Links posted in August 2004
August 31, 2004
"Do you mean that anybody who is not donating a kidney is taking someone's life?"
"Yes," Kravinsky said.
"So, by your terms, I'm a murderer?"
"Yes," Kravinsky said.
Philanthropy, jainism or masochism?
It's a long piece but well worth the read.
"I have said, technology is what causes the problem, and technology will be the salvation of the problem."
- Blogger Engadget interviews Jack Valenti.
Other interviews with Jack
[more inside]
A satellite's eye view of the earth
Or, for those of you who can never remember whether it's nighttime over there, and always wind up waking your distant friends/family/lizard alien overlords there's this.
[more inside]
A man, a plan, the pentagon, a 757 (flash) A short flash film raising some unanswered questions. There are lots of sites out there that refute this movie's claim. What is a conspiracy theorist to think?
Got books? Don't want 'em? Others do! Adopt a library!
Anti-Monkey Butt Powder
For all your bowlegged, sweaty, rash-ey needs....
Via blogdex
Ook! is a programming language designed for orang-utans. Since the word "ook" can convey entire ideas, emotions, and abstract thoughts depending on the nuances of inflection, Ook! has no need of comments.
Something Fishy.
Consider the case of the Tangerine Rodeo Fish, a creature that has evolved the ability to encircle other fish in gaseous byproducts of its internal systems -- bubbles -- thereby making the other fish disappear and scoring the points it needs to survive. By capturing more fish of the same type in the bubbles, it scores exponentially more points, allowing it to survive longer. This is just one of the species you'll learn about in the new IMAX production, Oh No, More Damn Fish.
[Via Little Fluffy]
Juan the Bear attempts Zoo escape - with a bicycle. Yes, there's a photo, thank the Lord. Following on from the tragic tale of Nina, the lovelorn Komodo Dragon who died trying to find happiness, and the scary Gorilla thing from March, is this some kind of co-ordinated plot we're seeing emerge? And how does the recent spate of Monkey Thefts tie into it all? Does this provide a clue? Does it? [more inside]
RNC Protest Photos Taz at Loaded Mouth took some shots of the protests at the convention. Personally, I'm with Matt Yglesias on this. [more inside]
Unusual Museums of the Internet: Ranging from Bandaids to Superhero food to Zippo lighters and 105 others in betweens.
Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite's lost valley. It's time to bring it back.
August 30, 2004
Long Bets: Accountable predictions. The purpose of the Long Bets Foundation is to improve long-term thinking. There is real money involved, at least to participate, and along with bets there are predictions, some optimistic, some pessimistic and some that are just plain fanciful. And so I predict... [more inside]
Paul Krugman interview on WFMU. Paul Krugman is on The Speakeasy with Dorian right now - 6pm to 7pm EST - talking about the Rebublican Convention and his new book. You'll likely be able to get the archive at one of those two links when it's over as well.
You have bad taste in music! Who says soapbox oratory is dead? Hooray for this guy! His appearance at Christina Aguilera / Justin Timberlake is classic. He even tries to reason with fans of Linkin Park. (QuickTime) [more inside]
Why haven't they retired? Four years ago, the U.S. elections were said to be about much more than choosing a President. They were to be about choosing one, two, or possible even three new Supreme Court justices. Much was speculated about retirements once Republicans took full control of Congress. [more inside]
Batman Sucks Forever Read the whole thing. [more inside]
60MPH in a what? Giuseppe Cannella had a big surprise for his mother-in-law when he put a jet engine on the back of her wheelchair...
Curious George: What do you do with a stray pet? A very young kitten got trapped inside my car engine this weekend while trying to escape a rainstorm. We got him out, but can't find his mom. None of the shelters will take him because he's too little. And my other 2 cats have already voted "no" on keeping him. [more inside]
V ideogame Music (midi files) - More found at the Video Game Music Archive
MeFi/MoFi DC Meet Up? A bunch of DCers are thinking of meeting up after work at the 18th Street Lounge this Thursday (or maybe Wednesday) to drink beer and perform other social rituals. Any monkeys want to come so we can pick flees off one another? (Okay, maybe not until we're really drunk.) [more inside]
I know it's a little early to be thinking about Halloween costumes for the young 'uns, but if you're at a loss for ideas, these folks have come up with Child Pimp and Child Ho ensembles. Stuff like this usually sets off my Punk'd radar, but they take credit cards so I guess it's legit, if legit is the proper word.
The Scientists Agree: Top 10 SCI-fi Movies of all Times...
so I ask you monkeys...what are YOUR top 10? or top 5 or top 3 or whatever?
(Greetings from the Warrior)
We make our decisions and we stick to them - a social psychologist talks about cognitive dissonance. [first link LAtimes, reg req'd] [more inside]
It's state fair time! State fairs are a wonderful summertime bit of Americana, celebrating agriculture, livestock and domestic skills. I went to the Maryland State Fair this past weekend, where I rode a Tilt-A-Whirl, saw the top baked goods in the state and petted lots of farm animals. The Illinois State Fair (my home state) has a cool Web site where you can take a virtual tour of the huge fairgrounds. The Wisconsin State Fair is famous for its cream puffs -- they sold 360,000 this year alone! Overseas monkeys, do you guys have state fairs, or something similar?
Lingua Franchise Mat saleh calling it English killer language. Wah. For chiak kantang, salarymen it a bit the different, lah?
No Monkey Sex for You! Why does Feili, a Chinese chimpanzee, smoke and spit at people? Simple: "A male chimpanzee at the zoo has failed to live up to Feili's sexual demands"
OOOOH!! AAAAH! OSTRICHES
Mother of Pearl! Behold some large birds wigging out! May bug people who are against riding freakass birds that can kill you. Watch the video clip (Quicktime)
Most important! "Continue holding on tightly as the ostrich attempts to dislodge you." No shizzle, nizzle.
Devoter.com -- Kissing babies and giving stump speeches. A new PoliticalFilter by jca. [Via MeFi.]
PG-13 turns 20 from CNN [more inside]
HomePage for Opines by FaceMan� of FaceManProductons� [more inside]
William Buckley Leaving National Review
William Buckley is leaving the National Review. He said the main reason is coming grips with his own mortality. He also had this to say about the Iraq war.
[more inside]
"With the benefit of minute hindsight, Saddam Hussein wasn't the kind of extra-territorial menace that was assumed by the administration one year ago," Mr. Buckley said. "If I knew then what I know now about what kind of situation we would be in, I would have opposed the war."
Aubade.
Being brave / Lets no one off the grave. / Death is no different whined at than withstood...
August 29, 2004
400,000 march for peace in New York City according to the organizers. Meanwhile, NYC wisely recognizes that protestors + special offers = profit! [more inside]
Furry hopping shark found in Germany.
Michael Ledeen described as a "close friend" of Larry Franklin
Franklin is the Pentagon "policy wonk" at the center of an FBI investigation that's been in the news the last few days. He "may face charges, accused of divulging to Israel classified information on U.S. government plans regarding Iran".
What I find noteworthy about this Newsweek article is that it quotes a close friend, Michael Ledeen of the American Enterprise Institute, sa(ying that) he believes the charges against Franklin are "nonsensical."
Ledeen was deeply involved in the Iran-Contra affair and is a very prominent hawk. Some bio from Alternet.
[more inside]
It's still about Flordia, stupid.
By doing away with the witness requirement, Hood, Gov. Bush, and the Florida Legislature have removed the only existing brake on absentee-voter fraud. It's now open season in the Sunshine State.
I know we've talked about this several times already, but apparently the truth still isn't obvious: Florida's voting system is so blatantly corrupt, it's outrageous. Whatever. Read for yourself, and wonder why this isn't all over the news.
"You don't support Democrats. Why should your ketchup? [more inside]
Well, EXCUUUUSE MEEEE Princess.com
SFW, but likely to get you fired nonetheless.
Please use wisely. And sparingly.
Wicked, the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. A book by Gregory Maguire illustrating the childhood and school days of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West. Now a Tony-winning musical, this book turns the well know story of the Wizard of the Oz on its head and offers some interesting views on what evil is and what makes someone 'Wicked.' [more inside]
Bush on tribal sovereignty. [link goes to 500kb mov file]
August 28, 2004
Machine guns are your constitutional right says senatorial candidate from Illinois Alan Keyes, and in the same breath accuses his opponent Barack Obama of "ideological extremism". Here finally is a candidate who is unafraid to become a laughing stock when loyalty calls. Let us all laugh at him; it is the least we can do. [more inside]
Dylan Plugs in. 39 years ago this week Bob Dylan "turned his back" on folk for rock and plugs in his electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival. He came back though... [more inside]
I can't pot my nurdled wink...
...so I'll piddle you free and you can boondock a red. What am I talking about?
[more inside]
Furious George and the Cross-Country Crime Spree A rather addictive game featuring a lovable monkey and heinous criminal acts. Travel from state to state! Commit atrocities! Rack up points!
Mel Gibson 2004. This will be a "gorilla-political war" with each individual citizen doing, in his or her own way, whatever legal thing he or she can think of to promote Mel’s election. [more inside]
Australian Spam John Howard's government has banned commercial spam. Political spam is OK, but then the idiot hires a commercial company to spam the whole of the Australian electorate. Oh yes, the commercial spammer is his son. [more inside]
Death Mask Gallery. Death masks of the famous, the unknown and (eek!) own of our own
Curious, George? Honour Societies. What are they worth, really? Does the membership fee get you anything useful? Do employers care about them? [more inside]
Curious, George: Yahoo! Chat Why can't I login to Yahoo chat? [more inside]
Dance, Moneys, Dance!
These monkeys are at once the ugliest
and most beautiful creatures on the planet.
2.1mb MP3
via the curmudgeonly apes over at the Blue
Giant Spiders from Allah One man's miracle is another man's nightmare.
August 27, 2004
Why Does Robert Thompson Get Quoted So Much? Robert Thompson is a professor at Syracuse University and on any given day if you type "Robert Thompson" Syracuse into Google news you will get over a hundred hits. Why?
Say goodbye to one size fits all. Commoditization used to mean bland uniformity, but these days it's going the other way. Now answer me this question: why do computers only come in two colors?
Curious, George: USB Flash Drives Any suggestions about fast, cheap, reliable keychain gizmos on the 256Mb range? [more inside]
German TV Commercial for new Coffee energy drink.. TOO FUNNY
Doctors grow new jaw in man's back The headline creeped me out, but this is amazing stuff. [more inside]
Curious George: why are the Democrats and Kerry so inept at capitalizing on Bush's weaknesses. It's very frustrating to see Kerry struggling (personally, I don't like him but you know, ABB) with this SBVT issue when Bush is so vulnerable in so many areas. [more inside]
It's the weekend, so you might need a 21st Century Drinker Kit.
Um, I dunno, fifty.....ish? How well can you estimate things you know nothing (more or less) about? [more inside]
A lovely home, available now. If you quickly found the difference between those infernal bunny pictures, you'll do well here, too.
Run the campaign in your own universe! Likethe stolid, torpid intelligence of Kerry? Prefer the blithe, smug insouciance of Bush? Want to live in an alternate universe where you can guarantee their electoral victory with a simple flash game? This link is for you! [more inside]
No flying cars and no space meals? The future is really not what you expected it to be.
The designers at NEC share with you their vision of the near-future: networked gadgets all more futuristic than the others. You gotta love edible (after use) RFID chips (with rights to digital contents) covered in a gummy capsule. [Via User Instinct]
Curious George: Metalmouth
*I'm almost embarrassed to ask, but i'll ask anyways*
Adults and braces and dating and intimacy...
I've been wearing braces for about 6 months now, and i'm extremely self conscious. I realise i've stopped smiling and tend to cover my mouth with my hand quite a bit when i talk. I also realise that i havent been on a date since i started wearing braces. Any correlation? Are men put off by braces?
And a second question in the same vein. Can one kiss properly with braces? As for "plo chops" i sincerely doubt any man would want his ding dong near my choppers unless he wants to be (re)circumcised. But i'll ask anyways. Have any of u males dared brave a metal mouth bj? Is it even possible?
The Theban Mapping Project A beautifully executed combination of Flash, mapping and Egyptology.
Crush. A good basic explanation of how red wines are made, without the jargon or attitude.
David who? I haven't seen the hearing of Australian David Hicks, accused of terrorism, covered by American media much at all. Considering it's got (more) claims of abuse against the guards at Camp X-Ray, detainment for 2 years without charges being laid, and other media favourites, why hasn't it received more US coverage? [more inside]
Ecotonoha - the word tree. [Via PaperFrog.] [more inside]
August 26, 2004
Moon landings fake! This site has Proof!
