Links posted in November 2004
November 30, 2004
Legalized euthanasia in the Netherlands. A Dutch hospital admits to having euthanised 4 severely ill or deformed newborns. [more inside]
Who do the fans say should be the 2004 Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year"? The usual suspects (Michael Phelps and Lance Armstong) are #1 and #2. But may I suggest the one who is currently #3? [more inside]
Curious George: Noisy neighborhood? I ran a poll on my phpBB site and found that 17 out of 45 people who responded had a noise problem in their neighborhood that bothered them. These users aren't old folks, either; most are in their 20s. Only 38% said their neighborhood was quiet. How is the noise at your place, and where do you live?
Road Rage Cards.
Does anyone else think this is a really stupid bad idea?
(Though, at least it's not more of the "Tie The Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ol' SUV" stickers)
Fight! Fight! Fight!
An Ask Metafilter thread that no one is following anymore (except for a few of us hopeful technopop fans) has turned into an underground steel cage match between Toxic and Mean.
(Sorry to Mefi-watch, but it's pretty funny. Especially since we all know the two main characters. And they think they're alone in the arena. Shh!)
The Periodic Table of Funk If your gonna get your funk on, ya gotta know all the basic elements that are used to build up our funky universe. Who knew Barney Fife was a basic building block of funk molecules?
The first casualty of the '04 elections
Out: Darwinism
In: "Intelligent Design" aka creationism lite
Curious George: Weird Music I recently bought a couple of CDs that have made me wonder about the vast soundscapes of strange music out there of which I, as a generally music-as-art-unawares guy, have been missing out on. Edjumicate me! [more inside]
"Germans aren't exactly a happy-go-lucky people." The latest survey of what Germans fear. Do other countries poll for this sort of stuff?
A global pandemic of Avian Influenza is 'very, very likely' and could kill up to 100 million people, according to the World Heath Organisation, yesterday. Other estimates are less optimistic. Hug, anyone?
The canonical reference of "Your mom" jokes
Man dies at the evil hands of......a shrimp? I would definetely call this an unfortunate series of events.
Drum Lessons - Lesson #1: How to play Rock and Roll rhythm. (.wmv)
Commercial Breaks (90MB avi file) A fascinating programme on BBC2 television about Imagine Software Limited. The Liverpool software giant crashed out during the summer after a life of a little over 18 months, during which time it produced more hype than any other software house before. The company appeared to bask in self-created publicity, much of which was very clever, and so it seems appropriate that its death should also have been as well recorded for posterity by the media it sought for its promotion, as had its successes in life. [more inside]
Beer History - Do you like beer? Here is the concise history of beer, with no guarantee of accuracy, because the people that compiled it were drunk. [more inside]
Witnessing to Liberals. By elevating science to supreme authority, [liberal Christians] assume the Bible is a fallible human document, approach Scripture with an antisupernatural bias, and dismiss miracles as the fantasies of ignorant people in biblical times who did not understand the laws of nature. . . . Confronted with such a plethora of unbiblical ideas, conservative Christians might wonder how to begin in evangelizing their liberal counterparts. Following are some guidelines I have found helpful when dialoguing with liberal Christians.
The Hall of Contraception takes a historical look at other forms of birth control. [more inside]
The Hanging of Mary.
Mary killed a man in 1916, and for that she had to hang. The people of Erwin, Tennessee shot her, but the bullets just bounced off. She wouldn't eat poison. And the town didn't have eneough power to electrocute her.
[more inside]
Wow! Wow! Now that is GORGEOUS! [more inside]
Murder a scarecrow’s story. And other animation from Barbara Mones. [quicktime req]
Speaking of angry guys...
"Screw you, America
Sometimes the fish in the barrel deserve to die "
A post election rant from Clif Garboden that crystallizes sentiments that many of us blue staters feel right about now.
Martial Arts + Magic + Internet = Power! Turn guns to bananas with your l33t powers!
Construct your face from scratch using a Flash version of the ID kit used by police. [more inside]
Twenty Years Without Justice. (Quicktime) "People were urinating and defecating in their clothes. They were begging to die." 20 years ago, Union Carbide caused a massive explosion in Bhopal, India, killing over 7,000 people. Amnesty International has renewed its call for justice.
Available from Target's Drug Store
Last time it was "anal massage" (MoFi, 11/20/04). Today, it's marijuana! $25.25 for an unspecified quantity.
Better check this out quickly. It could be gone tomorrow.
FYI, the "anal massage" link to Target is now broken.
It looks like someone is in the business of hacking Target.
[more inside]
Octoroon Jihad the greatest band you will never hear. This web site has interviews, a discography, a tour schedule and of course the band's manifesto and bios. [more inside]
November 29, 2004
2004 "10 Worst Toys" List
W.A.T.C.H. (World Against Toys Causing Harm) releases this wish list, just in time for Christmas! You're better off giving your kid a bag of glass than one of these deathtraps!
via cruel.com
[more inside]
A new plan. I love George Saunders. via TMN.
Tired of aliens abducting you?
Do you want so stop all telepathic communications from the aliens?
All you need is a hat, some tape and the ability to use scissors!!!
They really work!! Read real stories of abduction and the success of thought screen helmets Here.
Paralyzed woman walks again after stem cell therapy ??? Zee bool-sheet detector is going off in my head, though I certain HOPE this is true. [more inside]
This guy is angry.... Disclaimer: I have no idea what this is all about, but a friend sent me the link, and I figured the obvious thing to do was to share it with you monkeys...I apologize for any offensive content...enjoy (?)
The SeeLinder
- a cylindrical three-dimensional colour television that can be viewed from any angle.
From Laputan Logic
T-shirt designs! Firstly, apologies to all monkeys for taking so long to get this up. I'll post inline images to all the designs received thus far, and anyone with other designs can email them to me or post/send me a link. Once it seems that all designs are in for viewing, we'll set up voting to give everyone a fair chance. [more inside]
h@MLeT done in 1337 [flash]
"Do not be alarmed if monkeys get in the bath with you."
Bingo Gazingo "He looks like your grandfather; he thinks like your horny 13-year-old brother." Bingo Gazingo is a downtown New York staple for outsider music types- a frail old man who rocks the mic with scatological rhyming poetry about modern pop culture. I'm not sure if he's all that great, but he is the only musician to have a solo CD released by The Most Amazing Radio Station Ever, WFMU (motto: "Our music doesn't fall through the cracks, it is the cracks."). So I dug up some multimedia for all to share: [more inzingo]
of socks and string theory
This person oughtta be a Monkey. Maybe already is?
Socks seem to really enjoy it being united by their necks, don't they? It is as if their union created a model for our multidimensional universe.
Hope he's not involved in foot hoodoo
November 28, 2004
Grover - the monster behind the Myth
- To millions of children throughout the world in the seventies and eighties, Grover was a funny, cuddly and ultimately loveable fuzzy blue monster from Sesame Street.
But what many of us didn't see behind that brave exterior was a monster cowering in the face of his own insecurities, a monster so unsure of himself he wouldn't even watch his own performances, and a monster who ultimately allowed his own weaknesses to overcome him and nearly ruin his career.
Grover is bitter.
[more inside]
Counting Words. What's the most popular word in the English langauge? A flash project.
Who's doing it most? And what in particular? Updated sex stats from Nationmaster, 'where stats come alive'
Curious George: The Kettle. Do you give? The Salvation Army has begun its annual Christmas kettle fundraising drive across the US. Some gay-rights advocates protest the organization for their refusal to grant benefits to same-sex partners. (Others, with presumably less political motivations, have more direct methods.) [more inside]
Top 1000
OCLC Research has compiled a list of the top 1000 titles owned by member libraries -- the intellectual works that have been judged to be worth owning by the “purchase vote” of libraries around the globe.
Via Crooked Timber.
The Fridge (via here, and previously mentioned here) is an on-line version of Magnetic Letters (without the collaborative interference). What I like about it is the ability to import text from a webpage to create your own word set. Here's what I did with the MonkeyFilter 'Recent Comments' sidebar.
Glencannon
A wee smattering of Guy Gilpatric’s non-PC tales featuring the crusty yet highly flammable Colin Glencannon and his beloved swig of choice: Duggan's Dew of Kirkintilloch.
“Prying open the Teutonic mouth, he poured into it approximately one pint. It was a hundred and fifty proof, and the results were stupendous. Mate Schneider coughed explosively, sprang to his feet, saluted, and shouted "Achtung!"”
via the not-recently-updated Internets discussion list “Gaslight” from Mount Royal College in loverly Calgary, Alberta
Somehow beeswacky reminds me of Glencannon, for no particular reason ...
Curious George's Mom: Do any monkeys have experience with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, also known as CLL? Just found out my mom has it. She's asymptomatic now, it was detected early in a routine blood test. So we're optimistic.
A little alpha male, in-your-face, shamelessly good, toxic marketing. Check this site out. The Flash application is hypnotic, the animation wonderful, and the colors? I want to eat them. Wonder if I can hire these guys to animate my Uncle Leon--he's been dead for years. [more inside]
November 27, 2004
I can't stop laughing at this.
The O'Canada Factor
Since today Canadians can watch Fox News too. Bill O'Reilly of The O'Reilly Factor, as a special treat to his newly found Canadian audience, devotes his entire show to Canada and even interviews himself.
"Here at The Factor, we've talked about boycotting Canada in the past. Think this is an empty threat? Ask France. Face it; Canada is utterly dependent on America for its economic well being.
Last time I checked, Americans make 40 million visits to Canada a year. We spend upwards of $10 billion and this doesn't even include all the hidden taxes those communists levy on us as we're leaving their land of igloos and left-wing defeatism."
Read the transcript. [registration required. use regfree@fastchevy.com/regfree]
De-romancing the stone. Mark Vadon of Blue Nile wants to turn diamonds into pork bellies. Tiffany's hates him. [more inside]
Koders - Source Code Search Engine - So instead of posting something about ghosts, weird animals or supernatural dreams, I decided to post this script search engine. I don't use this stuff, but I'm sure some Monkeys do. This could save hours working out problems & be very useful. It allows devs to easily search & browse source code in thousands of projects hosted at hundreds of open source repositories. [more inside]
Ripoff Reports. Use a search query for your hometown and see which companies have complaints stacked up against them. Pretty neat consumer advocacy site, especially for those unfortunates who have a pro-biz local BBB that sucks.
Bullfrogs ate my Budgie...
Earwigs, f'n Zebra mussels, 'new' LadyBugs, those friggin' walking fish from Michigan, and now Giant Killer Bullfrogs ?!
When will the UN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE ROGUES ?!
Commisioner Gordon, get me Paul Martin and Bono on line one!
What's first on my Christmas wish list?
November 26, 2004
Delerious George...songs that make it summer
...making a cd for a bar my friends run. So, I need song titles that make you think it's summer, no matter what's going on outside the window, and your ass make like two two bobcats in a sack.
Butt-shaking sunshine music! Yaaaay! Cheese is fine! Dirrrrty's good!
So far, from my stash, I got;
Elephant Man - "Jook Gal"
Crazy Town - "Butterfly"
Skee-Lo - "The Burger Song"
Len - "Steal My Sunshine"
Pittbull with Lil Jon -"Culo"
but I want to mix it up a bit, so whatever ass-shake-style, sun-style you got, whatever genre, bring it on...
Curious George: Elections amid Terror
I'm curious why the administration is so gung-ho for the Iraq elections amid the increasing (uncontrolled?) terror and war.
While here in the U.S., there was talk of delaying the elections at the mere rumor of a terror attack.
Joe Cartoon shows how to spank a monkey
I had been a while since I had seen this, so I watched it again and promptly shot Coke through my nose all over my keyboard. If you aren't familiar with Joe Cartoon, you should go check this out, as well as the Gerbil and Supahfly cartoons.
I can't get it to link to specific cartoons, so you'll have to select the orange dot marked CARTOONS to get the menu. (Select the dot above SITE MAP to be called out very specifically.)
Not remotely safe for work, PETA, those easily offended, with adversion to Flash cartoons, normally hidden body parts, splattered gore, coarse language, or lacking a sophomoric and/or twisted sense of humor.
Stripper Shortage Rumours not True According to experts the rumours aren't true, Canada does NOT have a stripper shortage. *phew* I was worried there for a moment...
Happy National Flossing Day! Overseas monkeys may quietly observe as we Yanks clean our teeth after our big turkey day. And don't miss the Floss & Food Art, featuring flossing frogs.
Shoot the Deer (or the nanny) from the comfort of your computer! kinda re-defines the whole "Point and click" business...
(NSFW): Keita Girls
It all started as a joke, but I took in almost all my shootings a picture of the model with a Keitai (a Japanese cell phone)...
[more inside]
The Index of Expressions & Sayings
- Ever pondered the origin of common expressions and sayings that crop up in regular conversation? Are you a word-addict? Enjoy language? Asperger's Syndrome person who collects obscure data? Time waster looking for a way to waste time? Then this is certainly a good site to peruse.
Via the 'I'm sorting my bookmarks' division of Nostril enterprises
Curious George: Food you seek out What foods or drinks do you "always" try at restaurants, giving it yet another chance? I'm talking about the kind of food which isn't that great a lot of the time, but when it is "on", it totally rules your mouth. [more inside]
Fear our Democracy!
The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform in British Columbia is poised to make a historic recommendation to the people of this province that may well bring fairness and proportionality to our Legislative Assembly.
On May 17, 2005 voters will participate in a referendum asking whether we should drop our First Past the Post electoral system for the Single Transferable Vote. [warning: last link flash w/ no load indicator]
Meet James Ensor Much, much more inside. [more inside]
Grime and Violence so solid crew MC, Megaman has been charged with murder follwing a shooting in Tooting. Has Grime's gun talk spilled into the streets? [more inside]
November 25, 2004
Robots!! The unofficial Lightning Bolt game. If you don't know, you shouldn't ask.
Fundo Wackjobs + UFO Wingnuts = teh funnay
- The Watcher Files. Exposing human reptilians, aliens, secret government, black projects, new world order. Crazy-ass bullshit alert. Amusing, in a bitter, cynical kind of way. Or something.
Via Bifurcated Rivets
[more inside]
The Roman Empire site.
(Very slow T-Day postings here so I figured I'd pull something out of my hat). We've all heard about the orgiastic depravity of Caligula. Nero started out full of virtue and good heart, but eventually decided to start killing his kin (meanwhile placing himself in national talent shows!) Carinus had nine wives, and Elagabalus was a spitting image of Caligula. A good place to explore how far power corrupts. There's also more mundane info such as monuments, images, and more.
[more inside]
Curious Armchair Travelling George Where do you live? [more inside]
The Institute for Creation Research , a San Diego-based "Christ focused Creation ministry where science and the Bible are fully integrated." Check out their graduate school.
MoFi London Meetup 3 Hey sexy baby. Why don't we get together one night before Xmas, huh? Maybe have a nice meal, a couple schnapps - hey, we could even go dancin' or something. You'd like that, huh sexy baby? Ooooh yeah.
Studious George; in which you became an expert...
you have ten years and a million bucks to become an expert at something. You may audit any classes in any University on earth in your chosen field free of charge. Use the money for books, research, materials, trips abroad. At the end of the ten years, write a book about the experience.
