America sure knows how to spend it's defence budget. Apparently, for 50 years, NORAD (that's the North American Aerospace Defence Command...that's right the guys responsible for identifying (and hopefully neutralising) airborne (read nuclear) attacks on the US and Canada) has been putting money towards both a Santa hotline as well as a Santa-tracking service utilising the whole arsenal of forward-warning systems.
Apparently it all started with a local advertising campaign in Colorado Springs which accidentally replaced the company's phone number with the private number for the head of the NORAD operation.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Sunday, December 10, 2006
5 things you can do with your phone (that you probably didn't realise)
A cool article here which includes such niftiness as finding your phones serial number, unlocking your car and even testing your microwave.
Settlers
So, thanks to Chris, I am now addicted to Settlers of Catan. Admittedly, it's one of the most popular boardgames around, and it's won heaps of accolades, but still...addicted. And just in case the social interaction involved in playing on an actual board gets in the way, there's been plenty of projects to create artificial intelligence programs to play against humans (such as JSettlers).
It gets even better, there's now a $700 3D, hand-carved 10th Anniversary version. So cool! (here)
It gets even better, there's now a $700 3D, hand-carved 10th Anniversary version. So cool! (here)
Fox hunts
So, it appears that, for the first time, two separate species have been observed hunting together (where neither species is human). New Scientist reports here, that groupers and moray eels in the Red Sea have been observed helping each other to hunt smaller prey. As you can see in the videos in the article, the grouper loses a prey-fish under a piece of coral so swims over to the nearest moray eel and performs a weird dance shaking it's dorsal fin. The eel responds by following the grouper to the coral (which the grouper identifies by dancing over) and going in for the kill, thus flushing out other prey for the grouper waiting above. Apparently, the main problem with inter-special teamwork is distributing the spoils, but these fish each swallow their prey whole thus negating the problem. Pretty cool, huh?
ScanR
Another service, again, recommended by Lifehacker. ScanR takes a pretty simple premise, basic OCR and detail recognition and makes it available to anyone. It means that, say you run into someone and they give you their business card, you can then take a photo with you camera-phone, email it off to the service and you get sent back an entry for your address-book. Similarly, you can just scan whiteboards or documents into searchable PDF files. Handiness.
The name's a bit weird, but this service sounds pretty handy. As recommended on Lifehacker It allows the users of Google Calendar to synchronise their main calendar with that on their mobile phone or PDA. It's still in beta...but it's free!
Which brings us to Wii
The day has finally come: It's my housemate's birthday...oh, and Nintendo's long, long, long-expected new concole, the Wii, is here! I'm sure you all know about it's cool new features; the wireless remote, the ability to download any and all games ever released on any Nintendo console etc; but the best bit is that it looks like Nintendo itself will stay alive, if just a little longer. All the data so far has shown that most people buying the Wii in the first couple of days already have either an Xbox 360 and/or a PlayStation 2, and even then, more Wii consoles have been sold in the first 10 days of release than there have been Xbox 360s produced. (Stan Beer over at ITWire reckons that Microsoft is going to have to increase their loss on each console to even stay in the game...which I think is only a good thing). So with Nintendo's little niche of 'pure games' carved out and ready, the demise of the last honest games company may be a way off yet.
The ultimate gamer's cabinet
This is a photo-tutorial on how to make an awesome cabinet to hold all your games consoles...and for that matter, your DVD player, your VCR, your set-top box and anything else that would look nice in a tower next to your TV. While the fans won't really do too much, they still look cool (really bad pun, sorry folks).
250 free Office templates & documents
Here is a handy collection of pre-made templates and documents for MS Office, such as wills, formal letters etc. Could be quite handy.
The Prestige
Clearly the best film of its genre I've seen in a long time (though I'm not quite sure which genre it belongs to). In the time which it is set, magicians were the performers. When Shakespeare entertained and infant comedy amused, magic astounded. As you can imagine, without cameras, only the sharpest eye could catch a magician, and even they had to watch the trick many times in the hope of seeing a mistake. In short, the film examines the rivalry between two magicians, each determined to be the best...and each determined to do whatever was necessary to better their rival.
It is also worth watching each of the performers, as they all act so gracefully until their character each "gets their hands dirty" in order to preserve their greater morals.
The film opens with a voiceover by Michael Caine describing the three acts of any and all magic tricks. There is the initial 'pledge' in which the magician presents to the audience, typically for inspection, a seemingly ordinary object. This is then followed by the 'turn'. The turn is the trick itself, the actual act which provides the deception is provided in this second act. However, no trick is complete without the 'prestige'. It is in this third act that the magician reveals to the audience the illusion, and thus when he puts his reputation in their hands. If his illusion is good enough, he will be renowned as the only man who can perform such an amazing feat.
I mention this because Christopher Nolan has managed to include, and yet conceal, so many turns, that this film is an amazing ride through so many tales of revenge that by the time it's over your heart's pumping, your mind's still running, but you've had just enough. This is what I think makes Nolan's films so fun to watch, the pace slowly, but not too slowly, builds until you're mind is darting through all the clues he's left in the first part of the script as you try to unravel the secrets of the climax, and then the climax comes and leaves you both wanting more, but willing to wait for it.
Definitely see it, if at all possible, see it on the big-screen.
(IMDb)
It is also worth watching each of the performers, as they all act so gracefully until their character each "gets their hands dirty" in order to preserve their greater morals.
The film opens with a voiceover by Michael Caine describing the three acts of any and all magic tricks. There is the initial 'pledge' in which the magician presents to the audience, typically for inspection, a seemingly ordinary object. This is then followed by the 'turn'. The turn is the trick itself, the actual act which provides the deception is provided in this second act. However, no trick is complete without the 'prestige'. It is in this third act that the magician reveals to the audience the illusion, and thus when he puts his reputation in their hands. If his illusion is good enough, he will be renowned as the only man who can perform such an amazing feat.
I mention this because Christopher Nolan has managed to include, and yet conceal, so many turns, that this film is an amazing ride through so many tales of revenge that by the time it's over your heart's pumping, your mind's still running, but you've had just enough. This is what I think makes Nolan's films so fun to watch, the pace slowly, but not too slowly, builds until you're mind is darting through all the clues he's left in the first part of the script as you try to unravel the secrets of the climax, and then the climax comes and leaves you both wanting more, but willing to wait for it.
Definitely see it, if at all possible, see it on the big-screen.
(IMDb)
100th post
I know it's been a long time coming, but here it is, ellipses' first milestone. So, I've saved a bunch of posts for a big, information-junkie's heaven.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
How can they screw it up again?
The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and Wired have all already reported on how America has screwed up yet another election. I honestly don't know how a country that holds it's head so high when it talks democracy just doesn't seem to understand how to make it work. Electronic voting machines going haywire, incumbent members being ID checked and even voters being threatened with arrest if they turn up have all marred what has turned out to be a golden day for Australia, though probably an ominous one for Iraq.
Cool Quotes
After watching an awesome episode of the Simpsons last night, parodying Mel Gibson's Passion. So, with Maddy's page as a form of inspiration, I've decided to add a 'Cool Quotes' section.
Mum: "You try to raise your kids as good secular humanists, and then these religious Hollywood types come and push their agenda on TV."
Kid: "Mummy, why wasn't I baptised?
Mum: You see? You see?
Monday, November 06, 2006
NaNoWriMo
So the NaNoWriMo festival (?) is now well under way. The National Novel Writing Month is an event organised via the Interweb for those (presumably primarily Americans) who need motivation for writing a book. There really isn't anything to gain from it except that you get that idea you've always wanted to put down on paper finally off and running, but still, that should be enough.
Yet again the exams have derailed any plans I had for participating, but for those of you who've always wanted some motivation to write a book and have the time to do so here's a good excuse.
Yet again the exams have derailed any plans I had for participating, but for those of you who've always wanted some motivation to write a book and have the time to do so here's a good excuse.
The best bookmark I've ever seen
This is a page of javascript bookmarks that you can use to search Wikipedia even quicker! Now, instead of using Google to search (which is often pretty damn good anyway), a popup box can prompt for your search terms and with just one keypress you're away...and without parameters, it still goes to the Main Page. That's a minimum of 4 keys to get to wikipedia straight away...and no mouse! That's at least one less than the method you're probably using (Really...think about it, there's two for the shortcut to the address bar, at least two for the keyword and the 'enter', then you still have at least one more 'enter' from the Main Page).
I'm sure this'll be cool for another couple of weeks until someone develops a Firefox plugin that reads you mind...hmmm...
I'm sure this'll be cool for another couple of weeks until someone develops a Firefox plugin that reads you mind...hmmm...
Thursday, November 02, 2006
'Too much English' should encourage us
My Dad forwarded me this story from The Australian about a UN "forum on global governance" which decided that the prevalence of English on the Internet is drowning out those languages without a strong international readership, apparently those of Colombia and Senegal deserve special mention. For a start, this is what happens with languages, get used to it. This should, however, encourage us to hasten the development of translation programs.
I'm sure we've all Googled something and had those pages in Spanish, French etc come up because the word has the same form in those languages. Imagine a Google that automatically translated the pages and then brought up even more relevant results. Imagine then such technology in place in the boardroom, on the telephone and even just in the street where you can speak whatever language you want and be sure to be understood. Obviously there are other benefits too, in order for such technology to work more effectively, linguistic rules, phonetic, semantic and syntactic, will have to be more rigourously obeyed, thus providing languages with an yet another layer of natural protection.
This kind of 'mother-tongue' communication is sure to be the way of the future, and the sooner we are able to implement it reliably and universally, the more languages we can preserve.
I'm sure we've all Googled something and had those pages in Spanish, French etc come up because the word has the same form in those languages. Imagine a Google that automatically translated the pages and then brought up even more relevant results. Imagine then such technology in place in the boardroom, on the telephone and even just in the street where you can speak whatever language you want and be sure to be understood. Obviously there are other benefits too, in order for such technology to work more effectively, linguistic rules, phonetic, semantic and syntactic, will have to be more rigourously obeyed, thus providing languages with an yet another layer of natural protection.
This kind of 'mother-tongue' communication is sure to be the way of the future, and the sooner we are able to implement it reliably and universally, the more languages we can preserve.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Aussie DMCA
Wired and a bunch of others have all reported about a new bill pending review in Parliament which basically replicates the ridiculous DMCA laws in the U.S. (html, pdf) which have led to companies being allowed to define the use of their products. eg. If you buy a song from iTunes, you don't really own that song, you only own it in the supplied format and only for 3 copies (from memory)
Still early days but get ready to get riled up.
Still early days but get ready to get riled up.
Finnish Latin, Pigeons, Pelicans and the legalities of Googling
Apparently Finland is obsessed with Latin, so much so that they broadcast a radio station in the nearly-dead language and even translate EU Presidency reports in it. (BBC)
An awesome spectacle in St. James Park as a bunch of people watched a pelican saunter over to a group of pigeons and gobble one down. (BBC)
An apparently Google's lawyers get just a little upset at the use of the verb 'to Google' when used to refer to searching through another portal. Seems like the majority of replies are pretty pissed off. (Official Google Blog)
An awesome spectacle in St. James Park as a bunch of people watched a pelican saunter over to a group of pigeons and gobble one down. (BBC)
An apparently Google's lawyers get just a little upset at the use of the verb 'to Google' when used to refer to searching through another portal. Seems like the majority of replies are pretty pissed off. (Official Google Blog)
A Memary Wednesday
1. Small town or big city? Big, or maybe small but only for a short time. I love the anonymity of massive cities like Sydney, Tokyo, London and Paris...and despite all the calls that they don't have character, each does and finding it is half the fun.
2. Do you have a favorite childhood memory, and if so, would you share it? 'Yes' and 'no'.
3. How do you calm down when something has really upset and/or angered you? Do you swallow it? Call a friend and rant? Go in the bathroom and cry? Punch a wall? Walk around muttering to yourself, complete with scary hand gestures? Used to go for a run or punch something hard, but now those two are a bit more difficult to do or find so I just take it.