Curious, George: Toronto meetup? I'm putting together a last-minute Toronto MeFi meetup. I would love to meet some Monkeys too! Anyone in the area that would like to come out? (Or, if you can't because it's last-minute - sorry! - would you be interested in a meetup sometime soon?)
Today Linux, Tomorrow Ze Vorld! flash anim. SFW. Please tip your servers.
Curious George: Parables for the Limbaugh masses? I have been wondering whether short, interesting parables, koans, thought exercises, or allegories exist that might give a conservative guy like my dad or one of my Limbaugh-listenin' friends something meaty to mull over. [more inside]
Arrest warrant issued for Rupert Murdoch. Don't get your hopes up, though.
Curious George Are you going to burning man? [more inside]
Hot Sauce for kids? Lisa Whelchel, who played Blair on the popular 1980s TV series Facts of Life, is an advocate and practitioner of "hot saucing." Whelchel, the author of Creative Correction: Extraordinary Ideas for Everyday Discipline, says the practice worked for her children when other disciplinary actions did not. [more inside]
Dildo!
Fun little video for Dildo! done to the tune of
Ren & Stimpy's Log! Stay for the outtakes...
Isn't it wonderful that we live in a world with such a diversity of tastes in things like, oh, I don't know.... let's say, weddings. Specifically, let us pause to appreciate Squishy's Gal's wedding. More specifically, her train and cake. Oh. My. God.
The God Game Answer 15 short questions and see if your beliefs hold water or if contradictions arise. [more inside]
Curious George: I'm in pop up hell! I've updated my Ad-Aware and Spybot, I've got Zone Alarm installed, but I've again started getting popups. It began again about a week ago and don't know what I have to do about it. Please don't tell me I have to do a fresh install.
Snorri’s Hot Tub, Reykholt, Iceland.
Article from Le Monde Diplomatique English edition about the pitfalls of cartography. ...cartography is more than the tracing of borders. It is also a picture of the relations between people and territory. Maps enable us to comprehend at a glance how territory is organised and occupied, and the extent and consequences of conflicts.
Thank goodness someone's looking to protect Central Park by banning the protest rally against George Bush. It's not political, mind you-it's about the grass-hah!
Curious George: How do I work my new shades? This is terriby silly. My monkey-mind cannot figure out how to work something very simple -- my new shades. Can anyone tell me the name of these shades, or better yet, how to reliably roll them up and down? [more inside]
Come on down! Hilarious Bloopers [RealMedia], noteworthy contestants, and some curious still clips from that icon of game shows, The Price is Right.
The Dub Selector
Slow loading but lots of fun.
Check the menu in the lower left to explore.
A comic depicting a debate show of the far right From the right, I'm Pat Buchanan! And from the right of him, I'm Jerry Falwell! Welcome to the debate show of the far right: Cross Afire! [more inside]
August 25, 2004
The Annotated Lyrics of the Grateful Dead. [more inside]
Savage Love is running a column this week on guys' misconceptions about sex when they were kids. They range from the innocent to the bizarre. Next week, we get the female perspective on the same topic. [more inside]
Everyone do the Lyndie!
Alright, monkeys, let's see some good ones!
via memepool
A Night Monkey in the House. A charming little essay from 1886 (newly exhumed from the Harper's Magazine archives) about living with a pet monkey. (Actually, kinkajous aren't really monkeys, they're more closely related to raccoons. But they have prehensile tails, they like bananas, and they look very cute.)
Film Title Screens. There is an art to it. It has its masters, its pioneers. It is an art form deserving of our recognition. With discussions rivaling those of "Who was the better James Bond?" [more inside]
Stop wasting time folding shirts the normal way! How to Fold a Shirt shows you the latest techniques and tricks to fold t-shirts, sweaters, dress shirts and more; the RIGHT way!
Don't Sassmouth Blair!! Apparently falling victim to Jo's insults over the years has yielded some mild brain damage to actress Lisa Whelchel, formerly "Blair" of "The Facts of Life". Whelchel now is an author, as well as an advocate for punishing children with the pottymouth. [more inside]
Standing waves of electrons. The Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) is capable of resolving atomic scale features (like the carbon atoms in a graphitic plane.) [more inside]
Unused back muscles switch themselves off. Monkeys with bad backs might consider yoga.
Doorway to the Past? In 1997, Rita Swift was sifting thru' some old junk when she unexpectedly found a roll of undeveloped black & white film that had been taken of her daughter in their California backyard in 1969, but forgotten. Surprisingly, most of the photos developed successfully. But what was on them could not possibly have been taken in 1969... they were of a Native American ritual cremation scene from over 200 years earlier.. [more inside]
MetaFilter's down again. [more inside]
Ted's Caver Page - Warning: Sanity Loss May Occur
Help Knoxvillians reclaim the Sunsphere! Who could forget the disappointment on the faces of Bart, Milhouse, and the gang after they drove all the way to Knoxville only to find out that their world-famous giant disco ball had been turned into a wig shop? Won't someone think of the children?!? C'mon Monkeys.... it is time to do our part to help resurrect and preserve this important piece of Americana!
Maps from the future. Remember that cool 3D map from the X-Men movie? Well the XenoVision Mark III is all that and a sheet of latex.
The Food Spray Diet Beginning in September, spray those calories away! (More inside)
This will certainly help Commonwealth relations : England now requires proof of English-speaking ability from all residency applicants. Including Australia, NZ, Canada, South Africa ... [more inside]
Do you think that bands today foist a lot of crap on the public? Well in the case of the Dave Matthews band, you would be right!
Ugly Dresses. The Pregnant Prom Dress has got to be the worst.
An image, a flash, then a slightly altered image. Repeat. How long till you see what's changed? Your surprising slowness is one aspect of Change Blindness. This one is really evil. (more inside) [more inside]
Elektro the robot was created by Westinghouse to impress visitors at the 1939 World's Fair. He lost his head for a while, but now he's back. (via robots.net ) [more inside]
Interactive Fiction.
Some excellent recent examples of the genre include Shrapnel and Spider and Web, and you can find many of the classics from the 80's here and here.
And there's plenty of tools around if you want to make your own.
[more inside]
BBC to develop open-source streaming codec. Microsoft and Real Networks charge per viewer, per hour of encoded content. This price scheme can be very limiting for companies that want to offer more streaming media but can’t because of the cost limitations of not only bandwidth but also royalties. Known as Dirac its optimal performance is based off of a 3Ghz processor though they are hoping for better code optimization. They have been stuck using 20-year-old technology to avoid infringing on current patents.
Curious "Beekeepers"?
All over North America today, hundreds, maybe even thousands of strangers gathered. They didn't just gather anywhere - they gathered around pay phones, lots of 'em. Guided only by a hijacked website, an expatriate's weblog, their own speculation, and a string of unexplained PDT times and GPS coordinates, they had learned enough to know that the phones were going to ring today, and that many of the unanswered ones will be ringing tomorrow, and the day after that as well. Why they're ringing - and why these people are picking up across the country - are questions that even they might have difficulty answering.
For some, it's a game; for others, it's a way of life. What the hell is this all about?
[more inside]
Super Mario Pac. [more inside]
August 24, 2004
"The meaning of the monstrous is critical to my work." Monkeys and so much more: the allegorical art of Laurie Hogin. [more inside]
Monkey portraiture. Seems appropriate.
Keep your hands off my screentime you damn dirty ape!!
Everyone's friends at The Forbidden Zone have re-edited Planet of the Apes into a Twilight Zone episode.
via boing boing
[more inside]
Interview with a Chernobyl engineer. From where I stood I could see a huge beam of projected light flooding up into infinity from the reactor. It was like a laser light, caused by the ionisation of the air. It was light-bluish, and it was very beautiful. I watched it for several seconds. [more inside]
Frontier Psychiatrist (RealVideo) by The Avalanches may well be the best music video of all time. An old lady on the drums, a talking turtle, and a skeleton DJ. What more could one ask for?
Having seen some Tibetan sand paintings, it got me searching for more Mandala images. [more inside]
Spotting Astroturf Real has messed with their bitch-o-site again (freedomofchoicemusic.org). You can't see the signers on their petition anymore (and the number of signers has magically shrunk to about 2275), and you can read an utterly disingenuous piece of propaganda masquerading as a faux Q&A session with Rob Glazer. Sample disinformation: "You buy a CD and you can play it back on any CD player. That’s the way it’s been for decades. Now Apple has tried to change the rules on consumers, but without warning." [more inside]
Plinian eruptions are at the upper end of a volcanic eruption spectrum. Ejecting at a velocity of over 1000 mph, the ash columns in a Plinian eruption may reach 30 miles in height. Mt St Helens, during the first several hours, was a classic Plinian eruption, producing an 80,000 ft ash cloud, bizarre ash mammatus, and memorable eyewitness reports. They've been a subject of numerical simulations. Researchers speculate they may have been a factor in the Dark Ages.
Procrastination begone! Have trouble focusing on your work when there is the tempting, tempting lure of the Internet? Here is the solution to your problem. Until it loses your root password. [more inside]
Swift Boats Speak Out! You can stop waiting for the perfect response to the "Swift Boat Veterens". It's Swift Boats for Truth. Aw, isn't "Swiffie" cute (and doesn't "Karl the Pig" look familiar)?
Be(tt)er Brains Alcohol drinkers perform better than teetotallers on cognitive function tests. [Abstract].
Tactics Core Demo for a videogame. Highly addictive fun.
Sustainable living.
Tinkers' Bubble is 40 acres of woodland, orchards and pasture in south Somerset. It was bought by a group of environmentalists in 1994, and a dozen people moved in, applied for shares and built themselves temporary houses.
They imposed a strict set of rules on themselves, which included a ban on the use of internal combustion engines on the land.
Mashed Taters (Potatoes) by eNiGMa the MoNKey. [Flash, via TheOneRing.net.]
Running low on dandelion wine? Why not try Salamander Brandy? [more inside]
Bob Dylan news and views. 24/7/365 when we're lucky.
De-CIA? One of the many fallouts from the 9/11 Commission is the suggestion that the CIA should be broken down into three separate agencies...but some are not so enthusiastic about it, as reported here. [more inside]
Curious George: Men's capri pants. I'm looking for Men's capri pants, preferably cargo. Can you help me without telling me how much you love or hate these things? [more inside]
Curious George: free CDs? I keep seeing deals from CD clubs like Columbia House and BMG offering 12 CDs for the price of one. Is this a scam, or the easiest way to get (nearly) free music? How does it work, and how do these companies not lose money? Have you had any positive/negative experiences with these kinds of "deals"?
Curious George Have you monkeys been exposed to a system of check cashing, where you don't have to offer ID to cash the check? How is this protecting me the customer? [more inside]
Playboy to publish a, um, er, spread of videogame character The next step in the sexual union of man and machine, or computer porn? I'm not against porn, per se, but doesn't this raise porn standards to impossible heights? How could any real person be as perfectly proportioned as a cgi? Will this cause a new generation of even more socially inept geeks? [link via BoingBoing, scroll part way down]
Public Domain Time Travel!
Tmxxine is dedicated towards public domain Time Travel technology. Tmxxine will instigate creation of the Chronology Protection Agency for the public good.
[more inside]
You know you have what it takes to be a porn star. Now all you need is a name. Plug in your name--in a manner of speaking--and some bogus algorithm will determine the nom de porn which will launch you on your new career. Now, if you can only handle the DPs. (If you don't know what those are, don't ask.) [No nudity or naughty words. Should be SWF. If in doubt...] [more inside]
How John Kerry busted the terrorists' favorite bank. I think this piece of recent history is far more relevant to the threat of terrorism today than what the candidates did or didn't do during Vietnam. More details here. [Via MeFi.]
Arundhati Roy: Public Power in the Age of Empire.
Please watch this speech. (It begins at 8:25.) There may be no more urgent voice for the world to hear right now.
"No government's condemnation of terrorism is credible if it cannot show itself to be open to change by nonviolent dissent. . . .
Terrorism is a horrible thing. You could say that terrorism is the privatization of war. Terrorists are the free-marketeers of war. They're people who believe that the state does not have a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence."
Pizza, anyone?
Few things inspire such emotions as pizza. It triggers epic flame wars and massive love fests. We've recently had several threads that celebrate the joys of delivery pizza.
