Links posted in December 2006
December 31, 2006
Red-Hot and Filthy Library Smut
Parasite makes men dumb, women sexy [more inside]
December 30, 2006
Need to build your own gallows? No one at Home Depot will give advice? Perhaps these examples will inspire ideas. [more inside]
Four
o ld
lang
sign
HAPPY NEW YEAR
[more inside]
December 29, 2006
Links to 11,500 music videos on YouTube. Found via stavrosthewonderchicken's Mefi post in which he rewrote the whole list. Not all links work or go to where they claim, but on the whole the list is Good.
The Movie Timeline. Can't separate what was film and what was reality? Never fear! It's all true! A timeline through history, which recognizes that all events presented in film are in fact, fact. (Site finally gives due appreciation to the historical influences of Alien vs. Predator, and Highlander). [more inside]
Geostationary Banana Over Texas apparently us monkeys need to go to Texas after Aug. 2008.
Head-banging Chinese snakes can predict earthquakes [more inside]
December 28, 2006
Wii Have a Problem. A compendium of Wii-related injuries and damage, and some other stuff. Busted, yes, but not yet old.
Fat farms These are places to lose weight, but also to gain. [more inside]
December 27, 2006
Sorry, I think another miracle is debunked. First look at this Jesus-thingie, but before getting too religiously excited you might want to check out this other, non-Jesus thingie.
Curious George: baby footwear. Just before the holidays, Sister Renault announced she was going to sprog, some time in June. In order to keep a longstanding promise/threat, and to annoy my brother-in-law, I need to find baby Docs. [more inside]
Gerald Ford, dead at 93.
Former president Gerald R. Ford, who told an uneasy nation that "our long national nightmare is over" after assuming the presidency from Richard Nixon in 1974, was the only politician who served as vice president and president but was never elected to either office.
He will be missed as a source of both laughs and a bit of an inspiration for integrity. (Even if he did let Tricky Dick off the hook.)
And on a totally crass note, Ford is number two in the celebrity trifecta, who will be the third?
Curious, George: Soooooooo...Watdja git for Christmas? (Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, etc) [more inside]
December 26, 2006
BEES! Man vs bee in an epic battle. Or: guys burn stuff for fun. (Warning: photo heavy.) [more inside]
Free monkeys on the NHS! Err, sorry, no [more inside]
Mall Santa was meningitis carrier
Ohio health officials say a shopping mall Santa Claus tested positive for carrying a bacteria that causes meningitis.
And if that's not bad enough, "across the pond" A man dressed as Santa collapsed and died as he handed out presents at a children's Christmas party.
December 25, 2006
James Brown has left the building. (PS Merry Christmas to all the monkeys.)
Religious popular music from Upper Egypt The munshidin (en français) of upper Egypt. Just one of the many music resources at bolingo.
December 24, 2006
December 23, 2006
TomTom? or DumbDumb
(Tiny URL used as original exceeds 140 characters. Page is Reuters article)
Drivers following the directions of their satnavs or GPS systems, are more prone to turn off their brains, and dispense with common sense in lieu of their gadget. <sigh>
[more inside]
Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying
Festivus turns 40 this year. The holiday was invented by the father of Daniel O’Keefe, a future Seinfeld writer. Many find it to be a simple family celebration, free of marketing corruption of Christmas. Traditions include the aluminum pole, the airing of grievances, and feats of strength. Meat loaf or spaghetti in a red sauce is traditional, but the writer Allen Salkin recommends a hearty beer, rum, bourbon, or wine. Now, I've got some problems with you people...
Lost-and-Found Tiwari For 60 years Raja Ram Tiwari has been reuniting people separated from each other during Hindu festivals. [more inside]
SMOKE SIGNALS. "The third most-used drug in this country after alcohol and cigarettes, it is often claimed that cannabis is less harmful to your health. However, a review of major health studies by the Mental Health Council of Australia has debunked this view, finding that cannabis can increase the risk of mental illness in a small number of people and is addictive. The study concludes that cannabis use can bring on schizophrenia in people who have a family history of mental illness."
The City Desk covers a non-existent city This first link is via MeFi, but it got me thinking... there are all kinds of wacky imaginary worlds out there. Let's go exploring!
