through an American PC games magazine, I saw an add for a homebuilt cockpit setup, 3-dimensional and with real panels and buttons. "Fly like the real pilots do!" the title screamed:
(via Metafilter)Being an enthusiastic flight simmer, I had already toyed with the idea of having switches and buttons arranged around my monitor to enhance the feeling of being there when taking off into the virtual skies. But this looked even better: Sitting inside a cockpit, joystick and throttles mounted left and right, and a monitor in front of me. I was infected. I tried to contact the makers of that cockpit kit, but it looked like they had gone out of business before even starting it: My e-mails and faxes remaind unanswered. So I had to take things into my own hands. Update: Also, from Metafilter commenters comes a few more related links. The A320 Project. Phenomenal. Project 757 Homemade F-16 Flight SimulatorImpressive.
It happened some day in December of 1995. I was scanning magazines at a newspaper stand. Looking through an American PC games magazine, I saw an add for a homebuilt cockpit setup, 3-dimensional and with real panels and buttons. "Fly like the real pilots do!" the title screamed:
(via Metafilter)Being an enthusiastic flight simmer, I had already toyed with the idea of having switches and buttons arranged around my monitor to enhance the feeling of being there when taking off into the virtual skies. But this looked even better: Sitting inside a cockpit, joystick and throttles mounted left and right, and a monitor in front of me. I was infected. I tried to contact the makers of that cockpit kit, but it looked like they had gone out of business before even starting it: My e-mails and faxes remaind unanswered. So I had to take things into my own hands. Update: Also, from Metafilter commenters comes a few more related links. The A320 Project. Phenomenal. Project 757 Hiroo Onoda Wikipedia's entry on Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese soldier who surrendered 29 years after the end of WW2.
Found by a Japanese student, Norio Suzuki, Onoda still refused to accept that the war was over unless he received orders to lay down his arms from his superior officer. Suzuki offered his help, and returned to Japan with photographs of himself and Onoda as proof of their encounter. In 1974 the Japanese government located Onoda's commanding officer, Major Taniguchi, who had since become a bookseller. He went to Lubang and informed Onoda of the defeat of Japan in WWII. Lieutenant Onoda emerged from the jungle 29 years after the end of World War II, and accepted the commanding officer's order of surrender in his dress uniform and sword, with his Arisaka rifle still in operating condition, 500 rounds of ammunition and several hand grenades.
Hiroo OnodaWikipedia's entry on Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese soldier who surrendered 29 years after the end of WW2.
Found by a Japanese student, Norio Suzuki, Onoda still refused to accept that the war was over unless he received orders to lay down his arms from his superior officer. Suzuki offered his help, and returned to Japan with photographs of himself and Onoda as proof of their encounter. In 1974 the Japanese government located Onoda's commanding officer, Major Taniguchi, who had since become a bookseller. He went to Lubang and informed Onoda of the defeat of Japan in WWII. Lieutenant Onoda emerged from the jungle 29 years after the end of World War II, and accepted the commanding officer's order of surrender in his dress uniform and sword, with his Arisaka rifle still in operating condition, 500 rounds of ammunition and several hand grenades.
Tiki Central Forums
Ok ok, last Tiki post for the day. But if you can't get enough Tiki talk, there is always the Tiki Forums. Tiki Central Forums
Ok ok, last Tiki post for the day. But if you can't get enough Tiki talk, there is always the Tiki Forums. Freaky Over Tiki A good article on Tiki's revival.
Much like the “Star Trek” phenomenon, Tiki is a completely imaginary, 100 percent fabricated culture. Lovingly and whimsically created by the purveyors of midcentury pop culture, Tiki is essentially “Polynesian pop” — a conglomeration of American kitsch and authentic art from the Pacific Islands.
According to Tiki expert James Teitelbaum of Chicago, author of the just published Tiki Road Trip, Polynesian influences began trickling into American culture as early as the 1930s, but didn’t reach a fevered pitch until after World War II, when soldiers stationed overseas brought home tales and souvenirs of exotic paradises in the Pacific. James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific was a best seller, South Pacific was a Broadway smash and there were similar hits at the movie theater and (eventually) on TV. When Hawaii became a state, aloha shirts and flowing muumuus became the rage. Americans thought of the South Seas as an exotic paradise, an escapist fantasy — and to capture that fantasy, several Polynesian-themed restaurants came into being, among them the Don the Beachcomber’s and Trader Vic’s chains, the latter of which remains in operation today. Freaky Over TikiA good article on Tiki's revival.
Much like the “Star Trek” phenomenon, Tiki is a completely imaginary, 100 percent fabricated culture. Lovingly and whimsically created by the purveyors of midcentury pop culture, Tiki is essentially “Polynesian pop” — a conglomeration of American kitsch and authentic art from the Pacific Islands.
According to Tiki expert James Teitelbaum of Chicago, author of the just published Tiki Road Trip, Polynesian influences began trickling into American culture as early as the 1930s, but didn’t reach a fevered pitch until after World War II, when soldiers stationed overseas brought home tales and souvenirs of exotic paradises in the Pacific. James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific was a best seller, South Pacific was a Broadway smash and there were similar hits at the movie theater and (eventually) on TV. When Hawaii became a state, aloha shirts and flowing muumuus became the rage. Americans thought of the South Seas as an exotic paradise, an escapist fantasy — and to capture that fantasy, several Polynesian-themed restaurants came into being, among them the Don the Beachcomber’s and Trader Vic’s chains, the latter of which remains in operation today. Thursday, June 23, 2005How To Throw a No-Hitter on AcidThis is making its way around the blogosphere pretty quickly. It is a great read.
Thirty-five years ago, on June 12, 1970, Pittsburgh Pirate and future Texas Rangers pitcher Dock Ellis found himself in the Los Angeles home of a childhood friend named Al Rambo. Two days earlier, he'd flown with the Pirates to San Diego for a four-game series with the Padres. He immediately rented a car and drove to L.A. to see Rambo and his girlfriend Mitzi. The next 12 hours were a fog of conversation, screwdrivers, marijuana, and, for Ellis, amphetamines. He went to sleep in the early morning, woke up sometime after noon and immediately took a dose of Purple Haze acid. Ellis would frequently drop acid on off days and weekends; he had a room in his basement christened "The Dungeon," in which he'd lock himself and listen to Jimi Hendrix or Iron Butterfly "for days."
A bit later, how long exactly he can't recall, he came across Mitzi flipping through a newspaper. She scanned for a moment, then noticed something. "Dock," she said. "You're supposed to pitch today." Ellis focused his mind. No. Friday. He wasn't pitching until Friday. He was sure. "Baby," she replied. "It is Friday. You slept through Thursday." How To Throw a No-Hitter on AcidThis is making its way around the blogosphere pretty quickly. It is a great read.
Thirty-five years ago, on June 12, 1970, Pittsburgh Pirate and future Texas Rangers pitcher Dock Ellis found himself in the Los Angeles home of a childhood friend named Al Rambo. Two days earlier, he'd flown with the Pirates to San Diego for a four-game series with the Padres. He immediately rented a car and drove to L.A. to see Rambo and his girlfriend Mitzi. The next 12 hours were a fog of conversation, screwdrivers, marijuana, and, for Ellis, amphetamines. He went to sleep in the early morning, woke up sometime after noon and immediately took a dose of Purple Haze acid. Ellis would frequently drop acid on off days and weekends; he had a room in his basement christened "The Dungeon," in which he'd lock himself and listen to Jimi Hendrix or Iron Butterfly "for days."
A bit later, how long exactly he can't recall, he came across Mitzi flipping through a newspaper. She scanned for a moment, then noticed something. "Dock," she said. "You're supposed to pitch today." Ellis focused his mind. No. Friday. He wasn't pitching until Friday. He was sure. "Baby," she replied. "It is Friday. You slept through Thursday." What Happens When You Burn an American FlagA pretty damn good defense against burning the flag if you ask me.
When you burn an American flag, freedom particles and liberty molecules are released into the atmosphere. "But, Andy, don't we want more freedom and liberty in the air?" You'd think that, wouldn't you? Releasing freedom and liberty sounds great in a symbolic kind of way, but the truth of the matter is sobering. We only have so much freedom and liberty to go around. That's right. Like fresh water or fossil fuels, only so much liberty and freedom exists on Earth. If you're burning an American flag, you're wasting a precious, limited resource.
What Happens When You Burn an American FlagA pretty damn good defense against burning the flag if you ask me.
When you burn an American flag, freedom particles and liberty molecules are released into the atmosphere. "But, Andy, don't we want more freedom and liberty in the air?" You'd think that, wouldn't you? Releasing freedom and liberty sounds great in a symbolic kind of way, but the truth of the matter is sobering. We only have so much freedom and liberty to go around. That's right. Like fresh water or fossil fuels, only so much liberty and freedom exists on Earth. If you're burning an American flag, you're wasting a precious, limited resource.
Cracking The Flag-Burning Amendment John Scalzi is all over this one.
Red, white and blue? Check. 13 stripes? Check. 50 stars? Check. Well, then it must be an Americ-- hey. Wait a minute. Isn't that the Hamburgler in the bottom right corner? I may not know much, but I do know that the great Flag of the United States of America does not feature a second-tier corporate mascot, especially one with acknowledged -- indeed, celebrated -- criminal tendencies. This is not the American flag. Let's soak it in gasoline and roast weenies!
(Thanks Anon from the comments)Cracking The Flag-Burning AmendmentJohn Scalzi is all over this one.
Red, white and blue? Check. 13 stripes? Check. 50 stars? Check. Well, then it must be an Americ-- hey. Wait a minute. Isn't that the Hamburgler in the bottom right corner? I may not know much, but I do know that the great Flag of the United States of America does not feature a second-tier corporate mascot, especially one with acknowledged -- indeed, celebrated -- criminal tendencies. This is not the American flag. Let's soak it in gasoline and roast weenies!
(Thanks Anon from the comments)Wikipedia's List of InvasionsVery comprehensive list (going back to 55BC). Below are the seven most recent invasions.
* 2003 invasion of Iraq by a coalition led by the United States
(via Grow a Brain)* 2001 invasion of Afghanistan by the United States and allies * 1994 invasion of Haiti by a multinational force (MNF) led by the United States * 1991 invasion of Kuwait by a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States (Operation Desert Storm) * 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq * 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States (Operation Just Cause) * 1983 invasion of Grenada by the United States and allied Caribbean nations Wikipedia's List of InvasionsVery comprehensive list (going back to 55BC). Below are the seven most recent invasions.
* 2003 invasion of Iraq by a coalition led by the United States
(via Grow a Brain)* 2001 invasion of Afghanistan by the United States and allies * 1994 invasion of Haiti by a multinational force (MNF) led by the United States * 1991 invasion of Kuwait by a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States (Operation Desert Storm) * 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq * 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States (Operation Just Cause) * 1983 invasion of Grenada by the United States and allied Caribbean nations The Vertical Farm
The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes, a wide variety of herbs, and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another 3 billion people. An entirely new approach to indoor farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.
The Vertical Farm
The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes, a wide variety of herbs, and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another 3 billion people. An entirely new approach to indoor farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.
Down Syndrome Dolls
"With approximately 5,000 children born with Down Syndrome in the United States each year, the Down Syndrome Dolls will be an important resource for families who have a child with the condition, or for organizations and medical providers that serve these special youngsters... parents, teachers, and physicians throughout Europe have found the dolls are shared with siblings and friends, they can help foster a better understanding of the human body for children and people with special needs"
(via del.icio.us/hip_hop)Down Syndrome Dolls
"With approximately 5,000 children born with Down Syndrome in the United States each year, the Down Syndrome Dolls will be an important resource for families who have a child with the condition, or for organizations and medical providers that serve these special youngsters... parents, teachers, and physicians throughout Europe have found the dolls are shared with siblings and friends, they can help foster a better understanding of the human body for children and people with special needs"
(via del.icio.us/hip_hop)Wednesday, June 22, 2005Detailed Chronology of Events Surrounding the Apollo 13 AccidentAbout 8 minutes of the transcript here.
55:55:02 - The surface temperature of the service module oxidizer tank in bay 3 begins a 3.8 F increase in a 15 second period. The service propulsion system helium tank temperature begins a 3.8 F increase in a 32 second period.
(via del.icio.us/Sysop)55:55:09 - DC main bus A voltage recovers to 29.0 volts, DC main bus B recovers to 28.8. 55:55:20 - Swigert: "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here." 55:55:28 - Duke: "This is Houston. Say again please." 55:55:35 - Lovell: "Houston, we've had a problem. We've had a main B bus undervolt." Detailed Chronology of Events Surrounding the Apollo 13 AccidentAbout 8 minutes of the transcript here.
55:55:02 - The surface temperature of the service module oxidizer tank in bay 3 begins a 3.8 F increase in a 15 second period. The service propulsion system helium tank temperature begins a 3.8 F increase in a 32 second period.
(via del.icio.us/Sysop)55:55:09 - DC main bus A voltage recovers to 29.0 volts, DC main bus B recovers to 28.8. 55:55:20 - Swigert: "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here." 55:55:28 - Duke: "This is Houston. Say again please." 55:55:35 - Lovell: "Houston, we've had a problem. We've had a main B bus undervolt." House Approves Flag Burning Amendment Yawn.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House on Wednesday approved a constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to ban desecration of the American flag, a measure that for the first time stands a chance of passing the Senate as well.
However:
By a 286-130 vote, House members approved the amendment -- as they have six times before -- after a debate over whether such a ban would uphold or run afoul of the Constitution's free-speech protections.
Flags, unlike, let's say, your well-worn jeans, can't simply be thrown out. According to the Flag Code, "when a flag has served its useful purpose, it should be destroyed, preferably by burning"
Are we actually going to throw people in jail for burning a fabric?House Approves Flag Burning AmendmentYawn.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House on Wednesday approved a constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to ban desecration of the American flag, a measure that for the first time stands a chance of passing the Senate as well.
However:
By a 286-130 vote, House members approved the amendment -- as they have six times before -- after a debate over whether such a ban would uphold or run afoul of the Constitution's free-speech protections.
Flags, unlike, let's say, your well-worn jeans, can't simply be thrown out. According to the Flag Code, "when a flag has served its useful purpose, it should be destroyed, preferably by burning"
Are we actually going to throw people in jail for burning a fabric?Houston == Iraq??From the Houston Chronicle:
WASHINGTON - When House Majority Leader Tom DeLay sat down with reporters on Tuesday on Capitol Hill, he was asked to assess President Bush's campaign in Iraq and to respond to criticism that the military mission is not going well and the White House needs to develop an exit strategy.
Here is the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count in case you are curious. I am having trouble finding the one for Houston for some reason. So should we invade Houston?DeLay offered this response: "These things take time and they take a long time, and some people get weary of the constant barrage that we see in the media. "You know, if Houston, Texas, was held to the same standard as Iraq is held to, nobody'd go to Houston, because all this reporting coming out of the local press in Houston is violence, murders, robberies, deaths on the highways," DeLay said. "And if you took that as the image of what is a great city that has an incredible quality of life and an incredible economy, it's amazing to me. Go to Iraq. And see what's actually happening there. "Everybody that comes from Iraq is amazed at the difference of what they see on the ground and what they see on the television set." Houston == Iraq??From the Houston Chronicle:
WASHINGTON - When House Majority Leader Tom DeLay sat down with reporters on Tuesday on Capitol Hill, he was asked to assess President Bush's campaign in Iraq and to respond to criticism that the military mission is not going well and the White House needs to develop an exit strategy.