[more inside]
Bob Dole, Republican attack dog? Former Republican Sen. Bob Dole suggested Sunday that John Kerry apologize for past testimony before Congress about alleged atrocities during the Vietnam War and joined critics of the Democratic presidential candidate who say he received an early exit from combat for "superficial wounds." [more inside]
Amerika, Rammstein's latest single. [more inside]
Dishing and swishing, bounding and astounding. Known for his cool demeanor, mink coats and velour hats, he was born and raised in Atlanta but became a "a certified hero in New York". He has "a trademark habit of inventing questionable rhymes," he has been called a "butcher of the English language" and he's even inspired a dictionary. He hawks men's hair color products. He's a philanthropist. He's Clyde.
August 23, 2004
Deserving? Blair has refused to travel to Washington to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor that has been awarded him. [more inside]
Fear itself. A lengthy but fascinating article about terrorism and how people around the world react to it on a day-to-day basis.
You can't fake how damn cold it was How fake is fake? I report, you decide.
Jazzstep, techstep, darkstep...all explained here . Ishkur says that his Guide to Electronic Music "could be used as a credited resource or a musical primer" but quickly goes on to say that it's not recommended as he "made most of it up!" [more inside]
Monkey! Monkey! Monkey!
'A while back I read an interview with a birthday clown -- you know, one of those guys who gets hired to entertain a bunch of yard apes at a seven year-old's shindig? And the interviewer asked, like, "What if you're dying out there? What if the kids are hating it?" And the subject, the interviewee-guy (I honestly have no recollection who this clown was or why I was reading this interview) said, in a pinch, he could always resort to a Funny Word. When pressed for clarification, the clown revealed a fascinating (to me) trick of the birthday clown trade: apparently every year there are two or three Funny Words, which invariably crack kids up, and when things are going sour you can just blurt one out and bring the house down. But you gotta keep up-to-date, because the Funny Words mysteriously change over time, so while "booger" might have killed in 1998, 2004 demands nothing less than a "monkey."'
On war, John Kerry is all Vietnam and no Iraq [more inside]
don't tell your friends
unless they dig dj moozak.
Despite the fact that most of us carom through life like there's no tomorrow, we've all got an expiration date. Find out when yours is likely to be at Living To 100's Healthspan Calculator.
Three cheers for the Surveillance Society! "In the brave new future, Big Brother will watch our every move. But that's OK, because we'll be watching him too." So says David Brin, author of The Transparent Society. [more inside]
Imperious George!
Time to be an opinionated bastard/bastardess. You get to eliminate one word, one category of television advertising, and one idea that makes you cranky from the Universe...which would they be?
Funky (what does this word even mean now?)...Car ads (if I see yet another car slither to a dust-billowing stop in a dried up lake bed, I shall kill myself)...That The Matriarchy would somehow be better than The Patriarchy. (Ha! It would be "Lord of the Flies" in a halter top, thank you very much.)
August 22, 2004
Curious George When undercover cops or FBI agents are on a stakeout, do they really sit in a telephone company or cable TV van outside the house for days on end like they do in the movies?
Bush's Attacks On Vets In 2000 & 2004 President Bush has refused to condem the Swift Boat Veteran For the Truth ads. Conservative monkeys can think that's fine because it's against Kerry and Bush isn't paying for the ads (it's actually an old crony Bob Perry who is). [more inside]
Meet the new terrorists!
Sorry, freedom fighters. How could this ever end badly?
This is an invitation to play. Nothing more. That was the entirety of a craigslist posting for an open web space, a playground for web geeks of all stripes. I know that there are some rather talented monkeys here who might have some fun in a place like that. [more inside]
International woes for Microsoft
The War Nerd defends the French. "Well, I'm going to tell you guys something you probably don't want to hear: these sites are total bullshit, the notion that the French are cowards is total bullshit, and anybody who knows anything about European military history knows damn well that over the past thousand years, the French have the most glorious military history in Europe, maybe the world."
Man Fired for Heckling Bush On the face of it, outrageous. On the other hand it was an invitation only event with tickets provided by a client of the company.
Vote Jones! He's untainted and he enjoys roads! Besides, everyone likes pie.
My username-sake has been stolen! Again. [more inside]
The worst marketing strategy. Or maybe the best...?
This is my first link. Be gentle!
What kind of marketing manager do you think would have come up with the idea for that packet of peanuts?
Red Elvises - Kick Ass Rock'n'Roll from Siberia. If only to hear "Everybody, shake your body" sung to the tune of the Volga Boatman's song. Mp3's here. [more inside]
Think chess is too dull? Boxing is too dumb? Why not try Chessboxing?
August 21, 2004
Yugop. Completely pointless, yet entertaining. Oh, I mean "It's Art". Just click on it. [more inside]
Tracking the way we use language WordCount (TM) is an artistic experiment in the way we use language. It presents the 86,800 most frequently used English words, ranked in order of commonality. Each word is scaled to reflect its frequency relative to the words that precede and follow it, giving a visual barometer of relevance. [more inside]
Disposable digital camera It was bound to come.
CVS/pharmacy (NYSE: CVS), the national retail leader in digital photo processing, today announced the nationwide launch of the CVS Digital One-Time-Use Camera line, which includes the world's first disposable with Picture Preview capability, available exclusively through its store locations. The camera is the first one-time-use camera to offer a color LCD screen, providing consumers a complete digital photography experience -- including instant viewing and retaking of shots -- in an easy-to-use, worry-free, point-and-shoot format.
Monkeys monkey monkey monkey monkey
Here we go again. I'm so sick of the UN always warning us about impending wars. When was the last time Hutus and Tutsis ever clashed with each other?
Curious George iPod alternatives: Anyone have a non-iPod mp3 player, or use non-iTunes software on their iPod? I need my music to stay organized into folders, and iTunes doesn't like that. (More inside) [more inside]
Unusual "Reporting". Within Indian media, the Times of India is considered one of the most respectable publications. Hence, it is pretty surprising for them to have printed such a bizzarely reported yet thinly veiled story. FYI, the alluded brothers are the Ambanis, who manage Reliance Industries, which contribute 3% of India's GDP!!
The Infinite Monkey Protocol Suite [more inside]
Simulation of various voting methods for close elections — in the market for a new voting method, but not sure which one to get? Why not try some out? [more inside]
Scrambled Eggs!!! Mr BlueCaller provides us with helpful hints for those of us "out there who crave a decent bout of testicular pain." [more inside]
The Spite Vote.
"IT CAME ON suddenly and without warning. Fuck the Democrats. Fuck the liberals. I hope Bush wins. I hope Bush steals another election and urinates into everyone's wounds…"
A wonderfully spiteful rant by Mark Ames, link coutesy of the equally vicious Steve over at Ethel the Blog.
[more inside]
Primate shortage could slow medical advances. [more inside]
Minnie Driver is sooo punk rock... actually she's more jazz influenced. Apparently Miss Driver is a bit of a crooner. [more inside]
Frustration, anyone? [Flash game via Bifurcated Rivets]
August 20, 2004
It's a trap! No, no, not a Farkis, but rather a handy guide for the working girl on the lookout for undercover police. The Internet. Is there anything it can't do? [more inside]
Mis-Casting? It isn't unheard of for roles in movies to be miscast. Some would say it's merely a matter of opinion. [more inside]
Put on your boxing gloves and let's solve this as civilized people.
(via ArtsJournal)
[more inside]
Invisibility the disappearing cursor game
Curious George: Has anybody here used a flowbee? or perhaps a Robocut? I'd like to hear about your experiences and (mis)adventures with such things.
Want to smell like you just got a Hummer?
Since destroying the environment is so much better when the driver (male only, of course) is properly accessorized, Hummer cologne is now available for consumption.
'"It's got credibility with men," said Adrian Ellis, "What other brand for men would make more sense?"'
Fans of file-sharing have been handed a significant victory by a US court. US Appeals Court ruling goes against the RIAA and MPAA, saying P2P software makers are not responsible for the data transferred over their networks.
More Proof That Bush Is Stupid I laughed my ass off when I read this. Remember, this man carries the football with him. For you kiddies that don't know, it's a briefcase that has codes to launch nukes.
Boom! Big Boom. Large Boom. Larger Boom, followed by slightly smaller large Boom. Not Yet 2nd Largest non-nuclear Boom. Largest non-nuclear Boom. Non-nuclear testing for nuclear Boom. Also large. Big Boom with potential for more big Boom. Oops Boom.
F.W. Woolworth closed the last of its North American five & dime stores just over seven years ago. Woolworth's begat the "Cathedral of Commerce" Woolworth Building and stores all over the United States (Minneapolis and my hometown), Canada (Hamilton, ON), the UK (Camberwell), Germany (Heidelberg) and other countries. [more inside]
No concept of math?
1+1=2. Mathematics doesn't get any more basic than this, but even 1+1 would stump the brightest minds among the Piraha tribe of the Amazon.
Is it possible that language provides us with a conceptual framework with which we can think about the world around us and without that framework we will be unable to develop certain lines of thinking? In this case, the absence of mathematics in the Piraha culture appears to have made it extremely difficult for them to acquire the concepts later in life, "When faced with a line of batteries and asked to duplicate the number they saw, the men could not get beyond two or three before starting to make mistakes."
Soybellyflop?
"Pool Fool" beaten by police.
The accompanying photograph=priceless.
Get Drunk on Air, sorta... Apparently some fratboy got a hold of his "nerdy" roommate's bronchial machine and poured in vodka. Presto! AWOL: Alcohol Without Liquid. Herman the business major's loss is every alkies gain. [more inside]
Fahrenheit 9/11 with a twist of Happiness? If you have ever questioned what makes people happy, then you are not alone. Four filmmakers also wondered this and have actually made a documentary film out of it. What they did was travel all over the US to ask random people questions about happiness. The movie clips at the website look great. The trailer should be up soon. The film is called One Happy Movie (www.onehappymovie.com) and is supposed to be out Friday, September 10th. Happiness on the weekend of the anniversary of September 11th� we�ll see.
Channel 101: The Unavoidable Future of Entertainment.
Google Poetry The next step in artistic de-humanization, via MeanyFilter
Time to consider moving to Alaska?
- If voters pass the measure (on the November ballot), it would be legal to grow, smoke and sell any amount of marijuana so long as one is 21 years of age.
Other upcoming initiatives concerning marijuana.
Legal History of Marijuana Prohibition
GREENLAND! WE ARE AT WAR! [Via MeFiFoFum] [more inside]
Aziz and his amazing Freedom Box. See it in action [Quicktime] as Aziz escapes nuclear holocaust and gets annoyed at the misplaced Trivial Pursuit. [via metafilter]
OneMoreMonkey a project to draw / paint one monkey a day
A striking blow for those of us fed up with poorly designed sites... Just hack it and redesign it the way you'd make it! [more inside]
Have seven adopted children that you are being paid to keep, but you don't want? Ship them off to Africa where you don't have to worry about Child Protective Services dropping in to check on the condition of the home.
A hidden variable - An anomalous effect during a solar eclipse casts doubt on the theory of General Relativity. As the moon passes in front of the sun, a swinging pendulum will move faster than it should. This seemingly minor piece of weirdness is yet another flaw in Einstein's theory of gravitic force which suggests that the incompatibility of Quantum Mechanics with General Relativity is not the incomplete nature of the former, but errors in the latter. No explanation. No use looking for one either. It's all part of the cosmic unconsciousness. [more inside]
Incorect
. A word of warning from the get-go, this one's not particularly safe for viewing at work etc. Incorect Art Pronographique is French graphic designers Yogo.O, Izo9000, and Nogamatic's online showcase..."industrial power with the service of the good taste"...apparently! The design of the site it great, from the fantastic isometric site intro to each individual image within my favourite gallery, 'Hole Graphics'. However, while stylised and pixelised, a couple of the Mamo Clips are quite disturbing so steer clear if you're easily offended.
[more inside]
Curious, George: Geriatric Dog Have recently inherited a 15-year old, smooth-haired, miniature dachshund from a kinsman -- she's neutered, severely vision-impaired, and pretty damn deaf, too. [more inside]
Curious George: Annoying CD wallets. You know, these things. What ad wizard designed them? You can't label them because there's no place on them to affix a card. You can't write on them because they're jet black. You can't tape a label on because it falls off the nylon and makes it sticky. Any creative solutions for labelling them?
Portraits of monkeys. Beautifully taken. [shamlessly stolen from Boing Boing].
Reviewese OK, I'm a book reviewer. But I swear I have used no more than two of these horrible buzzwords and fashionable phrases. Ever. [more inside]
WTF!?!??... [Flash weirdness] [more inside]
Curious George: A JANUARY holiday in England? UK monkeys (and others who have visited) what would you recommend? [more inside]
A tutorial in Isometric Pixel Art. And another. And and an isometric map of Washington DC. And an isometric street corner in New York City. Some isometric views of key events in recent history. An Isometric Constructor app (Flash). And the Mr Wong's incredible Soup'Partments.
