Links posted in January 2006
January 31, 2006
On NSA Spying: A Letter to Congress Fifteen constitutional scholars and former government officials express their concerns regarding the administration's warrantless electronic surveillance program. Be warned, this is a long article. (Short version: they're against it.)
Get a monkey a day from the Daily Monkey! -- Via [more inside]
Chewbacca's got a blog. Is there anyone left who doesn't have a blog? I bet even your cat has a blog.
Got your suit on? don't tell me everyone here is ignoring our national holiday....
Control your banana habit with Virtual Hypnotist. Free and open source! Via FmH [more inside]
Does my ass look fat in these pants?
Oscar Nominations are out. Of course, they're teh suck. Feel free to discuss/criticize, in a spoiler-rich environment. [more inside]
The 30 Most Spoken Languages in the World I guess it shouldn't be surprising that Spanish is now the second-most common and English is down to third. Should it?
Part two of the idiotic videos feature on monkeyfilter - 8bithuffers-ns.avi. The best combination of amatuerism, inventiveness, being in the midwest, and having a true comic gift. And Ray Parker (composer of the theme from Ghostbusters).
January 30, 2006
Curious George: Stepping out into the Blogosphere. [more inside]
RIP Wendy Wasserstein Playwright Wendy Wasserstein, author of The Heidi Chronicles, The Sisters Rosenzweig and other works, has passed away at the age of only 55. [more inside]
University cashier makes inappropriate remarks. The story itself is only mildly amusing, but what leaves me dumbstruck is that the school literally has an Ivory Tower. [more inside]
Flying dawgs.
Not to be confused with this.
Airborne cats. A radio controlled flying cat!
Nasty Google cat video deliberately not linked.
another annoying reason to cut down on the booze...what a bummer.
It is the year of the dog-the socially conscious one that is... New company dedicated to helping the world via your furry four-legged friend. Mentioned them once before, but after seeing them on the NBC news Friday, think they deserve another shout-out.
The British Amusement Park (with daily Alligator feeding and other Great British fun) [more inside]
Plagiarists A long list, unfortunately.
A short comercial from a cross fader manufacturer. (.mov) [more inside]
The strange secrets of humor, fear and a guy who makes big money making little people laugh
A very interesting article from the Washington Post that is well worth the read.
From that unmentionable place.
[more inside]
Just in time for the Olympics Live online courses, taught by experienced archaeologists, allow learners to explore the Greek and Roman world from a new perspective.
The Ultimate Test Of a 80's Toyta Pickup. These guys light the truck on fire, drop objects on it, blow up a building with the truck on it, drown it in the ocean, and smash it with a wrecking ball. Amazingly the truck still works. (Embedded video, sound not required, but suggested SFW)
January 29, 2006
TV theme songs!
Advertising jingles!
Classic TV ads!
More TV-related shit!
[more inside]
Hard Drinkin' Lincoln
"Abraham Lincoln: statesman, leader, beloved President - and America's favorite boozehound! "Hard-Drinkin' Lincoln" shows us the real Honest Abe: a loud, lewd, obnoxious guy in a big hat -- the kind of guy you sit behind in the theater and just want to shoot. So come knock one back with The Great Emancipator!"
Spectacularly tasteless and funny flash cartoons.
Gung Hay Fat Choy! Yippee! It's the Year of the Dog! Our police force started a Lion Dance team, and debuted at our Chinese New Year parade today, and our mayor handed out loads of red envelopes. [more inside]
Curious, George: Help me find two short bizarre cartoons! [more inside]
Curious, George As a sled enthusiast, I've had a long dormant interest in the "Skeleton" event in the Olympics that has been featured in 1928, 1948 and 2002 Winter Olympics (and scheduled for the upcoming Olympics). [more inside]
Iran and the bomb - how long?
"When some moron like Charles Krauthammer claims Iran is now just “months” away from a bomb, you can pretty much ignore him: He has no idea what he is talking about."
Part one of three.
[more inside]
January 28, 2006
Singer of Songs John D. Bennett was raised in a family that loves singing. Now he's decided to share his love with the world, with the magic of MIDI backing him up. (You will need quicktime and popups enabled, or you can just download the mp3's.) [more inside]
MindPixel Dead? If so I am sad.
Want to know why Republicans believe what they believe? Paul Gilmartin plays a Republican from Ohio taking questions from dirty liberals. Good times. Quicktime required.
Kerry to filibuster Alito.
I got a spam about signing the petition, and promptly deleted it. Then I saw that CNN has confirmed it. They also give the phone number to the DNC (202-863-8000).
Wait, Democrats growing balls? That goes against everything I've been taught...
via Crooks and Liars
Last annoying year-end list. I promise.
Hi, uh, I'm Ernie, and I've... I've got a problem. HI ERNIE! From Pearls Before Swine. [more inside]
January 27, 2006
Scandal At Facebook And Myspace? -- Bloggers examine social networks, and much of the evidence seems to point at Myspace and Facebook adware and spyware. Newsfilterish, but these sites affect many people.
Curious George: Slave to the cell phone. I just got raped by our cell phone overlords. Any monkeys ever have any luck contesting bills and would care to share tips, tricks or stories? [more inside]
The Microbial Rosetta Stone Database An interesting visualization of the range of things that can make you sick. From the front page: The Microbial Rosetta Stone (MRS) is a database that relates microorganism names, taxonomic classifications, diseases, and scientific literature for the most important human, animal and plant microbial pathogens, with linkage to public genomic sequence databases. [more inside]
Atomic or Astrological time keeping. Nerds everywhere disagree. This raises all sorts of questions about the nature of time or if it can be accurately measured? Should time be measured by terrestial means (the decay of a radioactive isotope) or by astrological means (X-ray emmissons from pulsars) [more inside]
Curious George - Self Evident Sayings - Sayings you've heard that make you you wonder why they had to be said. [more inside]
Monkey cops keep the peace among groups
. "When 'law enforcement' removed, monkey society becomes divisive".
Well, we coulda told them that.
The London house (QuickTime) inhabited by Benjamin Franklin has just been opened to the public, marking his 300th birthday.