Here is the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count in case you are curious. I am having trouble finding the one for Houston for some reason. So should we invade Houston?DeLay offered this response: "These things take time and they take a long time, and some people get weary of the constant barrage that we see in the media. "You know, if Houston, Texas, was held to the same standard as Iraq is held to, nobody'd go to Houston, because all this reporting coming out of the local press in Houston is violence, murders, robberies, deaths on the highways," DeLay said. "And if you took that as the image of what is a great city that has an incredible quality of life and an incredible economy, it's amazing to me. Go to Iraq. And see what's actually happening there. "Everybody that comes from Iraq is amazed at the difference of what they see on the ground and what they see on the television set." Open Letter To Kansas School Board Alternatives to "Intelligent Design" including the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
I am writing you with much concern after I read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design to be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design..
(via Boing Boing)Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him. Open Letter To Kansas School BoardAlternatives to "Intelligent Design" including the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
I am writing you with much concern after I read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design to be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design..
(via Boing Boing)Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him. Clothing Art
Neat exhibits. Some background about it from Artdaily.com:
Kaikkonen will also create new installations for the Kunsthalle show using materials such as men's jackets, women's shoes and toilet paper. The ever-important community dimension of Kaikkonen's art will acquire a new twist in this exhibition, as the public will have an opportunity to help make the work.
(via the bird-unfriendly, The Guabancex Blog)Clothing Art
Neat exhibits. Some background about it from Artdaily.com:
Kaikkonen will also create new installations for the Kunsthalle show using materials such as men's jackets, women's shoes and toilet paper. The ever-important community dimension of Kaikkonen's art will acquire a new twist in this exhibition, as the public will have an opportunity to help make the work.
(via the bird-unfriendly, The Guabancex Blog)Tuesday, June 21, 2005Scientology, Xenu and Tom Cruise Killing Oprah Wikipedia's entry on Xenu, who seemed to be the Stalin of galactic rulers.
In Scientology doctrine, Xenu is a galactic ruler who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of people to Earth, stacked them around volcanoes, and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. Their souls then clustered together and stuck to the bodies of the living, and continue to cause people problems today. These events are known to Scientologists as "Incident II," and the traumatic memories associated with them as The Wall of Fire or the R6 implant. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, detailed the story in Operating Thetan level III (OT III) in 1967, famously warning that R6 was "calculated to kill (by pneumonia etc) anyone who attempts to solve it." The Xenu story was the start of the use of the volcano as a common symbol of Scientology and Dianetics from 1968 to the present day.
On a completely unrelated note, here is a video from Waxy.org of Tom Cruise killing Oprah Winfrey. (opens to .mov)Scientology, Xenu and Tom Cruise Killing OprahWikipedia's entry on Xenu, who seemed to be the Stalin of galactic rulers.
In Scientology doctrine, Xenu is a galactic ruler who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of people to Earth, stacked them around volcanoes, and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. Their souls then clustered together and stuck to the bodies of the living, and continue to cause people problems today. These events are known to Scientologists as "Incident II," and the traumatic memories associated with them as The Wall of Fire or the R6 implant. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, detailed the story in Operating Thetan level III (OT III) in 1967, famously warning that R6 was "calculated to kill (by pneumonia etc) anyone who attempts to solve it." The Xenu story was the start of the use of the volcano as a common symbol of Scientology and Dianetics from 1968 to the present day.
On a completely unrelated note, here is a video from Waxy.org of Tom Cruise killing Oprah Winfrey. (opens to .mov)L. Ron Hubbard's Album
WFMU's Beware of the Blog has songs you can download from L. Ron Howard's album, The Road to Freedom performed by John Travolta, Leif Garrett, Frank Stallone and others. The last song is performed by L. Ron Hubbard himself. His singing is about as good as the story for Battlefield Earth. Be warned though, I was jumping on my sofa and being interviewed by an invisible Oprah by the third track. L. Ron Hubbard's Album
WFMU's Beware of the Blog has songs you can download from L. Ron Howard's album, The Road to Freedom performed by John Travolta, Leif Garrett, Frank Stallone and others. The last song is performed by L. Ron Hubbard himself. His singing is about as good as the story for Battlefield Earth. Be warned though, I was jumping on my sofa and being interviewed by an invisible Oprah by the third track. Find the Face in the BeansOne of those where it takes you forever and then once you finally see it you feel like smacking yourself.Find the Face in the BeansOne of those where it takes you forever and then once you finally see it you feel like smacking yourself.List of Military Contractors in Iraq and AfghanistanWar is hell..... but profitable! (Never to the same people however.)(via the never disappointing Information Junk) List of Military Contractors in Iraq and AfghanistanWar is hell..... but profitable! (Never to the same people however.)(via the never disappointing Information Junk) Useless InformationLots of good stuff here.
Stuff you never needed to know but your life would be incomplete without.
(via del.icio.us/joe6pack)Useless InformationLots of good stuff here.
Stuff you never needed to know but your life would be incomplete without.
(via del.icio.us/joe6pack)Bible Curse GeneratorWoe unto thee, O thou son of a Philistine, for you will be trampled by a herd of stampeding pigs!(via del.icio.us/Hisstareia) Bible Curse GeneratorWoe unto thee, O thou son of a Philistine, for you will be trampled by a herd of stampeding pigs!(via del.icio.us/Hisstareia) Slavery Image Database
The thousand images in this collection have been selected from a wide range of sources, most of them dating from the period of slavery. This collection is envisioned as a tool and a resource that can be used by teachers, researchers, students, and the general public - in brief, anyone interested in the experiences of Africans who were enslaved and transported to the Americas and the lives of their descendants in the slave societies of the New World.
(via del.icio.us/sour.patch)Slavery Image Database
The thousand images in this collection have been selected from a wide range of sources, most of them dating from the period of slavery. This collection is envisioned as a tool and a resource that can be used by teachers, researchers, students, and the general public - in brief, anyone interested in the experiences of Africans who were enslaved and transported to the Americas and the lives of their descendants in the slave societies of the New World.
(via del.icio.us/sour.patch)Surprising Expiration Dates
A handy, who-knew guide for 77 foods, beauty products, and household goods
Surprising Expiration Dates
A handy, who-knew guide for 77 foods, beauty products, and household goods
Fundie PharmacistsU.S. doctors weigh in on morning-after pill denials
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The largest U.S. physicians group on Monday objected to some pharmacists' conscience-driven refusal to sell the morning-after pill, and suggested doctors may fill the void by dispensing medications themselves.
Why do these pharmacists still have jobs? Their job is to fill prescriptions, not decide what prescriptions their fucked up views allow to be filled. When will we get to the case about some new age phamarcist who refuses to fill a prescription for penicillin because they believe that magnet therapy is the way to go to treat strep throat?Any pharmacist who objects on the basis of conscience to filling any prescription must make an "immediate referral to an appropriate alternative dispensing pharmacy without interference," the resolution passed by delegates to the American Medical Association's annual convention said. Some pharmacists have filed lawsuits objecting to requirements that they fill all prescriptions. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued such a directive earlier this year specifically about the morning-after pill, called Plan B. The contraceptive prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus, but opponents equate it to abortion. A few pharmacists have refused to refer patients elsewhere, saying it still involves them in the process, and some have gone so far as to confiscate written prescriptions. Fundie PharmacistsU.S. doctors weigh in on morning-after pill denials
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The largest U.S. physicians group on Monday objected to some pharmacists' conscience-driven refusal to sell the morning-after pill, and suggested doctors may fill the void by dispensing medications themselves.
Why do these pharmacists still have jobs? Their job is to fill prescriptions, not decide what prescriptions their fucked up views allow to be filled. When will we get to the case about some new age phamarcist who refuses to fill a prescription for penicillin because they believe that magnet therapy is the way to go to treat strep throat?Any pharmacist who objects on the basis of conscience to filling any prescription must make an "immediate referral to an appropriate alternative dispensing pharmacy without interference," the resolution passed by delegates to the American Medical Association's annual convention said. Some pharmacists have filed lawsuits objecting to requirements that they fill all prescriptions. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued such a directive earlier this year specifically about the morning-after pill, called Plan B. The contraceptive prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus, but opponents equate it to abortion. A few pharmacists have refused to refer patients elsewhere, saying it still involves them in the process, and some have gone so far as to confiscate written prescriptions. Japanese Warning Signs
Even without Japanese abilities these signs are easy to understand. And quite entertaining.
Easy to understand? Are you kidding me? I thought the sign pictured above meant no riding on bears with an axe. Take a guess what you think that sign above is saying and then click on the link below for the real meaning.Japanese warning signs are very different than warning signs in other parts of the world, because they usually contain a visual and easy to understand reason why something is dangerous or not allowed. Pedestrians only. Japanese Warning Signs
Even without Japanese abilities these signs are easy to understand. And quite entertaining.
Easy to understand? Are you kidding me? I thought the sign pictured above meant no riding on bears with an axe. Take a guess what you think that sign above is saying and then click on the link below for the real meaning.Japanese warning signs are very different than warning signs in other parts of the world, because they usually contain a visual and easy to understand reason why something is dangerous or not allowed. Pedestrians only. To Measure The Height of a Building with a BarometerWonderful story. Trust me on this. Go on now, read it. It won't take you all day.
Some time ago I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, while the student claimed a perfect score. The instructor and the student agreed to an impartial arbiter, and I was selected.
(via Bifurcated Rivets)I read the examination question: "Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer." The student had answered: "Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to the street, and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building." The student really had a strong case for full credit since he had really answered the question completely and correctly! On the other hand, if full credit were given, it could well contribute to a high grade in his physics course and certify competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this. I suggested that the student have another try. I gave the student six minutes to answer the question with the warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. At the end of five minutes, he hadn't written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said he had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one. I excused myself for interrupting him and asked him to please go on In the next minute, he dashed off his answer, which read:..... To Measure The Height of a Building with a BarometerWonderful story. Trust me on this. Go on now, read it. It won't take you all day.
Some time ago I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, while the student claimed a perfect score. The instructor and the student agreed to an impartial arbiter, and I was selected.
(via Bifurcated Rivets)I read the examination question: "Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer." The student had answered: "Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to the street, and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building." The student really had a strong case for full credit since he had really answered the question completely and correctly! On the other hand, if full credit were given, it could well contribute to a high grade in his physics course and certify competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this. I suggested that the student have another try. I gave the student six minutes to answer the question with the warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. At the end of five minutes, he hadn't written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said he had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one. I excused myself for interrupting him and asked him to please go on In the next minute, he dashed off his answer, which read:..... Nature's Call
An Exhibit of Flower Shaped Urinals and other Nature Inspired Sculptures by San Francisco Artist, Clark Sorensen
(via The Presurfer)Nature's Call
An Exhibit of Flower Shaped Urinals and other Nature Inspired Sculptures by San Francisco Artist, Clark Sorensen
(via The Presurfer)Monday, June 20, 2005BF Skinner's Pigeon-Guided Missile Nose Cone Should we put to a vote whether Project Pigeon was a better idea than the Bat Bombers I posted earlier?
This experimental device was developed during World War II by behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner, who experimented with harnessing pigeons' pecking movements to steer missiles. Skinner divided this nose cone into three compartments, and proposed strapping a pigeon in each one. As a bomb headed towards earth, each pigeon would see the target on its screen. By pecking at the image, the birds would activate a guidance system that would keep the bomb on the right path until impact. Skinner's idea received initial support, but the U.S. military finally dismissed it as impractical.
BF Skinner's Pigeon-Guided Missile Nose ConeShould we put to a vote whether Project Pigeon was a better idea than the Bat Bombers I posted earlier?
This experimental device was developed during World War II by behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner, who experimented with harnessing pigeons' pecking movements to steer missiles. Skinner divided this nose cone into three compartments, and proposed strapping a pigeon in each one. As a bomb headed towards earth, each pigeon would see the target on its screen. By pecking at the image, the birds would activate a guidance system that would keep the bomb on the right path until impact. Skinner's idea received initial support, but the U.S. military finally dismissed it as impractical.
Biniki And what is a Biniki?
Biniki is an internationally patented product that lifts, defines, and supports the derrière.
Biniki offers a custom fit by means of self adjusting and strategically placed leg loops. Since Biniki moves with you, Biniki Stays in place. So even with movement, there is no "panty line." Biniki works because of a unique three-ring system that adjusts to the wearer's body—with the adjustable leg loops riding just under the butocks, where the buttocks and thighs meet. BinikiAnd what is a Biniki?
Biniki is an internationally patented product that lifts, defines, and supports the derrière.
Biniki offers a custom fit by means of self adjusting and strategically placed leg loops. Since Biniki moves with you, Biniki Stays in place. So even with movement, there is no "panty line." Biniki works because of a unique three-ring system that adjusts to the wearer's body—with the adjustable leg loops riding just under the butocks, where the buttocks and thighs meet. How Masturbation Pollutes Your MindAn excerpt from the book Scientific Knowledge of the Laws of Sex Life and Heredity.
EFFECT ON THE SIGHT - But, of all the special senses, the eyes, more generally, are the greatest sufferers from venereal abuses. They become languid and dull, and lose their brightness and liveliness of expression, and assume a glassy and vacant appearance; and fall back into their sockets, and perhaps become red and inflamed, and weak and excessively sensitive, so that wind, light, etc., irritate and distress them. The sight becomes feeble, obscure, cloudy, confused, and often is entirely lost, so that utter blindness fills the rest of life with darkness and unavailing regret.
How Masturbation Pollutes Your MindAn excerpt from the book Scientific Knowledge of the Laws of Sex Life and Heredity.
EFFECT ON THE SIGHT - But, of all the special senses, the eyes, more generally, are the greatest sufferers from venereal abuses. They become languid and dull, and lose their brightness and liveliness of expression, and assume a glassy and vacant appearance; and fall back into their sockets, and perhaps become red and inflamed, and weak and excessively sensitive, so that wind, light, etc., irritate and distress them. The sight becomes feeble, obscure, cloudy, confused, and often is entirely lost, so that utter blindness fills the rest of life with darkness and unavailing regret.
The Bat Bombers Bizarre.
On January 12, 1942, Dr. Adams sent to the White House a proposal to investigate the possible use of bats as bombers. In those days, well-meaning citizens were proposing all kinds of warfare ideas, most of them impractical. However, this idea, after being sifted through a top-level scientific review, became one of the very few given the green light. It was passed to the Army Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) for further inquiry in conjunction with Army Air Forces. The official CWS history states simply: "President Roosevelt OK'd it and the project was on."
The Bat BombersBizarre.
On January 12, 1942, Dr. Adams sent to the White House a proposal to investigate the possible use of bats as bombers. In those days, well-meaning citizens were proposing all kinds of warfare ideas, most of them impractical. However, this idea, after being sifted through a top-level scientific review, became one of the very few given the green light. It was passed to the Army Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) for further inquiry in conjunction with Army Air Forces. The official CWS history states simply: "President Roosevelt OK'd it and the project was on."