4. What attracts you to memes? I like learning a bit more about my friends & feel I should reciprocate.
5. From mads : How reliant are you on computers to get through your day? I thought I was a lot more reliant, but then I went travelling...and then my computer died thus I've found the ability to go without.
6. In a crisis, are you calm or do you panic? Same as Mads I think: I'm usually pretty calm, although maybe I'm just good at hiding my panic!
2. Do you have a favorite childhood memory, and if so, would you share it? 'Yes' and 'no'.
3. How do you calm down when something has really upset and/or angered you? Do you swallow it? Call a friend and rant? Go in the bathroom and cry? Punch a wall? Walk around muttering to yourself, complete with scary hand gestures? Used to go for a run or punch something hard, but now those two are a bit more difficult to do or find so I just take it.
4. What attracts you to memes? I like learning a bit more about my friends & feel I should reciprocate.
5. From mads : How reliant are you on computers to get through your day? I thought I was a lot more reliant, but then I went travelling...and then my computer died thus I've found the ability to go without.
6. In a crisis, are you calm or do you panic? Same as Mads I think: I'm usually pretty calm, although maybe I'm just good at hiding my panic!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Rhyming American Bouncers
New York humourness:
Fat bouncer #1: Where the fuck is there a bagel store around here?
Fat bouncer #2: Umm... Bagels are delicious. Hey, maybe they have knishes. That rhymed!
Fat bouncer #1: You make no fucking sense.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Space. Made in the USA
As reported by the Register, the U.S. has passed a new law, signed last night by Pres. Bush, that basically claims their right to use space for whatever means they see fit. Pretty scary considering the kinds of weapons the U.S. wants to put in the sky. Here's a summary from the article:
The States have long insisted on space-based weapons, but the fall of the USSR made them question the value of such weapons. New technology, and I'm guessing the success of GoogleEarth has meant that they're in a new race to dominate as soon as possible.
"Everyone has to use space peacefully, except us. We can do what we like, cos we were here first. And anyway, if you try to stop us, it won't stay peaceful for long, which would spoil the first part of our principle."
The States have long insisted on space-based weapons, but the fall of the USSR made them question the value of such weapons. New technology, and I'm guessing the success of GoogleEarth has meant that they're in a new race to dominate as soon as possible.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Fun and Fonts
As usual, Overheard in New York has provided some gems:
And on a completely unrelated note, some cool ideas courtesy of lifehacker: Here is a cool idea where a guy (presumably with important data on his thumbdrive) created a pop-up message and an autorun for his USB key such that if it gets lost, anyone who opens it is inspired to return it.
Tourist: The Chinese are notorious for blurring the line between pet and soup.
And on a completely unrelated note, some cool ideas courtesy of lifehacker: Here is a cool idea where a guy (presumably with important data on his thumbdrive) created a pop-up message and an autorun for his USB key such that if it gets lost, anyone who opens it is inspired to return it.
Friday, October 13, 2006
A few good finds
OK, so with all my bad luck, all the good findings from last week are unavailable, but here are some other cool links:
First of all, you probably all heard about this; Six Flags in the U.S. has been giving various prizes to people who eat a "living Madagascar hissing cockroach" (apparently they grow to about 8cm long). Yeah, OK, kinda weird, but the best bit is that animal rights groups have gotten all in a huff about it. (Stupid hippies!)
Secondly, while brainlessly surfing, I found a blog (here) by Pauley Perrette, the girl who plays Abbey on NCIS. Geeky goodness.
Apparently in WWII, the Royal Navy experimented with getting a massive flamethrower mounted on each ship to discourage Luftwaffe dive-bombers in the Battle of Britain. (Wikipedia) They got the flamethrowers working horizontally (leading to the development of the Allied flame-tank). When they got it working vertically, the test pilot didn't deviate from his course, and would have still hit the target. He admitted that he probably knew a lot about the system because he'd been so involved with its development, so the Navy recruited another pilot to try. Further bad luck; he wasn't too scared either, but he revealed afterwards that he had once worked in a circus and was used to coming close to fire. So finally, and here's the quote from Wikipedia:
And finally, Robin William's been given a new job, he's starring in a film called Man of the Year (Official Site with Trailer) about a comedian famous for reporting on a satirical news show who then decides to run for President (and accidentally gets in). It actually looks pretty good, but there's the added layer which is revealed by this site.
So, until next time, have fun!
First of all, you probably all heard about this; Six Flags in the U.S. has been giving various prizes to people who eat a "living Madagascar hissing cockroach" (apparently they grow to about 8cm long). Yeah, OK, kinda weird, but the best bit is that animal rights groups have gotten all in a huff about it. (Stupid hippies!)
Secondly, while brainlessly surfing, I found a blog (here) by Pauley Perrette, the girl who plays Abbey on NCIS. Geeky goodness.
Apparently in WWII, the Royal Navy experimented with getting a massive flamethrower mounted on each ship to discourage Luftwaffe dive-bombers in the Battle of Britain. (Wikipedia) They got the flamethrowers working horizontally (leading to the development of the Allied flame-tank). When they got it working vertically, the test pilot didn't deviate from his course, and would have still hit the target. He admitted that he probably knew a lot about the system because he'd been so involved with its development, so the Navy recruited another pilot to try. Further bad luck; he wasn't too scared either, but he revealed afterwards that he had once worked in a circus and was used to coming close to fire. So finally, and here's the quote from Wikipedia:
"In the belief that the Luftwaffe would have very few men with circus experience, limited production of the Lagonda naval flamethrower began,"
And finally, Robin William's been given a new job, he's starring in a film called Man of the Year (Official Site with Trailer) about a comedian famous for reporting on a satirical news show who then decides to run for President (and accidentally gets in). It actually looks pretty good, but there's the added layer which is revealed by this site.
So, until next time, have fun!
Post from the disillusioned memarchy
2. What is your favorite genre of film and what is your favorite movie from that genre? I'm guessing Tim Burton's stuff qualifies as fantasyesque & therefore, with Lord of the Rings, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory & Starship Troopers being probably the three most-watched DVDs in my collection, Fantasy/Sci-fi would be my favourite genre...and Starship Troopers is the most enduring favoutite.
3. Which country would you like to visit and why? Cuba...to see all the 1950s and communist goodness before Castro dies (gotta hurry).
4. What are you driving these days? What's it's (their) good and bad points? Would you buy another one, and why or why not? Well, my sister's '86 Civic has good points in that it's reliable (haven't had a morning when it hasn't started in the first two tries)...oh and the auto up and down driver's window is good, but then it is ridiculously old and feels like it might fall apart if you go 'round a corner too fast...and it can't accelerate...and it's automatic. There's no way I'm buying a car though with fuel the way it is.
5. "Lost," "24," or both? Jericho...easily the best show i've seen in a long time...it's Lost with radiation.
6. You've been very good this year. What should Santa bring you for Christmas? (the sky is the limit) Well...I've always wanted the Genie of the Lamp, but, failing that, money for travelling would be good...try to use up all this wanderlust.
1. Name three people you would pick (and why) if you could choose who to be stranded on a deserted island with. I've put this question off until last and still don't have a good answer - Denise Richards (duh!), some ugly guy from the SAS etc (with mad MacGyver-like skills) and Kim Jong Il (the rest of us don't speak Chinese or Korean and it looks like there's quite a bit of meat there).
As for last week's meme...it was crap!
'What do like most about yourself?',
'What song can you relate to your personal life? Share a line or two of that song.'
What kind of questions are these? Shitty questions, that's what kind!
3. Which country would you like to visit and why? Cuba...to see all the 1950s and communist goodness before Castro dies (gotta hurry).
4. What are you driving these days? What's it's (their) good and bad points? Would you buy another one, and why or why not? Well, my sister's '86 Civic has good points in that it's reliable (haven't had a morning when it hasn't started in the first two tries)...oh and the auto up and down driver's window is good, but then it is ridiculously old and feels like it might fall apart if you go 'round a corner too fast...and it can't accelerate...and it's automatic. There's no way I'm buying a car though with fuel the way it is.
5. "Lost," "24," or both? Jericho...easily the best show i've seen in a long time...it's Lost with radiation.
6. You've been very good this year. What should Santa bring you for Christmas? (the sky is the limit) Well...I've always wanted the Genie of the Lamp, but, failing that, money for travelling would be good...try to use up all this wanderlust.
1. Name three people you would pick (and why) if you could choose who to be stranded on a deserted island with. I've put this question off until last and still don't have a good answer - Denise Richards (duh!), some ugly guy from the SAS etc (with mad MacGyver-like skills) and Kim Jong Il (the rest of us don't speak Chinese or Korean and it looks like there's quite a bit of meat there).
As for last week's meme...it was crap!
'What do like most about yourself?',
'What song can you relate to your personal life? Share a line or two of that song.'
What kind of questions are these? Shitty questions, that's what kind!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Some more cool links
As usual, the most continuously interesting pages I find come from Mads.
Ferule and Fescue is a cool blog by a anonymous lecturer in Shakespeare, Literature et cetra at some American University. It's quite an insight into how crazy some people can be at university.
I just realised that I still haven't linked to Overheard in New York yet, so here it is. A collection of submissions by New Yorkers who overhear what is generally just plain weird. (Together with the weird people commenting on ondayinthelife this has caused the little respect I had for America vacate completely)
Ferule and Fescue is a cool blog by a anonymous lecturer in Shakespeare, Literature et cetra at some American University. It's quite an insight into how crazy some people can be at university.
I just realised that I still haven't linked to Overheard in New York yet, so here it is. A collection of submissions by New Yorkers who overhear what is generally just plain weird. (Together with the weird people commenting on ondayinthelife this has caused the little respect I had for America vacate completely)
Mac iPhones that aren't
So, I came across this site by Apple devotees who like to show their designs for what might be the next biggest thing to define the world...if you're happy with Mac stuff. My problem with it lies in the fact that a good third of the designs don't look anything like an iPod or even have the right character.
Oh...that's right there's also the infuriating design of the blog. The guy submitted the link to the Blogger help page, only to get told his layout sucks arse, but he keeps it? A perfect way to start my new theme: Web pages I hate.
Oh...that's right there's also the infuriating design of the blog. The guy submitted the link to the Blogger help page, only to get told his layout sucks arse, but he keeps it? A perfect way to start my new theme: Web pages I hate.
You know you're a geek when...
...you find the list of St. James Parish Sewing Club Members Whose First Names Sound Like Programming Languages from McSweeney funny. I've tried to cut down on reposting links that Chris, Maddy or Matt post, but I've been chuckling about it since thursday...and there's a story...
Okidoki, so here's a catch up on what's been happening. I broke a mirror a couple of days ago and I've come to hold it responsible for the other problems I've had lately. I dislocated my knee...again and my main computer has carked it. On that computer I had a wealth of stories just waiting to be blogged, and they will be as soon as it's up and running again, but until then, I predict a significantly lower post count.
I have to say though, I'm finding the crazy people who comment on Mad's blog just a wee bit hilarious. Have a quick look at their blogs: Soulful SensitiveStreak, NutmegNine and the second quote here. Hmm...Maddy as a weirdness magnet...
And Burgies who read this, some photos of your tardiseses wouldn't go astray on Facebook.
Okidoki, so here's a catch up on what's been happening. I broke a mirror a couple of days ago and I've come to hold it responsible for the other problems I've had lately. I dislocated my knee...again and my main computer has carked it. On that computer I had a wealth of stories just waiting to be blogged, and they will be as soon as it's up and running again, but until then, I predict a significantly lower post count.
I have to say though, I'm finding the crazy people who comment on Mad's blog just a wee bit hilarious. Have a quick look at their blogs: Soulful SensitiveStreak, NutmegNine and the second quote here. Hmm...Maddy as a weirdness magnet...
