Links posted in December 2003
December 31, 2003
Criminal prosecutions of doctors who use powerful painkillers to treat patients in chronic pain have been increasing in the US lately, even before the Limbaugh case became public. According to the Pain Relief Network, there has been an 800% increase in physician prosecutions over the last three years. [more inside]
Is Glenn Reynolds A Bigot? I certainly know that for a law professor Glenn Reynolds declared the Valerie Plame leak "bogus" because Plame had her picture taken in Vanity Fair. Maybe that's why John Ashcroft took himself off the investigation and appointed an independant prosecutor. [more inside]
Bored? Here, for your amusement, is a very strange (and fairly long) bulletin board exchange pondering the legality/morality of incest and/or cheddar burgers in Brazil.
The Indiatimes reports on the reverse brain drain between the US and India A reverse brain drain?. Indeed, the India Times chronicles those in the U.S. attending Job Fairs for work in India. Also discussed are the two prior waves of Indian Americans moving back to India.
Primate Programming Inc. An unsubtle satire of IT outsourcing, or taking the MonkeyFilter to its obvious extreme? You be the judge. Oooh oooh. Ahhh ahhh. Dot Net...
Perhaps, the silliest conspirancy theory I have seen, Chemtrails continue to be as popular as ever. The google search brings many gems like this one, or this one. But this is the creme of the crop. Those guys probably went to the same web design school where the Time Cube guy learned his html skills. But hey, maybe contrails are really affecting our environment after all.
Movie endings for those of you who don't want to pay $10 just to see the ending of Planet of the Apes. Courtesy AskMe.
Putting the Sweat Back Into Sweaters.
December 30, 2003
Segway Your Way Why buy a Segway when you can build one yourself? Well, anyway, that's what this guy thinks.
Not yet a woman, almost a man. Asymetry allows Britney to continue evoking this fantasy, even as she claims she's not a virgin, just a whore.
“The 2004 IACSP Terrorism Anniversaries Calendar is a very useful tool and resource as well as a great holiday gift for friends or staff members.”
The greater spotted hoop snake So this image, it rotates?
Trashy, Stupid, Delicious Gossip. (Good clean fun and 100% Bush-free!)
President Bush signs massive PATRIOT expansion into law ... on the same day as Saddam's capture, which is why you didn't hear anything about it.
Bush's faith-based social initiatives not as good as they look on paper.
We discovered recently that Bush's prison counselling program, InnerChange, is less successful than he claims due to some careful statistical fudging.
In 2001, Bush signed an executive order for federal funding of faith-based social programs. What benefits can we take from a privatised, non-secular social welfare program? Is it true that his programs encourage discrimination?
FBI urges police to watch for people carrying almanacs.
Confused? Worried? Why? Ask an Imam, your online fatwa resource!
December 29, 2003
DILUTE! DILUTE! OK! Finally, an authoritative edition of the writings of the Essene rabbi, long spread via samizdat files.
Salute!
BushPresident2004 is a fine site.
(A.K.A. Which Monkeys actually read the links on FPPs?) [via Linkfilter]
Do you prefer bubbles or antibubbles?
Losing touch with your pre-teen? Is she or he spending more time on AOL than with the family? Learn to speak the 'language'.
December 28, 2003
Gay, anti-Vietnam and pro-choice demonstrations are being removed from video footage of the Washington Mall. There seems to be a trend towards editing history at the moment (see my last post). Here's an older article about rewriting history textbooks to "reflect multicultural values".
Teeny Bopper Record Shopper [flash game]
Is your observation sharp enough? [more inside]
December 27, 2003
The Biggest Suckers of 2003 [more inside]
Life is meaningless? Feel spiritually bereft? You know you gotta go out and 'get religion', but you don't know where to start. Never fear, these guys will help you get the ball rolling.
The Drudg Report I find this URL typo result hilarious (and the Google-like layout is clever). [no images, but text NSFW]
Snack Reports is a compendium of sophomoric examinations of 155 snacks by a handful of reviewers. Listed alphabetically, from Andy Capp's Hot Fries to Zingers.
I found this site looking for Choward's Violet Mints, which they eloquently said: "Tastes like something out of your grandmother's underwear drawer. Or it tastes like bathroom cleaner. Or it tastes like cheap-ass perfume."
At least it's not on this list!
A recipe for eggnog.
[NY Times, registration required] What impressed me the most about this recipe and Amanda Hesser's accompanying article was the lack of dietary paranoia, specifically, the absence of the nanny-like fussing over the public health menace of raw egg whites or yolks that usually accompanies eggnog recipes. I reckon traditional eggnog to be safer than driving, for healthy adults, anyway.
[more inside]
More old skool: Who wouldn't love to put a page like this for that special loved one? Bad page design, good writing, hilarious anecdotes, a must read! [more inside]
December 26, 2003
"(Americans) should prepare...their coffins, hospitals and graves. The coming days will be full of surprises and great events which will make them a historic example." I've been wondering recently how much of terrorism is them simply terrifying us.
Meme Tree. I'm not linking it. You know what I'm talking about. [more inside]
Eleanor of Aquitaine Grand daughter of the first noble troubador, married to the king of France and the king of England, mother of Richard Lion Heart and King John of Magna Carta fame, crusader, imprisioned by her second husband for years after she supported her sons in a rebellion against him, doyen of courts of love. [more inside]
Anime and Puberty collide and no one is happy about it.
"Presenting what is most likely the stupidest thing anyone has ever written."
Whoa boy. I can't stop laughin'.
courtesy of Something Awful.
Dept. of Good Deeds
Step 1)
Make two piles: one for all the good stuff from Santa, and one for all the stuff that you don't want...
Step 2)
Barter the stuff in pile two with your kid brother or cousins or grandma...
Step 3)
Still got stuff in pile two? Use this website to help others make a better life with your unwanted booty.
Step 4)
Revel in the endorphin rush of a good deed done!