Sunday, June 19, 2005Monobrow MatchYou will need a good memory to play monobrow match. Monobrow not necessary.(Thanks Paul) Monobrow MatchYou will need a good memory to play monobrow match. Monobrow not necessary.(Thanks Paul) Saturday, June 18, 2005Yalta Robert Hopkins, Harry Hopkins' son, remembers The Yalta Conference.
The meeting was cordial and consisted primarily of Stalin’s welcoming the President to Yalta and making sure that he was comfortably settled. Since it was about cocktail hour, the President repeated a ritual he regularly performed at the White House: He made a pitcher of dry martinis. As he passed a glass to Stalin, he said apologetically that a good martini really should have a twist of lemon.
At six o’clock the following morning, when I came down to the main entrance hall, I was astonished to find, just outside the door to the anteroom, a huge lemon tree—I counted some 200 pieces of fruit on it—which Stalin had ordered flown in from his native Georgia so the President could serve his martinis with a twist. YaltaRobert Hopkins, Harry Hopkins' son, remembers The Yalta Conference.
The meeting was cordial and consisted primarily of Stalin’s welcoming the President to Yalta and making sure that he was comfortably settled. Since it was about cocktail hour, the President repeated a ritual he regularly performed at the White House: He made a pitcher of dry martinis. As he passed a glass to Stalin, he said apologetically that a good martini really should have a twist of lemon.
At six o’clock the following morning, when I came down to the main entrance hall, I was astonished to find, just outside the door to the anteroom, a huge lemon tree—I counted some 200 pieces of fruit on it—which Stalin had ordered flown in from his native Georgia so the President could serve his martinis with a twist. Friday, June 17, 2005Neal Stephenson's Take on Star WarsIn today's NY Times:
In the opening sequence of the new Star Wars movie, "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," two Jedi knights fight their way through an enemy starship to rescue a hostage. Ever since I saw the movie, I have been annoying friends with a trivia question: "Who is the enemy? What organization owns this vessel?"
We ought to know. In 1977, we all knew who owned the Death Star (the Empire) and who owned the Millennium Falcon (Han Solo). But when I ask my question about the new film, everyone reacts in the same way: with a sudden intake of breath and a sideways dart of the eyes, followed by lengthy cogitation. Some confess that they have no idea. Others think out loud for a while, developing and rejecting various theories. Only a few have come up with the right answer. Neal Stephenson's Take on Star WarsIn today's NY Times:
In the opening sequence of the new Star Wars movie, "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," two Jedi knights fight their way through an enemy starship to rescue a hostage. Ever since I saw the movie, I have been annoying friends with a trivia question: "Who is the enemy? What organization owns this vessel?"
We ought to know. In 1977, we all knew who owned the Death Star (the Empire) and who owned the Millennium Falcon (Han Solo). But when I ask my question about the new film, everyone reacts in the same way: with a sudden intake of breath and a sideways dart of the eyes, followed by lengthy cogitation. Some confess that they have no idea. Others think out loud for a while, developing and rejecting various theories. Only a few have come up with the right answer. Jeb Calls For Schiavo ProbeSeems like persecution to me but what do I know.
One day after an exhaustive autopsy sought to end much of the controversy over Terri Schiavo's life, and eventual death, Gov. Jeb Bush said he plans to ask prosecutors to investigate whether her husband took too long to call for help on the night she collapsed in 1990.
Jeb Calls For Schiavo ProbeSeems like persecution to me but what do I know.
One day after an exhaustive autopsy sought to end much of the controversy over Terri Schiavo's life, and eventual death, Gov. Jeb Bush said he plans to ask prosecutors to investigate whether her husband took too long to call for help on the night she collapsed in 1990.
Halliburton to Build New Gitmo JailI wonder how Halliburton keeps getting these sweet contracts.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Halliburton Co. unit will build a new $30 million detention facility and security fence at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States is holding about 520 foreign terrorism suspects, the Defense Department announced on Thursday.
Sigh.
The announcement comes the same week that Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld defended the jail after U.S. lawmakers said it had created an image problem for the United States.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday he doesn't believe revelations about the treatment of prisoners at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay have become an image problem for the United States and that the facility should not be shut down.
"Those who most urgently advocate that we shut down Guantanamo probably don't agree with our policy anyway," the vice president said after presenting the Gerald R. Ford Foundation journalism awards at the National Press Club. Halliburton to Build New Gitmo JailI wonder how Halliburton keeps getting these sweet contracts.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Halliburton Co. unit will build a new $30 million detention facility and security fence at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States is holding about 520 foreign terrorism suspects, the Defense Department announced on Thursday.
Sigh.
The announcement comes the same week that Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld defended the jail after U.S. lawmakers said it had created an image problem for the United States.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday he doesn't believe revelations about the treatment of prisoners at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay have become an image problem for the United States and that the facility should not be shut down.
"Those who most urgently advocate that we shut down Guantanamo probably don't agree with our policy anyway," the vice president said after presenting the Gerald R. Ford Foundation journalism awards at the National Press Club. Circus Posters This is the best site I have seen when it comes to old Circus Posters. Magnificent! (via We Make Money Not Art) Circus PostersThis is the best site I have seen when it comes to old Circus Posters. Magnificent! (via We Make Money Not Art) AllergiesJudging by the thick blanket of yellow dust covering my car for the past several days, I am guessing it is allergy time. Every year, the sex life of the plants and trees of New England affects me in a unique way. One year it was a severe sinus infection while last year it was intense headaches. This year is nothing that irritating except my left eye is dripping like a leaky faucet. So, if you happen to see a man in harvard square with tears streaming from his left eye only, well, I am really actually in a cheery mood.AllergiesJudging by the thick blanket of yellow dust covering my car for the past several days, I am guessing it is allergy time. Every year, the sex life of the plants and trees of New England affects me in a unique way. One year it was a severe sinus infection while last year it was intense headaches. This year is nothing that irritating except my left eye is dripping like a leaky faucet. So, if you happen to see a man in harvard square with tears streaming from his left eye only, well, I am really actually in a cheery mood.Thursday, June 16, 2005The Marvelous Crooning Child
Trust me, you will love the Marvelous Crooning Child. (Thanks Jabberwocky) The Marvelous Crooning Child
Trust me, you will love the Marvelous Crooning Child. (Thanks Jabberwocky) Japan Bashing Artwork By Korean Schoolkids Oh boy.
At various subway stations in Korea, they often they are decorated at different times of the year with school art projects. Fire safety, future jobs, home life, technology, and so on.
Japan Bashing Artwork By Korean SchoolkidsOh boy.
At various subway stations in Korea, they often they are decorated at different times of the year with school art projects. Fire safety, future jobs, home life, technology, and so on.
This Day In MusicEnter in your birthday here and see what the number 1 song was on that day. For me it was "The Streak" by Ray Stevens. Never heard of it.(Thanks Jenny) This Day In MusicEnter in your birthday here and see what the number 1 song was on that day. For me it was "The Streak" by Ray Stevens. Never heard of it.(Thanks Jenny) Dear Record IndustryOne man's letter to the recording industry explaining why he is stealing their music.
have stolen from you where you have tried to steal from me. This Idlewild album came out months ago in Europe. It will come out in a couple more months in the US. Don't you realize that I know this? The world is all connected now, we are not beholden to you for information. An import copy of this record would cost me $26. The domestic copy will cost me $13 at most, probably less. I refuse to pay you to play these pointless games with arbitrary dates and obsolete borders. I can outlast you. I refuse to pay you twice for withholding music when it's supposed to be your job to bring it to me. "You say something stupid like", they sing, "'Love steals us from loneliness'", but I doubt you've even listened to this. We are in here talking to each other about solitude and connection and our grandest mistakes, those of us for whom music is human, and you are outside in the streets shouting about damage and margins and some venal thing you've obscenely labeled sacred, and insisting you are always right. And we are in here listening to records without you.
(via Kottke)Dear Record IndustryOne man's letter to the recording industry explaining why he is stealing their music.
have stolen from you where you have tried to steal from me. This Idlewild album came out months ago in Europe. It will come out in a couple more months in the US. Don't you realize that I know this? The world is all connected now, we are not beholden to you for information. An import copy of this record would cost me $26. The domestic copy will cost me $13 at most, probably less. I refuse to pay you to play these pointless games with arbitrary dates and obsolete borders. I can outlast you. I refuse to pay you twice for withholding music when it's supposed to be your job to bring it to me. "You say something stupid like", they sing, "'Love steals us from loneliness'", but I doubt you've even listened to this. We are in here talking to each other about solitude and connection and our grandest mistakes, those of us for whom music is human, and you are outside in the streets shouting about damage and margins and some venal thing you've obscenely labeled sacred, and insisting you are always right. And we are in here listening to records without you.
(via Kottke)Wild Mood Swings
We have 141 ways to move you. Pick your mood, click the button and Wild Mood Swings will open an appropriate website in a new window.
Wild Mood Swings
We have 141 ways to move you. Pick your mood, click the button and Wild Mood Swings will open an appropriate website in a new window.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005Squirrel Liquor Decanter Nothing like removing the head of a squirrel to pour a glass of fine scotch or brandy. Squirrel Liquor DecanterNothing like removing the head of a squirrel to pour a glass of fine scotch or brandy. Schiavo Autopsy Reports InFrom CNN.com:
"The brain weighed 615 grams, roughly half of the expected weight of a human brain. ... This damage was irreversible, and no amount of therapy or treatment would have regenerated the massive loss of neurons."
Schiavo Autopsy Reports InFrom CNN.com:
"The brain weighed 615 grams, roughly half of the expected weight of a human brain. ... This damage was irreversible, and no amount of therapy or treatment would have regenerated the massive loss of neurons."
Lucas vs. SpielbergGood read.
The two men first met in 1967, when an 18-year-old Spielberg saw Lucas' debut feature THX 1138 at a student film festival at UCLA. Spielberg had been rejected from UCLA because of poor grades and had enrolled instead in the rudimentary film course at California State College at Long Beach. Entering the hallowed UCLA campus, Spielberg felt like he'd stumbled into an auteur cloning factory—"I realized that there was an entire generation coming out of NYU, USC and UCLA." THX 1138, he said, made him "jealous to the marrow of my bones. I was 18 years old and had directed 15 short films by that time, and this little movie was better than all of my movies combined." Lucas, for his part, had seen Spielberg's short film Amblin' when it was presented at USC and thought it "saccharine." The 20-year-old Lucas ignored his new fan until 1971, when he caught a screening of Spielberg's TV movie Duel at Francis Ford Coppola's house: "Since I'd met Steven, I was curious about the movie and thought I'd sneak upstairs and catch 10 or 15 minutes. Once I started watching I couldn't tear myself away. ... I thought, This guy is really sharp. I've got to get to know him better."
(via Kottke)Lucas vs. SpielbergGood read.
The two men first met in 1967, when an 18-year-old Spielberg saw Lucas' debut feature THX 1138 at a student film festival at UCLA. Spielberg had been rejected from UCLA because of poor grades and had enrolled instead in the rudimentary film course at California State College at Long Beach. Entering the hallowed UCLA campus, Spielberg felt like he'd stumbled into an auteur cloning factory—"I realized that there was an entire generation coming out of NYU, USC and UCLA." THX 1138, he said, made him "jealous to the marrow of my bones. I was 18 years old and had directed 15 short films by that time, and this little movie was better than all of my movies combined." Lucas, for his part, had seen Spielberg's short film Amblin' when it was presented at USC and thought it "saccharine." The 20-year-old Lucas ignored his new fan until 1971, when he caught a screening of Spielberg's TV movie Duel at Francis Ford Coppola's house: "Since I'd met Steven, I was curious about the movie and thought I'd sneak upstairs and catch 10 or 15 minutes. Once I started watching I couldn't tear myself away. ... I thought, This guy is really sharp. I've got to get to know him better."
(via Kottke)Jonestown Crimelibrary.com has a good synopsis of Jonestown and "The People's Temple".
The first reports out of Guyana on November 18, 1978 were that Congressman Leo J. Ryan and four other members of his party were shot and killed as they attempted to board a plane at Port Kaituma airstrip. Within hours, came the shocking announcement that 408 American citizens had committed suicide at a communal village they had built in the jungle in Northwest Guyana. The community had come to be known as “Jonestown.” The dead were all members of a group known as “The People’s Temple” which was led by the Reverend Jim Jones. It would soon be learned that 913 of the 1100 people believed to have been at “Jonestown” at the time, had died in a mass suicide.
Wikipedia has a great entry about Jonestown also.
The mass suicides that were to make Jonestown notorious were practiced during so called white nights. In an affidavit defector Deborah Layton wrote that during one of those white nights people were told that they would die and drank unsweetened Flavor Aid that they thought contained poison. The few who were hesitant to drink were engaged in a debate and quickly complied. Only after everyone drank the Flavor Aid did Jones inform them that there was no poison and it was all just a test of loyalty and faith in Jones
JonestownCrimelibrary.com has a good synopsis of Jonestown and "The People's Temple".
The first reports out of Guyana on November 18, 1978 were that Congressman Leo J. Ryan and four other members of his party were shot and killed as they attempted to board a plane at Port Kaituma airstrip. Within hours, came the shocking announcement that 408 American citizens had committed suicide at a communal village they had built in the jungle in Northwest Guyana. The community had come to be known as “Jonestown.” The dead were all members of a group known as “The People’s Temple” which was led by the Reverend Jim Jones. It would soon be learned that 913 of the 1100 people believed to have been at “Jonestown” at the time, had died in a mass suicide.
Wikipedia has a great entry about Jonestown also.
The mass suicides that were to make Jonestown notorious were practiced during so called white nights. In an affidavit defector Deborah Layton wrote that during one of those white nights people were told that they would die and drank unsweetened Flavor Aid that they thought contained poison. The few who were hesitant to drink were engaged in a debate and quickly complied. Only after everyone drank the Flavor Aid did Jones inform them that there was no poison and it was all just a test of loyalty and faith in Jones
Pet Monkey Info Interested in getting a monkey as a pet? You may want to read this website first.
Monkeys and apes are our closest living relatives in the animal world and their facial features bear a striking resemblance to human primates. As such, many individuals purchase baby monkeys/apes believing that these primates will be a suitable "substitute" or a "surrogate" for human children. Others are inundated with images of nonhuman primates in advertisements, on television and in the movies which depict infant and adolescent primates as "cute and cuddly". Often the naive viewers are given the impression that nonhuman primates would make ideal 'pets'.
Be sure to read the testimonials:
These individuals are - at best -misguided. There are tragic consequences (for all concerned primates, human and nonhuman) that can result when a formerly dependent baby monkey/ape reaches sexual maturity.
I had just gotten off the phone and went in to change my capuchin Rus and he attacked me the worst he has ever attacked me. My husband heard me screaming from outside and came in just in time to see Rus flying towards my face. Blood was everywhere -- my blood. My husband grabbed the baseball bat and knocked Rus off me into a chair and grabbed him by the neck as hard as he could and threw him back into his cage and rushed me to the hospital.