Some tanks enjoy a leisurely drive through Tiananmen Square A lighthearted (and very brief) look at the potential changes for image searching on Google China. [more inside]
Baltimore Meetup: monkeys wanted. Tonight (Jan 27, 7pm) at Club Charles. [more inside]
Seven myths
about the Challenger Space Shuttle accident.
I have to admit to being horribly fascinated by this tragedy. Twenty years ago tomorrow...
All the Katamari Damacy lyrics, translated to English. For the Katamari Damacy fans, from someone who apparently had too much time on their hands. [more inside]
[Insert Title Here] gives you the chance to become a comic strip writer, collaberating with the creators of PandaXpress - one page at a time. Guidelines here. If you enjoyed the NaNoWriMoNoMoJoJoJo threads, this may be right up your creative alley.
Mr. Pibb and Red Vines equals Crazy Delicious (click to play) We've seen rap battles in the past. Some just fade, and some never to be forgotten. Now in 2006 we have the mother of them all.
Curious George: Website Maintenance Quote? Please help this monkey! I have a chance to contract for web creation/maintenance, but have never bid for such before. Can anyone give me a rough idea of what is a typical bid for such things? [more inside]
George Tirebiter was real! Sure, I'm old. But I used to laugh at the Firesign Theatre, and I always thought their stuff was truly weird, but fun [more inside]
Measuring less than 8mm, the world's smallest fish calls Sumatran swamps home. Scientists have discovered the world's smallest vertebrate, Paedocypris progenetica in acidic swamps (with a pH around 3) on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. [more inside]
WHERE'S THE HEAT? .. and Kalgoorlie pubs sell designer beer!
January 26, 2006
Curious George: New Design Business
I have quit my fulltime job to start and run my own design and creative services shop. I plan to provide all sorts of print and web design services, as well as web hosting and other services like copywriting and photography. But, with all my creative-fu, my business-fu has been a little shortchanged. I like to think I have a decent amount of common sense, and I'm already planning to go to the SBA and to meet with an attorney and a CPA....
But, I was hoping that monkeys out there had experience generally starting businesses, or specific experience with a design shop or setting up in CA/the Bay area.... What else can you all suggest?
AOL Wins $5M Judgment Against Spammer
I hate to say it, but hooray for AOL!
/newsfilter
Around Guilin. Sunrise and sunset are the photographer's friends. [more inside]
Will Homeland Security steal your stuff in a national emergency?
According to Bellacio.org, they will, if you keep guns or gold in a safe-deposit box at the bank. Tinfoil hat time? No, but who cares? Personally I keep all my tinfoil in a secret stash at the bottom of the local swimming hole.
via
Make the perfect poo.
Bananas are good. Hamburgers no so much. Feed la machine a caca, while a Monsieur 'Ankey ripoff discusses your choices, and rates your output.
Flash. Annoying music. And French.
waiting for the political promises version
via daddytypes
It's official. Canadian icon store The Bay, one of the oldest corporations in the world, will go into the hands of a South Carolina businessman. Grab your Point Blanket now.
Is your community intelligent?
Surprisingly yes, if you're in
Cleveland.. (Posted by a guy in Waterloo).
Identify this Lobster-beast - 'It looks like a cross between a crayfish and a lobster with some characteristics of a large prawn or crab but even the experts are stumped about the identity of this crustacean.' [more inside]
International Internet-Free Day?
You must be freakin' kiddin me!
Must. Log. On.
Holy Crap. The Most Annoying Girl In The World. Scroll to UPDATE 1, watch vid below it. Then cry at the multi-faceted jewel of pop culture desperation therein. Or just laugh like I did, icy-hearted scoundrel-ess that I am.
Cultural Mash-ups. . Reggae meet Japan [realaudio]. Calcutta meet Minnesota. I just love discovering over and over again that people all over the world are so fundamentally similar. Manifestations of the collective unconscious? Optimistically, perhaps.
January 25, 2006
Klueless If we monkeys hurry, we can figure this out before MeFi!!! [more inside]
Yes, we could have nice things. Not really Emily Post, just a string puppets advise on gentle living.
January 24, 2006
Disney Buys Pixar 7.4 billion USD isn't bad for a once-struggling CG company turned superstar animation powerhouse. Disneyfication and ensuing suckitude to begin in 3... 2...
Noam Chomsky
As interviewed in The Irish Times. "States don’t seek security, they seek power. And the effort to extend power can increase insecurity."
via linkfi
Curious George: Poe, Wilde, Fair Use
A couple of questions for legal/publishing savvy/artistic monkeys:
I want to use an image of a famous painting to go along with an article I wrote to be published in a print magazine with a small but respectable circulation. The painting is by Manet, "The Absinthe Drinker," and I'm wondering if I have to worry about copyright, fair use, and all that with such a classic well-known image.
And, but, also, does anyone know where I can find a couple of high-res, fair-use images of portraits of Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allen Poe? For the same article.
[more inside]
Curious Monkey Uncle George
I got the news just recently: My younger sister is expecting a baby! Time to monkey-dance! It's her first child and I'd like to get her a book about babycare. You got any suggestions?
Big Bat Balls = Small Bat Brains
Life in the fast lane. Why fast? Mainly hiding in the rainbowy realm of Alternative Health, fasting is seen as a way to cure a plethora of ills, or just a means to better physical and mental health. Fasting features in several religions, and sometimes is done for whackier reasons. [more inside]
Bush And Bair At The Gay Bar. -- A satire set to the song "At The Gay Bar"-Electric Six. NSFW, Embedded Movie(Sound REQUIRED) Hilarious, and catchy. [more inside]
January 23, 2006
[W + (D-d)] x TQM x NA
Today = saddest day, May 18 = best day for change, June 24 = happiest day.
The dates above according to Cliff Arnall [warning: take painkiller before entering his website], who devised a formula to calculate these days.
Hand crafted doggy duds for the socially conscious canine
Socially Conscious Companion (SOCOCO), has launched an array of handcrafted accessories for the pet who wants to help the world and look fabulous while doing it.
The company has directly employed local artisans from Cape Town, South Africa, to create a line of hand-crafted made dog charms. Not only that, but SOCOCO donates 10% of the gross revenue from every charm sold to an AIDS orphanage in Cape Town. SOCOCO isn't just canine couture - it's canine couture for a cause.