December 25, 2003
Hunting the elusive.. In the global marketplace, many things are traded but some may shatter our childhood dreams. This is one of them.
General statement. [more inside]
Are you stoopid, or what? Take this quiz to see how much you've been paying attention to the latest in academe this year.
Another Masterpiece Of American Marketing... (via good ol' Sarah at Jinjur.com)
December 24, 2003
10 Ads Americans almost didn't see Check out japander.com as well
Superfriends Maid The Superfriends illegal alien maid tells all about the harsh working conditions she was forced to endure.
Kilisimasi Fiefia & Ta'u fo'ou monu ia "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" in more than 350 languages - that's Tongan. [complete with wonderful MIDI music and animated gif goodness!]
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, BROTHER AND SISTER MONKEYS!
Xmas Dinner @ Cheeky Monkey Xmas Dinner @ Cheeky Monkey
The Meatrix. [Flash, via MeFi.]
Curious, George A(nother) musical roundabout. [more inside]
Why Does Somebody Hate Todd R. Baker of Akron, Ohio? (Via Pop Culture Junk Mail)
December 23, 2003
"Glynn was dressed as a golliwog, and his blacked-up face was dramatically enhanced by the application of a plate of pudding pushed into it by my wife."
Memories of Glynn Boyd Harte, minor artist and great English eccentric.
Curious George A musical roundabout. [more inside]
Santa: Demon-Fighter, or Shroom-Eating Mystical Shaman Guy?
- A revolutionary film was released in 1959 that features Santa as an All-Seeing Eye who lives atop a silver cloud and battles Lucifer for children's souls. Luckily, that is only one interpretation of the man in red.
Others find him to be a mushroom-smoking, urinating magical celestial shaman whose pseudo-sexual, pre-Christian heritage is preserved in many of our present day holiday traditions.
Just the other day, my dad told me that if you rearrange the letters in Santa, you can spell S-A-T-A-N.
Happy Festivus, everyone!
Via Scrubbles and Reality Carnival.
Senate Authorized the Use of Force Against Netherlands The Senate has authorized force against one of our allies.
Where are you spending New Year’s Eve? How about Vienna? That looks lovely. There’s a bonfire in Japan, and a Sobriety Powwow in Aberdeen, S.D. I’m lucky to be spending the night here with my sweetie!
Jack Webb, Hippie Skullthumper - Jack Webb, the star of Dragnet, died this day in 1982 of a heart attack. But did you know in his early days he hated hippies and communists? I mean this entirely in a good way.
DengDeng If you've never seen it - here it is. It's not Friday but it feels like it. [more inside]
Lenoré, the Cute Little Dead Girl. [Requires Flash, and a strong constitution]
100% RIAA-Free A great service that allows you to check out whether certain bands/albums are signed with RIAA labels or if they remain free of the devil's mark.
Brits Nix Poo W/A View (Via NYTimes)
December 22, 2003
Stop! I'm under arrest!
I had always thought that self-arrest was best performed with an ice axe. Nice to see a PD with a public sense of humor. [via B3ta]
NY Times Article On Jobsite Deaths I always thought that OSHA was a joke. This article just confirms my suspicions. [more inside]
Do you like rollercoasters? Probably not as much as this guy. As well as developing rollercoaster simulation programs, he actually went and spent $5,500 building his own. Takes all sorts.
Most Obvious New Kids Exercise Yet... continued The old thread seems to have problems loading and that gives me separation anxiety. [more inside]
Fly Guy. (Nutritious Shockwave Fun!)
December 21, 2003
Only one man's interpretation of Christmas music has really made me merry this year. I had originally planned something longer and rantier about commercialization of Xmas music, but the hell with that. I'm addressing Christmas cards and listening to the best version of "What Child is This" I've heard. The Trio's music evokes a lot of good memories from my childhood; the excitement of Santa's visit, the weeks before Christmas where we'd see relatives from far-away places and make cookies, construction paper snowflakes, pipe-cleaner angels, popcorn garlands and many other craft ornaments and, of course, the presents. Most interesting to me is the intensity of these seasonal experiences, while the remembrance of the material aspects of gift-getting is much more muted.
Monkeys! Juice up and get ready to outsmart the pesky humans
An AP wire for simians.
Monkeywire ("the premier source of monkey and apes news") culls the news services for monkey-related articles (such as ape aromatherapy, celebrity monkey abuse, various great ape species endangerment reports, or the hazards of divinity), relaying the clippings to your mailbox. The list archives permit browsing and searching past submissions.
"Silence of the Lambs: The Musical" Truth is stranger than Broadway.
December 20, 2003
Dancing Dog Watch a dog dance to the some "One That I Want" from Grease.
Monkeys! This Christmas, why not give your loved one some elephant dung?
The multifacted work of artist Gil Bruvel
Yoko Ono ego over-inflates even further. Yoko has edited herself into some of John Lennon's pre-Ono videos on the new Best of John Lennon DVD. Guh. (Via Fox News.)
Entrances to Hell
Once you've purchased your land title for property in Hell, you'll have to get there somehow in order to build your dream home on the shores of the Lake of Fire.
That's when this guide to various Entrances to Hell will come in handy.
Capturing Saddam [more inside]
Pinheads in America Sometimes the simplest pleasures are still the best pleasures... [more inside]
The Spongmonkeys like the moon. The orangutans bought the wrong bananas. [Monkey Flash]
December 19, 2003
Y2K Women As we all know, the Y2K bug (that old thing?) never really hit us hard. Some people apparently didn't get the memo.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good monkey.
An antidote to all this LOTR mania.
Nazo le Skizo, a "stuffed monkey with a big nose" who goes through mood changes, "has been ordered removed from stores around France because it is offensive to schizophrenics." But just look at him! How can that li'l fellow be offensive?