What would you study? What do you call your book?
Emperor Norton is smiling This is a prototype index to San Francisco History. Please feel free to give us your comments and/or add to this index. Note that some fields are related to place and historical markers – but this is not meant to limit the kind of information which may be entered here. Please feel free to experiment in this medium.
sketchy animation (needs Flash, I think)
Curious George: What are you thankful for? [more inside]
Pentagon report says US losing the war for hearts and minds Well DUH, but it is gratifying seeing something sensible coming out of the Pentagon
Chattering with monkeys is possible finds Dr. Atsushi Iriki. [more inside]
anal massage curiosity: something i was going to add here but i thought to ask (sorry, if i'm abusing posting rights) applying to that thread (both in interest of humor and info): [more inside]
LA MoFi/MeFi Meetup! Now, with burgers. Friday, November 26 - 6 pm. Meet at Irv's Burgers in West Hollywood. [more inside]
Thanks for choosing choices : our golem beat me to posting next to the last post thematically to the eye, but it seemed timely for me to post this UScentric link opportunity to thank planned parenthood (no matter your personal position)-- [more inside]
What Is Too Human? The ethics of human/animal chimeras.
November 24, 2004
"They had no choice." The Princess Royal unveils a memorial to animals who died serving in wartime. "The monument pays special tribute to the 60 animals awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal - the animals' equivalent of the Victoria Cross - since 1943. They include 54 animals - 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, three horses and a cat - commended for their service in World War II." Including "Rob, a para-dog who made more than 20 parachute drops while serving with the SAS..."
Mysterious George - more within [more inside]
A good source for Christian news and subtler than Landover Baptist.
Computer Gurus: Please Hope Me! Blue screens. Constant freezes. All that good stuff. [more inside]
Curious George: UK in the blink of an eye
My SO and I are flying to the UK for a friend's wedding. Since we are squeezing in the trip to fit within the US Thanksgiving Holiday, I have roughly half a day in London and half a day in Ludlow, Shropshire, before getting on the plane and flying back to California.
[more inside]
Ban
the Bible! I randomly discovered this meme and got curious enough about the rant to Google up some links. Bible scholarship can sometimes be cool, and throwing in some politics is a sure-fire mix for high hilarity and wacky hijinks!
No biting.
[more inside]
Mothers Against Video Game Addiction and Violence
Fact: Hardcore gaming not only leads to video game addiction and abrupt lifestyle changes, but to crime and felony as well. Hardcore gamers never buy computer video games. Instead, downloading illegally copied video games or “warez” is the only method acceptable by the underground. Buying a legit copy is grounds for abandonment by community groups. You may not be buying your child videogames, but they can illegally obtain them off the internet.
I HATE your mother.
A look at the Tristram Shandy web
seems a good way of marking Laurence Sterne's birthday today. By way of a further tribute I ask - is a well-formed nose essential to success in life?
[more inside]
Monkey Hot or Not? Real Hot Monkey Action!!! Totally safe for work.(I went through about 30 photos and there were no naughty monkey picks)
It's like Tivo for radio. The awkwardly named BlogMatrix Jäger will automatically record a streamed audio broadcast, convert it to MP3 format, and store it on your iPod. Alas, until it leaves beta, the software will only run on Windows, so Mac users like me will have to wait. Any Windows types want to try it out and report back?
The Dwell Home The contest: Design and build a home for around $200,000. The results are stunning. Perhaps there's hope for those of us who would rather not live in boring boxes after all.
(How) To Kill A Mockingbird
(flash) t3H b3St b00k r3P0rt EVAR!!!!1
Warning! Spoily!
(via the very odd memepool)
Curious George: Special Interest Web Sites. What are some websites that you look at that appeal to only specific groups of people or interests? Two that I check out regularly are here and here. [more inside]
Red Meat Rocks Quicktime movie showing the importance of nutrition to Heavy Metal musicians [more inside]
Alexander Graham Bell Notebooks Project. Liquid transmitters, plumbago experiments, and flame galvanometers. Now it makes me wish my poor lab notebook had way cool hand drawn diagrams too.
International Adoption is a hotter topic than I thought when I started the process 17 months ago. Did you know that some people want to outlaw all adoptions? Those people are often more than a bit strident, but the pain they express deserves some attention. The adoption community has responded by developing open-adoption, which is becoming the norm for domestic adoptions. For international adoptions, the move is toward developing a sense of cultural awareness for our children, instead of continuing the old-school "melting pot" approach. [more inside]
Curious George: Traditional Irish and Scottish Music
Two things.
[more inside]
It's disease-errific! It's the Malady of the Month; this month's is Dermoid Cysts, which "...have to rank as one of the creepiest things that can happen to a girl...result from a very independent (or confused) egg thinking that it can develop on its own with only half of its own genetic material..." [more inside]
November 23, 2004
Who's the luckiest monkey at the zoo? Of questionable taste. (NSFW, especially if your boss is a primate) If this was most any place else, I wouldn't have submitted it.
Curious George: Finding rural DSL coverage. We may be buying some rural land. Is there any definitive way (besides dslreports) to see whether it gets DSL service? [more inside]
Tell people about the leaks in your new home. Get sued. Apparently this company decided that, rather than build a house with a roof that didn't leak, they would sue people who complained about it. [more inside]
I Know Where Bruce Lee Lives! is an ultrainteractive Kung-fu remixer. Pick some background music, and start fighting. When your Kung-fu is strong record it and play it back.
Diet not working? Maybe you need a dog. Man's best friend is also man's best diet buddy. [more inside]
Monkeys of the past I'm working on a project which involves some sort of shocked, (actually, shock over the stress and rhythm of english) but I'd like to use some 50s-era accents to spice it up. I figure the emotion of shock is best expressed by a 50s housewife who has just discovered a new brand of detergent, or something along those lines. So, does anyone know where there'd be a nice treasure trove of various 50s stock photographs, or advertisements or something like that?
Celebrity stapler auction action! Staplers from movie stars, sports celebs, media personalities... is this weird or what?
Rat Out a Church.org
- Know of a church that uses the pulpit to spew radical politics? Tired of going to church only to hear a priest tell you how to vote?
Rat 'em out!
Chronic pain kills your brain. New research from Northwestern University suggests chronic back pain can kill off brain cells that are involved in decision-making and movement. The damage may or may not be permanent. As a guy with a partially slipped disc myself, suffice it to say this news didn't make my day.
Chocolate is a more effective cough medicine than codeine. I knew it all along. Imperial press release. You can't see the paper on-line without a subscription, but here is the impenetrable abstract. [more inside]
Lassie—Get the Oncologist! (via the sadly under-appreciated Discover Magazine)
The Gorilla Comic Cover Index - Ok, the guy indexes every comic cover he can find that includes a picture of an ape or gorilla. Quite a collection.
SMASH the prostitution racket! Dancing is Eeeevil: Dangers in familiarity and so is prostitution: Men who say no are the only good men. Other American Social Hygiene Posters (via JWZ)
Bar Code Quest I'm looking for a cost effective Bar Code solution for the self produced CDs I've put out. [more inside]
watch paper "a fully functional clock that is printed onto ordinary paper". There's a QT movie at the site.
Is this the real reason Aquafina bottles have that wide mouth?
Curious George: Amateur Director
The Problem: I need to find a way to make the
'play noises' off fit into a 40 minute time frame. Cutting it is not a problem, but the stage set up is. We only have 40 minutes, so set changes are difficult. help?
What exactly are people getting in this auction? I rarely use Ebay myself, but it seems to me that a bunch of people tonight are paying big bucks for a whole lotta nothing, if I'm reading this right! Forgive me if this is a very dumb post. [more inside]
New Olympic events...
"Jumping into the convertible." The clicky-clicky-click brings back fond memories of Daly Thompson's Decathalon...
Flash. NSFProductivity.
Curious George - Word Query: Hey, everyone. Can anyone come up with a single, descriptive word that combines debate, news, and politics?
History of computer graphics. Probably the best site I've seen delving into the early years of commercial computer graphics, with things like an ancient CGI console (bottom), and Tron and Scrubbing Bubbles. Lavishly illustrated and with QT movies.
Curious George - IM me! We've discussed which are the best IM clients for Mac with which one can log into their AOL, Yahoo, etc, accounts at the same time. What's currently the best app for the PC? I use AOL, Yahoo, and ICQ ... how do YOU use all three at the same time? [more inside]
Curious George: From where or whom did the saying "I'm a lover, not a fighter" originate?
Apologies for such a worthless post.
November 22, 2004
Curious George: Fake Websites Like This One? I am a university professor, looking for fake websites that I can use in my methods course. Link goes to the classic example. [more inside]
I was astonished when I started reading about some of the things that happend to this kid, like someone taking his blood against his will. I assumed stuff like this would only happen at his ultra-religious christian college, but invasion of privacy is apparently a larger problem in academia.
The Diary of Samuel Pepys Bookmark it, read it everyday. I'm told you can learn things. [more inside]
Curious George - Phone question This is kind of a silly question, but something that has nagged me for a while. Why do we have to dial a 1 (i.e. 1-800-555-1212) before dialing the area code and number on land lines, but can eliminate the 1 and simply dial the area code and number (i.e. 800-555-1212) when using our cells?
Ooops I Forgot to Have a Baby! A fun site for the happily child-free monkeys amongst us, myself included.
The First and Only 24/7 Polka webcast!!! Now you can enjoy Polka music anytime of the day in your home or at the office!!!! Need some new Polka Lyrics, but don't have the time to write them yourself? Try the polkamatic6000.
Curious George Since the archives are kaput, I'm hoping you helpful monkeys will remember the URL for the film recommendation Web site. You enter info about your tastes and preferences and it gives you a list of films you might like. Any personal recommendations are welcome too!
Pencil Test The finest computer animation a Macintosh II can produce. Notice that the credits include the name John Lasseter; if it sounds familiar, it's because he went on to direct Toy Story and other brilliant Pixar gems. (Link goes to a Quicktime movie.) [more inside]
"What? A blog about a guy who got bit by a werewolf? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Williamsburg Hipster video clerk gets bitten by Werewolf. Blogs. [more inside]
The harmony of horses. This may be old but I found it amusing. flash.
The Monkey Shakespeare Simulator "If you have enough monkeys banging randomly on typewriters, they will eventually type the works of William Shakespeare." Currently, the record is the first 22 letters from "Cymbeline" [more inside]
Committing George: Wedding Sites Well, I finally got down on one knee and popped the question. She said yes and she'll soon have the title of Mrs. Name That Itch. Huzzah. And now the exceedingly fun part: the planning. My question is: Does anyone know of any useful all-purpose wedding planning websites? I've looked at The Knot, but I'd like to see what else is exists. [more inside]
Musipedia,
inspired by, but not connected with, Wikipedia. The nice thing is that you can search for a tune by whistling it.
JFK Simulation: Education or Entertainment? The assassination of John F. Kennedy is probably the most intensively studied thirty seconds in human history. Now, a computer game company is offering a $100,000 (US) prize for the person who most accurately matches the assassin's shots on their simulation. The Kennedys are not pleased. Historical experiment or crass entertainment? [more inside]
The Oldest Song in the World? - Clay tablets found by archaeologists in the early '50s at Ugarit remained untranslated for nearly 20 years, but researchers knew they somehow related to music. Finally, the 3,400 year-old cuneiform texts were deciphered in 1972. They were musical notation for a hymn, utilising harmony, & were in the equivalent of the diatonic major scale, suggesting that the diatonic scale existed in ancient times & is probably based upon natural influences. [more inside]
An optical illusion - it's a bunch of swirly things.
Make Penis Fast!!! (words nsfw)
Curious George--reunion.
I recently became re-acquainted with a childhood friend of mine. While searching the web, I came across a book that he had written and instantly recognized his name. After a little more searching, I found his website and email and contacted him. We have exchanged letters and caught-up with each other's lives (its been 21 years since we parted.)
Does anybody out there have similar stories? Has the web helped you contact lost friends, etc?
Hunting season has started in Wisconsin
Hunting season started in Wisconsin on Saturday. However it seems that deer hunting it's only dangerous for the deer.
A hunter got in a arguement with some other hunters over a deer stand and ended up taking matters into his own hands. By shooting at them
[more inside]
The Voices of Cabrini - a documentary film about a housing project which was nevertheless also a neighbourhood and a community. [more inside]
Elevator Moods Wonderful, atmospheric mini-films (or "moods") that all take place inside elevators, captured on security cameras. The music never sounded so right.
Curious, George: MoFi traditions, in-jokes and terminology? With all the subterreanean MeFi-MoFi wrangling of recent days, its been mentioned that MoFi is very much a seperate and unique community, with its very own idiom. But, what exactly are those in-jokes, running gags, traditions and so forth, as we monkeys see them? [more inside]
Is Paypal out of control? Personally I haven't had trouble with Paypal, but I'm thinking of jumping ship. Paypal has sparked a rash of slew of complaint and help sites. Paypal seems to be legendary for freezing funds of legitimate businesses. Others get hacked and are then thrown to the collection wolves. Funny that the BBB says they're a-ok, however New York has recently busted them. Anyone here had any Paypal woes? Should I jump ship as a seller? Main link seems to disappear in my Firefox but shows ok in IE.
Knight Replicas. Always wanted to own the best-acted, most well-rounded character in Knight Rider? Well, these people will help you. [more inside]
Let them sing it for you. The audio equivalent of the cut-up kidnapping note.
Worst Jobs in Science, II Anal wart inspector? Eww! [more inside]
November 21, 2004
Monkeys lika da weasel Do you like fluffy weasels?
Warning: will destroy your mind Never ending art (warning, impossibly cool flash). Best use of flash ever? Zoom in and out (go there already!) Check some of the details!
Curious George: Wahabi ain't horseradish I'm starting to do research on fundementalist Islam, and haven't been able to find two things that would help me— A good history of Wahabism (especially how the movement of Abdul Wahhab Najdi turned into a political force) and the unedited transcripts of Bin Laden tapes. [more inside]
Science Animations, Movies & Interactive Tutorial Links A large collection of animations and interactive tutorials about science. In particular, check out the biology section.
Curious George - Starting a cafe. A few friends and I have decided to start a co-op cafe, we've found a great space, and we're getting ready to sign a lease on monday. Any monkeys have advice on starting a small business like this? [more inside]
Curious George: Sunday Boozin'? Just walked by my neighborhood liquor store... and it's open? Not just for wine, but harder spirits too... Anyone else in NYC/other big cities notice this phenomenon? Or do you live in a dry town...
The DNA of Literature.....online. This doesn't mean much to me I must confess, though the site looks cool, but I'm sure there are some monkeys who would be interested in knowning that the Paris Review is now online. via Crooked Timber. [more inside]
How to give and receive criticism. RTFA prior to commenting! [more inside]
House Republican leaders blocked and appeared to kill a bill Saturday that would have enacted the major recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission
The Best Paper Airplane in the World. It's don't know enough about the field to vouchsafe this claim, but I did build one--it took about 10 minutes--and it did fly. Not too straight, but it did. Probably need about 10 tries to perfect.