Psst . . . Wanna See An Exploding UFO? Shhhhhhhhh!! . . . Riiiiight.
At the University of Florida, you must certify that you and your partner are "Doing It". Married people, on the other hand, do not have to certify that any sex actually takes place in order to get benefits.
"Whatever you do, don't mention the War." Dutch footie supporters are snapping up Nazi Helmets as a 'joke' for the World Cup, with fifteen thousand already sold. [more inside]
Underground History - disused stations on the London underground
Isaac Asimov's The Last Question.
This is by far my favorite story of all those I have written. After all, I undertook to tell several trillion years of human history in the space of a short story and I leave it to you as to how well I succeeded.
Bayeux Tapestry + YTTMND. If there was ever any doubt that ytmnd was a glimpse at the future of entertainment, that doubt is GONE. [more inside]
The 50 Most Loathsome People of 2005 Reading this list was very cathartic for me. I don't disagree with a single entry. Awesome.
Bizarre, Japanese comemrcial makes it to the internet. [more inside]
Ando Horoshige's Ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints. And a Monkey Reaching for the Moon. seen here.
Hitler? Good in parts! An interview with David Irving. From prison.
January 22, 2006
Curious, George: I need some duds. Daddy needs a new suit. For those of you who don't know, I'm about to finish up my degree and go out there into the big, bad world of begging for gainful employment. There, hat in hand, I will polish the shoes of HR professionals and middle-management sadists with my carefully-groomed and talented tongue. And I want to look good while I'm doing it. [more inside]
Airplanes! Location of all commercial flights. In motion.
Genius Monkey Technique Peeling bananas from the other end is easier (boingboing)
Curious George: I broke my leg last week. How can I get a cardio workout while sitting or standing on one foot
Are there benefits to getting seriously whacked?
I've deserved every accident that's felled me. They have been good for me, every single one. An accident is a cryptic message. Your body is just the messenger. And it's up to your heart to decipher the meaning.
Via the wonderful Outside mag archives
My mother's brownies and other delicious homey food from the 1918 Fannie Farmer Cookbook. [more inside]
Book Bar Your library doesn't look the same through the bottom of a beer glass.
The Good Ol' Hockey Game.
It's the best game evah.
Love it? Hate it? Did you play as a kid? Do you know what shinny is?
NESARA! There is, RIGHT NOW, a law on the books that when announced IMMEDIATELY Improves YOUR LIFE! [more inside]
Vanishing Point This is a website about exploring some of those spaces, about immersing oneself in stormwater sewers and utility tunnels and abandoned industry, about tapping into the worlds that are embedded in our urban environment yet are decidedly removed from the collective experience of civilized life. This is a website about spaces that exist at the boundaries of modern control, as concessions to the landscape, as the debris left by economic transition, as evidence of the transient nature of our place upon this earth.
January 21, 2006
Flickeur (flash) Randomly grabs images from Flickr.com and with some creepy music in the backround turns it into stream of consciousness theater.
Curious George: What magazines would you recommend?
I have decided to subscribe to a lot of magazines. I like to read, am technical, also a mac user (need special help there-I'm an advanced novice). Art stuff is good. I love, for instance, Adbusters. Also food mags? I know this seems that I am a. too lazy to go to Barnes and Noble and b. have no real will of my own but I'd like to hear what you're suggestions are for magazines that are consistently intelligent, absurd or just cool.
Stars War. No line of unlicensed Star Wars figures is as sought after as the Turkish line known as Uzay. Produced sometime in the latter part of the 1980s, the primary charm of the Uzay figures lies in their blister card art; not only are the card images incredibly cheesy, at their best they border on the psychadelic. [more inside]
Curiious, Probabble-y Deleterious, George:
Surely I can't bee the only monkey kicking himself over things I have done/failed to do? Opportunities I have missed ...must run into the millions.
[more inside]
Obscene interiors is a collection of real online male personal ad photos and a critique of the naive interior decorating exposed therein. (No need to shield your timid eyes, the often-nude figures have been laboriously obscured.)
Star Trek New Voyages In which people love ST:TOS enough to resurrect it and film new episodes. Lots of original Trekkers are getting involved, including DC Fontana, Walter Koenig, and George Takei. Wired did a bit on them as well.
Curious George That's it, just Curious George [more inside]
January 20, 2006
Tales of Old China - complete books, cartoons, photographs, maps, postcards, literary references and quotes and a whole lot more.
Every Vote in Congress since 1991 Wonky for a Friday, I know, but this site from the Washington Post is pretty cool if you want to look at US congressional votes. Broken down by representative, senator, state, bill, and - yes - astrological sign. Yes, i fucking got it from MeFi [more inside]
Curious George: Silent Auction I've volunteered to put together a set of items for a silent auction, and I'd like to do something interesting. [more inside]
Next on CourtTV, Jesus Christ! Fable or fact? Italian courts must decide.
I have discovered that while humor can have its limits, fear has no limits. I could not suppress the volume of terror that this film conveys. Sounds like fun, eh? More info here.
Anti-static George
The plan was that I would begin to assemble my new computer tomorrow, but I can't find a single shop in this god-forsaken-place that sells anti-static armbands.
[more inside]
Curious George: Neighbors Always Have Horrible Taste? Yesterday, my neighbors had their music turned up and while it wasn't excessively loud, or bothersome, they were listening to horrible music. So I got to thinking, no matter where I have lived, my neighbors have ALWAYS played crappy music. Why is it that neighbors always have such bad taste in music? ...unless of course you are my neighbor, in which case your neighbor has excellent taste in music...
Big Brother "contestant" has monkey fur coat Originally thought to be from Gorilla fur, Big Brother contestant and ex-pop star Pete Burns' coat turns out to be a Colobos Monkey after all! Police investigation, outrage, fights, tears - all in a days work for Big Brother (oh, Dennis Rodman is in there too!)
There's a whale
in the Thames!
Lucky London Monkeys get all the fun. It's a Northern Bottlenosed Whale.
Hope the big fella's OK.