I had 31 bites and tears on both arms, hands, legs and my left ankle was hurt the worst and one bite to my left breast. He kept attacking relentlessly, screaming and coming at me. There was nothing whatsoever to provoke him. I had just finished changing his diaper, he wheeled around, grabbed the leash off the cabinet door and flew into me screaming and attacking. I'm hurt really bad this time, walking on crutches. (via Jaf Project) Pet Monkey InfoInterested in getting a monkey as a pet? You may want to read this website first.
Monkeys and apes are our closest living relatives in the animal world and their facial features bear a striking resemblance to human primates. As such, many individuals purchase baby monkeys/apes believing that these primates will be a suitable "substitute" or a "surrogate" for human children. Others are inundated with images of nonhuman primates in advertisements, on television and in the movies which depict infant and adolescent primates as "cute and cuddly". Often the naive viewers are given the impression that nonhuman primates would make ideal 'pets'.
Be sure to read the testimonials:
These individuals are - at best -misguided. There are tragic consequences (for all concerned primates, human and nonhuman) that can result when a formerly dependent baby monkey/ape reaches sexual maturity.
I had just gotten off the phone and went in to change my capuchin Rus and he attacked me the worst he has ever attacked me. My husband heard me screaming from outside and came in just in time to see Rus flying towards my face. Blood was everywhere -- my blood. My husband grabbed the baseball bat and knocked Rus off me into a chair and grabbed him by the neck as hard as he could and threw him back into his cage and rushed me to the hospital.
I had 31 bites and tears on both arms, hands, legs and my left ankle was hurt the worst and one bite to my left breast. He kept attacking relentlessly, screaming and coming at me. There was nothing whatsoever to provoke him. I had just finished changing his diaper, he wheeled around, grabbed the leash off the cabinet door and flew into me screaming and attacking. I'm hurt really bad this time, walking on crutches. (via Jaf Project) Taxidermy Hobby Kits
This makes it easy and inexpensive for you to try your hand at something without having to invest in large quantities of chemicals, maches, hide paste, etc. Each kit contains all of the taxidermy supplies needed to complete a project, as well as step-by-step printed instructions.
Taxidermy Hobby Kits
This makes it easy and inexpensive for you to try your hand at something without having to invest in large quantities of chemicals, maches, hide paste, etc. Each kit contains all of the taxidermy supplies needed to complete a project, as well as step-by-step printed instructions.
Tuesday, June 14, 200522" Binocular Telescope
Too cool.
The 22" Newtonian binocular and monocular telescopes described here share a common CAD design and many parts. I completed the two telescopes in August, 2003, after 2½ years of design and construction. The binocular won a Merit Award at the 2004 Riverside Telescope Makers Conference.
22" Binocular Telescope
Too cool.
The 22" Newtonian binocular and monocular telescopes described here share a common CAD design and many parts. I completed the two telescopes in August, 2003, after 2½ years of design and construction. The binocular won a Merit Award at the 2004 Riverside Telescope Makers Conference.
Book Stores in Cambridge/BostonI can't speak for the entire list but the Harvard Square section is up to date. The Harvard Bookstore on Mass Ave has a great used section downstairs which has taken many of my lunch hours and a good portion of my salary.Book Stores in Cambridge/BostonI can't speak for the entire list but the Harvard Square section is up to date. The Harvard Bookstore on Mass Ave has a great used section downstairs which has taken many of my lunch hours and a good portion of my salary.Poultry Meat Human Corpse Sculptures Ummmm.
Human corpses built from poultry meat that was thrown away to the garbage. This sculpture technique comes to alert from the mass slottering that makes the man motionless to the life that surrounds him.
(via Jaf Project)Poultry Meat Human Corpse SculpturesUmmmm.
Human corpses built from poultry meat that was thrown away to the garbage. This sculpture technique comes to alert from the mass slottering that makes the man motionless to the life that surrounds him.
(via Jaf Project)Polyurethan Foam Case Mod
We've all seen them: modded cases, beautiful, carefully handcrafted to point x and back.
But they're all heavy, rectangular and following a 20 year old de-facto standard.
We wanted to change this and thought about a way how to transform a lab computer (just the parts put together, no case (as seen in testing labs at various websites)) into a portable shape.
Duct-tape is a possibility, but not really stable and resistant. PU foam (polyurethan foam) proved to be the ideal working material. It comes in cans and can be sprayed onto or into everything you want.
It expands by a factor of 0-60 and dries to a semi-hard foam, similar to Styropor™ after about 3 hours.
Polyurethan Foam Case Mod
We've all seen them: modded cases, beautiful, carefully handcrafted to point x and back.
But they're all heavy, rectangular and following a 20 year old de-facto standard.
We wanted to change this and thought about a way how to transform a lab computer (just the parts put together, no case (as seen in testing labs at various websites)) into a portable shape.
Duct-tape is a possibility, but not really stable and resistant. PU foam (polyurethan foam) proved to be the ideal working material. It comes in cans and can be sprayed onto or into everything you want.
It expands by a factor of 0-60 and dries to a semi-hard foam, similar to Styropor™ after about 3 hours.
Senators Who Refused To Sign the Anti-Lynching ResolutionFrom AMERICAblog:
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Disgraceful. Hmm, there seems to be a lot of R's on this list. Robert Bennett (R-UT) Thad Cochran (R-MS) Kent Conrad (D-ND) John Cornyn (R-TX) Michael Crapo (R-ID) Michael Enzi (R-WY) Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Judd Gregg (R-NH) Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Trent Lott (R-MS) Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Richard Shelby (R-AL) John Sununu (R-NH) Craig Thomas (R-WY) George Voinovich (R-OH) Senators Who Refused To Sign the Anti-Lynching ResolutionFrom AMERICAblog:
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Disgraceful. Hmm, there seems to be a lot of R's on this list. Robert Bennett (R-UT) Thad Cochran (R-MS) Kent Conrad (D-ND) John Cornyn (R-TX) Michael Crapo (R-ID) Michael Enzi (R-WY) Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Judd Gregg (R-NH) Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Trent Lott (R-MS) Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Richard Shelby (R-AL) John Sununu (R-NH) Craig Thomas (R-WY) George Voinovich (R-OH) Homebrew Air Conditioning
The images aren't coming up on this site for some reason which is a shame because I would like to get a look at it but you can still read the descriptions at least.
Here's the basic setup. The garbage can is filled with ice water, which is then fed by gravity (a siphon) through the copper tubing coiled along the back of the fan. The hot air passing through the tubing warms the cold water, cooling the air. Waste warm water is then pumped outside.
Update:The system will cool an average room to a comfortable level in approximately 15-20 minutes. Depending on flow rate, a full bucket of water will last approximately 1-3 hours. It doesn't rip quite as hard as central air, but for less than $30 CAD I'm not complaining. The site was slashdotted which is why the pictures weren't loading. Thanks to Douglas for this mirror. Homebrew Air Conditioning
The images aren't coming up on this site for some reason which is a shame because I would like to get a look at it but you can still read the descriptions at least.
Here's the basic setup. The garbage can is filled with ice water, which is then fed by gravity (a siphon) through the copper tubing coiled along the back of the fan. The hot air passing through the tubing warms the cold water, cooling the air. Waste warm water is then pumped outside.
Update:The system will cool an average room to a comfortable level in approximately 15-20 minutes. Depending on flow rate, a full bucket of water will last approximately 1-3 hours. It doesn't rip quite as hard as central air, but for less than $30 CAD I'm not complaining. The site was slashdotted which is why the pictures weren't loading. Thanks to Douglas for this mirror. Casino Carpet Gallery
This is it...the notorious casino carpet gallery: six pages of casino carpeting and nothing but.
I began this quixotic adventure by trying to photograph a sample of casino carpeting in every Las Vegas casino. From there it grew into a national quest: in every casino city I visit now, I make a point of capturing each casino's floor for these pages. Casino carpet is known as an exercise in deliberate bad taste that somehow encourages people to gamble. In a strange way, though, it's s sublime work of art, rivalling any expressionist canvas of the past century. Note the regal tones of Caesars Palace, the bountiful bouquet of Mandalay Place, the soft, almost abstract pointilism of Paris, all whispering, "gamble, gamble" just out of the range of consciousness as people walk to the nearest slot machine. Casino Carpet Gallery
This is it...the notorious casino carpet gallery: six pages of casino carpeting and nothing but.
I began this quixotic adventure by trying to photograph a sample of casino carpeting in every Las Vegas casino. From there it grew into a national quest: in every casino city I visit now, I make a point of capturing each casino's floor for these pages. Casino carpet is known as an exercise in deliberate bad taste that somehow encourages people to gamble. In a strange way, though, it's s sublime work of art, rivalling any expressionist canvas of the past century. Note the regal tones of Caesars Palace, the bountiful bouquet of Mandalay Place, the soft, almost abstract pointilism of Paris, all whispering, "gamble, gamble" just out of the range of consciousness as people walk to the nearest slot machine. Brazilian Star Wars Wonderfully bad?
When Italy remade Star Wars (Star Crash, 1979), they turned the character of Chewbacca into a sexy, sexy woman in a bikini and added David Hasselhoff. In Turkey, they turned Luke and Han into kung fu masters forced to battle armies of oversized fuzzy muppets while on trampolines (Dunyayi Kurtaran Adam, 1982). But in Brazil, they kept Star Wars more or less the way it was and just threw in four wacky idiots from Earth.
Filmthreat.com has a good review of Brazilian Star Wars here. I wonder if Bibi has seen this?Brazilian Star WarsWonderfully bad?
When Italy remade Star Wars (Star Crash, 1979), they turned the character of Chewbacca into a sexy, sexy woman in a bikini and added David Hasselhoff. In Turkey, they turned Luke and Han into kung fu masters forced to battle armies of oversized fuzzy muppets while on trampolines (Dunyayi Kurtaran Adam, 1982). But in Brazil, they kept Star Wars more or less the way it was and just threw in four wacky idiots from Earth.
Filmthreat.com has a good review of Brazilian Star Wars here. I wonder if Bibi has seen this?Disappointed I am a bit disappointed in yesterday's verdict. Anybody who has another human being hold an umbrella over their plastic head deserves to spend some time behind bars. DisappointedI am a bit disappointed in yesterday's verdict. Anybody who has another human being hold an umbrella over their plastic head deserves to spend some time behind bars. Monday, June 13, 2005Fundie Fashion Faux Pas Fashion Highs and Lows of the Westboro Baptist Church.
Grandma's rolled up pants aren't doing her any favors. It'd be one thing if her shins were worth showing, but they aren't. I typically try to avoid making sweeping generalizations, but Westboro Baptist Church members have by far the most unattractive shins of any hate group in the country. As for the grandson, his hooded sweatshirt is trendy enough, but one wonders why he's wearing velcro-laced sneakers. He appears to be old enough to know how to tie his shoes. Perhaps he's "special."
GRADES: Grandma: C Grandson: B- Fundie Fashion Faux PasFashion Highs and Lows of the Westboro Baptist Church.
Grandma's rolled up pants aren't doing her any favors. It'd be one thing if her shins were worth showing, but they aren't. I typically try to avoid making sweeping generalizations, but Westboro Baptist Church members have by far the most unattractive shins of any hate group in the country. As for the grandson, his hooded sweatshirt is trendy enough, but one wonders why he's wearing velcro-laced sneakers. He appears to be old enough to know how to tie his shoes. Perhaps he's "special."
GRADES: Grandma: C Grandson: B- The Flaming Fire Illustrated Bible Neat idea. Most of the illustrations are pretty bad though. (I was looking for one to use besides the illustration above and couldn't find one that came close)
Our goal is to illustrate the entire bible verse–by–verse— one illustration per verse. We plan to enlist artists and illustrators from all over the world— including you!— to help us bring each of the 36,665 verses in our database to life.
The Flaming Fire Illustrated BibleNeat idea. Most of the illustrations are pretty bad though. (I was looking for one to use besides the illustration above and couldn't find one that came close)
Our goal is to illustrate the entire bible verse–by–verse— one illustration per verse. We plan to enlist artists and illustrators from all over the world— including you!— to help us bring each of the 36,665 verses in our database to life.
SighNothing like going to lunch and coming back to find your inbox filled with 350 emails saying this:
Dear Cynical-c Member,
This is very nice of the Cynical-c Support Team to take such good care of my account and I as I went to open up the document I remembered one small thing. I AM THE CYNICAL-C SUPPORT TEAM. Bastards.Your e-mail account was used to send a huge amount of unsolicited spam messages during the recent week. If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and confirm the attached document so you will not run into any future problems with the online service. If you choose to ignore our request, you leave us no choice but to cancel your membership. Virtually yours, The Cynical-c Support Team SighNothing like going to lunch and coming back to find your inbox filled with 350 emails saying this:
Dear Cynical-c Member,
This is very nice of the Cynical-c Support Team to take such good care of my account and I as I went to open up the document I remembered one small thing. I AM THE CYNICAL-C SUPPORT TEAM. Bastards.Your e-mail account was used to send a huge amount of unsolicited spam messages during the recent week. If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and confirm the attached document so you will not run into any future problems with the online service. If you choose to ignore our request, you leave us no choice but to cancel your membership. Virtually yours, The Cynical-c Support Team i nee a " " key for my keyboarFrom craigslist:
please...if you have an extra key laying aroun , please sen it to me. not having it is riving me absolutely crazy. i woul be willing to pay up to 5 ollars for it.
i nee to write an email soon to this la y i went on a ate with last weeken and i'm afrai i woul look like a complete i iot sen ing her an email that looks like this post. i on't care if i look like an i iot to you people because i on't know any of you, but i woul appreciate your help for sure. i nee a " " key for my keyboarFrom craigslist:
please...if you have an extra key laying aroun , please sen it to me. not having it is riving me absolutely crazy. i woul be willing to pay up to 5 ollars for it.
i nee to write an email soon to this la y i went on a ate with last weeken and i'm afrai i woul look like a complete i iot sen ing her an email that looks like this post. i on't care if i look like an i iot to you people because i on't know any of you, but i woul appreciate your help for sure. Google Will Eat ItselfIf they do as well as I do with Adsense then this may take a few millennia.
We generate money by serving Google text advertisments on our website GWEI.org. With this money we automatically buy Google shares via our Swiss e-banking account. We buy Google via their own advertisment! Google eats itself - but in the end we will own it!
Google Will Eat ItselfIf they do as well as I do with Adsense then this may take a few millennia.
We generate money by serving Google text advertisments on our website GWEI.org. With this money we automatically buy Google shares via our Swiss e-banking account. We buy Google via their own advertisment! Google eats itself - but in the end we will own it!
Sunday, June 12, 2005Worst Traffic Signals EverWow.Update: It's a sculpture. A weird one at that. I would still be waiting for my light to turn green. (Thanks Dan) Worst Traffic Signals EverWow.Update: It's a sculpture. A weird one at that. I would still be waiting for my light to turn green. (Thanks Dan) Crazy Coffins Jabberwocky submitted this and said: I don't know which is most disturbing; what they're trying to sell, or the odd website design! One of the worst website designs I have ever seen. I think the coffins are weird too but who can navigate through this mess? Crazy CoffinsJabberwocky submitted this and said: I don't know which is most disturbing; what they're trying to sell, or the odd website design! One of the worst website designs I have ever seen. I think the coffins are weird too but who can navigate through this mess? Guide to "Cold Reading"
By far the most common method employed by psychics who have been put to the test is called cold reading. This method involves the psychic reading the subject's body language etc, and skilfully extracting information from the subject, which can then be fed back later, convincing the subject that the psychic has told them things they couldn't possibly have known!