And Burgies who read this, some photos of your tardiseses wouldn't go astray on Facebook.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Airport Security
As any good student can tell you, if you have a spare 5 or 10 minutes, Shockwave.com can take them away from you. I've been waiting for Vicki to get off the phone so I was looking for some quick entertainment and came across Airport Security, a puzzle game in which you are given a list of prohibited items and it is your job to remove them from the passengers. For example, hats might be temporarily excluded, or they might not passengers with mouthwash on a flight...or, they may not let the passengers take snakes on a plane. While the game's pretty lacking, you've gotta love how understated the jokes are...just like Monkey Island...sigh
Such a cool idea!
A lifehacker article here on a system by GrandCentral which lets Americans register for a phone number and then have each call to that number redirect simultaneously to their other numbers. Even better, you can set groups and identities that mean that, say, if someone in your 'Friends' called, only your mobile rings. So cool! just imagine...in 10 years or so, Telstra may have implemented just a portion of this.
Vicki is also cool.
So is social badminton :)
Vicki is also cool.
So is social badminton :)
Friday, September 29, 2006
Ultimate Bloggability
Here are far too many links that I've come across since last week's post:
First of all the story of Stanislav Petrov, a Soviet Lt. Col. who plausibly averted a worldwide nuclear disaster by keeping a cool head when his computers told him America was launching an all-out nuclear attack on the USSR.
From the heroic to the more sordid history of Britain, an archived sex survey of Britons taken in 1949 has just been opened and apparently that British stereotype we all know and love must have been a relatively new invention. Reuters
Next is something more handy than cool: the site PDFOnline lets anyone convert a bunch of the most common file types into PDFs for free!
Airline security has been a contentious subject lately but Israel's El Al has 'em all beat (USA Today); and apparently some airlines are going all out to get passengers to turn off their phones...including lying to them. Freakonomics
Brief summary of a humorous story: When a lady in Surrey changed the battery in her electronic car key fob she could no longer start her car, the AA guy who turned up found that the RFID chip had been eaten by the family dog, thus the solution is to now place the dog in the driver's seat before the lady can start her car.
According to a study in the U.K., the length of a woman's ring-finger is a fair judge of how good she could be at sport. Reuters
A link here to an article in the Register about a giant insect in Germany. It's pretty clearly a scrwed up shot from GoogleEarth. What's a bit cooler is the set of links to 'Related Stories' at the end of the page with all manner of satellite-spotted suprises.
And finally, for a bit of fun: this might just be the worst source of 'good' music I've ever seen.
And this is the best ad for the iPod Shuffle I've seen yet.
First of all the story of Stanislav Petrov, a Soviet Lt. Col. who plausibly averted a worldwide nuclear disaster by keeping a cool head when his computers told him America was launching an all-out nuclear attack on the USSR.
From the heroic to the more sordid history of Britain, an archived sex survey of Britons taken in 1949 has just been opened and apparently that British stereotype we all know and love must have been a relatively new invention. Reuters
Next is something more handy than cool: the site PDFOnline lets anyone convert a bunch of the most common file types into PDFs for free!
Airline security has been a contentious subject lately but Israel's El Al has 'em all beat (USA Today); and apparently some airlines are going all out to get passengers to turn off their phones...including lying to them. Freakonomics
Brief summary of a humorous story: When a lady in Surrey changed the battery in her electronic car key fob she could no longer start her car, the AA guy who turned up found that the RFID chip had been eaten by the family dog, thus the solution is to now place the dog in the driver's seat before the lady can start her car.
According to a study in the U.K., the length of a woman's ring-finger is a fair judge of how good she could be at sport. Reuters
A link here to an article in the Register about a giant insect in Germany. It's pretty clearly a scrwed up shot from GoogleEarth. What's a bit cooler is the set of links to 'Related Stories' at the end of the page with all manner of satellite-spotted suprises.
And finally, for a bit of fun: this might just be the worst source of 'good' music I've ever seen.
And this is the best ad for the iPod Shuffle I've seen yet.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Memeacity
1. Holiday in Europe or Asia? Wherever it's Spring (or closest to).
2. How do you try to change a behavior pattern you don't like about yourself... whether it's chewing fingernails, overeating, smoking, or picking your nose? Haven't figured out that one yet, don't really have any beahaviour patterns I don't like.
3. Have you ever successfully completed a Sudoku puzzle? What a lame question...I guess it gives you a clue as to the average I.Q. of these meme addicts...oh wait.
4. What website do you visit the most often? Lately, Facebook; generally, Lifehacker.
5. What was your favorite thing about high school or college? Cadets ties with not having to study and still passing exams (damn uni).
2. How do you try to change a behavior pattern you don't like about yourself... whether it's chewing fingernails, overeating, smoking, or picking your nose? Haven't figured out that one yet, don't really have any beahaviour patterns I don't like.
3. Have you ever successfully completed a Sudoku puzzle? What a lame question...I guess it gives you a clue as to the average I.Q. of these meme addicts...oh wait.
4. What website do you visit the most often? Lately, Facebook; generally, Lifehacker.
5. What was your favorite thing about high school or college? Cadets ties with not having to study and still passing exams (damn uni).
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Today
I've been writing this essay bit-by-bit for a couple of days now, but the world being what it is, the Internet just doesn't stop.
For a start, yet another remake is on the books. And it's another Mel Brooks original with him doing the new version. Do the numbers '86' & '99' remind you of anything? So Steve Carell is signed on (and quite frankly I think it's great that they waited until someone of his calibre came along). As for his better half, early reports have Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame...but those are very early reports. So, an interactive bit: Who do you think should play 99? imdb
Completely unrelated (I wanted a picture to break this post); I had a lecture on Persian carpets today and they are truly beautiful. Example:
So International Talk Like A Pirate Day is over for 2006, but I've become a bit too attached to my piratey beard and thus, with only a slight modification (to create what I think is the most versatile facial hair ever), I have declared this thursday the 21st to be the inaugural International Talk Like A Gentleman Day. OK, it might need a little tweak, but it'll be fun while it lasts.
For a start, yet another remake is on the books. And it's another Mel Brooks original with him doing the new version. Do the numbers '86' & '99' remind you of anything? So Steve Carell is signed on (and quite frankly I think it's great that they waited until someone of his calibre came along). As for his better half, early reports have Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame...but those are very early reports. So, an interactive bit: Who do you think should play 99? imdb
Completely unrelated (I wanted a picture to break this post); I had a lecture on Persian carpets today and they are truly beautiful. Example:
So International Talk Like A Pirate Day is over for 2006, but I've become a bit too attached to my piratey beard and thus, with only a slight modification (to create what I think is the most versatile facial hair ever), I have declared this thursday the 21st to be the inaugural International Talk Like A Gentleman Day. OK, it might need a little tweak, but it'll be fun while it lasts.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Late Mmadness
1. How do you eat an oreo cookie? Twist, separate, lick & munch
2. How long does it take you to eat lunch? I actually don't eat lunch too often
3. Caffeine or decaf? Neither, I can't stand coffee
4. Chicken or beef? Red meat all the way
5. Pen or pencil? Pen; I got my pen-licence and I'm damn well going to use it
6. Autumn or spring? Spring; it's Summer without the flies
7. Baseball or basketball? Watching: neither; playing: baseball
8. 'Survivor' or 'The Amazing Race?' Amazing Race; goddamn, how can so many Yanks be so ignorant?
9. Come up with one question I can ask our Monday Madness participants in the weeks to come. Beatles or Elvis?
2. How long does it take you to eat lunch? I actually don't eat lunch too often
3. Caffeine or decaf? Neither, I can't stand coffee
4. Chicken or beef? Red meat all the way
5. Pen or pencil? Pen; I got my pen-licence and I'm damn well going to use it
6. Autumn or spring? Spring; it's Summer without the flies
7. Baseball or basketball? Watching: neither; playing: baseball
8. 'Survivor' or 'The Amazing Race?' Amazing Race; goddamn, how can so many Yanks be so ignorant?
9. Come up with one question I can ask our Monday Madness participants in the weeks to come. Beatles or Elvis?
YARRR!
[preach]Well me hearties, today be the day for salubrious celebration in the name of saving our fair planet. For those of ye who don't know, global warming is directly attributed to the decline in the number of pirates, so it is, on this day each year, that thousands around the world join together to spend but one day as a pirate. (evidence)
Of course, this may not be the orignial reason for such a celebration, but it only adds to what is, quite frankly, an already awesome excuse for drinking and other merriment.
I be feelin' ye may be needing the backstory as to why 'Pirates are so much cooler than ninjas' so here it be. 'Tis rather long-winded and even a bit boring at times, but here it be nonetheless.
Of course, this may not be the orignial reason for such a celebration, but it only adds to what is, quite frankly, an already awesome excuse for drinking and other merriment.
I be feelin' ye may be needing the backstory as to why 'Pirates are so much cooler than ninjas' so here it be. 'Tis rather long-winded and even a bit boring at times, but here it be nonetheless.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Why did people become pirates?
Many people who became pirates did so to escape their menial jobs in London, the Royal Navies, or the Caribbean colonies; some were criminals already and decided it was all or nothing; and of course, some were escaping persecution. It appears some were also doing it for revenge. According to this (which admittedly could be a bit suss), significant numbers of pirates were Jews seeking to wreak vengeance on the Spanish Crown for its support of the Inquisition. Some were pretty good at it too apparently.
City of the dead
I had never honestly wondered about the number of cemeteries in New York, but there was an interesting footnote link here, titled The Cemetery Belt: Why does Queens have so many cemeteries?. It turns out, that with the passing of a state law in 1847 that allowed burial as a commercial enterprise. Thus, from the 1850s to the early 1900s, more than 35 000 bodies were transferred to Queens from churchyards around New York. The massive increase in immigration led to a lot more deaths...
...and the skyrocketing costs (up to $10) caused all sorts of problems.
Interesting numbers: There are currently 29 cemeteries in Queens; four of which are Catholic, three Protestant & 14 Jewish.
Here's the original link. (Be careful of pop-ups)
By 1852 there were 50 burials a day in Calvary, half of them Irish poor under 7 years of age,
...and the skyrocketing costs (up to $10) caused all sorts of problems.
Interesting numbers: There are currently 29 cemeteries in Queens; four of which are Catholic, three Protestant & 14 Jewish.
Here's the original link. (Be careful of pop-ups)
Pirates' Eve
Fer any o' ye wanting to be spreading the word about tommorow, here's a poster fer ye. (I can't figure out how to put the PDF up here so email me for it).
Star Trek's Weakest Link
In a slight divergence from my growing Pirate-mania, I found an awesome site with a wmv of a Weakest Link episode of Star Trek stars. With Robert Picardo ('The Doctor'), Levar Burton (Lt. Cmdr. Geordi), John de Lancie (Q & Q2) & Armin Shimerman (Quark) it's already cool, but of course there's also William Shatner (Captain Kirk) and also Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) (blog) who chose the EFF as his charity!
There's also Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres) and Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar) but I find it hard to get excited about them. Thank god there weren't any of the actors from that abomination Enterprise, but surely they could have dragged up Leonard Nimoy, Nichell Nichols or George Takei. Ah well, it's good fun anyway.
Here's the orignal site and here's a direct link to the file (or give me a blank cd or USB key next time you see me) (it's a 32MB download).
There's also Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres) and Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar) but I find it hard to get excited about them. Thank god there weren't any of the actors from that abomination Enterprise, but surely they could have dragged up Leonard Nimoy, Nichell Nichols or George Takei. Ah well, it's good fun anyway.
Here's the orignal site and here's a direct link to the file (or give me a blank cd or USB key next time you see me) (it's a 32MB download).
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Crazy biologists
I've just been watching the ABC and a sory about a marine biologist looking to study leopard seals. Yeah, we've all seen this before, except that this guy just jumped in the water, with a half-tonne, ferociously territorial seal right next to him. his only protection a wetsuit and a camera. Balls of steel!
More piratey goodness
Here is the National Geographic Society's take on Blackbeard for all the kiddies. One of the best pirate stories there is really. Especially the fight of how he came to his end.