VIVA AMERICAN BUDDHA! NSFW.
August 19, 2004
So you wanna be a spy? Earn your official degree on this secluded pacific island - and it's even better than that one you found in that cereal box! [more inside]
Tampa Bay Blogger Fest Alright kiddies. The event will be on September 18th at 6:30 PM at Splitsville.
Jude Law to play Ian Curtis in new movie. Ian Curtis, tragically dead singer of Joy Division (1977-1980, later picking up drummer's wife to become New Order) will be played by second sexiest man on earth in forthcoming biopic. The confusion in my eyes says it all / I've lost control.
Saul Williams Has Released a New Album. We demand a truth naturally at one with the land / Not a plant that photosynthesizes bombs on demand / Or a search for any weapons we let fall from our hands / I got beats and a plan / I'm gonna do what I can. [more inside]
When monkeys attack! Shame on you monkeys! Now fess up. Was it the surlyboi gang, or the BBS brigade that was responsible for this state of affairs?
Camp Records. That purveyor of such classic hits of the 60s as "I'd Rather Swish than Fight", "Homer the Happy Little Homo", and "Stanley the Manly Transvestite ".
Curious George: I want a PC pony! I've been very good this year, so I get a new toy, and I need your help choosing it! [more inside]
Pentagon to provide free breast augmentation for female military personnel. Amidst understandable outcry against such policy being a poor way to spend those precious tax dollars. [more inside]
Animations by David Shrigley lo-fi artist stretches pathos to breaking point
Is this the Best? Curious George: I wantsss a good MP3 Player! [more inside]
Bear guzzles 36 beers, passes out at campground
Robo-One 2004. Video (3.90MB MPEG) of a fighting robot pummelling a smaller one and then flexing its arms in celebration before falling off the table. [more inside]
The Allen Brain Atlas Project aims to take brain mapping to a new level. It sounds exciting, though to be honest I'm not sure I understand precisely how they are doing it. They'll never come up with anything as appealing as these, anyway, or this (from quite an interesting paper).
Neil Gaiman is a rat. Helping the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, one rodent at a time. [more inside]
Today's posts suggest there's a whole lot of hating going on. Thankfully, there's more loves you (about 755,000 ) than hates you (about 81,000).
It's just colored text But it looks nice.
Annatomically Correct African Vervet Monkey Costume. Unfortunately, bidding has ended for this item. Here's a meepzorp mirror. NSFW!
Sincerely, Someone who hates you. (language possibly NSFW). Alternatively, Found Magazine also catalogues happier notes, such as i love sex and "toilet bowl."
Welcome to the Needlepoint Museum
Windows XP SP2: Installation and Tweaking Guide - Useful for some of us Monkeys.
Jesus Hates Stupid Homosexuals Like You - In a recent interview, Jesus dispels all myths that he supports any sort of gay lifestyle.
Your dog hates you. God help us all, 25 stories. [more inside]
August 18, 2004
The Anti-Gurus. A profile of Diana Alstad and Joel Kramer, authors of The Guru Papers.
First Republican Congressman to break ranks and call Iraq war "a mistake". [more inside]
7 1/2 Days: Reporter Kevin Heldman was confined on Woodhulls psychiatric unit for 179 hours. His treatment consisted of three hours of group counseling, four hours of dancing and stretching, and 25 minutes with psychiatrists. Total charges, $8,400.
Spank your monkey
Spanking the Monkey
The Strangest Children's Book of the 19th Century Teaches You the Facts of Life—Complete With Singing Vagina...It's a Victorian sex-ed manual. For children. Starring a monkey.
A review of a real book published at the turn of the century that I would love to get my damn dirty paws on.
What if apes take over the world? Worth 1000 image munging contest to place apes into the human world. Some rather amusing and well done images as well a crop of crappy ones.
Cops Use Taser on Charley victim A guy, in his minivan, with his three kids, just wanted to go back to his house. Florida police officers decided to swat the fly with a Buick and drag him from his van and "subdue" him with their Taser, while the crowd surrounding objects vociferously. Charming video for you all to watch. [link via Sensible Erection.]
Curious George: Stream of a GAP Ad? Does anyone know where I can find streaming video of the latest American TV spots from the GAP? [more inside]
Warner Brothers selling original Green Day ringtones. [more inside]
Working hard, or hardly working? Fun flash game. Catch the crumpled-up paper. Throw paper in trash can. Addictive. [more inside]
Dog adopts baby fawn. Awwww, how cute... [more inside]
Nathan Jurevicius
is an Australian artist who began his career as a freelance illustrator. Nathan achieved international recognition with his Scarygirl comics and art figures. WARNING:FLASH
(First FPP. Please don't pillory me.)
[more inside]
The Prandtl-Glauert singularity. A sudden drop in air pressure causes a ring of condensation around planes, usually when exceeding the speed of sound. This makes for some pretty amazing pictures, like this and this.
Cloaca by Wim Delvoye. Probably [NSFW]. [more inside]
Astroturf Gone Wrong. When astroturfing the sites of bloggers who offer opinions about your employer, best not to make it too obvious.
Bananas, leading the way. Danelope puts the pieces of the puzzle together, and sounds a warning, in his customary terse style. (Warning: monkeys!)
Kids draw the human body: The results are amazing. Daniel's skeleton is my favorite.
Wow, this black metal is scary stuff!
"And then, he invent Hilicopter Fcuk !"
"In Japan, the person who have no hair on their penis is only him and cancer patient. Yes, he is minority. So he think differently."
EXTREMELY NSFW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
That said, the video is, erm, interesting...
[more inside]
I'm sorry, sir, your application to link to this website has been turned down. Things you can't do at the Olympics, part 237,946: link to their website without written permission. [more inside]
God is coming to San Francisco
August 17, 2004
Wikipedia "featured pictures" aggregate (large and numerous thumbnails = long page load. Dial-up monkeys beware...)
"Mein Gott, zwei kilogram!" [more inside]
Evangelical Christianity Has Been Hijacked - An Interview with Tony Campolo, spiritual counselor to former President Bill Clinton [more inside]
Play-Doo Taking "gag" gifts to a whole new level. [more inside]
George Lakoff is the man. A professor of linguistics and cognitive science at the University of California Berkeley, is a specialist in the technique of "framing," a communication tool that creates a "frame" for a message that defines the terms of the debate. Discussed many times Here I wouldn't have known about him any other way I don't think. Good lessons for Monkeys of all stripes. [more inside]
Who makes YOU laugh? I mean really laugh out loud. How about a Vintage Comedy category? Who is supposed to make you laugh, but doesn't? [more inside]
Colorado to decide whether to end "winner take all" electoral vote distribution. If passed, Amendment 36 would make Colorado the first state to allocate electoral votes proportionately according to the popular vote, rather than giving a winner all of the state's electoral votes. [more inside]
Effective with this sentence, Wired News will no longer capitalize the "I" in internet.Slashdot's take.
At the same time, Web becomes web and Net becomes net.
Why? The simple answer is because there is no earthly reason to capitalize any of these words.
Wergle Flomp Poetry Contest
"You care not for the fruits of etymology,
But only for the sale of your anthology."
(Second Prize Winner 2004)
[more inside]
Monkey Picked Tea!
Details
* Rare Wild Chinese Tea
* Picked by trained monkeys
* No, really
* Delicate, light flavour
* Net Wt. 25g
[via J-walk blog]
He was missing from his Reserve duties because ... he was working as ... a spy??!?
Two strong pieces of writing worth a look; the first is noted in Metafilter -- the Joe Darby article. The second is this George Bush story, also from the current GQ. He was missing from his Reserve duties because he was ... a spy? And later assigned to be a Watergate burglar? And maybe Deep Throat?
You can read both the Joe Darby story and this one from the same source, a few pages away. Work back from the printable-page link.
[more inside]
The Mystery of Hanuman - Inspiring Tales from Art and Mythology.
Bjrk has a new album on the way.
"I think to a certain extent maybe moving to New York influenced me, and then the 9/11 episode and the crisis that is going on in the world today. And to a certain extent all this made me very interested in primitive elements. In something that was before all this happened."
Our old friend Bjrk has a new album out before the end of the month, and it's looking pretty good. Medlla, her first studio work since 2001's Vespertine, looks like it's going to be something that nobody has truly ever heard before, and if nothing else, that's some really awesome cover art.
[more inside]
US Olympic Shooting Medal Results. Does anyone else find it strange that the U.S. has yet to medal in any shooting events? Since 1984 we only have 15 out of a possible 207 medals, according to this (PDF). With so many guns around, why aren't we dominating the sport as we once did?
Porn good. Australia Bad.
Depsite findings porn is good for you, Australia's politicians continue march to "ban on-line porn."
Will the last person to leave Australia please turn out the lights?
[more inside]
Doggy Poo
"Sometimes dreams really DO come true."
You _must_ watch the preview.
[more inside]
August 16, 2004
Costco wants your final purchase Only $799 and deliverable within 48 hours. Discounts to the bitter end!
The Zen of Drinking Alone: Using Alcohol to Bring Out Your Inner Monkey
At stake is nothing less than the right of Americans to travel anonymously in their own country -- and the exposure of 'secret law' for what it is: an abomination. [more inside]
curious george: customy goodness? can we make our user pages pretty? or aren't we allowed? [more inside]
Olympic female posteriors make up the lion's share of Yahoo's "most viewed" photos today. Go figure.
Abu Ghraib Report Exonerates Rumsfeld.
A new Pentagon report on abuses at Abu Ghraib -- due to be released at the end of the month -- has been leaked in part to the Baltimore Sun.
"By naming military intelligence officials as well as the seven military police who have been charged," said a lawyer who has liaised with military officials involved in the case, "it will look like action has been taken. But basically it's still the same storyline of just a few bad apples, way down the food chain."
Antique weirdness
NSFW. Welcome and Warning!
" What is presented here is a piece of my collection of antique weirdness. If you cannot enjoy racism, ignorance, nudity, sex, or just plain weirdness within their historical context, then this is not the place for you. If you can see possibilities of the humor, the horror, and plain shock value in some of this material, then click on the following links and enjoy."
I find this site disturbing, yet interseting in a twisted sense.
The fix may be in, yet again... Bob Herbert of that liberal rag, the New York Times (reg required, blah blah...) writes a little Op-Ed on what looks like it could be more shady goings-on in the Sunshine State's voting situation. Are we just being paranoid, or not paranoid enough?
Wacky Courtcases including United States v. Satan. [more inside]
Urban Golf - I've played golf...I was rubbish at it. I gave up after paying 15 for a round and slicing eight balls off the first tee...that'll ruin the whole game let me tell you. Anyway, since giving up about 10 years ago I've not thought about getting the clubs down from the loft until now, Urban Golf really looks like the sport of kings. The basic game: Take turns in hitting a tennis ball toward an agreed target far away in a residential area. The rules: #1 Show respect, #2 Everybody sucks & #3 Don't be a control freak. Time to dust off my woods and go get some tennis balls I think!
Tel-Span
Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice said.
Curious. George is naked! Alrighty - I can see a guy in the next apartment building sitting on his bed all nekkid and eating Doritos. Thing is, this is only because it's dark, and his window is swung outward and so a perfect mirror into his bedroom. So buddy isn't an exhibitionist, unlike most of my neighbours, and myself - mostly I am just too lazy to find pants before I sprint through my living room - so he might not like this arrangement. [more inside]
Curious, George: What do you know about Venezuela? [more inside]
Sneaky porn director turns curious cops into boys in blue.
Trial Proceedings
from London's Old Bailey -- 100,000 fully searchable cases heard between 1674 and 1834, including details of the crime, the offender, and sentencing. The site also has essays about policing, crime, gender and general life in 17th century London.
The Old Bailey remains a fixture of London's criminal justice system and has some of the nicest courtrooms I've ever been in (lots of dark wood and men in wigs).
[more inside]
August 15, 2004
Curious, George: Mac MMORPGs I'm interested in trying out a MMORPG on my Mac, but have no idea which one to play. I like the look of EVE Online (which I came across in this MeFi thread), but sadly it doesn't seem to be available for Mac. I don't particularly mind whether it's SciFi or fantasy themed, but it has to have a fairly gentle learning curve or I'll be distracted by real life. Any recommendations appreciated, Monks.
Am I Brian Blessed or Not?