It's a Hell of a gift. “Look at it this way,” says devil’s advocate, Trinity, a former pastor’s daughter, now managing the Earth Headquarters for Hell. “Most of us are already going through Hell. This way you can point to the wall and say ‘My life is Living Hell and I have the papers to prove it!’”
Messages for one, read by all at the Royal Journal of Found Art. [more inside]
White Ninja Comics.
A bit of Friday Fun. Watch White Ninja be content, not be a king, experiment with hairstyles and throw a dinner party.
Anyone got any other little-known webcomics they enjoy?
Who is most *&#$@%
A friend burned a Ween CD for me (lyrics from "Baby Bitch").
I just bought NWA Straight Outta Compton (lyrics from FTP) again, I have no idea where the last one went.
Who swears the most? And who gets the most effect for their swearing dollar/shekel/zloty?
Lyrics NSFW, but you knew that.
Party at Wendell's! Who's going?
Curious George How many members do we want? Should we solicit more members, and from where? [more inside]
The Lord of the Badgers: Return of the Badgers. [Flash] [Via MeFi]
Viewing This Site Will Rot Your Teeth. (via The Imaginary World)
December 18, 2003
Curious George Sport V. Pastime [more inside]
"American Brandstand is a barometer of 'brand relevance' in hip-hop and youth culture." There were 82 different brands mentioned in the Billboard Top 20 in 2003:
*The most mentioned brand: Mercedes Benz.
*The artist who mentioned most brands: 50 Cent.
*Only one branded song was not connected to hip-hop or R&B: Good Charlotte's 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'.
I am lamely admitting linkage from Gawker.
Curious, George: We need a new word. [more inside]
Who knew that "heavy petting" was so germy? "Handling another's seemingly healthy genitals is generally perfectly safe, however, one must be very careful to then not handle their own genitals or mucous membranes, unless it is with their other, uncompromised hand, or transference will occur." Ewww.
The truth about John Lennon's murder. File under "Magnificent Obsesions:" Steve Lightfoot has the goods on Lennon's murder, and wants to tell you all about it. Among those implicated by Lightfoot are Nixon, Reagan... and Stephen King. Especially Stephen King.
CURIOUS, GEORGE
I'm a 41-year-old male in reasonable shape. I do not smoke, I'm married with no kids yet but we're trying. Should I be thinking of buying life insurance?
(A close pal died last year about this time and his family was financially wrecked...)
Or should I invest it elsewhere?
Justify Your Love:
You are an unprincipled, spoiled, conceited brat!
It's the Holidays. What are You doing to be good during the one time of year you're somewhat supposed to?
Beautiful prints by an unsung Master. And the most elegant and understated use of Flash I've seen in a long time, via my pal Matt of Scrubbles.
President of the Apes! [Quicktime, AVI versions here.]
minima. a journal of the small and potent.
December 17, 2003
Dodge cancels their Lingerie Bowl half time show scheduled to air during the Super Bowl, due to the controversy it has generated.
Ape Advice
Having looked at
1)Ask MeFi and its utility
2)MoFi's comment activity
I suggest that we start the same thing here as well.
[more inside]
Rally Monkey. [wmv file] This has cured me of any desire to drive at all, ever again, for any reason. Mostly. (Scary driving scenes - cars rolling over, etc. - but not too graphic otherwise.)
PETA has plans to terrorize children this Christmas - Animal rights advocates will single out small children at performances of ``The Nutcracker'' in the next few weeks by handing out fliers saying ``Your Mommy Kills Animals'' to youngsters whose mothers are wearing fur. [more inside]
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Return of the King opened last night around the world. Over at MeFi they are talking about Elf Sex. Of Course TheOneRing.net has all the news and rumors you could want. Reviewers seems quite pleased and spin-offs abound.
Anybody seen it yet?
Simply, a five-page gallery of colorful, chaotic cabling.
You can also go to the root for more curious collections.
Papio Wines, for jazz-playing monkeys everywhere. Go, monkeys, go!
My theory explains everything , and I have not had to revise anything in the past fifty years. Got it figured out kid? Think you know Bush from a hole in the ground? Listen to someone who's got it all sorted. And groove on some tasty web design while you're at it.
There will be no oil or gas drilling in Norway's beautiful Lofoten Islands (which I first learned about in this great MeFi thread,) though there will be drilling in the Barents Sea.
What, did you just PAINT those clothes on missy? DON'T YOU WALK AWAY FRO- Hey, where'd she go?
[ Amazing body-art, via MeFi]
P--a--n--o--r--a--m--i--c Photos, 1851 to 1991. Personal Faves: Beauty Contests, Cityscapes...
Bhutan rejects GDP in exchange for Gross National Happiness balancing economic growth with cultural growth. They may have a point. Right or wrong, one thing is certain: It sure is purty.
December 16, 2003
The nature of Monkey was irrepressible! The greatest TV show ever, obviously, for little boys, in the 80's.
Your Tie Makes Me Sick For the man who hasn't gotten everything?
An interview with Tommy Chong, who is serving nine months in prison for selling bongs (not marijuana, just bongs.) The LA Weekly has another article on Chong and his family, and recently Jesse Ventura interviewed Stan Levenson, Chong's attorney. [Via Drug WarRant.]
Everyone in my office is sneezing! So I did a bit of research. Here’s how our Muslim friends handle the issue. Some people sneeze if they look at a strong light _ that’s photic sneezing! When reptiles sneeze, they deposit snalt. And, as you can imagine, a sneeze fetish is indeed
fascinating and unusual.
This is very, very frightening. (Via Obscurestore.) What is America coming to, anyway? Pun intended.
Brain Alphabet
- The brain is an amazing biological device capable of the most intricate and amazing calculations, and performs demanding multi-tasking computations at the speed of thought. Cognitively, we use our brains to speak language(s) and write. But how often do you use your brain literally to form letters, words, and images?
Original link via J-Walk Blog
Make a new sentence out of those four dreadful words. Extra Credit for Ribaldry!