The most imaginative music video ever
This is a band called OK Go with their music video for 'Here We Go Again'. It's showing on VideoHits, Rage etc at the moment. A (I guess) British band relasing their first album. Obviously a small budget but congrats are in order for a great use of that budget.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Pirates warm-up part II
On the offical Talk Like a Pirate Day website, there's a list of pirate pick-up lines including:
There's even lines for wenches, such as:
...and the most reliable line for a girl in any situation:
"Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?"
"That’s the finest pirate booty I’ve ever laid eyes on."
"That’s some treasure chest you’ve got there."...and even
"Pardon me, but would ya mind if fired me cannon through your porthole?"
There's even lines for wenches, such as:
"So, tell me, why do they call ye, 'Cap'n Feathersword?'"
"That's quite a cutlass ye got thar, what ye need is a good scabbard!"
...and the most reliable line for a girl in any situation:
"You. Pants off. Now!"
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Cool pic from Canberra
With all the essaies that I should be writing now, it just makes sense that I should be caught procrastinating. However, as always, there are awesome things on the Interweb.This pic, taken from Telstra Tower was used as a Wikipedia 'Featured picture'
NASA uses spatulas in spacecraft repair
Reading an article on the repairs and upgrades to the International Space Station, News24 reported that the only screw up was when a nut, bolt and washer were lost when the veteran astronaut, Joe Tanner, fumbled them in his gloves...apparently it's happened before...many times...the last time, they lost a 35cm spatula. wtf? Just have to trust they know what they're doinghere
On an unrelated note, I found a wonderful video of Colbert as a pirate which is the start of a good warm-up to International Talk Like A Pirate Day.
On an unrelated note, I found a wonderful video of Colbert as a pirate which is the start of a good warm-up to International Talk Like A Pirate Day.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Memeable Monday
1. How long have you been blogging? Two years since I popped my blogging cherry.
2. How many times have you taken a break from blogging? A couple, when the Internet is out of reach.
3. How long is the longest you've gone, so far, without posting on your blog? Maybe a fortnight.
4. How many fellow bloggers do you keep in touch with, through your blogs, on a regular basis? Four, on the left.
5. Have you ever met, in person, a blogger on your blogroll? Yes.
6. How often do you update/change the 'extra' stuff on your blog? Not too often, I've found my Internet niche and I like it.
7. Do you think you'll be blogging for years to come? Guess so, with the amount of weird stuff that happens around the world there's bound to be some worth filtering.
2. How many times have you taken a break from blogging? A couple, when the Internet is out of reach.
3. How long is the longest you've gone, so far, without posting on your blog? Maybe a fortnight.
4. How many fellow bloggers do you keep in touch with, through your blogs, on a regular basis? Four, on the left.
5. Have you ever met, in person, a blogger on your blogroll? Yes.
6. How often do you update/change the 'extra' stuff on your blog? Not too often, I've found my Internet niche and I like it.
7. Do you think you'll be blogging for years to come? Guess so, with the amount of weird stuff that happens around the world there's bound to be some worth filtering.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Meme catchup
Monday Meme from last week
1. Which holidays (if any) do you consider more as a day off from work, than anything else? Labour Day and, increasingly, Easter - it used to be a great family weekend but these days just a relax. Oh...and of course Canberra Day.
2. Which 3 holidays are most celebrated in your family? Australia Day & Xmas/Boxing Day
3. Do you have an organized filing system at home? Yes...virtually, I don't have much physical stuff that needs filing.
4. Do you clip coupons for groceries? If so, do you remember to use them? If not, why? No.
5. How many magazines do you subscribe to? None.
6. Do you play any computer games on a regular basis? If so, which is your favorite, and why? Civ3 all the way baby!
7. Have you watched any movies worth recommending, lately? V for Vendetta and the Matador (Pierce Brosnan , Gerg Kinnear & Hugo Weaving are all awesome!)
Music Meme
I had a bit of trouble seeing as I can't sort my tracks in this detail (mainly due to the fractured state of my filing system at the moment) So here's my effort.
Total number of tracks: 3582
Sort by song title:
-First Song: #1 Crush - Garbage
-Last Song: You've Made Me So Very Happy - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Sort by time:
-Shortest Song: 0:01 Wilhelm Scream Recording (Unknown original actor)
First what-I-think-is-a-complete-song: 0:11 Sneakalude - Basement Jaxx
-Longest Song: 53:49 700 Hobo Names - John Hodgman & Jonathan Coulton
Sort by album:
-First Song: I Don't Know What I Can Save You From - Kings Of Convenience (Album: Acoustic Chill)
-Last Song: We Are Alive - Paul Van Dyk (Album: Wild 12)
Top 10 Most Played Songs:
I have no idea how to do this - but seeing as I generally pick my next song, here are my top 10 most-common choices (though in no real order).
Keep It Coming - B.B. King & Heavy D
The Election Night Special - Monty Python
Jimi Thing - Dave Matthews
Touched - VAST
Steal My Kisses - Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Lola's Theme - Shapshifters
99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger
Summer Jam - The Underdog Project
Mistaken - Save Ferris
Gabriel - Lamb
Search ....
"sex", how many songs come up? 5
"love", how many songs come up? 151
"you", how many songs come up? 244
"death", how many songs come up? 8
"hate", how many songs come up? 3
"wish" how many songs come up? 8
So that's the catchup on the memetic goss
As for other stuff:
* What on Earth do people find entertaining with Australian Rules Football? The most boring sport in the world after curling and toe-wrestling (Yes, equestrian dressage is a better use of time)
* The Australian countryside continues to amaze me with it's beauty
* Oh, and Madeline - stop stealing Nat's catchphrases.
1. Which holidays (if any) do you consider more as a day off from work, than anything else? Labour Day and, increasingly, Easter - it used to be a great family weekend but these days just a relax. Oh...and of course Canberra Day.
2. Which 3 holidays are most celebrated in your family? Australia Day & Xmas/Boxing Day
3. Do you have an organized filing system at home? Yes...virtually, I don't have much physical stuff that needs filing.
4. Do you clip coupons for groceries? If so, do you remember to use them? If not, why? No.
5. How many magazines do you subscribe to? None.
6. Do you play any computer games on a regular basis? If so, which is your favorite, and why? Civ3 all the way baby!
7. Have you watched any movies worth recommending, lately? V for Vendetta and the Matador (Pierce Brosnan , Gerg Kinnear & Hugo Weaving are all awesome!)
Music Meme
I had a bit of trouble seeing as I can't sort my tracks in this detail (mainly due to the fractured state of my filing system at the moment) So here's my effort.
Total number of tracks: 3582
Sort by song title:
-First Song: #1 Crush - Garbage
-Last Song: You've Made Me So Very Happy - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Sort by time:
-Shortest Song: 0:01 Wilhelm Scream Recording (Unknown original actor)
First what-I-think-is-a-complete-song: 0:11 Sneakalude - Basement Jaxx
-Longest Song: 53:49 700 Hobo Names - John Hodgman & Jonathan Coulton
Sort by album:
-First Song: I Don't Know What I Can Save You From - Kings Of Convenience (Album: Acoustic Chill)
-Last Song: We Are Alive - Paul Van Dyk (Album: Wild 12)
Top 10 Most Played Songs:
I have no idea how to do this - but seeing as I generally pick my next song, here are my top 10 most-common choices (though in no real order).
Keep It Coming - B.B. King & Heavy D
The Election Night Special - Monty Python
Jimi Thing - Dave Matthews
Touched - VAST
Steal My Kisses - Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Lola's Theme - Shapshifters
99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger
Summer Jam - The Underdog Project
Mistaken - Save Ferris
Gabriel - Lamb
Search ....
"sex", how many songs come up? 5
"love", how many songs come up? 151
"you", how many songs come up? 244
"death", how many songs come up? 8
"hate", how many songs come up? 3
"wish" how many songs come up? 8
So that's the catchup on the memetic goss
As for other stuff:
* What on Earth do people find entertaining with Australian Rules Football? The most boring sport in the world after curling and toe-wrestling (Yes, equestrian dressage is a better use of time)
* The Australian countryside continues to amaze me with it's beauty
* Oh, and Madeline - stop stealing Nat's catchphrases.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Not a great post, but it's something
I haven't found much interesting stuff lately, but the story that Macca's in the U.K. has had to yield to hedgehogs is kinda funny. Apparently hedgehogs were getting stuck in the tops of McFlurry containers 'unfortunately' littered around and starving to death. Thankfully however, after 5 years of "significant research and testing" (wtf? what kind of research?) MickeyD's has reduced the size of the hole. Unenthusiastic 'yay!'. Save those hedghogs! Reuters
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Good ol' NASA
One night last February was unusually bright...apparently. It was because 440 million years ago a star, 20 times the size of our sun, had a preliminary explosion throwing gamma-rays all the way to Earth. This isn't, though, what fascinates me.
The way we know about it is because in November 2004, NASA launched the 'Swift' satellite. It's the ability of Swift to detect such an emission, locate it and spin itself around to focus all three of it's instruments on the star in order to record and relay all the data IN REAL TIME...in less than 20 seconds. That's so cool that we can build things like that! (Swift links: NASA Wikipedia; the original Wired story)
The way we know about it is because in November 2004, NASA launched the 'Swift' satellite. It's the ability of Swift to detect such an emission, locate it and spin itself around to focus all three of it's instruments on the star in order to record and relay all the data IN REAL TIME...in less than 20 seconds. That's so cool that we can build things like that! (Swift links: NASA Wikipedia; the original Wired story)
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
It's official: AOL is bad for you
The non-profit (and well respected and supported) organisation StopBadware.org, has defined the latest version of the AOL browser (v9.0) as badware (also known as malware). Their report here, states that the program preforms in practically the same way as spyware. There's a good summary by iTWire here as well, but the gist of the report:
But the best bit is that you can't even uninstall it properly ! The processes keep running even after a restart! How can a company fall into such a trap after Sony fell into this problem earlier this year and got bitch-slapped by governments around the world.
I remember when AOL used to hand out those trial CDs in the Internet's elder years and they were just as sneaky then, but this time, thankfully, the industry's listening.
"AOL Software is bundled with a number of additional applications...During the installation process the user is never clearly notified that AOL will be installing these programs,"
The advisory also describes a pop-up box which appears a day after installation which forces the user to update its software without any option to close the box or decline the update.
In addition to all of the above, the AOL 9.0 software adds icons and its own toolbar to the Internet Explorer toolbar, adds items to the IE favourites menu and adds its own deskbar to the desktop taskbar.
But the best bit is that you can't even uninstall it properly ! The processes keep running even after a restart! How can a company fall into such a trap after Sony fell into this problem earlier this year and got bitch-slapped by governments around the world.
I remember when AOL used to hand out those trial CDs in the Internet's elder years and they were just as sneaky then, but this time, thankfully, the industry's listening.
Pranksters in Hungary
I don't normally approve of silly pranks which have a lasting effect, but I have to congratulate Colbert (second time in two days!), or more specifically, his viewers, on making 'Steven Colbert hÃd' the top candidate in a competition to name a new bridge across the Danube. He's managed to rouse so much support that they got over 17M votes for the bridge to be named after him (that's 7M more than the population of Hungary). As a result, the Hungarian government has redone the site, but that doesn't seem to have stopped Colbert's fans who have placed (the nicely palindromic) 86068 votes to get 54% of the second phase...that is, despite having Colbert himself 'call off the dogs'. (Note: most of the other candidates are jokes as well - see here)
Just more evidence that Colbert commands more loyalty than anyone else.
Just more evidence that Colbert commands more loyalty than anyone else.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Odd definitions
Reading a report on Language Log about baffling official definitions, there was the recent account of the Federal Government's decision to designate crocodiles as fish so as to cover them under existing export laws. On a more interesting note, however, was the attempt, in 1897, by lawmakers in Indiana, USA to define both pi and √2. Not only that, but they defined √2 as (10/7) [1.429] and pi as (16/√3), (2 x √(5/6)), (16 x √2/7) and (16/5). That's [9.24], [3.236], [3.232] & [3.2] respectively. Stupid turn-of-the-century Indianans. See this look at it.