Your task is simple: Find the fake Brian Blessed. You'll see 4 lineups of Brian Blesseds. In each lineup one Brian Blessed is fake, and you only have a few seconds to identify and click him.
It's short, it's stupid, and it's FLASH
[more inside]
Why do national anthems suck? Telegraph article explores the aesthetics and history of national anthem, as well as a little background on a few of them. I can say confidently that America's is one of the least inspiring and arguably the most unsingable of the bunch. (Is it the only one in 3/4 count?)
Bendy keyboard. If you like your instruments flexible you may well like the Hand Roll Piano. It's a battery operated roll-up keyboard with 100 sounds and a built in speaker. Crazy music fun Japanese style! [via]
Ghost stories Ghost stories haunt the moonlit backroads of the American South. Their roots in Southern culture and folklore are deep. [more inside]
Six-wheeled Supercar
"4 steering front wheels permit to increase braking, comfort and directional stability."
Plus, it looks like something out of the Thunderbirds.
How do we clean our skulls? Kinda squeamy - but then again, the one and only time the sentence "A gorilla skull halfway bugged" will be used in all of human history.
Rummy, Bush and Cheney in NYC, awaiting the RNC (9.3mb QT, Audio NSFW, with mild crotch-grabbing. Super-gratuitous, QT-level use of a Caucasian using the N-word. First FFP. Hope it doesn't offend...)
Anal seepage (ah no).
NSFW (surprise!)
Anne Frank fanfic. Fiction, haiku, poetry, nazis. Submit your own! But be very very quiet...
spreading gangrene from within "Imitate me, midlevel executives, white-collar workers, neo-slaves, the damned of the tertiary sector," Ms. Maier calls in her slim volume, which is quickly becoming a national best seller. She argues that France's ossified corporate culture no longer offers rank-and-file employees the prospect of success, so, "Why not spread gangrene through the system from inside?"
Cancer Stem Cells Hint at Cure.
August 14, 2004
Age Gauge: People/History - Music - TV - Movies (enter birthday as M/D/YY)
Not a fork! A banana request. Monkeys, the eagle-eyed among you have come note that beeswackybashi has been assembling a rarely-seen literary endeavor under cover of the One True 'Bashi Thread. Such is the genius that I request a new feature. [more inside]
Curious George: How do you research old news stories? Do any fellow monkeys know of any site that archives or scans 20 or 30 years worth of major national news stories from AP/UPI/Reuters or major newspapers? Yes, I will likely pay a visit my city newspaper, but I'd be happy to pony up a little cash for instant gratification. I see the Houston Chronicle might be one possibility but it only goes back 19 years.
She Lost Her Job She bitches about co-workers on her weblog. She shows her weblog to her employer. She loses her job for her bitching. She whines about having lost her job. [more inside]
Spear's Specialty Shoe Company has been a forerunner of manufacturing and style-setting clown shoes worldwide! [more inside]
SLAM BUSH
Spit something hot kid!
Good idea; wish the guy in the video could rap.
How would YOUR one minute of battle go?
(Bees, I'm lookin at YOU...)
[more inside]
This site
is a priceless resource for all interested in the semiotics of fried chicken sales.
And in the study of manky take-aways riddled with salmonella and rat faeces.
The Politics of Burning Man. A conversation between Burning Man founder Larry Harvey and John Perry Barlow. [Via WorldChanging.]
Curious George: Hardware Gone Wild I lost the C: drive, it was replaced, now the computer won't recognize the D: drive anymore. Well, sometimes it does. [more inside]
Yet another goof up by Google. Our favorite search engine company goofs up by not registering Gmail, their much sought-after email service. [more inside]
August 13, 2004
President Saparmurat Niyazov - or Turkmenbashi, as he likes to be known - has just banned television presenters from wearing makeup. Turkmenistan's crazy-ass president, whose recent decrees have included banning gold teeth, long hair, beards, gravity, cheese, peas, cheesy-peas and Barry Manilow, has told television presenters to stop wearing make-up because he had difficulty telling the men from the women.
Drunk Guy Jenga If he wakes up, you lose. (via I Keep A Diary)
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that Everything Is Funnier With Monkeys." Even, it appears, 19th century sex education.
"This site contains all published fragments of Ancient Greek music which contain more than a few scattered notes. All of them are recorded under the use of tunings whose exact ratios have been transmitted to us by ancient theoreticians (of the Pythagorean school, most of them cited by Ptolemaios)." (RealAudio samples and MIDI files.) [more inside]
Remembering Julia Child She changed chefs and cooking forever in the public eye. Her kitchen is in the Smithsonian. She loved food and loved to share it too. [more inside]
What if Ashcroft turns on his TV? Hey - I have a great idea for a reality show: take six undocumented immigrants, and make them do Fear-Factor style tricks for a chance at a green card! Oh, the laughs we could have at their expense! But oops! As they say over at the halfbakery, that's not half-baked; it's already been baked: it's a real show, called Gana la Verde. [more inside]
eBay aquires 25% of Craigslist One of the greatest (and quietest) successes on the internet, Craigslist is now 25% owned by eBay. Craigslist was founded by Craig Newmark, and has been a fixture of the Bay Area for almost a decade and has now spread out to cities world-wide. [story spotted on kottke.org]. [more inside]
The Virtual Suck Tour Of Arlington, Massachusetts This is a town near where I grew up. All the towns around there are pretty much the same.
Audiopad converts the positions and motion of objects on a tabletop surface into music.
check out those movies -- incredible.
Tell me what to like, O' djinni! The eternal dilemma: finding new music you'll like without having to listen to scads of crap... [more inside]
I don't have a sense that there's a lot of anger
Larry King interviews the POTUS.
KING: You don't, so you think there's less civility in America?
G. BUSH: Not really. . . .When I travel the country, and I've been traveling a lot, there are thousands of people who come out and wave, and they are -- you know, they respect the presidency. Sometimes they like the president, but I have this -- I don't have a sense that there's a lot of anger.
huh.
[more inside]
Research in the Buff Submitted for all your nude researching needs: The American Nudist Research Library.
I. Am. So. Lazy.
Are you a lazy monkey too? There is hope.
"The monkeys under the influence of the treatment don't procrastinate."
This article makes the valid point that we're getting carried away with our paranoia regarding Bush and terror. Your thoughts? Definitely made me stop and think. [more inside]
iPod vs the Cassette There's someone who made an analysis about pros and cons of iPod and the old cassettes
Curious George: Hot wings recipes please - I just bought a bunch of cheap chicken legs... [more inside]
Primitive Girl
Interesting collection of several women's photography, essay, kink, erotica, design, conversation, autobiography, poetry, philosophy, what have you.
A more thoughtful and infinitely less cheesecake-y Suicide Girls for all you tormented Emo-boys.
Front page is SFW, but I wouldn't look around any if the boss is nearby.
I am a prostitute.
And sometimes I feel fucked up. Not because of what I do; but because sixty-five women in my city are dead. This is my city. These are the
laws regarding prostitution. These are photographs of the kind of women who died. This is what happened to them. And I think it happened because we, as citizens, police, and maybe even the girls who kept getting into cars could not believe that this could really happen in our naive and sparkling city. Windsurf in the morning! Ski in the afternoon! Kill a hooker in the evening!
[more inside]
New Jersey is just the beginning
August 12, 2004
America's First Gay President
The outted and outgoing governor of New Jersey is by no means America's first, or highest-ranking, or most controversial gay politician. That honor very likely belongs to President James Buchanan and his probable paramour, former Vice President Rufus King. Somewhat scholarly discussion of the
Buchanan controversy here here and here.
Humans may be hardwired with an instinctual attraction to alcohol. I wonder if that means, as an Irishman with a liver made of steel, I'm more evolved?
NJ Governor Resigns, Admits to Gay Affair. This is the shortest AP Story I have ever read.
No witnesses for Guantanamo detainee
- Man claims witnesses would prove that he was conscripted to be a cook for the Taliban and received no weapons training. The head of the tribunal doesn't care and called the witnesses irrelevant.
The hearing lasted for more than two hours but officials were forced to take a 45-minute recess because they forgot to give the detainee a consent form saying he agreed to participate.
President Niyazov of Turkmenistan has ordered the construction of a palace made of ice in the heart of his desert country. 'Let us build a palace of ice,' said President Niyazov.
Your marriage? Null and void. California Supreme Court has nullified the San Francisco gay marriages performed this spring, saying Mayor Gavin Newsom overstepped his bounds. Thousands of couples who had finally accorded the right to marry have had the rug pulled out from under them. What is it going to take to get equal support and rights for all couples?
The Angus Diet. Burger King is famous for its Subservient Chicken "viral" marketing campaign. But their advertisements for the new Angus Burger up the ante, with a 139 page advertisement ("book") which you can download or even apparently purchase as an actual hardcover. [more inside]
Poorly-drawn cartoons inspired by actual spam subject lines.
Mystery o' the day: Any guess as to what this is, its meaning, or who created it? (Roll your mouse over the images.) It's all the talk of Washington today. Several large ads for it in the WashPost. Some kind of political marketing ploy, but for what?
Strict regulations published by Athens 2004 last week dictate that spectators may be refused admission to events if they are carrying food or drinks made by companies that did not see fit to sponsor the games.[more inside]
Click and drag on the red box. Avoid the blue boxes and the wall. If you last 18 seconds you are a Phenomen.
Gene Therapy: Lazy Monkey --> Workaholic Monkey.
New ShardsO'Glass Lights! (QuickTime) Just as tasty and refreshing as original ShardsO'Glass Freeze Pops, but with fewer glass shards. [more inside]
The Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues Page
Collect 'em all!
The transhumanists are coming! And they're promoting mito flushes, sousveillance, cyberglogging, and genetic virtue.
August 11, 2004
"It's an infomercial parody that is actually an infomercial". Triumph The Insult Comic Dog meets Tony Little. Tonight's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" will be an hour long infomercial. Apparently, Conan will be wearing a loud sweater and will hock NBC's new Late Night 10th Anniversary and Triumph The Insult Comic Dog DVD's, along with Bernie Koppel and Bruce Jenner. The toll-free number will be real and yes, operators will be standing by.
Talk religion get food-- Hobo signs.
A Collection of End-Of-World Scenarios
Artist Rica Takada creates designs on calendars to curtains in styles that were more popular forty years ago. Sbritt does art that reminds me of kids' books and products of about the same era. [more inside]
Gridlock Nifty Flash tile game thingy
Paul Krugman Vs Bill O'Reilly (wmv files) More on O'Reilly denying things that he actually said.
Information Warriors. [Via Disinformation.]
Curious George: Double Post This is hard for me to admit... [more inside]
Amazon offering used condoms. Amazon apparently doesn't exercise any sort of editorial review on what the offer used. Anyone want to try ordering them?
"I guess that hoplessness is what I am trying to capture." Flash slideshows of photographs by Serbian-born and Brooklyn-based photographer Boogie. From gypsies in Serbia to crack addicts in Brooklyn, these images are striking and sad. [Some are also NSFW]
Put your own photo or art on a genuine U.S. Postage Stamp. This is a 3 month trial by the USPS with stamps.com. [more inside]
Curious George: Contact lenses. Anyone know of an online contact lens vendor that is not militant about a slightly expired prescription? [more inside]
Happy Birthday Hulk Hogan! [more inside]
"The idea of using Jell-O as a sculptural medium came to me as a result of consciously trying to free my mind from the traditional constraints of sculpture making."
The Spam Gourmet. For monkeys that aren't fortunate enough to have a gmail account, there's this alternative. It's a disposable email address that's permanent, if you can wrap your head around that. It requires no effort on your part (today was my first return to the site in over a year, possibly two, and I haven't recieved a single piece of spam since before that). Even if you have a gmail account, there's no sense in filling that gig of storage up with spam.
Play with George
Ok you USA dwellers ... you don't get a chance to choose your President till November ... But here's a chance to play with how the current one looks.
Self appointed, self anointed "grammar cop" goes on a crusade against all grammar, spelling and punctuation infractions. Humouously of course, though he does dole out fines. Admit it, you've always wanted to do that.
Curious (and frustrated) George: Porting a SVCD.MPG file from PC to Mac. [more inside]
They Might Be Downloads John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants recently gave an interview to MSNBC wherein he makes some interesting observations about the future of music. One way in which TMGB is challenging the current paradigm is by securing the digital rights to their music, and selling mp3s of their latest recordings (and recordings of entire concerts!) on their website. [more inside]
$o is thi$ what it wa$ all about all the time?
The woman who has accused Kobe Bryant of raping her filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday against the NBA star, seeking unspecified monetary damages....