The Electric Sheep Thanksgiving Special. [Via No Touch Monkey!]
Yetisports. Because penguin violence is just good clean fun.
The NBA imitates Slap Shot. [more inside]
Nerdfilter. Say no more. Not actually via Mefi, although it is linked there.
Typography FINALLY Meets the Web
- This is freaking GENIUS. If you have designed web pages, you know that the only practical way to move beyond 4 or 5 basic fonts is to make a graphic (gif, jpg or png) using your font. Not any more!
(This is big! if you are a fontaholic and have been frustrated by this longstanding web limitation)
[more inside]
Everything you ever wanted to know about monkeys. (Scientifically, that is -- from the kind folks at Google)
Dolls and role models Yue-Sai Kan started Yue Sai WaWa, a Chinese fashion doll, to provide a doll for girls in China and elsewhere that isn't blond and blue-eyed; in Iran, Dara and Sara provide role models felt to be more compatible with devout Islam as practiced there, as does Razanne. In Japan, Barbie herself is much younger than in North America, while this Australian company is trying to introduce Feral Cheryl (the anti-fashion fashion doll). How many other alternatives or adaptations have there been to this fashion doll, in an effort to better reflect ethnic or cultural differences or simply to provide an alternative? [more inside]
November 20, 2004
Inside the MonkeySphere via Linkfilter
Curious George - Commie Pinko Bastards
I've been wondering lately about the (apparent) demise of communism. From the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the free market reforms in China and Cuba, is this economic system truly destined to history’s garbage heap? It seems China (excepting Taiwan and Hong Kong/Macao) is capitalist (communist in name only) with a totalitarian government. To me the idea of communism always made sense. But in practice communism always comes with a unhealthy dose of totalitarian governance.
What countries that are called communist actually practice it in it's purest forms? Is it possible to practice a pure communism in today's world?
On the warpath: For over a century, the New Zealand rugby union team has been laying down a challenge to it's opponents before every match in the form of the Haka (240k .mov video). A fearsome Maori dance, the Haka is intended to scare the opposition into submission. Here you can learn how to perform it for yourself.
Serpent's Wall "60 years ago a Kiev's area witnessed ones of the most severe battles of WW2." The woman who gained fame for her motorcycle trip through Chernobyl visits another Soviet landmark.
Curious George: Gas or Electric Coffee is my lifeblood, my hope, my dreams, and so I boil a lot of water every day. Since my electric version broke a few months ago, I've been using an old school whistling stove top kettle on a gas hob. The question I've been pondering while I spoon out the Illy, oh my wisest of simian siblings, is which method has the least environmental impact? Gas or electric?
Curious George: Made in China. Here in the US I am absolutely astounded by the amount of merchandise made in China. It seems to be a quiet revolution that swept over retail America during the late 1990s. One curiosity that comes to mind is Wal-Mart, which back in the 1980s trumpeted "Made in the USA" on all of its TV commercials and has since gone a full 180. What are your thoughts on whether Made in China is good or bad? Is there any virtue in trying to buy American? And are there any department stores that maintain American inventory?
Virtual walking in Europe. This is in response to the great California Coastline Project thread a couple of posts down: Pages Jaunes has a really fun feature in which you can take a virtual stroll in any number of European cities. [Flash] [more inside]
A headless, bullet-riddled body - the Black Hand - a severed head put on public display. A Mystery to this day - November 19, 1904: hunters make a shocking discovery on a remote road outside Pennsylvania coal town Shamokin. A headless, naked body with multiple bullet wounds. 100 years ago.
The virtual California coastline. Over 20,500 photographs (totaling over 134GB) of the current California coast are now online, covering from the Oregon Border (42N latitude) to the Mexican Border (32.5N latitude), except for the Vandenberg AFB restricted area. An additional 5833 images from 1972, 8000 images from 1979, 4173 images from 1987, and 1074 images from 1989 are now online. [more inside]
What kind of Target merchandise is this?
Possibly NSFW (?).
On sale, 10% off. Free shipping.
Offered at Target's "Red Hot Shop"
Similar items: "Entertainment"
Item availability: 4-8 weeks
"No Picture Available"
URL may be retracted at any time.
[more inside]
And you thought that you had a spam problem.
Bill Gates receives 4 million pieces of spam a day?!?!
Attn: Steve Ballmer
"When you misuse the word 'literally,' you COMPLETELY !#$!ing misuse it. When you #$!! that up, you !@$@ it up so bad! It's not like a little goof, like you said 'penultimate' and you meant 'ultimate.' You COMPLETELY !@#$ing misuse it, and you should stop using the word FOREVER until you #!$%ing figure it out." -- David Cross
According to Hobbes "in the state of nature, man is nasty, BRITISH and short.
Ahem...!!!
More interesting "facts" can be found here.
Curious Traveller: Cross Country in Dec. Seattle to NY, starting Dec. 6th [more inside]
Children's TV show gone horrible wrong TV program "Rainbow" from the 70's and 80's...I cant even believe this is real.
Onerous George...is anyone else dealing with fibromyalgia? Mine is making me very snarkalicious at the moment - I went off a medication for other reasons, not remembering that it also helped keep away the 'sombody-must-have-beat-me-with-a-stick-all-night' waking up goodness I'm experiencing now. Mmmmm-mmm.
Holly-Bolly "Two young filmmakers are forced to go cross genre." A short film, around 12 minutes long. [more inside]
November 19, 2004
Cat Town, USA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.
too good for the girls? take a class on how to get laid Learn how to abandon your good-boy tendencies for as little as $1,000! [more inside]
The Cat With Hands {mov. fiction.}
Creationists will breed themselves into the majority. Ed Larson, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his book on the Scopes "monkey" trial, points out that Creationists have a Darwinistic advantage over the secular.
"There's a survival value in religious beliefs. They have a sense of purpose. They feel their mission in life is to multiply and be fruitful. The whole Darwinian concept -- evolution -- is on the side of evangelical Christians. They're growing by any measure"
Dear rational scientists, please breed more, love me. Meanwhile, his stuff about changing populations is very interesting. Long term view on a rebirth of religion in the West, anyone?
Don't click the link below NSFW, shock site. Bad bad images, loud audio, buggers your browser.
Corey Feldman is back! And he's bigger than ever!
M-City - I had an email from Mark in my inbox this morning letting me know about a great project that he had found, M-City...wow! I know I say this kind of thing a lot but this IS one of the greatest graffiti projects I've seen (IMHO). [more inside]
Black Friday is the Friday after Tnxgiving where retailers traditionally offer their best deals. This site is publishing rumored prices for various items and recommends buying the items b4hand and then returning them to get credit on BF.
Are your ready for the Apocalypse?
Is your current bomb shelter too small? Would you like to live in your bomb shelter full time?
Then check out these beautiful Properties. With a little work you too can have a cozy shelter like This. Prefer to build your own? Find all your bomb shelter needs Here
Digitizing the Public Domain a new project designed to either get some kid a bunch of record players OR to digitize and release up to 30,000 records now out of copyright into the readily accessible world wide diginet. a gutenberg project for music. information wants to be free. yippee!!! (from boingboing)
You're all going to die! Erm...only kiddin' If I was a teacher, this would happen every other week...
Oh-So-Very Curious George: Don't you love it when you run across a Web site that is totally baffling? Such as: Is this site here about coffee machines, or some kind of nuclear weapons? I can't decide. But they mention Korea so this might be something, um, important. They sure seem excited about their "new planetary ball mill – with highest balls acceleration, computers control of balls moving, jars (reactors) water cooling and 1.5 ton/month productivity."
Missing Link? "The last probable common ancestor to humans and great apes had a body like an ape, fingers like a chimp and the upright posture of humans, according to researchers who unearthed a fossil of the animal in Spain." What with all the evolution/creationist talk going round, this seemed serendipitously timely...even providentially so... [more inside]
Movie of a Chimp doing Karate
- embedded Quicktime movie. Of a chimp doing Karate. For all I know, he could be hiding in his dojo. Obviously, you need Quicktime for this.
Via Screenhead
Ornette does Disney Double takes might seem in order when the names Ornette Coleman and Walt Disney appear in the same sentence, let alone in close organizational cahoots. But there was Coleman, creating his instantly identifiable modernist magic in the architecturally phantasmagorical new Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. [more inside]
Is This Truly New Jersey? Home of Kevin Smith of Clerk's fame, a couple of New Yawkuhs define the essence of 'joisey'. Do they succeed? Read on.
Roll your own radio. If you've got an MP3 player and iTunes (Mac or PC), you can build your own daily audio digest, piece by piece. Here's how: [more inside]
Jim Crow stories:
personal narratives, in audio and text.
[via mefi]
"A time to heal,
in which the author issues a few heartfelt political apologies."
Despite being horribly tired of politics, this made me laugh.
Wole Soyinka: The Reith Lectures
The Nobel prize-winning poet, playwright, and political activist discusses the current climate of fear in the world and how it's changed since the Cold War.
Early Office Museum. Lovely old doodads from copying machines and pencil sharpeners to key-driven calculators. And, of course, typewriters.
Gay Gordons
Come on, admit it. You're intrigued, aren't you? It looks like fun. Ok, maybe you wouldn't want your friends to catch you doing it. You'd feel a bit funny having your picture taken while you're trying it out. Sure, we can all understand that. But still, it's tempting isn't it?
Resist no longer, let your feet lead you to...
The Gay Gordons.
Meet Little Fretty! Umm, as a guitar player I have absolutely no idea why anyone would use this and it clearly looks like something totally different.
Monk(ey) Minds on Metta. A recent study (PDF) examined changes in the brains of meditating scanning their brains while they practiced compassion (metta) meditation. The project was a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin and the Shechen Monastery in Nepal. [more inside]
The Kleptones have once again created another masterpiece Mashing up some of the best Queen hits with Hip Hop music, "A Night at the Hip Hopera" is a beautiful compilation that is sure to entertain. [more inside]
Using punctuation to say what you mean - ze frank brings you the ultimate in passive agressive communication.(requires sound)
November 18, 2004
Curious George: Realtor listings. I'm looking at land on realtor.com. Is there any way I can pull up expanded listings at 1 a.m. without having to wait until morning for a Realtor(TM) to intervene? I'm sitting here trying to shop for rural properties, and I have all the maps I need, but I have to deal with their sucky website that doesn't give expanded listings, and thus won't show directions or location of most rural properties. Anyone ever get around this hurdle from the comfort of home?
Curious George - Microphone Best Buys I know that this very topic was discussed here before, but when I did a search it seems that it was lost in the great server crash of 04. I have a couple of good lavs that I use for my video work, but have struggled by without owning a hand held mic or a boom mic for a while, either renting or borrowing them from friends. I just bought a "butt plug" transmitter and receiver for a hand mic and would like to get one (i.e. a quality hand mic) that I can use for ENG type stuff as well as doing VO in my edit bay. I also would like to buy a high quality boom mic rig and in a perfect world the same mic could be used as an on camera mic when the situation calls for that sort of shooting. [more inside]
What is an American movie now? (NYT) Talk amongst yourselves.
Where the Wild Things Walk {mov}
Independant World Television I was at this conference and one of the speakers was Paul Jay, of CBC's Counter Spin. He very passionately spoke about this: the idea of a world independant media, not owned by a corporation and completely dependant on donations. Apparently it should get off the ground by 2006. Good idea? Complete flop? Will you get behind it?
Wacky Robots
are ideal greeters. The programmable sign on the pianist cat combined with music and repartee will entertain and inform your company guests.
Captain Wacky will communicate with your customers whilst riding around the venue distributing literature.
WE WILL DRESS THEM TO SUIT THE OCCASION
Was H.P. Lovecraft a believer in the paranormal? - Lovecraft has been called the most influential horror writer of the 20th Century, & that is arguably true. To what extent did Lovecraft actually understand the Occult? And is the only logical answer to this 'Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Fthagn! Ph’nglui mglw’nfah Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn'? Fortean Times has the answer.
? It's a flash . . horse . . interactive . . singy thing. I'm not sure what it is but it's sort of funny and sort of brilliant.
What would it look like if millions of spiders spun webs in one place? For reasons that area scientists don't really understand, millions and millions of tiny black spiders called Halorates ksenius - they have no common name - became trapped in Russell Jervis' clover field and started spinning webs.
The National Toy Hall of Fame - the greatest toys ever? I think Plasticine was far superior to Play-Doh, and I've never heard of Lincoln Logs, but I'd agree with the majority of these. I think I'd nominate a train set (Hornby 00 gauge?) or possibly Scalextric??
Metafilter has turned on signups for new users. At least as of 7:19 EST the new user link was turned on at MetaFilter, Matt is asking for a $5 donation to sign up. [more inside]
Mk, let's try this again... I bounced around the idea of a Monkey Secret Santa for Chrismukkah a few months ago, but the entire thing sort of died following the Great Purge of 2004. I'm still up for it if you are.
[more inside]
Joint Stereo MP3s: The Myths and the Realities. A link for all those monkeys who are getting into mp3s, but aren't as advanced as our resident music fanatic forksclovetofu.
The Future of Media
"In the year 2014, The New York Times has gone offline. The Fourth Estate's fortunes have waned. What happened to the news? And what is Epic?"
This is a fascinating flash movie from 10 years in the future describing the development of the history of media.
Created by the bloggers at Snarkmarket.
Clotaire Rapaille is an evil genius marketer who cracks psychological "codes" while delivering crazy-sounding quotes. Did I mention he lives like a king in a Castle in upstate NY? Well, he does. Frontline interview here.
"And what was the key element of safety when you were a child? It was that your mother fed you, and there was warm liquid. That's why cupholders are absolutely crucial for safety."
solipsistic.org. Description? Um, anachronistic dada? You may have seen me discover this site at another site, or not. It's more better to share it here, I think, than there, for now. Click gently and with a free associatin' frame of mind, and gems await. Really.
Woman breastfeeds dog
A New Zealand woman says she is breastfeeding her Staffordshire bull terrier pup because she wants the dog to protect her baby girl as the pair grow up.
bugmenomore
nohassles
Image of Virgin Mary on old toast fetching thousands of hits on ebay The end of civilization is surely upon us. [more inside]
Mmmmmm.... Get your daily dose of Vitamin L! Whoever said British cuisine was dead?
Economists. [Flash]
Distance running shaped human evolution. "Our African ancestors may have been talented endurance athletes." But now that we have MonkeyFilter, we can spend the day sitting.
What's up in North Korea? Yesterday the first stories about this began to break on international media sites leading to much speculation and not a lot of attention by media here in the States. Today Kim Jong-Il makes an appearance to front line troops. [more inside]
November 17, 2004
Curious George: Freelance web sites Do any of you creative types out there use freelance sites to get work? In particular, I was wondering about sologig.com, but I would really like to know about other similar sites like guru.com and elance.com (but not including Craigslist, Monster, HotJobs or Careerbuilder). [more inside]
Creation Theory and Evolution should be taught side by side
(obnoxious reg. possibly required)
This is a daily debate in the US, I know, but rare here in Oz - our fledgling Christian Values political party is advocating that Creation Science be taught side by side with Evolution.