December 22, 2006
Population mortality and football results "On days when the local professional football team lost at home, mortality attributable to acute myocardial infarction and stroke increased significantly in men... No increase was observed in women." Via
The future agent cat
"What surfaced was that our cat actually is one of many agents from the future, sent here to spy on 'historical persons' as the cat herself put it"
I just love that blog.
First Time Evar! Giant Squid Captured Live on Camera!
squidfilter?
CuriousGeorge: Why are taxicabs so expensive? I'm trying to wrap my mind around the math that results in me paying $10 to go 3 miles. [more inside]
Elf Attack! 'Tis the season. Some Friday Flash Fun for the monkeys stuck at work today. Happy Holidays!
Concert recordings from the 1960s to the current day. The vast majority of material in Wolfgang's Vault comes from the exquisitely preserved, original archives of Bill Graham Presents. [more inside]
December 21, 2006
Triplets born to UK woman with two wombs: no, this isn't a Monty Python sketch [more inside]
Young boy sings the "Queen of the Night" aria YouTube, found via a comment on MeFi [more inside]
Curious George: Property Line Rights The construction crew next door keeps leaving tools on my side of the line. Can I claim them as found property? [more inside]
The Robot Award 2006 announced their winners today. Paro and My Spoon were the top winners. [some links in Japanese] [more inside]
Robots Could Demand Legal Rights In other news, laughter can be heard in the vicinity of Asimov's grave.
RoboCoaster is an industrial robot re-purposed for thrills. The videos make it it look like fun. [more inside]
Test your musical skillz in 6 minutes! Can't carry a tune? Take the tonedeafness test and check your pitch perception ability. Can't dance? Take the rhythm test. (flash required)
Turkmenbashi is dead. Who are we going to make fun of now?
December 20, 2006
Baby + Xray Machine = ?
Lady puts baby in airport x-ray machine. 'nuff said. newsstupidfilter.
[more inside]
Who wants to know?
Slate's Explainer presents the best (or worst?) of the questions received this year. One of them WILL be answered, but which one should it be?
And which one was asked by our very own Captain?*
*OK maybe he didn't ask any of them, but if he had, which one would it have been?
Superzoom: From The Universe to a Quark Having a bad day? Spilled marinara on your Great American Novel? Lost your glasses again? (Check on top of your head) - Don't worry, get some perspective. Like a visualization of the Universe that focuses in on the Milky Way, our Sun, Earth, etc.
Virgin Dragon Prepares to Give Birth A festive story with holiday spirit.
A Systems Engineering Approach to Dating and Relationships
Random Word Generator No, not that one! Check out synonyms for awesome, diseases you don't want to have (you know, as opposed to diseases you want to have), and the ultimate MoFi mashup (apologies for random, dated selection). [more inside]
New books about Satan. And, what the hell, here's a bit more on the horned, cloven-hoofed fella. And some testimonials telling what happens when you go to visit him.
Curious George: Cool sounding words. Is there a lexicon of cool-sounding words that can serve as a title for an advanced version of a product? See inside... [more inside]
December 19, 2006
New-look Archie Comics A more 'contemporary, realistic' style for Archie comics - including longer storylines - is in the works. A sample page shows the lack of checkerboard hair for our protagonist; no word yet on what will happen to Jughead's hat. [more inside]
Schizoaffective disorder sufferer speaks. “You’re such a fool, a loser, idiot! They know your every move.” The voices I hear are abusive and critical. They can also be bizarre: “We are stoplights”, “You’re just cheap chocolate”, “Crazy lazy point-blank bicycle”... I once sewed nine buttons on to my sleeve because someone said “nine or so” in conversation. It seemed terribly important to do so. It is not uncommon for people with schizophrenia like me to make up new words. More about the diagnosis. [Via]
Curious George the Nostalgic Audiophile. A simple, yet not-so-simple question: What three albums changed your life? [more inside]
Is Netiquette going down the tubes?
Lifehacker's guide to posting on weblogs. With comments!
Apt?
[more inside]
Weddings - Japanese style
So many choices - Western (no not cowboy outfits) or traditional style?