Child Support! So let's say you get blind drunk, pass out, get put into a strange bed for the night, wake up the next morning, and subsequently discover that a woman had sex with you and got pregnant. Are you liable for child support? [more inside]
Notes on the denial of perspective. By Felice Varini
January 19, 2006
Go, plucky underdogs, go! The Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain is holding its annual Sled Dog Rally in Aviemore, Scotland this weekend. Among the 200 racers this year is Devon Anderson, from Jamaica, who is hopeful of success even though he has never seen snow... [more inside]
Rightwing group offers UCLA students $100 to spy on professors
/witch hunt filter
Blow Monkey Nail Dryer Something Ms Swan would use at the Lucky Pretty Beauty Nail Salon?
Car Stuck Girls
Because there are worse more boring fetishes, I guess. (sadly SFW)
via memepool
Luv Linen. "There's no need to hold back with Luv Linen. There are no sheets to change, no more ruined towels, sheets or mattresses and no more wet spots to endure! How awesome is that! It makes for a wonderful bridal shower gift." [via Sasha van Bon Bon, ][maybe NSFW] [more inside]
An amazing young man named Mike Loux set out to track down the minutiae of the Spenser novels written by Robert B. Parker. Because they are filled with memorable lines and obscure references to literature known only to those holding advanced degrees (as does Dr. Parker) it was a daunting task.
Top 100 Companies to Work for. The Top Five starting with #1: Genentech, Wegmans, Valero Energy, Griffin Hospital. The Complete List puts Microsoft at #42 behind Starbucks at #29. Surprise! (Starbucks pays $500 towards tuition to part-timers who work there for more than a year). By clicking on the company links on the List you get stats on employee salaries, turnover, minority hiring etc, learning for instance, that the most common job at Microsoft pays $107,000/year.
And the Snake shall lie down with the Hamster.
Though the hamster may not exactly have a restful night's sleep.
via
The Duke, the thief, the millionaire and the Count I'm pretty sure it was Colonel Mustard in the library with the iron pipe, but I've been wrong before.
Curious George: Going to Washington D.C.! Never been, any suggestions for things to do/see and places to eat/drink? [more inside]
LA to NYC
a time lapse video of a drive across the country from Los Angeles to New York
embedded video
snagged from Cynical-C Blog
Gamebooks. Frighteningly comprehensive guide to gamebooks [more inside]
January 18, 2006
Vatican says Intelligent Design is NOT science. It's nice to see that, even though many in the US can't get it right, the Vatican knows how to separate faith from science.
Iraqi Invasion: A Text Misadventure teh funnay! [more inside]
Crossing the beams of hipness. Belle & Sebastian, long the lords and gods of the painfully hip and assorted introverts everywhere, are putting out a Graphic Novel, or rather, one is being put out by various artists based on B&S songs. [more inside]
The Best Blonde Joke in the World
Rapture Movies. Maybe you were exposed to them as a kid; maybe not. There's no denying it's one of the most anxiety-producing film genres ever. [more inside]
Flying carpet Just because I like it!
January 17, 2006
The new Canon 30D (leak) "Possible hoax." Ya think? Via HotLinks [more inside]
Pretty Pictures of Things Blowed Up Real Good
by Ivan Minic, from Belgrade ostensibly.
via Das Blu
UK law gives you the right to sue your hitman, if he breaches contract.
I have so found the name for my next D&B band. [via obscurestore]
I hate to say I told you so.
But, er, I told you so!
Beetroot. Yum!
Batgirl Fever!!! On January 9th comic artist Andi Watson posted some old Batgirl sketches of his. Jamie Dee Galey and Dean Trippe followed with their own and now the list of Batgirl artists is over 700.
The Rhinoceros Party of Canada In the Canadian tradition of political satire, the Rhinoceros Party (Parti Rhinocéros), a registered political party from the 1960s to the 1990s ran on a satirical platform, and made a mockery of the political process by coming in 2nd place in some ridings. Among other achievements, they promised to declare war on Belgium unless they received of a gift of a case of mussels and belgian beer, which they received. [more inside]
Instructions for cool projects. Instructables: Step by Step Collaboration. Want to make a pinball coffee table? How about a smoke bomb? As featured on the MAKE:blog.
January 16, 2006
Oh My! It seems that CNN is in the US government's pocket.
Now THATSA sexyrobot! The fine folks who do We Are Robots have finally released 'Gothbot'. At long last! Our wait for socially-acceptable stereotype-based humour is over! [flash] [more inside]
Modern Mechanix. From growing your own mushrooms in the cellar to phantom guides for elevator riders. Science has given us it all. Modern Mechanix showcases the retro best ads and tech, from old science mags for our pleasure. [more inside]
1956 Martin Luther King Montgomery Story Comic. Apparently created and distributed not long after the 1955-56 bus boycotts. Also redrawn and translated to Spanish. [more inside]
The Mechanical Contrivium is the automatic trivia generator of a thousand uses, providing facts for every occasion from school assignments to after-dinner conversation. (I searched, please don't let this be a doublepost!) [more inside]
January 15, 2006
The Frank W. Tober Collection on Literary Forgery
covers many classic forgeries - the works of Ossian, Chatterton's Rowley poems, William Henry Ireland's bogus Shakespeare, as well as others I had never heard of.
In the latter category is Psalmanazar the 'Native of Formosa', who even ran up his own Formosan alphabet.
This is What US-UK Hegemony Looks Like.
A gruesome gallery -- not for kids or weak stomachs.
And in the interest of fairness, this is the other side -- Marines handing out toy cars and food aid.
Wankr Surfing the Web 2.0 bubble.
Movie Mythology: Predator, a Shaman's View from indiayogi.com.
Whatever Happened to Polio? Online version of the Smithsonian NMAH exhibit. [more inside]
January 14, 2006
Toei Spider-Man (embedded video)
Poetry at the Library of Congress. Some highlights: Scans of some of Walt Whitman's notebooks. Poetry webcasts. Poetry 180- A Poem A Day For American High Schools (which is a program from former Poet Laureate Billy Collins). Poet Laureate Timeline.