Colbert single-handedly defining English
According to the folks over at Language Monitor, who watch the development (or demise of 'Global English'), rated the 10 most important new words of 2006 led by two from Steven Colbert's regular segment, 'The Word'. Their annual report, here, notes that 'truthiness' ("Truth, unencumbered by facts.") and 'wikiality' ("Reality as determined by majority vote. See Pluto, the former planet.") topped the list, and were followed by 'Katrina', 'Bush's War' and 'Tourette's', which is apparently 'the new OCD'.
"Some of these buzzwords will quickly pass, while others will be embedded in the language for years to come...Though 'truthiness' in some form has existed in the language for centuries, it could not have been revived in more relevant times than the early 21st century; while 'wikiality' can be observed even today, where Pluto has been voted out of the Solar System by a convention of Astronomers,"So here are links to the Truthiness and Wikiality clips on YouTube. Great work and it's a shame that he has to compete against Jon Stewart for the Emmy's.
George Lucas tries the old Jedi mind trick
I rest assured that I never have to read kottke.org, for if Jason Kottke ever finds anything interesting, Maddy can be relied on to post it and provide thus I am informed.
Which is which? I don't know oh my God it's so deceptive - oh wait that's right they probably didn't have steel or glowing blue lights at the beginning of the 1700s. But still, it's easy to see the similarities right?
Apparently not, for George Lucas.
(But that's the other thing, why do the Jedi's books, or hard-drives, or whatever fills those shelves, glow at all?)
As such, I'm hereby following on from Maddy's post on Kottke's post regarding his own other post on cool-looking libraries. This page shows a comparison between the library at Trinity College in Dublin and the Jedi library shown in that riciculous piece of cinema, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. They look pretty similar eh? In fact, here they are:
Apparently not, for George Lucas.
"It is totally untrue that there is any connection between the scene in Attack of the Clones and Trinity College."Riiight...whatever. Maybe he's just fallen for this whole Jedi-religion thing. [shrug]
(But that's the other thing, why do the Jedi's books, or hard-drives, or whatever fills those shelves, glow at all?)
Monday, August 28, 2006
Aztec Windows
Microsoft has announced that, with Evo Morales' Bolivian government, they've released a version of Windows in Quecha. I don't know how many Bolivian Indians are using Windows, not how many of them are using the latest version for anything that doesn't require a damn good understanding of Spanish, but hey, it's there now.
Meme again
1. Do you do dishes by hand or do you use a dishwasher? By hand, begrudgingly.
2. How many people have your cell phone number? Many, but not too many so that I get calls from numbers my phone doesn't recognise.
3. Do you shower in the morning or at night? Morning - it's the best way to wake up.
4. Do you ever have a song 'stuck' in your head? I had that damn Numa Numa in my head for months.
5. Do you pay your bills when they arrive, or do you wait until closer to the due date to pay them? I wait until my 'secretary' reminds me to pay them...if I'm consistent, then I can blame her for them being late.
6. Are you obsessive about anything in particular? Footsteps and things that should be lined up.
7. What one thing would you say you have a zero tolerance for? Contradictory opinions and oblivious...ness.
2. How many people have your cell phone number? Many, but not too many so that I get calls from numbers my phone doesn't recognise.
3. Do you shower in the morning or at night? Morning - it's the best way to wake up.
4. Do you ever have a song 'stuck' in your head? I had that damn Numa Numa in my head for months.
5. Do you pay your bills when they arrive, or do you wait until closer to the due date to pay them? I wait until my 'secretary' reminds me to pay them...if I'm consistent, then I can blame her for them being late.
6. Are you obsessive about anything in particular? Footsteps and things that should be lined up.
7. What one thing would you say you have a zero tolerance for? Contradictory opinions and oblivious...ness.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
How much does it cost to be Batman?
According to Forbes, only about $US 3.5M (plus yearly upkeep costs). Taking into account training, the suit, belt, car, cave, the alter ego and the butler (who apparently costs upwards of $100K) the total comes to just under three-and-a-half with extras for each year of 'cave hire' and 'alter ego' you need (and presumably depending on how economical you are with your batmobile - the 'tumbler' from the movie was 7 miles to the gallon and with custom-made tyres). Together, Forbes costs the alter ego and the car at around $3M alone. So, how economists have fun. (The Forbes slideshow interface is pretty crappy but that's the only way they do these things)
Dark matter and other oddities
Finally, substantial evidence for the existence of dark matter. Watching the aftermath of a collision between two galaxies (from about 100M year ago) , some scientists analysed the distribution of mass after the collision and found that while the gases and other visible matter showed the expected effects of a collision, most of the mass had passed through on it's original course. So cool! ScienceNews article here.
For the less nerdy types, there's the story of a Vietnamese thief, Ngo Thanh Tam, who managed to escape from prison in 1986 and has since worked, under a new name, for the Dak Ru police department. He was so good at his job, that he was promoted to police chief in 2003 and was elected to the local People's Council for a five-year tenure in 2004. Nice way to hide out. Reuters
In my first year at college, Heather, a girl from Vermont, kind of mothered my group and tried whenever possible to convince us how cool Vermont was and why we should go there. (She also tried to convice us of several conspiracies). Anywho, point is, small town called Brattleboro has a fair 'live and let live' lifestyle. This seemingly peaceful town has, however, been disturbed by a few teenagers coping with the unusually hot summer by getting their kit off. Even with the new proposed laws, it still reinforces that Vermont should really be part of Canadia. Reuters
Finally, in her regular net-trawling, Maddy came across an interesting link to Hot Library Smut a really cool sampling of photos of cool libraries.
For the less nerdy types, there's the story of a Vietnamese thief, Ngo Thanh Tam, who managed to escape from prison in 1986 and has since worked, under a new name, for the Dak Ru police department. He was so good at his job, that he was promoted to police chief in 2003 and was elected to the local People's Council for a five-year tenure in 2004. Nice way to hide out. ReutersIn my first year at college, Heather, a girl from Vermont, kind of mothered my group and tried whenever possible to convince us how cool Vermont was and why we should go there. (She also tried to convice us of several conspiracies). Anywho, point is, small town called Brattleboro has a fair 'live and let live' lifestyle. This seemingly peaceful town has, however, been disturbed by a few teenagers coping with the unusually hot summer by getting their kit off. Even with the new proposed laws, it still reinforces that Vermont should really be part of Canadia. Reuters
Finally, in her regular net-trawling, Maddy came across an interesting link to Hot Library Smut a really cool sampling of photos of cool libraries.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Pam, Gob & Spiders
I was really excited this morning. I was checking Maddy's blog to find a couple of lists of favourite TV characters. I'd never heard of James Gunn, but that he chose Pam Beesly from the American version of the Office, an actress able to convey sexy in a kind of boring way, ever so briefly rocked my world...that was until I realised that the two were married (Dream shattered!)
He was redeemed, however, having "Gob" Bluth on his list, albeit not nearly high enough.
More exciting though, a new species of spiders has been found in Ecuador that cooperates quite uniquely. Colonies of these spiders, thousands strong, trap their prey by swarming it and blinding it with silk, they then will even take turns carrying the prey back to the rest of the colony. Isn't sharing wonderful.
He was redeemed, however, having "Gob" Bluth on his list, albeit not nearly high enough.
More exciting though, a new species of spiders has been found in Ecuador that cooperates quite uniquely. Colonies of these spiders, thousands strong, trap their prey by swarming it and blinding it with silk, they then will even take turns carrying the prey back to the rest of the colony. Isn't sharing wonderful.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Madonna is trying to save the world!
According to the Australian, Madonna and her husband, Guy Ritchie, know how to get rid of nuclear waste safely and cleanly, and have been going to all ends to convince the various arms of the British Government. Apparently there's some mystical property of water which hasn't been investigated sufficiently, but what makes it golden is that the British scientists haven't been to coy about calling the plan pure crap.
see here.
see here.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Spring is here...with a vengeance
The three odd months of Winter in Canberra are finally over! The mornings are warm, the sun's bright and the wind is weakening.
First cool link; The weirdest viable sentence in English appears to be "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo." see the explanation on this website.
We also have an interesting problem these days generated by the ability to digitally create pornographic images which appear to depict children. Boing Boing's article here, iTWire (it refers to an NYT website though)
For those in an endless pursuit of perfection, the Japanese art of making polished balls of mud, called Dorodango, may be your answer. Check out Bruce Gardner's page here.
Water, water, everywhere. A situation which was not expected until 2025; New Scientist has published an article that a full third of the world is critically short of water.
And, to end on a good note, the past week has seen some amazing segments on the Colbert Report including an interview with Neil Young and trash-talking the new planets with a top astronomer. "Hey Ceres...You're just a fat ass-teroid! You're so ugly, God tried to hide you in an asteroid belt!" (I couldn't find a permalink but here's the catalogue of his clips.)
First cool link; The weirdest viable sentence in English appears to be "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo." see the explanation on this website.
We also have an interesting problem these days generated by the ability to digitally create pornographic images which appear to depict children. Boing Boing's article here, iTWire (it refers to an NYT website though)
For those in an endless pursuit of perfection, the Japanese art of making polished balls of mud, called Dorodango, may be your answer. Check out Bruce Gardner's page here.
Water, water, everywhere. A situation which was not expected until 2025; New Scientist has published an article that a full third of the world is critically short of water.
And, to end on a good note, the past week has seen some amazing segments on the Colbert Report including an interview with Neil Young and trash-talking the new planets with a top astronomer. "Hey Ceres...You're just a fat ass-teroid! You're so ugly, God tried to hide you in an asteroid belt!" (I couldn't find a permalink but here's the catalogue of his clips.)
Memeness
1. Would you shave your head for any amount of money? If yes, how much? Yes, it depends on the time of year.
2. What "whacky" thing might you do for a large sum of money? I'm guessing something illegal might be acceptable.
3. What do you think is a "large sum of money?" At the very least $1000.
4. Do you watch "reality" tv shows? Not of my own free will.
5. If so, which do you watch and in what order do you prefer them? If not, are there any you may consider watching? Australian Idol, Australian Princess and Big Brother.
6. Which reality show have you thought about participating in? Why? Honestly, none. Although there was one putting people in a Chinese Kung-Fu School for about 2 months 24/7...if I was offered a place, I'd take it.
7. Share one thing you would like to do in life but have not yet done..... think about why you haven't done it and share if you wish. Joined the Army. With my recurring injuries the way they are, there's a small chance I'll ever get in...until Brendan Nelson relaxes the restrictions (which is likely these days methinks).
2. What "whacky" thing might you do for a large sum of money? I'm guessing something illegal might be acceptable.
3. What do you think is a "large sum of money?" At the very least $1000.
4. Do you watch "reality" tv shows? Not of my own free will.
5. If so, which do you watch and in what order do you prefer them? If not, are there any you may consider watching? Australian Idol, Australian Princess and Big Brother.
6. Which reality show have you thought about participating in? Why? Honestly, none. Although there was one putting people in a Chinese Kung-Fu School for about 2 months 24/7...if I was offered a place, I'd take it.
7. Share one thing you would like to do in life but have not yet done..... think about why you haven't done it and share if you wish. Joined the Army. With my recurring injuries the way they are, there's a small chance I'll ever get in...until Brendan Nelson relaxes the restrictions (which is likely these days methinks).
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Pirates 2 Reactions
I really wasn't sure how I should have been feeling when I came out of Pirates 2. I remembered loving the first one (I saw it at least three times at the cinema), but this one was wierd. This cartoon that Chris found pretty well represents what appears to have been the consensus.
Hopefully the third will round out the series...but then that's what we were thinking with the new Star Wars.
On a related note, I just found out that Disney has released a bunch of remixes of the [geek]POTC[/geek] theme here. Kinda weird but simultaneously annoying and they get in ya head.
Hopefully the third will round out the series...but then that's what we were thinking with the new Star Wars.
On a related note, I just found out that Disney has released a bunch of remixes of the [geek]POTC[/geek] theme here. Kinda weird but simultaneously annoying and they get in ya head.