...A criminal case requires a higher standard of proof to convict -- beyond a reasonable doubt -- and punishment can involve prison time. A civil case has a lower standard of proof -- a preponderance of evidence -- and punishment is usually a monetary award...
Curious, George While fooling around with the style sheets, I tried Monkeypedia. Now,I can't get back to my profile to change back to the default. Hope me!
August 10, 2004
A comprehensive guide to ambient music An excellent site with sound clips and reviews. Try Harold Budd, David Sylvian (of Japan) especially Gone to Earth, Jah Wobble, Ryuichi Sakamoto etc. Otherwise known as 6 degrees of Eno. [more inside]
Make your own snowflake (flash). This is nice and quite relaxing. Moreover, contrary to popular belief, two snowflakes can look identical.
Curious George: Has anybody here besides me participated in The Southwestern Company's summer program? You know, the one where you work an obscene amount of hours working door to door selling 'study guides'? I'd love to hear both success and horror stories that anyone might have.
Musicblogging Roundtable
The Morning News just published a long interview with a bunch of prominent musicbloggers, discussing their involvement and opinions in the field. It's a fun read, if you overlook the nonsense that John guy is talking.
[more inside]
Colin Powell to Skip GOP Convention Once the most respected member of Bush's cabinet, Secretary Powell has decided not to engage in the "parochial debate" at the RNC. Maybe he'd rather just be fishin', but I doubt most people will take it that way. [more inside]
Curious George: What is in turkey pastrami? Is there a website anywhere that lists exactly what meat is in different types of specialty meats -- e.g. salami, bratwurst, hot dogs, etc? All websites I've found use vague adjectives such as "beef" or "pork". Sorry, I am a picky about meat and don't want to be eating offal, organs, and snouts. Or lips and a-holes, to quote John Candy.
DNA may contain the message we're looking for.
If you're familiar with SETI, the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence using radio waves, this article postulates that we need to be looking in the genetic code:
DNA, the molecule that contains the script of life, encodes its data in a four-letter alphabet. This would be an ideal medium for storing a cosmic calling card. In many organisms, humans included, genes make up only a tiny fraction of their DNA. Much of the rest seems to be biological gobbledygook, often called "junk DNA". There is plenty of room there for ET to etch a molecular message without damaging any vital genetic functions.
This Sentence is a Story. This story is about a woman and a man. This story is too long. This story is too short. This story has an ending. This story has none.
Hey, US citizens abroad! Welcome to the first online Overseas Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Request system. Did you know that you can vote in US elections, even if you don't have a permanent US residence? I didn't, which is why I didn't vote in 2000. But now I know better, and so do you! It's easy to register! Do it! Do it today!!
Bring on the stocks and pillories
Shawn Gementera stole mail. His punishment is to stand outside the post office wearing a sign that says "I stole mail." The Ninth US Circuit court approved.
This hearkens back to the days when criminals were paraded in the town square and humiliated. Is this a more effective form of punishment than incarceration?
View deleted MeFi threads. [via waxy.org] I'm not sure if this will work on MoFi as well, but it's pretty interesting nonetheless.
eRiposte.com - a news analysis, commentary and personal opinion website. For starters, his complete destruction of those Swift Boat Veterans and his examination of compassionate conservatism as performed by Bush appointees
The Concealed Garments Project
Curious George: Downloadable Calendar There was a discussion in March about a good online calendar. I'm looking for something a bit different. [more inside]
Mountain Dew Pitch Black
("Don't be afraid of the dark!") and Pepsi Holiday Spice ("Spice up the holidays!") As one Important Pop Guy says, "By introducing new flavors for a short period of time, then taking them away, we're meeting the wants and needs of soft-drink consumers while playing directly to their purchasing patterns."
Indelicately titled "Books that will induce a mindf**k" (idea). Sad to say, I haven't read the vast majority of them. Any titles or authors you would add? Any titles listed you particularly recommend? Any you disagree with?
Buildings that look like animals and other things. I stumbled across this bb devoted to skyscrapers, and one very cool thread in particular. This is why I love the internet.
Neural Darwinism. A brief interview with Gerald Edelman. [Via dangerousmeta!]
Tati Danielle
I see one of the all-time great weird clothing chains of the world is in trouble. With magnificent website like this, how could it all have gone so wrong?
[more inside]
Pain-Orgasm (a branding story). Burn, baby, burn.
Short films. More short films. Additional short films. Very short films. Very short films in Dutch. And the shortest films of all. Various players req'd.
Links to new Gmail applications Some of these seem potentially great, and I'll no doubt be playing around with a few of them. [Via MeFi]
Nice bed, but they forgot the parachute.
(Full Article)
Stay Free's Carrie McLaren brings up an amazing 2 year old historical relic: the Ad Council's post-9/11 PSA's that tried to inspire patriotism by showing 1984-style scenarios (library visitors tracked by secret police, people arrested for expressing dissent) and culminating with the tagline, "What if America Wasn't America?"
Two years later, you're living in an America that isn't America.
(my first post. please don't kill me. thank you.)
Face blindness. This analogy is from Cecilia Burman's prosopagnosia pages, loaded with fantastic graphics and visuals on this strange affliction. As someone who cannot remember new faces until I've had weeks of contact, social situations can be annoying, frustrating, and sometimes a tad offensive.
Curious, George: Would you like to touch my monkey?
Does anyone know of a german-language MoFi/MeFi-like site?
[more inside]
August 09, 2004
No More Free Rap The attorneys general for the states of Kansas and Indiana have withheld the distribution of more than 7,000 CDs, including music by Outkast and Rage Against the Machine, to state libraries because they have deemed the music objectionable. [more inside]
Free MP3's We all know MP3 blogs are the hot new thing right now. Problem is, lots of us question the morals of illegal, copyright infringing MP3's, or happen to have the FBI watching over our back, so what to do? Lucky for you, there's lots of quality MP3 blogs that link only to legal, label/band-approved songs. Mystery and Misery is one such quality blog which has recently even gotten newspaper attention. Other quality legal MP3 blogs include 3hive and Fat Planet. [more inside]
Curious George: The LSAT I'm taking the LSAT in October and any helpful hints would be appreciated.
Let's All Sing Like The Birdies Sing.... Don't know the difference between the Pigmy Nuthatch and the Common Redpoll? Can't imitate a Northern Bobwhite's whistle if your life depended on it? Well, sounds like you need to get to practicing your birdcalls, and if you can't find out the sound it makes here, chances are it just don't make noise. [more inside]
The Ten Second Film Festival is the shortest, most challenging film festival on earth. All the films in the festival are 10 seconds or less and can be made using anything from a video camera, computer animation, web cam, flash animations, CCTV or whatever else you can get your hands on. You can watch it on the web, mobile phones, PDAs and in cinemas and film festivals around the world.
How not to buy happiness. In effect, I wish to propose two different answers to the question “Does money buy happiness?” [more inside]
Curious George Calls the Cops
When do you, personally, call the cops on strangers? Visible blood? Scary noises next door? Damn kids in your Jello Tree again? To screw over your annoying neighbours and their stupid loud stereo/dogs/opinions at odds with yours? Never, because you won't be a brainwashed stooge of The Man?
Is 911 on speed dial? Or ranked with 666?
I ask because I had to ponder the people in the apartment next door and their very loud and possibly dangerous bout of wall-punching, door-breaking and general screechiness at 2 am last night.
Celebrity Conceit: In the spirit of Melanie Griffith, Star Jones is the latest personality to pervert her own website.
Curious George
I recently obtained some china that belonged to my husband's grandmother. I would like to find out where and when it was manufactured, except I have no clue how to go about it. I would like to start online with the research of the china. Any monkeys know of any web sites that I can look up the hallmarks on?
radiorocket A concept (sort of) music video featuring the Rocketcam and 2+2=5. Damn cool, and the launch/touchdown is timed amazingly.
Parallel Park. Some mindless Monday Flash fun. Via ABS. [more inside]
Water bears! No, this isn't a double post; these bears are microscopic critters who slurp the innards of plant cells. Water bears dwell in oceans, ponds, swamps, caves, and backyards from Sweden to South Africa to Bloomington, Illinois. You may think these amazing little jelly-bags are extremophiles but they're really just waiting for something better. [more inside]
Book-A-Minute Classics! Feed your head in under 60 seconds (or, probably, less). Great expectations, Jane Eyre, Light in August and the collected works of E.E. Cummings, others.
Curious George: Avoiding what I deserve. So I woke up today after having a wholesome Sunday composed for the most part of body paint, Stolichnaya and ginger beer, and was wondering if there was anyway to prevent the headaches/slowness of mind/cramps/faint hallucinations often experienced the morning after such activities now that I'm at work today and trying to be a responsible adult. Please help me. This is unbearable. AND MY COWORKERS MUST NOT KNOW. Currently alt-tabbing between this and excel. [more inside]
American Antigravity Lightning-beam guns! Gravity beams! Vortex-thrusters! Yes, it's American Antigravity! (Oh, and don't miss the non-lethal directed lightning)
Curious George - Am I being courted for a cult? By coworkers not surprisingly. The other day, I'm in the break area and see a couple of coworkers talking. They ask me how my day was going, and I told them that like everyone else, it wasn't going great. One of them piped up, "It doesn't have to be that way, you know." [more inside]
Gmail or Gawab mail? 1 GB of email?
Starfish Bored with your old desktop picture? Need a good background for a website? Try this free (as in speech and beer) image generator for OS 9, OS X, and Windows. Not only do the images tile seamlessly, you can customize color schemes with different palettes and share seed numbers. Or you can just keep generating random images while contemplating the pretty colors.
Misunderstanding Iraq. According to this article, the US and the new Iraqi government doesn't have a chance. The reason: Saddam understands Iraq....and we don't. [International Herald Tribune printer friendly]
Curious George: Why the light pink background? As I was reading the FAQ, I came to this part of it, discussing monkeyfilter's color scheme. I've been curious why light pink was chosen for the background, and I was really suprised to read that a majority of monkeys prefer that color. But now I suspect that it's supposed to be a different color, like maybe it's supposed to be the same purple Tracy's weblog uses. Is this right?
Curious George -- info suck My average internet usage has tripled, then quadrupled in the last few weeks, although the basic way I use my connection hasn't changed and nor have my surfing habits. I don't have a website, (well, I do have a small one, but there's nothing on it), I don't do any filesharing, and all virus definitions are updated (and I'm on a Mac, so there's nothing really current out there anyway). My ISP says that there's a lot of usage going on when I connect. What the hell is going on? Ideas? As it stands, this is costing me money, and I don't like it. Thanks!
Remember the cartoon Smurfs? They were communists, according to this article. It makes sense, in an odd way.
Here's a monkeychallenge: what the hell IS this?
"access is restricted to invited subscribers only.
the waiting list is approximately 18-22 months.
cost is $50 for a [CD key] and $10 per month to get on the waiting list."
For what?
Hamlet: The Text Adventure Help Hamlet avenge his father's death! Encounter characters from other Shakespearean plays for no good reason! Use the hints because some parts are impossibly hard! All this in amazing, futuristic text-based game play! [more inside]
International team to monitor presidential election
A team of international observers will monitor the presidential election in November, according to the U.S. State Department...
...It will be the first time such a team has been present for a U.S. presidential election...
August 08, 2004
English poetry by Japanese Students
quantonics.com is a large, thorough site devoted to a subject that is either absurd and schizid, or sophisticated and revlutionary. I am at a lss to describe it further. [more inside]
Chick Lit Author round table. So - frivolous froth, or 'valuable social commentary and great literature' ?
Curious, George I have a compact flash card that has four Psion 5mx WP files on it. After adding some files from my PC, the card reads "corrupted" on the Psion, and won't read at all on my PC. Can anyone help me recover the text in the Psion files I know are on there?
American Mavericks for modern-music-loving monkeys. Listen online if you dare! I have a hard time getting used to Suzanne Vega telling me about Milton Babbit.
the manusripts The genius who gave us three laws of motion wrote even more about the Apocalypse and the Whore of Babylon. Eventually, all of his work -- about 10 million words -- will be on the Web
Britain the new Prozac nation? Apparently, significant levels of Prozac has been found in Britain's drinking water. I'm jealous.
Signs of the Apocalypse....well not exactly. Just a bunch of funny church signs. Some intentionally so, others not.
Come and visit Britain's premier seaside resorts
Against the Law? This article makes me wonder if the FBI gets paid per charge brought.