[more inside]
December 18, 2006
Scottish soldiers forced to share kilts due to shortage.
No word on sporran supplies.
In related kilt news, the EU has decided not to classify kilts as women's clothing after all.
No power after massive storm in Seattle Photos 12/14, Photos 12/15, Photos 12/16, Photos 12/17 [more inside]
Curious, George: Baby, It's Hot Outside So it's unseasonably balmy where I live right now (Southern U.S.), which is just fine with me but has other folks complaining that it's just not Christmas unless it's cold enough to kill you if you get lost in the woods overnight. Which got me wondering: Are there Southern Hemisphere Christmas songs about the weather? Dashing through the sand in a one-horse open ... dune buggy, maybe? Chestnuts roasting on an open barbecue? In the Bleak Midsummer?
The Clapper improved? That's impossible! The Clapper has now joined the 21st century with the all new Clapper Plus -- a remote controlled Clapper system that makes using and turning off your appliances even easier than clapping your hands! [more inside]
What does a food stylist do? What are the career prospects? How hard is it to replicate what they do at home? [more inside]
BBC's 'The Sky at Night' is 50. The longest-running show on the beeb, presented by the fantastic Patrick Moore reaches its 650th show. [more inside]
The National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame
Happy Beethoven's Birthday! [more inside]
December 17, 2006
Jonathan Glazer's Motorola Red ad faces chop. Jonathan Glazer, famous for creating conceptually and visually [YouTube links] stunning music videos for Radiohead and engendering controversy with his film Birth, has created a hauntingly beautiful TV spot [YouTube] for Motorola Red [embedded wmv] as part a global corporate campaign against AIDS. The response from Motorola? "[It will] never see the light of day." [more inside]
Gentlemen: Soy beans are making you gay and shrinking your penis. This public service message brought to you by Jim Rutz, nutritionist, chronicler of the miraculous, and former Amway distributor.
Elephant Serial Killer, nicknamed Osama bin Laden, shot in India. There is, however, a suspicion of mistaken identity. Pictures of the late pachyderm. [more inside]
Nope, that's not a typo. From the Elder Days through assorted other ages Tolkien's work, brought to life (or undeath, not trying to be vitalist) as Sims.
December 16, 2006
Salgado in Sudan [Flash required]: photographs of the Dinka tribal group of southern Sudan. Here is a site with more pictures (sadly not Salgado) of Dinka life. [more inside]
An amazing first: the Giant Moray eel & the Roving Coral Grouper collaborate to hunt, the first example of coordinated hunting seen in fish, and apparently the first known instance of cooperative hunting between species seen outside humans.
December 15, 2006
Police arrest a 5 year old girl
The fraternal order of police finally does the job we all want them to do.
Now you can do your part.
[more inside]
Ben's, 1908 - 2006. Ben's Deli in Montreal is no more. One of the giants for smoked meat sandwiches along with (the better) Schwartz's and The Main, Ben's fell victim to the first strike in its history, where workers of 20, 30 and one of even 52 years' service were trying to get a forty-cent raise over just above Minimum. [more inside]
Rape Is Not A Compliment Melissa McEwan (Shakes) received this comment at her blog. "No one wants to rape you, Shakes. Sorry to inform you." I have my reservations about giving nutcases a platform, but Shakes has several good points about warped perceptions about rape. Some men think it's only the pretty girls. Someone should tell that to the men raped in prison, elderly women or children who are raped each year.
50 Pages of Neat
Lots of cool stuff, which is apparently some design-minded person's blog, and is perfectly designed for wasting lots of time. There's some excellent stuff there though, and something on the linked page looks familiar . . .
Oh, and via BunnyCorp
Danger Will Robinson! Someone has mass-produced the robot from Lost in Space. [more inside]
Baka Pygmies Culture, music and rites of initiation in the Central African rainforest.
Curious George: Tokyo Meetup 24/25/26 January? Don't make me go to metafilter.
100 things we didn't know this time last year [more inside]
Maury Povich helps a guest overcome her fear of pickles. [ifilm video I found via this]
StumbleUpon (previously) has been the single biggest threat I've ever seen to any chance I had at being a productive human. They have now launched the second biggest threat. I think I have to unplug my computer now.