What are your interests?
Do you like art? What about astronomy? Maybe you like biographies? Biology? Mathematics? Chess, computers, geology, history, billiards, etc...
Chances are that you share an interest with this guy.
[more inside]
Bring on the RIAA! Other mystifyingly catchy tunes in the history.
Masters of the digital canvas Robert Chang's beautiful portraits [website] , and Linda Bergkvist's evocative atmospheres [website]
December 15, 2003
Yes, Virginia, there is a sweatshop in China! [Flash] [Humbug]
And I find it very interesting that when the heat got on you dug yourself a hole and you crawled in it. [more inside]
Indications Saddam Was Not in Hiding But a Captive This is a theory that Saddam Hussein was captured by Iraqis that were trying to collect the reward money. I don't know if it's true (or it really matters), but it's interesting.
Divine Intervention Never mess with a Priest with a shotgun.
The Ultimate Do-It-Yourself Project.
One More Monkey. Amanda draws an awful lot of monkeys, and we look at them, and they are good.
Live in the UK? What's waiting in your walls?
Got a hairy back? Your worries are over! Now there’s Razorba™! “Made from the same material as ski helmets—high impact ABS. The Razorba™ was tirelessly developed to allow easy shaving of your back.”
Java Arcade Emulator. You didn't need to get any work done anyway, did you?
The Guild of Owain Glyndyr: "Defending Welsh heritage - without fear or favour". Many, many things you probably don't know about the Welsh. For instance: did you know the Welsh posses more microwave ovens per capita in the world?
Miniatures of the Cities of the World I love the detail in the NYC and Tokyo miniatures. Why visit when you can build it?
Ever wonder what would happen if Stalin went one on one with Hitler? Yeah? Well, you were wrong.
I have a crush on Dora dare. I tried to post this a couple of weeks ago, but the link was hinky then...
December 14, 2003
Monkey doodling for beginners.
Monkeys can now leap onto new trees Just in case anyone didn't know, StumbleUpon is a great tool for surfing the web.
Robots Will Kill Graffiti Gallery. [more inside]
"Canadians too patriotic, Americans say in study"
OTTAWA - Canadians should be careful not to appear "boastful" to Americans, who are insecure because of the war in Iraq and admit they are annoyed by northerners showing off the maple leaf on their luggage when they travel, a federal report says.
"This underscores the American sensitivity at feeling rejected by the rest of the world ..."
[more inside]
Saddam believed to have been captured: They found him in Tikrit, his hometown. They seem to be doing DNA tests to make sure it's him and not one of his doppelgangers. The resulting circus should be interesting. Will he get tried by the UN, or will we go it alone again? (via Fox)
Resources get moved Osama plays where he gets most bang for the buck
Not so much The Onion, as Onion Bhaji -- Asian Underground, a website covering not so important Asian issues from ghettostan. [via Metafilter] [more inside]
Dept. of WTF?
All the latest Breaking Headlines from Saudi Arabia.
Or maybe not.
Monkey Kung Fu! Paulie Zink is a fifth generation master of the art of Ta Sheng Men Kung Fu. He is also teaches a distinctive style of Chinese yoga he calls Taoist Yoga.
The Alan Moore Index. To mark Alan Moore's 50th birthday and his retirement from mainstream comics, Ninth Art presents a look back at our coverage of the [comics] industry's greatest innovator. [more inside]
December 13, 2003
Misha At The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler Issues Death Threat
There is is popular right wing blogger named Misha that has the blog "The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler." He issued a online death threat to Eric Blumrich of Bushflash.com. Go to the link at the web site.
http://www.bushflash.com/index.html
[more inside]
The art and beauty of light The history of stained glass stretches back some 1,700 years, but didn't come into the form we're familiar with until the 5th century AD, reaching a spectacular pinnacle in the Renaissance with amazing religious designs. [more inside]
Old Computer Magazines
Old British computer magazines. British computer magazines from the eighties. Including Dragon User, Crash, Atari User, Zzap!, and many more.
Magazines just don't have covers like these anymore.
[more inside]
Monkey Lander! Flash Friday, late of course.
Monkey Yoga. Strange that it doesn't include Hanumanasana. I wonder if this is anything like the Isometric Monkey Yoga that they teach at the Monkey Yoga Shala.
Show those economists what is up (Flash Friday Fun)
December 12, 2003
The ancient Egyptians worshipped the hamadryas baboon as the representative of Thoth, the god of science and art of writing. Thus, the baboon is also named the 'sacred baboon'.
Drunk Worms. Researchers ply "thousands of the tiny creatures with booze". Oh the humanity! Well . . I guess it is Friday.
Least Essential Albums Of 2003 Any list that contains a tribute album to Creed and Macho Man Randy Savage demands to be linked.
Is your office having a Holiday luncheon? Many companies do. Sometimes there's a Santa. Each year, everybody poses for a picture and there’s plenty of food and that weird guy wears his Christmas tie. What’s your office doing?
best photos of 2003 Hurry kids! Before it's slashdotted silly!
Something Pretty to Look At on Friday [more inside]
Is packaging a dying art?
Mark Richardson from the lovely Pitchfork Media obviously thinks so. Apparently, ever since the days of vinyl ended, music packaging has gone downhil, with nothing but bland plastic CD case after bland plastic CD case containing little more than the credits and some meaningless scrawl on the front.
Well, not so, say I! I'm a sucker for an inventive CD package (does double if it doesn't fit in my CD rack) and there have been released recently some truly inventive, gorgeous works of art.
[more inside]
Meet Canada's New Prime Minister (yes, that's his blog). I, for one, will miss Da Liddle Guy.
Next year is the Year of the Monkey. Which is, of course, why the Japanese are making monkey soap.
A Listing Of "Best of 2003" Lists, Listed. (list). (via fimoculous)
The Mello Hippo Disco Show [Flash.]