The following is our 13 point guide to cold reading - Study them well, then amaze your friends with your new found psychic powers! Guide to "Cold Reading"
By far the most common method employed by psychics who have been put to the test is called cold reading. This method involves the psychic reading the subject's body language etc, and skilfully extracting information from the subject, which can then be fed back later, convincing the subject that the psychic has told them things they couldn't possibly have known!
The following is our 13 point guide to cold reading - Study them well, then amaze your friends with your new found psychic powers! The Père Lachaise The Père Lachaise has a great website that allows you to see what famous people are buried there and where they are in the cemetary. The English version of the site is "coming soon" although I suspect this is France's revenge on the whole freedom fries incident. Pictured above is the Lizard King's grave. (Thanks Alban) The Père LachaiseThe Père Lachaise has a great website that allows you to see what famous people are buried there and where they are in the cemetary. The English version of the site is "coming soon" although I suspect this is France's revenge on the whole freedom fries incident. Pictured above is the Lizard King's grave. (Thanks Alban) White Woman of the MomentThis is about right.
This really hasn't been a great year for America so far. The whole Iraq thing really isn't working out too well, the economy could be in trouble, and "Son of the Mask" was actually released in theaters. Sorry about that, rest of the world.
(Thanks Jason)Thankfully, you don't really need to worry about serious issues like the thousands of soldiers and civilians dying in the Middle East, the nearly 8 trillion dollar national debt, or silly things like famine or whatever is happening in places that aren't America... because the media spends most of its time and effort focusing on the current WWotM. If you aren't familiar with the abbreviation, "WWotM" is shorthand for "White Woman of the Moment." This is the Caucasian female that the major news outlets are most breathlessly talking and writing about at the present time. White Woman of the MomentThis is about right.
This really hasn't been a great year for America so far. The whole Iraq thing really isn't working out too well, the economy could be in trouble, and "Son of the Mask" was actually released in theaters. Sorry about that, rest of the world.
(Thanks Jason)Thankfully, you don't really need to worry about serious issues like the thousands of soldiers and civilians dying in the Middle East, the nearly 8 trillion dollar national debt, or silly things like famine or whatever is happening in places that aren't America... because the media spends most of its time and effort focusing on the current WWotM. If you aren't familiar with the abbreviation, "WWotM" is shorthand for "White Woman of the Moment." This is the Caucasian female that the major news outlets are most breathlessly talking and writing about at the present time. Even Mold Knows To Stay Away
Everyone knows McDonald's food isn't healthy, but is it really any worse than other fast food? A friend of mine told me about an experiment Morgan Spurlock did for Supersize Me comparing McDonald's food to a place that made homemade burgers and fries. (The experiment wasn't in the movie but it's one of the DVD extras.) Spurlock let food from both places sit out for weeks in order to see see how McDonald's use of preservatives and other additives affected the way the food broke down.
I liked the idea but wanted to see what would happen if, instead of using gourmet stuff, I experimented with the local equivalent of McDonald's -- a cheap restaurant/take-out joint. So I went and bought burgers and fries from a nearby diner, New College Restaurant, and from McDonald's and compared the two. Even Mold Knows To Stay Away
Everyone knows McDonald's food isn't healthy, but is it really any worse than other fast food? A friend of mine told me about an experiment Morgan Spurlock did for Supersize Me comparing McDonald's food to a place that made homemade burgers and fries. (The experiment wasn't in the movie but it's one of the DVD extras.) Spurlock let food from both places sit out for weeks in order to see see how McDonald's use of preservatives and other additives affected the way the food broke down.
I liked the idea but wanted to see what would happen if, instead of using gourmet stuff, I experimented with the local equivalent of McDonald's -- a cheap restaurant/take-out joint. So I went and bought burgers and fries from a nearby diner, New College Restaurant, and from McDonald's and compared the two. Deep Thoughts by Jack HandeyI had almost forgotten about these. (On a side note, why do some webdesigners put such a bad background image on their site that makes it almost impossible to read the text? )
I think there should be something in science called the "reindeer effect." I don't know what it would be, but I think it'd be good to hear someone say, "Gentlemen, what we have here is a terrifying example of the reindeer effect."
I was going to put a few more examples but that damn blue background image is just irritating. - Jack Handey Deep Thoughts by Jack HandeyI had almost forgotten about these. (On a side note, why do some webdesigners put such a bad background image on their site that makes it almost impossible to read the text? )
I think there should be something in science called the "reindeer effect." I don't know what it would be, but I think it'd be good to hear someone say, "Gentlemen, what we have here is a terrifying example of the reindeer effect."
I was going to put a few more examples but that damn blue background image is just irritating. - Jack Handey Suicide BridgeFascinating article:
So many bodies have fallen from the sky into Juliet Shreve's neighborhood that she can't remember specifics. They blend together into one limp, anonymous figure. "They never came one after another," she says. "They'd always catch you by surprise."
She must sift through her memory before one sticks out. It was June 27, 1990. Her children were still in grade school. The dense woods around her house were thick with trees and bushes, overgrown with vines and dogwoods. She was sitting in the still shade of her 1912 colonial, dwarfed by the colossal concrete legs of the All-America Bridge, more commonly known as the Y-Bridge. It's a massive 3,400-foot snake of concrete that slithers over the lush Little Cuyahoga Valley and splits into a Y as it approaches downtown Akron. Its arched steel frame sits 150 feet in the air, bleeding rust onto the thick concrete limbs that rise above the surrounding greenery. Below, Shreve's street is seldom traveled. A narrow, one-way passage on the edge of a steep hill, East Lods Street is tucked between the bustle of downtown and the Italian restaurants of North Hill. The bridge protects Shreve and her neighbors from the scorching sun and the harsh winter snow. As her kids played in its shade, Shreve relaxed to the sound of cars whooshing by overhead. Then, she heard the rustle of trees and a heavy thud. "Someone hollered, 'A body!'" she recalls. Suicide BridgeFascinating article:
So many bodies have fallen from the sky into Juliet Shreve's neighborhood that she can't remember specifics. They blend together into one limp, anonymous figure. "They never came one after another," she says. "They'd always catch you by surprise."
She must sift through her memory before one sticks out. It was June 27, 1990. Her children were still in grade school. The dense woods around her house were thick with trees and bushes, overgrown with vines and dogwoods. She was sitting in the still shade of her 1912 colonial, dwarfed by the colossal concrete legs of the All-America Bridge, more commonly known as the Y-Bridge. It's a massive 3,400-foot snake of concrete that slithers over the lush Little Cuyahoga Valley and splits into a Y as it approaches downtown Akron. Its arched steel frame sits 150 feet in the air, bleeding rust onto the thick concrete limbs that rise above the surrounding greenery. Below, Shreve's street is seldom traveled. A narrow, one-way passage on the edge of a steep hill, East Lods Street is tucked between the bustle of downtown and the Italian restaurants of North Hill. The bridge protects Shreve and her neighbors from the scorching sun and the harsh winter snow. As her kids played in its shade, Shreve relaxed to the sound of cars whooshing by overhead. Then, she heard the rustle of trees and a heavy thud. "Someone hollered, 'A body!'" she recalls. Color Film of Albert EinsteinNewly released color film of Einstein. It is always a bit odd to see someone in color for the first time after seeing his photo in b/w for your entire life. (Video link)(via Grow a Brain) Color Film of Albert EinsteinNewly released color film of Einstein. It is always a bit odd to see someone in color for the first time after seeing his photo in b/w for your entire life. (Video link)(via Grow a Brain) Friday, June 10, 2005Oops
Check out these photos.
Just a few kilometers into the trip, a wheel bearing became overheated and melted off letting the truck support drop down and grind on top of the rail creating white hot molten metal droppings that spewed down onto the rails.
The GOOD NEWS to this is that a very alert crew noticed a small amount of smoke halfway back in the train and immediately stopped the train in compliance with the rules. The BAD NEWS to this is that the train just happened to stop with its hot weeels on top of a wooden trestle bridge built with creosoted ties, bents and trusses. Oops
Check out these photos.
Just a few kilometers into the trip, a wheel bearing became overheated and melted off letting the truck support drop down and grind on top of the rail creating white hot molten metal droppings that spewed down onto the rails.
The GOOD NEWS to this is that a very alert crew noticed a small amount of smoke halfway back in the train and immediately stopped the train in compliance with the rules. The BAD NEWS to this is that the train just happened to stop with its hot weeels on top of a wooden trestle bridge built with creosoted ties, bents and trusses. Insect Photography
Great photos even if they do give you that creepy crawly feeling. (via Jaf Project) Insect Photography
Great photos even if they do give you that creepy crawly feeling. (via Jaf Project) The Curta Calculator Page I had never heard of a Curta Calculator until I stumbled onto this page. Here is Wikipedia's description of the Curta Calculator:
The Curta was a small, hand-cranked mechanical calculator introduced in 1948. It had a brilliantly compact design, a small cylinder that fit in the palm of the hand. It could be used to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and with more difficulty square roots and other operations. The Curta's design is a variant of Gottfried Leibnitz's Arithmometer, accumulating values on cogs, which are added or complemented by a steppered drum.
The Curta Calculator PageI had never heard of a Curta Calculator until I stumbled onto this page. Here is Wikipedia's description of the Curta Calculator:
The Curta was a small, hand-cranked mechanical calculator introduced in 1948. It had a brilliantly compact design, a small cylinder that fit in the palm of the hand. It could be used to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and with more difficulty square roots and other operations. The Curta's design is a variant of Gottfried Leibnitz's Arithmometer, accumulating values on cogs, which are added or complemented by a steppered drum.
Drug Dealers vs. CodersAre drug dealers being outsourced too?
Drug dealers
(via del.icio.us/batmule)Refer to their clients as 'users'. Software developers Refer to their clients as 'users'. Drug dealers Their product causes unhealthy addictions. Software developers DOOM. Half-Life. SimCity. Counterstrike. Drug Dealers vs. CodersAre drug dealers being outsourced too?
Drug dealers
(via del.icio.us/batmule)Refer to their clients as 'users'. Software developers Refer to their clients as 'users'. Drug dealers Their product causes unhealthy addictions. Software developers DOOM. Half-Life. SimCity. Counterstrike. How To Build an Ultimate Water Gun
These pages are all about the Ultimate Water Gun — the water weapon of the millennium. It consists of a fire extinguisher that discharges its contents under high pressure through a spray nozzle mounted on a motorcycle helmet. Using a hand-held cable release and wearing the tank on your back, it is possible to feel a rush of power unparalleled in history since the mighty dinosaurs roamed the earth.
(via del.icio.us/digifreax)How To Build an Ultimate Water Gun
These pages are all about the Ultimate Water Gun — the water weapon of the millennium. It consists of a fire extinguisher that discharges its contents under high pressure through a spray nozzle mounted on a motorcycle helmet. Using a hand-held cable release and wearing the tank on your back, it is possible to feel a rush of power unparalleled in history since the mighty dinosaurs roamed the earth.
(via del.icio.us/digifreax)Watch Someone Self Destruct on a Message Board ThreadWhat starts out with someone looking for a cycling partner quickly disintegrates into:
I mistakenly believed this forum was honorable. I now see that it is no different from the rest.
It goes downhill from there. One of the best message board threads I have seen in a long time.You had better take my advice and delete this thread and my membership completely. I have had it with this kind of shit from people like you. If you do not delete I will do everything I can to come at you IN PERSON. Now get all this off here and let me alone. FUCK YOU. (via del.icio.us/WCityMike) Watch Someone Self Destruct on a Message Board ThreadWhat starts out with someone looking for a cycling partner quickly disintegrates into:
I mistakenly believed this forum was honorable. I now see that it is no different from the rest.
It goes downhill from there. One of the best message board threads I have seen in a long time.You had better take my advice and delete this thread and my membership completely. I have had it with this kind of shit from people like you. If you do not delete I will do everything I can to come at you IN PERSON. Now get all this off here and let me alone. FUCK YOU. (via del.icio.us/WCityMike) Random Mathematical QuotationsHere.
One began to hear it said that World War I was the chemists' war, World War II was the physicists' war, World War III (may it never come) will be the mathematicians' war.
The Mathematical Experience, Boston: Birkhäuser, 1981. Random Mathematical QuotationsHere.
One began to hear it said that World War I was the chemists' war, World War II was the physicists' war, World War III (may it never come) will be the mathematicians' war.
The Mathematical Experience, Boston: Birkhäuser, 1981. How to Watch July 4 Comet ImpactI need to get away from the light pollution of Boston to see this though.
In early July, NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft will deploy a tiny impactor to smash into the nucleus of a small comet. The idea is to excavate a sizable crater and provide valuable insight into the true nature of comets.
For skywatchers here on Earth, it should also produce a large cloud of ejected material that should cause the comet to significantly brighten enough to become visible with binoculars and perhaps even with the unaided eye. How to Watch July 4 Comet ImpactI need to get away from the light pollution of Boston to see this though.
In early July, NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft will deploy a tiny impactor to smash into the nucleus of a small comet. The idea is to excavate a sizable crater and provide valuable insight into the true nature of comets.
For skywatchers here on Earth, it should also produce a large cloud of ejected material that should cause the comet to significantly brighten enough to become visible with binoculars and perhaps even with the unaided eye. Fox News Stops Updating Their Fatality ListApparently no soldiers have been killed in Iraq since May 13. I guess the 70 men and women who have been killed since then don't count.Even CNN takes time from their exhaustive missing woman in Aruba reporting to keep an updated list. (via Atrios) Fox News Stops Updating Their Fatality ListApparently no soldiers have been killed in Iraq since May 13. I guess the 70 men and women who have been killed since then don't count.Even CNN takes time from their exhaustive missing woman in Aruba reporting to keep an updated list. (via Atrios) World's Longest PictureI'm not sure if it is the world's longest picture or not but it is a beautiful shot of Sydney Harbor.World's Longest PictureI'm not sure if it is the world's longest picture or not but it is a beautiful shot of Sydney Harbor.Rolling Stone George Lucas Interview From 1977It is a long read but worth it for a Star Wars fan if only to remember what was.
Yes. I started out saying this is a fairly viable project, I thought it would make roughly $16 million. The thing is, okay, if I spend $4.5 million, then on the advertising and the prints and everything another $4.5 million, there is a little bit of profit in there, if it makes $16 million. I said this was a good venture, and I could take it to the studios . . . they do marketing and stuff but they don't interpret it properly. The marketing survey is only as good as the people that are interpreting it, and when I went to one Studio, United Artists, I said, this is what I'm going to do. It's Flash Gordon, it's adventure, It's exciting, sort of James Bond and all this kind of stuff, and they said, no, we don't see it. So I went to Universal and got the same thing.