Honor and Modernity. Is honor an antiquated concept in the modern world? An interesting essay by a Norwegian anthropologist addressing how cultural misunderstanding can lead to tragedy.
'New Organics' found on 'strange' comet, Wild 2. More evidence for comets as the origin of life on earth.
December 14, 2006
Yay cornstarch! Spanish TV show El Hormiguero fills a pool with a cornstarch-water slurry (also known as "oobleck" — make your own) and has fun with it. Previous weird cornstarchy goodness here. [more inside]
Thank God our perception of beauty is distorted.
Remember the Dove ad (previously here)? Don't know if this is a counter-point or just a well made spoof, but it may just stop you from slow down your drinking and smoking. [flash video]
Your surname - its origins. Its distribution in the UK , or US.
The strange story of Myriam Bédard. An arrest warrant has been issued for the former Olympian, alleging she has abducted her own daughter during a trip to the U.S. to defend her partner against allegations of stealing art by Ghitta Caiserman. [more inside]
Curious George: online encyclopedia for kids My Kids are driving me crazy with their homework! What they need is a good (free) online knowledge base aka. encylopedia. History, maths and science espcially for 12-16 year olds. F'rinstance - "Daddy, was the Roman empire cruel and civilisied at the same time? If so can you give me 10 examples of each?" Tempted not to quote the Life of Brian's immortal "What have the Romans ever done for us?" I decided to turn to the interweb thingy for ideas. Aaaargh! Where do you start? Help from simians greatly appreciated
The Mefi Compilation Album (wot, no monkey album?)
Every click a coalition death in Iraq.
Language podcasts. Remember that language you were always going to learn? Try it with podcasts. Chinese, French, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Russian and English.
December 13, 2006
Rubes So we've talked a little about Rube Goldberg [flash] and his cartoons which have inspired the young, and older, the French, and the Japanese. They've even been used in advertising, but I think this one most exemplifies Rube's style.
Curious George: Xmas cookie recipes Any tried-and-true Xmas cookie and candy recipe recommendations to share? I fill Xmas tins for gifts every year and I'm always on the lookout for new ideas. I'd like some personally-tested and Monkey-approved recipes - what cookies do your family traditionally make/associate with Xmas? [more inside]
Just another meteor shower, you say? Perhaps not. This solar Coronal Mass Ejection (last night) was pointed almost directly at our Pale Blue Dot. A Middle Latitude Aurora Warning has been issued meaning that the Northern Lights may be seen as far south as Northern California, Kansas, Southern Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina (U.S.) and France, Northern Italy, Poland, Central Russia on the east side of the pond. Southern Hemisphere watchers should be alert as New Zealand and Southern Australia may see periods of activity. [more inside]
Watch out fellow monkeys; the Superlions are here!
Peter Boyle dead at 71. Oddly, his lengthy career is overshadowed by Everybody Loves Raymond. So much so that the obit doesn't even mention the funniest bit ever put on film:the "Puttin' on the Ritz" scene.
Mel Gibson Apocalypto shooting The preparing and shooting story of Mel Gibson movie Apocalypto is not less interesting that film itself The film crew tirelessly searched for the places, capable to transfer a unique atmosphere of a tropical wood. They have traveled all over Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica, having faced thus with a number of difficulties: in particular, they have been struck - as few tropical woods were kept in America. ‘Finally we have found very beautiful site of a tropical wood’, - Gibson considers.
Cat fishing Guess the subject from the Wikipedia categories.
The DJ Riko Merry Mixmas
collection is now up for grabs. Includes links
for prior year mixes.
The Baiji Yangtze Dolphin is with all probability extinct.
The white dolphin known as baiji, shy and nearly blind, dates back some 20 million years. Its disappearance is believed to be the first time in a half-century, since hunting killed off the Caribbean monk seal, that a large aquatic mammal has been driven to extinction.
How do you pronounce Pinochet? There's no single correct pronunciation for the name in Chile. The first two syllables don't change too much, and should be something between "pin-oh" and "pee-no." But the last syllable is up for grabs: Some Chileans go with "shay," others "chay," and still others "chet."