[more inside]
Standing up for America: 20somethings trek cross-country on a Segway scooter
"There was no mad dash in the home stretch of a 100-day journey across the country - just the same pokey 10 mph, and all the better to get a good glimpse of what you are passing by.
The journey of a lifetime and a trip in search of a documentary film wound its way slowly through Natick and Needham yesterday, eventually winding up in Boston more than three months after it began in Seattle.
Five 20somethings -- traversing the country while one rode a Segway motorized two-wheel scooter tailed by an SUV -- decided to leave the stuffy corporate world and hit the road for a glimpse of the American landscape.
"We wanted to inspire people by telling a positive story of America," said Hunter Weeks, 27."
[more inside]
Investment George;
For the past couple of years I've given my niece money for her birthdays and Christmas. Her third birthday is coming up and the cash is now up to $1000.00. I know it's not a ton of money but I'd like to invest it somewhere for her. CDs? Bonds? Cheap biotech stocks?
WWMFD?
Stop Garden Slavery Free the gnomes! Is your neighbor holding a gnome hostage? Save him or her and send your appreciative friend to the Gnome Sanctuary. [more inside]
Old school links for anarchists...
These text files reflect something between Anarchist cookbook and Abbie Hoffman's "Steal This Book"
WARNING:
I suggest that anyone opening these files in the USA (or CANADA, yes Canada too)
may soon get a knock at the door.
Join the Movement! The Vegetable Rights Militant Movement (VRMM) is a nationally active, grassroots, vegetable liberation and defense organization. The VRMM differs from other vegetable activist organizations in that it really does all that it can to stop people from torturing, killing, humiliating, and ultimately eating vegetables and fruits. Please wont you stop the cruelty?
Curious George: Excel to Text? I need to take a column of excel data and somehow export it into a series of text files... [more inside]
Bush can Spell? Sounds like a Bush idea to me... [more inside]
Condie Rice is Angry [more inside]
The top 40 Bands in America Today, according to a panel of bloggers, journalists, and industryfolk. [more inside]
Curious George: Is College Really This Easy: The Chronicle says undergraduates just party and never study. When I graduated a few years ago it was pretty easy to slide by with little study through the semester, but the hours were always made up at the end with all-nighters in the library. How's this jive with everybody's experience?
Hurry!! There's still time to bid on the Virgin Mary Cheese Sandwich! [more inside]
HO HO HOlidays George: Here we are, on the cusp of the December holiday season! Looking for cards? Our Christian-Jewish monkeys might find Chrismukkah greetings just the thing. Or, for a more traditional Christmas greeting, there’s always festive Dapper Rat cards. Your hardworking office computer may enjoy Twinkle Bulbs®. And anyone on your gift list is sure to relish the Turkey Dinner George W. Bush Action Figure. Merry whatever, Mofites!
More school news from Texas. A school district in Texas has replaced "cross-dressing day" with "camo day," after conservative leaders and parents complained about the school pushing a homosexual agenda. Let them be killing machine soldiers instead. [more inside]
PEST: Post Election Selection Trauma A real news article? A meme-gone-wild? A true affliction? It's got legs - of a sort, anyway. [more inside]
Dad's Home! (flash)
Spam can make you very, very angry
- here is a FLASH animation - the audio is of a guy's voicemail to a company responsible for causing him .. um.. some frustration with spam. I have no idea if it's real, but it is rather funny.
NSFW. FLASH
Curious George : or more like Help me please George : Suddenly when playing DVDs on my laptop, the sound and picture are not in synch. When looking at Task Manager the CPU usage is permanantly at 100%, the DVD process seems to be taking up all of the spare resource. I use InterVideo WINDVD 4. Please help, I work away a lot and watch a hell of a lot of DVDs on the laptop.
Dung. WTF?! [Flash, possibly NSFW, via Screenhead.]
Curious, George: T Shirt Printing? I'm vaguely wondering about a t shirt promo-type-arrangement for my little old netlabel (no gratuitous self-link, it's noted in my profile for any monkey that wants to see) but I know that cafepress can't do exciting things like print on black - which essential for an experimental electronica label, i reckon! [more inside]
Curious George: Bad Times in the Workplace: Have you ever worked in an emotionally toxic (or physically toxic) workplace? Has work (the hours, the culture, whatever) ever made you more lonely, given you unhealthy amounts of stress or fear, or made you depressed? Ever been bullied or emotionally harassed (or sexually harassed) at work? Has your company or your job ever skewed your way of looking at the world in a way you later realized was unhealthy or nutty, or both? [more inside]
One Word, 60 Seconds, Go
Got writer's block? No time to write? Don't think you can be a writer? Let the muse run wild in a flat sixty seconds. And then post it for the rest of the world to see. Sounds scary, but in fact strangely liberating.
(Also has links to poetry and photo caption challenges - you have to register with TypeKey for those, however, while the writing challenge is noreg.)
A flash animation that fits the tone and name of Mo-Fi. [more inside]
After Every every monkey party there always seems to be monkey fighting.
"There are five principles describing the monkey personality that are the essence of the monkey fighting..."
[more inside]
Christmas gifts (?) you can make...
I take it some of you are bored and just sit around bashing on the blogs all day. Christmas is right around the corner, and if the reason you're blogging is that you're unemployed, this could fill some of you time and save you some cash too!
oh - some of these ideas seem a little dangerous.
via codewolf
[more inside]
Curious, George: Anna Nicole I heard Anna Nicole Smith made a drunken ass of herself at the World Music Awards. I have been unable to Google up a clip of it. Anyone know where I can find one?
Happy Birthday Monkeyfilter!
Well, it's been a year since the great Monkeyfilter experiment was undertaken. What began as a refuge for Metafilter lockouts has evolved into its own beast, with its own personality and its own personalities. We don't have a birthday cake, so let's indulge in a little self-congratulation and the smugness it entails. While we're at it, let's take a moment to thank our fearless leader and Alpha monkey.
Curious George This is a really dopey question, but can anyone here explain to me why, oh why, is a double cheeseburger at McDonalds a dollar even, while a regular 'ol cheeseburger is a buck o'nine?
Are these standard? Curious, George: Car warning dashboard symbols, anyone? I've been googling and I can't find a list of symbols for all cars - in particular, for a 98 Saturn. Do all cars use the same symbols, or not? This is of rather pressing interest, since two wiggly, incomprehensible symbols lit up on my way home tonight - just as I was almost in my driveway - and I'm wondering what to do next. [more inside]
November 16, 2004
Att: Out of work Los Angeles Area Techno-Monkeys!
Hola monos! I just interviewed for a position to teach at an ITT Technical Institute campus in greater LA. So it's not Harvard, but it's a job. The thing is, they are hiring, and if I can help another monkey out, why not.
I hesitate to mention exactly which one since I didn't ok it with them to post something like this, but they are looking for a web wiz to teach a class in web coding as well as someone to teach a class in 3-D Studio Max. The classes vary, but each is about a three hour commitment one day a week. Write me with a resume and we can chat, either on the phone or via email. If you seem legit I will forward your info on to them.
squidranch@comcast.net
Art Cars! See also: How to make 'em and where to see 'em.
FM transmitters for mp3 players- are there any that don't suck? The iTrip plugs into your ipod and transmits your music on the FM frequency of your choice. You tune your car radio to that frequency and listen to your ipod in your car without any wires. Trouble is, it's weak so it doesn't interfere with other people's radios, but so weak it doesn't even work in my own car. Same story with all the products like this from what I've heard. [more inside]
Garrison Keillor thinks that born-again Christians should not be allowed to vote. Feels their real citizenship is in heaven.
Curious, George: ascii video conversion?
I have a strange little video project I'm working on, and would like to convert some of the video to moving ascii-text images. problem - all the conversion tools I can find are arcane *nix terminal-freakout stuff. And my Google-fu is getting me nowhere.
[more inside]
FamilyHighway Values
You've got to be kidding me, right? Right? RIGHT?! Anyone? Is it too late to build a 500 foot wall around NYC?
[more inside]
For those who need more than kittens to feel better. Turn your ceiling into a surreal pond surface. via boingboing. [more inside]
Precedent time
A link has been removed from the front page due to inappropriate suggestions of physical violence against a group.
The complainant contacted us in an inappropriate way and we will be taking this up with them.
[more inside]
The Bin Laden Game is an imaginary treasure hunt for Usama Bin Laden. Similar to the predecessor game, Find Those Weapons, the clues in this riddle-type game will lead the winning player to nearly $5,000 in REAL money. THIS IS NOT A COMPUTER GAME. When you order the game, you will receive a packet in the mail with everything you need to play the game. All you need to play is generous amounts of caffiene, lots of patience, and maybe some ingenuity.
Delta employee fired for "inappropriate" pictures on her blog. NYT article registration req. Diary of a flight attendant found here. [more inside]
Security in Darfur, Sudan a "Farce,"
according to Amnesty International. "Three or four rounds of negotiations have not resulted in an agreement that worked, so why should this time be any different?"
70,000 deaths since March. When will and what should the world do about Darfur, Sudan?
Half-Life 2 After missing its original September 30, 2003 release date and the code being pirated, Half-Life 2 has been released!!! While I didn't stay up for the midnight pacific time release, I did get up early to play it for an hour or so this morning. Anyone else as hyped about it as I am? [more inside]
IT'S A LAPTOP! NO, IT'S A FERRARI, NO! IT'S A......WHAT? -_- weirdness...
Hardee's is introducing a new burger with 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat.
It's the Jerry Garcia Autopsy! - The autopsy of a fat old hippy. Perfectly safe for work & the squeamish, because they use a doll. But it's based on the real autopsy, so the text is graphic, just in case that bothers ye. Please enjoy. :)
He should have used a BAYONET instead of wasting a bullet!!! [more inside]
Curious George: what's your favourite coffee? What's your favourite coffee, and why? (link goes to my Flickr where I documented a recent coffee delivery) [more inside]
PictureOfEverything I was never good at drawing anyone recognizable. So I feel especially jealous that Howard Hallis can draw everyone, everywhere (and even make the picture wrap both horizontally and vertically). Click to Zoom in if something interesting leaps out at you. Nano Nano, Earthling!
Fray.com, an oldie, but a goodie, is Derek Powazek's (of San Francisco Stories fame) magazine/community/movement dedicated to sharing true stories by people for people. Where do you go when you're looking for a good free read on the net? [more inside]
Curious George: Are there any sites that have a breakdown of how many suicides take place at different universities each year? My google-fu fails me. [more inside]
The Iconographic Genesis of Shiva - The Sensuous Yogi.
Rate Your Music A great site where you can catalog, rate, and review your CD collection, get recommendations based on your collections from the site and other users - also a great music community board!
Jet Bike! (warning: quick time) The Madagascar Institute, an art collective in Brooklyn that previously held a Condiment War, put a jet on the back of a bicycle. I call it good.
Curious George: Population dispersion model? Reading some survivalism newsgroups I have been curious exactly what might happen in a hypothetical economic collapse and am wondering how one would go about modelling population dispersion into the countryside. [more inside]
Curious George: fun with the English language. So there are three deers in my parent's garage. And wednesday, "I'm going to help and gut them." [more inside]
Dopefish - Right, I hope this hasn't been posted before, since I am sort of new here. Anyways, Dopefish lives!
NBC: US Soldier Murders Unarmed Prisoner in Falluja. A television pool report by U.S. network NBC says that a U.S. Marine shot dead an unarmed and wounded Iraqi prisoner in a mosque in Falluja. via BoingBoing. [more inside]
November 15, 2004
When you're tired of drinking the coffee, there's always the coffee enema. I wonder--would a soy latte be more effective? Caramel macciatto? Will Starbucks ever administer these?
Old School Geekery - an ad for the a new Citroen pays homage to the Transformers of my youth. Soon to be all over the internets - I bring to you now. Video MPG File.
Boris! BorisWatch! BorisBlog! BorisBogOff! WhyWeLoveBoris! WhySomePeople,Er,Don't! [more inside]
Curious George: Recording lightning Yesterday we had a pretty good thunderstorm. On the news last night, the weather report included a computer animation of the region from the air with each lightning strike over sped-up real time. How do they know where the lightning hit?
"If you're looking for something different or special for your kitties, you've found the right place!"
John Balance dies... Sad news for fans of Coil or Throbbing Gristle...
Powell resigns, more to follow... Ashcroft, Powell, and at least four other cabinet members will leave the Bush team.
Random Frog Generator
Do you like frogs? So do I. This, then, is the Random Frog Generator, which lives in the memory, much like cheese.
The Great American Smokeout! Every year the American Cancer Society promotes the Great American Smokeout (November 18th). Perhaps this is the year YOU should make the decision. [more inside]
Geek Me Up, Scotty - A working Star Trek Communicator that's a bluetooth hands-free device for your cellphone. There's only one, it's a prototype, & don't tell me that you don't want one, because you do, even though it's utterly geeky. [more inside]
Paxil Babies
This recent monkeyfilter post inevitably led to this.
[more inside]
More. Great claymation by Mark Osborne, it was nominated for an academy award in 1998. [16 MB Quicktime, via Waxy.]
MONKEYFILTER MUSICBLOG LISTING 2.0
So from about town, a few of you are probably aware that I am an musicblogger (AKA mp3 blogger AKA audioblogger).
[more inside]
'Zappa': Freak Out! (NYT reg. req.) "Who are the brain police?" A review of a new book about Dweezil and Moon Unit's dad, by Camille Paglia, who IMO can be a bit of a self-aggrandizing provocateur-for-provocation's-sake, but who stays out of the way and writes a solid review in this case.
Ugly Bands! Rock and Roll has never looked so ugly.
Snarlious George...
I have been a snarlfest for a few days here, and my best defense is usually to trot out a few sayings or cliches that make me consider not being such a crab-mistress. Mine are;
To thine ownself be true.
This too, shall pass.
Shut the fuck up; I'm right and you aren't.
Life is short.
What works for you?
How To Make A Killing Off the Stock Market: Become a U.S. Senator A new study showing that the stock picks of Senators, as revealed in their financial disclosure forms, outperformed the market by a whopping 12 percent. Insider trading anyone? Although it's not clear whether any laws have been broken, Alan Ziobrowski, one of the study's authors says "there is cheating going on, at a 99 percent level of confidence."
Wheels of fire.
Clapton to reform Cream.
[more inside]
> FUCK FROG What happens when you swear at text adventure games? You'd be surprised.
November 14, 2004
Perverse pleasure is the best revenge. Get it while you can. [more inside]
Play With Your Food A Japanese site dedicated to the art of hot dog sculpting, courtesy of Nippon Meat Packers, Inc. Includes instructions, for any of our more ambitious monkeys. [SFW, despite the name of the company.]
Iraq Veterans Against the War. "When somebody else comes out and speaks, the average American hears him and goes, oh he’s just some college-educated tree-hugger that doesn’t really know what’s going on in the world. But when the average American hears a veteran . . . people listen, because this is somebody who has been on the ground, knows what the realities are, knows what these things mean." [more inside]
Ridiculously Old Computer Manual I had almost forgotten that one component of computers used to be the punch-card. Jesus, what a world. [more inside]
Curious George I hesitate to even ask, but there has been some discussion on Data Lounge about photos some photos circulating on the Intarweb. Photos of Dick Cheney with a visible hard on. Any idea where a monkey might find such a photo? My google-fu isn't helping.