(Seen first on Kottke.org)Rolling Stone George Lucas Interview From 1977It is a long read but worth it for a Star Wars fan if only to remember what was.
Yes. I started out saying this is a fairly viable project, I thought it would make roughly $16 million. The thing is, okay, if I spend $4.5 million, then on the advertising and the prints and everything another $4.5 million, there is a little bit of profit in there, if it makes $16 million. I said this was a good venture, and I could take it to the studios . . . they do marketing and stuff but they don't interpret it properly. The marketing survey is only as good as the people that are interpreting it, and when I went to one Studio, United Artists, I said, this is what I'm going to do. It's Flash Gordon, it's adventure, It's exciting, sort of James Bond and all this kind of stuff, and they said, no, we don't see it. So I went to Universal and got the same thing.
(Seen first on Kottke.org)Thursday, June 9, 2005Outrageous Ebay Auctions BlogCool idea for a blog.
Have you ever wondered why seemingly "normal" people bid on items that do not appear to have any value whatsoever?. Well one person's trash is another's treasure. Come along for the ride as we watch how much "normal" people will bid on Strange, Weird, Funny, Disturbing & of course Outrageous Ebay Auctions!
Outrageous Ebay Auctions BlogCool idea for a blog.
Have you ever wondered why seemingly "normal" people bid on items that do not appear to have any value whatsoever?. Well one person's trash is another's treasure. Come along for the ride as we watch how much "normal" people will bid on Strange, Weird, Funny, Disturbing & of course Outrageous Ebay Auctions!
Starships Disguised As Clouds Obviously.
These pictures show cloudships or starships disguised as clouds in the daytime sky. The Pleiadian Star Fleet and other starfleet ships that are here around Planet Earth at this time use technologies to prevent them from being seen at times in third dimension. They have the ability to change the color of the "skin" of the starship to match the color of the sky or to collect water molecules in the air surrounding the ship, which then form a cloud to conceal the ship, thus cloudships.
(via Presurfer)Starships Disguised As CloudsObviously.
These pictures show cloudships or starships disguised as clouds in the daytime sky. The Pleiadian Star Fleet and other starfleet ships that are here around Planet Earth at this time use technologies to prevent them from being seen at times in third dimension. They have the ability to change the color of the "skin" of the starship to match the color of the sky or to collect water molecules in the air surrounding the ship, which then form a cloud to conceal the ship, thus cloudships.
(via Presurfer)Powerline CodesWho knew? Besides junkies and gang members at least.
"The tennis shoes hanging up there mark drug areas," the worker says. "It's a sign to those who are 'in the know' that drugs are available for sale in that neighborhood."
He goes on to explain the alleged meaning of yoyos and deflated helium balloons.
(via Museum of Hoaxes)"That meaning is a lot darker," he says. "Yoyos mean that sex is for sale in the area, and if a balloon is tangled in with the yoyos, that means both sex and drugs are for sale." He explains that the color of the yoyo indicates the ethnicity of the person offering sex. Powerline CodesWho knew? Besides junkies and gang members at least.
"The tennis shoes hanging up there mark drug areas," the worker says. "It's a sign to those who are 'in the know' that drugs are available for sale in that neighborhood."
He goes on to explain the alleged meaning of yoyos and deflated helium balloons.
(via Museum of Hoaxes)"That meaning is a lot darker," he says. "Yoyos mean that sex is for sale in the area, and if a balloon is tangled in with the yoyos, that means both sex and drugs are for sale." He explains that the color of the yoyo indicates the ethnicity of the person offering sex. Wednesday, June 8, 2005How Escalators WorkNeat article. The escalator at South Station in Boston hasn't been working for almost two months now. Can anybody explain to me how it takes two months to repair an escalator for the busiest station in Boston yet I never see an escalator not working in a mall for longer than a day?(via Information Junk) Update: Now both escalators at South Station aren't working. How Escalators WorkNeat article. The escalator at South Station in Boston hasn't been working for almost two months now. Can anybody explain to me how it takes two months to repair an escalator for the busiest station in Boston yet I never see an escalator not working in a mall for longer than a day?(via Information Junk) Update: Now both escalators at South Station aren't working. Glossary of Linguistic TermsHelpful if you need to know what is a defective illocutionary act.(via Incoming Signals) Glossary of Linguistic TermsHelpful if you need to know what is a defective illocutionary act.(via Incoming Signals) "Abort, Retry, Ignore?"I am a big fan of Dorna!'s The Guabancex Blog, (formerly of Guabancex before blogspot had a seizure and froze it on her). This take on Poe's The Raven that she wrote is wonderful.
Once upon a midnight dreary, fingers cramped and vision bleary,
Update:System manuals piled high and wasted paper on the floor, Longing for the warmth of bedsheets, Still I sat there, doing spreadsheets: Having reached the bottom line, I took a floppy from the drawer. Typing with a steady hand, I then invoked the SAVE command and waited for the disk to store, Only this and nothing more. Deep into the monitor peering, long I sat there wond'ring, fearing, Doubting, while the disk kept churning, turning yet to churn some more. "Save!" I said, "You cursed mother! Save my data from before!" One thing did the phosphors answer, only this and nothing more, Just, "Abort, Retry, Ignore?" Dorna! tells me she found it somewhere. "Abort, Retry, Ignore?"I am a big fan of Dorna!'s The Guabancex Blog, (formerly of Guabancex before blogspot had a seizure and froze it on her). This take on Poe's The Raven that she wrote is wonderful.
Once upon a midnight dreary, fingers cramped and vision bleary,
Update:System manuals piled high and wasted paper on the floor, Longing for the warmth of bedsheets, Still I sat there, doing spreadsheets: Having reached the bottom line, I took a floppy from the drawer. Typing with a steady hand, I then invoked the SAVE command and waited for the disk to store, Only this and nothing more. Deep into the monitor peering, long I sat there wond'ring, fearing, Doubting, while the disk kept churning, turning yet to churn some more. "Save!" I said, "You cursed mother! Save my data from before!" One thing did the phosphors answer, only this and nothing more, Just, "Abort, Retry, Ignore?" Dorna! tells me she found it somewhere. Abandoned Railroads of the US
Thousands of miles of railroads have been abandoned in the United States, much of it in the last 30 years. All of these railroad lines have a history and a story. This web site is dedicated to the preservation of the history of each of these former railroad lines.
Abandoned Railroads of the US
Thousands of miles of railroads have been abandoned in the United States, much of it in the last 30 years. All of these railroad lines have a history and a story. This web site is dedicated to the preservation of the history of each of these former railroad lines.
Corset Piercing Aack!
The corset piercing is most popular for performance art and fetish events, and is almost always removed immediately afterward. They usually can’t heal properly because they are a surface piercing in an area prone to rejection and they use a type of jewelry that isn’t really suitable for permanent use in the area. More recently, the term corset piercing has been used to encompass any kind of paired, laddered piercings that can then be laced together.
Corset PiercingAack!
The corset piercing is most popular for performance art and fetish events, and is almost always removed immediately afterward. They usually can’t heal properly because they are a surface piercing in an area prone to rejection and they use a type of jewelry that isn’t really suitable for permanent use in the area. More recently, the term corset piercing has been used to encompass any kind of paired, laddered piercings that can then be laced together.
Tom Cruise's Medical ForumIt's funny cuz it could be true.
Can you give me some examples of medical situations that were treated more effectively with this alternate medical philosophy?
Sure. I can recall an incident on the set of ‘Days of Thunder’ where a stunt driver had a horrible, high-speed accident, just barreled into a wall, and unfortunately he had been harnessed incorrectly. He was screaming in agony, his legs and several ribs were obviously very badly broken, and the first instinct of everyone on the set was to get him airlifted to a medical treatment facility. Luckily, amid all of this hysterical panic, someone was clear-thinking enough to come to my trailer to notify me of what had happened. I sprinted to the scene and insisted the air paramedic be turned away--it was clear to me that what this man was most in need of was a handful of high-potency vitamins, which I administered with all due haste. Really? This is an effective treatment for numerous compound fractures? Well, not on its own, obviously. I had him carried to my trailer and placed in my sauna, where he could sweat out the pain-toxins that were coursing through his bloodstream. Tom Cruise's Medical ForumIt's funny cuz it could be true.
Can you give me some examples of medical situations that were treated more effectively with this alternate medical philosophy?
Sure. I can recall an incident on the set of ‘Days of Thunder’ where a stunt driver had a horrible, high-speed accident, just barreled into a wall, and unfortunately he had been harnessed incorrectly. He was screaming in agony, his legs and several ribs were obviously very badly broken, and the first instinct of everyone on the set was to get him airlifted to a medical treatment facility. Luckily, amid all of this hysterical panic, someone was clear-thinking enough to come to my trailer to notify me of what had happened. I sprinted to the scene and insisted the air paramedic be turned away--it was clear to me that what this man was most in need of was a handful of high-potency vitamins, which I administered with all due haste. Really? This is an effective treatment for numerous compound fractures? Well, not on its own, obviously. I had him carried to my trailer and placed in my sauna, where he could sweat out the pain-toxins that were coursing through his bloodstream. Beethoven Symphonies Online All nine will be broadcast and made available for download throughout June. The first five are already up. (via Boing Boing) Beethoven Symphonies OnlineAll nine will be broadcast and made available for download throughout June. The first five are already up. (via Boing Boing) Tuesday, June 7, 2005Aberfan: The Days After
It was on every news station that October morning. A mountain had fallen on a primary school in Aberfan, Wales. Scores of children were dead or missing, along with many of their teachers. It was Friday, October 21st, 1966. The children had gone off to school, many of them walking alone, for Aberfan was a safe community. A child could stroll from one end of the village to the other without fear of being swept away by criminals. They had waved goodbye to their mothers, while others, with book bags in hand, kissed their dad's fresh-shaven faces and hurried on to Moy Road to join their friends in the Pantglas Junior School.
(Great find by Jabberwocky)A short time after 9 a.m. that Friday, the south face of coal "tip” Number 7 began to move; a huge, hovering, hill-sized mound of black slag – useless tailings dug from the local coal mine – soaked from below by hidden springs and awash from continuous autumn rains. In a matter of moments, an avalanche of earth and rock tore loose from the man-made mountain and a thousand tons of slag roared down toward the village, first sweeping away a farmhouse, then crashing onto the primary school, the first of the village buildings. The hillside wall of the school was immediately destroyed and the mud and slurry quickly filled the classrooms, trapping children who tried desperately to flee. The slide continued on around the school for some distance, collapsing nearby homes and shops. Aberfan: The Days After
It was on every news station that October morning. A mountain had fallen on a primary school in Aberfan, Wales. Scores of children were dead or missing, along with many of their teachers. It was Friday, October 21st, 1966. The children had gone off to school, many of them walking alone, for Aberfan was a safe community. A child could stroll from one end of the village to the other without fear of being swept away by criminals. They had waved goodbye to their mothers, while others, with book bags in hand, kissed their dad's fresh-shaven faces and hurried on to Moy Road to join their friends in the Pantglas Junior School.
(Great find by Jabberwocky)A short time after 9 a.m. that Friday, the south face of coal "tip” Number 7 began to move; a huge, hovering, hill-sized mound of black slag – useless tailings dug from the local coal mine – soaked from below by hidden springs and awash from continuous autumn rains. In a matter of moments, an avalanche of earth and rock tore loose from the man-made mountain and a thousand tons of slag roared down toward the village, first sweeping away a farmhouse, then crashing onto the primary school, the first of the village buildings. The hillside wall of the school was immediately destroyed and the mud and slurry quickly filled the classrooms, trapping children who tried desperately to flee. The slide continued on around the school for some distance, collapsing nearby homes and shops. Howard Hughes in Vegas
From the Howard Hughes Collection:
Hughes had purchased the Desert Inn, as the story goes, because he couldn't get a room there, and took over the top floor. He then proceeded to purchase the Sands, the Frontier, the Silver Slipper, and that monument to failed dreams, the Landmark, with its space-needle saucer-on-a-stick. Hughes is credited with bringing corporate legitimacy to Las Vegas, and running out the Mafia. The State of Nevada did oblige Hughes by changing its gaming licensing laws for him, thereby ushering into Las Vegas publicly traded hotel corporation like Hilton and Marriott, who changed the face of Las Vegas and whose hotels looked like hotels and corporate towers, not like roadside motels with big signs.
(via Exclamation Mark)Howard Hughes in Vegas
From the Howard Hughes Collection:
Hughes had purchased the Desert Inn, as the story goes, because he couldn't get a room there, and took over the top floor. He then proceeded to purchase the Sands, the Frontier, the Silver Slipper, and that monument to failed dreams, the Landmark, with its space-needle saucer-on-a-stick. Hughes is credited with bringing corporate legitimacy to Las Vegas, and running out the Mafia. The State of Nevada did oblige Hughes by changing its gaming licensing laws for him, thereby ushering into Las Vegas publicly traded hotel corporation like Hilton and Marriott, who changed the face of Las Vegas and whose hotels looked like hotels and corporate towers, not like roadside motels with big signs.
(via Exclamation Mark)Corporate Gibberish GeneratorCreate your own here.
At cynical-c, we realize how to generate magneticly. If all of this seems dumbfounding to you, that's because it is! A company that can brand courageously will (at some indefinite point of time in the future) be able to recontextualize faithfully. Imagine a combination of CSS and Java. Think dot-com. It comes off as undreamt of, but it's completely completely realistic! What do we actualize? Anything and everything, regardless of obscureness! We will reintermediate the commonly-used term "ubiquitous". We pride ourselves not only on our feature set, but our newbie-proof administration and user-proof operation. The aptitude to orchestrate globally leads to the ability to unleash nano-transparently.
(Thanks Radmila)Corporate Gibberish GeneratorCreate your own here.
At cynical-c, we realize how to generate magneticly. If all of this seems dumbfounding to you, that's because it is! A company that can brand courageously will (at some indefinite point of time in the future) be able to recontextualize faithfully. Imagine a combination of CSS and Java. Think dot-com. It comes off as undreamt of, but it's completely completely realistic! What do we actualize? Anything and everything, regardless of obscureness! We will reintermediate the commonly-used term "ubiquitous". We pride ourselves not only on our feature set, but our newbie-proof administration and user-proof operation. The aptitude to orchestrate globally leads to the ability to unleash nano-transparently.
(Thanks Radmila)50 Reasons Why Jedi SucksI know I know. Not another Star Wars article. But this one is worth it. Especially if Return of the Jedi was your least favorite of the trilogy. (Yes, and I said trilogy. That prequel crap doesn't count).
14. LUKE: We like Mark Hamill, really. But though he was perfectly cast as the wet-behind-the-ears student in the first two films, he simply lacks the dignity to pull off a believable Jedi Knight. To top things off, he has Aunt Beru's haircut from the first film. We forget, was Jedi released before or after the advent of the Supercuts salon chain?