Meta err..Monkeyphor Humans were capable of symbolic thought 100,000 years ago. Capability was subsequently lost. Still trying to regain it...
This Man Shaped Your World. From Weinermobiles to beer labels, this Man from Milwaukee and inventor of the term "Planned Obsolescence" gave the look and feel to the American Industrial Future.
Global Attention Profiles. For the world affairs and geography fans alike. A color-coded map of the world, based on news coverage. [more inside]
December 11, 2003
Molecular Expressions Pharmaceuticals Collection
“The unique way in which today’s youth communicate with each other left a void in the greeting card industry, that we, at Off-the-Hook Unlimited, want to fill. Off-the-Hook greeting cards uses the unique vocabulary found in today’s urban culture to address typical situations that young adults tend to encounter but in a way that they can easily relate to.”
The Worst Halloween Costumes of All Time Two of the costumes still boggle my mind. These are bad.
ElfTrance. Aliens! Elves! And best of all, dancing monkeys on shrooms! [Flash.]
Which dictionary is the best? - A comprehensive look at seven popular dictionaries. [via kottke.org]
Bug Juice. I used to like Grapefruit juice, before I found out about the bugs. Hold the cherry.
Think you're a creative visual artist? [more inside]
The Origins of American Animation
Jorn Barger is alive. Whether or not he's well is a matter of opinion. Fans of his blog became concerned after a 2 month haitus from updating. Finally chum Eric Wagoner posted this in hopes of finding him, which he did recently. Apparently Born simply moved to another apartment... and didn't tell anyone.
British university students are up in arms over Blair's proposal to increase university fees. His plan includes deferred payment which begins only after you're making $25,000 a year. NPR [audio file] points out these payments are interest free. [First link is pop up hell.]
Saltacol [Flash game. Warning: addictive]
Which Historical Lunatic Are You?
From the good folks at... wait for it...
Rum and Monkey!
[more inside]
Barry White Like You Never Heard Him Before
Fan site writers banned from the Sims Online. Since the Alphaville Herald starting interviewing prominent abusive players and reporting real-life crime, in-game references to the site have been deleted, and the writers' game accounts have been closed. It must not be okay to publicize the game's sex trade, while organized crime is alright. (Via Terra Nova.)
December 10, 2003
Before there were aliens to abduct hapless rural wanderers, other mysterious beings did the work for them. Here is the story of Robert Kirk . [more inside]
Killographic: Violent games are corrupting our children! Addicting them body and soul. Like masturbation only not as sticky. Or as fun. (via Penny Arcade)
Retired Generals 'come out' against Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy - Three retired military officers, two generals and an admiral who have been among the most senior uniformed officers to criticize the "don't ask, don't tell" policy for homosexuals in the military, disclosed on Tuesday that they are gay. (NY Times link)
GloFish : Looking for that perfect gift for the special little raver in your life? How about a black light and a genetically modified fish that glows red.
Fossil Penis Spam
Scientists discover world's oldest fossilized penis.
In other news, a revolutionary new pill promises to enlarge it. Spam scientists are still trying to figure out how to send unsolicited emails to dead five millimetre long crustaceans.
Test your knowledge of RVs in the movies!
Guy: I'm crazy over you... (I really am)
Gettin Bizzy. ATF Director to Head Music Industry's Anti-Piracy Efforts. [more inside]
The Yuckiest Little Miniature Golf Course in the West. The first hole is called "Poo Monkey." [Via Milk and Cookies.]
Can you drive? [note: shockwave] Apparently, I can't.
Stocking Stuffers. Looking for something for the sex-positive vegan dyke on your holiday gift list? Not often that a lesbian/feminist owned business gets product placement in Playboy. [Obviously, this may be NSFW for some]
What Your Great-Grandparents Spent Their Allowances On.
Happy Birthday Jim, wherever you are. [more inside]
December 09, 2003
Could all of you return the money I lent you?
O Christmast tree
O Christmas tree,
Much pleasure doth thou bring me!
For every year the Christmas tree
Brings to us all both joy and glee
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
Much pleasure doth thou bring me!
Cattle call! Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire needs Asian/Indian twins. Rooaawwr!
MAVIN Foundation - addressing the unique issues facing multi-racial and multi-cultural youth. Projects include educational materials for parents & children, and a bone-marrow match program.
Wow! It sure sucks to be an artist daughter. Lucia really had a difficult childhood: Intermittent education, no permanent home or language, strabismus, an uncaring mother, and an semi-absent father. Just enough to make anyone go mad. But she got more than that. [Via Arts & Letters Daily]
Holy halitosis, Santa Claus!
"As a new father, this is the first holiday season that I'll arrange for my son to sit on Santa's lap," said Mr. Anthony Shurman, president of Yosha! Enterprises, and the manufacturer of Momints. "I want to spread holiday cheer by ensuring that all authentic Kris Kringles nationwide can experience minty fresh breath at a 'momint''s notice."
"If Santa had bad breath that would be icky," said New York-based Grant Thompson, age 3. "I have plans to see Santa soon to tell him what I want for Christmas."
Well, we're movin' on up (memory nudge:Jefferson's theme)...New luxury homeless shelter in Brooklyn is gonna have wrought iron beds, a bunch of 36-inch flat screen television sets, 9 IBM computers and a lot of people pissed off. (NYTimes)
An sordid tale from the net's early days. An epic of trolling pursued as performance art , and the chaos left in it's wake. I give you the contentious history of the MEOW .
Music and taxes Wondering what might be holding up the iTunes Music Store in coming to Canada? SOCAN, the country's music copyright collective, is seeking to tax the internet. It's bad enough they tax us for CDs already... but at least downloading is okay up here.
The Small Peace in the Big War
Christmas 1914: A temporary truce is called so the British and Germans could have a game of football ("soccer" for us Americans).
[link via Arts & Letters Daily]
[more inside]
Throw me in jail, spit in my face, kick my ass if you want, but Don't Call Me "Dude."