Crack Babies Talk Back: how the media created a powerful myth, what science is learning now, and (most importantly) what happened to a few of the children behind it. [more inside]
R.I.P. O.D.B. Ol' Dirty Bastard dead at 35.
World on Fire. [Quicktime] [more inside]
Pissed off George
Last night and all of today was spent doing what all computer users dread, doing a clean install of my system software and in the process losing all of my documents. My email as well as all of my contacts, documents (including paid video/graphics and copywriting projects) my music and my well maintained selection of web links were erased.
[more inside]
Acceptable US military policy?
As a water supply engineer I find the practice of depriving the civilain population of fallujah drinking water to be particularly abhorrent.
Oh yeah ... and it's against the Geneva conventions.
In 1968, a French Impressionist artist appeared on the stairway of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Meet Lee Godie. Prices for her work have skyrocketed in recent years. Oh yea, she was also into photography.
November 13, 2004
...relativistic sex would only last for a fraction of a second, and would appear as a sort of muddy grayish white smudge... Mmmh... so it isn't supposed to be like that always..? [more inside]
Other people's stories. Stories that may or may not have improved in the retelling. [more inside]
The groundswell of discontent
following the Bush re-election is spawning some strange ideas, and one of them is spelled s-e-c-e-s-s-i-o-n. Growing up in the South, I was accustomed to idle talk about such matters, but this one sounds like some people are mad as hell, and they're not going to take it any more. Of course it'll never happen, but you gotta admit, "The Republic of California" does have a nice ring.
See here. [LA Times, reg. required. Bugmenot: dvdgmlwsk, 77junic]
While you're at it, clicky here, and here.
mellifluous banana. I am clever and invented a new game. [more inside]
Comedy Butchers
- a tiny Sim-City style FLASH town with little comedy sketches you can click open in various places. British humour, which means it is actually funny.
NSFW. Requires FLASH, obviously. Made me laugh out loud, which is pretty hard to do, considering I am a miserable bastard.
[more inside]
Espionage out in the open.....sorta. I was listening to NPR this afternoon and heard the last little snippet on this. [more inside]
A Report on Mesopotamia, written by T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a Lawrence of Arabia) in Fallujah in 1920.
Hey Hey Ho Ho, the hummer is for sissies-oh. So you've heard of the CXT, that big pickup? Well, make way for the SmarTruck III, the bigger-than-Humvee military truck, and its Hummer-like sibling, the International CUV. [more inside]
Pentagon builds its own Internet "This 'Internet in the sky' would allow 'marines in a Humvee, in a faraway land, in the middle of a rainstorm, to open up their laptops, request imagery' from a spy satellite, and 'get it downloaded within seconds.'" "Pentagon traditionalists, however, ask if net-centric warfare is nothing more than an expensive fad."
Are You A Cheap Christian? Don't you realize that when proselytizing your waitress, your message is diminished by leaving a lousy tip? "I have found that homosexuals and bikers are consistently better tippers than Christians."
Faces of the Fallen: Pictures and basic biographical info on the US soldiers who have died in Iraq. It's a WaPo link, but I think it works without logging in. If not, your good friend bugmenot will help.
Killed by soda-POP!
I didn't think this was real...
This also seemed a bizarre weapon. Ooops wrong number.
Talk about Cell Phone usage being fatal.
Now THAT's a Posh dildo! David Beckham bought his wife, Victoria (Posh Spice...) a $1.8 million diamond encrusted vibrator. There are still nine left, buy one now! [more inside]
November 12, 2004
"You are now visiting DriveMeInsane.com, a website located in Texas."
"Experience a deranged social environment. Spy on strange, moderately interesting people from around the world. And turn on their lights. And yes, it's all real."
Has to be seen to believe. You can spend hours trying to drive this guy nuts.
"the best sci-fi action requires you to think." Primer is exceedingly intriguing. It invites comparisons to Pi and Memento and (most appropriately) 2001. Confounding, obtuse, and stunningly enjoyable. [more inside]
"I didn't get where I am today by having green frogs thrust down my crotch." In 1976, Reginald Perrin battled stress, boredom and mid-life crisis, eventually faking his own suicide to escape the rat race. Dark, bitingly funny, yet poignant, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin was beloved by millions who identified with their hero's desperate desire for a life less ordinary. The memorable cast of characters included Reggie's long-suffering wife Elizabeth, his incoherent boss C.J., his mother-in-law, and Reggie himself, brilliantly played by Leonard Rossiter.
The virtual bartender doesn't server drinks, but is still worth a visit. From MetaFilter. I thought you monkeys would enjoy this. Don't forget to ask for a banana. First FPP - long time lurker. Don't kill me please.
Doctor Discovers the 'Orgasmatron' While Dr. Stuart Meloy was working on a new device to treat chronic pain, he was surprised to discover it could also bring pleasure to his female patients.
When technology goes TOO far Now little Sally can hug an inanimate lump and millions of miles away, Granny can have an inanimate lump hug her back. Almost like real human interaction! Feel the love without the germs or personal warmth! [more inside]
This paper dragon eyes you as you move around.
From the always neat Grand Illusions website, instructions, a video, and the the required image to make one for yourself.
I made one, it's sweet, and now sits on top of my monitor.
Found via linkfilter
Are You An "Abductaholic"?
Have you been shown an alien child or your hybrid child?
If so, you will need special help.
Fill out our Exorcism Application and mail it today.
[more inside]
The industry's first ever concrete related comic strip, Concrete Jungle Comix combines everyday, suburban family life with the singular obsession of a young man that loves concrete. How funny is concrete? Well...
post at your own risk 22 reasons (and counting) why you shouldn't post your picture on the internet. [more inside]
The French Paradox Revealed! Vanity, tarty underclothes, long leisurely lunches with friends and family and actual real food keep you slim. Original culprit red wine now thought to be incidental, if tasty.
US still hates foreigners. News at 11. *sigh* I just received an email from a friend of mine, who flew back into the US yesterday. [more inside]
SOMEONE SHUT HER UP! Curious Monkey: There's this really annoying song playing on the radio, it's called "Let Me Be Your Angel" and the monster who sings it is a little girl (Tiffany Evans). Honestly, she sounds like she's ready to blow up!! This made me think, what are (is) the most annoying tracks that you monkeys have ever heard?
Police hit a 6 year old with 50,000 volts. Yes, this is what it's come to. A six year old in a Miami school has the hell shocked out of him by police. For his own good. [more inside]
Curious, George: Restart my heart Is there any merit in the tv/movie technique of restarting the heart by whacking the chest really hard a couple of times? [more inside]
Am I an unwitting spammer? Curious George: I received a strange email and now I'm worried someone is using my domain to spam people Help! [more inside]
What are the tax rates for marijuana? Pursuant to K.S.A. 79-5202, the tax rates are: Processed, $3.50 per gram; Wet Plant, $0.40 per gram; Dry Plant, $0.90 per gram. Kansas taxes the once-underground economy.
The Muse Awards include some nice sites. In the Art section, for example, Visions of Enlightenment, on Buddhist art, Love and Yearning, on Persian, and the slightly silly Renaissance Connection. (All Flash 6, ideally)
Curious George...Am I Native?
What makes someone Native, or First Nations, Indian, etc., etc.?
Is it by blood quorum? Is there an overall consensus of blood quorum among all tribes? Is is up to your own particular tribe? Any thoughts?
My background is Cherokee/Choctaw/Chickasaw. Anybody else come upon the Cherokee 'One Drop' rule?
Arrse
Welcome to ARRSE, the British Army's UNOFFICIAL centre of reasoned argument, intelligent debate and bullshit.
-- Not my sort of thing at all really, but I did want to post that URL.
Vaccine cripples sperm in monkeys. Male contraception options set to broaden.
Winner in College Jeopardy 0wNZ Alex Trebeck d0 y0u 5p33K 1337?
November 11, 2004
Everything you could ever want to know about Beatboxing.
In honor of yentruoc's request that I post something fun -
"Vocal percussion/beatboxing has been used in a-cappella groups for many years, but today it is perhaps mainly associated with hip hop music, often dubbed 'the 5th element of hip hop'. Incidentally, beatboxing has also been described as 'a lost art', something we want to help change!
Human beatbox legends such as Buffy, Doug E Fresh, and Biz Markie helped propel beatboxing into the limelight throughout the 1980's, and the scene has been growing ever since.
Now, at the start of the 21st century, beatboxing is set to gain further recognition as an artform in its own right, and become an international phenomenon in the process."
Make sure you check out the audio clips!
Fuck the South
Wanna see a meme that won't make Dems look any better? It's still worth a chuckle.
(Aside from language, SFW).
[more inside]
The Dubya Movie. One man was chosen, and only one man could play him. [Via Screenhead.]
Milan's Icebar You pays your money, and you gets to drink your Absolut vodka out of an ice cup, while standing at an ice bar, in 23° weather, in a parka and rubber boots. Just like in Sweden... but in Italy. Why?
I'm mad, so here's stuff on confocal microscopy.
Since Gregory Cardinal Pell has managed to piss me off today, I have decided to tell people about confocal microscopy.
Confocal microscopy can create some amazing images.
Cardiac myocytes - heart muscle cells
Bone cells
a nerve cell
single cell critters
I've no idea.
If you are at all interested in how these images were generated, there's
[more inside]
Curious George: Posting to Usenet. What are some good ways for posting to Usenet for free, not counting Google Groups? [more inside]
From Beyond the Grave The late Dame Barbara Cartland, having written and published more than 700 books in her lifetime, left behind her the manuscripts of 160 romances. That's 13 years' worth of books.
ipod socks:
The fads never end for this ubiquitous toy.
More Moore, Moran Those GOPers and Cons who believed that Michael Moore would explode/kill himself if Bush won are sorely disappointed. In fact, MM has just aanounced plans for a "Fahrenheit 9/11" sequel. But "Fahrenheit 9/11 1/2" sounds kinda lame. Anybody have an idea for a better title?
raed in the midde
I called my family to see what was happening there. One of our friends living in Abu-Ghreib told us about how a US helicopters attacked their entire neighbourhood after a US patrol was attacked from that area. He said that they have holes in the ceilings of their house because of the random attack. This collective punishment is very close to how the israeli forces treat Palestinians, trying to put pressure on the civilians not to accept any fighter in their street. As if it was the civiliansďż˝ duty to go after fighters and stop them.
My family said that many districts in the west of Baghdad are blocked, the streets leading to the areas near the airport (Al-Jihad, Al-Amryya, Al-Ghazalyya, Al-khadraa, and others) are closed due to street fighting. The airport highway is closed too. They said that the sound of explosions and bullets is continuous. My uncle lives in Ad-Dora in southern Baghdad, and they are having similar street clashes there too.
Ephemerata, both Natural and Artificial. The Museum of Emphemerata in Austin, TX is host to a number of bizarre items. With the Grand Closing of the current show coming this weekend, it seemed like a good time to feature the place.
Arctic Thaw = Good News! Global warming got you down? Don't worry, there's a silver lining! [more inside]
Teen Democrats in Minnesota beat down teen Republican with a baseball bat.
"Two days after John Kerry lost to George Bush, three of his teen supporters got into a dispute with a Bush-supporting schoolmate at their Minnesota Zoo School of Environmental Studies, and after some juvenile taunting, the budding Democrats beat the other teen with a baseball bat:
Three high school students, one allegedly armed with a bat, were charged with attacking a pro-President Bush classmate after he reportedly said only gays would support Sen. John Kerry. ...
The alleged assailants have all been charged: one with felony assault — because he allegedly went to his car to get a bat during the assault, prosecutors said — one with misdemeanor assault and one with disorderly conduct.
In fact, both sides called the other "gay" for their political views, which still managed to outstrip the maturity level in some of the public debate from this election. Perhaps Lawrence O'Donnell counseled these young Democrats."
Tips for visiting Santa. Such as, "Talk and chat with your toddler, distracting him or her from Santa as you walk up to Santa. Then quickly set the child in Santa’s lap and quickly back out of the photo area while keeping your toddler’s attention with whistles, shouts, or whatever action to distract them from the fact that they are sitting in Santa’s lap." Heh. Is visiting Santa a uniquely American terror _ er, tradition, or do little overseas monkeys also sit upon the jolly old man's knee?
Yassir Arafat is Still Dead!!! The news coverage of Arafat's impending death brought to mind an old Saturday Nite Live Bit. Am I the only who was reminded that Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead!!. Looks like I was not Alone.
The Italian Campaign
The Globe and Mail has been running an excellent series on the Italian Campaign during WWII by Canadian troops. There are photos, artifacts, and articles, including one by Farley Mowat.
(x-posted to MeFi)
The Fantastic Four teaser trailer
- Just what it says. The reason I link to a Google page is that the host site does not have a published link yet, & this is to avoid hotlinking. The link is there, just go do that voodoo that you do do so well.
Seen @ Sensible Erection which is NSFW
Curious, George: HeaterFilter. How to heat an old house with an amazingly old gas furnace. [more inside]
It's Diwali tomorrow.
- also known as Deepavali, the festival of lights.
Probably too late to lay in a brass Ganesh, or a hamper, but you could whip up some Diwali food, and maybe put up Diwali wallpaper.
Don't forget 11 o'clock. Today's the day the guns fell silent (for some). Now more than ever we should remember them. No more inside.
Word Count
"WordCount™ 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. The larger the word, the more we use it. The smaller the word, the more uncommon it is."
Can you turn crappy vodka into good vodka using nothing more than a Brita filter? A team of scientists set out to find whether a 1.5L bottle of shit vodka can be charcoal filtered to smoothness. The opinion of the panelists was that the result after 5 filtrations was exceptionally smooth and better in this respect than Ketel One, although it did not posess its character.
Curious, George: Food, glorious food! I'm sitting in my (slightly gross) dorm room, trying to think of food I can easily make with my electric kettle, the slightly risky microwave in the lounge, or my bare hands. I've got a tiny fridge, but as grocery shopping occurs rarely, long lasting foodstuffs are a plus. What are your favorite bizarre/easy/comforting snack foods from those first "Oh my god, mom's not here to cook me dinner" days/months/years? Extra points if it's vaguely healthy!
For the Marine Corps birthday and young Marine Sam Crist, recently wounded in Falluja, the story of Evans Carlson and the meaning of Gung Ho. [more inside]
This Link has been Making the Rounds
It's shown as evidence of a grand conspiracy in certain Florida counties to mess around with the vote. However, by simply looking at past elections 1996 and 2000, it's easy to see that despite the difference between party registration and actual voting patterns, it's not quite that big of a difference.
*NOTE - WHEN CLICKING ON THESE LINKS, SELECT OFFICE - US PRESIDENT, THEN ON "PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES" for county results - sorry for the extra work, can't get directly to the proper page*
[more inside]
Mars Rovers Still Sending Back Fantastic Images Just because they aren't making the news anymore doesn't mean that the Mars Rovers aren't still up there on Mars moving around, grinding rocks and looking at stuff.