Vaccinations Against Drugs: Coming Soon to a School Near You.
iqax, iqyak, qayaq, kayak! ever since I read The Starship and the Canoe i wanted to build a kayak. [more inside]
Church and date "Just think, we've made Koniakow lace for altar cloths, priests' robes, even the Pope himself. And now people are going to wear Koniakow lace on their arses!"
Thirty-Two Things that President Bush is Not. ...And one thing that he is. Because he said so.
Boss Was hI-JACKED Curious George, I can't post a link. I work for the presiding judge in a large jurisiction. In the past few months we have been getting complaints that he is sending spam to members of prominent law firms. [more inside]
August 07, 2004
The laying of the FLAG (Fiber optic Link Around the Globe) cable A long, but interesting, description of the creation of the FLAG (Fiber optic Link Around the Globe) cable. While a good 8 years old, the technology used in undersea cables today is virtually the same (though the technology once on land is quite different).
Borat
With Video!
The Mick is a free pdf music magazine, available on a monthly (sometimes twice monthly) basis. [more inside]
The Art of Party Crashing. Artists and activists are preparing their Cheney jokes, Dubya drag, and phalluses for theatrical productions and festivals in honor of the RNC. Sounds like fun, but I hope they don't run afoul of Operation Garden Plot.
Adventures of the Little Goth Girl (Flash) Her name is Sarah. She's the little Goth girl, the daughter of Satan. Sarah really hates spiders, and loves Mondays. A series of short animations with an overarching plot, though most can stand alone.
No first amendmet rights for Iraq. National security or censorship? I wonder what the US would be like if the government could shut down the Washington Post when they don't like what it says.
Danish IT company *pays* for internet pr0n for its employees. The catch: they can't look at it at work. It makes employees more "relaxed," apparently. Indeed. [Probably SFW. No nudity, no dirty words, no dirty ads.]
Japanese jingle gets chart action. "The lyrics have an enormous impact. Maybe this song is more radical and aggressive than songs created by mediocre punk rock bands," said a review on Amazon.co.jp. [more inside]
Curious George: Wall decor. How can I decorate my apartment without forfeiting my deposit? [more inside]
August 06, 2004
The top ten reasons why John Kerry Sucks Less.
Isn't it ironical? Our current president, the beneficiary of long-standing traditions allowing alumni offspring a better shot at matriculating at schools beyond their intellectual reach, feels that such legacies are, in fact, a bad idea. [more inside]
Unabashed Racist Wins GOP Primary in Tenn. People foolishly say it isn't important to go vote. These people are stupid. [more inside]
Breaking news: Ireland is Atlantis!
Ready to Ruuuuumble! Battlefield Academy is a fun wee turn-based strategy game with four relatively simple scenarios. From the fine folks at the BBC. [more inside]
Atom Bombs in Japan Let us NOT repeat this history?
Funk and crackhead legend Rick James has died That's right kiddies, Rick James died today at age 56.
New research reveals that a HUGE number of people (currently showing no clinical symptoms) in the UK may be infected with a long-incubating human form of "mad cow disease" called vCJD. [more inside]
The View Master Childhood memories of making images come to life with the viewmaster were never as good as this!
2 guys, a "sniper" rifle, and your Bluetooth-enabled phone. This is easily the most awesome-est thing that I have read all morning. Two guys add a yagi (a type of directional antenna) to a sniper rifle, and are able to capture data from the cell phone more than 1 mile away. [more inside]
Shock 'N' Awe - A Schoolhouse Rock designed to teach children the benefits of death. (Quicktime) [more inside]
The Apathetic Radical ("Not Really an Oxymoron, But Who Cares?") urges every American to "Vote Like You Care, Even If You Don't."
IMDB's 100 lowest rated movies.
Most of these shouldn't come as a surprise: Gigli comes in at 14, Shanghai Surprise at 31. At 51 is Spice World, and at 99 is Freddy Got Fingered. But Glen or Glenda came in at 93, and that was a lot worse than Spice World. lol.
The worst of all time: 'Manos' the Hands of Fate (1966). Has anyone seen this? Can this be verified as indeed the worst movie in all movie history.
A love note to the 'premiere' actor of a generation. While I don't feel as strongly about Tom Cruise as the author apparently does, he does nail some of the reasons why Cruise has failed to thrill as an actor. [more inside]
Badbossology Protecting people & companies from bad bosses.
Big Questions
and long essays.
Anybody seen this guy's stuff before? He's astoundingly complex but I couldn't tell you how up on his topics he really is. Any of our more erudite monkeys wanna tell me if this is a worthwhile resource?
PSSSSSST! That superstar of the Democratic convention? We think he might be the Anti-Christ. Wow. Just wow.
Danger In Indiana
VENICE -- Officials in Indiana and Washington, D.C., said they are dumbfounded by a statement U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris made about a terrorist plot to blow up a power grid in Indiana.
That's because in an election year only a Republican running for higher office can keep America safe.
"As the sheriff of this county, I would certainly be aware of such a threat," Hamilton County Sheriff Doug Carter said. "I have no information to corroborate any of that."
In an interview Tuesday, Harris would not reveal the name of the mayor who told her about the threat or provide further details.
I suspect that this man is the target of the terrorists.
AntWeb. Closeup images of the little beasties that will either elevate cuteness to another level or give you nightmares for the next month and a half.
August 05, 2004
The end of music. "I'm fascinated by the idea of, say, your favourite band writing something that you can't stand. I've often asked people: What's your least favourite track by your favourite band?" Taken from the blue, I wanted to know what are the worst songs in us monkey's music collections.* [more inside]
Curious, George: CSS guru help needed! I am trying to learn the basics of layout with CSS and am having a devil of a time understanding it. Specifically, I'd like to... (mi) [more inside]
Geek Tatoos - I'll defer to Red vs. Blue on this topic.
Classic W. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we," Bush said. "They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
CPA Funds Mismanagement - an audit analysis shows that the CPA authorized and misappropriated Iraqi funds in violation of its own rules. Kellogg Brown & Root Inc., a subsidiary of Halliburton, was paid $1.66 billion from the Iraqi money to cover cost of fuel from Kuwait. [more inside]
Evidence? Why should we care? Feel free to ruin a person's life. It's not as if you'll ever have to answer for it. [more inside]
PayPal PayOut Have you ever been inconvenienced by PayPal? You could be eligible for a cut of the $9.25 million they paid to settle a class-action lawsuit.
"MA'!!!!! The Bacon Stole My Bjork CD again!!!"
well, why wouldn't it? if I were freezing, I'd like to listen to some good music too...
Behold the God Box Why does Moore's Law get all the publicity? The density of hard disk storage doubles every 12 months compared to pokey old Moore's 18-month schtick. So what's the implication of massive, really cheap hard disk storage?
Curious, George. I'm sick of registering at news sites and was wondering if there was one particular login name and password that can be used at most sites and is a matter of public knowledge.
Banksy strikes! Notorious graffiti artist Banksy has unveiled his latest masterpiece. [more inside]
Home of the Underdogs is an online museum of PC game underdogs, games that were underrated or undersold at the time of their release. The site pays tribute to those games, and distributes those that have been discontinued by their publishers. Looking for an abandonware PC game? You can probably find it in HOTU's archives.
Sprite Life pets include 3-dimensional dogs, cats, and a fantasy species called a "spriteling," whose features were inspired by cats, dogs, rabbits, and monkeys. Each Sprite Life pet has its own genetic code and a family tree. The pet owner gets to select pets from the currently available litters. Once the owner adopts the pet, it is no longer available for adoption by anyone else. At some point, the owner may even wish to donate a sample of the pets DNA for breeding purposes. Cute or creepy?
Build a better Bush! Give Dubya a makeover. [via New Yorkish]
Women who believe that they'll live for a long time have more sons. I guess nature has a way of upsetting even the best laid plans...
I don't need anything except this
and that's it and that's the only thing I need, is this. I don't need this or this. Just this ashtray. And this paddle game, the ashtray and the paddle game and that's all I need. And this remote control. The ashtray, the paddle game and the remote control, and that's all I need. And these matches. The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control and the paddle ball. And this lamp. The ashtray, this paddle game and the remote control and the lamp and that's all I need. And that's all I need too. I don't need one other thing, not one - I need this! The paddle game, and the chair, and the remote control, and the matches, for sure. Well what are you looking at? What do you think I am, some kind of a jerk or something? And this! And that's all I need. The ashtray, the remote control, the paddle game, this magazine and the chair.
Many of the world's languages are, like endangered plants and animals, becoming extinct. Claim is made that 90% of the world's languages will become obsolete or moribund by 2100.
Dance, Voldo, Dance! Click on the link below the little red ratings bar.
Will She or Won't She? Categorically denying that there will be an eighth Harry Potter book does not mean there won't be an eighth Harry Potter book. Funnily enough, there is no mention of an eighth Harry Potter book on the author's homepage.
The spirit of Kerouc updated? probably not. 4 blogging geeks are riding across the US on a Segway (with iPods) ... they're invoking the American Dream, but The Register and its readers are unimpressed.
Thai Zoo Halts Orangutan Boxing Matches.
Girls Are Pretty [more inside]
Curious, George: Looking for a book [more inside]
Crime Scene Cleaners. Thought the Police were responsible for cleaning the brains off the wall? You thought wrong. Niel Smither talking about his first days on the job and an older but better article. [obviously if you're not a fan of words like "putrid" please don't click]
Is My Little Baby Going to Go Gay?
Star Spangled Ice Cream
"Stay tuned as we introduce more new flavors like Donald Rum Raisin, GuantanaMocha, Kerry Ketchup Dough, Tank Tracks, Dutch (Reagan) Chocolate and Orange Alert Sherbet. (And don't forget your favorite flavors from the past -- Clinton Im-Peach, White House Fundraiser Coffee and Jimmy Carter Peanut Malaise.)"
One ticket to France, please.
"The fortress [of Liege] was believed to be one of the most formidable position in Europe among military analysts... This fortress was built by Henri Brialmont, fortress engineer of the days in 1884. [more inside]
Friend or Fraud? Think you can't get caught in the "phishing" net of online fraud? Take this phishing test. Ten e-mails. Some fraudulent, some legit. Read the e-mails, then mark your answers. According to a survey by Mailfrontier, nearly a third of folks surveyed can't tell the difference between friend and fraud.
Homage to Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Influential visionary with an
incredible LIFE sory beyond his art
[more inside]
August 04, 2004
Woman Fired For Eating 'Unclean' Meat
A Central Florida woman was fired from her job after eating "unclean" meat and violating a reported company policy that pork and pork products are not permissible on company premises.
[found on linkfilter]
Sealand. Sealand was founded as a sovereign Principality in 1967 in international waters, six miles off the eastern shores of Britain. The island fortress is conveniently situated from 65 to 100 miles from the coasts of France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.
Will your baby have Asperger's syndrome? A university study released last week reveals that tilting the body of infants at the age of six months reveals indicators for Asperger's Syndrome, a high-function form of autism. The study was printed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and builds on a 1998 study. [more inside]
Big SUVs have been BANNED from many public streets, but nobody seems to have noticed - or enforced it.
Anheuser Busch rewards stadium construction workers with free beer
"The brewery and the team provided a thank-you meal for hundreds of construction workers, and Anheuser-Busch gave each a six-pack of Budweiser brewed on Wednesday."
As appreciated as it might be, is this really the right reward for hard working men and women who use heavy machinery? Calling it Busch Stadium doesn't mean everyone there should be plotzed does it?
One Man's God Squad: Troy Newman's plan to stop abortions in Wichita, Kansas. Newman and his staff have spent months compiling a list of more than 200 "abortion collaborators" -- companies that do business with Women's Health Care Services and its employees. They plan to approach every firm on the list -- from the guy who mows the clinic's lawn to the cafe that sells Tiller his morning latte -- and lobby them to stop doing business with the facility. [more inside]
Curious George: Mefi New Member Sign Up?
Noticed this on the Aug 3 entry on the mefi mainpage:
Still working on solidifying everything before turning new user signups back on.
Are there plans to start up new memberships again? And if yes, what will happen if you get a Mefi membership? Will you keep monkeying about or start hanging with the big blue mama?
The Liberal Case Against John Kerry - "When I was done cutting, there were only two lines left."
Can you read people’s thoughts by just looking at them? - This article is 2 years old, but I missed it the first time and it is fascinating. Malcolm Gladwell interviewed people who study facial expressions for meaning (and indexed about 3,000 of them) for a living. If you're interested in anthropolgy or psychology or sociology at all, this is a great--although long--read.
Convergence Kills.
An interesting (and long) take on why Apple is so angry about Real's DRM circumvention.