Mass. Saturday Flash Fun. On animation and negativity. Via ABS. [more inside]
Any Monkeys in Dallas/Ft. Worth area? I'd like to meet you! What say you to a Monday afternoon meetup (Jan.15)? [more inside]
Curious George: Jolie/Pitt Posse count, please
Curious George: Considering that Angelina is a goodwill ambassador for the US, and that both she and Brad have agents, managers, publicists, security, stylists and general hangers-on, HOW MANY PEOPLE do they need to run their media machine?
And the bigger question - is this the new royalty labor force?
Al Qu'Ady #2 "may be dead"! Yeah, maybe! How many Number Twos does this organisation have, anyway?
January 13, 2006
How could you not vote for this guy? Is this really such a stretch? This is the state that eleceted a pro wrestler to office.
The Impeachment of George W. Bush
An article by Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman who sat on the Nixon impeachment proceedings. She has an eerie feeling of deja vu.
*sigh* via MeFi
Rolex, schmolex! The Tour de l'Ile is the world's most complicated wristwatch, created to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Swiss watchmakers Vacheron-Constantin. Among it's many dials and features (on both sides) are sunrise/sunset time, a perpetual calendar, power reserve dial, second time zone, a tourbillon device and a representation of the night sky. More close-up pictures here.
New York Times reviewer takes on new poetry from Billy Collins (sorry, reg req'd) NYT reviewer David Orr parodies former poet laureate (and bard of unbelievable blandness) Billy Collins. [more inside]
American Mazes Get lost in your home state.
Jamesh'sh Ashton Martin for shale. Complete with machine gunsh, tire shreddersh, and "hydraulic thing that shoots oil". [more inside]
Curious George: FAQ web page building I am trying to put together a Web page for my department with company FAQs. Rather then have a web page with a long list of URLs, Answers etc. I would like the user to filter by subject eg. IT, Useful numbers, Non-Technical - that kinda thing. It needs to be pure html/css/java/vbscript. No server-side asp here, but its need to have a database type back-end (Access, Excel, XML) Any monkeys out there with ideas/useful sites?. There are commercial products but I want to do it myself AND EARN BROWNIE POINTS!!!
Black cop infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. And they loved him so much, they asked him to run things. [more inside]
San Francisco's Pet Cemetery.
A strangely moving collection of pics of the final resting places of some obviously well-loved animals.
via
[more inside]
The Evoluon. Today, it's a conference center. But once upon a time it was a magical place, where kids like me could gasp at the wonders of science and see a glimpse of the future. [more inside]
skype A program for making free calls over the internet
Curious George: Font Legality How do fair-use agreements and other likewise legal things come into play involving fonts? [more inside]
I like to fly.
They have long cold winters in Finland. Long enough, and cold enough, to encourage young men to strap jet turbines to their feet and jump off balloons. (embedded video, and glorious lunacy).
January 12, 2006
Sony catches teh ghey. Docking with Wilderness Media to start a fabulous new record label. [more inside]
Corbu was completely batshit loco. Le Corbusier, godfather of modernism, liked to bind his books in dog.
Music Search Thingy Enjoy it while it lasts. via J-Walk
Basquiat-ball shoes According to the press release, the estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat has struck a deal with Reebok to release a line of shoes called Reeboppers.
Green pigs . Now all we need is the green eggs. [more inside]
Hundreds Crushed to death in the Middle East W T F ???? Didnt this like, happen last year??
Anonymous, George: Publishing Deal? I have been approached by a reader of my blog who is an acquisitions editor for a smallish but not academic press. She wants me to write a non-fiction book about a feminist topic (I don't want to get too much more detailed or it'd be relatively easy to search this). I could not have imagined this outcome in my wildest dreams and have been trying to find out a couple of things since then -- namely, how much money can I expect from a deal like this, considering that I'm a first-timer and that it's a well-respected, mid-size but not huge publisher (if it helps, it's an imprint of Avalon Publishing)? [more inside]
Curious George I guess anyone who owns or is owned by one knows that they run the household and anybody who has shared with a cat knows that reading a newspaper is impossible! You can only read the bits in the paper that the cat doesn't lie on - has anybody elses feline (or other pet) adapted to the computer thing - i mean my personal feline hell now knows exactly where to lie so the optical mouse doesn't work - oh or how to 'help' me type if she feels so inclined (and no distractions of favourite toy etc do not work!) [more inside]
this is what happens when you don't know yer shit cuz i ain't no hola back girl [more inside]
Whilst not native to Australia, Gnomes are reportedly migrating from Europe and Britain to make a new start in “new lands” where the impact of pollution is less. Gnome numbers in Europe are on the decrease and drastic action was required. [more inside]
Canadian Election: Conservative victory? The latest poll results -- can they be relied on? Or are voters just giving Liberal Leader Martin a pre-poll scare? According to the story, the Conservatives may even be ready to take some seats in Quebec. How does this affect your voting strategy? I voted Green last time, this time I'm leaning Liberal. [more inside]
Curious George: Pranking. Me and some of my friends are planning to prank a friend by acting as if I had never existed, and we need to change some stuff on the prankee's computer to remove evidence of my existence. [more inside]
La Historia Del Mamut/The Story Of The Mammoth - A song in Spanish about a mammoth. A warning to college students. Even if you don't speak Spanish, it's worth seeing this. NSFW. (warning:embedded flash movie, sound required, addicting song). [more inside]
Obsessive... most obsessive... I give you, the Bag End dollhouse. [more inside]
January 11, 2006
News/Sexfilter: Colombian teenagers could be forced to carry condoms in an effort to stop unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. [more inside]
Cat under truck survives 100km ride underneath a truck. [vid] Will now go on to terrorize Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange. [more inside]
Project Gutenberg has Audiobooks Previously mentioned here [more inside]
2 Kiwi Lions beat the pess out of Keeper - on fulm
- Wellingten Zoo. A keeper gets attecked by two beg cets. A vesiter to the zoo ceptured the atteck on hendy cem. Mereculously, the keeper only sestained injuries to his nick und his side. Vesetors were nuver ut resk.
And Carly Kirkwood is a hot little vixen.
Warning: Contains footage of a guy being pounced on by two young lions and copious New Zealander accents which may disturb some people.