Tanks against US citizens? Freedom?
It seems it didn't interest the media too much(there's a war goin on, ya know, but it interested some to remove the video from the web (via BoingBoing)?
Anyone remember tiananmen square?
[more inside]
November 10, 2004
Curious, George: Help me dress my husband, please? Mr. MonkeyToes has decided that he needs more flair in his professional wardrobe. Any recommendations for books on clothing for men? Ideal book leans toward the classic and conservative, and has color illustrations. Though I recall a thread on this topic on Metafilter, my MeFi-fu turned up nothing, and Amazon offers too much choice. What book has helped you or your guy become a spiffier dresser?
Finally a reason for pop up ads: Humor.
This is just ridiculous. If I ever see someone with this phone (considering Pink is the new "Ghetto Black," it could very well be a man), I will personally slap the crap out of them.*
*Disclaimer: Unless they're bigger than me
(via the internets, found while surfing for a Halo 2 buddy icon)
OOOK, so who wants to put this live-wire to their forehead?
it'll help you remember better...I promise.
(I can see it now: Monkeys the world over walking around with electrodes on their foreheads to promote memory and prevent double posting)
Curious George: Go, my seeker monkeys! Fly! I'm looking for a site I saw on Metafilter ages ago. It was some art project, where some Spanish (I think he was Spanish) guy took loads of headshots of people in different social groups. I've searched and searched but I can't find it. If anyone could help me out, I'd <3 them forever. [more inside]
Uranus is well lubricated. There's bound to be [more inside]
Curious George: Life in Ottawa Any monkeys with the inside scoop on living in Ottawa? [more inside]
curious George: IM clients for mac I've just switched from pc to mac and I'm having a hard time finding a IM client like GAIM where I can use both Yahoo and AOL IM accounts. Suggestions?
Army Spc. Bryan Freeman Jr was killed Monday in Iraq. Bryan was the 1,334 US soldier killed in Iraq. Bryan was a very good friend of my wife in High School and needless to say she was very upset. Normally I would not post such a downer of a link but I feel that in general many of these soldiers that have been killed lately have not been getting the attention they deserve. RIP Bryan.
Curious, George: Suggestions for email providers?
Curious, George Any Suggestions for (paid) email providers?
[more inside]
"Don't take us there!"... At least not until we decide whether "There" exists. Wikipedia's NPOV (Neutral Point of View) Disputes Page [more inside]
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
[Oscar Wilde]. For your night-skying pleasure: Free monthly skymaps at (of course) SkyMaps; local satellite and spaceship activity at Heaven's Above; and my favorite, what's in the sky tonight at Earth & Sky. Great resources for the backyard
stargazer.
The Ouch Kit.
Marriage counseling in a box! "It's simple. You get a strong feeling and fill out the back of whichever card suits your mood. Next, you leave the card where your partner is sure to find it. Then your partner responds with another card -- whichever one feels right. Keep exchanging cards until you are both feeling better."
The Vampire Watermelon : fact or fiction? [more inside]
Scotsmen, take your partners for the Slow Frenzy
Things you hear in passing
can definitely pique your curiosity. We hear the most interesting things in the most everyday places--maybe on the tube or out in the city. Have you overheard anything that stirred your imagination lately? Have you caught an eavesdropper in the act?
Maybe you're looking to do some serious listening in of your own...
Twenty Monkeys with Hats and One Squid
Apologize for the election in pictures hopefully my second post ever isnt another double post. :-(
Rasterize is an excellent new word. Go big or stay home. [more inside]
Much more than cosplay, Sailor Moon worship and sleeping commuters... From ripping out ATM machines with bulldozers to the changing of the guard in anime to decline in the craft of making sake, Sake-Drenched Postcards' mysterious Captain Japan writes about the stranger and deeper side of Japanese culture with a dry, crisp journalist's touch, like an eastern Theroux.
Dirty Found: Found Magazine gets all kinds of flotsam and jetsam and publishes it- notes, photographs, and, for lack of a better term, whatnot. Sometimes, people send in things that are a little too raunchy for the magazine. Thus, Dirty Found, in bookstores near you.
The Call of Cthulhu movie
The loons at The Howard Philips Lovecraft Historical Society are making a film version of HPL's infamous tale.
(a follow-up to this thread)
[more inside]
The Blasters Home Page I was kinda bummin' about the election an' stuff and I just randomly clicked on 'The Blasters' in iTunes and what do ya know! Sunshine! Smiles! Dancin'! Marie-Marie ! ! !
Despite higher political aspirations by its poster boy, Vermont seems to harbor many with slightly different ideas concerning their state's place in the Union. Is talk of this Second Vermont Republic truly beneficial to the people of Vermont? Is it dangerous, genius, or just hot air?
Win a Date With Curious George: Okay, I haven't been out as part of a couple since my ex-marriage started falling apart, and I've got two tickets to a screening tomorrow of Johnny Depp's "Finding Neverland". [more inside]
Ashcroft's Outta here!
I almost didn't post this, because of how newsfilter-ey we've been lately. Then I read this part of his letter of resignation:
"The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved..."
And I couldn't resist.
Holidays Mini CD Exchange: If you are interested in participating in a holiday themed mini cd exchange, visit the CDX subsite. This will be a self moderated exchange, allowing you to trade with friends from the site, if you so choose. Read the details on the site.
November 09, 2004
Firefox 1.0 is out There are tons of reasons to switch to it and stop using Internet Explorer. Why haven't you switched?
Tear down this wall. The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 marked the symbolic end of the Cold War.
Ever heard of MOAB? well, ok. They're thinking of creating another one called MOP...
which will make MOAB look like a sissy, with a scraped knee, on the side of the road...crying (of course)...
armament for an intergallactic war? Osama's new anal probe? X-treme 4th of july fireworks?
ALL CONSPIRACY THEORIST WELCOME...i've got a BIG banana for you. ^_^
Suprise in a Box , where every gift is an experience.
Speaking Tonal Languages Promotes Perfect Pitch
Extremely abbreviated crash course on the pitfalls of urban warfare. [flash]
51% Bush and 49% Kerry makes... [more inside]
Curious George - Importing Bookmarks from Safari to Firefox The title says it all. I am thinking of switching over to Firefox from Safari, but am having trouble importing my bookmarks and cookies. Apparently it will do it automatically from Explorer and an older version of Firefox, but not from Safari. Any suggestions?
The MoFi archives are back up! Warning: they're in plain HTML which means you can read 'em but not change 'em. But I wanted them up by the 17th, for obvious reasons. They're a bit hard to navigate because I see there's still errors. I just played around until I found ways to navigate by manually changing the URLs. Here's the main archive page.
Getting Beyond Good vs. Evil: A Buddhist Reflection on the New Holy War. [Via MeFi.]
Garroting: A How-To Guide They practice upon each other frequently before they venture into the streets—not only to acquire the art of garroting in every possible position and attitude, but that they may learn how long and with what degree of force they may hug their victim's throat without endangering his life or seriously injuring him. [more inside]
Japan is an anagram for "Nap, Ja?"
Tired of politics? of working? of ennui? of monkeys flinging poo?
You ain't got nothing on Japanese business men. Who needs a bed when you have asphalt?
Todd Marrone is a Philadelphia artist and a good friend of mine as well. As I am always looking for new artists to check out I thought it would be cool to share a favorite of mine. I am a big fan of his Guerilla Art and This collection is my favorite. Who are some of your local artists?
Surprising results in Florida. Again. Did something fishy take place in Florida during the recent election? An analysis of registered voters versus actual results in Florida counties suggests some very surprising swings to the Republicans in the face of party registrations. In particular, the results for Libery are worrying, but by no means the only county where concern maybe warranted.
Curious, George: Consolation Tattoo? I told everyone, in lieu of the standard "I'm moving to Canada," that I was going to get a tattoo if Bush won, as a consolation prize... [more inside]
Design for Chunks Virgin Atlantic held a design competition requesting people come up with designs for their sickbags. The 20 finalists shown will have their designs grace the airlines sickbags for 6 months. [more inside]
Philadelphia Monkeys looking for a place to see decent, old movies? Have you tried this place? Or this place in Pitman, NJ? [more inside]
Curious, George: The Church of Null The Church of Null : Since no higher purpose in life has been found and that god never really showed up... whe are looking for something else. [more inside]
Thought For a new PolyFilter
I've noticed a need to discuss politics here, yet also that the topic itself is, understandably, very touchy these days. I like the crowd here on Monkeyfilter and that, most especially that they are more civilized and thoughtful than on sites like 'Fark, 'Metafilter', etc. What I would like to do is put together a site where *civil* discourse is encouraged and welcomed and negative discussion is discouraged. This from someone who has, admitedly, engaged in some negative conversations in the past.
My problem is that my html skills are kind of rusty and I would need some help. Anyone interested or do they have any suggestions? I would like to hear from any and all interested parties. My intent is to create something like 'The Boston Commons' for the internet.
Half-baked ideas.
Tattoo eaters. Reverse organizational hierarchy (start new employees as the CEO, and demote them). Dress-up hood ornaments for your car. Hooker stamps (like food stamps, except for... you know).
And much, much more.
a pilot's panic call to Flight Service ..., as he believes he is about to crash... ... and how the Flight Service Controllers managed to help him right his plane to save him from crashing. [more inside]
My God, no one could blame me -- no one! -- if I went off the edge and just lost it completely one day. I couldn't get through the day as it is without the Prozac and Jack Daniels I keep on the shelf, behind my Tops-20 JSYS manuals. I start getting the shakes real bad around 10am, right before my advisor meetings. A 10 oz. Jack 'n Zac helps me get through the meetings without one of my students winding up with his severed head in a bowling-ball bag. They look at me funny; they think I twitch a lot. I'm not twitching. I'm controlling my impulse to snag my 9mm Sig-Sauer out from my day-pack and make a few strong points about the quality of undergraduate education in Amerika. [via Idiolect]
Political Refugee Marriages...
This site is a satirical site, but there are quite a few profiles of people who seem to be taking it at least semi-seriously.
Do you think this is something that may actually gain momentum? I'm thinking that US/Canadian relations will get even wonkier if it does.
Would you do a politically-motivated citizenship marriage? They are actually pretty damn difficult to set up - I had a "proposal" from an American when Clinton lost, years back, so I looked into it a bit.
The Periodic Table Table - What, how and most importantly why. [more inside]
Frost flowers "occur when still-living green plant tissue freezes and the sap is extruded in long, unbroken strands...No one knows why the plant responds this way to freezing temperatures (my guess is it’s just a happy coincidence of climate and the plant’s biochemistry) but the results can be spectacular." [more inside]
November 08, 2004
Why it's a bad idea to race down offfice hallways We've all raced down hallways in office chairs on slow days at the office. Here's what happens when it goes wrong . . .
java applet chess game that depicts piece range and possible move outcomes. this is very cool in a chess club/ai/geeky sort of way. [more inside]
Jeremiah- a virtual face Richard Bowden has created a virtual human face that can "see" and interect with people and its environment. [more inside]
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SHAT: It is our aim through recruiting, coercing, hypnotism and blackmail, to encourage members of the public such as your good selves here, to join with us and celebrate the delights and mysticism of entertainment legend William Shatner. For he is recognised as the One True Shatner-Being. He is more than just a fabulous actor… he’s more than just a great singer… he’s more than just an award winning novelist… He is a way of being. He is an incarnation of pure spiritual energy. He is the personification of perfection. He is irresistible to women - and for this, we worship him so! He is the Shatner-Lord. Praise be the Acting Deity! Oh perchance to gaze at his Rotund Hairless Belly! "SHAT-ELLULAH!"
This makes me proud to be an American. Where else can you enjoy your civil liberty of flipping everyone off.... ahhh... America! [more inside]
Curious George: MoFi CD Swap playlists? As someone who wanted to participate in the CD swap, but didn't have the chance/means to, and also someone who wants to know about new music/what other monkeys are listening to, I was wondering if the people that did participate could post the tracklists here. Reviews of tracks optional, but welcome. [more inside]
Preserving the Inuit language. Now Inuit speakers can create websites, make online payments, and manage documents online in their native language.
Curious George: Detriot Metro Area Meetup? I've noticed that there are a number of people in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area. Meetup anyone? [more inside]
What is killing Arafat? The Jerusalem NewsWire claims that Arafat is dying from AIDS, due to his blotchy skin, weight loss, immune system troubles and mental troubles. The cause, unsurprisingly, is "perverted encounters" of the homosexual kind (provided by his former Romanian communist allies). (via towleroad.)
themakeupgallery is "the best photo-gallery on the Web featuring actresses in character and prosthetic makeups by some of the best makeup artists."
Composer, typographer, flash programmer.
coke get's rid of pests Well, at least the pesticides in Coke and Pepsi are good for something. What pests would you use these fizzy drinks to get rid of?
Scopitones!
A Scopitone is a "film jukebox" invented in France (where else?) in the 1960's - Scopitone is also the name for the "videos" played on it. Check out the Scopitone archive.
And if you think Elaine Benes' dancing is awful, check out Neil Sedaka's moves.
[more inside]
"...no no, bad management is not the reason why airlines are going broke, the reason is fat people"
yeah, they've actually said it...and this time, apparently, they have scientific "proof" to back their claims.
UGH! *%^$%^%%$#@#!! a-holes! honestly, what's next?
Dear passengers, this plane is a "haute couture" only environment
The Teeth. Just say no to politics: Here are some local bands that have MP3s on the web, and that I think deserve more notice. Who are your local bands? [more inside]
A new old space dust trail, visible from Europe tonight. The earth will pass through a thousand-year-old dust stream tonight (8 Nov), making a Leonid display possible just before midnight UTC. Europe only, really. [more inside]
John Lydon's Biography There was a time when I was younger that I thought John Lydon(Johnny Rotten) was everything that was right with music. After visiting his site and reading his bio posted there I now see that he is everything that is wrong with music. His bio reads like an informercial, after reading it you would think the man had cured polio and redefined all music for the last 30 years. Punk's not dead!!! (it's just hiding from johnny)
Michael Moore advises Democrats against suicide. [more inside]
curious George When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? [more inside]
Curious George: Is the U.S. Government Unique? Because of the recent elections, I've been wondering how foreigners view the American government system. Do we do things differently here? Or is all pretty much the same? [more inside]
Best Editorial Cartoonist EVER. Clay Bennett is the finest editorial cartoonist* working today. He has remarkable skill with icons, and his work always makes me smile. It doesn't hurt that he's a hell of an artist too. [more inside]
The NOAA POES Satellite has it on good authority that, living in the right areas (at this moment, North America), you might see the northern lights if you go outside and look up tonight. City lights might be an issue, but I managed to see a few faint streaks twitching in the sky, through Minneapolis/St. Paul's city lights. But hey, even people as far south as Utah can see them, as reported on Spaceweather.com .
International Orangutan Awareness Week.
Political George I'm burnt out on the political fighting. Just for today can we make the front page a politics free zone? Post something wonderful instead. There must be some happiness out there you'd like to share that's not related to politics. Have at it.