The other meme
1. How many "people" pictures do you have displayed in your house? I know of 10.
2. How many times a month/year do you rearrange your furniture? Haven't as yet in this house.
3. Do you check your email every day? If so, how many times a day? Pretty much...I had withdrawl symptoms when I was on holiday.
4. How often do you generally look at a clock/watch on any given day? Too many...worrying about a concept as abstract as time just proves how self-absorbed we are.
5. How do you handle telemarketer phone calls? I started politely saying no thank you, but over the last year I've become more and more jaded to the point that I now say "No" straight away and if they don't hang up I just keep saying "Tell me more" until I'm bored and I'm sure their average has been pushed up a notch.
2. How many times a month/year do you rearrange your furniture? Haven't as yet in this house.
3. Do you check your email every day? If so, how many times a day? Pretty much...I had withdrawl symptoms when I was on holiday.
4. How often do you generally look at a clock/watch on any given day? Too many...worrying about a concept as abstract as time just proves how self-absorbed we are.
5. How do you handle telemarketer phone calls? I started politely saying no thank you, but over the last year I've become more and more jaded to the point that I now say "No" straight away and if they don't hang up I just keep saying "Tell me more" until I'm bored and I'm sure their average has been pushed up a notch.
Some pictures from the ether
First of all, for all of us who remember those few years when fluro colours were cool here's a record cover to bring back thoughts of those truly odd times.
And here's a cool take on quantum physics...reminds me of college.
And here's a cool take on quantum physics...reminds me of college.
Monday, August 14, 2006
My Own Meme
Well, neither Maddy nor Chris have done their memes for the week so I'll have to do my own:
1. What can't you travel without? It used to be a toothbrush, but now it's my down jacket.
2. How many trips has/have it/they taken with you? Just one so far.
3. Where have you taken it/them? New Zealand & Fiji.
4. Where's next? Probably somewhere in the eastern half of the Mediterranean.
5. Why? Libya, Tunisia & Turkey all look fascinating. Turkey seems like the next Greece & Libya and Tunisia look like the ones after that.
Well it seems I'm a bit unimaginative tonight, but at least it makes it short and sweet for the others.
1. What can't you travel without? It used to be a toothbrush, but now it's my down jacket.
2. How many trips has/have it/they taken with you? Just one so far.
3. Where have you taken it/them? New Zealand & Fiji.
4. Where's next? Probably somewhere in the eastern half of the Mediterranean.
5. Why? Libya, Tunisia & Turkey all look fascinating. Turkey seems like the next Greece & Libya and Tunisia look like the ones after that.
Well it seems I'm a bit unimaginative tonight, but at least it makes it short and sweet for the others.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
My new hero
Christopher Lee!
He's so awesome! WWII RAF and apparently British Spec Ops (apparently Peter Jackson was trying to tell him how to die when he's stabbed in the back in the final episode of Lord of the Rings, Lee responded that he knows how people react when stabbed)
* Commander of the Order of the British Empire and/or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem
* Officier des arts et lettres
* Has the most screen credits of any actor
* Depending on the source, he speaks French, Italian, Spanish and German and can "get along" in Swedish, Russian and Greek.
* His films have raked in more than any other actor (~US$4.4bn topping Samuel L. Jackson's ~US$3.8bn)
* He knows what music he likes and has become such good friends with his favourite band that they let him perform with them on their albums and at events when he's free
But in the end, he's found what he likes and what he's good at and works hard at it - awesome devotion.
And now to lighten the mood a bit, a nice take on those stick figure flash animations can be found here.
He's so awesome! WWII RAF and apparently British Spec Ops (apparently Peter Jackson was trying to tell him how to die when he's stabbed in the back in the final episode of Lord of the Rings, Lee responded that he knows how people react when stabbed)
* Commander of the Order of the British Empire and/or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem
* Officier des arts et lettres
* Has the most screen credits of any actor
* Depending on the source, he speaks French, Italian, Spanish and German and can "get along" in Swedish, Russian and Greek.
* His films have raked in more than any other actor (~US$4.4bn topping Samuel L. Jackson's ~US$3.8bn)
* He knows what music he likes and has become such good friends with his favourite band that they let him perform with them on their albums and at events when he's free
But in the end, he's found what he likes and what he's good at and works hard at it - awesome devotion.
And now to lighten the mood a bit, a nice take on those stick figure flash animations can be found here.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Google and it's Pigeons
I was looking at Google Zeitgeist and noticed an odd but interesting link on the page. It's really quite bizarre and it just goes to show that that "Twenty percent" time doesn't always get used productively.
Apparently it's one of those old April Fools' Day joke from 2002 for which Google is so renowned. Indeed, there's a whole list of them, as well as other pranks, in wikipedia here. My favourite, though, is this year's attempt; Google Romance which gave me the best laugh I'd had in a while.
So, again, another good source of fun...good ol' Google!
Apparently it's one of those old April Fools' Day joke from 2002 for which Google is so renowned. Indeed, there's a whole list of them, as well as other pranks, in wikipedia here. My favourite, though, is this year's attempt; Google Romance which gave me the best laugh I'd had in a while.
So, again, another good source of fun...good ol' Google!
Perversion for Profit
I remember watching this in my first year at college and it's still a hilarious, if for nothing more than it's classic 50's deep-voiced announcer and his long pauses to emphasise the evil ramifications of this filth. Apparently it's still being used by the Anti-porn movement.
The film shown here is a film from 1965 detailing the problems with allowing pornography in a 'modern American society'. Especially how continued exposure to such material will, with an absolute certainty lead those readers to commit sssexual crimes. There was also some belief at the time, apparently, that the publishers of pornographic magazines were inherently Communist, and that those exposed to their products would inevitably try to overthrow the good American citizens.
If you've got a spare half hour for a good laugh, it's definitely worth it.
The film shown here is a film from 1965 detailing the problems with allowing pornography in a 'modern American society'. Especially how continued exposure to such material will, with an absolute certainty lead those readers to commit sssexual crimes. There was also some belief at the time, apparently, that the publishers of pornographic magazines were inherently Communist, and that those exposed to their products would inevitably try to overthrow the good American citizens.
If you've got a spare half hour for a good laugh, it's definitely worth it.
A truly eerie experience
The notion of the end of a series is always sad, but this site, Garfield is Dead, is taking it to that level that's just a bit too far. Apparently in 1989, a week's worth of garfield comics were published showing him all alone in a decrepit shack, starving to death.
I don't mind those episodes of my favourite series when a favourite character dies, when it's done in a humourous way as the Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror episodes often do, or even in movies or comic strips as it's generally done with a sense of honour, or inevitability or similar. These few frames though are just wierd and a bit freaky. I'm glad they weren't the last.
I don't mind those episodes of my favourite series when a favourite character dies, when it's done in a humourous way as the Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror episodes often do, or even in movies or comic strips as it's generally done with a sense of honour, or inevitability or similar. These few frames though are just wierd and a bit freaky. I'm glad they weren't the last.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Another meme
1. What are your siblings' middle names? Lorraine
2. Where is your dad right now? I'm betting asleep either in front of the TV or in bed.
3. What was the last thing you said? "Grab a Yogo if you want."
4. What is something you've learned recently? That Alexander Downer is actually as charming as he thinks he is.
5. What colour is your watch? Black
6. What do you think of when you think of Australia? Beautiful eucalypt forests on hillsides, red desert spanning from horizon to horizon and democracy.
7. What are you reading currently? The Prince by Nicoló Machiavelli
8. Who is the last person you liked? Vicki
9. Are you close to your mum?
I like to think so, but the physical distance does get in the way a bit.
10. Where does your best friend work?
A toy and puzzle shop.
11. What is your least attractive feature? My utilitarianism.
12. How old were you when you started wearing a bra? I still haven't (unsurprisingly).
13. What color are your pants? Denim blue.
14. Do you have a roommate? Two.
15. What color is your bedroom flooring? White (as in older, slightly dusty white)
16. Do you have a chair in your room? Not really, I use my couch and I have a swiss ball I intend to use...but it hasn't found its way in there yet.
17. What time of day were you born? Absolutely NFI.
18. Do you know anyone who is engaged? No, several married and a few degrees to engaged couples.
19. What's your favorite number(s)? 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 (all of them really, but some more than others)
20. Do you know anyone named Laurie? No.
21. What color is your mom's hair?
Light and/or dark brown.
22. Do you have a dog? Yes - see last meme.
23. Where did you live in 1987? Same place my parents still are.
24. What happened to you in 1993? I started at Barker and got in trouble on my first day for throwing paper aeroplanes.
25. Does your first memory involve your dad? I can't remember my first memory.
26. Do you remember singing any songs as kids? Just nursery rhymes and good old rock.
27. When was the last time you went swimming? I honestly can't remember, probably last summer.
28. Has your luggage ever gotten lost? Not once - I'm lucky.
29. When was the last time you talked to one of your siblings? Vocally, last month, but on gChat just yesterday.
30. Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Yep, all the time. They were some of the best, and worst, times of my life but definitely great experiences.
31. Do you play an instrument? Piano and side-drum...I really need to practice. (Oh and CDJs if you use the West Australian definition of 'instrument'.)
32. Have you ever thought it would be cool to smash a guitar? I'm going to use Maddy's answer here: "I guess, in a completely abstract kind of way."
33. Do you like fire? Yes.
34. Where is your best friend from? Urana
35. Are you allergic to anything? Maybe cats, or dogs, but inconsistently.
36. When was the last time you cried? Two nights ago, in Wah-Wah.
37. What kind of shampoo do you use? Fructis
38. Have you ever been to a spa? No.
39. Were you popular in high school? Everyone knew me, but...no, not really.
40. Did you take science all six years of high school? Of course, it's the only thinking method worth a dime.
41. Do you like butterflies? Not really, I see them as kind of useless - not even in an abstract, inspiring beauty kind of way.
42. What is the last book you read? Starsip Troopers by Robert Heinlein
43. Do you like Coke or Pepsi more? Vanilla Coke all the way, baby!
44. What is one thing you miss about your past? Having reliable knees and a better muscle-weight ratio.
45. Did you ever see the school nurse? Yes - but I plead the fifth.
46. Have you ever wanted to be a teacher? Every time I see the crap methods of some of those teachers out there.
47. What is one thing you've learned about your life recently? That I really like my drinks.
48. Are you jealous of anyone? Any of those millionaires who doesn't have to work anymore.
49. Is anyone jealous of you? Madeline...apparently
50. When was the last time you were in an elevator? Not sure...does a charlift count? If so, then two days ago. Canberra's pretty flat so there's not much need here.
Well that's it again until next week. Cheerio.
2. Where is your dad right now? I'm betting asleep either in front of the TV or in bed.
3. What was the last thing you said? "Grab a Yogo if you want."
4. What is something you've learned recently? That Alexander Downer is actually as charming as he thinks he is.
5. What colour is your watch? Black
6. What do you think of when you think of Australia? Beautiful eucalypt forests on hillsides, red desert spanning from horizon to horizon and democracy.
7. What are you reading currently? The Prince by Nicoló Machiavelli
8. Who is the last person you liked? Vicki
9. Are you close to your mum?
I like to think so, but the physical distance does get in the way a bit.
10. Where does your best friend work?
A toy and puzzle shop.
11. What is your least attractive feature? My utilitarianism.
12. How old were you when you started wearing a bra? I still haven't (unsurprisingly).
13. What color are your pants? Denim blue.
14. Do you have a roommate? Two.
15. What color is your bedroom flooring? White (as in older, slightly dusty white)
16. Do you have a chair in your room? Not really, I use my couch and I have a swiss ball I intend to use...but it hasn't found its way in there yet.
17. What time of day were you born? Absolutely NFI.
18. Do you know anyone who is engaged? No, several married and a few degrees to engaged couples.
19. What's your favorite number(s)? 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 (all of them really, but some more than others)
20. Do you know anyone named Laurie? No.
21. What color is your mom's hair?
Light and/or dark brown.