Captain Jackson is a real life Superhero. Superman has to deal with an Infinite Crisis and Marvel's mutants are down to 198, but real life Superhero Captain Jackson is being smeared by the locals he swore to protect. [more inside]
Curious George: OS wars. I want to start experimenting with new Operating Systems, but I don't know where to start. Seems like thousands of possibilities. What OSes are all the cool kids using? [more inside]
Necktie of the Gods... Introducing the world's first load-bearing necktie! Designed for the military professional! Includes beverage management device. Available in black and woodland camouflage. Adult supervision recommended.
Writers who illustrate This recent post prompted me to go look for one of my old favourites, Dutch SF writer Tais Teng (site in Dutch, but lots of pictures), who illustrates his own work. Does anyone know of other writers who do this? And does it add something or spoil the fun?
Suicide Pact Observed In a tale strangely reminiscent of Harold and Maude a 106 year old woman and her 30 year old caretaker died together in their apartment. "They left notes dated Dec. 27 indicating that Lund had strangled the widow when she decided she couldn't take her own life, then swallowed a fatal dose of antifreeze, police said."
January 10, 2006
Honda Monkey Limited Chrome Monkey... "Feels so cool." [via]
A Million Little Lies?
The Smoking Gun is reporting that much of the detail making up much of the James Frey memoir A Million Little Pieces is embleshed or invented out of whole cloth.
[more inside]
Hello monkeyfilter we are meeting up in London and we would like you to come too please. [more inside]
is a restaurant need to eat? [more inside]
Judge Alito's Confirmation Hearings Live drama available via webcast on the linked site, or Here at NPR. More News at the NYT. [more inside]
kitfisto is a penis head! Thou unmuzzled rough-hewn barnacle!
Man sues over chatroom humiliation. If he wins, I'll see you all in court. [more inside]
Ted Kennedy writes a book. 'Profiles in Courage' it ain't. But that's ok. [more inside]
Phoenix Wright create-an-OBJECTION!
Yes, it's Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and you can create a custom objection by typing in your shit here! Or here for Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, or here for Mia Fey!
FLASH - NSFW cos of what my objection says.
[more inside]
Would you have dropped the bomb? With each passing decade, the anniversary of the atomic bombings provokes a debate over whether the United States made the right choice. But this crucial question is almost always considered in the abstract. A far more difficult task is to assume personal responsibility. With that in mind, the Bulletin sought out noteworthy thinkers with backgrounds in history, theology, physics, and diplomacy and posed a single, provocative question: "If the decision had been yours alone to make, would you have dropped the bomb?" [more inside]
Ancient Planetary Model Animations. Fool around with ancient systems of cosmology and astronomy. Downloadable for Windows and Mac with adjustable speeds and zoom-able. (Flash req'd)
Explore new and interesting Korean licensed characters. Rpeng and Bini! The denizens of Western Macaroni Island! For those who enjoy Sanrio but want something different. [more inside]
Masses of Tutorials
26 on PaintShop Pro, 2330 Photoshop, 68 CSS, 922 Flash.. gosh, just myriads.
January 09, 2006
WAR!
YTMND.com goes to battle against Ebaum's world over the latter's petty theft of Lindsay Lohan! Mayhem, DoS attacks and I believe you have my stapler? Ensue!
WARNING: sound fx, etc
[more inside]
North Star actually three. Twin suns of Tatooine? Pfft! [more inside]
Mexico City From the Air. Fascinating photos of Mexico City taken from a helicopter. [via]
Fictitious autibiographies, fictitious authors.
An interesting confluence of events--The Smoking Gun starts out looking for a nice mugshot of James Frey (author of the drug addiction memoir A Million Little Pieces) and discovers that real life just doesn't compare to the details in his book. At the same time, more stories on the identity of JT Leroy have popped up.
What is worse, a fake memoir or a fake author? Or does it really matter as long as people enjoy the books?
Wandering George: selling the farm I'm pretty seriously thinking of selling my farm. I am, to say the least, inexperienced at this kind of thing. Do any monkeys out there have any tips? [more inside]
Cook an egg using your mobile phone. Via Metachat.
Rodney Matthews. Roger Dean. Yoshitako Amano. Christos Achilleos. Ian Miller. (science fiction and fantasy illustrators)
Rude place names. Embrace your inner adolescent. See also: Rude food names.
Sweet, Sweet Mouse Revenge. Serves the cruel bastard right.
The Grandiloquent Dictionary: A collection of rare and obscure words in the English language, as well as a few "untranslatables."
Tempbot.
A short film with breathtaking CG work by a gentleman named Neill Blomkamp, previously known for the excellent Tetra Vaal short (which uses the same 3D robot model). (Both links Quicktime, embedded)
Here, the model is used to superb effect, and I found the entire thing heartbreaking.
Bonus points: look for ex-Wonder Woman Lynda Carter as the (inexplicably) VERY lonely neighbor.
January 08, 2006
Curious George: Boycotting What are the most worthwhile companies to boycott? Say company X used baby spines in the process of making their product or services cheaper, so then I'd obviously wouldn't want to support something like that. [more inside]
Obvious magic The paper cut sculpture of Peter Callesen, each made from a single A4 sheet of paper. Via
Curious George: Wacky Stocks.
A stock photo used by The Nation of Islam's Final Call online also appeared in an advert for the American Humanist Association.
I'm interested to know if this is a unique phenomenon.
[more inside]
And I missed it. Please tell me someone can find a picture of this guy and any opponent(s) sumo wrestling in Times Square on 12/22.
How hard is it to shoot off a lock like in the movies? AKA "Ain't retirement great!"
Out With The Old Drunk, In With The New
'Ask yourself: how many times do I, as a grownup, show up for work after a vacation with a bunch of cuts and bruises on my head? Ask yourself: how many of my friends regularly show up, after a vacation, with lacerations and contusions on their face?'
[more inside]
Dowload Comics Onto Your Ipod. Free. This service covers several comics, with more and more being added. They've good some good comics, from Count Your Sheep, to Joe Loves Crappy Movies.
CG: Raed in the Middle - Call for Compensation Ideas
I'm willing to start a project asking for compesation to Iraq. The Project will be based on the UNCC's methodology for compensation, the one Iraq respected and obayed for the last decade in paying compensation to Kuwait.