The Dull Men's Club - it's ok to be dull.
Lost Frog:
If I looking for Frog
His Name: Hopkin Green Frog
Biker Fox Photos
This site bears EXTENSIVE exploration.
Don't miss the philosophy section.
Curious George: New Cat Next month I may be obtaining a cat, which will not only be my first cat, but essentially my first pet. What are the pros and cons of indoor versus outdoor? Consider I live in a house with an nice yard (which is easily escapable) which other cats commonly come into. If I were to have an outdoor cat, is there some sort of acceptable time to keep the cat indoors to familiarize itself? Basically, I am asking for any and all advice that could be given to me.
The largest collection of antique children's books online. Beautiful site of wonderful antique books from all over the world. In a multitude of languages from English, Spanish and Italian to Maori, Afrikaans and Chinese! A great site for children (or adults) trying to learn new languages!
Bombaby - a comic by Antony Mazzota. "Sangeeta is, in fact, the reincarnation of India's ancient protector, the Goddess of Mumbai. But how will Sangeeta use this new-found power?" [more inside]
November 07, 2004
Curious George: MonkeyCatFilter Having indoor cats. Complaining indoor cats. [more inside]
Here we go. Bush will renew a quest in his second term for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage as essential to a ``hopeful and decent'' society, his top political aide said on Sunday.
Bush Shoot-Out. Starring President Bush and Condoleeza Rice.
The blue bubble in Oregon. This Sunday's Portland Oregonian describes how the state's demographics have been changing, how they affected the election, and how the trends in Oregon are similar to the ones across the country. [more inside]
Last Sketch Comic Standing?
Lorne Michaels to play a "Donald Trump-like role" on a new reality series that will choose the next Saturday Night Live cast member.
Uh-huh.
Who's fighting back in Falluja? Is it.....S-a-a-a-a-a-a-tan? Nov 7. 3:22 entry. [more inside]
Shitty Bum (via aeiou)
A nation with a soul of a church
"Upon my arrival in the United States," Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in 1835, "the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention." Throughout American history visitors have remarked on the religious character of the United States. G. K. Chesterton, for instance, concluded that America thought of itself in religious terms and that the United States was "a nation with the soul of a church."
In light of the influence of religion on the recent election I think it good for all of us to brush up on the role of religion in the United States in order to put our times in perspective.
[more inside]
Man Distraught Over Election Commits Suicide at Ground Zero
--Via The Raw Story.
There but for the grace of God. City of Heroes costume competition. NSFW if your boss doesn't like thumbnails of scantily-clad geeks
Curious George: NJ Meetup Followup Ten Monkeys and MeFites made it to Montclair for much merriment. [more inside]
Is censorship Evil? Google, apparently, is censoring the Web - and not just in China. MeFi thread, AnandTech thread, Google image search for "Abu Gharaib", and the equivalent Yahoo search. [more inside]
Seattle Mofi Mefi Blog thing pix. Uncaptioned, but many shoutouts.
Murderous George!!!
Ramix is sad! Ramix did a bad bad thing and is beside herself! Ramix ran over and squished a cat. Bad bad Ramix! The cat is dead and Ramix can't handle it because Ramix is a cat lover who has two cats of her own!
Question: what do i do next? The cat wasn't wearing a collar and it doesn't look like any of the neighborhood kitties. It however doesn't look like a stray because it was rather plump. Some poor owner is beside him/herself i'm sure, but i dont know who...and even if i did, i don't think i have the guts to tell on myself. But God/allah/the toothfairy knows i am hating myself big time right about now and don't know what to do. Any suggestions on how to get through the guilt, and also how much effort should i expend in looking for the owner? Go door to door? And if i find the owner, what do i do? Offer money? Sacrifice my first born son (when i finally get round to having one)? Give up one of my kitties in return? Hope me pleeze!!!
Texas Board of Education approves new health textbook after publishers agreed to change the wording to depict marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
A human face of religious conservatism - a post on ideology, religion and conservatism, from someone who knows both sides of the American cultural divide. (via mefi) [more inside]
How to Bang Just About Any Object In Your House
"You know the world is off tilt when
the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest basketball player is Chinese and Germany doesn't want to go to war."
The wit and wisdom of Charles Barkley.
One soldier's opinion... "If you voted for Bush, didn't vote, or voted no on gay marriage, I hope you get drafted. I hope they stick you in my unit, and you go with me to Iraq when my unit goes back in September. I will laugh when you see what soldiers in that country face on a daily basis. I hope you work with gay soldiers too. I did. One of them saved my life. Think he shouldn't have the right to get married? Fuck you. He fought just as hard as I did and on most days, did his job better than me. Don't tell me gays don't have the same rights you do. Think the war in Iraq is a good thing? I'll donate my M-16 to you and you can go in my place." [from MeFi] [more inside]
A Modest Proposal from the Right... "That is why the unthinkable must become thinkable. If the so-called 'Red States' cannot be respected or at least tolerated by the 'Blue States', then the most disparate of them must live apart--not by secession of the former (a majority), but by expulsion of the latter. Here is how to do it." [more inside]
Fantomas!
"Fantomas."
"What did you say?"
"I said: Fantomas."
"And what does that mean?"
"Nothing... And everything!"
"But what is it?"
"Nobody... And yet, it is somebody!"
"And what does that somebody do?"
"Spreads terror!"
A concession speech like no other. A post from the blog of NPR's Adam Felber.
November 06, 2004
Sleeping by the Mississippi has to be one of the most beautiful, elegant photo galleries I've ever seen. The photographer is Alec Soth, who utilizises unusual techniques and is becoming increasingly well-known. His Bogota photographs are amazing too.
The Fantastic in Art and Fiction. Supernatural fun from Cornell University's Institute for Digital Collections. From the spooky, to the sublime, and perhaps a portrait of someone we know? [more inside]
Home on the Road in your Gypsy Caravan. [more inside]
Curious, George: I want a flask, but I don't know what features comprise a good one. Should it be made of steel? Pewter? Should it have a glass liner? Does direct contact with metal change the taste of the liquor? Does it matter if the lid is a "captive" lid or just a regular old screw-on? [more inside]
The Original Chinatown Badboys Crazy chinatown funk.
Hello, Big Fella!
Some charming diagrams from British Columbia railway regulations.
That is such a monkey hat.
Curious George: Hactivist Friendly Graduate Programs A thirty-something geek is looking for your recommendations of Graduate Programs that integrates Public Policy, Intellectual Property legislation, Science, Technology (especially computers), Economics and Law. [more inside]
Read Books, Get Brain Sounds like a good idea for an ad campaign to run on the sides of buses to get the kids of NYC to read, huh? Especially after you find out that "get brain" is current slang for oral sex... and the ad campaign is for a clothing company.
Curious George; NJ Meetup Reminder: Saturday evening, November 6, 2004 in New Jersey. [m.i.]
Artistic George - MoFi T-Shirts?
This idea came from the fertile noggin of Space Kitty while under the influence of Musso and Frank's expert mixologists.
How about the members of MoFi come up with some T Shirt design ideas? We could have Cafe Press whip them up and the proceeds could go to Tracicle to help keep us in bananas.
Any thoughts monkeys?
November 05, 2004
How important is a national holiday?
Germany recently defeated a measure to move Reunification Day to a Sunday. How important a decision is this?
[more inside]
Curious, George: Moving to Japan with cats? Am I lucky enough to have anyone here that is both in a military family and has moved pets with them on overseas tours? I have a few worries.
Curious George: Underrated talents Inspired by the interesting and voluminous responses to wendell's "overrated talent" thread I am curious to know who MoFites think are underrated artists, performers, personalities etc. [more inside]
Why are the airlines losing money? Because we are too fat, apparently. Bigger butts = more jet fuel = higher costs.
A friend told me about freeipods.com the other day, a site which could make you the next lucky owner of a free iPod or $250 gift certificate to iTunes. All it (supposedly) requires: you and five friends must each complete one of ten or so bearable commercial offers or free trials.
For those of us (like me) who are both poor and iPodless, this is a miracle. Is it too good to be true?
[more inside]
Feds claiming 337,000 jobs created since July. What do you make of this? Genuine improvement in the economy or bad metrics? It seems 98% of my household goods are now made in China. If these are indeed mostly service jobs, then by analogy, how can business be booming at hot dog stands outside an auto manufacturing plant that has been bleeding jobs?
Whatcha gonna do, do you wanna get down? This really makes me long for the days when even Ponch and John were getting down.
Seattle Monkey Business: Reminder: Saturday, 7p, the Elysian, Seattle's Capitol Hill. Monkeys, Mofites, and free-range bloggers. Air kisses, dahlings, air kisses.
You Are Here. And you thought that election dealy was something important. [more inside]
Mofites speak out in the press! (I'll let everyone guess who's who. Thanks again for your help!)
The WWI Document Archive I found this when I was looking for biographical information on the Serb nationalist who killed Kaiser Wilhelm. The archive also has great bits like the Constitution of the Black Hand and the Young Turk Proclamation. Also take a look at the thoroughly hilarious Zabern affair!. [more inside]
Move along...?
There have been (very quiet) rumblings about Walden O'Dell's (chief executive of Diebold) involvement in the elections this year.
Will the Black Box inquiries be disregarded as paranoid conspiracy theorists?
Is there ANY way to verify that there was no tampering with the votes, or are we to blindly have faith in the "process" with NO oversight confirmation?
There is attention shown to the Voting Machines, but little to the software running those machines and who had access to either during the elections.
Give Up The Dough, Working People. With federal deficits already running amok, it is unclear how President Bush will pay for his second-term agenda, a potentially multitrillion-dollar smorgasbord that includes overhauling Social Security and revamping the tax system. [more inside]
"The Sahara is not just the classic dunes of The English Patient. The majority of the running we did was over vast plains of sand, gravel and rocks the size of tennis balls... Blow a knee out on the overnight stage, and you’d have to pull your emergency flare to call the helicopter. Blow it in the middle of a plain, and you’d have to wait for a passing marshal’s Land Rover to pick you up...It was only the first day, and people were already being withdrawn by the doctors for foot trauma." [more inside]
personal_space. Tiny houses for the thrifty-chic. [more inside]
After You (Quicktime.) [Via Dong Resin's Screenhead.]
Speaking of assassination. The always edgy eXile has the scoop.
Ed Helms kills two birds with one stone... Thankfully, Helms and Stephen Colbert at the Daily Show display no signs of slowing down after the disaster of 11/2. [via MeFi]
Political
Assasination: mathowie is as good as his word.
BTW: Bush sucks.
Delicious Data: Pioneer Electronics has developed a polymer based on corn that can act as a removable media, or a cd. No decisions as to whether or not they will market it, or what exactly the purpose is in the first place.
Card throwing — course on how to throw ordinary playing cards by a master of the art. Once you are past the basics, try some advanced throws.
MPAA is out fo' yo' ass! what will i do with my high-speed connection now? i can't download music -OR- movies? next thing they'll tell me it's "illegal" to download and crack software. the internets blow big time. [more inside]
Alan Keyes has yet to comprehend why he lost. It's the media's fault, and those turn-coat Republicans who voted for Obama, not the fact that he is a bull-goose loony.
Linky: Just a quick note to LA locals - last minute meet up at Musso & Franks, 7:30 tonight. [more inside]
Curious George: What are the useful tags for commenting and posting here on mofi?
November 04, 2004
Needless to say, this pilot won't be seeing any combat for a while
Curious George: Mortal Kombat? When does a situation warrent (legally) self defence? [more inside]
Why Grandma, what big teeth!
Spot the fake smile
Coolish quiz from the Beeb, minor demographic survey info requested.
I got 14/20 - poker, anyone?
Afro-Ufo: "Black people aren't supposed to see this freaky space shit. It's always hillbillies."
Click here My civic duty fulfilled, I can now return to drooling over the promise of playing Halo 2. Over 'n out.
Enquiring George: Who's the Most Overrated in Show Biz?
FULL DISCLOSURE: This is research for an article I'm writing; usually I don't reach out for other opinions, but the subject is so general...
I'm not looking for the latest teen-queen-lip-syncher or reality-show-hunk; I'm looking for actors, singers, comedians, "personalities", even writer/creators who have had long successful careers in spite of an obvious lack of real talent. I'm thinking William Shatner (YMMV), but I could go as young as Ben Affleck. No dead people, please.
Teaser for New Star Wars Movie I am not a computer-person, but this is an .mov file and I assume you will know what to do.
Curious George: post-election soundtrack. What's been playing in your headphones the past couple days? [more inside]
Ashcroft resigning according to Fox? Via The Command Post.Is Bush really gonna try to put him on the Supreme Court? [more inside]
Elizabeth Edwards diagnosed with breast cancer. Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards, was diagnosed with breast cancer the day her husband and Sen. John Kerry conceded the presidential race. [more inside]
Toronto Meetup? I'll be bumming around Toronto this Saturday and Sunday. Anyone for a mini-meetup or some coffee?
Yasser Arafat: "clinically dead"? Anybody know the difference between being "clinically dead" as opposed to "regular dead"?
Curious, George: Scraping websites I've got a VERY rudimentary understanding of Perl but, so far, I've been able to put together my website by using free scripts from sites like this one. Alas, my google-fu doesn't seem to be strong enough to find a script for what I want to do next. [more inside]
Kerry Wins by a Landslide : If you are ready to attempt a smile today, this might help.
The Goyard Entertainment Center. Block Party in a box, with built in minibike, sounds system, cooler, skateboards and god knows what else. [more inside]
Faith-based Zoology. A man was attacked and injured after jumping into a lion's den at the Taipei Zoo and trying to convert the lions to Christianity.
American Coastopia. From the site: "Ladies and gentlemen, you needn't fret anymore. We have decided that we can't live in the United States anymore, because so many of you in the "heartland" are so full of shit. We were all going to move to various other countries, but then we thought - why should WE move?" [more inside]
Decompressing George: After all the heartbreak and bile-raising of this election season, with the needle on my outrage-meter constantly buried and the level of my Faith-in-Humanity-Ometer at the lowest levels ever recorded, I need a break. [more inside]
Guy Fawkes
attempted to blow up Parliament (pdf) 399 years ago.
Once again the UK will be covered in fireworks and burning effigies tomorrow, especially places like this, where six societies compete.
Global Warming is an EU Conspiracy
: (Real Player sound file). I was listening to BBC R4's Today programme and they had a piece about a conference being held on climate change. A man by the name of Myron Ebell a senior adviser to Bush on Climate Change, was propounding his thoughts that the EU was using Climate Change theory as a way to restrict more competitive US businesses. Along with this he also felt that since most non-US scientists are government funded and that their views on are influenced by their country's agendas.
[more inside]
Buy Your Energy-Emitting Human Skull Replicas Here I ask you, did you purchase an "AUTHENTIC" Steinitz Homo superus skull from Steinitz Skulls, OR was it a cheap, fabricated imitation sold by some johnny come lately hominid skull dealer? [more inside]
Diebold...... featuring dynamically reconfigurable memory cards, freely published polling-station telephone numbers, short, easy-to-remember passwords and standard dialup modems sending unencrypted data over common carriers for greater transparency and efficiency.