22. Do you have a dog? Yes - see last meme.
23. Where did you live in 1987? Same place my parents still are.
24. What happened to you in 1993? I started at Barker and got in trouble on my first day for throwing paper aeroplanes.
25. Does your first memory involve your dad? I can't remember my first memory.
26. Do you remember singing any songs as kids? Just nursery rhymes and good old rock.
27. When was the last time you went swimming? I honestly can't remember, probably last summer.
28. Has your luggage ever gotten lost? Not once - I'm lucky.
29. When was the last time you talked to one of your siblings? Vocally, last month, but on gChat just yesterday.
30. Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Yep, all the time. They were some of the best, and worst, times of my life but definitely great experiences.
31. Do you play an instrument? Piano and side-drum...I really need to practice. (Oh and CDJs if you use the West Australian definition of 'instrument'.)
32. Have you ever thought it would be cool to smash a guitar? I'm going to use Maddy's answer here: "I guess, in a completely abstract kind of way."
33. Do you like fire? Yes.
34. Where is your best friend from? Urana
35. Are you allergic to anything? Maybe cats, or dogs, but inconsistently.
36. When was the last time you cried? Two nights ago, in Wah-Wah.
37. What kind of shampoo do you use? Fructis
38. Have you ever been to a spa? No.
39. Were you popular in high school? Everyone knew me, but...no, not really.
40. Did you take science all six years of high school? Of course, it's the only thinking method worth a dime.
41. Do you like butterflies? Not really, I see them as kind of useless - not even in an abstract, inspiring beauty kind of way.
42. What is the last book you read? Starsip Troopers by Robert Heinlein
43. Do you like Coke or Pepsi more? Vanilla Coke all the way, baby!
44. What is one thing you miss about your past? Having reliable knees and a better muscle-weight ratio.
45. Did you ever see the school nurse? Yes - but I plead the fifth.
46. Have you ever wanted to be a teacher? Every time I see the crap methods of some of those teachers out there.
47. What is one thing you've learned about your life recently? That I really like my drinks.
48. Are you jealous of anyone? Any of those millionaires who doesn't have to work anymore.
49. Is anyone jealous of you? Madeline...apparently
50. When was the last time you were in an elevator? Not sure...does a charlift count? If so, then two days ago. Canberra's pretty flat so there's not much need here.
Well that's it again until next week. Cheerio.
A start to the week
* A great article published here with Wired by Steven Colbert of the Daily Show and Colbert Report on how to be an expert on anything. (Whoa! that's a pretty high density of links.)
* A cool article here on the Israelis living on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Basically Israel, not all Lebanese are terrorists, nor do they all benefit, or even pretend to, from the actions of terrorists.
* A cool article here on the Israelis living on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
You could see the house owner remonstrating with a Hezbollah terrorist not to fire rockets from beside his house,
Basically Israel, not all Lebanese are terrorists, nor do they all benefit, or even pretend to, from the actions of terrorists.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Monday Meme, Take: 2
1. Do you have a photo blog? If so, feel free to share the link with us! Umm...yes a bit - just a flickr thing - but the limit's a killer - so as of tomorrow there'll be a lot more there.
2. How many pets do you own, and what are their names? If none, have you had a favorite pet in the past? None here in Canberra, but in Sydney we've got Tessa, a beautiful if mischievous border collie. Her 'predecessor' Panda was not only a beautiful dog but also much better behaved. Still not sure which is/was my favourite though.
3. How many times a week does the carpet in your house get vacuumed? No carpet? How many times a MONTH do your floors get mopped? Probably once a month, or whenever Vicki's in the cleaning mood.
4. Which room in your house do you spend the most time in? The living room, it's become my default room with the lack of space in my bedroom.
5. Have you read any good books lately? Starship Troopers and Words & Rules. They're both in my profile, and they're both fantastic reads for anyone who's interested in the future of warfare or the future of language respectively.
6. What is your biggest source of news? (Newspaper? Television? Radio? Other?) I've become a bit of an information junkie, in NZ & Fiji I actually had a bit of withdrawl...it's become a bit disturbing. But I've found my favourite sources, each of them reliable, current (and leaning the right way): Reuters, ITWire, the Australian, Janes, New Scientist and finally the good ol' ABC and BBC.
2. How many pets do you own, and what are their names? If none, have you had a favorite pet in the past? None here in Canberra, but in Sydney we've got Tessa, a beautiful if mischievous border collie. Her 'predecessor' Panda was not only a beautiful dog but also much better behaved. Still not sure which is/was my favourite though.
3. How many times a week does the carpet in your house get vacuumed? No carpet? How many times a MONTH do your floors get mopped? Probably once a month, or whenever Vicki's in the cleaning mood.
4. Which room in your house do you spend the most time in? The living room, it's become my default room with the lack of space in my bedroom.
5. Have you read any good books lately? Starship Troopers and Words & Rules. They're both in my profile, and they're both fantastic reads for anyone who's interested in the future of warfare or the future of language respectively.
6. What is your biggest source of news? (Newspaper? Television? Radio? Other?) I've become a bit of an information junkie, in NZ & Fiji I actually had a bit of withdrawl...it's become a bit disturbing. But I've found my favourite sources, each of them reliable, current (and leaning the right way): Reuters, ITWire, the Australian, Janes, New Scientist and finally the good ol' ABC and BBC.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Top 50 Movie Endings
Like with any lists of the 'best', 'worst' or similar, there is always going to be disagreement about the numbers, but, much of the time, the members of the list are inarguable. This list of the Top 50 Movie Endings is pretty much on the money with it's choices.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Monday Meme
I've decided to jump on this truck (to use Ted Stevens' words...I know, everyone's blogging it, but it's just because it's so ridiculous) and start with these Monday Memes along with Maddy and Chris. Let's see how long it'll last.
1. I won't eat past _____ o'clock in the evening. Probably around 11, but there's always exceptions...it's bad, I know.
2. My favorite subject for photographing is _____. Plants and trees, but as scenery with a good, solid background; Stuff that makes a nice wallpaper for my desktop.
3. I use _____ most often to edit my photographs. Originally the infamous Photoshop, but lately Corel Photo-Paint actually. Not that I regularly edit my photos; much better to just take a good shot in the first place.
4. If I'm having trouble sleeping, I usually _____. Thiss happens a lot, and all I can do is just try to stop thinking, but it usually doesn't work, I just have to wait until 3 or 4 in the morning and hope my body takes over.
5. When I'm hungry for a snack, I usually eat _____. Nothing, I've stopped eating more than 2 meals a day.
Well that wasn't too hard.
1. I won't eat past _____ o'clock in the evening. Probably around 11, but there's always exceptions...it's bad, I know.
2. My favorite subject for photographing is _____. Plants and trees, but as scenery with a good, solid background; Stuff that makes a nice wallpaper for my desktop.
3. I use _____ most often to edit my photographs. Originally the infamous Photoshop, but lately Corel Photo-Paint actually. Not that I regularly edit my photos; much better to just take a good shot in the first place.
4. If I'm having trouble sleeping, I usually _____. Thiss happens a lot, and all I can do is just try to stop thinking, but it usually doesn't work, I just have to wait until 3 or 4 in the morning and hope my body takes over.
5. When I'm hungry for a snack, I usually eat _____. Nothing, I've stopped eating more than 2 meals a day.
Well that wasn't too hard.
News of Note
Okidoki: just a few things I've found over the weekend.
* Apparently the U.S. Army still thinks homosexuality is a mental disorder...the view has been otherwise for going on 40 years now. The article here.
* Pepsi lost millions of dollars in Pepsi challenges in Peru through 'the Pepsi Challenge', not because Pepsi doesn't taste as good, but because people (presumably Peruvians more so) don't like being told they're wrong. I wouldn't be suprised if it had similarly backfired in other countries. The article here.
* Reuters reports that a town called Balaton in Hungary seems to be advertising for an unusual niche in the tourism market. You'll have to check out this video to get the point, or the article itself here.
* And finally, Jon Stewart called on his Resident Expert to explain exactly how the Internet would work without legislated 'Net Netruality' in his uniquely informative way as shown here. (Also check out the other appearances of John Hodgman on YouTube here especially his proof that India and Pakistan are, in fact, two separate countries...you've got to love the description of Gen. Musharraf as a "small be-medalled man!")
* Apparently the U.S. Army still thinks homosexuality is a mental disorder...the view has been otherwise for going on 40 years now. The article here.
* Pepsi lost millions of dollars in Pepsi challenges in Peru through 'the Pepsi Challenge', not because Pepsi doesn't taste as good, but because people (presumably Peruvians more so) don't like being told they're wrong. I wouldn't be suprised if it had similarly backfired in other countries. The article here.
* Reuters reports that a town called Balaton in Hungary seems to be advertising for an unusual niche in the tourism market. You'll have to check out this video to get the point, or the article itself here.
* And finally, Jon Stewart called on his Resident Expert to explain exactly how the Internet would work without legislated 'Net Netruality' in his uniquely informative way as shown here. (Also check out the other appearances of John Hodgman on YouTube here especially his proof that India and Pakistan are, in fact, two separate countries...you've got to love the description of Gen. Musharraf as a "small be-medalled man!")
Friday, July 21, 2006
Doomed Planet
Along with a bunch of others, DoomedPlanet has greeted the new high-speed internet with gusto, taking the opportunity to become, in my mind, one of the best amateur sketch teams around. Checkout their page, or their videos on YouTube.
Pure comedy gold!
Another site always worth a look is Newgrounds. It's been around a while and has managed to build quite a library of amateur animations. Definitely check it out.
I eat justice...and I poop out equality!
It's kind of like Schindler's List meets Panic Room.
It's gonna cost like what...what's the next number down from zero?
Pure comedy gold!
Another site always worth a look is Newgrounds. It's been around a while and has managed to build quite a library of amateur animations. Definitely check it out.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Our Many Depths and Dimensions
It's always good when people try to explain science, it has huge potential to either educate or to be miserably hilarious. This page is trying to explain some very complicated concepts in a very short space of time (forgive the pun) and therefore you have to make an effort to keep up...but it's worth it. Mum, Dad, this is definitely worth a look.
As for depth, an artist I Stumbled Upon, Sixteen, actually produces some nice works. There's plenty of pages like this but this one seems a bit better than average. Anywho, here.
As for depth, an artist I Stumbled Upon, Sixteen, actually produces some nice works. There's plenty of pages like this but this one seems a bit better than average. Anywho, here.
Snakes on a Plane
I guess this blog has become a sort of favourites folder but including all those links that I don't want in my real favourites. As such I figured I'd post all the new cool stuff from Sam Jackson's next film.
A glimpse into How Hollywood Really Works
Some guy doing some fairly good impressions in the 'auditions'
There's even an All Your Snakes Are Belong to Us
ah...good times
A glimpse into How Hollywood Really Works
Some guy doing some fairly good impressions in the 'auditions'
There's even an All Your Snakes Are Belong to Us
ah...good times
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Benjamin Franklin's Life Goals
Benjamin Franklin did a lot of cool stuff...but, for a long time, I've never really respected his brain, he just didn't stop working - the very exemplar of the Protestant work ethic. He did, however, live by a nice set of morals.
This page lists the goals that Benjamin Franklin tried to eschew in his life.
This, however, is a very practical invention; Franklin created a list each week and if he failed to live up to any of these qualities he'd place a dot in the appropriate box. He kept a chart every week for 66 years - that's pretty dedicated!
On a side note: for anyone who likes the idea, there's a site JoesGoals.com which allows you to replicate Franklin's lists on the net. Pretty cool...if you can check yourself to keep it working.
Once again, good ol' Lifehacker.
This page lists the goals that Benjamin Franklin tried to eschew in his life.
1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.
2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.
6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.
11. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
This, however, is a very practical invention; Franklin created a list each week and if he failed to live up to any of these qualities he'd place a dot in the appropriate box. He kept a chart every week for 66 years - that's pretty dedicated!On a side note: for anyone who likes the idea, there's a site JoesGoals.com which allows you to replicate Franklin's lists on the net. Pretty cool...if you can check yourself to keep it working.