29. IMPERIAL TECHNOLOGY: Imperial engineers should really figure out a way to keep their vehicles from blowing up so easily, both in space and on the ground. In Jedi, not only does a single crashed A-Wing take out an entire eight-kilometer Super Star Destroyer, but several scout walkers explode like Pintos whenever something taps them a little too hard. (True, the Imperial walkers in Empire could be tripped up a bit easily, but at least they didn't burst into fireballs until hit by Rebel blaster fire.) It seems strange that the Rebels even bothered procuring spaceships and blasters -- based on what Jedi shows us, the Empire could have been defeated with a couple of well-placed safety pins. 50 Reasons Why Jedi SucksI know I know. Not another Star Wars article. But this one is worth it. Especially if Return of the Jedi was your least favorite of the trilogy. (Yes, and I said trilogy. That prequel crap doesn't count).
14. LUKE: We like Mark Hamill, really. But though he was perfectly cast as the wet-behind-the-ears student in the first two films, he simply lacks the dignity to pull off a believable Jedi Knight. To top things off, he has Aunt Beru's haircut from the first film. We forget, was Jedi released before or after the advent of the Supercuts salon chain?
29. IMPERIAL TECHNOLOGY: Imperial engineers should really figure out a way to keep their vehicles from blowing up so easily, both in space and on the ground. In Jedi, not only does a single crashed A-Wing take out an entire eight-kilometer Super Star Destroyer, but several scout walkers explode like Pintos whenever something taps them a little too hard. (True, the Imperial walkers in Empire could be tripped up a bit easily, but at least they didn't burst into fireballs until hit by Rebel blaster fire.) It seems strange that the Rebels even bothered procuring spaceships and blasters -- based on what Jedi shows us, the Empire could have been defeated with a couple of well-placed safety pins. Bait Car
A bait car is a vehicle owned by the police and is intended to be stolen. After a bait car is stolen, the location, speed, and direction of travel of the vehicle is monitored by police dispatchers at EComm through GPS tracking. Everything that takes place inside the bait car is caught on audio and video. The dispatcher will coordinate a police response and once officers are in position behind the bait car, the engine will be disabled at the click of a mouse button which allows for the quick arrest of the car thieves.
Bait Car
A bait car is a vehicle owned by the police and is intended to be stolen. After a bait car is stolen, the location, speed, and direction of travel of the vehicle is monitored by police dispatchers at EComm through GPS tracking. Everything that takes place inside the bait car is caught on audio and video. The dispatcher will coordinate a police response and once officers are in position behind the bait car, the engine will be disabled at the click of a mouse button which allows for the quick arrest of the car thieves.
Casa di Libri A house made out of books.
Can you imagine a house made out of books? A house in which even the table, the chairs and the bed seem to have been made of pages to turn and bound covers? You might say that this is a dream turned into reality by Livio De Marchi!
Casa di LibriA house made out of books.
Can you imagine a house made out of books? A house in which even the table, the chairs and the bed seem to have been made of pages to turn and bound covers? You might say that this is a dream turned into reality by Livio De Marchi!
My Favorite Christopher Columbus StoryExplorers tend to get too much credit for their discoveries. Take Columbus for example. He probably is the best known explorer of all time and for what? Anybody in Europe who sailed west long enough was going to run into North or South America. Hell, I get lost driving through Boston half the time and even I could have navigated that voyage.But my favorite Christopher Columbus story has nothing to do with him erroneously believing the world was half the size that it actually is, or subjugating all indigenous people he came across. No, my favorite one is when he acted like every other prick of a boss who takes your ideas for his own.
Between the evening of October 11 and the morning of October 12, a sailor on the Pinta named Juan Rodriguez Bermejo called out, "Land, land!" Isabella had offered a reward to the first person to sight land. However, Columbus said that he had seen a flickering light hours earlier, and he claimed the reward.
What an asshole.My Favorite Christopher Columbus StoryExplorers tend to get too much credit for their discoveries. Take Columbus for example. He probably is the best known explorer of all time and for what? Anybody in Europe who sailed west long enough was going to run into North or South America. Hell, I get lost driving through Boston half the time and even I could have navigated that voyage.But my favorite Christopher Columbus story has nothing to do with him erroneously believing the world was half the size that it actually is, or subjugating all indigenous people he came across. No, my favorite one is when he acted like every other prick of a boss who takes your ideas for his own.
Between the evening of October 11 and the morning of October 12, a sailor on the Pinta named Juan Rodriguez Bermejo called out, "Land, land!" Isabella had offered a reward to the first person to sight land. However, Columbus said that he had seen a flickering light hours earlier, and he claimed the reward.
What an asshole.Midnight Ukelele DiscoThis site is nice with a ton of videos of people playing the Uke. I especially enjoyed While My Guitar Genly Weeps and the Hendrix of the Uke, Roy Smeck.(via Bifurcated Rivets) Midnight Ukelele DiscoThis site is nice with a ton of videos of people playing the Uke. I especially enjoyed While My Guitar Genly Weeps and the Hendrix of the Uke, Roy Smeck.(via Bifurcated Rivets) The Peace SignSo let me get this straight. Peace sign = Satan? Sigh.
The signal "actually began as a symbol of Satanic benediction during the rituals.'' This sign has been used by Yasser Arafat, Richard Nixon, Winston Churchill, and Stewart Meacham, Co-Chairman of Reds' New Mobilisation Committee." Churchill said that the sign stood for victory but remember that Churchill was one of the insider "elite" and a Mason. He most likely knew the evil significance of this symbol but tried to give it a facelift.
(Thanks roufomatic)The "v sign" has a colourful history. "V" is the Roman sign for the number five and Adam Weishaupt used it in the Illuminati to symbolise the "Law of Fives,'' but there's more. In the Cabala: "the meaning for the Hebrew letter for V (Van) is 'Nail.' Now, 'The Nail' is one of the secret titles of Satan within the Brotherhood of Satanism. Satan is letting us know that this is one of his favourite signs. Why else does he like the PENTA-gram (Penta = five!) and the FIVE-fold salute used in Masonry and Witchcraft?'' The Peace SignSo let me get this straight. Peace sign = Satan? Sigh.
The signal "actually began as a symbol of Satanic benediction during the rituals.'' This sign has been used by Yasser Arafat, Richard Nixon, Winston Churchill, and Stewart Meacham, Co-Chairman of Reds' New Mobilisation Committee." Churchill said that the sign stood for victory but remember that Churchill was one of the insider "elite" and a Mason. He most likely knew the evil significance of this symbol but tried to give it a facelift.
(Thanks roufomatic)The "v sign" has a colourful history. "V" is the Roman sign for the number five and Adam Weishaupt used it in the Illuminati to symbolise the "Law of Fives,'' but there's more. In the Cabala: "the meaning for the Hebrew letter for V (Van) is 'Nail.' Now, 'The Nail' is one of the secret titles of Satan within the Brotherhood of Satanism. Satan is letting us know that this is one of his favourite signs. Why else does he like the PENTA-gram (Penta = five!) and the FIVE-fold salute used in Masonry and Witchcraft?'' Geek "Your Mom" JokesThese are pretty bad.
Your mom is so ugly; she put her face up to a retinal scanner and got ERROR: INVALID MEDIA
It's all downhill from there.(Thanks Nick) Geek "Your Mom" JokesThese are pretty bad.
Your mom is so ugly; she put her face up to a retinal scanner and got ERROR: INVALID MEDIA
It's all downhill from there.(Thanks Nick) Monday, June 6, 2005Prosecute the Sick and Terminally IllAren't you sick of those terminally ill patients trying to ease their suffering by using cannibas prescribed by doctors? The Bush Adminstration did something about that (nice decision justices!)
U.S. government authorities may prosecute sick people who smoke pot on doctors' orders, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, concluding that state medical marijuana laws don't protect users from a federal ban on the drug.
I wonder what this means to the seven people who are still on the federal government's list of people who are legally allowed to smoke cannibas.
The decision is a defeat for medical marijuana advocates who had lobbied successfully in 10 states to allow marijuana use for medical reasons. Justice John Paul Stevens, writing the 6-3 decision, said that Congress could change the law to allow medical use of marijuana. The closely watched case was an appeal by the Bush administration in a case that it lost in late 2003. At issue was whether the prosecution of medical marijuana users under the federal Controlled Substances Act was constitutional.
There are not many people who can say they have the federal government's permission to smoke marijuana -- seven, to be precise -- but Florida stockbroker Irv Rosenfeld is one of them. This weekend will mark the 22nd anniversary of Rosenfeld's acceptance into the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) program.
Ever since 1983, Rosenfeld has received a monthly shipment of marijuana amounting to about 300 joints from the US government's Mississippi marijuana farm. That adds up to more than 3,000 ounces smoked over the decades. The weed helps alleviate the pain from a rare bone disorder Rosenfeld suffers from called multiple congenital cartilaginous exostoses, which is marked by bony protrusions in the body's long bones. Prosecute the Sick and Terminally IllAren't you sick of those terminally ill patients trying to ease their suffering by using cannibas prescribed by doctors? The Bush Adminstration did something about that (nice decision justices!)
U.S. government authorities may prosecute sick people who smoke pot on doctors' orders, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, concluding that state medical marijuana laws don't protect users from a federal ban on the drug.
I wonder what this means to the seven people who are still on the federal government's list of people who are legally allowed to smoke cannibas.
The decision is a defeat for medical marijuana advocates who had lobbied successfully in 10 states to allow marijuana use for medical reasons. Justice John Paul Stevens, writing the 6-3 decision, said that Congress could change the law to allow medical use of marijuana. The closely watched case was an appeal by the Bush administration in a case that it lost in late 2003. At issue was whether the prosecution of medical marijuana users under the federal Controlled Substances Act was constitutional.
There are not many people who can say they have the federal government's permission to smoke marijuana -- seven, to be precise -- but Florida stockbroker Irv Rosenfeld is one of them. This weekend will mark the 22nd anniversary of Rosenfeld's acceptance into the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) program.
Ever since 1983, Rosenfeld has received a monthly shipment of marijuana amounting to about 300 joints from the US government's Mississippi marijuana farm. That adds up to more than 3,000 ounces smoked over the decades. The weed helps alleviate the pain from a rare bone disorder Rosenfeld suffers from called multiple congenital cartilaginous exostoses, which is marked by bony protrusions in the body's long bones. 2005 Risks In Global Filmmaking
Every filmmaker, from major studios to independent producers, experiences some element of risk while filming in foreign countries. That is why, each year, Aon/Albert G Ruben, the largest entertainment insurance broker in the world, comprehensively measures and maps the risks filmmakers face across the globe.
(via Incoming Signals)2005 Risks In Global Filmmaking
Every filmmaker, from major studios to independent producers, experiences some element of risk while filming in foreign countries. That is why, each year, Aon/Albert G Ruben, the largest entertainment insurance broker in the world, comprehensively measures and maps the risks filmmakers face across the globe.
(via Incoming Signals)How To Make an Origami CD Holder
What if you could make your own CD case using plain old paper? For a penny or two, you can make a cd case that will do the job. When the case gets old, just recycle it.
How To Make an Origami CD Holder
What if you could make your own CD case using plain old paper? For a penny or two, you can make a cd case that will do the job. When the case gets old, just recycle it.
Car Cam Project
I was bored after my finals and decided to do something fun. I had a Logitech Quickcam Express webcam for 3 years which sucked all the time. It had a very poor video quality and didn’t work well in my dimmed room. So I decided to mount it in front of my car.
Car Cam Project
I was bored after my finals and decided to do something fun. I had a Logitech Quickcam Express webcam for 3 years which sucked all the time. It had a very poor video quality and didn’t work well in my dimmed room. So I decided to mount it in front of my car.
HitmanThis may be the most useful service on the net.
We are a privately-owned independent enterprise that specializes in reliable contract killings. We offer a variety of assassination services, customized to suit particular needs of our clients.
Our firm consists of a small team of highly-skilled, and experienced, specialists. We are the industry leader in innovative killing approaches and have built a lasting reputation over decades of outstanding services for clients on five continents. HitmanThis may be the most useful service on the net.
We are a privately-owned independent enterprise that specializes in reliable contract killings. We offer a variety of assassination services, customized to suit particular needs of our clients.
Our firm consists of a small team of highly-skilled, and experienced, specialists. We are the industry leader in innovative killing approaches and have built a lasting reputation over decades of outstanding services for clients on five continents. I Used To Be a NeoconAnother one is unplugged from the Matrix.
Two years ago I was a neocon. I supported Bush’s war on Iraq and I called everyone who didn’t a liberal Kool-aid drinker. I voted for Bush in 2000 and I listened to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and just about any right-winger on the radio that I could get a four-word talking point from to use against liberals. I would say things such as "liberals won’t defend America," "shut up and sing," "freedom is on the march," and "you’re a great American." I supported the war at first because I bought into the lies and propaganda.
(via Kottke)I no longer do. I’m a recovering neocon. I Used To Be a NeoconAnother one is unplugged from the Matrix.
Two years ago I was a neocon. I supported Bush’s war on Iraq and I called everyone who didn’t a liberal Kool-aid drinker. I voted for Bush in 2000 and I listened to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and just about any right-winger on the radio that I could get a four-word talking point from to use against liberals. I would say things such as "liberals won’t defend America," "shut up and sing," "freedom is on the march," and "you’re a great American." I supported the war at first because I bought into the lies and propaganda.
(via Kottke)I no longer do. I’m a recovering neocon. The Rise and Fall of Krispy KremeIt scares me when they sell Krispy Kreme's in a 7-11. Nothing is fresh in there.(via Waxy) The Rise and Fall of Krispy KremeIt scares me when they sell Krispy Kreme's in a 7-11. Nothing is fresh in there.(via Waxy) Sunday, June 5, 2005Saturday, June 4, 2005Friday, June 3, 2005Cool CoincidencesBelieve it or...
In 1883, Henry Ziegland broke off a relationship with his girlfriend who, out of distress, committed suicide. The girl's enraged brother hunted down Ziegland and shot him. Believing he had killed Ziegland, the brother then took his own life. In fact, however, Ziegland had not been killed. The bullet had only grazed his face, lodging into a tree. It was a narrow escape. Years later, Ziegland decided to cut down the same tree, which still had the bullet in it. The huge tree seemed so formidable that he decided to blow it up with dynamite. The explosion propelled the bullet into Ziegland's head, killing him.
(via Monkeyfilter)Cool CoincidencesBelieve it or...
In 1883, Henry Ziegland broke off a relationship with his girlfriend who, out of distress, committed suicide. The girl's enraged brother hunted down Ziegland and shot him. Believing he had killed Ziegland, the brother then took his own life. In fact, however, Ziegland had not been killed. The bullet had only grazed his face, lodging into a tree. It was a narrow escape. Years later, Ziegland decided to cut down the same tree, which still had the bullet in it. The huge tree seemed so formidable that he decided to blow it up with dynamite. The explosion propelled the bullet into Ziegland's head, killing him.
(via Monkeyfilter)Fox News Admits BiasWait, are you telling me that Fox News is biased?
Even we at Fox News manage to get some lefties on the air occasionally, and often let them finish their sentences before we club them to death and feed the scraps to Karl Rove and Bill O'Reilly. And those who hate us can take solace in the fact that they aren't subsidizing Bill's bombast; we payers of the BBC license fee don't enjoy that peace of mind.