Still waiting for ideas and suggestions on the project. I can be easily reached on jarrar.raed(at)gmail.
The Unnatural Natural
The hobo Roy Hobbs. A homeless guy who clouts homers in a softball league somewhere in the heartland.
It sounded too good to be true, at first, but baseball is full of things that are too good to be true--baseball itself is too good to be true--and that's one of the things we love about it. Like no other sport, baseball caters to our need for mythology. For pretend.
[more inside]
January 07, 2006
The Sony Reader. The latest attempt at e-book technology. Word is it'll be out later this year for US$300-US$500. The Reader supposedly uses some kind of e-ink which means very high res. Couldn't find numbers though.
Whose Line Is It Anyway? - some of the funnier moments on the American version of the show. [more inside]
The LEGO Roller Coaster
- Some facts about it:
• Average scale speed from the top of the elevator to the station is about 65 mph, or 105 kph.
• Estimated scale speed at terminal velocity at the bottom of the first hill is 140 mph or 225 kph.
• 2 sections of 4.5 volt track was used almost every one section of length, or about 240 sections total (480 rail pieces).
[more inside]
Araucaria Araucana, aka, the Monkey Puzzle. [PDF] [more inside]
Before there were dashboard CD players there was 16 rpm. You may know it as that setting on old record players that made Peter Frampton sound like Satan. But in 1956 Chevrolet teamed with inventor Peter Goldmark to create the granddaddy of modern car stereos. Unfortunately customers weren't interested in funking it up on the new Interstates, and the gadget was dropped. Except for the government's talking books program, 16 rpm quickly faded into obscurity.
Kiva. A very cool way to help people in developing countries (currently East Africa only) start, maintain, or expand their businesses.
MeFi/MoFi/Mecha Meetup: Now with DaShiv! Three great tastes that taste great together. Be a part of the first inaugural Metafilter, Monkeyfilter and MetaChat meetup, featuring the talented DaShiv and his roving camera of joy. [more inside]
MeFi/MoFi/Mecha Meetup: Now with DaShiv! Three great tastes that taste great together. Be a part of the first inaugural Metafilter, Monkeyfilter and MetaChat meetup, featuring the talented DaShiv and his roving camera of joy. [more inside]
January 06, 2006
Out-Dada-ing the Dada-ists In which an interloper does damage to what has been called one of the most influential works of modern art, Duchamp's Fountain. The same "performance artist" vandalized the artwork back in 1993 when he tried to use the repurposed urinal for its original indended purpose. Art lover or hater?
Help me draw a straight line in photoshop I'm not kidding. [more inside]
Finnegans Wiki Read the book, read the annotations, annotate the book. [more inside]
Friday Fecal Fun. "The doo-doo man occupies a horrible sweet spot in the collective Jungian fabric. He is the primal demon who pops out of the doughnut display at us all."
Carrot Juice Constitutes Murder (sound required) Funny stuff. Found it at this little piece of crazy.
Lou Rawls has passed away. The Man Frank Sinatra said had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game." His smoky-smooth soulful voice, recorded over a prolific career, will be missed.
Trancing Bunnies.
Many people know you can hypnotise chickens but you can also put bunnies in a trance which is useful for trimming nails etc.
Punch it!
Ideas from the 50s by a German scientist could mean a hyperdrive machine is possible.
I don't understand half of this, but can't wait to see the stars turn into white streaks as I outrun an Imperial Star Destroyer.
A Cartoon Epistemology
- wrap your frontal lobes around this lot, readers.
snarfled from Discordian Research Technology
The 10 Commandments of the Ethical Atheist
via Bifurcated Rivets
Cat dials 911, saves life. No, really. I'm allergic to them, and I'm not a huge fan of their demeanor, but I know the MoFites loves them some cats. Here's a feel-good news blurb about one I might actually be able to get behind.
Space 1999 comics [more inside]
January 05, 2006
"Banana Note" worth big bucks.
"An ordinary fruit sticker that mysteriously ended up on a $20 bill could spur collectors to bid up to 1,000 times the bill's face value at an auction Friday."
Catblogging: The Cat Family Tree.
The evolution of Cats is a difficult matter,
It's much more complex than at once it appears;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, cats go back 35 million years.
Saddam's Family The hottest heavy metal band in Iraq.
Curious George: mofi, I've broken my computer again. This time I've screwed up my widgets I was trying to get the WorldClock widget up and running, as I have a friend studying abroad this semester, but it wouldn't load. When I click on the icon I get a beep sound and the widget doesn't load. Dragging the icon onto my dashboard has a similar effect. [more inside]
Bush's Shadow War A Salon article by Sidney Blumenthal which suggests that Bush & Co. have been up to more than just secretly spying on civilians and "renditions". Maybe the people on the inside are getting nervous too . . . [more inside]
Nervous George: Everybody gets nervous at times, but when calling up potential employers/dates/etc..., I tend to get worked up to the point of physically shivering. [more inside]
First there was "Toss your camera". Now you can bounce your camera.
Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch. Tasty environmentalism! Which is, as we all know, the best kind.
Irving Layton dead at 93. The poet and glutton of life, greatest of all the Montreal School of Poetry, winner of the GG for A Red Carpet for the Sun, Nobel nominee, greatest graduate of Baron Byng High, sole man on Earth born with the Messianic sign, has died. Thanks for the poetry, Mr. Layton.
Fourteen-year-old Beats Leopard
Yes, it's a newsfilter ...
[more inside]
PLATO ANDARISTOTLE AND THEIR IDEAS The concept of justice as inequality was characteristic of the ancient sense of right in general and figured prominently in the writings of Plato and Aristo¬tle. The Stagira even went so far as to distinguish between rectificatory and distributive justice: the latter, .administered in accordance with deserts, merits, etc., is in fact nothing else than inequality. Both Plato and Aristotle have contributed a lot to the world of philosophy and world of politics. Plato has a special liking for politics. It is evident from his great work “The Republic”. In this work Plato signifies that the poets must be banished from the ideal republic. Because they are misguiding the young citizen of the state through their poetry, which is not about something real rather something vague.