Ben
Crispin Glover and his friend Ben, along with a cast of characters (what's your major malfunction?) YouTube goodness all around
[more inside]
52 (Almost) Free Website Advertising Ideas. A must read for all bloggers...
Santastic II is totally Clausome! [more inside]
Soldiers Say Army Ignores, Punishes Mental Anguish. [more inside]
December 12, 2006
The 2006 Golden Bull Awards have been announced. The awards are given to public figures who make baffling statements. This year's Foot in Mouth winner was Naomi Campbell, who said, "I love England, especially the food. There's nothing I like more than a lovely bowl of pasta." The Golden Bulls are given by the Plain English Campaign.
Calice d'hostie! F-bomb OK on Quebec TV, but just you try "saint-ciboire"...
All scores of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's works available online free. The site opened Monday, according to the CBC story, and has been deluged ever since ("NOTE: We are overvelmed by the resonance of this website"). New improved mega-servers expected soon.
A Tale of Two Cockatoos [more inside]
With Subtle Reminders, Stereotypes Can Become Self-Fulfilling - "A number of experiments show that subtle cues can alter academic preferences -- and test performance -- without anyone being aware of it." [more inside]
Perfect Xmas gift
for the young and young at heart.
slow for dial-up
Monkeys Get Ebola (video)
When zoologists in the Lossi region of central Africa noticed that some of the gorillas they were studying were becoming sick and dying, they could not have known what was to come. Now gorillas face the possibility of going extinct.
[more inside]
Mr. Monkey's World of Hats. "Which hat fits my mood today?" Mr. Monkey also received an Emu....who was immediately named Mr. Emu. [more inside]
Top 20 Overrated Movies? This list seems designed to infuriate, containing some real classics (not to mention my favorite movie of all time: Moonstruck). Discuss amonst yourselves.
Attack of the Robot Lobsters also related - How to survive a robot uprising
December 11, 2006
Curious, George: Organic Graffiti I heard somewhere about this thing called organic graffiti... [more inside]
Will you still need me when I'm 116? Today, the oldest living person died in a nursing home in Tennessee. At 116, Elizabeth Bolden was the last person remaining in America documented to have been born in 1890. [more inside]
Devices (NSFW) for, er, remote copulatory needs. (Insert obligatory joke about getting the shaft from Windows.) [more inside]
The Fletcher Capstan Table One of the more beautiful pieces of furniture I've seen in awhile. A circular table that expands to double capacity in a mesmerising radial fashion. the Montana is my favorite. Santa. Hint.
33 names of things you never knew had names. I would assume word-loving Monkeys can probably add to this list and give us some more strange words.
(Youtube) Montage of creatures created by the genius that was Ray Harryhausen.
Winterbells - a seasonal flash game from orisinal
Victor Jara The death of Augusto Pinochet set me thinking of one of his many victims, singer Victor Jara. Here's some mp3 rarities and pictures of a man whose torture and murder encapsulate the brutality of Pinochet's regime.
A dearth of female A&R types. "Women buy roughly half of all CDs sold...and most radio formats target women as their primary audience. Yet...no woman runs the mainstream music A&R department at any major record label. Over the last decade, only two women have helmed A&R pop departments at major labels."
'Drunken' bishop faces battle to save his job
The bishop reportedly staggered home from a function at the Irish embassy on Tuesday night, climbed into the back of a stranger's Mercedes, and started throwing an infant's toys out of the vehicle.
Asked to explain himself, he is claimed to have said: "I'm the Bishop of Southwark. It's what I do."
Bats navigate using the Earth's Magnetic Field - Many animals, such as homing pigeons & other birds such as even the humble Chook, newts (a newt?), trout & turtles use magnetic fields for orientation. Now we know (at least some) bats do, too. [more inside]
December 10, 2006
Verizon CSRs confused by math(s) [embedded MP3 audio] George (no relation to Curious) recently had it out with Verizon over his internet bill; they claimed that quoting the price of 0.002 cents per kilobyte of data transfer was the same as billing for 0.002 dollars per KB. He disagreed, and taped the phone conversation to make sure he wasn't the only one. [more inside]
December 09, 2006
Pop Culture Translator
"I'm capable. Of preparing you. For sex. Just let me be dad. You can be mom."