Finger flicking good Carabande is back! Now if only I wasn't so damn unemployed…
Mathowie launches Ask Metafilter. Looks Lovely!!! But what about us Monkeys? Do we still want in over there? Or are we happy here? And are there any special portals WE should be considering?
Every had a teacher who was just too cool? How about Mr. Adams from Nashville? He blogs. He documents his trip to Vegas for his students. But the best part? He has a couch.
Uptown theatre collapses. Though you may have already heard about this from Metafilter, it's still shocking news, both as a terrible accident, and for ex-pat Torontonians who didn't even know that the historic theatre was being demolished, because it was not wheelchair accessible. [more inside]
First Man on the Moon--The Awful Truth.
The Donkey Kong Megasite. [more inside]
The Anti-Banana Society. This organization, which calims to be a subdivision of the United Nations, aims to rid the world of all bananas. Obviously, this is a threat to monkeys everywhere. To arms, monkey berthren! [Via J-Walk Blog.]
Looking for a second opinion? It can be yours if the price is right! Or you can just ask this guy.(via Metafilter)
December 08, 2003
Kelly Ripa Explains How She Does It All Workaholic Kelly Ripa explains how she manages work, family and kids. It's the highlights in her hair.
Sidney Blumenthal on Bush: "He was depicted as decisive, in command, somebody who completely grasped and was in synch with the needs of the difficult moment the country faced on September 11. In fact, he is manipulated by his staff, buffeted by the neoconservatives inside his administration, kept from important information, unknowledgeable about so much information, makes decisions on the most simplistic basis, never carries through on his own policies such as the Roadmap to Peace in the Middle East, operates in a closed, small circle, doesn’t seek out information independently, has fostered internecine warfare within the National Security apparatus between the intelligence agencies – including the CIA – and the Defense Department and the National Security Council."
The Rubble telescope? Viewing Inside the Earth
Cap'n Crunch A fascinating (for me at least) story of one of the oldskool phreaker/hacker legends.
Flashback A little odd flash to add flavour to your day. Don't worry about the low quality at the start, it gets considerably better when the music starts.
Thailand opens hospital for monkeys. Meanwhile, Thai elephants are holding up sugarcane trucks. [Via Fark.]
Early Photographs. A small collection of photographs from the Museum of the History of Science at the University of Oxford. [more inside]
December 07, 2003
Dennis Kucinich Campaign Commercial I doubt this will ever air on television. If it did it would be extremely controversial. Dennis Kucinich has a campaign ad that flashes the names of dead soldiers, shows a battlefield, grieving families and lists the corporations doing business in Iraq. My question to the group is if this ad is exploitive?
I am the monkey. I can go anywhere. [Flash]
WiseAcre Gardens: Gardening and Looney Tunes.
How much does it take to turn a straight man gay? According to Uncool Central, a mere six pack of beer. You may scoff, but the evidence is there... [may be nsfw, if your prudish boss doesn't like you looking at pictures of (tastefully covered) naked men]
Missing Persons - Is anyone else increasingly disturbed by the fact that while thousands of people are reported missing each year, we only hear about the young attractive white women on the national news? What about everyone else?
I go looking in other people's songs for their sailors and their towns. I don't know, everybody has things that they gravitate towards. Some people put toy cars or clouds or cat crap. Everybody puts something different, and it's entirely up to you what belongs and what doesn't. They're interesting little vessels of emotional information, and you carry them in your pocket like a bagel.
Today is the birthday of one Tom Waits. Go check out his most recent albumns, read an interview, or try to figure out when the next Waitstock is. Better yet, slump on down to your nearest dive and drink till you feel pretty.
Meet The War Nerd
Gary Brecher, a self-described slob and data-entry drone from Fresno, CA, writes with passion about the nature of warfare and the ongoing wars - those on the front page and otherwise - that are being fought every day around the world.
Frequently funny, always in-your-face and often very insightful, his 40 articles for the Moscow-based eXile make for interesting, entertaining, enlightening and perhaps enraging reading.
Gary loves war and he's not afraid to tell you all about it.
Be Andy Warhol For Fifteen Minutes.
International Snow Sculpture Championship Some of them can be quite complicated. [via b3ta]
December 06, 2003
Who are you? George W. Bush meets Black Sabbath. [6.8 MB .wmv]
[Apu]Waterworld, here I come[/Apu]
Silenced Voices Most of us are familiar with the fact you can't really separate your blog life from your real life. This site documents what happened when the lives of some livejournal bloggers were separated from them, period.
Kiss Off Gene Simmons of Kiss tells fans to kiss off by not showing up to a book signing in Tampa.
Foreign Policy officials in the dark
A new breakthrough for women: the whizzy. Put simply, it allows women to urinate standing up.
hi my name is sam, i draw pictures, from your titles.
These clocks are fusion powered. Sundials are one of the earliest instruments humankind used to measure time. Yet our fascination with them hasn't diminished much. There's even a society entirely devoted to them. [more inside]
Godchecker: Your Guide to the Gods
Get your god on! Gods aplenty, from Acolmiztli to Zaramamma.
The End. [Flash, Long Load, sorry!] [more inside]
Dare you enter the Museum of Food Anomalies?
No? Try then the Circus of Disemboweled Plush Toys!
MetaFilter has been nominated for Best Group Blog in Wizbang's 2003 Weblog Awards.
December 05, 2003
The Medicare bill is a Washington-style mafia bustout
Josh Marshall of "The Hill" writes about how the Medicare bill is bad business and a power grab for the Bush administration. He makes this analogy.
Say you’re a gambler and I’m a mobster. I’ve lent you lots of money. But now you can’t cover your debt. I could pursue the matter through your kneecaps or toss you out of an office window, but instead I take a more constructive approach.
[more inside]
Faking cancer for fun and/or profit. I was reading the Kaycee Nicole thread yesterday and thinking about what sort of person would fake cancer for the hell of it, when I found the above article, then this one and then this one in close succession. What the hell, people?