Once again, good ol' Lifehacker.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Old news but Good news
For those of you who haven't seen this, this is the memorable moment when Jon Stewart (the Daily Show) destroyed CNN's primetime debate show.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Superman's Evolution
This page shows, albeit with limited evidence, how Superman's powers have increased significantly from his original 1930s form (which was notably weaker than the Hulk...who was not yet Incredible) through to predictions for Superman in the 2040s, at which point his powers will have surpassed those of God.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
The Nations of the World
The Animaniacs never disappoint and Yakko's rendition, listing the nations of the world to the tune of the Mexican Hat Dance is, not only an admirable feat in it's scripting, but it's also a pretty damn addictive song. Definitely one of my favourite all-time songs.
Friday, July 14, 2006
The Prestige
I normally try to keep movie stuff off this page, for numerous reasons, but this one looks very promising.
A new film coming out in October, starring some of my favourite actors of all time and directed by a master. I've been trying to restrain myself until a trailer came out but the only one I could find on YouTube had a voiceover from Entertainment Tonight so I'll put another one up soon.
With Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as the two leads and with Michael Caine and David Bowie supporting, it's already sowing seeds of huge promise, but then Christopher Nolan is directing which, in itself, is cool, but it means that both Caine and Bale have agreed to work with him more than they were contractually obliged to with the Batman Begins franchise...and I trust their judgement. There are also appearances by the ever-beautiful Scarlett Johansson, Andy Serkis (Gollum & King Kong) and Piper Perabo who, despite her failure to crack Hollywood in Coyote Ugly, is still pretty cute.
The story, apparently adapted from a novel by Christopher Priest revolves around two turn-of-the-century magicians in London both seeking to be the best magician and perform the most amazing feat the world has ever seen. The intensity of the competition between the two drives them both to darker and darker deeds in order to be the best. In classic Nolan fashion, there is sure to be a perfect balance between entertainment, through powerful characters and wonderous scenes, and a moral standing, presumably on how far one must go and still be the better man.
What makes it just that bit extra cool is that David Bowie plays Nikola Tesla, in what would've been the year of Tesla's 150th birthday (I'm not sure if that phrase works properly...I suppose it depends on whether you believe that there is an upper limit on the length of a man's life - but that's for another time).
For those of you who don't know, Tesla was the genius who invented long-distance radio communication and was the main force behind the use of alternating current (AC) for long-distance power transmission. He was, from memory, the third person to announce they'd derived a grand unified theory (the holy grail of physics since the beginning of last century) before dying without leaving any trace of their work on the matter. For the last decade or so, however, he's probably become more famous for the weapon named after him in the Red Alert computer games (which he'd also claimed he'd invented - at the time it was the first mention of a 'death ray'). Oh, and he spoke seven languages, of two families, fluently. So, yeah, he was a pretty awesome guy and is still regarded, pretty much universally, as the best electrical engineer who ever lived.
This is digressing a bit, more so because I doubt Tesla actually particpated in magic shows and is just involved a la the recent Jules Verne-esque stories, like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen...but it's still cool.
So, I've got to the end of the post without a link to the IMDB page or the only trailer that's up yet so here they are: IMDB YouTube
A new film coming out in October, starring some of my favourite actors of all time and directed by a master. I've been trying to restrain myself until a trailer came out but the only one I could find on YouTube had a voiceover from Entertainment Tonight so I'll put another one up soon.
With Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as the two leads and with Michael Caine and David Bowie supporting, it's already sowing seeds of huge promise, but then Christopher Nolan is directing which, in itself, is cool, but it means that both Caine and Bale have agreed to work with him more than they were contractually obliged to with the Batman Begins franchise...and I trust their judgement. There are also appearances by the ever-beautiful Scarlett Johansson, Andy Serkis (Gollum & King Kong) and Piper Perabo who, despite her failure to crack Hollywood in Coyote Ugly, is still pretty cute.
The story, apparently adapted from a novel by Christopher Priest revolves around two turn-of-the-century magicians in London both seeking to be the best magician and perform the most amazing feat the world has ever seen. The intensity of the competition between the two drives them both to darker and darker deeds in order to be the best. In classic Nolan fashion, there is sure to be a perfect balance between entertainment, through powerful characters and wonderous scenes, and a moral standing, presumably on how far one must go and still be the better man.
What makes it just that bit extra cool is that David Bowie plays Nikola Tesla, in what would've been the year of Tesla's 150th birthday (I'm not sure if that phrase works properly...I suppose it depends on whether you believe that there is an upper limit on the length of a man's life - but that's for another time).
For those of you who don't know, Tesla was the genius who invented long-distance radio communication and was the main force behind the use of alternating current (AC) for long-distance power transmission. He was, from memory, the third person to announce they'd derived a grand unified theory (the holy grail of physics since the beginning of last century) before dying without leaving any trace of their work on the matter. For the last decade or so, however, he's probably become more famous for the weapon named after him in the Red Alert computer games (which he'd also claimed he'd invented - at the time it was the first mention of a 'death ray'). Oh, and he spoke seven languages, of two families, fluently. So, yeah, he was a pretty awesome guy and is still regarded, pretty much universally, as the best electrical engineer who ever lived.
This is digressing a bit, more so because I doubt Tesla actually particpated in magic shows and is just involved a la the recent Jules Verne-esque stories, like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen...but it's still cool.
So, I've got to the end of the post without a link to the IMDB page or the only trailer that's up yet so here they are: IMDB YouTube
Chimpanzees often use sticks as crude tools
Kinda cool video of a chimp playing Pac-Man. Though I'm not sure which is funnier, the chimp having fun or the crazy American lady cheering him on.
Why DMCA needs a tune-up
The EFF has put up a page, presumably intended for journalists attending an RIAA, MPAA or similar release who don't care so much about being invited back for the next one. Basically it's a set of questions pointing out the best flaws in commonsense allowed by the DMCA. Is one of the few parts of our free-trade agreement with the States that really pisses me off. That and damn farm subsidies.
I like:
* The RIAA has sued over 20,000 music fans for file sharing, who have on average paid a $3,750 settlement. That's over $75,000,000. Has any money collected from your lawsuits gone to pay actual artists?
* The major movie studios have been enjoying some of their most profitable years in history over the past five years. Can you cite to any specific studies that prove noncommercial file sharing among fans, as opposed to commercial DVD piracy, has hurt the studios' bottom line in any significant way?
I feel I should include a small glossary for those non-nerds who visit this page...and my folks. The links here will take you to the Wikipedia pages for each.
EFF: Electronic Frontier Foundation
MPAA: Motion Picture Association of America
RIAA: Recording Industry Association of America
DMCA: Digital Millenium Copyright Act
I like:
* The RIAA has sued over 20,000 music fans for file sharing, who have on average paid a $3,750 settlement. That's over $75,000,000. Has any money collected from your lawsuits gone to pay actual artists?
* The major movie studios have been enjoying some of their most profitable years in history over the past five years. Can you cite to any specific studies that prove noncommercial file sharing among fans, as opposed to commercial DVD piracy, has hurt the studios' bottom line in any significant way?
I feel I should include a small glossary for those non-nerds who visit this page...and my folks. The links here will take you to the Wikipedia pages for each.
EFF: Electronic Frontier Foundation
MPAA: Motion Picture Association of America
RIAA: Recording Industry Association of America
DMCA: Digital Millenium Copyright Act
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Communist Jokes & American Names
Two posts here mentioned by Maddy, the first is an essay on the history of jokes in the former USSR. The second is a great interactive site showing the popularity of the top thousand names from the last century and a half in the U.S.
So, Ben Lewis' essay, Hammer & Tickle, is a great, if short, text investigating the history of Communist jokes in the former Soviet Union. Pretty funny, if sometimes in a pretty dark way. For example, "When was the first Russian election? The time that God put Eve in front of Adam and said, 'Go ahead, choose your wife.'"
There's also The Baby Name Wizard which is a graphical representation of the popularity of any name which has been in the top thousand since the 1880s. Interesting to see the significant drop in biblical names (though it seems the only really significant girls' name has been 'Mary'). Seems, though, that my parents were pretty trendy with Daniel being ranked 7th in the 80s. As for the guys on the right, Chris and Matt were/are in the same boat as me, while Maddy, Sandro's folks were about a decade ahead of the time. (Vicki, you're parents were about thirty years out of date.)
So, Ben Lewis' essay, Hammer & Tickle, is a great, if short, text investigating the history of Communist jokes in the former Soviet Union. Pretty funny, if sometimes in a pretty dark way. For example, "When was the first Russian election? The time that God put Eve in front of Adam and said, 'Go ahead, choose your wife.'"
There's also The Baby Name Wizard which is a graphical representation of the popularity of any name which has been in the top thousand since the 1880s. Interesting to see the significant drop in biblical names (though it seems the only really significant girls' name has been 'Mary'). Seems, though, that my parents were pretty trendy with Daniel being ranked 7th in the 80s. As for the guys on the right, Chris and Matt were/are in the same boat as me, while Maddy, Sandro's folks were about a decade ahead of the time. (Vicki, you're parents were about thirty years out of date.)
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Once again...Thank God we're not in America!
This is a perfect example of why politicians should have to prove themselves before they're given tickets as well as why party politics isn't so important in the states (I presume there are some fairly intelli...reasonably...republicans who are a bit smarter than this guy Westmoreland.
I found this at the everfunny God is for Suckers and the clip is from the Colbert Report on Comedy Central (for those of you who don't already know it, it's clearly one of the best pieces of television around, probably tying with the Daily Show - interestingly they're both up for the same Emmy for best variety show.)
I found this at the everfunny God is for Suckers and the clip is from the Colbert Report on Comedy Central (for those of you who don't already know it, it's clearly one of the best pieces of television around, probably tying with the Daily Show - interestingly they're both up for the same Emmy for best variety show.)
Flickr & Fiji
Okay - so I've finally started posting my photos from my trip to Fiji and New Zealand. Unfortunately, Flickr only allows 20Mb a month for free, so it's going to take just a bit of time.
That brings me finally to my trip. I've been postponing posting this, but here it finally is. Overall, it was good. Auckland is just like any other city, but that also means that there are parts of it that you can't just see from an hostel or a tour bus. The islands off Auckland are pretty cool, the uni students are cool and the local food is great. The Bay of Islands is beautiful, Russell, the orignial capital of NZ and apparently a Port Royale for the Pacific in its time, is beautiful. Old colonial port architecture, it's spectactular. The island themselves are also pretty cool with small houses and communities dotted through the group.
Then there's Fiji. Fiji seems to be designed for a type of travel that I'm not used to, nor do I enjoy for more than a day or two. The idea of lying on a beach, not achieving anything seems, while relaxing, a bit pointless frankly. But when there is no other option, drinking games and sunbaking can be made fun.
But, a trip is a trip and it might as well be made fun. Anyway, it was a good opportunity for some good pics which, coincidentally, you can see at http://www.flickr.com/photos/crip/
So there it is, finally.
hmmm - wonder what the next post'll be about...
That brings me finally to my trip. I've been postponing posting this, but here it finally is. Overall, it was good. Auckland is just like any other city, but that also means that there are parts of it that you can't just see from an hostel or a tour bus. The islands off Auckland are pretty cool, the uni students are cool and the local food is great. The Bay of Islands is beautiful, Russell, the orignial capital of NZ and apparently a Port Royale for the Pacific in its time, is beautiful. Old colonial port architecture, it's spectactular. The island themselves are also pretty cool with small houses and communities dotted through the group.
Then there's Fiji. Fiji seems to be designed for a type of travel that I'm not used to, nor do I enjoy for more than a day or two. The idea of lying on a beach, not achieving anything seems, while relaxing, a bit pointless frankly. But when there is no other option, drinking games and sunbaking can be made fun.
But, a trip is a trip and it might as well be made fun. Anyway, it was a good opportunity for some good pics which, coincidentally, you can see at http://www.flickr.com/photos/crip/
So there it is, finally.
hmmm - wonder what the next post'll be about...
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