Fox News is, after all, a private channel and our presenters are quite open about where they stand on particular stories. That's our appeal. People watch us because they know what they are getting. The Beeb's institutionalized leftism would be easier to tolerate if the corporation was a little more honest about it. Fox News Admits BiasWait, are you telling me that Fox News is biased?
Even we at Fox News manage to get some lefties on the air occasionally, and often let them finish their sentences before we club them to death and feed the scraps to Karl Rove and Bill O'Reilly. And those who hate us can take solace in the fact that they aren't subsidizing Bill's bombast; we payers of the BBC license fee don't enjoy that peace of mind.
Fox News is, after all, a private channel and our presenters are quite open about where they stand on particular stories. That's our appeal. People watch us because they know what they are getting. The Beeb's institutionalized leftism would be easier to tolerate if the corporation was a little more honest about it. Runaway Bride's MugshotActually, every picture I have seen of her kind of looks like a mugshot but this really is. They also have her totally insane statement that she gave to the police. (NSFW)Runaway Bride's MugshotActually, every picture I have seen of her kind of looks like a mugshot but this really is. They also have her totally insane statement that she gave to the police. (NSFW)Chief Seattle's ReplyThe Wikipedia entry about the reply:
A speech given by Chief Seattle in January 1854 was reported by Dr. Henry A. Smith in the Seattle Sunday Star newspaper in 1887. It is most usually called Seattle's Reply since it was a response to a speech by Territorial Governor Isaac M. Stevens. While there is no question that Chief Seattle gave a speech on this occasion, the accuracy of Smith's account is highly subject to question [3] (http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/spring_1985_chief_seattle.html), let alone the accuracy of later accounts that derive from Smith's.
Here is the version that appeared in the Seattle Sunday Star.
Our good father in Washington--for I presume he is now our father as well as yours, since King George has moved his boundaries further north--our great and good father, I say, sends us word that if we do as he desires he will protect us. His brave warriors will be to us a bristling wall of strength, and his wonderful ships of war will fill our harbors, so that our ancient enemies far to the northward -- the Haidas and Tsimshians -- will cease to frighten our women, children, and old men. Then in reality he will be our father and we his children. But can that ever be? Your God is not our God! Your God loves your people and hates mine! He folds his strong protecting arms lovingly about the paleface and leads him by the hand as a father leads an infant son. But, He has forsaken His Red children, if they really are His. Our God, the Great Spirit, seems also to have forsaken us. Your God makes your people wax stronger every day. Soon they will fill all the land. Our people are ebbing away like a rapidly receding tide that will never return. The white man's God cannot love our people or He would protect them. They seem to be orphans who can look nowhere for help. How then can we be brothers? How can your God become our God and renew our prosperity and awaken in us dreams of returning greatness? If we have a common Heavenly Father He must be partial, for He came to His paleface children. We never saw Him. He gave you laws but had no word for His red children whose teeming multitudes once filled this vast continent as stars fill the firmament. No; we are two distinct races with separate origins and separate destinies. There is little in common between us.
Chief Seattle's ReplyThe Wikipedia entry about the reply:
A speech given by Chief Seattle in January 1854 was reported by Dr. Henry A. Smith in the Seattle Sunday Star newspaper in 1887. It is most usually called Seattle's Reply since it was a response to a speech by Territorial Governor Isaac M. Stevens. While there is no question that Chief Seattle gave a speech on this occasion, the accuracy of Smith's account is highly subject to question [3] (http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/spring_1985_chief_seattle.html), let alone the accuracy of later accounts that derive from Smith's.
Here is the version that appeared in the Seattle Sunday Star.
Our good father in Washington--for I presume he is now our father as well as yours, since King George has moved his boundaries further north--our great and good father, I say, sends us word that if we do as he desires he will protect us. His brave warriors will be to us a bristling wall of strength, and his wonderful ships of war will fill our harbors, so that our ancient enemies far to the northward -- the Haidas and Tsimshians -- will cease to frighten our women, children, and old men. Then in reality he will be our father and we his children. But can that ever be? Your God is not our God! Your God loves your people and hates mine! He folds his strong protecting arms lovingly about the paleface and leads him by the hand as a father leads an infant son. But, He has forsaken His Red children, if they really are His. Our God, the Great Spirit, seems also to have forsaken us. Your God makes your people wax stronger every day. Soon they will fill all the land. Our people are ebbing away like a rapidly receding tide that will never return. The white man's God cannot love our people or He would protect them. They seem to be orphans who can look nowhere for help. How then can we be brothers? How can your God become our God and renew our prosperity and awaken in us dreams of returning greatness? If we have a common Heavenly Father He must be partial, for He came to His paleface children. We never saw Him. He gave you laws but had no word for His red children whose teeming multitudes once filled this vast continent as stars fill the firmament. No; we are two distinct races with separate origins and separate destinies. There is little in common between us.
Thursday, June 2, 2005Christian Exodus
ChristianExodus.org is moving thousands of Christians to South Carolina to reestablish constitutionally limited government founded upon Christian principles. This includes the return to South Carolina of all "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States." 1 It is evident that the U.S. Constitution has been abandoned under our current federal system, and the efforts of Christian activism to restore our Godly republic have proven futile over the past three decades. The time has come for Christian Constitutionalists to protect our American principles in a State like South Carolina by interposing the State's sovereign authority retained under the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
(Thanks Joey)Christian Exodus
ChristianExodus.org is moving thousands of Christians to South Carolina to reestablish constitutionally limited government founded upon Christian principles. This includes the return to South Carolina of all "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States." 1 It is evident that the U.S. Constitution has been abandoned under our current federal system, and the efforts of Christian activism to restore our Godly republic have proven futile over the past three decades. The time has come for Christian Constitutionalists to protect our American principles in a State like South Carolina by interposing the State's sovereign authority retained under the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
(Thanks Joey)Cynical Traveler
Welcome to the cynical traveller, a webpage written by a cynic for cynics.
(via metafilter)If the idea of staying in roach infested hostels, eating pot noodles and fighting with locals appeals to you, then stick around. Every cynical traveller country is divided into several pieces of stupendously useless information... Cynical Traveler
Welcome to the cynical traveller, a webpage written by a cynic for cynics.
(via metafilter)If the idea of staying in roach infested hostels, eating pot noodles and fighting with locals appeals to you, then stick around. Every cynical traveller country is divided into several pieces of stupendously useless information... Beatles' QuotesIncluding my favorite:
Press: Some people have been calling your work 'unamerican'. How do you respond to this?
John: Well, that's very observant of them, because we're not american, you know. Beatles' QuotesIncluding my favorite:
Press: Some people have been calling your work 'unamerican'. How do you respond to this?
John: Well, that's very observant of them, because we're not american, you know. In the Future, Everyone Will Be Hitler for 15 MinA list of people who have compared others to Hitler.(via I dunno, Metafilter maybe?) In the Future, Everyone Will Be Hitler for 15 MinA list of people who have compared others to Hitler.(via I dunno, Metafilter maybe?) Squashed PhilosophersSome may note that most of the authors from the 19th and 20th centuries here made the "Most Harmful Books" list by conservatives yesterday.
The books which defined the way The West thinks now.
Condensed and abridged to keep the substance, the style and the quotes, but ditching all that irritating verbiage.
Squashed PhilosophersSome may note that most of the authors from the 19th and 20th centuries here made the "Most Harmful Books" list by conservatives yesterday.
The books which defined the way The West thinks now.
Condensed and abridged to keep the substance, the style and the quotes, but ditching all that irritating verbiage.
49ers In-House Training VideoFull article and video clips here.
It was meant to be funny — but no one is laughing now in the San Francisco 49ers' front office over an in-house training film that featured off- color racial jokes, lesbian porn, a spoof of gay marriage and a trio of buxom, topless blondes frolicking with team public relations director Kirk Reynolds.
The 15-minute video, some of which was filmed in the City Hall office of Mayor Gavin Newsom — who comes in for a few unsubtle swipes — was intended as a primer on how players should handle the media in diverse San Francisco. 49ers In-House Training VideoFull article and video clips here.
It was meant to be funny — but no one is laughing now in the San Francisco 49ers' front office over an in-house training film that featured off- color racial jokes, lesbian porn, a spoof of gay marriage and a trio of buxom, topless blondes frolicking with team public relations director Kirk Reynolds.
The 15-minute video, some of which was filmed in the City Hall office of Mayor Gavin Newsom — who comes in for a few unsubtle swipes — was intended as a primer on how players should handle the media in diverse San Francisco. Wednesday, June 1, 2005Charles Barkley QuotesWow, there are a ton of quotes from Sir Charles here. So many good ones to choose from.
Charles Barkley: "I'm so sick of fat people."
Kenny Smith: "Why? You can't live with yourself?" Barkley: "First of all, they killed Oreos. You know they can't make the Double-Stuff Oreos anymore because fat people can't keep their mouths shut. Now they're killing the McDonald's super-size. Can you believe that? Just because fat people are lazy and don't work out and can't keep they're mouths shut, they have to ruin it for everybody. They'll probably kill ice cream next! Is that my fault they can't stop eating? I'm so sick of these fat people suing these companies. Stop eating!" "Colonel Sanders is the greatest white man that ever lived." Greg Gumbel: " Happy St Patrick's Day". Barkley: "Great. Another reason for the Irish to go out and drink." On Magic Johnson's return to basketball: "We're just playing basketball. It's not like we're going out to have unprotected sex with Magic." Poor black people are in great shape. Black people use duct tape for everything. You break a chair, use duct tape. Your pants rip, use duct tape. You tear your ACL, use duct tape!" -- Barkley, on the nation's warning to the public to buy duct tape. Charles Barkley QuotesWow, there are a ton of quotes from Sir Charles here. So many good ones to choose from.
Charles Barkley: "I'm so sick of fat people."
Kenny Smith: "Why? You can't live with yourself?" Barkley: "First of all, they killed Oreos. You know they can't make the Double-Stuff Oreos anymore because fat people can't keep their mouths shut. Now they're killing the McDonald's super-size. Can you believe that? Just because fat people are lazy and don't work out and can't keep they're mouths shut, they have to ruin it for everybody. They'll probably kill ice cream next! Is that my fault they can't stop eating? I'm so sick of these fat people suing these companies. Stop eating!" "Colonel Sanders is the greatest white man that ever lived." Greg Gumbel: " Happy St Patrick's Day". Barkley: "Great. Another reason for the Irish to go out and drink." On Magic Johnson's return to basketball: "We're just playing basketball. It's not like we're going out to have unprotected sex with Magic." Poor black people are in great shape. Black people use duct tape for everything. You break a chair, use duct tape. Your pants rip, use duct tape. You tear your ACL, use duct tape!" -- Barkley, on the nation's warning to the public to buy duct tape. Home Builder's Bicycle Gallery
Lots of homemade bikes here.
It should be noted that the Bicycle Forest does not endorse any of these designs. Many of these bicycles would be potentially dangerous to ride and are apt to be structurally unsound.
That sounds more like a challenge than a disclaimer.Home Builder's Bicycle Gallery
Lots of homemade bikes here.
It should be noted that the Bicycle Forest does not endorse any of these designs. Many of these bicycles would be potentially dangerous to ride and are apt to be structurally unsound.
That sounds more like a challenge than a disclaimer.15 Answers To Creationist NonsenseI'll never understand how some people won't believe in evolution yet believe in an all powerful wizard that can create an entire world in six days and then needs to rest on the seventh. What a lazy deity. I guess omnipotence isn't all it is hyped up to be. This list dispels some propaganda catapulted by creationists.
6. If humans descended from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?
This surprisingly common argument reflects several levels of ignorance about evolution. The first mistake is that evolution does not teach that humans descended from monkeys; it states that both have a common ancestor. The deeper error is that this objection is tantamount to asking, "If children descended from adults, why are there still adults?" New species evolve by splintering off from established ones, when populations of organisms become isolated from the main branch of their family and acquire sufficient differences to remain forever distinct. The parent species may survive indefinitely thereafter, or it may become extinct. 15 Answers To Creationist NonsenseI'll never understand how some people won't believe in evolution yet believe in an all powerful wizard that can create an entire world in six days and then needs to rest on the seventh. What a lazy deity. I guess omnipotence isn't all it is hyped up to be. This list dispels some propaganda catapulted by creationists.
6. If humans descended from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?
This surprisingly common argument reflects several levels of ignorance about evolution. The first mistake is that evolution does not teach that humans descended from monkeys; it states that both have a common ancestor. The deeper error is that this objection is tantamount to asking, "If children descended from adults, why are there still adults?" New species evolve by splintering off from established ones, when populations of organisms become isolated from the main branch of their family and acquire sufficient differences to remain forever distinct. The parent species may survive indefinitely thereafter, or it may become extinct. 10 Most Harmful Books From the 19th & 20th Cent.Find out what books wingnuts really hate and the order that they really hate them. Sadly, Origin of Species didn't crack the top ten however it did get an honorable mention (along with Descent of Man). Look at how high the Kinsey Report and The Feminine Mystique are ranked. Personally I think it is silly to call any book "harmful" but what the hell do I know.Update: Anybody else think that Nietzsche is on that list because the conservatives are taking the title, "The Gay Science" the wrong way? 10 Most Harmful Books From the 19th & 20th Cent.Find out what books wingnuts really hate and the order that they really hate them. Sadly, Origin of Species didn't crack the top ten however it did get an honorable mention (along with Descent of Man). Look at how high the Kinsey Report and The Feminine Mystique are ranked. Personally I think it is silly to call any book "harmful" but what the hell do I know.Update: Anybody else think that Nietzsche is on that list because the conservatives are taking the title, "The Gay Science" the wrong way? Art or Vandalism?
A Montpelier High School senior prank turned out to be as beautiful as it is clever, leaving school administrators uncertain how to react to an uncommissioned large celestial ceiling mural.
(via Robot Wisdom)The mural, a painting of swirling clouds, stars and a sun in the sky, was apparently done Tuesday morning from midnight to 4 a.m. in the main lobby, Principal Peter Evans said. School administration is unsure how students entered the building, because there appears there was no forced entry. Evans said when he returned to school on Tuesday after the holiday weekend, he looked up at the mural on the lobby ceiling and thought it was an art class project. He soon learned that it was the Montpelier High School class of 2005's senior prank, a tradition that has a more troublesome impact on the school. About 170 ceiling tiles were painted, he said. "In this position we try to figure out how to deal with a case of vandalism that's really quite beautiful," Evans said. Art or Vandalism?
A Montpelier High School senior prank turned out to be as beautiful as it is clever, leaving school administrators uncertain how to react to an uncommissioned large celestial ceiling mural.
(via Robot Wisdom)The mural, a painting of swirling clouds, stars and a sun in the sky, was apparently done Tuesday morning from midnight to 4 a.m. in the main lobby, Principal Peter Evans said. School administration is unsure how students entered the building, because there appears there was no forced entry. Evans said when he returned to school on Tuesday after the holiday weekend, he looked up at the mural on the lobby ceiling and thought it was an art class project. He soon learned that it was the Montpelier High School class of 2005's senior prank, a tradition that has a more troublesome impact on the school. About 170 ceiling tiles were painted, he said. "In this position we try to figure out how to deal with a case of vandalism that's really quite beautiful," Evans said. |
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