A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge.
Comic Sans MS.
Some people love it, some people hate it, still others are making a concerted effort to ban it (with pretty stickers and everything!).
Read what the creator, Vincent Connare, says about his abomination, discover why he created it, check out some alternatives, or see just how Comic Sans MS is slowly but surely destroying our society.
Mayo Mayo Mayo "I gave her everything she asked for -- mayonnaise, no mustard, onions, everything I could possibly do for this lady. Mayo, mayo, mayo, and it's still not good enough,"
70 years ago, today, Prohibition ended and Americans were once again allowed to indulge in booze. It was a massive failure of what came to be known as the noble experiment. Meanwhile, in England, the medical journal The Lancet is recommending a total ban on smoking in Britain. Another doomed noble experiment? Are there just some bad habits in this life humans refuse to live without?
First person account of a NSA recruitment interview (via Slashdot)
Photoshop exists because of Star Wars - An interesting article about the promotion and development of Photoshop. [more inside]
Defective Yeti's annual list of fun party games - I've never heard of any of them and they sound great.
Evolving Alphabets [note: java] A program called The Alphabet Synthesis Machine allows you to create your own language, letting it evolve based on some user-defined parameters.
Scientific American's Top Sci/Tech Gifts 2003, which is a very cool list of toys/gagets for those of us who refuse to grow up.
Link from Fark. Yes, I said Fark. You heard me.
"The new group is called the Groonies, because they happen to live in a town where [Data], the Chinese kid, lives ... and he's got an electronics repair shop and all the kids hang out at his shop. He has this Chinese accent and he calls the Goonies the Groonies, and so the new kids call themselves the Groonies, until they get into a situation where the old Goonies have to save the new Groonies, or vice versa."
Richard Donner on a possible Goonies sequal. Keep up to date via Greg's Previews. Further, check up on the original gang here.
Not to be confused with The Goonies II.
artblog: indy comics news, notes and spare change. because someone has to give a shit. [more inside]
December 04, 2003
There is grumbling in the glens over one company's efforts to introduce a 'new' kind of whisky. A deal has now been reached though. [more inside]
Jessa Crispin, Bookslut, doesn't appreciate being called a drunken slut, apparently. In a recent column in the Austin Chronicle, Shaun Badgley mentioned that the well-known Bookslut had spent a night on his couch after getting drunk. She's taken offense to that: Last I checked, calling someone a drunken slut, whether or not she is one, was frowned upon. In other news, those who don't know about her website probably should. [more inside]
Rating The Lesbians. Girl on girl screen kisses, dished up with s side of special sauce. Not a comprehensive list by any stretch, but oh so much fun anyway. [some mildly NSFW content] [more inside]
The Space Race That Never Was.
Andrew Sandoval is a pretty interesting guy. He works as a music archivist for Rhino Records and others, producing rereleases of lots of wonderful music. Additonally,he has makes his own music. His second album was just recently released on The Bus Stop Label. [more inside]
Mossy goodness! Nearly as lucious as nog.
DaimlerChrislyer to host "Lingerie Bowl" during Super Bowl half-time. Too bad it's pay-per-view. Oh well...still beats the hell out of trombone and glockenspiel music.
Table tennis (flash).
Clockwork Science. Scientific theories are just subjective mathematical interpretations of the nature or reality. No better proof than both Poincare and Einstein arriving to the same results with differents theories of relativity. Neither of them is wrong. It's just that Einstein's interpretation is far more clearer and easier to work with than Poincare's. Who was maybe just to old to throw away his long held presumptions about nature. A very much older Einstein made a similar mistake when confronted with this other revolutionary theory. (the first link via Arts & Letters Daily) [more inside]
(With apologies in advance to SideDish and her fabulous tattoo.
Spud Fun! One potato, two potato, three potato, more! [Last link possibly NSFW.]
Hate him. Love him. He ain't going away.
Your calling as a male prostitute awaits. (via Memepool. Probably NSFW)
Racist Japanese gag gifts. Fun for the whole family! Titles include "Hello Mr. Foreigner" (the nose and eyes), "Foreigner glasses and nose" and "Doo-wop Brothers" (the minstrel-show style costume). If only they had an online store.
Juggernautco, I beg to differ.
Female Celebrity Smoking List Possibly the most intense and creepily detailed website that I have ever seen.
December 03, 2003
Over on MetaFilter they're hitting deer with cars. [more inside]
Walmart will no longer being taking Mastercard debit card services because of excessive fees. But who's the one being hurt here? Does Walmart have the right to cry over large transaction fees when it turns around and forces employees to work off the clock?
Dear, Dear, Dear Santa Once you get beyond the blood, it is really quite comforting...
"How the hell do you turn a phrase?" - Discover the origins, however spurious, of your favourite phrases (in English, sorry).
Crawling towards christmas Came across this when planning christmas drinks for the team at work. Also in the past I've done the Monopoly. [more inside]
The perfect holiday gift! Finally, something special for everyone in your life, from your significant other to your parents and the mailman: A nude photograph of yourself!
World might need massive layoffs A new study(abstract) says that the current human population is unsustainable. There exists a decent risk of extinction via starvation and/or disease. The optimal maximum for a sustainable human existence is postulated to be a wordwide population of 6 million as opposed to the current 6.3 billion! The study examined 64 species, including humans and found that our contributions to carbon dioxide production, energy use, biomass consumption, and geographical range are the reasons for the eventually unsustainable species homeostasis. Ironically, the study doesn't seem to take into account human adaptability and mastery over technology, the very factors that have enabled us to reach the current state.
I'm thirsty. And sometimes only beer will do... [more inside]
Most Obvious New Kids Exercise Yet...
Alright, I think you monkeys are ready for this, since the original Blogstop game has been declared over after 3000 posts, and the MetaFilter thread closed after 31 days and 1033 comments.
