Someone took his camera phone to the first test rounds for the Darpa Grand Challenge . The challenge is to built an unmanned vehicle which has to find it's way through an unknown course from LA to Las Vegas. In the first test only two from the 6 challengers even made it past the start line and none of them made it to the finish. And this was only a simple obstacle course, in the real challenge the vehicles have to find their way past swamps, train tracks and populated areas. I hope they have a good insurance. Wired News also has a story but it lacks the nice pics of a crashing robotized Honda Acura.

Introducing Sloops "A unique loopless 5 pocket blue jean (patent pending). Designed by a suspender wearer to compliment and fit the physique of the typical suspender wearer: no hips, no rear end."

Stop Nader I know we've talked about this before, but a new poll shows that Nader has 3% of registered voters, and of course all of his support comes at the expense of Kerry. Please, for the love of God, what can we do to avoid a 2000 disaster?

Curious George: What do you call this kind of verse? Is there a general term for songs like "The 12 Days of Christmas" and poems like "The House That Jack Built", where each verse builds on the last? It seems like there should be some obvious answer, but I've asked a wide range of people (including a Ph.D. musicology student) and nobody seems to know.

odds of god "A scientist has calculated that there is a 67% chance that God exists."

"The trouble with Enron is that there weren't any grown-ups." A paean to, and an elegy for, the disappearing adult complete with serious hat, and commentary on the rise of perpetual adolescence (courtesy of the Weekly Standard via A&L Daily)

CNN is reporting that Zimbabwe has taken into custody "mercenaries" from a U.S. registered plane. NPR reported this morning that Zimbabwe state media has described the mercenaries as "strongly built, white men", although the prisoners have not actually been seen by journalists. No weapons were found on the plane other than knives.

If I were a man, I'd get a tattoo. But I'm not, so I'll have to settle for one of these.

Fetid Farmer Forcibly Freshened. Kenyan John Kasokong had not bathed for a decade. His stench so overpoweringly toxic, villagers took violent action with soap and a rope. Quonsar is next. Millions rejoice.

Our own moonbird has finally launched Queermeta. Now I don't have to feel so guilty for queering up MoFi.

Hell Monkey vs. Los Plantanos more inside

Free Quonsar! With every pack of cornflakes!

The Last Written Words of Albert Einstein. His last spoken words are apparently lost forever, because he spoke them in German to an American nurse who didn't understand a word. This was found unfinished, next to his deathbed. Note: This is a rather large jpg. Can anyone read it? Shed any light? Switch on the languagehat-signal!

Ricky Jay. Because I've been professionally immersed in deception, I have been accused of keeping a low profile. Even though I have been in show business all my life some think I have no profile at all. more inside

Seattle to Recognize Marriages by Gay City Workers Breaking News. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels on Monday ordered the city government to recognize gay marriages performed in other states, even though Washington state law clearly prohibits same-sex marriage. "Spouses of city employees in same-sex marriages will enjoy all of the health and insurance benefits that all opposite sex partners enjoy," Nickels said at a news conference. Same-sex couples with marriage licenses recently issued in cities including Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco would be eligible for full benefits with no extra paperwork required to apply.