Fifty Cent, Ozzy Osbourne, Gollum, and even Irish Mickey deciphered at last. [video clips with sound]
Diggingest Dog is Archaeologist - finds Neolithic stone axe, retrieves it, drops it on owner's foot.
BlackBerry Orphans - "The growing use of email gadgets is spawning a generation of resentful children. A look at furtive thumb-typers, the signs of compulsive use and how kids are fighting back." [more inside]
Ask Metafilter on NPR (scroll to bottom)
Here we go ....a smoke crescent hangs over eastern Victoria. This may be the worst weekend ever. [more inside]
December 08, 2006
Gifts to keep on giving. The ever-informative sex columnist (and all-round bon vivant) Sasha Van Bon Bon presents her guide to Christmas giving. Toys, graphic novels, and charitable gifts to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. [Prolly NSFW][Not the Stephen Lewis Foundation, the other stuff.]
BBC sez Indian men have tiny dicks. [more inside]
Toys from Eaton's in the catalogues of the now defunct Canadian department store. [more inside]
What Statistics on Home Sales aren't telling us. ...Another house, just steps from Naples Bay, received a high bid of $880,000, compared with $1.35 million a year earlier. On average, the bids suggested that the houses at the auction had lost about 25 percent of their value since 2005 . Is this the first sighting of the long-predicted and discussed collapse of the bubble?
Apocalypto - casting and language [more inside]
Camille advises Britney Camille Paglia (who like Hitchens, is a bit past the peak of her career), weighs in on Britney Spears and how all of her recent twat flashing for the camera is "degrading the entire pro-sex wing of feminism". In Us magazine. [more inside]
Historigore!
Mel Gibson creates a new film genre. "Within the first five minutes of the movie, someone eats a testicle. At the time, this graphic display was shocking and repulsive (Gibson employs very able FX people), but somewhere after the heart chewing and around the second beheading, I longed for the halcyon days of the testicle appetizer. We were so young then. "
Somedays I just love the CBC.
Distortrait is where famous people come daily for a makeover.
Actual note produced by highschool girls found in arizona cafeteria. [more inside]
Ripoff-ee or ripoff-er?
What is the rental market in your neighbourhood? Are you paying too much? Charging too little? This handy tool will tell you how you compare!!
(US, Canada, and London only.)
No claim made for the accuracy of this website!
Critiquing the critics NYCFilter: "Everyone’s a critic, but some professional reviewers have the power to shape NYC culture—and for the first time, these tastemakers have been rated by the artists and industry insiders who know them best." [more inside]
Call that a knife? The new Swiss Army knife contains 85 devices, weighs 2lb and costs nearly £500. But can you actually use it for anything?
December 07, 2006
Fun With Hirsuitism
Reminded me of those Chiapets...
Write message on a hairy back! Kinda makes me think of an angora bunny, and then pause for a moment and wonder if anyone's ever spun and knit human hair...
Carve that critter!
There are many delicate bits about a calf's head, and when young, perfectly white, fat and well dressed, half a head is a genteel dish, if a small one.
[more inside]
A Rakish History of Men's Wear at the NYPL The intriguing story of how menswear swung between ostentation and restraint until the early modern era. [more inside]
St Nicholas'
feast day was yesterday. Hope you had a good one.
[more inside]
Bactrian gold. Feared lost when the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the 21,000 pieces were discovered safe inside a vault of the Afghanistan bank protected by a key fragment purposefully broken off in the lock. A sample of the collection is currently on display in Paris.
December 06, 2006
Dog poo as artistic statement. Via jafproject. [more inside]
The Hitch explains it all for you: Why women aren't funny edition Taking time out from his usual defenses of the Bush administration's foreign policy (but let us not speak of that!) and his attacks of Mother Teresa, professional contrarian and alcomaholic Christopher Hitchens lays out the facts on why the ladies are deficient in teh funny.
New Poet Laureate for Canada. John Steffler fills the post.