The last word of an entry must be used as an acronym for the next entry.
[more inside]
Visual Poetry. VisualPoetry translates any text into a series of images by looking up the words on Google image search and projecting the most relevant results as a slide show. [Via blog.org.]
Breaking the Gigapixel Barrier This page contains what I believe to be one of the highest resolution, most detailed stitched digital images ever created. Ya, no kidding guy!! Purdy, though ...
December 02, 2003
Remarks by the President to 2003 NASCAR Drivers
"Congressman Mac Collins -- I knew he was a race car fan -- good to see you, Mac. You are a Bubba. (Laughter.)"
Thomas Midgley
Some have gone as far as saying that Midgley has had more impact on the atmosphere than any other individual in the course of history. He is responsible for the creation of leaded gasoline and Freon (the first CFC). He also worked closely with Charles Kettering, the man who created the first cruise missile. Indirectly, Midgley helped to form McDonalds.
And it would seem that nature is not without a sense of humour, either [Look at the last paragraph].
You get the coffee, I'll bring the Comix!
Take a
break, you work too hard. And put on a sweater.
(via Listen Missy)
Is that really possible? If you thought putting in low temperature radiators, neons, and custom window jobs was usually the work of a car enthusiast, think again! Aren't you tempted to join the fun?
Letz meet 'em and greet 'em Pleezed, I'm sure
"And yet, I feel true hope for our future."
MoFites, meet Kimberly.
Kimberly, I see you've met some of the folkz already.
[more inside]
Naoto Hattori - An art gallery [more inside]
Toys That Kill!
W.A.T.C.H. (World Against Toys Causing Harm) has published their 2003 "10 Worst Toys" list. Number 10 this year, you ask?: MICHELANGELO'S NUNCHUKUS!
Unable to find the archive lists, I wonder if the Harry Potter vibrating broom was on the 2002 list?
Migratemate has launched.
Looking for a marriage of convenience to escape your current life? Green with green-card envy? Now there's Migratemate! But, of course, "Please note: Migratemate.com does not facilitate any meeting, but serves purely as an introduction agency and not an intermediary nor accessory for any illegal act that may occur, nor does it condone any such act." Huh?
The Wiccan Diet!
"You do not have to believe in, or understand Wicca or Witchcraft to use this diet. But you must have an open mind."
RIAA Blames Net for Evil - Fake industry selling fake product? There are different kinds of fakeness. [more inside]
Behind the Typeface: Cooper Black The Award-Winning Feel-Good Documentary Re-Re-Release Special Edition!
Roger McGuinn is still at it.
He has continued to upload an acoustic folk song to the Folk Den every month since November, 1995, which gives me a chance to update one of my favorite (of my own) MetaFilter posts. Happy Holidays!
A city built around a prison. Guantanamo Bay is in the news again because of the promised release of 140 detainees. What are the conditions like for the remaining prisoners, who are labelled "enemy combatants" because prisoners of war have treatment restrictions under the Geneva Convention. The camp has been subject to a myriad of controversies, including the imprisonment of children fifteen or younger, and the poor treatment given at Camp X-Ray, which was then demolished to make way for Camp Delta.
100 Elvises together, each celebrating a different era of the King's life. You know where I'm going to be Saturday night! How far has Elvis gone? Trio is airing Almost Elvis as part of its Awards series, along with the Golden Globes and Miss America, so I wonder if the King is getting less weird. WikiPedia reports that a third of us will be Elvis impersonators by 2019. Cleary, some of us are not up to the strain of the spotlight. Best keep an eye out for the real thing.
My Personal Professional Nightmare
Building Online Communities - This was posted at the bottom of an older thread and I thought that it was worth a FPP. It's a little more formal than we are, but I think these ideas are good to think about earlier rather than later.
Which embryo is human? - Since all vertebrates evolved from a common ancestor, the genetic information that guides their development is nearly the same. [via Presurfer]
December 01, 2003
The Falling Man. [more inside]
China releases cyber dissident. Liu Di, aka the "stainless steel mouse," has been released just over a week ahead of a visit to the United States by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. She had been detained for more than a year for criticising the government. [Via /.] [more inside]
Mr. Picassohead - I guess I'm not actually going to get any work done today. [flash]
Roman Glass Gaming Die Circa 2nd Century A.D.: "Modern scholarship has not yet established the game for which these dice were used."
How many forum members does it takes to change a light bulb?
1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed
14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently
7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs
1 to move it to the Lighting section
[via Many to Many]
Thank God for garbage strikes! Don't throw away your winning lottery ticket unless (a) you've checked it or (b) there's a giant garbage strike in your town.
Center for Online and Internet Addiction... Founded in 1995, we serve as the first training institute and recovery center to specialize in Internet addiction and related online mental health conditions.
Help for the helpless As someone new to this whole posting lark. I don't know how to do all of the fancy stuff when creating a front page post or comment within a post [More inside]
Highlights from "Highlights". Goofus or Gallant?
On Second Thought, I'll Just Have Some Dry Toast. [more inside]
The Online Information Source for American Military Cooks and Bakers. Pan-seared marinated buffalo stuffed with vidalia onions, shitake mushrooms and black tiger prawns, that's what we eat in the Navy.
Grizzly Murder Ended Study.
The cabin looked perfectly normal from the outside when he arrived by helicopter. And it was immaculately swept. But inside, he found the baby gall bladder in plain view on the wall.
A landmark study by Canadian naturalists on Human-Grizzly interaction was cut short when the bears being studied were slaughtered.
Read about the reasearch here.
In honor of World AIDS Day today, I encourage you to participate in Link and Think.
They're Here, They're Fat - So What? Fat. So? and FatGirl Speaks are but two of the many Fat Positive sites flourishing these days. In these glorious days of Low-Carb diet success, what's a former 'fattie' to do once he/she's no longer able to proclaim "Fat & Proud"?