Via Coolfer
At 300# per lift, the damage these soldiers can make will be unimaginable... but who cares about all that! THESE SUITS ARE THE SHIZNIT!
Even superheros have to go through adolescence. [short film, via ifilm]
Christian Traders, "the first Internet investment community that recognizes that Jesus is Lord, not money."
The Center For Consumer Freedom have several websites (ActivistCash.com, BMIscale.com, NeoProhibition.com etc..) and runs commercials to inform and protect us from "the growing fraternity of food cops, health care enforcers, militant activists, meddling bureaucrats, and violent radicals" but are in fact a fake front for corporate America and FOX news that want us to buy their products (oh and die from diabetes, cancer, heart disease and liver failure.) [more inside]
A previously unrecognised Daguerrotype Portrait of the Young Abraham Lincoln has been identified, apparently. The image previously thought to be the earliest of Lincoln is from around 1848 when he was 39, but the new image seems to show a ten-years younger "handsome, aristocratic, and tastefully groomed" Lincoln... or someone who happened to look just like him. But it has been authenticated by a cranial expert. Well, a neurologist/psychiatrist. [more inside]
Rivers Cuomo's Harvard Application Essay With funny fanboy comments.
Forget the Citation Index.
You can now simply cast your vote for the best scientist.
The list of nominees includes Doctor Strangelove, Mr Spock and Doctor Frankenstein.
Busted! German teen discovered to be the originator of 70% of computer viruses in the world. A lot of people are breathing a sigh of relief. Seems someone turned in Sven Jaschan for the $250k reward Microsoft® is offering. Will the Brits use this as another reason to hate the Germans?
The Science of Getting Rich. Certainly not scientific, and probably not what you are expecting. Capitalist mysticism? Alas, the other titles by the wonderfully named Wallace D. Wattles, such as The Science of Well-Being and The Science of Being Excellent, are not available on-line.
Monkeehub.
This is where babies jam animations are made. [Flash, via Milk and Cookies.]
Sex Slave You've seen the action figure. Now see the making of a hero.
August 03, 2004
Looptracks. (Flash?) I was addicted for an hour straight. Via Yahoo, of all places.
There is a place in Spain that is the ideal spot to watch a bullfight for the first time... I a referring to the town of Ronda.
-Ernest Hemmingway [nsfw]
Going places you're not supposed to go. Toronto drain tunnels and beyond!
Spider-Man reviews crayons - It's just silly and it's not even Friday.
. : The Living Room Candidate : . The American Museum of the Moving Image has an interesting online exhibit of 250 or so campaign commercials from 1952 (Ike had the first) to 2004. [You may view them at multiple resolutions in either Real or WMA format]
HomeRun! (Flash game, SFW, unless you get in trouble for arranging impromptu tournements with your coworkers, ahem) [more inside]
Slightly obscure music news. Holy flibberty gibbet! Slint are back! [more inside]
Maggots are making a medical comeback and Dr. Maggot is leading the charge. Maggots and leeches have been approved by the FDA as medical "devices." [more inside]
Ashcroft orders public libraries to destroy law books via BoingBoing
We're living longer than ever, and the population of elderly is about to double. But Stanford researchers say our approach to aging is stuck in a time warp. [Via WorldChanging.]
We demand to know what race she is.
President Bush's re-election campaign insisted on knowing the race of an Arizona Daily Star journalist assigned to photograph Vice President Dick Cheney.
A tale of security, racial-profiling, a new status quo?
[more inside]
No Pity. No Shame. No Silence. "I wondered for a moment what it would look like if just for one day, everyone who had survived sexual violence were visible as a survivor, if we could actually see the extent of it, if we could all know just how very not-alone we are. I wondered how angry and sad it would make me to know. I wondered how much power there might be in the truth." [more inside]
Monkey Bites Toddler In New York City Supermarket
Ok, which one of you NYC MoFi'ers bit the kid?
Online pay-per-view comics:
Love, death, pigeons, gigantic snatchy hand-things, and brain-bent princesses run amok in Wary Tales. Six fun online comics for $.50 payable thru' Bitpass. Scott McCloud's The Morning Improv is $.25/installment, also via Bitpass. Links via e-sheep's Apocamon (thru' Bitpass too.) Previously discussed over there. Are comic "micropayments" here to stay? Is this a good way to support comics creators directly?
Team America: World Police - coming in Oct. from Trey Parker and Matt Stone. (imdb)
Curious George: Big mouths in New York.
No, I'm not referring to verbal behavior. Rather I've been noticing a pattern with typical Caucasian women from the northeast U.S. having larger mouths and fuller lips, compared to those here in Texas.
[more inside]
Jim McDermott: Draft bad! Me support draft! - This F9/11 star is sure that a military draft is coming if Bush is reelected, and is using that to stir up young people. Oddly, he is also co-sponsoring legislation to reinstate the draft. [more inside]
The Incredibly Evil Machine [flash] Yet ANOTHER fun pointless flash animation.
ever want to design your own hell? I was amused.
"Don't Smoke". A fun but pointless Flash animation. Good for killing 5 minutes.
"Boycott demands as orangutans put in the ring for Thai boxing bouts"
Via the amazing Martin Van Buren, who is becoming amongst my fave clicky in record time.
Subservient President - He's pretty stupid.
M. Shelley Has A Beautiful Penis Safe for work? No. Worth staring at while it reloads periodically? Yes. [more inside]
mew! mew! tiddles! As featured in the Metafilter Access thread, people are really crap at drawing cats.
"The Federal Reserve has confirmed our Stock Market Crash forecast by raising the Money Supply (M-3) by crisis proportions,
up another 46.8 billion this past week. What awful calamity do they see?" Amazingly, that article is dated May 30, 2004.
Recent U.S. headlines make you wonder if they didn't have it pegged.
[more inside]
I'm not sure how I feel about this. (via buzzmachine) On one hand it's his site and he can do whatever he wants but somehow something doesn't feel right about not disclosing this to the readers.
Curious George: Music Videos I've searched and I've searched, and it's all come up empty. [more inside]
Just in case you were thinking of taking up the Japanese language, this guy's here to tell you to forget it.
August 02, 2004
It's well known that people say and do things in cyberspace that they wouldn't ordinarily say or do in the face-to-face world. They loosen up, feel more uninhibited, express themselves more openly. Researchers call this the "disinhibition effect." It's a double-edged sword.
Cindy Adams doesn't hate Boston... nearly as much as Boston hates her. Have you ever seen a "top-shelf" news paper/website expend this much effort to make one has-been NYC gossip columnist to task?
Family of Faggots. Meet the Doody family of Woolverhampton. They've been named the Faggot Family of the year by Mr Brain's Pork Faggots.
Meetup Chicago - 8/13 or 8/14? The good folks over in the Blue are tossing around the idea of a meetup the weekend I'm going to be in Chicago (as discussed here and here). Are there Monkeys that are available and would like to either gracefully crash the party or meetup of our own accord?
Ron Reagan speaks: The Case Against George W. Bush (in Sept. issue of Esquire). [more inside]
The CSS Zen Garden "A demonstration of what can be accomplished through CSS-based design. Select any style sheet from the list to load it into this page." There are some wonderful examples here of what CSS can do when used by talented designers.
Dance George, dance!
In the spirit of a certain obliging feathered being, here's George. He dances, he looks for WMD, he can use a computer... just don't ask him about his enemies...
And there's something very, very frightening you shouldn't ask about...
Curious and Hungry George What is your favorite inexpensive hole in the wall restaurant in your home town? Any great ethnic places, cool breakfast joints or funky hamburger/taco/falafel stands that you'd be willing to share? [more inside]
The abacus. Great website devoted to the first mathematical calculator. If you've ever been curious about how they work, this should teach you all you need to know. A nice complement to the slide rule thread.
One of the latest specific sites of terror warnings was structurally flawed when it was built.
What with all the new (and rather specific) terror alerts in the last 24-48 hours, my memory was jogged. The Citigroup center, which stands about 4 blocks north of me, was a subject of some conversation back around 1998 or so.
It seems that back when they built it in the 70's, there was a flaw that went unnoticed during design, permit and construction phases. The building was completed in 1977, and in 1978, the chief designer (William LeMessurier), discovered that the "skyscraper's bolted joints were too weak to withstand 70-mph wind gusts."
Hmmmm...
[more inside]
The Amazing World of Keith Norval. Whimsical oil paintings I saw over the weekend and wanted to share -- this one especially.
The Wackier World of Japanese Ice Cream So y'all already know about wasabi ice cream, but why be satisfied with horseradish when you can have horseflesh? Make mine a double cone!
Can a robot have a Londonderry Air? Dannybot, a short film by Frank Lesser, explores the future when robots will fight our wars for us. There's even a roblog.
Niger Story Really Falling Apart
I was going to write a post about this, but this is better. Kevin Drum outlines in painful detail how the whole Niger uranium story is going to hell. It's hysterical. The CIA never actually looked at the documents. The CIA also didn't believe the British reports that Iraq was trying to buy uranium. But it doesn't matter since Joe Wilson is a liar.
Josh Marshall is also working on a story (not for his blog) about the Niger documents.
[more inside]
You've gotta love the ingenuity of nerds...
Feel Like Crap? Eat a June Bug.
Or maybe you just feel crazy, "trapped in a never-ending nightmare filled with threatening blood-red evil beings you are unable to escape." Hey, we've all been there.
Remember, "It is difficult to eat just one." Just ask this dog.
The classic painting come to life ... well, cartoon.
This is one of the best flash cartoons I've seen yet - the story is interesting, the writing is fairly good, it's funny without being silly. Best of all, it's based on the classic painting of Dogs Playing Poker. Beats the heck out of BadgerBadgerBadger.
Shamelessly stolen from Linkfilter for your enjoyment.
A joint study by the British Council and the Goethe Institute has discovered that most Brits accociate Germans with three things: Hitler, Beer and Soccer. Rhetorical question to self: What's wrong with Beer and Soccer?
Let's spoil the movie! If you haven't see The Village don't read this thread because I want to talk about it without being vague. [more inside]
Black Hole Strikes Deepest Musical Note Ever Heard
A rare tooth-in-eye operation has enabled a Thai teenager to see again after six years of blindness. Good Lord, this is amazing.
Javalog is a fireplace log made out of coffee grounds.
August 01, 2004
Want your kid to disappear? For $1,800, former Atlanta police officer Rick Strawn will make that problem child someone else's problem. He even makes house calls. [more inside]
Stick Avalanche. (Flash, via ABS) The most brilliant game ever invented. [more inside]
Metafilter Access [NSFW - someone posted goatse to Mefi] [more inside]
Porky Pig stole this card---- What do Mariah Carey, Beethoven, and Zeus have in common? Click to find out.
Sunni Drag Cleric Supports USA Rashid is the Imam of the only Muslim house of worship within the Green Zone in Baghdad. All the other Iraqi clerics hate him, but he doesn't care. He patterns himself after the Virgin Mary, and he bleaches his beard as a sign of purity to go with his patterned contact lenses. And he loves Whitney Houston and "Gone With the Wind."
The Thumb Trick - What would happen if you pulled Bush's finger?
Curious George: Movie Ratings Educational Poster
I'm looking for a copy of a poster (either a real poster, or an image) that I used to see in movie theatres. It was an educational poster that showed the different rating levels for films G thru X (this was pre NC-17). With each rating was an illustration of the family members who could attend the film - the lower ratings included a rabbit in the audience who also showed up in the X audience wearing a pair of sunglasses.
I haven't found anything via Google or eBay...
Curious George
I just ate at a restaurant in Los Angeles (The Pig, a BBQ restaurant on La Brea in Hollywood) that was awful. Not "rat feces in the food" awful, just expensive and damn mediocre. I ordered a slab of ribs that were tiny, that came cold and were dry. To top it all off, the corn bread was stale and the beans tasted like they came from a can. I complained to the staff who were sympathetic, but also seemed to have heard this all before.
Does anyone know of a website that I can post to where folks will actually read and care about my review?
The Degree Confluence Project
The goal of the project is to visit each of the latitude and longitude integer degree intersections in the world, and to take pictures at each location.
There is a confluence within 49 miles (79 km) of you if you're on the surface of Earth.
This can't be true. So, my fellow monkeys, put your folkie caps on... What is folk music?
George Bush speaks to the people. With the help of Will Ferrell. (Link to page with QuickTime/MOV file)
Stranger than fiction. Forget astronomy, sci-fi enthusiasts should be studying marine biology.
New message from the Pope about the differences between men and women. (Stolen from MetaFilter.) I know this is NewsFiltery, but it did make me think about what a woman's place has been over the ages. [more inside]