Newsfilter: Ariel Sharon "critical" after suffering a brain haemorrhage Euronews reports "Massive Bleeding". Sharon was to go into heart surgurey today for a small "whole in his heart" All this after he recently suffered a stroke.
GervaisFilter He's written and will be starring in a new episode of The Simpsons in a plotline based on those charming wifeswapping shows...
Excuse me, weren't you in the Fall?
Mark E Smith's band is legendary for its ever-changing line-up. Dave Simpson made it his quest to track down everyone who has ever been a member
January 04, 2006
War of the Worlds II - Edison's Conquest of Mars
Mooning ruled 'distasteful, not illegal'. Why you would ever taste someone mooning, I have no idea, but it's good news nevertheless, right? [via FreeInternetPress] [more inside]
The time has come to abandon Christianity. the intent of this site is not to spread hatred for those who believe in Jesus as God - the intent of this site is to advance the wellness of individuals and society as a whole... Welcome to undoJesus.org
Bush campaign to donate Abramoff contributions
Speaker Hastert, Rep. DeLay to also donate money from lobbyist
Yes Slushfans it's time to disavow any knowledge of Abramoffgate!
Read the charges! Eat to the beat of big money talking! And don't forget! "It was an in-kind contribution, and it was an oversight that it wasn't reported, but we are taking steps to correct that"
Whew!
Newsfilter: 12 of 13 W.Va. Coal Miners Confirmed Dead , 3 hours after being told all had survived but one. Families, early last night rejoicing at the reported news that their loved ones were alive, are now mourning and outraged by the apparent "miscommunication" being blamed for their not being told sooner. Randal McCloy, the sole survivor, is in critical condition.
A second evolutionary process at work alongside natural selection? Danny Vendramini theorises about trauma, the genetic transmission of emotions and the origin of instincts. Do his ideas explain the purpose of the "junk DNA" that makes up 99% of our genome? The theory has lots of holes. Is Vendramini a crackpot? Not necessarily, although he's certainly an amateur. But he's definitely not a creationist.
Penis Enlargement Guru "Doublelongdaddy aka DLD"
Sweet rap name, dude.
The Magic Stick Amazing Vaginal Tightener sexy E-hint! Yeah...that's sexy. That'll get you some.
[more inside]
Middle ages? You're soaking in them!
Meet Tirhas Habtegiris. Remember Terri Schiavo? I bet you do. (Tried linking to the actual newspaper article, but reg. req.) [more inside]
Capt. Renault busted! Via MeFi
January 03, 2006
The Art and Subversion of Ron English. Ron has been a major player in the New York and worldwide "lowbrow" scene for more than a decade now. His paintings have become his mainstay, but he still makes time to promote a little "parity in advertising". See also his book and documentary. [more inside]
Mom, Dad, there's a wonderful mammal I want you to meet. Um, woman marries dolphin.
Curious George: Teaching English Overseas: Any monkeys have experience teaching English overseas? [more inside]
retrievr Draw a picture, and it will find flickr photos that look similar. this just ate hours of my day.
Retouching a magazine cover. [Flash] An explanation of photography retouching produced for the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. [more inside]
Curious George: How long does exposed 35mm film last? A few weeks ago, when clearing out my late father's stuff, I found a metal 35mm film canister. This has a screw cap labelled 'ILFORD Refill - open in darkroom'. I opened it (nothing to lose) and found what appears to be an exposed roll of 35mm film in it's cartridge. I assume it's exposed, because it doesn't have a 'tail' of film hanging out. The film itself is labelled 'ADOX KB 17 PANCHRO 17/10deg DIN, 32 ASA, 28deg SCH.' with a big '20' and 'made in Germany'. I suspect it dates from the early 1960's. What do photograpic MoFites suggest? Is it worth taking it to be developed? Would it be perished and unusable? I know nothing of these (and many other) things.
Time for the nominations for the 2006 Bloogie Awards Anyone you care to nominate?
Tolkien Norse Rip-Off Purity Petition or T.N.R.O.P.P. First is for the states that is the fan of Tolkien who is for the writes of manys and longs as are good of stories which is for the nice and excitings of reads! BUT is the very annoys that is ripping off or as is called STEALING lots or more of Norse legends for is writing. Is the the very angry of the makes of THE DWARF when is readings of the sames in two books.
How to Hunt Deer with a 12 pound Howitzer Cannon
Mercedes Benz back on top!!! (pdf). After a disappointing third place showing in 2004, MB is back again. Thanks to being mentioned 100 times in the lyrics of the top 20 songs in the Billboard chart. [more inside]
My Outsourced Life. A.J. Jacobs of Esquire outsources increasingly personal tasks to India. [more inside]
January 02, 2006
Ha Ha Ha you guys are screwed! [more inside]
Pupils Being Given 'Patriotism' Tests in Washington State Schools Wow. There's nothing Naziesque about this. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" --Oz.
Save our souls [Flash] [via] [more inside]
Curious George: Where to buy a monitor? I'm in the market for a 23" CRT computer monitor. Does anyone know a good site for stuff like that? Ideally, I'd like to avoid sales tax and shipping fees.
Windows WMF vulnerability patch is up. It's not official, but it could be a week or more before MS gets its collective thumb out of its collective ass and fixes the problem. Meantime, the consensus seems 100%: this patch is good, it is reversible, and it is necessary. [more inside]
Voted off the Linguistic Island Okay, the Rose Parade is a day late, the bowl games drag on through Wednesday, but one New Year's tradition is right on time. It's Lake Superior State University's Annual List of Banished Words... [more inside]
The last Morpheus by Michael Zulli.
January 01, 2006
Curious George: Song pairs. The link below (We Will Rock You) got me wondering. Which songs are usually played in pairs? The only ones I can think of are We Will Rock You/Champions (Queen) and Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go (Soft Cell). There's gotta be others. Google isn't helping on this one.
A google video. This made me smile. I thought other monkeys may get a smile from this video also.
Eating Dust ..
.. and another year closer to days of throwing old boots
(from one's wheelchair) at those disgustingly cheerful (sans hangovers)
young whipper-snappers!