Democrats hate families?
Next year, members of the House will be expected in the Capitol for votes each week by 6:30 p.m. Monday and will finish their business about 2 p.m. Friday, Hoyer said.
"Keeping us up here eats away at families," said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who typically flies home on Thursdays and returns to Washington on Tuesdays. "Marriages suffer. The Democrats could care less about families -- that's what this says."
Work Monday through Friday? OMG WTF?!
[more inside]
OR-Live. Live and recorded webcasts of surgery. Gasp at the Brain tumour resection, swoon at the hip replacement, tune in this afternoon for the Robotic Prostatectomy.
Dr Ambedkar , champion of the Dalits (untouchables) and creator of the Indian Constitution, died 50 years ago on Thursday. There are tensions as the day approaches. [more inside]
Carbon Offsets. Sure they are critised as enviro indulgences, an easy out for rich western polluters and governments alike. But then again, they are for real. New offset organizations are popping up all the time, so it pays to do some reseach before chosing your provider.
Goodsearch.com Yahoo-powered search engine that gives to charity when you search with it. (Via) [more inside]
December 05, 2006
Econ 101 at the U. of Chicago. Conservatives have long critiqued academia for the ways professors use their position to indoctrinate students with left-wing ideology, but the left has largely ignored the political impact of the way people learn economics, though its influence is likely far more profound. So in order to find out just what students learn when they learn economics, I headed down to Hyde Park, where the University generously let me enroll in “Principles of Macroeconomics” for a quarter. Good article. [more inside]
hheh-heh, hheh-heh, you said ...
Attack of the clones
Dutch artist Bert Simons, suffering from a mid-life crisis, decided to clone himself to become immortal.
By means of state-of-the-art computer multiplication techniques he found a way for you to build your own Bert clone! (1.2 MB PDF)
He is currently in the process to clone a female specimen. (NSFW: cardboard nudity) [via]
Nazi Propaganda Posters, from the German Propaganda Archive. Some are impressive, some are, well, camp. Here's a Beetle ad, and here's one from the 1939 Nurmeberg Peace Rally (cancelled due to war). And this one is for the odious and infamous film, The Eternal Jew. Here are some stills. [more inside]
Horseballs [SFW]
The Fourth Annual Day of the Ninja may very well cement the holiday in the public consciousness, much like its better-known cousin, Talk Like a Pirate Day. Started (by me, I readily admit) in 2003, this year it took an odd twist when the guy at Ask a Ninja made it the focus of a podcast and decided to release his new DVD on that day. [more inside]
It's Moon Base Alpha! "NASA said it will establish an international base camp on one of the moon's poles, permanently staffing it by 2024, four years after astronauts land there." Projected bill: US$104 billion.
Frame 352, and all that - The Patterson-Gimlin 'Sasquatch' footage, given a decent objective squint by Darren Naish, Zoologist. [more inside]
December 04, 2006
Military jams garage doors in quest for national security. A U.S. Air Force signal from Cheyenne Mountain renders automatic garage doors inoperable. Owners left to open doors manually like some godless Communist.
Booker Prize Winner Ian McEwan under fire. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, winner (2002) of the National Book Critics Circle Award, Ian McEwan's novel Atonement, currently being developed into a film, has come under fire on charges of plagiarism. [more inside]
This is an American Citizen A description and pictures of the routine handling Jose Padilla, the only American citizen held without charge as an "Enemy Combatant". [more inside]
In the Womb: Animals is an unprecedented two-hour world premiere special that takes you inside the hidden world of animal pregnancy. Using state-of-the-art visual effects, computer graphics and real-time, moving 4-D ultrasound imagery, we can see inside the unique world of animal fetal development in a way never before possible. For the first time, these pictures shed light on how an elephant, a dolphin and a dog develop in the womb. - National Geographic Channel. [more inside]
The Ross Ice Shelf is in danger of collapsing. This particular piece of ice covers an area the size of France. Its collapse will cause a rise in sea-levels of between 5m and 17m.