The Urban Beast Project "The Urban Beast Project attempts to document and exhibit the almost extinct plight of wild and feral animals living in the midst of our urban areas."
Don't Be A Victim: The Childhood Goat Trauma Foundation
Titor's Last Stand? As beloved (and debunked) in the internets as kitties, John Titor's linchpin claim was of an impending civil war in the United States. I, for one, felt a brush-up was in order before the festivities begin. [more inside]
Curious George: Recovering Democracy US Government/PoliticsFilter, but with idealism. If you've had your fill of the former topics, and understandably so, move along. If you're interested in the latter, much [more inside]
Something for the girlzone in these troubled times, and maybe for the guys. NSFW. Flesh is pretty basic, so here are some nice examples. I feel calmer already.
Anyone remember the great Marx playsets from the 50's and 60's? I loved these things as a kid, collect them as an adult, and now they are in museums. [more inside]
A hat, a guitar, some whitey tighties, and a Dream. With all the election ruckus, isn't it nice to know that, somewhere out there, a man in his underwear is happy just playing his guitar for tourists? Oh, and making a movie? (warning: last link contains flash, all links contain excessive flexing)
Welcome To Japan! Sure, Canada is closer but the language up there isn't nearly as changeling. If you have a college degree you may want to try teaching English. Still in college? How 'bout an internship? Or maybe you're an experienced professional, or a research type. [more inside]
Curious George: Let's Secede It could be that Rhode Island had the right idea, so many years ago. If you can't beat 'em... fuck 'em [more inside]
November 03, 2004
Horn guy (wmv)
Jesusland and the US of C [more inside]
Reading this post will make you go blind Evangelical America, apply thy healing touch on the nation! [more inside]
Curious protest ant
Is it worth being a point as a present minority or is it just asking for trouble? Has the US become so polarized that to segregate ourselves is the only clean answer to domestic unrest?
*ramalamadingdong*
Curious George: Emigrating within the U.S. In a really old MoFi thread (last spring) I asked about leaving the country, and I see the subject returned here today. However it's not the answer. Is there an affordable leftie haven inside the United States? Why is the deck seemingly stacked against us to where we can't find a like-minded community within our own borders? [more inside]
Tail Gunner. Java arcade emulation. Fun!
Barack Obama: "...there's not a liberal America and a conservative America--there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America." Do you agree? (found first on dailykos.com) [more inside]
When big things collapse!
Crunch.
(Mostly courtesy roadie.net)
Welcome to Canada!
Now seems like a good time to post general info on immigrating to Canada and immigration as skilled worker info. The easiest way is to marry a Canadian and have them sponsor you, as I did. I met my Canadian hubby on Simpsons-l, but there are other ways.
testicle-eating cat haunts Kenya and other stories (subscription required to view the entire article) [more inside]
Blood-Sucking Monkeys At Temple Attack Hundreds Of Kids
In Lieu of the fact that all monkeys are so pissed off right now, I've decided to create the"
"BERATE THE BUSH SUPPORTER"
board
Here, all Monkeys of the world (including you Euros and others) may feel free to tell Bush Supporters the idiocy of their ways in your most clever, rhetoric, sarcastic, sadistic and even lovely one liners (note that you may use as many lines as you require)...
Happy Hunting!!!
Who's next? 2008 is the next chance for America to throw off the shackles of theocracy. Who do you think will be the Democratic candidate? I know who I suspect.
Curious George: What do you love about America? With all the sadness and depression I had a thought: I love America. I do. You know why? Because in spite of whatever happens - in spite of the fact that, no matter who wins, about half the country didn't want him - we will take it, and we will accept it, without violence, without civil war, and we have been doing it since 1776. We have endured worse, and we will survive, and we will do it as a nation divided - yet we will do it without fragmenting, and without losing hope that some day it will be better. That's worth believing in. [more inside]
Man Tries to Convert Lions to Christianity, Gets Bitten [more inside]
The Day After. (More *sigh* inside.)
11 states approve ban on gay unions.
even "progressive" blue states like oregon.
"Basic human rights should not be put up for a popular vote."
[more inside]
The Death Page. Laurence Sterne's 1760 novel Tristram Shandy broke new ground in a number of ways, notably by using a page of solid black to indicate the death of Yorick. Posted today for no particular reason. [more inside]
Witches Pardoned ...and their kitty cats, too. [more inside]
So how did that letter writing campaign affect the election turnout in Clark County, Ohio? We'll remember this monkey filter post about the Guardian's tongue in cheek attempt to make European voices heard in this presidential election. Well the final tally turned out to be 51% for Bush and 49% for Kerry. Check out the map of Ohio. Clark County is in the south western quadrant of the state; it's one of two which are colored white.
A Very Scary Solstice. Today while watching one horror, I saw another: the first Christmas commercial of the season (on November 2!) That means it's time for Cthulhu carols! Our candidate may not have done well in the campaign, but his plan for world domination is proceeding nicely, so let us sing his praises and hope to be eaten first.
Researching the_bone's AD200 election results. I found some interesting carrot facts. Purple carrots! Carrots for your hair! Carrots in art [more inside]
Curious George: My gas log starter doesn't. I have no idea how to use my gas log starter - Boy Scouts prepared me for the creation of roaring outdoor blazes, but this "fireplace" device has me bamboozled. Can a benevolent fire-wielding simian help me understand this fiendish thingy? [more inside]
I heart Wonkette. The Glenlivet and uncertainty certainly helps.
Ludicrous George...As I sit here with my face burning off from a laser facial treatment, I wonder what other craziness monkeys have had done/or done to themselves in the name of vanity or in the pursuit of love.
Anybody have an exe's name tattooed on their ass? Pretended to like really bad music? Bleached their hair with Super Blondissima until it dropped off their head?
I once came this close to becoming a Krishna devotee because a boyfriend already had the stylin' haircut and beads...
Hello Kitty! Hello Kitty and friends welcome you to the exciting and fantastic Hello Kitty World! Hello Kitty World will allow thousands of players to live and participate in Hello Kitty's magical and cute online world.
November 02, 2004
SAVE THE BURGER!
Hola my little monos,
I just wanted to keep you up on my pet project, Irv's Burgers. You might remember that I posted something here a few months ago about the possibility that Irv's, a West Hollywood institution, would be bulldozed and replaced with Peet's Coffee franchise. Well, it's getting harder and harder for them to do so.
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Saving Sam. "As the swatches of silver in his coarse black fur confirm, Sam the chimpanzee's youth is far behind him. At 56, he is the Sacramento Zoo's senior resident and is among the oldest chimpanzees in captivity in the country. Time has taken its toll."
The Right way to use Coca-Cola.
FrenchFilter! Koant's newest venture.
Curious George: CD-R reviews. I've spent most of the morning trying to locate a certain review site for CD-R blanks, almost identical to videohelp.com. It is/was an awesome "epinions" of the CD-R world with detailed user reviews on what CD-R products are best and where they are cheapest. I cannot find it due to the results noise in Google. Any ideas here?
Broadsides. In the centuries before there were newspapers and 24-hour news channels, the general public had to rely on street literature to find out what was going on. The most popular form of this for nearly 300 years was 'broadsides' - the tabloids of their day. Sometimes pinned up on walls in houses and ale-houses, these single sheets carried public notices, news, speeches and songs. [more inside]
Bin Laden: Americans are screwed and they know it...
rather disturbing statements released by Al-Jazeera...
Does any of this ring true to you?
Curious George: .wav cutter? I need a freeware or (low cost) shareware .wav editor - any ideas? [more inside]
Now will you remove those signs from your lawns, PLEASE?? [more inside]
Supermodel paints with people's cremains. (Now there's a sentence I never expected to write.)
But Mom, I don't want to go to the temple... No one we know, I'm sure.
Controversial filmmaker Theo van Gogh shot and stabbed to death
in Amsterdam this morning.
Prior to the attack, Van Gogh had received threats to his life, especially after the airing of a short film dealing with the status of women in Islamic culture.
Ironically, he is also known for a recent film chronicling the events leading up to the last high-profile assassination that shocked the Netherlands: that of controversial politician Pim Fortuyn.
The Pitcairns are one of the most isolated settlements in the world. They lie midway between New Zealand and Peru and were settled famously after the mutiny on the Bounty in 1789. (Photo tour here.) The primary family on Pitcairn is still the Christian family, who claim to be descended from Fletcher Christian. The islands are officially a British colony, but as far as the settlers and their descendants are concerned, they are an independent and self-governing nation. So the three-and-a-half year criminal investigation and subsequent trial of several Pitcairn men for indecent assault and rape has opened up serious issues for the residents and the British Crown. [more inside]
Already an upset in NH Hart's Location (New Hampshire) beat Dixville Notch in adding up the votes. [more inside]
Bananaphone makes you insane
- You know that song 'bananaphone'? The one that goes round your head til you .. well .. exactly what happens in this FLASH toon.
NSFW - sweary words - violence - bananaphone
Musical George: There's this song I keep hearing - it's about avoiding people who come knocking on your door. I think it's from the 70's; its chorus is currently being used in a commercial. The chorus is a one line thing that keeps getting repeated, like, five times, but might not directly relate to the theme of the song. Does anyone have any clue what I'm talking about? [more inside]
[via viewropa]The Military-Industrial Complex
Presidential race ends in tie, leaving final result uncertain. In the midst of election irregularities (blamed on the incumbent), results show a deeply divided nation. The challenger, running on a platform of withdrawing troops from Iraq and strengthening foreign relations with Europe, opposed an incumbent government that has put the country on a path away from European alliances and towards stronger ties with Russia. [more inside]
US stem cells tainted by mouse material. "The stem cell lines available for federally-funded research in the US have characteristics which mean they may never be used for medical treatments in humans, a new study suggests."
THE BIG FAT THREAD FOR THE ELECTIONS
It hasn't started yet, but I thought that I'd put this thing up.
Post here with running commentary about the vote count, voting irregularities, etc...
Guess who's next? And guess who's on their side? [more inside]
Curious George Votes. So, uh, a FRIEND of mine has never voted before and was Googling around for "best time to vote" to avoid excessive lines. Conflicting answers ranged from "8am to 10am" to "AFTER 10am", to "anytime before work". (The polls here open at 6.) Any advice from the monkeys here, or advice in general for a first time voter? (Note--we use punch cards in my puny non-swing state.)
November 01, 2004
America, you just got punk'd.
The Entries for the 2004 Everyman Photo Contest are in. "Everyone has taken great photographs, even if by accident. Now, those photos tacked to the wall or at the back of your desk drawer can bring you notoriety and cash." [more inside]
Nongregarious George
...Are you a loner? Most people know they're a loner without a quiz, but I was interested in seeing the slant of the results.
Below is a quote from my result on the "Are You A Loner?" test.
"Some people would call you independent, others might say you're anti-social. You don't go out of your way to be with people, and actually prefer your own company to that of others!"
Note the exclamation mark...is wanting to be by yourself truly that amazing to those who don't?
Why does the term 'loner' have such negative associations? Why, exactly, are non-loners so threatened by loners? Is it something like what dog trainers say? That the most impossible dog to train isn't the mean or stupid dog, but rather is the one that doesn't want anything?
Leave it to Bush #2
- I've been waiting for this. I cackled my ass off at the first Leave it to Bush, so much so that I now have no ass, & constantly claim to own two ferrets called Jesus & Slasher. This one features Fearless Leader with Bill Cosby. In space.
Voices by Bill Cosby & George W. Bush. Cartoon by Ken McIntyre with music by The Go! Team.
[more inside]
2004 Family Circle Cook-Off The current and (possibly) future First Ladies of the U.S. each submitted their cookie recipe. They'd make great snack foods for tomorrow nights' many election-watching parties. [more inside]
Researchers provide concrete evidence about how the human eye evolved. [Via /.]
Observing the Day of the Dead -- DĂa de los Muertos has and can be observed in many ways. I have mine (and will post later if am able, too many links apply to post now as well), do you have yours? With so many gone and so little time to mourn, reasons abound--
American Examiner "Your Friendly Neighborhood Newspaper™". Get it as a monster .jpg or download the .pdf version.
eminem promotes gansta voting In other news, there's been a surge in the sale of black hoodies as younun's prepare to vote or face the wrath of P. Diddy and Hillary Clinton.
"My name is Mike. ... I grew my hair from age 16 to age 35 without ever really getting a haircut other than a few trims. I reached what I believe was my terminal length of hair. At my longest my hair was almost to my ankles. My ex had long hair too almost to her waist. One day she decided to cut her hair and got a very short syled perm..." AND THEN...
Smoke-Free George To all you ex-smoking monkeys, how did you kick the habit for good? [more inside]
Curious George: Self Help I'm taking a psychology class, and we have to compare some self help book/video/system with as much science as Psychology has to offer. So, does anyone have any self help they can recommend? [more inside]
Curious George: Build it but they won't come. I just built a news satire website, but I have an audience of zero. Where is a good place I can get a few people to look at it? I did the Google thing a week ago but I'm still not in there, and I can't hope to be in Google Directory / dmoz for a long while. What are some options?
Curious George - I've got extra candy
You wanna trade? I have a bunch of mini Snicker's bars.
Get out the vote from the comfort of your own home Americans who registered to vote through RockTheVote.com were given the chance to opt-in and get a reminder to vote on election day. And who is going to deliver that reminder? Why, you, of course. RocktheVote will give you a couple of phone numbers and a script to follow. All you have to do is pick up the phone and encourage a voter to exercize his or her basic rights. [more inside]
Conservative attack ads have been playing extra dirty?
The Ashley's Story ads, if they're not being shown in your market, show Bush comforting the daughter of a 9/11 victim. It's meant to be a serious tear-jerker.
Ashlee's Story, on the other hand, points out that these ads are funded by the Progress for America Voter Fund, a conservative group behind a number of anti-Kerry attack ads. The donations raised by this play for people's emotions go to buy air time for other PFA ads.
[more inside]
The New York Subway
is 100 years old. Some history: celebrating the subway in film and song (RealPlayer) : Ms Subways: but there's also less happy news...
All links shamelessly stolen from the Internet Scout Project
[more inside]
Is Novak Relevant? A new low by the recipient of Jon Stewart's "Congressional Medal of Douchebag". It's Monday, November 2nd, 2004, and Robert Novak is asking, Is Kerry relevant to 2004 election?
The formula is X = a x ((24-b) x (c+d+e) + f x (g+h+i)
Face Transplants on the way
So far, no donors or volunteers...
anyone game?
Twilit Grotto. An archive of grimoires and esoterica. Or at least it's a collection of the stuff that hasn't been burned a couple centuries ago.
Are you a "rockist"? (NYT link; registration required, I'm pretty sure.)
Evil Clown Generator For Hallowe'en fun, and to make up for my post that nobody liked.
The Dionaea House is a really good website. Some fun fiction for a Halloween Sunday. At first I thought it was one of those newfangled games but apparently not. via metafilter
Put your money where your mouth is! Election pools covering a wide range of topics including the electoral and popular vote, legal challenges, concession speeches, and more.