The Myth of Thomas Szasz. “Psychiatry is conventionally defined as a medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental diseases,” Szasz wrote. “I submit that this definition, which is still widely accepted, places psychiatry in the company of alchemy and astrology and commits it to the category of pseudoscience. The reason for this is that there is no such thing as ‘mental illness.’”
Sand in My Eyes! Storybook sand sculptures. These photographs are OK in themselves, but some of the ads beside 'em are probably NSFW.
December 03, 2006
Cute Mother. SFW.
The slowest-growing religion in the world
- Dudeism.
Get ordained as a Dudeist Priest.
What American accent do you have? After you've mastered this (and lived to tell the tale), perhaps you'd like to take the next step and compare yourself to other USians. [more inside]
First, read the REUTERS story. Then, VISIT Spraykondom.de. SQUIRM as you watch liquid latex sprayed onto a wooden dildo. And finally, SIGN UP to become a condom tester!
Lenticulations - Animated 3D Multiple Lens Photographs
MSNBC has sent two reporters to Antarctica, with somewhat wacky results. (Read the pages in reverse order if you want to go chronologically.) The two are supposed to be investigating global warming, but they're also writing about life on McMurdo Station. After a grouchy first article, the scientists at the station are not impressed, and go so far as to start a snarky blog about one of the reporters. Together, these form an interesting point/counterpoint of life on the ice shelf.
Curious George: Where's the funny stuff? What's the funniest online video clip you know of? Here's mine.
December 02, 2006
It is during this time of year that I truly enjoy a good single malt. I have often wished to that I could go on a tour of some of the legendary distilleries. [more inside]
Tunnel of Love, Russia style. (YouTube) via
Swearing on the Koran undermines American civilisation. [more inside]
Sugar baby love Nicely done short animation promoting safe sex by telling the story of a young man's discovery of his sexuality (thus not surprisingly NSFW. Embedded QuickTime)
The most EMOTIONAL TV moment of all TIME [more inside]
Who are these old farts singing "My Generation"? Warning: AOL, annoying advert, embarassing baby boomer content.
Onions and Garlic.
Really effective for repelling mosquitoes too.
And for women, eat heartily and breathe heavily in the direction of the pestilent blokes at your office or work place. Maahhrvellous sexist repellent.
Bram Stoker noticed it's effect on Vampyres. Hmmm, maybe inspired by his own reactions to one or two personal experiences?
December 01, 2006
Speedbandits.dk
A unique approach to solving the everyday problem of speeding motorists. NSFW, contains embedded Flash!
You're welcome. Happy Friday.
Oh, and via SexistJerkFi
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Museum of English Rural Life Some decent text about and old pictures of rural industries like bodging and charcoal burning, country people, landscapes, and buildings and plenty more. [more inside]
Keep 'em on! Canadian survey probes the crucial matter of sock-wearing during sex. "We've discovered that 72% of Canadians don't find socks sexy". But by god we leave our shoes at the door! [more inside]
The Webtender will create a cocktail from the dregs of your drinks cabinet. He'll even tell you how drunk you are. [more inside]
Podcast: Penn Jillette's Monkey Tuesday, 11/28/06 Monkey Tuesday, a regular feature on Penn Jillette's radio show. This one contains a discussion regarding an ad, "Who Else Wants a Monkey? Free cage, free collar..."
Paternoster Lifts Something wendell said in my thread about pneumatic tubes reminded me of something I heard the other day on Czech radio (don't ask) which was a little story about Paternosters! [more inside]
Lyle Gomes' photos have the strange ability to relax even the most tired minds.
How to write good sex scenes. As counterpoint to Wendell's post, via this thread on Making Light, is this series on good sex scene writing. [more inside]
London Mail Rail: 75 years of underground letters. [more inside]
Curious George: Word Play I have a type of word game in mind, but don't know what it's called. Hope me, hive mind. [more inside]
Respect. Respect. Respect. Just a little bit?
This year's winner of the Literary Review Bad Sex Award: "...we're lost in a commotion of grunts and squeaks, flashing unconnected images and explosions of a million little particles." Uh, yeah. The competition this year was, uh, "stiff", according to The Guardian, and "unstoppably on", according to The Independent. Well timed for the end of NaNoWriMo, which really should provide some of next year's contenders.
